Design Happens

Today marks the first day in which my excitement for our new home is out of control. We still haven’t made quite as much progress as I’d like (more on that later), but I’ve been investing a substantial amount of time formatting inspiration boards and choosing furnishings. And because I have a hard time keeping things to myself (especially when I’m bubbling over with inspiration), I thought I’d bring you along for the ride.

Yesterday, I wrote a few house rules for myself. I’m a lover of boundaries and often make lists of lists and more lists of other lists, so of course, I spouted off a few future rules for decor, accessories and furnishings. One of those rules? A secret formula for each room’s decorating scheme:

Something white + something rustic + something vintage + something glamorous (read: metallic, shiny or bling-ish by nature).

And in an effort to preserve my new handbook, I found a few furnishings that caught my eye, and luckily, fall right in line with my rule:

Image/Product Credits (clockwise, from left to right): CB2, Mast Brothers, Urban Outfitters, Icelandic Market, Bellacor, YLighting, Collex, 360 Flooring, Lille, Simply Rustic

I love each of these pieces individually and am hoping that when thrown together, they’ll all get along and chat about politics over spritzers. The metallic ottoman has been on my wish list for ages, although I don’t know if I can swing it in the entryway. I won’t know for sure until I try though, right?

Image/Product Credits (clockwise, from left to right): Olympic Paint, Barn Light Electric, Kohler, IKEA, Inklore via Etsy, Hindsvik via Etsy, CaesarStone, Cool Knobs & Pulls, Fine Little Shop, ModWalls, Icelandic Market

Ahhh, Scandinavian sweetness. I love every inch of this space, and all that’s missing is a touch of color (bright yellow daisies?).

Image/Product Credits (clockwise, from left to right): Burke Decor, Artaissance, West Elm, Amazon, Bellacor, Lumens, West Elm

The living room has been tough to decorate, mostly because I can’t seem to find the right artwork for the space. I’m a bit of an art snob, and although this Artaissance print didn’t necessarily jump out and grab me, it does work really well with the geometric-inspired rug. It could end up appearing too matchy, so we’ll see if I change out the large panel with some gilded gallery style frames.

Image/Product Credits (clockwise, from left to right): Horne, Counter Evolution, Horne, Hermitage, Little Paper Planes, iStock Photo, Home Base Collections, IKEA, Burke Decor

This room is directly inspired by the geometric wallpaper (I am so in love with that pattern!), but I wanted to add a dash of color with some sweet, hand-painted oars. Such a fun touch!

Image/Product Credits (clockwise, from left to right): DecorPad, Select Comfort, Jayson Home & Garden, Le Souk, DesignMe, Suki Cheema, Arctic Design, 1stDibs

The bedroom will be light, bright and muted — the perfect place to lay my head down. I like to keep bedrooms clean and fuss-free, and am toying with the idea of using stools rather than nightstands. The less surface area I leave for clutter, the harder it is to invade the space with tchotchkes!

What do you think? Pretty eclectic, yes? I keep a general rule of thumb which dictates that if I love it, it works. Naturally, each room will change when we finally begin decorating, but I feel like these products are definitely heading in the right direction and complement my style (and each other!) so, so well.

Of course, so many of these picks are totally out of my price range. Luckily, I’ve got a carpenter husband who loves a good DIY almost as much as I love fudge brownies — and I plan to thrift quite a bit from eBay and Etsy.