2 Royal Purple Quirky Dining Rooms

Candadian House and Home purple dining room

I don’t think I own anything purple when it comes to home decor. I only own a few purple clothing items. I like the color but it is a shade I find intimidating to work with. I don’t know why. I’ve found 2 very fun and slightly formal purple dining rooms that help me see the potential of purple.

This first dining room is from Canadian House to Home. This room is a deep, royal purple shade. It feels light and airy against the white trim and the white wall. I love the mix of white accessories, including a thrifty white paper lantern. The colors paired with this royal purple make this color workable. I love it paired with that 70’s goldenrod shade and cool purpley cement gray. And and don’t forget the temporary pop of fuchsia from the fresh flowers on the table.This room is purple room that I can see easily replicated in a “real” home. Now to the other room…

The other room I found on the blog, Roomenvy. This room is a bit more “busy” than the Canadian House and Home one. I love a bold and obnoxious wallpaper. So does the owner of this dining room. There is purple printed wallpaper on the ceiling. This isn’t that innovative, being that is a very old-fashioned thing to do. And may I add a bitch to remove. It too us forever in our dining nook to remove layers and layers of wallpaper off a small part of the ceiling. Anyways, I like this dining room because it is over the top, right down to the royal purple rug. This isn’t fitting for my home and I’m sick of seeing bold colored shaggy things. Do you remember our blue faux fur covered cabinets? Well, I do and I’ll

Patterned purple dining room

never see shag as something quirky or retro again. So, this room isn’t something that I see easily being replicated in a “real” home but it is fun to look at. I could easily see a “real” dining room incorporating this bold print on fabrics and maybe having a yellow/goldenrod painted walls.

Sorry about the lack of posts lately. I’m doing what I can to wrap up some of these projects before I go back to work. That’s keeping me very busy. And they’re boring projects too. Like cleaning, scrapping, touching up projects. These aren’t those creative projects that I crave.

-Victoria

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2 Black & White Striped Bedrooms With Traditional Touches

Black and white striped bedroom

I love black and white stripes. I prefer things that are high contrast and you can’t get much more contrast than black and white stripes. Here are two bedrooms that I’ve stumbled upon featuring a simple color palette of black and white, but it has been jazzed up with stripes. And these rooms have a traditional, classic feel to them.

I wish I knew where this 1st room came from. This bedroom is amazing and I’d love to take a tour of the entire house. This room is traditional. The furniture is immaculate and the pictures are interesting.  The striped wallpaper only makes it better. I’ve considered painting stripes on our walls. However, we have knock down lathe and plaster and it would look stupid. And I don’t have the patience for it. Wallpaper would be nice, but do I have the patience for that either? And our walls are in great shape for 30’s lath and plaster, especially considering its been through some earthquakes. I shouldn’t cover it up. How quickly I forget the process of wallpaper removal!

Looking for bold black and white striped wallpaper? I wish I was. Lots of sites have this type of paper; it’s popular. So popular that The Home Depot carries it for about $35 a bolt.  Don’t read their write up. It’s so lame. You would think that wallpaper was only a product for the young moderns. It actually says, “Today wallpaper is the hip, new approach to

Canadian House and Home bedroom

cover your walls”. OK, maybe read it.

This other room is something that I could do. It’s a super neutral color palette of black and white. Of course it always helps to have awesome architectural details in any living space. This room has great bones. It is from Canadian House and Home. This room incorporates the visual pleasure of stripes with linens. OK, so I can’t get this plantation like room in my house because I don’t have shutters, custom windows, or that ceiling. But, I can buy a striped duvet. I like black and white stripes because they appear to be a more sophisticated alternative to zebra print. And they are so Dorothy Draper glam.

Looking for black and white striped bedding? I’m having a difficult time finding black and white striped bedding that I like, especially for a deal.  It’s all too contemporary or “junior”. It seems so Swedish farm house style that I thought Ikea would have something. They have the fabric but no duvets. Dwell Studio has the “Draper” (told you so). It’s nice but not exactly what I’m looking for…sometimes things just aren’t black and white 🙂

-Victoria

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2 Serene Powder Blue Farmhouse Style Guest Bedrooms

Powder blue, robin’s egg blue, whatever you choose to call it, is a beautiful color for any room. People love it. It’s light and airy. It fits so many different design styles. It is one of those colors that I have liked for decor my entire life. It seems to always change. It’s a classy color. It goes with mid-century modern walnut furniture to frou-frou Marie Antoinette styles. Here are 2 robin’s egg blue guest bedrooms that I swoon over.

