Nursery Mood Board: Gold Glam

It's been a while since I posted a nursery mood board, and the last one that went up while being gender neutral, was still leaning more towards the masculine way of life. What can I say, that's how I roll, I'm not a girly girl. That being said, coming up with this super girly room was rather fun. The thing I encountered most with a "gold glam" nursery was the price of things. Holy Camoly can you pay a lot of money for certain things. (Which I guess is true for anything you do, it just seemed to crop up more with this board) So without further ado, here's my take on a glamorous girly nursery.

1. The colour is called Rainstorm and it's by Sherwin Williams, and I think it's what makes this room more palatable for me, because I'm really not a fan of pink. It's moody, and cozy, but with the pink and gold accents it's still girly.

2. An inexpensive "gold" pendant overhead light.

3. An accent wall with some randomized gold dots.

4. So they'll always know what letter their name starts with. Leave it as is, or spray it gold, or pink, or another fun colour.

5. A great gold foil message for the baby to learn.

6. Some sparkly hangers to display special things. Another simple DIY involving some gold (or any colour) sparkles or sequins, and some pant hangers.

7. Another message baby should learn. These could also be DIYed with gold paint, or gold leaf.

8. I love the Stella floor lamp, she's got vintage lines to her, but she's still modern enough to fit into this glam room. Plus she comes in a bunch of different colours, so she'd fit in many different spaces.

9. Because a gray elephant isn't cool enough, spray mama and baby in pink, and dip them in gold! This would be a super cheap and easy DIY, there's all sorts of animal toy DIY's out there.

10. A little floating shelf is great if you're short on space and have a ton of stuff to hold. Which lets face it, when it comes to babies, there's tons of stuff.

11. I've loved ampersands ever since grade 1, when I learned the word. So pass on the love with this little gold leafed one. Or if you're more into letters, they've got the whole alphabet there too.

12. Cute little cast iron golden birdy. Doesn't serve a purpose, but is pretty cute.

13. I love this gold faceted table lamp. It would work in a multitude of different rooms.

14. Nothing says glamorous like a mirror where you can narcissisticly check yourself 100 times before breakfast, so why not slap some on a dresser? While I'm not inclined to pay the outlandishly high price of the one from Pottery Barn, I'm not opposed to toning it down, and doing a DIY version, where you only mirror the front.

15. A simple white slipper chair is a neutral base to build some of the girlier accents off of, and is something that can grow up and be a reading chair in her room later in life.

16. Speaking of some girlier accents, a velvety pink round, a soft lace edged, and a subtle gold leaf are all good pillow options.

17. Some glitter garland strung above the crib announces this is where the princess sleeps.

18. This pink rug is made from recycled materials, and since there's a bit of white, and blue in it, it's not going to compete with the wall colour.

19. Lay to rest on some gold polka dotted bed sheets.

20. A lovely quilt with some hot pink bands.

21. After a long hard day of pooping and crying baby wants to rest her head in a modern white crib.

Nursery Mood Board: Scottish Bairn

It's been a little while since I've posted a mood board about a fun nursery. This one is one of my favourites, Jason and I both really like it, and could totally see our child taking up residence in a room like this. We both would love love love to go to Scotland, we've got a trip planned for when we meet certain goals in our life (and save up enough money). So until that time I'll live vicariously through pictures of the gorgeousness that is Scotland, and this cute little nursery.

