New Inspirations...

I just like to collect images of things that I find inspiring - house & decor wise. Sometimes these things stew around in the back of my mind and show up in various ways in my life later on...

So lately:




I love how they've used chalkboard paint in all of these - I would never think to chalk board paint a table, but what a great idea! Or a door? That's kind of genius! Wouldn't this be great in a kids bedroom on the back of their door? Love that. I'm doing this somewhere, I just haven't figured out exactly where yet... (apparently it's sort of more complicated to do it on a fridge, but I've found a website that tells you how...if I still had my crappy old fridge, I would probably do this)






I wish all of these were bigger - this is a tiny house that is designed completely around the pool. Super cool. I have no idea how I would utilize this idea, except that now with our addition in the back yard, I sort of have an outdoor shelter built around a pool? I don't know...

Speaking of that, now that it's starting to cool down. (okay is it really starting to cool down? I like to imagine it is!) I'm going to be working soon to COMPLETE the backyard project.




What I really love here - and I probably already utilize this idea in my house, is that if you take a modern painting and put it in slightly traditional room, the whole room takes on a contemporary feel. Just imagine if this room had a painting of flowers or a traditional landscape? It would be a whole different feel. This is just a nifty little trick I think to jazz up a space.





This photo reminded me of a friend who had 11 children in their family. They had a bedroom for the girls like this - only in their house, they managed to fit 6 beds. They were built into the wall like this with one set in the center of the room and on each end they had built in dressers. It was genius. They took a room that would have just been a large bedroom for one or two people and actually made it work for 6 of the girls in the family. They were very artistic and creative people. The house was only meant for probably a family of 3 kids or so and they made it work for 11. It was organized and clean - it was really genius. They converted their garage into a family room because the house was small and only had a small front room that they could not have all even fit in really. In the garage they were so smart. They knocked out the roof so that they went all the way up into the rafters of the house at the top there was as small sitting space with a built in couch type area - there were built in book cases - probably enough room for at least 8 people to be sitting in that area at the same time - it was a reading area. Two or three steps down from there in a separate area they put their piano. They had a schedule and when it was your turn to practice you went to that area to play. 6-10 steps down from there was another area the entire length of the garage - they built in seating so that you could probably have had 20 people in that space pretty easily. At the end of that space they built a floor to ceiling fireplace. They excavated into the footings of the house and built another little area below there - maybe 6 steps down and inside there, again built in couches with a built in television - it was almost cave-like and pretty sound proof when the door to that area was closed - that was the only place they had a tv besides their parents bedroom. I don't think they could have all fit in there at the same time - but it provided a space to get away from everyone and watch television. I never wanted to have a big family like that I but I really admired that they were able to utilize the space of that small house and be organized enough that they made it work as a space to raise 11 children. Their kitchen was tiny too, but they built in a banquet/booth-style table that fit them all. Very smart.





Do you love this bowl? I do!





Afraid of color? These people obviously aren't! It can be hard to pull off, but if you work at it, color can be so fun!



This is even harder to pull off than color - lot's of pattern going on with all those paintings and photos on the wall behind. But it looks so great when it comes together right. I keep things like this to remind myself that when I despair that I don't have enough room for all of our photos and paintings - it can be done!





I love the use of blocks here! Wood blocks can be chic...if done correctly. You have to have a sense of playfulness and fun and a good eye. I've tried to do stuff like this before and failed, so I am always looking for better ways to accomplish this look.




Afraid of color on your walls? Why not just paint your ceiling! How fun!