There are so many great fabrics out there that work when trying to blend modern with traditional. The new fabric print for me, that I would love to include in our home is… Chevron! I love the modern simplicity of the zigzag lines, and the color options are endless! I have seen chevron in so many unique ways: pillows, drapery, rugs and furniture! I cannot wait to include chevron in my own home! I plan to start with pillows, and I have my new source on etsy– this little home. When searching through etsy’s site for some chevron inspiration, I came across this wonderful shop! This little home has beautiful chevron pillows, curtains and many other chic designs at fabulous prices! I am thinking about the light blue/white chevron pillows- but there are so many other color options to choose from! Here are a few photos from her site, which she graciously let me share with all of you. (Thank you!) Also included, are some other fabulous ways to include chevron in your home, sourced from two amazing online magazines! Enjoy! 

This last pillow is my favorite and would work well in our home. And chevron curtains… how amazing would that be? The above 3 are all from This Little Home.

Chevron on furniture… I am in love! From Lonny. Designed by Laura Day.

Also from Lonny. Designed by Michelle Adams.

I love this space! From High Gloss. Photo by Rachel Meiring.

What do you think of Chevron? How would it fit into your home?

When I find an amazing deal, I can’t wait to share it with others! I have been on the hunt for a larger rug in our front entry for a while. We had a small, 2×3 sisal rug that was too small for its purpose. When people would come in through the front door, trudging through the snow of the northeast, there wasn’t much room for their snowy boots. And since this winter seems to be lingering on forever, I needed to make a change! I wasn’t sure what I was looking for- I just needed it to be at least 3×5 and work with the decor. The foyer is off the living room, which is painted Mink (a deep brown) by
Benjamin Moore. Our foyer is painted Powell Buff (creamy gold), also by BM. I wanted a large print rug, a change from the solid sisal that was there before. So with the neutral, more traditional backdrop, I wanted to make a modern statement to change it up a bit. And there it was- not only a cool rug with the right dimensions- it was also a steal of a deal at $19.99! I found this steal at Target! I love that store!  

Couldn’t pass up that opportunity! This girl always loves a stylish deal!

So while on the topic of snowy Northeast weather and purchases to help out the snow boots, I thought I would include a DIY project to help me think of spring! I always love to deck out the chandeliers in our house, for the holidays. Over Christmas, I bedazzled our kitchen chandelier with twine and evergreen. So for the new spring look, I decided to keep the twine- I thought it looked a bit like a nest!

Maybe, this will help spring arrive a little sooner. If the weather is warm where you are……….. please send a little our way! Enjoy the week! (Do you see the snow in the background- crazy!)

For me, there’s nothing I enjoy more than relaxing with family and friends, spending quality time together. So, why not also combine that with chic linens and beautiful entertaining! I recently came across an amazing shop that does just that- it blends meaningful gathering time with chic designs for your kitchen and home. The shop is
Hen House Linens, and I am a fan! Jenny, owner and creator of Hen House Linens, grew up in North Carolina with true southern hospitality. She has always treasured meaningful gathering time with her family and wanted to pass the tradition on to her children. Her philosophy is gracious living everyday, and she creates beautiful linens for practical, everyday use. Some of her wonderful line includes tablecloths, runners, cocktail and dinner napkins and pillows- just to name a few! Her line has been featured in several wonderful publications and can be purchased at her site here, or a nearby retailer. I have done both- I found a small boutique nearby, which carries some of her amazing line, and I also love to shop directly on the site! And what I love best are the beautiful designs are practical and affordable! Here is a glimpse into the beautiful Hen House Linens!

I love the beautiful prints! The designs all blend together so well! I have the above cocktail apron in this fabric below, which is called Tapestry Ocean:

I absolutely love it! It’s so pretty combined with the large black ribbon, tied in a bow! For a gift, I purchased beautiful cocktail napkins in this fabric below, which is called Ornamental Scarlet. It was a Christmas gift, and I included them inside an entertaining basket:

If you haven’t been to Hen House Linens, definitely check it out!

After this post, I feel inspired to whip up a batch of cookies and spend time with family!

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?