Pretty Bedding for Spring

What do you do around your house when Spring hits? Washingtonian.com asked me and several other DC-area bloggers this question and, for me, it seems to change every year, but I consistently feel an urge to pretty-up my surroundings around this time. Spring feels like the most feminine season to me.

This year, I'm seriously (seriously) craving girly bedding. Monograms, scallops, embroidery, etc. When it gets just a tad warm in our house, I want to kick off all the duvets and blankets and recently I've wanted to also replace everything with something sweet and delicate.

And I just found an awesome source for bedding the other day in the form of a catalog (sidenote: I love getting random catalogs in the mail and discovering a new-to-me source). Check out this gorgeous bedding from Schweitzer Linen:

It's so pretty and most of the sets come in a range of colors. The price points are still a bit high like other luxury linen brands, but I like that they offer their pieces individually - this lets you buy just shams or maybe just a top sheet that you can then mix in with more affordable pieces. I'm saving my pennies for a scalloped king-size sham that I will use as a center boudoir pillow on my guest bed.

Their website is a little cumbersome to navigate, so I would suggest starting with their catalog, which you can download online (link at the bottom of the home page). And don't forget to check out what other lovely bloggers had to say about Spring in their own homes.

So, what do you do to usher in this season?

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Chairs, In Situ

Be mesmerized by these chairs in situ courtesy of genius designer Schuyler Samperton:

Yesterday's post feature a pink living room designed my Ms. Samperton and I'm currently obsessed with her portfolio. I'm also obsessed with chairs and I absolutely LOVE how these portfolio pictures highlight different chairs in different styles in different spaces. So incredibly gorgeous!!

#2 is my favorite - I don't often (as in never) pair yellow with brown, but it works so well in this Chinoiserie arrangement - especially with the orchid's pink.

Which is your favorite??

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Rustic Pink

I really love how well a beautiful does of pink works in a rustic interior.

Design by Kathryn Ireland

Design by Schuyler Samperton via Pink Wallpaper

Exposed wood beams next to hot pink make a fetching combination. Staring at these images, I also think that what makes both looks memorable are the white walls - the contrast of brown and pink really pop when the walls are kept white. I've come to love white walls in rooms like these - I'm always one for paint, but I keep seeing beautiful, colorful, rooms with white walls that blow me away!

Hope you had a fantastic weekend!

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Friday Crush

Surprise! I went to Spain! Carter and I were soaking up the Spanish sun last week and just got back this week. It was an AMAZING trip to celebrate both our 5-year wedding anniversary coming up in April and Carter's birthday. This picture I took with my cell phone in Toledo - our hotel had a fantastic rooftop terrace and I took this picture on Carter's actual birthday as the sun was setting and we were splitting a bottle of wine. Yes, it was incredible. Carter was the main photographer so I'll look through his pictures and if I see some good ones, I'll post them next week.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend...see you Monday!

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Quadrille Patchwork Pouf

This Morrocan pouf cover is made from a patchwork of Quadrille fabrics....I spot many of my favorites. What a brilliant idea by Etsy seller MarleyMaterial. If you have $475 burning a hole in your pocket, consider spending it here (keep in mind that Quadrille fabric is really pricey).

We all know this because we read design blogs, but I'm not sure other humans know that you can find so many pillows, pillow covers, and sometimes poufs on Etsy made from all of the high-end fabric designers. Schumacher, Kravet, Brunschwig - most of the hip fabrics are available and pillows are a great way to add a designer fabric to your home without spending hundreds on yardage. Check out my ideabook on Houzz that rounds up several designer pillows available on Etsy...

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Wee Loot

I have recently purchased two items that are diminutive in stature...petite, if you will. And they are darling. I happen to work across the street from a bananas-awesome consignment shop. This place is PACKED with goodies and it is my favorite spot to spend a lunch break.

During my last visit, I encountered this sweet little chair. Its beautiful detailing and tassled-velvet pink chair pad pulled at my heart strings.

Side note for furniture buffs, what would the style/decoration of this chair be classified as?

This beautiful little chair was $75 and I couldn't walk away....nowhere to put it, but I couldn't walk away. I'm thinking of using it as a decorative chair in my new office, under one of the windows.

A couple of days later during a trip to HomeGoods, I found a gorgeous little faux-burlwood table. And for $50, I also couldn't pass it up.

Again, nowhere to put it, but it's quite small so I should be able to squeeze it in somewhere. I just loved the finish on it and it's an inexpensive little piece that I can move around the house.

In other news, when I put the two pieces together, they create the most adorable wee desk you've ever seen:

No way any full-grown human can actually fit at this desk, but it's super-cute to look at.