Guest bedroom found at Design * Sponge

The first one is from Design Sponge. I came across this picture a long time ago. This is the direction I wanted my house to go. I still love it. It is very dreamy. There is nothing I would change about this room. That’s rare for me. They even made me want to go to Ikea and purchase that pendant lamp (again, had it in my 1st apartment)* But, I think this lamp is the real deal, I’d settle for the Ikea. I love all of the elements here from the modern lighting  to the farmhouse prints. It’s all looks amazing against those powder blue walls. The white trim pops, the dark frames pop, and the natural wood tone of the beds is delicious. The light blue paint changes the feel of this otherwise ho-hum country styled room. (Well, that and the lighting). I love the mixing going on in this room. This room makes me want to completely re-do our bedroom.

The other room I found on Martha Stewart’s website. It is another guest bedroom painted in a light as clouds light blue. This entire room is much “fluffier” than the other. I love the white accents. It’s all so dreamy. Of course the room appears light and airy because of the awesome natural lighting. The windows are stunning, especially when draped in barely there white curtains letting the light in. I would change the textiles to something younger and funkier. I don’t want it to look too traditional. Oh, and don’t you love those hydrangeas in that robin’s egg blue porcelain vase? I need to get one of those. I love hydrangeas.

We didn’t get much done around the house this long weekend (well, we did paint the bathroom and get the studio mostly in order, we did work). We are enamored by seasonal produce and spent most of the time at various markets.

Martha Stewart Living powder blue guest bedroom

This took me to Williams Sonoma and Sur La Table where I didn’t see anything I needed. (I’m waiting for my food processor in the mail, so stoked!) We went to a  few antique shops and didn’t see anything worth buying. We had lots of great food, that’s why I love Seattle! I think all we needed was time off and a little sunshine. Hope everyone had a great weekend and a 4th of July! I’m now planning for Bastille Day…

-Victoria

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2 Quirky, Bold Hot Pink Rooms

I’ve craved quirky and bold color combos lately. I blame it on summer. Summer makes me go for crazy colors. That’s what got our home in the mess that is in 🙂 I chose the colors during the hottest month in the PNW. We ended up with overly energetic/obnoxious colors. I spent most of the winter months hating them/criticizing my design choices and now I love them. My house would be fluorescent/day-glo if I lived in a warmer and sunnier place.

Colorful room with pink floors

I have found these two rooms on-line. I love them. They are wild and unexpected but still classy. They don’t look “dormy”! This first room is bold. I can’t remember where it came from. I wish I knew because I would love to explore the entire house. You don’t get any bolder than paining your floors hot pink. And you definitely don’t get any bolder than painting your floors hot pink and your trim yellow and your walls with polka dots. I’m in love with this space. It’s so bold that even I don’t know if we have the guts to “go there”.  This is my dream interior for a New Orleans row-house or a Caribbean mansion. I love the insane-o colors mixed with the dark woods (mega-contrast). The “accessories” are so classy but unexpected with the colors. I mean wouldn’t that chair with the pink upholstery be bold in any room? In this space, it is looking very tame. And don’t you love those chintzy rose curtains? It adds a needed shabbiness.

This other room is a bedroom found at Marie Claire Maison. This is another fun, quirky space with lots of hot pink. It’s much less bold than the room featured above being that the floors aren’t Barbie pink and the walls are a neutral color. This Marie Claire room is all about the accessories. They transform the space. I think this an adorable room for little girls and big girls. My weakness is bold painted trim. It’s easier to do than what people think and it

Marie Claire Maison quirky pink bedroom

totally changes a space. I wish we did the trim crazy throughout our house. I did one room but I wish I did the entire house. I need pink trim throughout the house 🙂 This room has so many quirky accessories and textiles. This room is all about the “treasures”. These treasures add whimsy to the room. They are cute but they sure are creepy. That’s my favorite genre for home decor. I love this bedroom because it seems so livable. It isn’t a huge room. This seems like a room that regular-ole folk could get even though I know that some of those accessories are pretty darn pricey. *Note that creepy baby doll in the glass dome! But, I like this room because it can be transformed by switching textiles. You can also hide stuff under the bed and nobody would know. The shelf is a nice touch but I don’t think I can sleep like that. I’d be so paranoid that my $175 tray and all that glassware would come tumbling down on my face while I sleep. I do live in an earthquake zone, so that is a bad idea.

