The Most Beautiful The House Has Ever Looked.

Wednesday night I walked into the sweet little house, only to find her looking more beautiful than ever. I was greeted by a bouquet of roses and a trail of tiny white candles accompanied by letters I had written Jason over the past three years.

He proposed, I said yes, and it's been a whirlwind of celebrations since! Here's a little glimpse of the last few days...

Black Friday was spent painting the door candy red (as my sweet fiance {aahhhh!!!} so sweetly explained to a friend), hanging garland, and blasting Christmas music.

Let the holiday season begin!

Powder Room Mural Sneak Peak.

I spent all weekend painting away in the powder room at the house. Leaf after leaf after..well, you guessed it. Leaf. But it's almost done and the mural-induced happy dances that ensue after I catch a glimpse of it from the kitchen make the long hours so worth it.

The fixtures are being installed tomorrow, and trim today hopefully, so I'm doing everything in my power to have this baby styled and mural completed to share with you soon! Get excited!

My inspiration for the mural is the beautiful (and insanely expensive) Gracie paper.

via Pinterest

Oh how I would love to have the real deal plastered to these walls, or any walls for that matter, but for now the closest I can get to said perfection is a hand painted mural done by moi. Think Gracie a la Heidi. And the more I stare at the completed walls (seriously every time I close my eyes I see white on green branches as this motif is temporarily burned into my retinas) I feel it's a mix between the beloved Gracie and this playful HB half bath:

via Pinterest

So what are your thoughts?

Ever done a large scale mural like this before?

Or are you one of the lucky ones with the real Gracie covering your walls?

Ever used it for a client project? Also a dream of mine!

Life Is In The Details.

Here are a few images I've been loving as of late.

Wonderful attention to detail in every last one of them.

I will never live in a sparse house. I couldn't.

I can't imagine passing up the opportunity to be surrounded by so many lovely things on a daily basis.

It's the little things in life, right?

Such beautiful inspiration for the house. Can't wait to start accessorizing!

Office Envy.

image via Pinterest

So sorry for the radio silence. I was out of the country indulging in some much needed R&R in the sun with the fam. Renovating an entire house at once, as fun as it is, is straight up exhausting. But I'm back and recharged and thinking about this beautiful office.

Can we just talk about how great it is? It is moody with saturated hues, but light at the same time thanks to that massive window and the way it's been treated. I love the texture a bamboo shade brings to a space and think almost any room can handle the addition. One of my favorite tricks for adding interest to a window is layering such a shade under long panel curtains. So many people stop short choosing just one or the other, but layering is where the real magic happens in a room.

The shape of the chair is so lovely and perfectly enhanced by the nail head trim. Those ottomans steal my heart and I don't think I will ever tire of moroccan inspired furnishings. Currently scheming up a DIY or considering this little gem Jenny included in her side table round up.

Another wonderful aspect of this room is it's fine balance between classic and on trend elements. What I like to refer to as the "structure" of the space (the walls, main floor covering, large {expensive} pieces of furniture) are neutral in color and in style. The accessories and smaller, more changeable elements are where the color and real personality come in. This is a wonderful way to create a personal and slightly trendy space without tying yourself too tightly to one look. You can easily change out the accessories for a brand new look a few years down the road if you keep the bigger elements neutral.

What are your thoughts on this office? Are you a fan like me?

Making Moves.

Can we just talk about how exciting (and busy!!) the past two days have been?

Here's a visual list of all the things getting done over at the house. A design whirlwind of sorts:

Painted my campaign desk high gloss army green

Floors are being installed as we speak and are looking fabulous-looks like a house again!

Chose moldings/ trim for the entire house

Decided on a finish for the kitchen counter tops: Bianco Carrara Quartz it is

Found the perfect office rug last night on Craigslist-

Picked it up today and couldn't be happier

I'm really starting to see a light (a gorgeous light, of course) at the end of the tunnel and am feeling giddy as a little girl on Christmas morning just thinking about actually moving into the house!

Pretty soon and it's go time with the fun stuff. I'm talking furniture, rugs, window treatments, and of course styling! Off to do a happy dance.

Antiqued Mirror.

Hi Lovelies. Today I've got antiqued mirror on my mind. I'm considering including the finish in either the master bedroom or the master bath at the house. Something about it is so peaceful and romantic, perfect for these two areas in a home. Here are a few of my antique mirror favorites.

My only concern is that it will make the spaces look too feminine, like some of the above spaces. The overall feel of the house is collected, with a mesh of classic and ethic pieces and accessories. I don't want the bedroom or bathroom to have a completely different feel or to seem too glamorous/ frou-frou against the rest of the home.

I'm drawn to the paneled doors above. They add a hint of glam but still seem classic due to the large white borders. I think I like that they don't steal the show but still seem purposeful and add visual interest. They seem like they were meant to be there, not just an after thought (something that separates great design from so-so design).

Celerie Kemble's bedroom makes me believe it's possible to incorporate the finish and maintain a warm and collected feel. I've already purchased an ethnic rug for the space and need to make sure it all works together. I love her use of color and the quirky shaped canopy on her bed. Leave it to Celerie to nail it every time.

Any ideas where or how to include it based on my restrictions?

All images via My Pinterest