» Design Questions! {Help a Sister Out!}Home Love Stories

?Adding Texture to your Home

I think most of us can say that we love getting home from having a hectic day…..but do you love your surroundings once you get home?….do you wish your house was more homey or comfortable….just your style? I’m hoping I can inspire you by my pictures and texture ideas to make your home more cozy and welcoming. So here are a few ideas to add texture to your surroundings.

?Include wood in your decor and it will warm up the space. This vintage French chair with rush seat was the key to add some texture to a corner of my home.

?Adding greenery to your space will add the natural texture of the outdoors.

?A blanket spread over your favorite chair will welcome you and make you feel at home….this is my favorite texture.

?The addition of some metal like this clock and this rustic bird will invite you in. Mixing textures is key.

?Lastly, by adding baskets to your decor, you will bring texture & organization into your space.

All of these ideas are here to help you to love the home you have, wether your house is a mansion, a farm house, an apartment or a studio. Just remember that with a little love and inspiration, you can accomplish much and make the house you have, the best home you’ve own. I’m hoping this will inspire you in bringing texture to your home.

?I am participating in The Inspired Room tour, celebrating the launch of this new book by Melissa Michaels. She has helped me love my house and create the best home for our family….go take a look at her book and learn how to fall in love with the home you already have. Go get your copy at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

A Plate Conundrum

So I’ve been wondering for a while (without coming to a conclusion) will it still look good to mix plates that are white white, with plates that have a “linen” finish?

I’ve seen lots of plates, platters, and bowls that are really pretty and have nice designs, but they’re the color “linen” which is noticeably off white.

The new plates I started collecting are a bright white, will it make the linen plates look dirty if they’re not a bright white as my other plates?

Has anyone tried this? Does anyone have a strong opinion?

Help! I can’t decide!

Kitchen- help please!

This kitchen project started 2 years ago when we moved in. The kitchen space is great- it’s open to the dining room the living room, donors open concept and that I love.

What I didn’t like so much- the builder grade cabinetry, linoleum flooring, and the ugly color of the countertops, the ugly yellowed florescent light and the breakfast bar…

Being on a tiny budget we opted for painting the cabinets white & adding hardware to the cabnitry. We bought stainless steel appliances at outlet stores and that helped improve the look of the kitchen.

I still yet have to update the lighting & the yucky countertops… But what I really want to do? Make the breakfast bar area one large level island…

I’m just feeling lost with this kitchen… Any suggestions? I really want to love it, help! (Side note All these images are from two years ago)

Opinions, Please!

Ok, neighbors – I’m looking for a little input. We’ve been working on the outside of our home for the last two summers (landscaping and new front steps are still to come). My husband is going to start building our shutters and I can’t decide what I want to do about the color.

I was thinking gray with a stained front door, similar to this…

Or something weathered with a painted door (I really like the white door), like this…

I like a neutral, classic palette, so I’m not looking for a lot of color, but I’d love to know which combination you’re drawn to, or if you have other suggestions? Thanks all!

http://www.rusticandwoven.com/2015/07/09/lets-talk-shutters/#more-1050

To paint or not to paint, that is the question.

Hello all!
I haven’t posted in quite a while, first I had a terrible cold, then the flu, then I went to San Diego for a wedding…it’s been CRAZY.

BUT, now I’m back, and I have a design question for y’all!

We live in a fairly small duplex, which we are allowed to paint, but we have to re-paint everything the original color before we leave. Since we may be here as short a time as a year (depending on how long it takes my husband to write his thesis) Evan (my husband) wasn’t too keen on painting. But he did agree to let me paint an accent wall downstairs.

What I’d like to do, is paint the wall that goes from the front door/entry area into the living room. But I can’t decide between a light blue and a light gray!

The entry area can get kind of dark, so I don’t want anything that will make it feel closed in. I also am in the process of sewing a cover for our living room couch that is a light gray. So painting the wall could compliment that.

This view is from the front door looking into the house, so you can see it look darker as you come in. And you can also see the gray couch (although the color isn’t very good in this picture).

What do you guys think? For the two choices I was thinking something like:

Keep in mind that I have no idea at this point if I can get these exact paints, but what I would do is get the closest possible color.

Tell me what you think!

What to do about Turquoise

You can read the full post here on my blog http://camusrd.blogspot.com/2015/04/turquoise-to-do-or-not-to-do.html

So in my perusing of pinterest I have come across the idea of using the color turquoise. Specifically in my laundry/Mud room. And I like the idea, but it also scares me.

I like looking and seeing bold color and pattern choices, and of course I PIN it, but when it comes down to actually doing it in MY house….I’m terrified. So I play it safe, and go with a white or a grey, or some other neutral. But I’m really tempted to do something fun, and I think the laundry room might be a safe place to do that in.

What do you think? Is this just a trend and I’ll hate it in 5 yrs? Or is turquoise a classic that will keep me happy for a long time?

My “Dream” Pergola isn’t So Dreamy

After begging my husband for years to build me a pergola over our patio, 2 years ago he finally relented and did it. I immediately went to work making it pretty by making curtains, adding new cushions and other touches. We were pretty happy with the addition of a $100 Craigslist fireplace find

Last year, we decided to do the landscaping on the ugly hill on the side of the house so we added our water feature we had been wanting to do since we moved in 5 years ago. I was looking for larger furniture, but I thought our outdoor oasis was complete.

Now this year, we have acquired a hot tub. I have wanted one for a long time, so I am happy with it, but it is presenting me with some design challenges

Any and all ideas are welcome! I am thinking of selling the wicker set, and having my husband build a sectional and putting it where the love seat and chair are over by the stairs? And having a little beverage station behind that where the clock is? The hot tub has to stay because of wiring so I have to work with my arrangement around that.