So, yeah, I hope that these rooms have inspired you just as much as they have me. I now know that there is no such thing as too bold. Just look at these 2 rooms!

-Victoria

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Apologies, apologies

Card from http://www.zeichenpress.com.

I must apologize for totally neglecting our home blog. As you can imagine, we’ve been really busy with life outside of renovation. We both work full-time. David got a new job and a promotion! His nerd skills worked in his favor earning him the title of manager of IT. I’ve been working and going through the grad school application process. Tons of other things have happened these past few months. Including a computer issue that left me without my home inspiration folder and a few of our before and after pictures 😦 This last thing got me down. But, hey, maybe I needed new inspiration. So, I’m pulling up my boot straps by admitting that I’m a slacker. I’m on the hunt for new inspiration. We have done so much to the house that I haven’t share. I have so much to show you and I’m manic with design ideas. This blog will be updated 5 times a week. (Thanks, to my new lady-of-leisure schedule. Now I remember why I don’t work in private sector and instead in the schools: summer!)

And you have to forgive me. (More apologies!) Since I have so much more time on my hands, I’m getting a bit more Martha Stewart-ish. And I’m currently obsessed with creating new and exotic fro-yo flavors. My newest dream, forget my current career, drive around and sell exotic fro-yos and custards from a vintage ice cream truck in Portland. I’ll have to share my creations with you. Forget cupcakes. Designer fro-yo is what all the cool kids are doing.

And I’m sure I’ll be doing so much to the house this summer. We still have much to do. And I’ve got to raise a well-adjusted frug. He needs constant enrichment. Does snacking on paint chips count as enrichment? Oh, and we have a garden! Our first one ever. I’m loving it.

Stay tuned…

-Victoria

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2 Dramatic Dark Living Rooms with a Pop of Fuschia

I used to think that dark rooms only existed because they photograph well. I thought that “real” people didn’t have dark rooms because they didn’t look good in “real” life. I’ve painted a few rooms in our home dark. They look just as good in my working home as they do in pictures. Dark colors have so much impact and drama. This is why I’m attracted to the two featured here.

Design Sponge living room

This first room was featured on Design Sponge. I love the slap in the face of hot pink. It is stunning. Not much more to say. This is about the color of our living room, or at least the color that it appears in pictures. We have a bust of Napoleon painted that shade of pink on the built-ins. Napoleon really adds something. I am all about contrast anyways. That’s why I like black and white floors, zebra prints, and wild trim colors.

Anyways, I love this room. The colors are amazing. It is sophisticated but still very “young” feeling without being too perky. It has a certain moodiness. Oh, and great lighting too. The thing about dark rooms is that you need many, many different light sources: overhead lighting, windows, floor lamps, table lamps, sconces, candles, anything that gives off light. Different light sources transform the room and makes so many different “moods”. This room also uses texture nicely. You have a glossy hot pink coffee table, painted floors with a sheen, fuzzy maize throw pillow, mysterious silky purple throw pillows, and matte walls. It all works so nicely together and adds so much interest.

The other living room was featured in Homes and Gardens. It has the same feel of the Design Sponge room. It’s dark with these shocking bold colors and diverse textures. I assume that this room is hand painted but it may be wallpaper.

Homes and Garden living room

I don’t recall. This room is all about the walls. Of of the colors are taken from the design on the walls. I love chocolate brown and chartreuse together. The fuchsia adds so much too. The textures are so luxurious but the colors are a bit unexpected. Somehow this room has crushed purple velvet chairs but it doesn’t look like a blaxploitation pimp decorated the room . (Actually the room would probably be much more fabulous if it was decorated by a pimp character actor). Anyways, I love this room because it takes so many “me-maw” elements such as throw pillows, “wallpaper”, glassware, “slipcover” upholstery, and this formal living room still looks “young”.

These dark rooms do have something else in common: they are both large with tall ceilings. I think this is another reason why these rooms don’t feel claustrophobic.

-Victoria

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I Love Putty Colored Rooms.

I’m learning to love neutrals again. I always wear neutrals but usually prefer brights in the home. I guess I am growing up because I can’t get enough of elegant neutral shades ranging from taupe to rocky cliff gray. It’s that sea pebble addiction that I have. The dining nook will be painted a gray shade and I hope it turns out nicely (this is one of the last projects on the list). Neutrals create such an elegant backdrop for all of your things. I do love my stuff.