1. This overhead light looks like it's wearing a sweater knit by your grandma!
2. A beautiful fine art oil painting of the Scottish Highlands. Oh how I'd love to be there.
3. Haud Yer Wheesht! Means Hold your quiet, or Hush, be quiet. Perfectly fitting for a nursery, no?
4. Along with rugby and Nessie, Shetland Ponies always make me think of Scotland. If you're not lucky enough to have a bunch of these weird little creatures tromping around in pastures near you to take a picture of, that's sad. Just google them, there's a ton of great pictures you could frame.
5. A branch lamp base paired with a simple white shade; rustic and charming, just like any Scot who opens his mouth.
6. It can't be a Scottish room without a nod to rugby...they love their rugby. We also love rugby, I picked up this ball from a 7's tournament Jase was in in NYC a couple years ago, and it's totally going in our child's room. Jason has said on more than one occasion he wants enough kids to outfit at least a 7's team.
7. A room deriving inspiration form Scotland isn't complete without something related to Nessie. There's so many cute prints on Etsy, like this one, or this one, or this one.
8. A flag shield to protect yourself from all those English invaders. This would be a pretty easy DIY with some leftover pieces of wood, or even a piece of ply.
9. I love postcards. We've collected a few from every trip we've been on, and I love when people send us postcards, so a vintage postcard would be a great addition to an art wall.
10. A vintage map of Scotland, to talk over all the places we'll go visit when we're there.
11. I once heard a Scottish comedian making fun of the fact that the thistle is the Scot's national symbol, and how they must've shown up dead last to pick that one, right behind us Canadians who get a leaf. Funny. These little thistle buttons would look really cute pinned together in a group of four in a shadow box on a fabric backing.
12. The cutest little sheep bookends ever, and since I couldn't really justify spending $135 (plus who knows how much to ship to Canada - if they even do) you could make your own (or rope a talented friend into doing it) (Use a cute crochet pattern like this one then stuff it with something to weight it down)
13. Refinish an old dresser into something that looks great, and will serve double duty as a changing area.
14. Keep the toes warm in the winter with this furry sheep like rug. Also would be fun to roll around in and run your face in...baby would probably like to do the same.
15. The Strandmon chair from Ikea, so lovely. This is what we plan to do with one of our wing backs that we'll use in our nursery.
16. Coordinate with some cute pillows, like this cute hounds-tooth one, or this plaid tartan one.
17. Hello adorable Nessie plush. I can't decide if I'd want to use this as a plush toy for baby, or stuff it full of something heaving to use it as a cute door stop. Either way, she's super cute and soft looking.
18. Dirty laundry should not have to be ugly, especially when it's cute little baby clothes. A woven basket would make a great laundry hamper.
19. Prop your feet up on this little plaid ottoman after a long hard day
20. The Sparrow by Oeuf.
21. Get some cute gingham sheets for the crib, and pair it with a quilt in your family tartan. Or just any tartan that you think looks good.

Nursery Mood Board: Around the World in 80 Days

Here's round two of nursery mood board inspiration. We're inching closer to having the floor laid in there, which makes my heart go pitter patter. This board was inspired by our love to travel (and my near obsession with maps), and then I found this great vintage Around the World in 80 Days movie poster and it used it as a sort of jumping off point.

Here's what I came up with.

1. Crisp Linen by Ben Moore with yellow, red and blue accents
2. Map Wallpaper by Wallpapered
3. Can't find the original link but here's a cool DIY version of an orb pendant
4. Blue striped reclaimed wood clock (could totally be a DIY project)
5. If you don't have a street sign laying around from your younger days, Etsy's got your back.
6. Water through the porthole looking print
7. A cute vintage bicycle riding dude
8. No vintage travel room is complete without a pair of vintage driving goggles.
9. A wooden mirror for baby to look at themselves (you could easily frame out an existing mirror)
10. Another print, this time of an 1899 car
12. A vintage ship print (this would be another simple DIY)
13. Just in case baby is wondering what letter their name starts with
14. A super cute elephant hook to hang...well whatever
15. A great brass floor lamp for those late night reading sessions
16. My most favourite rocker ever (I want to make our wingback look like that)
17. A simple blue pillow
18. Revamp a mid-century dresser to use as a change table (there's all sorts on kijiji)
19. A ship in a bottle always amazes me
20. Side table lamp for when the overhead light is just too bright
21. Who wants a piggy bank, when you could have a lion bank, and pretend you're on safari!
22. A red Moroccan pouf to rest your feet
24. A cool "magical thinking" rug from Urban Outfitters
25. There's no reason a laundry basket has to be ugly, this one from West Elm sure isn't
26. Cute little suitcases to house toys when not in use.
27. Little rocking bird (comes in different colours)
28. A fun vintage toy train to push around
29. A cool airplane mobile to help baby fall asleep (this is another one that one could DIY)
30. A lovely brown and white crib
31. Simple star sheets
32. A great red and gray quilt to keep the little one warm

