Inspiring Living Rooms

This post is all about living rooms.

This photo is from HGTV.com . I like the color on the walls. I also like the large scale items on the coffee table. Everything is too new, though. I would like to see some antiques mixed in somewhere.

Blogger is driving me crazy - not working right. Text not in right spot. Ughhhhhh.....

Anyway, I like the dark, patched cowhide rug in this room. The horseshoe coffee table is cool mixed with the fancy elements in the room. The furniture looks really uncomfortable, though.

I love the windows in this room and the gleaming hardwood floors. There is another cowhide rug in this room. The couch looks usable and comfy.

I love the column in the corner and the black accents in this room. There is just enough black to anchor the room. It is a little sparse, IMO.

I like dark walls. The tall winged chair is beautiful. The simple shades work in this room because the book cases are probably busy. Photo via Nate Berkus.

This room was featured on La Dolce Vita not long ago. I love the dark gray couch and the black lampshade. There is another lucite table in this room. They look great with pattern beneath them.





Green is my favorite color. I love it combined with rich purple. What beautiful windows this room has. Photo via Material Girls.

This image was found on local designer, Rod Mickley's website. I love the color combination in this room. The blue glass on the mantel are like little exclamation points. Of course, I like the touch of zebra as well.

More blue accents. The pouf is fabulous next to the orange chair. Love the sofa. The vintage portrait is perfect and check out the pair of unexpected antler mirrors. Photo via Elle Decor.







The next six photos are from Cote de Texas. The heavy darks and lights in the first photo feel good to me. I loooove this room. The only thing I don't like is the little lonely light fixture. The dark mouldings are beautiful.

The combination of light blue and orange-y red is so pretty here. I will be painting my dining room this color soon. Can't wait! Love the black painted door, too.

Gosh, this is a pretty room. The light fixture is perfect. There is something that really bothers me, though. In so many magazines and design blogs, I see libraries with staged books. I really read. I have hundreds of books that I am not willing to part with. I would like to see a library with "real" books. Some people cover theirs in paper to get that uniform look. I'm not sure how I feel about that. It's a little weird, IMO.

Another shot of the same room...I like the little table and chairs in the corner. A great place to play cards or look at photos, etc.

More red and blue with black and white. Bella!

Switching gears to a more subdued space. The chairs are perfect, love the ceiling and the fireplace wall. I'm not a huge fan of the propped up art thing, though.

Adjoining space in the same home. The leather settees are perfect here. Both images are from Elle Decor.

Another gray sofa. I like the grouping of art on the blue walls. Photo via La Dolce Vita.

More blue walls. Look, there are real books on the shelves! How unique! Photo via Southern Accents.

Pretty room...I like the pop of avocado on the chair. I like the papered book shelves. It looks like a mixture of old and a few new books in the bookcases. Photos via Country Living.

The mirrored wall works in this space. The floor is gorgeous. This space looks like a lounge in an Italian boutique hotel. The lamps are so pretty and perfect and unusual. Another gray sofa...

There are real books in this lofty room, cowhide, too.

Another view of the same space. I like how they created a screen behind the sofa with the potted ferns.

That is enough for today. More later.

Yummy Outdoor Spaces

I am so glad that warm weather is finally here! It seems like it has been the looooongest winter. I know, I am spoiled, because winter is hardly winter in Florida. But still, it has been cooler than usual, I think.

These images of outdoor spaces are so inspiring to me. There are do-able ideas in every photo. I love the awning and drapes in this photo. Look how they painted the wicker wing chairs two different colors. The stripe of white along the top pulls from the white on the seat cover. This setting looks so inviting.

photo via BlissMe

Gorgeous...A handy person could easily copy this cabana. The construction looks simple. Notice how there is space between each wooden slat, this allows for air flow. A cabana like this wouldn't have to go near a pool. It could go out in a pretty yard, sans the pool, for just a nice place to relax or take a nap. Also notice how the groups of lounges are placed close together instead of spread out. Together, they make a statement.

photo via BlissMe

What a neat mural in the background! By painting the planters bright blue, it gives this area a WOW factor. Elevating them on the rough, wooden pedestals also adds drama.

photo via BlissMe

I wonder if this could be re-created using a ready made tent? Probably. The stripes are the key to this look. They lend a yacht-y feel. Lanterns like these are all over eBay. The round tables counter all the lines in the space and echo the round lanterns above. It's all about balance.