Coastal Living dining room

This first room is amazing. I love this formal dining room found in Coastal Living magazine. The millwork is amazing I really do love the choice of colors. The lighting isn’t too shabby either. I could live without that hokey hardware on the buffet and I want to slap whoever spray painted that antique mirror, but hey, it’s a beach home. Beach homes think they can get away with that kind of stuff. I think I am going for this shade because it is so beachy. It’s beachy without being a vacation home shade. We often forgot (somehow) that we live less than 4 blocks from the sea. This is novel to us since we are from a landlocked area. The locals don’t get it because it rocky beaches don’t feel beachy. But, anyways. I thought this was a room that was well executed.

The 2nd room is something from apartmenttherapy.com. I mainly care about this pic because of the buttermilk Frenchie resting under the chair like a big knot on a log. Anybody with a French bulldog has great tastes, right? 🙂 Well, one I got pass the “him a cute baby” phase of looking at the picture, I realized that I like the colors used as well. They are neutral and really bring the room together without being intense.

Apartment Therapy living room

It’s a cute room and I love that they chose a softer white to paint their trim with. This adds so much class. I’m a sucker for putty shades. Every time I see them in use, I want to paint the entire house in these colors. Off subject: I know people love the color coordination of books but it is my pet peeve. Why is that? I organize mine by type, like a library would. I just don’t like the color thing because it is like you don’t read, you just look. Maybe you can remember a book by its cover but I don’t. What do you do with a Pocket Poet’s series?

-Victoria

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The Boudoir Is Now Pretty, Pretty Princess Pink.

Pink room, different view

OK, so I call this freakishly tiny room in the house my boudoir. I want it to house my girly stuff and all of my favorite curiosities. At one time this room was a super tiny nursery with a built-in crib. Then it became a sewing room and has a great built-in desk with crystal pulls. Then mama left and it became a dark room to start somebody’s amateur photography of local mountain ranges and soft porn.

I am so super siked about having this tiny space as my own. Everybody that comes in says that I should knock it out and make the bathroom larger. That’s a good idea if they want to start the fund to do that. Plus, that sounds like a complicated project and I am not interested in that right now, too overwhelming. I just want to make my space livable.

Anyways, I painted this boudoir a mistint pink. The color is a little more Pretty, Pretty Princess with a cotton candy cupcake on top than I had anticipated. I wanted pink in there, it does so much for my complexion 🙂 But, I didn’t account other factors such as this is a small space with 2 windows. Also, the plaster lacks texture and really makes the paint shine. I don’t fret over color. Any color will do. While painting and seeing David’s testosterone levels plummet to all time lows (lower than trips to the Deco light museum, Barney’s cosmetic counter, or trips to fabric shops), I decide to only have neutral shades in the room ranging from gray to putty to espresso. I will accent with gold metals (much like the room pictured). Pretty, Pretty Princesses don’t accessorize with those things. I really have faith in this color combo with antlers and things from the sea.

View of room from marthastewart.com

While poking around last night I found this great house featured on marthastewart.com (I don’t care what anybody says, I love her). I found the golden ticket! This is my pink shade. It’s paired with grown-up neutrals and curiosities. The trim is painted the shade that I painted the bedroom (a mistint with 2.5 gallons left). David thinks I should paint the trim and windows in there this color to make it look more grown-up but leave the doors white. I’m game but I do have a few worries. Shouldn’t trim flow throughout the house even if this space is smaller than most new houses’ closets? I’m not worried about painting over it because I am painting over black and every other color of the rainbow trim right now. That is what primer, patience, and a paint shield are for. Also, shouldn’t I go all out and paint the doors that putty shade as well to match the trim?

I’m keeping the original light fixture in there that is barren but cute. The built-in is painted to match the walls. It has crystal pulls and the doors have crystal hardware. I will use this desk most likely for applying lipstick or setting waves. I have a putty chair which I have posted on here before. I want a dark wood chair with linen and I’ll pair this with gothic mirrors and other curiosities. I’m on the prowl for a dark wood cabinent with glass doors. I found one for $400 that I want with wavy glass. This is perfect for perfumes, powders, etc. Or at least the ones that I am using at the time. Perfume should not get that much sunlight.

Light fixture in there, before, new color "prettier"

Well, off I go to hang out at the construction site all day while people come over to fix and inspect and I slap another coat of Pretty, Pretty Princess pink on the walls and think about this trim some more. I’ll be sure to share pretty, pretty pictures with you.