Nursery Mood Board: Calm & Serene

Since we had no heat last week, I had far too much time on my hands to put together some nursery mood boards. Since we can probably have little one by the Fall, it's like we just found out we're pregnant and I can start planning all the fun baby stuff. So be prepared for a considerable upswing on the baby post front. Since we're hopefully going to be installing the floor in our future baby room within the next few weeks (it's the same floor that's going in the dining room so we plan on doing the two rooms at the same time.) I came up with a few different possibilities of what I could do to make a gender neutral baby room. We have a pretty blank slate, and have to get most everything for the babe (who doesn't when it's your first right?) So, without further ado, here's my take on a calm and serene nursery.

I feel calmer already, don't you? I feel like it would be easy for a child to sleep in here. Since we've got no clue on age or sex of the child, I'm trying to keep them as neutral as possible.

1. The flooring is an engineered hardwood from Armstrong, as for the walls, either paper them all with Farrow & Ball's Lattice wallpaper, or just do one wall behind the crib and paint the rest of the walls white, or a soft gray. I really love the look of this paper, with it's soft subtle wave, going from this to thick.

2. A simple white & soft gray curtain from Ikea, with a patter that sort of mimics the wallpaper with a vertical pattern.

3. This great light is one I've had saved for a while now. I'm not sure where you could buy it, but you could probably DIY it with some marginal effort. Some leather strips, or painted rope perhaps?

4. I'm all for having art above the changing area gives baby something to look at, as well as you when you're half asleep putting the diaper on backwards or upside down.

5. A great zebra watercolour, that would go in a white frame.

6. Another thing I think is good to have above the changing station is a mirror, I find they can help to distract baby (especially when they're a little older and in that facial recognition stage). Any mirror would do, you could even DIY a frame around an existing mirror, or just paint a current one white.

7. Another super simple DIY project you could whip up. An embroidery hoop, and some gradient thread, and you've got something that could be tailor made to fit any room. (Inspiration from Etsy)

8. I love clocks, old school, digital, funky, traditional, clocks. I think there should be at least one in every room. (As long as they're quiet, few things I hate more than loudly ticking clocks) Why not start teaching the importance of punctuality early?

9. I love llamas even more than I love clocks. They're pretty awesome, after having met a few on our honeymoon, I love them even more. Therefore a picture of a llama seems very fitting for our child.

10. There's no such thing as too much storage when it comes to a nursery. Put up a floating shelf to house some cute animals, nic-nacs, books, or anything that may not be great for tiny inquisitive hands.

11. Books play a very important roll in our lives, and we plan to instill their value in our children as well. The love of books starts with a great pair of book ends, like these from Restoration Hardware. Okay, so maybe that's not where it starts, but it certainly doesn't hurt right? 

12. A lamp is a good thing to have near the changing area for late nights when you may not want to turn on the overhead light, but still need to be able to see.

13. This stuffed mouse, is so adorable, and is sure to become a favourite. It reminds me of a silk rabbit that I had as a child that my Nan made me. (the shop has rabbits too)

14. A modular storage system (like this one) can be a handy place to store toys that aren't cute enough to be displayed, or more books. They're low enough to the ground that baby can access things by themselves, which can be great for when they're a little.

15. We're going to reupholster one of our wing back chairs for the nursery, but it doesn't mean I can't covet other sleek great looking rockers. I love the look of the walnut legs on this option.