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French Blue + Crisp White

Will the combination of bright french blue and crisp white ever get old or go out of style? I don't think that's possible. These images made my love for this combination soar to new heights.

 Image via Chinoiserie Chic

Design by Amanda Teal via everything LEB

Gorgeous! And I am so enamored with the look of this color combo against lovely woods as pictured in the home office...and that desk is to die for. Such a pretty space!

If you are a blue + white nut like me, make sure you check out The Pink Pagoda's "Blue and White Monday" posts...every Monday, obvi.

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My Home Office Saga

Can I vent for a moment? About my home office? Because I'm about to embark on a seventh coat of paint and a fifth design scheme and I need some support.

I posted about this room over a year ago, and let me tell you that the proposed scheme went nowhere. Nowhere. I find that when I have a design plan and it feels right, I get it done. No dilly-dallying - I pull triggers with a big smile on my face and my rooms can come together VERY quickly. And that is how most of my home has been...except for this dreaded guest bedroom which will also double as my home office.

I think that's the issue too. Because this space is uniquely mine...a place where I will design and create...I feel extra pressure that it should be very representative of me and an inspiring nook for me to work in. And I think I need to chill on that because it's creating design roadblocks.

About a month ago, I was visiting a favorite fabric shop and found a small remnant of China Seas' Turtle Batik in the orange colorway. Took it home with no plan for its use until a flash of brilliance suggested that it was the perfect new inspiration for my home office. If you follow me on Twitter, you saw me post this photo hinting at my idea...

Pelmet boxes would be replaced with the fabric, showcasing my signature color of orange. A Cowtan & Tout ikat that I love and haven't used would grace the bed. Walls would be painted a sophisticated tan. And gold accents would abound. Sounds glorious, right?

Well, I executed that plan and it was all wrong. ALL WRONG. The room, with paint and pelmet boxes, turned out completely dark and very heavy-traditional (since it also doubles as a guest bedroom, I have a beautiful dark wood four-poster bed). I am likely exaggerating because the combination wasn't all that bad, but it was nothing like what I want my office to be.

I have now painted the room five or six times. It's not a huge room, but a paint job for a full room can still suck a weekend from you. And I've done it five or six times. And I'm about to do it again.

Since my Turtle Batik disaster, I launched a search for a new fabric that would truly create the space I want...even though I have no idea what I'm looking for. After a couple of weeks of eBay hunting, I came across ten yards of a pretty vintage Waverly Schumacher (were they merged at one point?) floral with a mint-jade background and all of my favorite colors as accents (except no orange, which is a bummer).

Pictures from the eBay listing (excuse the blurriness and the china set - apparently this fabric has a matching china pattern):

I was actually staying away from florals, but something about this fabric caught my attention. I think the bounty of colors makes it feel special. And I've been slightly obsessed with the color mint as of late, so it spoke to my inner mint-lover.

I'm going to paint the walls the same color as the fabric's background - the minty jade tone. Very pretty. I have a pair of vintage lamps that I picked up from Jenny's sale a long time ago that I have always slated for use in this room. They will get pagoda lampshades.

I'm going to pick up a large, modern desk from IKEA (it's actually the one I use at my office at WeddingWire, and I love it) and use a vintage desk chair that I've had for a while, covered in a new fabric.

We'll see y'all. I'm a little jaded, pun intended. I have high hopes for this plan, but something about this room seems to ruin all of my best intentions. I'll keep you posted.

Do you have a room that has been the bane of your decorating existence? Do share.

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Friday Etsy Crush: Modern Candlesticks

What did y'all think of my Etsy finds this week? I have so much more to share, but thought I would end the week on a slightly different note with these modern candlesticks from Etsy shop Urban Analog. Not everything in my world is color and kitsch - I think these candlesticks are captivating. I love their geometric shape and light-wood tone. I would pair these next to my crystal candlesticks on my dining room table or display the set on one side of my fireplace mantel. Simple and lovely.

Have a fantastic weekend - Carter's birthday is Saturday and we will be celebrating. See you Monday!

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Etsy Crush: Figurine Pairs

I struggle with my affinity for vintage Chinoiserie figurines. Is my desire to own kitschy statuettes a signal of my bad taste and old-lady ways? I'm not sure...likely.

But I always make the argument (to myself) that these whimsical pieces are brilliant when used in a traditional or modern setting. A little statue pair can look darling on a bookcase or an accent table. Contrast is key...the rest of the room must be straight-laced or at least living in this decade for these statues to pop.

I recently bought this pair from Etsy as I was completely enamored with their french blue/periwinkle coloring. Don't exactly have a place for them but I could not pass them up. It was love (and they are fetching in person).