-Victoria

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2 Rooms With Tin Tiles

Inside Out room

Tin tiles are super cool. They can glam up any space. I like them on ceilings or used as a backsplash. It’s quick and I guarantee anybody can do it. I would do it but unfortunately this stuff lost popularity after 1930 and it isn’t “authentic” to the home. I through around the idea of doing the dining nook ceiling in a bold tin tile but then again I’m trying hard to not go OTT. However, I am drawn to maximist style. So, I am thinking about covering one wall in my boudoir with a metal tile like this. The boudoir will be pink and it has crystal knobs. I think by adding the tile it will make it glam but just a little turn of the century tavern tough.

I like this room featured in Australian Inside Out. Everything is going on in this room. It has spectacular silver toned tin tile. The wallpaper is dreaming, a peacock green floral print. you can see the butter yellow wallpaper in the bedroom. There are many prints going on here. This room would seriously look like a hot mess if it didn’t have these ceiling tiles. I feel like it would look like a cluttered room with mee-maw’s parlor room wallpaper. The lighting in the room is sorry, it’s cluttered, and there is no real focus. However, I totally forgive the space because of the lovely ceiling tiles. Those tiles make the rest of the space look intentional and creative. Maybe I should just go ahead and ceiling tile the entire house? 🙂

This other bedroom that was on cococozy.com, is quite a charmer. And once again it is only because of the detail of the tin ceiling tile! It makes this bedroom look luxe and very rich. I mean it too has an ugly light fixture, but I don’t care. Oh, and the floors look like they need refinished. But, it still looks cute. Why can’t I pull that off?

Tin tile bedroom

I’m getting a sneaking suspicion that this bedroom and the bedroom that we see a glimpse of above are the same or at least some pretty convincing copies. Anyways, who cares.

Ceiling tiles come in a variety of patterns and materials. I love it when it is metallic and reflects the light. I have also seen it painted bold colors such as sangria or aqua and that looks nice too, especially on the ceiling in a foyer. This Old House has a great ceiling tile slideshow. It gives prices and retailors. I love the copper ones too. Will that go with ballet pink?

-Victoria

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Picturing Pretty Pink Bathrooms

I have no idea what is going on with me and pink lately. I have never disliked pink, but it has never been my favorite color. I seriously think I am trying to defeat the “guyness” of the house we are buying. I mean what chick would allow the cabinets to be covered in fur, a babe silhouette mural, or well, crazy amounts of sick mess? It’s like I am trying to balance the house by making everything pink. Anyways, I am thinking of painting the powder room downstairs, the half bath, the same shade of pink that I will do my boudoir with. It will help provide some flow of color on the bottom level. I don’t know yet but it is what I am leaning too currently.

I absolutely love this pink bathroom I found on a design blog. Of course this bathroom is much larger than our powder room. I mean it even has a fireplace. But, I love what is going on in this bathroom. This ballet pink is the color that I have found for the boudoir. (Boy, do I ever hope it turns out like this shade). I have a mirror that looks very similar, which I will spray paint a white or putty. I was also planing on adding black accents if we painted the bathroom pink. It adds an edge and keeps it from being too nursery. I have a flashy frame that I have spray painted glossy black. It houses a H.G. Lewis autograph and “Paint Me Blood Red” print. I’ve got all of these accessories in storage: birdcages, black shelves, that certain gothic lolita type stuff. I can’t wait to pair it with pink. However, we are thinking of doing the floor in a light green composite linoleum tile that is an avocado green shade. It should work. Pink is one of my new favorite neutrals.

I also like this all white bathroom that has a bit of pink accents that I found shared on Flickr. I just want to add a bit of pink here and there for the house to know that a lady lives there. I feel that this second bath is a good compromise. It isn’t as offensive and can easily be changed. However, it is still very romantic. And most importantly, it looks clean and fresh. I must confess that I probably just like it because it has painted hardwood floors and a clawfoot tub. That’s a winning combo by my standards.

So, these are a few pretty “pink” bathrooms that I wanted to share. I was really disappointed to be purchasing an older home to fix up that didn’t have pink bathroom fixtures. I have always dreamed of having a bathroom with a perfect pink tub, toilet, sink. This has been my dream since childhood. And yes, I would go all out. I’m talking pink flamingo accessories and mint green rugs. There is an awesome blog that I absolutely adore, www.savethepinkbathrooms.com. Well, I don’t have a pink bathroom to save (I’m trying to create one the best that I can) but I do have a pink kitchen to save and I’ll be sure to share that with all of you.

-Victoria

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