16. Pillows (especially a long one like this) are great things to have laying around, so you can have something to beat your husband with. Kidding, he'll probably want to beat you because you have so much.

17. I like the idea of using a dresser as a changing table, because it gives you that added storage for necessities like extra diapers, and wipes, and the 50 different outfits you may want to change them into. (here's a similar looking option for considerably less)

18. This super cute mobile, would literally help the wee one count their sheep to fall asleep. 

19. I love the lines of this midcentury looking crib from Dwell Studios. All the look of times gone past, without the negative effects of not being up to date with safety standards.

20. Keep the crib looking great with some simple grey bedding.

21. I love a good rocking horse, my grandpa made the one that I'll be using in our nursery, but this one sort of reminds me of the one he made.

22. Who says a laundry basket can't be cute? Since little people clothes take up less room, just use a large weaved basket to store the pint sized dirty clothes.

23. Jason isn't a huge fan of rugs, but I like having one underfoot. Especially in a nursery, where the inhabitants tend to spend a fair amount of time of the floor. And one that


So there's my take a calm and serene nursery. When I'm putting together a board like this it's mostly for inspiration, I wouldn't necessarily choose every option in here. I know my bank account definitely wouldn't choose every option in here. When I go into any room, I find something I like, then either search and search and search for something similar, or get something from a thrift store, or find something I can do myself. I think it's great to have something as a jumping off point though. Stay tuned for more nursery boards.

Mood Board Monday - Emma Watson

I'm trying to get back in the swing of things, and since we STILL don't have internet (stupid company doesn't seem to want to respond to the many emails I've sent them),  so it's proving a bit more difficult than I would have liked. But, hopefully we will have internet soon. Here's another fun board I've been working on. 

This one takes inspiration from Emma Watson's interesting outfit. I actually really like her shirt, it's bold, and cool, and I would totally wear it, if I could pull it off haha. So with her outfit in mind, I set out to create a fun, yet sophisticated teen girl room. I really don't like pink, so this was a bit more difficult that I initially though, especially since the made up girl (Madelyn) in my head's favourite colour was pink haha, so it clearly needed to be represented.

Refreshing, no? It's girly, with both kid and adult aspects to it, that can transition with her as she grows into an adult.

1. Painting the walls the lighter of the two pinks, "Ballet Slipper Pink" by Martha Stewart Living, and the ceiling the darker "Persimmon Red" (also MSL) allows easier play with the accessorizing colours. And satisfies Madelyn by using her favourite colour.

2. A fun and glamorous chintz chandelier hanging at the foot of the bed, adds a fun pattern on the wall as it glistens. It's super fun way to bring in a traditionally formal aspect, like a   "chandelier" without having the stuffy, old world type associations. It's a great statement piece for her and her friends to admire...and it's on sale for a good price right now too!

3. Some simple shelves such as these from Ikea, spray painted a darker pink (or yellow, or gray) hang off the wall near the bed to house her books, as well as any nick-nacks, or stuffed animals that may need a home. 

4. The "office" area of the room offers a place to be studious, with a desk with plenty of room for paper and supplies, and a great furry chair to remind her to still have fun! Placing the mirror (that's made out of a vintage picture frame and painted a great raspberry colour) above the desk, it allows it to double as a "vanity", a spot where she can put makeup on, and get ready in her own space. (Because those pesky younger brothers she has seem to always be in the bathroom when she needs it)

5. No teen room is complete without a bulletin board to pin up pictures of your friends, and your celebrity crushes. This is an easy DIY Madelyn can do herself, with a large poster frame (which she can paint any colour she wants) and some sheets of cork board. 

6. Slightly more sophisticated bedding with yellow and gray stripes is something that can grow with her to a more adult room down the line. Some nice yellow, and dark gray pillows, and a cozy yellow throw complete the look.

7. A great yellow area rug like this one, or this one placed under the bed, help to anchor the room, and define a sleep space. Or, if a larger rug isn't exactly what she's wanting, a smaller,  circular rug placed at the side of the bed provides some warmth and texture on her feet when she first gets out of bed.