I am looking forward to hearing what you all come up with!

Update: It’s Here! This Chair!

I went to Target today to see what I could do about the todo list for my bedroom makeover. Of course, I didn’t find a thing on my list. But I 99% sure I feel in love with this chair! I could see it in the corner of my bedroom against my gray wall with a throw and pillow. I’ve always wanted a chair in my bedroom and this maybe it!

I’ll have to measure and see if it will fit. Then there’s the test…if I can’t get it out of my mind in a few days, then I’ll have to give it a try. The funny thing is I wasn’t even looking for a chair. I turned around it was there. My first thought…that’s perfect for the corner of my room!

When was the last time you walked into a store and found something totally on accident? Do you buy it straight away or are you a thinker, like me?

My chair arrived on Friday! I was so nervous putting it together because I was sure it would be too large for my room. But after setting with it for a couple of days, I think it will be perfect! It fills an empty corner and makes the room more cozy (in my humble opinion). I tried to give you pictures in natural light, although the sun wasn’t exactly cooperating. It’s out now though…of course! I also did one with my husband helping my by holding up the drapes (sorry that’s from my phone). The drape looks cream while the chair looks more khaki, but I think it will work. Both of those colors are in my bedding. I’m thinking a green throw over the left hand corner to break up the creams.

It’s funny I was just reading a blog post on Friday about how you don’t want all the same creams/whites in one room. That was good timing! Now it’s onto lamps, curtain rods and a couple of accessory items for the nightstands. 😉

Master Bedroom Update/Questions?

After months of planning and searching for items, we finally started our bedroom makeover this week. I’m off for spring break, so hubby took a couple of days too. Here’s our progress so far…(sorry for the terrible pictures, it’s dark and stormy today).

Here’s a picture with the lights on, hopefully that shows the colors better. In my last post, I said I wanted everything different. Now I’m second guessing what I have done. Don’t get me wrong, I like the colors and duvet. I just feel something’s missing and I can’t place what it is. My head says keep going forward so I can see the end result.

The lamp and alarm clock will be replaced. Next up I have purple drapes to hang. I’m currently looking for curtain rods. For lamps, I will look for something either black or dark bronze. To go with the dark brown in the duvet and tv on the opposite wall. Thanks to Nancy for that suggestion! =) For accessories, I thought of adding something small in the green color on each nightstand, a frame or a small dish for rings, etc. Just a touch of the green color.

Last, I’m toying with the idea of painting my nightstands a cream color then giving them a distressed look. All my furniture is oak and matches. I’m tired of that look.

So my questions are:

Is this too matchy? There are so many colors in this duvet, it’s hard to decide which to highlight.

Am I going purple over board with the drapes and sheets? I’ve never had purple so I think that’s some of my issue. I’m way out of my comfort zone here! =)

I would love any comments/suggestions you might have! Thanks so much!

**Update** Below I added two pics of drape options. The left is the purple and the right is my brown panels. Excuse the tape, searching for rods, and the terrible lighting. =) Sorry the are sideways, I couldn’t figure out how to rotate them. Anyway, it almost seems a wash to me. The brown ones do bring out the brown/khaki in the duvet. They also might help center the room with bronze lamps. I had them up before and my room wasn’t too dark. The purple ones are a tad more shimmery. (If that’s a word.)

Wood stove?

Trying to decide on the fireplace look and stove for our new construction home. Visit my blog for the whole story, http://camusrd.blogspot.com/2015/03/decision-wood-stove-and-fireplace.html

The summary is we need to find a stove that can have a low clearance height to achieve the look I have. Do you have a stove in your house? Do you love it? How’’s it styled in your house?.

Master Bedroom Makeover

The time has come to tackle my master bedroom. I have been thinking about redoing this room for over a year now. My bedroom has always had light walls and colored bedding. This room has been either red, dark green or a combination of both. So rule #1, no red or dark green. Next I wanted to do something completely different, so I thought dark walls and lighter bedding this time. Here’s the current state…Don’t you just love the camouflage fleece throw? That should explain everything right there! Enough said! The only good thing I can say about this is, number one, it’s super warm on these cold Michigan nights and number two, my dogs love it. The little blue blanket in the night stand is where my little Grayson goes when it thunderstorms. He’s scared of those and that’s his safe spot. Poor guy!

Here is my north wall and Cooper wondering what I‘m up to. He’s not camera shy! He‘s taking a moment to peek out the window and make sure that blanket doesn‘t leave the bed!

Last but not least, is the west side of the room. Mainly I think it just needs a update. Time for new colors and a different pattern. No more crazy mismatched blankets. Even the boys bed will get a fresh new look! Here‘s my thoughts so far…

I’ve purchased the duvet and the purple sheets. I also decided to go with the purple drapes. I’m thinking dark gray walls. Then playing up the accents with apple green. I was going to leave the orange alone because my furniture is oak and has an orange hue to it. I’m also toying with the idea of doing something to my night stands. Everything in my house matches and I’m tired of that look. I really like the look of mixing woods and elements. So I thought about staining them cream, while leaving the drawer fronts oak. That‘s where I’m at so far. We are planning on painting in a couple of weeks so I have to get my wall color picked out soon!

I would love to hear your thoughts on what I’ve put together so far. It fun to try something different but scary to step outside your comfort zone! Wish me luck! Thanks…

Chalk Paint?

I love this cozy guest room at my parents’ house! I found that sewing table at Goodwill for just $30 a few years ago and I always planned to paint it, but haven’t gotten around to it yet! It’s pretty shiny wood so I’m thinking chalk paint would be the easiest way to paint it without sanding. Has anyone tried chalk paint? I haven’t yet but I’ve heard some good reviews!