Comon Knock on our Door....

Lately I've been thinking a lot about my front door.

Specifically the entry area to my home.

I'm always fascinated, particularly in cities like London and New York, with beautiful door ways.

It's not just the beauty of the door, but the whole set-up. The perfectly potted plants, a lovely door knocker. All of these elements create the perfect first impression of your home.

Right now my doorway is kind of a snoozefest. It's plain black, with a little window and white trim.

It needs some jazzing, that's for sure.

I wish I had room for a symmetrical situation with boxwoods on either side of the door, but alas, I really only have space for one awesome looking plant.

I LOVE the idea of a mint door. And I think it would look pretty perfect with my current house.

The exterior is light grey with white trim and black shutters. Mint might just be the perfect pop of color.

More treats for your eyes.

I LOVE these side by side pink doors.

Ombre is my fave.

After I settle on a paint color,

I'll be settling on a fun vintage door knocker.

Like this pineapple on Etsy

Or this sexy lion.

Rahr.

images via Pinterest.com

Which door is your favorite?



Green is the New Black.

I'm in love with dark green.

And it's all Tory Burch's fault.

 

Because she makes beauties like this.

 

Or perhaps it's Michael Kors' fault.

 Or Yves Saint Laurent

Suede and Glitter Bootie by Rachel Roy

 I can't get enough of this rich, delicious color.

So dark that it's almost black.

I love this montage of Joan (Christina Hendricks) in Mad Men wearing my favorite hue.

In my mind she can do no wrong....much like Tory.

As I often love in interiors what I like in fashion,

I'm super into dark greens in rooms.

Love this Farrow & Ball paint color, Studio Green

 

I love the dark green on walls.

The deep color is so dramatic and beautiful.

 And it's gorgeous on exterior doors.

And although I'm a die-hard "light" nails girl who refuses to follow the shiny black nails trend,

I might have to try on green nails for size.

images via Pinterest.com

Really, this green is a neutral.

Use it as you would use black....See what kind of fabulousness ensues.

Reasonable Rugs----The Urban Myth.

 

I was talking to a friend today about how hard it is to find reasonably priced rugs.

And reasonably priced, attractive rugs are even more rare.

So I thought I'd make a few picks.

Now, if you're on a major budget, a good sisal is really the way to go.

 

This one is at Pottery Barn--- $199 for a 5 X 8!

But some people need a tad more pizazz injected into their lives.

So here, my friends are my Five Rugs under $500

 

LOVE this Safavieh Martha Stewart Kalahari Grey Rug----$425 for a 5 x 8

I love that it's an animal print, but still ultra-neutral.

via Rugs-USA.com

These two are techinally the same rug in two different colorways, but they were too 

good not to show both.

I love the whimsical feel of the dots and the graphic quality.

The black and white version is so classic and sexy.

It's yearning for some gold and piano lacquer----just sayin'.

They're $299 for a 5 X 8

via PBTeen

 

Love the mid-century mod quality of this one from West Elm

$349 for a 5 x 8

 

This one is actually from Restoration Hardware baby & child.

$379 for a 5 X 8

It's a good secret to buying rugs. 

The "baby" versions are the same size and typically A LOT cheaper.

 

Most of the other rugs are relatively neutral.

But if you need a real shot of color in your life, go with this stunner from Ikea.

$399 for a 6'4 square.

Which one is your favorite?

Light or Dark?

I used to be a "light" paint color girl, all the way.

I like to add color with furniture, accessories, and art.

And I do love the look of light walls with dark floors or bright window treatments.

 

But lately? I've been seduced by the glamour of dark wall colors.

 images via LeSueur Interiors

 I love the drama and the sophistication.

And really, if it's done right, they can provide just a much contrast in a room.

images via Pinterest.com

What's your preference? Do you love light walls with bright accents?

Or deep dark walls?

Wedding Wednesday----Choosing Vintage

 

 I left work on time yesterday and I decided to troll around my favorite mid-century antique mall

for a little while before making the drive back to Fort Worth. 

They always have the best sets of vintage hi and low-ball glasses in there, usually with gold and colored designs on them.

And I had the most genius idea.

I'll save my rant on wedding rentals for another day,

but I genuinely feel that rentals are generic and often downright offensive looking 

as of late.

So I thought, why not collect vintage glasses for the table scape and cocktail hour at a wedding?

Of course, this would only work if you're having 150 people or less.

And of course, it's dependent on how imperative it is to save money on your rentals,

because this is probably not a money saving tactic.

But if you've been following my Wedding Wednesdays for a while, 

you've picked up some moola-preserving techniques and you should have some surplus with which to get creative.

Right?

My friend Kaitlin did something similar for her wedding in Breckenridge last summer.

She collected tons of vintage napkins in different patterns that she placed intermittently at the place settings on her tables. It was beautiful and made the aesthetic really lovely and personal.

photo taken by Stone Crandall Photography

I perused Etsy to find a few examples to illustrate my point....

Via

 Via

Via

I love the idea of mixing and matching colors and styles,

and keeping the theme centralized with the gold accents on all the glasses.

Etsy also has a great selection of vintage napkins.

Via

To really make an idea like this work, and be cost effective, you would probably have the 

most luck perusing your local flea markets, antique stores and thrift shops.

This idea is not for the lazy.

Happy Wednesday!

images via Pinterest.com & Etsy.com

A Masculine Office.

I'm trying to remember to make this blog a bit more personal.

So today I wanted to talk about my boyfriend, Brian.

Brian is an entrepreneur and a couple years ago, he opened a car dealership.

He's moved offices a few times since the start of the business, 

and now he's settling into a location that he anticipates being in for a while.

And therefore, he is ready to really decorate. Which just makes my heart sing!

My inspiration for his office is a sleek mid-century modern feel with deep, masculine colors and handsome retro furnishings.

The offices shown in Mad Men are a major inspiration for both of us.

And it's really important to me that he doesn't fall into the typical guy pattern,

where everything is beige/brown.

 

images via Pinterest.com

I put together an inspiration board to show B what I was thinking,

and I thought I'd share it with all of you.

I'm envisioning a deep hunter green paint with a hint of teal, this Benjamin Moore color, Mallard Green would be perfect!

You may remember that we found a fretwork desk at the Fort Worth flea market a few months ago.

The desk on the board is very similar to the one we found. I'm obsessed with the leather channel back 1940's office chair that I saw on 1st Dibs. The chrome and pinstripe guest chairs round out the look. Brian has been dying for mid-century cork lamps for his office. I love them paired with a sleek mid-century credenza with brass hardware. I'm not personally a huge Persian/Oriental rug fan, but Brian has always wanted one, and at least I wouldn't have to stare at it in my house.

 

Cork Lamps 1940's,  Leather Desk Chair, Paint Color, Antique Persian Rug, Red and Black Plaid Pillow, Sofa, Tartan Plaid Pillow, Pair of Guest Chairs, Brass Task Lamp

A navy linen retro sofa, tartan plaid pillows and a brass lamp add a masculine, but sophisticated touch.

What are your must-haves for a masculine office?