8. Graduating from a small twin bed to a larger double bed is a great feeling. And this fabulous, girly white canopy bed is an excellent choice for Madelyn - who of course spends lots of time chatting on her bed with her girl friends. She has the option of leaving it open,  which is fun, or if she wants some privacy - or to block out that pesky morning sun on weekends - she can put up some curtains, and shut out the world.

9. A slew of fun black and white pillows, like this, this, this, this, or this accent the bed, or furry chair. A teenage girl can never have too many pillows.

10. A lamp situated on the bed side table, in a fun shape and yellow colour, allow some light white reading, and is again something that is fun, but still able to grow as she does, and could find itself in another room, later on in life.

11. No bedroom is complete without a nightstand, and this option can either stay wood toned, or be painted white, for a more overall coordinated look. It's a fun piece that has more of a modern flair to it, with lots of storage for books, or magazines that are enjoyed while in bed. 

So there's Madelyn's room, I know I'm probably biased, but I really like it. Even though I strongly dislike pink, I could see myself in this room as a teenager.

Mood Board: The Dining Room

So since we found an outstanding deal on flooring, and went ahead and bought some amazing flooring, I'm allowed to do the whole room now! Not that Jason forbade it or anything, but I didn't really feel like going all out with the decorating the dining room, if we were just going to rip out the carpet, and ruin everything. So, hooray, when we're finished the kitchen, (or when we have some lul's and are looking for things to do - or when I'm feeling extra crazy and just want to work on two rooms) I can start on the dining room...luckily there's not much to do in there, aside from ripping out the carpet and installing the new floor. We do need to close off the old front door, and replace the window, but that most likely won't be in the budget for a little while. SO here's the rundown of the simple updates we're thinking for the dining room.

1. So, as I mentioned before, the flooring we picked up for a super duper good price is Armstrong engineered hardwood, in "antique natural"...I'm super excited about this flooring, it looks so much better in real life than it does on the computer. The dark knots and "holes" definitely give it an antique look, which is right up my alley. As for paint, I decided on "White Marigold" for the three main walls, and "Night Horizon" for the darker accent wall.

2. We have to move the overhead lighting over from the old front "entryway" to the middle of the room, which we'll do when we move and add more lighting in the kitchen. Once we have lighting in the middle of the room, I want to add a modern, soft "chandelier"...probably something I will DIY...like this one I pinned a while back. I already have the birch veneer ready to go hehe.

3. I have plans to DIY a large piece of textural artwork, using leftover paint from the kitchen, and dining room and some mud and such. Should be fun!

4. Two floating shelves (similar to these from Ikea) that can double as storage for some of the smaller fancier items in a darker brown will also go up. One under the new artwork, and the other under the mirror.

5. I'll need to bring in some new linens for the chairs (because they're pink, and I reaaaaalllllly don't do pink!) Something in a deep, dark, yellow or green...I like the pattern of yellow above. And you've always got to have some fun table runners around for all those dinner parties!

6. We already have a table that we're going to have to sand and re-stain (the top & legs aren't the same colour, and the leaf is a different colour too) to make it a richer, darker brown. (The one from the board is black...but look how nice it goes with the dark spots in the floor. I'm thinking something probably inbetween the black table and the dark brown from the "bar" shelf) The chairs we have are a lighter blondish wood, that we'll most likely keep light. We also already have a hutch that is a dark, rich brown, and a buffet that is lighter. Good thing I don't mind matching woods, and good thing the floor we chose has a great range of light and dark. We are also going to build a simple bench for more seating when we have family dinners and larger parties.

7. Another DIY project for us will be a simple wall mounted wine area. Neither of us enjoy wine, but we recognize that most of our guests do, so we'll be able to stock up on some wine, and display our nice glasses, that way we won't have to listen to our guests whine when they come over and we have no wine. 

