I am a huge fan of mixing design styles and creating your own design story. I love to mix simple with elegant, rustic with chic and modern with traditional. When I came across this style chair from Anthropologie, I fell in love!

Image from Anthropologie. It is their Redsmith dining chair and retails for $198 each.

I love the look and rustic patina, but I am on a mission for a deal- so I searched and found some other amazing budget options!

These stylish chairs are from Home Depot! The first home depot chair is their Garden Side Chair and comes in a variety of colors. Shown here is the brushed aluminum and retails for $99 each! Great deal! The last choice comes in this brushed aluminum shown here and is their Sandra Side Chair. It retails for $119 each!
I love that great style can come on a budget! I loved the rustic, modern simplicity of all 3 chairs. I started to imagine a great traditional, wood table to compliment this modern style chair.

The above three tables are from Pottery Barn.

There may be a little bit of a splurge for the tables and wing back chairs, but the stylish aluminum chairs from Home Depot help the budget a great deal!!
What great deals have you found lately?

For this next post, I wanted to create a living space that boldly told a unique and traveled design story. I wanted the space to feel as if it had evolved over time with furnishings that are simple and chic. I didn’t want the room to have pieces that matched, but rather different styles that can relate to each other. The space would need to be eclectic and tell a story, but also contain elements that pull it all together. And for this challenge, I wanted to try and do this using only one retail store. The store is Wisteria. I fell in love with their design aesthetic, and the way they eloquently combine different styles. If you haven’t been to their site, definitely check it out! They also have a blog, which is fun to read! I was so inspired by this amazing black and white couch- that is how this all began! Their beautiful store made this design post challenge a piece of cake! (To make the images larger, click on the design board!)

This store is amazing! Their pieces are like art- I had so much fun with their site. Everything here, except the black wallpaper (which I plan to use on only one main wall) is from Wisteria.

What do you think of Wisteria? How would you change/edit this room?

Happy, Happy Valentine’s Day! We’ll have a fun day, except for the fact that we have to call a contractor to look at our ceiling- we found a couple water bubbles from either a pipe leak or all of this snow! Great! I will keep you posted. On a more cheerful note, I thought this beautiful photo was perfect for today. Enjoy!

Here’s an update on the ceiling leak- the contractor came, and luckily, it’s very minor. We have had so much snow and ice this winter, that the ice was trapping water on the roof- causing a small leak. They were able to chip away at some of the ice, making a path for the water to exit the roof. So, it doesn’t seem to be a major issue. We should be able to add some joint compound to the ceiling and repaint the area, when spring arrives! And hopefully- that’s soon! If you live where the snow buildup is high on your roof, you might want to hire someone to shovel it off, before it gets to the point where there’s a leak! And now, it’s truly a happy valentine’s day! 🙂

I had so much fun creating the last design board for a pretend client, that I am at it again! And this time- it’s the master suite! When I think about a restful night’s sleep, I am always drawn to serene, calming colors. I think of creamy whites, soft grays and muted, warm tones. Sometimes floral, and other times more masculine geometric shapes- either way, I am on a quest for a relaxed, getaway retreat. As in my last dream client post, I wanted to create a space using furniture and accessories through retail shops and on a budget. The design has both splurge and cost effective pieces, while trying to create a cohesive, soothing space. This summer, I plan to incorporate some of these pieces (or inspirations) in our guest room! Our guest room is already painted the beachy blue color shown (yarmouth blue), so I decided to start there. For this master suite, I used 4 retail stores to achieve the look. As in the last post, I would love to hear what you think! (The images are smaller than I anticipated- for a better look, click on the design board.)
Would you add or change anything?

I often find myself daydreaming about completely transforming a space from scratch! Whether I’m designing for myself or pretending to design for someone else, I’m always thinking what to do next. I am not an interior designer and have never designed a space for a client, but I often daydream about the pretend experience! What would my presentation board look like? How would the reveal come out? So for now, it’s fun to dream! Every now and then, I will post inspiration boards for potential dream clients! I am going to use only a few retail stores to create the space and show how a room can come together on a (sort of) budget. My first dream client space is the dining room! Many of you out there are designers or have been design bloggers for a while now, so I appreciate your honest comments! What else does this room need? (This is the first time putting together a design board like this! I had my husband help with the layout!!)

The vases are from Pier One Imports.
The gray and white wallpaper on the top of the board is from Design by Color.
The rest of the furniture and accessories are from West Elm.

Well, here it is! This was fun to do, and I can’t wait to hear your honest opinion!
What would you add or change?

I have had so much fun with this magazine series! I have learned so much about amazing entrepreneurs and their inspiring talents! This will be the 3rd and final innovative virtual magazine in the series, and is one of my favorites. I am so excited this magazine is now with us!  #3 to be highlighted is none other than… High Gloss! Founder and editor in chief Paloma Contreras is a chic blogger who started the very popular La Dolce Vita. Her blog was so popular, that she decided to pursue her dream and further enter the design world! She met her current editorial staff through their own amazing blogs, and realized they shared many similar interests. Paloma is a former high school spanish teacher who started a popular blog, and is now editor in chief of an innovative, new design magazine! The fact that she’s following her dream is so inspiring! Out with its very first issue, High Gloss is a beautiful blend of interior design, fashion, inspiring people, food and travel. One of the reasons I am so drawn to it, is the wonderful way the magazine blends different design styles in such a chic, new way! If you haven’t checked out this stylish magazine, here’s a glimpse into the amazing High Gloss!