photo via BlissMe

Another photo pulled from Cote de Texas... What makes this spot so great? The HUGE palms. This photo would have fallen flat had there been two dinky plants flanking the settee. The visual weight of the plants balance the busy-ness of the tiles, etc. They act as ANCHORS. I am a believer in LARGE plants, indoors and out. If you can't afford large plants, at least group your small ones together. Nothing is worse than a lone, little plant. Another idea from this photo is the way they draped the blanket over the center of the settee. If they had not done so, there would have been too much white in the settee and it would have competed with the white walls. The blanket breaks up the white.

photo via Cote de Texas

OK - there are no huge plants in this space, but they DID group the small ones together to create visual weight. My point exactly. Notice how the tile top of the table pulls all the colors from the flowers and the pillows on the bench. If the table had been all white, there would have been an imbalance in the space. If you can't do a tile table top, why not fake it with paint?

photo via PointClickHome

This outdoor spot is serene and clean. Again, the Moravian star lighting can easily be found on eBay and is not that expensive. The wood trellis is an easy project. It echoes the color of the teak furniture. There is a pattern here, BALANCE. Side note - I have teak furniture around my pool and it is a BITCH to keep up. Unless you enjoy cleaning and oiling, stay away from teak. I have decided to let mine go gray - Hampton's style.

photo via La Dolce Vita

This looks more like the color of my teak at the moment. I love this large table. It looks very user friendly. Keep in mind, though, that the reason this table works is that there is plenty of green in the background. If the table sat on white concrete with little landscaping around it, the glaring, white would blind you.

photo via My Home Ideas

More graying teak...beautiful. Another beautiful Moroccan lantern. If wiring is not an option, just put a huge candle inside. Love, love, love the landscaping.

photo via MyHomeIdeas

The Moroccan lantern can make any space look special. See, candles inside, not light bulbs...

photo via MyHomeIdeas

The simple trellis in this photo is definitely a DIY project. It works against the heavily wooded background. Outdoor, propylene rugs, like this one, are a great invention. They are inexpensive and beautiful.

photo via MyHomeIdeas

WOW - this furniture is gorgeous! The structure is simple, yet the furniture is very ornate and it works. It appears that the inside of the loggia is painted a light blue - SO PRETTY!

Big impact can be made in small spaces. The HUGE plants soften the corners in this space.

Lots of small plants soften the corners in this space. The large stone carving makes the statement here.

photo via MyHomeIdeas

Concrete floor? Paint it! Concrete is easy to paint. This pattern looks simple. Tape it off and start rolling! Just be sure to choose subdued colors so as not to make the floor the main attraction. If it becomes the main attraction, all of your painting flaws will be center stage.

The bright colors work in this photo because every thing else in the space is white and subdued. The only color comes from the green painted, glass doors, the large plants in the corner, the pillows, and the furniture. I love using fabric curtain panels outdoors. An inexpensive alternative to custom , outdoor panels is to buy ready made, white panels from Pottery Barn. I washed mine before installing them because they shrink when washed. Now when they get dingy, mildew-y, or dirty I can throw them in the wash with a little bleach and they come out like new.

photo via Cottage Living

All of these outdoor rooms have something in common, they are INVITING! They make you want to go outside and enjoy the fresh air instead of plopping in front of the television. Make your outdoor space a place for YOU to enjoy, don't save it just for entertaining. Have breakfast out there, sort the mail out there, talk on the phone out there, do WHATEVER out there, just get out there and enjoy!

House Tour #3

While out in Texas this summer, I had the opportunity to visit the new home of friends, Jim and Julianne. The home sits atop a mountain in East Texas. Yes, there are mountains in East Texas.

The posts on the porch are made from rough hewn timbers. There is a lap pool to the west of the home. Notice the lack of fussy landscaping. Instead, the native grasses come right up to the porch so that the home fits seamlessly into the natural landscape.

Upon entering the home, there is a flagstone floor and waxed beams that echo the feeling of the beams on the porch. The uncovered windows bring in natural light so the need for electric lighting in the daytime is minimal. I like how they used the various colors and styles of area rugs on the wood floor.

There are fireplaces on both ends of the expansive living room. Love the longhorn - perfect!

Check out the vintage wagon wheel light fixture. There are small horse statues all the way around it. The owners are in to horses so the fixture fits them perfectly.

The kitchen is my favorite room. I like the metal ceiling. It adds a whole new texture to the space, much better than drywall.

Another neat feature is the old door leading to the laundry area. The stained glass window above the door adds height to this wall so that it blends with the surrounding cabinetry and doorway.


Again, the clock above the pantry door adds height to this area.


The wine storage next to the fridge is a clever use of extra space.



I love the open shelving in the corner.







What a great evening filled with good food and fun with friends. Thanks, Jim and Julianne!