8. There is one large window in the dining room which faces out the front of the house, so we will want to add some curtains for privacy. We're either going to do something simple and more traditional like the ones above, or something a bit more "bold" with a pattern or print.

9. Like I mentioned before, we'll be adding a mirror above one of the floating shelves. We'll most likely add it across from the window to allow the most light to bounce around the room. And so you can gaze at yourself chewing the amazing food I'll make you when you come visit!

So the budget for the dining room isn't going to be very large...because we already have the flooring, and all the furniture. All we have to do is buy some paint and a few accessories and DIY our hearts out and we will have a dining room I will be proud to host meals in.

Mood Board: The Kitchen

We bought a fridge and stove this weekend! We initially liked this fridge, and this stove, which would've cost us over $3,000 before tax. We went to the scratch & dent appliance store on Brydges (right near Highbury) that a friend we met in Cuba owns with his dad. This place is huge and we were able to get an OUTSTANDING deal on a fridge and stove. They're essentially the same as the ones we liked from Home Depot, only they're Kitchenaid brand instead of GE. We were able to snag both fridge and stove for such a cheap price, I feel like we stole them!!! SO...for those frugalites like ourselves, that saves us just shy of $1,400!!! If you want to get even more specific...the retail for the models we ended up getting total around $4,200...so that means we saved $2, 500! So for all you haters out there, that more than paid for our trip to Cuba, so I'd say the trip was worth it! (although it was worth it to us before anyway haha)

So, now that we have decided on the floor (we're going with the cheaper, Black Beach glue down cork), we've bought our appliances (still looking for a dishwaser - we've decided to not get a drawer one, and just go with the regular one) and know the layout I figured it was time to put together a board for our kitchen.

Alrighty, so whatcha think? Is it what you thought it'd look like?

1. Since I got a Kitchenaid Artisan mixer in red as a shower gift, and I knew I wanted to display it on the countertops...red is a natural accent colour hehe. In terms of wall colours - I haven't quite been able to narrow it down to what I want to paint. I'm thinking something greyish and light. As for the flooring, we decided to go with the "black beach" tile over the "Gemwood." If you remember, Jason liked the Beach better, while I liked the Gem. I didn't like the other one better enough to justify spending the $1.50 more per square foot. So, in the spirit of saving more money (we didn't want the floor to get jealous of the appliances) we went with the just as nice looking, cheaper version. We also liked that it was a glue down tile better. (Plus in my pick testing, it seemed to stand up a little better.) So the grand total for the floor tiles will be around $600...which is music to my ears...and means we'll be saving another $1,000 from the cheapest cork I'd priced out before. So, before even getting in the house, we're already about $3,000 under budget.
2. Since we got a gas stove, we needed to get a range hood - which is ok, because we wanted one anyway! We like the look of the stainless ones, but past that, we haven't really narrowed it down to even which brand we like best. Good thing that's one of the last things we need to pick.
3. There are two windows in the kitchen. One small one above the sink, which is where we'll hang a "roman" shade type dealeo in a natural fibre. As for the larger window, which you can see is between the fridge and the table we'll probably do the same thing, since curtains wouldn't really be very practical.
4. On the wall above the sink, flanking the window I want to do open shelving to display some of the pretties I have - like cake stands, fun glasses, etc.
5. Ah, cupboards...I am wanting something basic. Just a flat front in white, I wouldn't have thought that would be so hard to find. But so far, it hasn't exactly been easy, and there's been a few arguments over what to get haha. What we can agree on though, is that they need to be white haha. As for hardware, we've narrowed it down to two different handles. The long stainless ones like from the mood board, or a smaller more "invisible" looking one
6. Like I've mentioned before, we are planning on doing a poured concrete countertop, in black. We're going to do a few tester pieces in a little while, so stay tuned for THAT haha.
7. I plan on hanging a big bold DIY pendant over the table. Either a geometric one like above, or a simpler string one.
8. We haven't decided if we're going to do a backsplash around the whole kitchen, or just behind the stove up to to the hood, regardless of how much of it we're doing, we're liking the white subway tiles.
9. As I have mentioned many times before, I REALLY wanted an apron front sink. And because Jason is awesome, he came through for me, and we were able to get one! We ended up going with a double sink; a) because they were cheaper than a single, and b) double sinks are a just more practical. As for the faucet, we both want a large goose neck with a pull down spray function. 
10. We plan on bringing in some red with four bar stools at the peninsula, and possibly the table or chairs at the eat in area.
11. Lastly, we'll bring in some more red, and fun with some tea towels. I already have some fun red ones, but it's time to get some more!

