Marisa's Pink/Red, London/Paris Bedroom Retreat Design Board

Ah, another year's Church Christmas Cookie Walk and Gift/Craft Fair has come and gone.  I did very well.  I sold many of my facial cloths, polish star ornaments, mugs, etc.

But the ending of another year has me itching for some change.  I have been trying to declutter and organize our home, i.e. my life, but it hasn't been going so well.   It's organized chaos around here, with three households combined into one: that means three households of stuff, six people, a dog, a cat, and even a fish all in one place.  

But my bedroom especially is in need of some help.  When I returned home last year I didn't ever fully organize and set up my bedroom because I wasn't sure at the time when I'd be moving again.  But when you work from home and your bedroom is your creative space, it gets really stifling to live somewhere that is so clearly "in transition" when you are trying to be efficient, productive, and innovative.  It is mentally draining to look around at the mess.

So, to boost my morale, I made a new inspiration board for myself.  I'm not sure if I will be revamping the bedroom this winter over my work holiday break, or if I will wait until I move into an apartment again in the late spring, but either way, this incorporates mostly things I already own with some small changes.

I could also label this, "I am a Basic White Girl and this is where I sleep."   I could have also called it, "I will never have a man in my room again."

But officially, this board is entitled, "Marisa's Pink and Red London/Paris Bedroom."   I have had a red, white and black bedroom.  And I have had a pink, white and black bedroom.   But never before had it occurred to me to combine that bright cherry red and hot pink, but I am really digging the effect.  And I will never have to decorate for Valentine's Day specifically again.

Everything here I already own, or is from Ikea, Target, Partylite Candles, Overstock.com, or Michael's Crafts

Enjoy!

Jean's Woodland Spa Bedroom

I have been in a major interior design mood lately.  I have been watching and re-watching Genevieve Gorder's show "Dear Genevieve" on Netflix (hello, I miss HGTV since we canceled cable) and seriously admiring her eye for design.  One of my favorite lines she ever said: "Mama don't do papasan.  Never have, never will."  Amen.  I am not a fan either, unless it's for a porch.

Any hoo, I digress.  I had another restless night last night even though I was dead tired.  So, I took some time out to do a powerpoint slide design board (mood board, vision board, whatever you want to call it) of a bedroom idea for my mother.  She is a notoriously hard "customer."  She has excellent taste, but she's not at all into trends (you won't ever find her buying anything chevron) and she has a very specific vision for what she likes and doesn't like.  Unfortunately for her excellent taste, it often runs in opposition with whatever the color / it thing / pattern of the moment is, therefore making it difficult for her to even FIND things that she likes at the retail level.  I swear, she could look at fabric swatches for hours and hours and only find one or two she truly loved, if that.

So, with that in mind, and knowing her love for blue, I thought about what feeling I would want to evoke in a bedroom for my mother.  She has had a tumultuous couple of years in her personal life, and I kept thinking that for her, the bedroom should be a peaceful, uncluttered retreat.  Unclutter the life, unclutter the mind: I really believe that.

So here it is.  I entitled it "Jean's Woodland Spa Bedroom."

Weekend Pinterest Picks: Future Farmhouse Glam

I am a woman with a bad habit.  And that habit, is visualizing the future.  This has been a problem since I was a child: I like to look ahead!  Pinterest, is, unfortunately, the haven for those of us who spend our time planning for later.  It's an addiction!

Well, anyway, I spend way too much time thinking about the house I want to have when I have a house again.  I miss being a homeowner!  That last house (and life) was just not meant to be.  But the future looks pretty bright!  (On my Pinterest page!)  haha.

I don't want anything grandiose.  I've never been the person who wanted a veritable mansion.  I prefer cozy and intimate.  To me a "big" house is like the 2500+ square foot Craftsman I was living in with my family most recently.  The house I owned with my ex-husband was a 1500 square foot three bedroom and that was perfectly sufficient.   I'm into the bungalow, I'm especially into New England style farmhouses.  That is what I am envisioning.  I want a home that combines my love of french country and rustic decor WITH bright colors and a slightly glamorous feminine style.  (P.S. Take this HomeGoods quiz:  you won't regret it.  It's a fun way to figure out how to define your personal style.)

http://www.homegoods.com/stylescope/

My results are "Farmhouse Glam with a touch of Classic."  That sounds about right!  Except, I have these ultra modern inclinations thrown in with the bright, bold color palette I gravitate toward.  I'm not as into the whites, browns, and neutrals that seem to typify this style, however, I really appreciate the beauty of simple, white shabby chic homes that I run across constantly on design blogs.

