Weekend Projects

This weekend, there wasn't much time for rest, but our tea bags did provide us with some lofty goals. The heart shaped breakfast was Smitten Kitchen's Oat and Maple Scones, which I adapted with white whole wheat flour and almond milk. I got a little carried away selecting paint colors online and left them in the oven a minute too long, but I'd still recommend the recipe.

John painted our spare bedroom Celadon Green, part of my master color plan that is captured by this Design Sponge post. When I found it, I already had the bright blue, whites, greys, yellow and peach in my head, but this visual layout helped a lot. I've revisited it many times since this slow home design project started last summer. Our downstairs is finished, except for dining chairs and new flooring! The pops of coral amidst the white, bright blue, and grey are everything. That's the back room, and the front room is grey, white, and gold. Pretty. One of these days I hope to show you.

The spare bedroom (and one day office) is this relaxing yet invigorating green, connected by grey to our bedroom, which will be the lightest peach you've ever seen, with a darker peach bathroom. Pink and peach are supposed to foster warmth, support, and love. Apparently aggressive criminals are immediately soothed when placed into bubble gum pink rooms. Noted.

Making Curtains

Hi, friends!

After my long bout of bronchitis and busy travel schedule, I needed this past weekend to watch movies at home with John and recover. We did get a little done, though, like hanging art and curtains that have been sitting around for the past few busy weeks without a home.

And, I can hardly believe this myself, but I made a curtain. With my own two hands.

After Carrie from DreamGreenDIY explained how easy Heat'n Bond is, I knew it was the solution for my weird kitchen window.

We also added long, sheer curtains to our french doors in the back. It's amazing how different fabrics change the feel of a room. Suddenly that space is softer and cozier and feels more like home.

Here's our newly dressed window.

Thanks, Jess and Carrie, for the inspiration.

Then and Now

In our ongoing quest to make our empty house a home, John and I have been planning an Ikea trek for several months to pick up a few basics. Ikea might get a bad rap because of its reputation as the college-student go-to, but the truth is, it's a great place to find clean, modern lines and affordability. I needed some Parsons style tables to accent our living room, and while I love the West Elm offerings, it was impossible to ignore the good old $7.99 Lack Side Table in white.

When I decided on two wide, modern grey stripes to be the focal point in our dining room, the Docksta was the perfect accent. The room is small, so a round four-seater was the only way to go.

The Expedit Shelving Unit in white is the perfect piece to create an entryway in our happy little living room. Add the Capita legs for a little more polish, and now the keys and mail and candles can all have a place to go at the end of the day.

I loved The Everygirl's Ten Favorite Ikea Finds, which included several pieces from my own shopping list. On our next trip, I'd like to find a work table to create office space upstairs, and we aren't sure yet, but we both love this revival chair, the Strandmorn. It made the cover of the 1951 catalogue! Reading chair, maybe?

Don't miss this fascinating post about the history of the brand: how Scandinavian progressivism became design for the world.

Down Filled

Recently I've been thinking lots about how to decorate our new home, a place that represents us and will foster happiness and creativity. Even though I wish I could buy/paint/create/find everything right this minute, having to wait makes it a more fun and thoughtful process. Meanwhile, Herbie is obsessed with my new pillows from CB2. And contrary to his mom, it has nothing to do with the color.

Shapeshifting

via Design Sponge

Inspiration comes in so many forms. For me, it's clearly been in music (though not as much these days) - and often in words, color, and design. For a while, it was our wedding. Designing a day to represent both of us individually and what we've become as a unit kept me entranced for hours on end. Most recently, it's become our home. We finally have a place of our own combined with the feeling that we're going to stay a little while. What inspires me now is having a space to create something for us - a place to live, work, and play - a blank canvas that will serve as the backdrop for our next few chapters.

We both have a penchant for bright colors, so I'm thinking a neutral background that will allow for lots of warm, energizing pops of color. I've been having a lot of fun searching Design Sponge, Design Love Fest, Oh Happy Day!, and others to see what excites me and find offbeat ideas on where to shop.

Scouring Craigslist for thrifty furniture finds becomes so addictive!

xo,

        Lauren

Being a Grown Up

Friends,

Grown-up questions have been plaguing my mind. It's exciting but also...strange.

1) New Condo Shopping - How do I know which mattress is actually the best quality? They all sound good, feel good, and look good to me. Come on.

2) How do I switch gears from grad student looking for cute furniture on the cheap to adult slowly collecting lasting pieces?

3) Do I have to shower before work?

4) Dare we tackle painting and flooring projects while trying to plan a wedding?

Send any and all advice my way. :)

 Today was the first really cold day and I promptly put Herbie in a jacket, which, by the way, he loves.

Recap

John and I are going to own a condo in 9 days! That's so crazy. Things have changed so much for us: our career goals, our personal goals, what makes us happy. I know I speak for both of us when I say we feel so, so blessed. The Unexpected, in this case, ended up being wonderful.

From illness to moving around the country, conducting and opera singing to working in fashion, to an abusive job, to settling in one place that we both love. I can't believe everything that's happened in the past three years - or how well it ended. I can hardly sit still when I think about the exciting things to come - condo, wedding, honeymoon - or the things that are happening right now - excellent job, general happiness. Big thanks to our little support network that's kept us going along the way!

via Girl Near the Bay