There ya have it! I can't WAIT until the 22nd, and we can get started with the demo...hopefully in a couple months, we have something that looks spectacular.

Mood Board Monday: Celebrity Inspiration

I want to start making the mood boards a more regular appearance around here, because searching out things is fun...and I end up finding lots of things that I want to add to our house as we redo things (which I suppose may not be a good thing haha - end up costing me lots of moolah!) Although, considering we're using Jennifer Aniston's clothes for inspiration (which she was wearing on set of her movie Wanderlust) this whole room probably costs a third of what just that jacket costs! Lets take a look at the celebrity inspiration for today:

 

The thick leather jacket, swede cowboy boots, bold black rimmed glasses...I love it...wish I could pull it off...but alas, I have not the style, or the money, or the legs :( It's a pretty basic outfit, doesn't really come with a bunch of embellishments, but it is a great jumping off point for a room. Out of my "magic room decider hat" I pulled living room. HA! Perfect, although it would've been nice for something like bathroom to pop up, just to make it a bit harder haha. I'll take living room though...leather & swede, pretty traditional living room pairings. Here's what I came up with:

So, whatcha think? It's fairly manly, it'd look pretty good in a mancave too eh? I wanted to go with the black and white colour scheme, while still trying to keep the feel of the room warm & cozy. Paint the walls white, and go with black for the trim...gasp, what? Black trim? Yes, black trim...its works, check out how it looks here and here if you don't believe me.

1. First up, the spot to house the TV. This is a great stand, with covered storage, which is a bonus. You can get the complete plans to make it yourself from ana-white.com. You can make it yourself, save a ton of money, and can brag to everyone that you're the bees knees becuase you make your own shiznat! Obviously, to fit in with the black and white "theme" we've got going on, paint it a nice glossy black.

2. Break up the dark, heavy couch & TV stand with two white armless chairs, like this one from Target. It gets bonus points for being called Becca! I would not be above buying a chair just because it's named after me. (3)Accessorize the chair with a brown suede pillow like this one from Etsy, and a nice cozy throw, like this brown & white reversible one. Swap out some of the dark pillows on the couch with some lighter, white ones. If you want to make this room a little less "manly" than pillows are a great way to do it, because you can add some ruffles, or a bold pattern, to instantly, girly it up a bit!

4. To break up some of the monotony of the black and white (and to tie into a different part of Jen's outfit) a fun recycled denim rug adds some colour, and a nice feeling for your feet. Plus, think of all the jeans that are being saved from a long, sad, lonely life at a landfill...and since it's from the kids department it's a LOT cheaper than you'd normally pay - for something in the same size.

5. I love this coffee table, it has modern, coppery coloured metal legs (drawing from the copper coloured zippers on Jen's jacket) and the reclaimed wood top is more on the rustic side - and also has the added bonus of helping the environment. Reclaimed = happy earth. The top can be stained a dark colour, left light, or even painted white.

6 & 7. This side table, and round light (both from West Elm) are fun, and with the wood tones, help to balance out all the black and white (much like Jen's boots). Plus the long, lean shade is a lot like the long, lean Jen.

