When looking at beautifully designed rooms, I love to see a space that’s a bit daring and has no spot overlooked. I have heard many times on HGTV, that the ceiling is the “fifth wall.” It’s a spot in the room that can go beyond the white paint and have a pop of color! It doesn’t bring down the ceiling and make the room feel closed in, but rather draws your eye up, giving the illusion of a taller space. Most of our ceilings on the first floor are painted Horizon by Benjamin Moore. It’s a very, very light gray that almost appears white. It was my first shot at trying out the fifth wall. Then, I tried to be a bit more daring and paint our bathroom AND ceiling BM’s Sleigh Bells, which is two shades darker than Horizon and shows more like a bluish gray. I’m still ready to do more! Next time, I want to take it up a notch and try it a bit darker- and make it noticeable that the ceiling has color. This space, in my opinion, did a great job of using color on the ceiling. It definitely does not go unnoticed!

In my mind, I have a ton of ideas for our guest room overhaul! The only things to (probably) stay are the headboard, carpet and wall color- everything else must go! Our current wall color is Benjamin Moore’s yarmouth blue, which I love! It is a coastal blue, with gray undertones at different times of the day. It is a calm, soothing color for the bedroom and one that is easy to work with. When thinking about wall art, I remembered the beautiful white shelves from pottery barn I have been meaning to find a home for, and I think it’s in this space! They were a wedding gift from a dear friend, and I think they pop against the blue walls. 

So, I started to “shop” around my home, trying to find pieces to fit on the shelves. I lucked out and found this adorable elephant statue, (also a wedding gift) that when faced toward the room entrance, is supposed to bring good luck! My mom generously gave me the three gold colored mirrors (thanks, mom!) The photo with the purple matting (I will change out/paint the matte) was also a gift- it’s a reminder of the time when Italy used the lire as money, instead of the euro. I love it! The heart shaped photo is my husband and I, which we’ve had forever. And the crystal candle holder and small vase are from Target! All in all, this first room change hardly cost anything!!

I like to layer when decorating, to add depth and dimension to the space. I wanted to hang some art, to free up room on the shelf, thus adding more dimension. This is still a work in progress, and much more to come on the room in the future!

What would you add/change to the shelves?!?  
  

I am so excited about Joss and Main’s latest addition to their sales… Nine Space handmade throw pillows! I love the current designs, beautiful colors and affordable price tag! These looks would make a great addition to any space- modern or traditional.

Aren’t they great? There are more to choose from on the Joss and Main site! If you like what you see, act fast- the sale is only for two days and quantities on these lovelies are limited! To learn more about Joss and Main, visit my post here. 

To see more pillows and other sales, click on the cute peacock image on my sidebar!

My newest hobby since beginning my blog, has been creating design boards. I love to put a room together to see how colors and textures work and design styles blend. In the past, I have been asked by readers what program I use to create my design boards. For most of my designs, I used powerpoint- however, I recently came across an even better source!  Olioboard is an amazing site for creating free design boards! I instantly became a member and created a living room design through this site. I first found out about Olioboard from Abby’s great blog, A Delightful Design. She has created beautiful designs, which you can check out here. I am just beginning to learn about all of the Olioboard features. I have created other design boards, which you can find on my blog, but here is my first design using olioboard:

I have enjoyed continuing the series If My Blog Was A Room, where I pose the question- If your blog was a room, what would it look like? I am happy to announce the next wonderful blogger in the series… Courtney from A Thoughtful Place! I love reading her blog and seeing her beautiful, amazing DIY projects and design inspirations. When I read her posts, I feel as if I’ve known her for years! Here is Courtney’s beautiful blog header:

And here is what she came up with! Take it away, Courtney!

When Amber from Simple Dwellings asked me to be a part of this creative series, I jumped at the chance. How fun to imagine my blog being an actual space. Too bad I couldn’t really narrow it down very well! You’ll have to bear with me!




First and foremost, my blog would have an amazing guest room. I would want visitors to feel pampered and relaxed. More than anything,  I would want a space where everyone felt as if they wanted to stay forever.  I think these do the trick. There is definitely an element of connecting the outside with the inside in both of these spaces.

These two images from Traditional Home capture the simple and fresh feeling I hope my blog has. They are formal and yet very comfortable and casual at the same time.

And this space has all the elements of a traditional home, but with an unexpected pop of color and whimsy. I think it says, “Sit down and stay a while!”

And lastly, if my blog were a room, it would be a place to entertain and enjoy friendship. I could spend hours hosting parties behind those French doors or sitting and relaxing with a glass of wine and a dear friend on these chairs. Everything about it is exactly my taste.

Thanks so much, Courtney! The spaces and your blog are beautiful! If you haven’t been to  
A Thoughtful Place, definitely check it out! 

Stop by next Wednesday to see another wonderful blog in the series!

Living in the Northeast, we get our fair share of snow! This morning, as I peeked outside, it might be time to say goodbye to snow for the year! (At least I hope, anyway!) We are starting to see more grass than snow, warm weather and sunshine- all rolled up in one beautiful day! I don’t want to jinx it, but maybe- just maybe– the winter coats can be put away! In the photos below, I was able to capture the sun streaming in:

Here are a few photos from outside our window last month:

With the snow (hopefully) behind us, I can continue to feel springy! (Is that even a word?)

In our house lately, it has been basketball central! Both my husband and I love watching college basketball, especially during the NCAA tournament, otherwise known as March Madness. If you’re a fan like us, it has been so exciting to watch this year! Since I enjoy watching the sport and adore design, I wanted to try and blend the two together! We’ll see if this is a creative post or a far stretch, but I love a good challenge. The following photos will show some university logos from teams still in the tournament (at least when this post was written), along with a beautifully designed room reminding me of the team! I know these amazingly talented designers were probably not thinking of these teams while designing the space, but it’s my crazy way of trying to combine the two!

U Conn’s colors of navy and gray translate well into this space. Via Metropolitan Home.
Photo by Colleen Duffley. Design by Emily Robison.

The carolina blue colors of UNC match up with this bedroom space. Via Elle Decor. Photo by Simon Upton. Designed by Paula Caravelli.

The orange and blue of Syracuse reminds me of this space I love. Via House Beautiful. Photo by Thomas Loof.

A bit of a stretch? Maybe- but it was still fun!

After the previous blog entry, I felt it was time for a lighthearted, fun post. I have had this photo in my files for a bit now, waiting for the right time to use it! I hope this whimsical sofa will brighten your day too!

When a crisis happens in our world, it makes one feel helpless. Unfortunately, in the blink of an eye, a natural disaster can distruct everything in its path, leaving so many in need. At this time, Japan is in a state of crisis, and needs our thoughts and prayers. Blogging is a powerful tool, in that it can reach so many people in such a short time. Tomorrow, I am participating in a bloggers day of silence to help bring awareness to the recent crisis in Japan. Two wonderful blogs , Utterly Engaged and Ever Ours, have come together and developed this powerful way to shed light on the earthquake and tsunami destruction. Please take a moment and keep Japan and everyone there in your thoughts and prayers.

Thank you so much to the wonderful blogs involved in making this day happen.
People can make a difference.

In the mail yesterday, I received the new Pottery Barn Bed and Bath catalogue! It’s always a treat to browse through the pages and visit their store. I am always filled with inspiration and new ideas! Here are some great bee inspired prints for the bed and bath!

Pottery Barn and spring make a great combination!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!