I am the first to admit it: I am not a “winter person” or a “seasons” person, for that matter. I love the temperate climate of Northern California – I adore the sun, fog and rain, and don’t mind a bit if there are no “real” seasons. But alas, at this moment I am sitting in my house in Providence, Rhode Island, with a view consisting of snow, dim light, and bare branches, and I am so not willing to fawn over the beauty of winter any longer. So I apologize in advance if you are not yet ready to think about Spring…but if you, too, are thinking ahead and dreaming of sunnier days, brighter colors and fresh home projects, go crank up the heat, grab yourself an iced tea with lemon, and dream away…
Rubie Green’s yummy organic fabrics have been in my style file since I first read about the company in Domino – and they are calling to me now more than ever! I honestly love every single one of the prints, and though they are a splurge, I am tempted to order a few yards to make a bench cushion for my entryway. Which is your favorite?
Have you seen AphroChic? Jeanine Hays makes awesome pillows and writes a stylish blog, as well. I love the groovy modern aesthetic of Jeanine’s home – I feel like I could just move right in and not want to change a thing! And I definitely want to order one or two of her pillows for my living room!
The images above come from two different Domino Magazine features that really inspired me: the top two come from a feature on actress Ione Skye’s home; the bottom row is the home of Carina Schott, owner of Nonchalant Mom right here in Rhode Island. I love how both homes feel very open and relaxed, with lots of mini-zones for hanging out, listening to records, and entertaining friends – I want to keep this in mind as I work on fixing up my own home and garden!
Why is it that my bedroom always falls last on the list of rooms to pull together? Does this happen to you, too? I’m not sure why this happens, but I really want to have my bedroom feel pulled-together like this one featured in Canadian House & Home – the mix of prints works really well for me, with a wide stripe (rug), small geometric print (bedspread), and an organic botanical print (window shades, not pictured here), all in the same color range. And how about that star wallpaper on the ceiling?? Would you do this?
Nicole Balch of Making it Lovely is just such an inspiration. As I begin making plans for this house, I find myself clicking back through many of her lovely flickr photos for inspiration and motivation – i.e., if Nicole can paint her front porch while nine months pregnant, I can certainly handle this!
Yes, I have posted this before – but it’s on my Spring inspiration board, so I am including it here again – these images come from an apartment available on Swedish real estate website Alvhem Mäklare & Interiör. Light woods, plenty of white, and a few modern feminine touches like Lucite chairs and pink accents feel so right to me – fresh and uplifting!
And here are just I few things I have pinned up on my wish list at the moment – likely a few of these items will make it into my final home design, but we’ll just have to wait and see!
- A sweet duvet from Plover Organic
- The sideboard of my dreams from Lekker Home
- Large rattan pendant light from Ikea
- Martini side tables from West Elm in white and silver
- Painted paper and leather coffee table tray from Calypso Home
- Moroccan leather pouf in white from John Derian
Overall, the look I am drawn to most this Spring is simple and organic, with small bursts of bright color and graphic pattern. And for fun? Old-school and groovy pastimes like listening to records, sipping sweet tea on the porch, jam sessions with friends, windowsill herb gardens, crochet, hammocks, bike baskets, and backyard entertaining all get my vote!
So…your turn! What’s on your Spring inspiration board or wish list? What trends do you predict will be big this Spring – or, which would you like to see fade away? What are you looking forward to? Join the conversation! It’s very boring when it’s just me here talking to myself ;)
{images: linked to sources above}
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Hope you are feeling well! this post is perfect for me now.
I’m packing for our move back to northern Calif., where I’ll have a chance to refurnish. I have too much stuf and am trying to remember to be more minimalist. and THROW THINGS OUT!
I have so many challenges–a dog who has for 10 yrs lived on my(new) husband’s couch all day. I want a nice sectional but I do not want a dirty 40 lb dog on it all day, no matter how much I love him! I love bright colors, but my first purchase was a brown leather chair that we fell in love with. My husband is color blind and cn only see red, orange, yellow. So now I’m thinking brown, blue, burgundy, hunter green but he can’t see much of it.–I bought two throw pillows at Pier One that have a nice combination of colors
Suggestions are welcome!
.-= Carol´s last blog ..Of hope, innocence and Charlie Brown =-.