8. The couch...it can't really be called a living room without having some sort of a couch can you? This couch from Teppermans, fits this room perfectly, the base is black leather, and the cushions are a micro-suede...nifty. The cushion colour options also include black, so even more perfect. PLUS (and this is my favourite part) it's a sectional with a chaise lounger. I.Love! I would like a sectional with a chaise in every room of the house. Can't you just imagine getting out of the shower and toweling off while sitting on a chaise? It takes all the danger out of drying yourself when standing! Hehe, ok, so maybe I wouldn't put one in the bathroom, but I really do love sectionals.

9. Last up, we have a bold piece of metal art that will hang over the couch, and is again pulled from Jen's zippers, and ties in with the base of the coffee table. One last piece to to help tie different aspects of the room together.

So there we go. Thank you Ms. Anniston for some room makeover inspiration.

In the Mood: Mer's new Sophistication

My darling little sister is now 18, and now that she is officially an adult, she needs a more adult room. Since she just so happens to be getting a new room, there is no better time than the present to spice things up! I used her want of a red wall as a jumping off point. We went out and she picked the flooring she liked, and she also bought a nice new grey duvet cover (for a great, super cheap deal I might add). So, without further adieu, here's my idea of how to make over her new room.

OK...so here's what I was thinking for Mer's room. She is such a fun, happy, positive person, so I wanted to come up with something that would both reflect that, and encourage it. She also needed a space for both sleeping and working, as she is soon to be off to fulfill her post-secondary dreams. I tried to incorporate both fun, bold patterns as well as some different textures. Since flooring is going to need to be bought, we have to accomplish this room makeover on a budget, so I chose a good mix of inexpensive and DIY.

1. Since Meredith wanted red, something like Behr's "edgy red" would be great for a focal wall behind the bed. Since the room is not very large it adds some drama without making the room seem smaller. As for the other three walls, I chose Benjamin Moore's "cloud white", a creamier colour offsets the red better than a stark white, I would also paint the ceiling this colour for a more seamless look. As for the trim, Behr's "aging barrel" will do a good job of tying the darker knots of the wood she chose with the darker stain on her bed.

2. Like me, Meredith loves to read, so this clamp lamp from Crate & Barrel will easily affix to the bed, so she can lay in bed reading, without having to get up to turn off the light. (because every one knows that really sucks) The brushed, grey, metal finish adds some neutrality and also some nice texture. (Also goes well with that nice new duvet hehe)

3. This mirror is similar to the one she has (I would paint the existing black frame the same brown from the trim).

4. For another added pop of colour one or two of these wall files can be hung above the desk to house important papers, or magazines...or whatever really. They are super cute and functional!

5. As for the work space, I would recommend getting rid of your old bulky desk, and bringing in something more streamlined. Something like this desk would be ideal. It still gives you the work space, but looks a lot less bulky, which is better for a smaller space. The finish of the desk also ties in nicely with the colour of the laminate floors.

6. The flooring she chose, called "Paradise Walnut" and is a fairly realistic wood looking laminate.

7. The great new grey bedding!

8. Instead of having a traditional bedside table, placing two floating shelves beside the bed will give you a place to put that book you're reading...or anything else you want to put there.

9. Another bold statement is to add a fun DIY paper lantern pendant lamp to replace the old ugly typical "boob lamp" covering. Because no one wants to stare at lamp boobs as you lay in bed.

10. As for curtains, something neutral, yet fun will be a good compliment to everything else going on in the room. Something like this simple repeating geometric pattern curtain from Etsy draws from both the bedding and the cloud walls.

11. A red rose pillow on the bed for one more pop of red.

12. Stencils are so much fun, and easy (although sometimes time consuming) to do. Something like this tiger stripe stencil done in a tone on tone, on the red focal wall can be a subtly bold way add some more drama to the room.

By adding a fun colour, and some unexpected patterns and texture, this room can be transformed from boring and typical, to fun, dramatic and sophisticated. Perfect for someone like my amazing sister, ready to embark on her next stage of life. I hope you like my ideas Mer, and I can't wait to help you with some DIY projects to make your room awesome!