I love this living room, with a peek into the chic dining room. There is more of the dining room in this issue! Homeowner and designer, Tia Zoldan. Photographed by Grey Crawford.

I love everything about this space! Also from Tia Zoldan’s home. 

I love the framed art covering the walls of the hallway! Also from Tia Zoldan’s home.

Great use of space! I love the blend of modern with traditional. Designed by Sally Wheat. Photographed by Anthony Rathbun.

What a great cover! The rest of this space is also beautiful and can be seen in this issue! The photography from this space is by Rachel Meiring. 

What do you think of High Gloss?

When I turned on my computer and checked on my blog, I was amazed and honored to find out that Maureen from Eclectic Revisited chose me as one of the recipients of the Stylish Blogger Award! Thank you so much, Maureen, and congratulations to you for also winning the award!

Words cannot express how truly excited I am that Maureen thought of my blog! Starting Simple Dwellings has been an amazing journey, and I love seeing so many talented design bloggers! We may have never met, but I feel as though we are all connected through design. So without further adieu, I will continue with the rules of this award, which consists of sharing seven things about myself, then passing the award to 10 wonderful bloggers!
7 Things you may not know about me!
1. I love my family with all of my heart! They are my biggest support system and the loves of my life!
2. I have loved fashion and interior design for as long as I can remember. Even at a young age, I would rearrange furniture and set up my play area as a clothing boutique store!
3. I have a degree in education and was a grade school teacher. I almost transferred to a different school to pursue a design career, but didn’t. I don’t regret the decision, because I loved teaching… I think I may just follow my design dream a different way.
4. When in college, I was a member of the Alpha Phi fraternity. My sorority sisters are some of my best friends to this day, and we still get together over lunch.
5. I married the love of my life, and we began our marriage living in Germany. We have so many fond memories there, including me falling for interior design!
6. Eventually, I hope to take this blog a step further, and enter the interior design world in some way! It has always been my dream!
7. To end it on a quirky note, I am a bit of an obsessive cleaner. It seems to get worse every year! Although, I’m slacking a bit now, because of my new obsession- this blog!

Now on to the really fun part! I cannot wait to pass this award to 10 stylish bloggers! They are creative, stylish, and I can’t wait to see what they blog about next!

If you haven’t yet, please check out these amazing blogs!

Stylish Blog recipients, please do the following on your blog:
1. Thank and link back the blogger that awarded you.
2. Share seven things about yourself.
3. Pass the award on to 10 other stylish bloggers.
4. Contact these bloggers to let them know they have won the stylish blogger award!

This has been so much fun! Thanks for stopping by Simple Dwellings! I really appreciate it. Also, a thanks to Lulu at Belle Francaise Interiors for being my first blog follower! When her chandelier picture popped up, I began to think that I really could do this.  🙂

To continue with my series on influential and innovative virtual design magazines, I am brought to my second pick! I am in love with this magazine, which made its debut in 2009- Lonny! Led by Michelle Adams and Patrick Cline, this chic bimonthly magazine allows the reader to see amazing interiors that take your breath away! The duo met while on a photo shoot for the former Domino magazine. Michelle, a former market editor for Domino, and Patrick, a photographer, began this magazine along with many talented friends and designers. And two years later, Lonny continues to amaze us with jaw dropping spaces and amazing photography. While doing this research, I found out that Michelle is also the founder of Rubie Green, which sells eco-friendly upholstery fabrics and bedding made with only 100% organic cotton. It is plain to see that these entrepreneurs have amazing talent, and it shows in their work! Without further adieu, here are some amazing spaces!

I love the drum shade chandelier and pops of color! Designed by Eileen Kathryn Boyd.

The bold, graphic print on the drapes is amaaaaazing! Also designed by Eileen Kathryn Boyd.

Wow- look at that rug! Designed by Laurann Claridge.

I am a huge fan of large print wallpaper! This print is so chic! Designed by Trip Haenisch.

I love that the stripes even cover the molding! Designed by Jenna Lyons of J. Crew. The above photos are all from Lonny.

Tell me your thoughts on the amazing Lonny!

As I mentioned in my last post, The Power of Design, I was so inspired by the innovative entrepreneurs of the virtual magazine world, that I decided to start a series on influential design magazines! And the first design mag in the series is the fabulous……… Rue!
Many of you stylish bloggers out there are already fans, but I couldn’t wait to gush about it anyway! Recently out with its 3rd issue, these fabulous ladies and their team produced another great read with jawdropping spaces! Led by editor in chief Crystal Gentilello and executive director Anne Sage, the magazine is a chic, stylish addition to virtual publishing. With these ladies already having popular followings in their own blogs, Crystal and Anne gathered a team of fabulous editors, stylists and photographers to put Rue on the map. The magazine effortlessly combines interior design, fashion and entertaining in a playful, chic way. And it is here to stay! I’m definitely a fan, and after seeing these amazing spaces, what’s not to love?

I love this space! The neutral palette is so amazing, and you can’t go wrong with Audrey Hepburn art!

I love the mix of rustic with chic. I am drawn to those beautiful drapes!

This neutral, soothing office space is another great way to work!

In this space, modern and traditional blend to perfection. I love the look of loungy arm chairs for dining!

I am drawn to the beautiful white couch, paired with dark gray/black accents!
Congratulations, Rue! Many of us are excited to see what’s ahead in the future.

And check back soon to see the 2nd magazine in this series!