And these guys would be perfect in my dining room, but I am showing restraint. Love their chartreuse coloring and their tall, slender silhouette. (They look great with that lamp)

These are my glam friends - I love the pink and gold combo. If you don't think these would go over well in your home (say, if you live with Carter), consider taking a risk in a smaller space like a powder room, child's bedroom, or dressing room.

Once figurines cross over into lamp territory, it's a deadly combo for me. I will vehemently argue that if you don't think this trio of lamp people would look adorable in a nursery sporting matching black drum shades, there is something wrong with you.

This fancy lamp pair is quite chic, I think. I wouldn't hesitate to use these guys in a formal living room or study. Next to a butter yellow sofa with some periwinkle pillows...yes.

So, have you judged me as having questionable taste? That's cool. Kitsch is definitely one thing that I understand if it's not your jam...and let's be clear that I'm not equal opportunity when it comes to kitschy vintage items. I'll pass on most of it, but as you can see, I have my soft spots.

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Etsy Crush: Nursery Prints

If you recall the yellow+gray+pink nursery I posted about, you may remember an adorable little elephant print that I included. Said print is from Etsy shop Trafalgar's Square which showcases the brilliant illustrations of artist Kit Chase. These prints make me seriously melt they are so cute.

All artwork property of Kit Chase

Quite literally, they are the sweetest illustrations I have ever seen. And these images are just the tip of the iceberg - Kit's shop has over 450 items! It's a veritable buffet of cuteness - and creating a set of prints for a child's room or nursery is quite affordable. Katy chose to do a series of "balloon animals" (as I call them) for her nursery. I can't wait to see them up!

Click here to visit Trafalgar's Square on Etsy...

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Etsy Crush: Elegant Chinoiserie

I love Chinoiserie for the fun and whimsy it can create in a space, but I also love Chinoiserie for its elegance. The right decorative Chinoiserie pieces can make a sophisticated space fancy and special. I came across Etsy shop Haystack that sells a small selection of vintage items that I consider to be Chinoiserie in style and that would add an elegant touch to a traditional space.

 These swan candle holders would be bananas on a dining room table. Surround them with mint julep cups filled with pink blooms and you have a table setting right out of a magazine. In other words, I want these.

 Creating a hip bar is all the rage these days, and your vintage bar cart would look extra smashing with this etched-glass Chinoiserie ice bucket - which could double as a chic vase for a large bouquet of flowers when needed.

 I love the colors in these vintage prints and the girl/boy subjects makes them perfect for a master bedroom done in teals and browns with just small doses of blush pink. I would hang these prints over a set of nightstands - the boy on Mr.'s side and the girl on Mrs.' side - right above a set of large, ivory urn lamps.

 I absolutely love botanicals on china, and this vase is such a lovely shape and pattern. Would be beautiful on a foyer table filled with white blooms in the spring.

Click here to view these items on Etsy...

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Etsy Crush: Barbie Prints

Welcome to an Etsy Crush week...woohoo! Who's excited? I'm thrilled.

I think Etsy has to be my #1 resource for unique accoutrements. As much as I would LOVE to spend my days wandering through flea markets, second-hand stores and art galleries, I just don't have time. So Etsy fulfills my need to hunt down cool items that are often priced well - either vintage or new and original.

First up are these absolutely lovely Barbie watercolor prints from Etsy shop Cheryl Oz Designs. Cheryl has perfectly captured the classic look of vintage Barbie - and there are so many to choose from:

Aren't they fun to look at? Of course a collection framed up as a set would be darling in a little girl's bedroom or perhaps a big girl's dressing room. Or just one alone could add a dose of whimsy to the right space.

Click here to see more...

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Friday Crush

This drop-dead gorgeous print is by Michelle Armas and available as we speak on One Kings Lane. I'll spare you the agonizing I have endured because I want to buy it SO, SO, SO bad but it's not in the budget. Michelle also has a great Etsy shop you should visit if you like her work.

Have a fantastic weekend...see you Monday!

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The Joy of Decorating

Y'all know I love Phoebe Howard and I'm not sure what rock I have been living under that I just found out that she has written a book. It's called The Joy of Decorating: Southern Style with Mrs. Howard and I happily placed my order for it on Amazon. Should be arriving tomorrow!

I can't wait to have a lovely book from one of my favorite Southern designers. Phoebe is all class and elegance in her designs but she also knows how to have a good time. And she's real nice.

I have written about Phoebe many times on this blog so click here to see my favorite images of her work and read about the time I met her.

Hope you get this book and enjoy it as much as I know I will!

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