Design Fun & Contest Results

I was actually pretty happy to have made it into the contest at all in the first place. Then I was THRILLED to make it into the voting rounds. Then I was ecstatic to get past the first round and into the final 16 in the western division - and beyond ecstatic to place in the final 8 in the West. So when I didn't advance to the final 4, I was not devastated. Just happy to make it as far as I did.

I had a couple of weird queries from people yesterday though - one was "why do you care? I don't get it - why does it matter?" - let me see if I can clarify. Uhhh...in the grand scheme of the world, you know world hunger, global economic crisis, and ethnic cleansing - this contest definitely doesn't' even make the list of what 'matters'! But on the other hand:

I feel like our environments, our homes are both a reflection of us and a place to seek solace from all of the above mentioned world crises. So in that sense, it matters. At least to the people in my house. Also, it's a sort of a hobby of mine and it's always nice when someone tells you that maybe you did a good job - especially if those are people who don't HAVE to tell you that you did a good job - like a magazine editor in California who looks at design all day. Also I really believe the world would be a better place if we all lived in a space that made us happy.

And the trip to New York would have been nice too! So there you go, my reasons.


Okay, so I am on a kind of design roll right now - not that I've actually done anything to the house, but I would like to get a new laundry room (well, not new, keep the one I have, just improve on it greatly - see the previous entry, I think I'm going to try to replicate the one with the blue tile walls) but also we have been planning for months to turn the old studio into a new walk in closet - a HUGE walk in closet! (YAY!) So....

I've really researched closet design online. And there seems to be a few choices - you either pay someone like California Closets to come and do a sort of boring/looks the same as every other closet/design or you can spend a ton of money on Italian closet design companies or you can do it yourself at home depot and end up with something semi-lame OR you can get the Ikea Pax system. From what I've been reading, people really do love their Pax systems. Yes it's a do it yourself and yes, it's Ikea (which means lots of diagrams with arrows and random Swedish words) - but Ikea is like the King of Scandinavian design on the cheap - and honestly, most of the time, the design is really good. There are a few Ikea things I would not recommend (their floors being one) - but I have to say I have truly loved my kitchen cabinets.

If anyone has thoughts to share about closet design I would love to hear what you have to say. Here are a few samples of the Pax system:






In addition a couple of things I know I want in this new closet are a cool light fixture - at least a cool little chandelier:


But maybe even some of these bubble lights I've been crushing on lately, but have no where else to put them:







Then I'm going to need new paint in there - and I think I want it bold and opulent - I am thinking either bold red (as many other walls in my house) - OR going with a red/orange - and if I do the red orange I may skew a little of my bedroom towards red/orange accents as well (while keeping the green walls) or I could go crazy and do Fuscia pink like I've always wanted (I have always wanted at least ONE room in that color and a closet seems like a possible place to try it out):





To top it off I need a tufted bench in the center of the room:






Any thoughts?