Anyway, I cannot stop pinning inspiration to my Future Dream Rustic Farmhouse Board.   Here are my favorites of the day.  Think of it as a virtual tour of my future home.

ENTRYWAY:

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/56295064066222219/

Apartment Therapy

Better Homes and Gardens

 

KITCHEN:

http://bucketsofburlap.blogspot.com/p/farmhouse-tour.html

Tilly's Cottage link

Lauren Liess Pure Style Home

http://www.pandashouse.com/country-kitchen-decorating-ideas

DINING ROOM: 

http://homeimprovementpin.com/2013/02/28/hutch/

House to Home

 

Miss Mustard Seed (my favorite home decor blogger!)

http://rosysf.com/interiors

LIVING ROOM:

http://thegraphicsfairy.com/my-house-the-living-room/

Real Simple

 

The Yellow Cape Cod Family room (another fave blogger!)

Vero Russo

Hooked on Houses

BEDROOM:

http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/originals/2a/5b/d3/2a5bd3fd95157fda629f7c4ceabaf6a9.jpg

http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/e6/69/42/e66942a4ec715d6dcb47f056f636c771.jpg

Designer Tobi Tobin's home tour on House Beautiful

BATHROOM:

Beneath my Heart

Country Living via Primitive and Proper

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/56295064066023745/

Valentine's Day Decor

My apartment is naturally decorated for Valentine's Day, between the red and pink color schemes.  However, I couldn't help myself.  I had to add a few additional touches, here and there.

I have a love/hate relationship with this day.  For a huge portion of my life I was one half of a couple.  But even then, I always felt conflicted because Valentine's Day never quite lives up to the hype.  And now that I'm single, and have been for some time, I have decided to re-frame how I look at this day.

For the past couple years I've been trying to embrace it creatively as an alternative.  That includes baking delicious cupcakes, buying myself flowers at times, and of course adding home decor touches.  Here are a few snapshots of my holiday touches.

letters are from Michael's Crafts, I painted two red

Red Heart Felt Mat from Michael's Crafts

Jar Candles from Michael's, Signs made by painting Canvas board with acrylic paint, and then cutting out letters and shapes from damask patterned craft paper, then modge podging each onto the boards.

I had my snowflakes up at Christmas, so adding a few paper doily hearts from Michael's to the display seemed like it fit.  I also hung a wooden heart ornament from Michael's that I had painted red/pink with felt tip markers from the knob and my array of french country inspired mugs that are always displayed are very appropriate for V-Day!

Another view, another wooden ornament hung, plus a Fleur de Lis ornament I picked up on Clearance at Pier One after Christmas in 2010 or 2011.

This Michael's Crafts chainlink heart garland was a natural addition to my already pink bedroom.  I might leave it up permanently!

Another View.  Can you see how the hot pink curtains make the whole room glow pink during the day?

Fresh Bedroom Inspiration: Pinterest Picks

I haven't disappeared!  Just lost in a post-holiday funk.  Taking down the holiday decorations is always anti-climatic for me.  And the house ends up looking so bare afterward.  Not to worry, I got right to work on making some Valentine's Day decorations.  On the one hand, my entire house is red or pink next to black and white so it's almost like I have a V-Day themed apartment year round.  But no matter, I will share a few of the little touches with you next week.

In the meantime, I have been thinking about bedroom design and how I'm so bored of seeing the same color schemes and ideas over again.  Here's a few ideas from Pinterest that stood out to me as being a bit more interesting and fresh right now.  None of these are in my comfort zone, none of them represent my go-to color schemes.  All of them are visually interesting.  I am seeing a real trend with bohemian inspired fabrics, or in the case of the metal bed (third picture) a modern take on soft, vintage, romantic farmhouse style.  Loving the coral/aqua and coral/navy inspiration as well.  I would never think to use coral normally.  Enjoy!

Rate My Space, HGTV

Nordstrom bedding set

Pinterest

 

Pottery Barn Kids

Asian Inspired Purple Bedroom

Colorful Bohemian Bedroom

Pinterest Bohemian Inspired Bedroom