Stepping Out with Crate & Barrels New Rugs

When January rolls around I am usually ready to roll up everything to do with winter and start new! Lucky for us Crate & Barrel just unveiled their new collection of furniture and accessories. I am particularly loving their new selection of area rugs!

Most of the area rugs are made of New Zealand Wool. Read this as ridiculously cozy, comfy and soft to the touch which is good for people like me who love to sit on the floor!

 

The Jasper Grey Rug paired with the Sonny Bench is a welcome addition to the entryway!

 

I often like to make the area rug in my rooms the focal point which means selecting one with great movement. The Tristan Rug is fantastic because of it's neutral colorway and fun pattern.The Floral Motif would work well in many rooms including a teenage girls bedroom and a home office!

Pop on over to Crate and Barrel to see all of their new introductions! I am especially smitten with the Tilly Accent Pillow and Esta Table Lamp. 

(images via Crate & Barrel)

Color Time - Perfect Pink Nursery Paint

Recently I was contacted by a new client who needed help with her nursery. She always dreamed of having a little girl and knew she wanted a super girly room which included pink walls! The first thing I always do is gather inspirational photos because let's face it some people say they want pink walls but cringe once they see the amount of pink there will be! Here are 2 great examples I am using to get a sense of the tone of pink and feel she would like for the room.

Cool Lava conveys a more mature and dramatic feel while still being girly!

Gentle Butterfly is a quiet wisp of a color and has a very feminine feel!

With Cool Lava I will go with more of a contrast and less pattern letting the wall color be the focus. If we end up going with something a bit quieter like the second photo I would suggest a tad more pattern and an accent color for the space! Either way I love them both!

Which pink speaks to your personal style?

 *Note: The above room is the actual paint color not just a resemblance of the color. As you can see above, the paint chip sample online looks different than what is in the actual room photo. When choosing paint for your own home never go by what you see online, the color will always be a tad different. I suggest picking up a small paint sample at the store and paint a color swatch in the actual room, than you will never be disappointed!

(images from Benjamin Moore, me oh my, photography by Ashlee Raubach, Benjamin Moore and Caitlin Wilson Designs)

Home Typography Tuesday

This type print says it all "Do More of What Makes YOU Happy" what a great quote to start a new year off with! Hang this in your office or a room you are in several times a time, surround it with images of places, people and things you love and your intention is set!

 

What would you like to do more of in 2013?

(image from by Holborn via  A Merry Mishap)

Chic Garage Storage?

OK so the words sexy and chic are not usually used in conjunction with Garage Storage but I was one determined girl to make it look somewhat design worthy! Over the weekend I was on a mission to organize our basement and garage areas. Every time I went down there and saw the floor filled with items and all the unused vertical space...well it drove me nuts! So off we went to Home Depot to scour solutions when I (..ok ok the Mr.) stumbled upon Rubbermaids Fast Track system. Immediately I knew I had to share this with you. The Rail system was super easy to put together and it actually looked great too...no white metal brackets taking up my vertical space just clean black horizontal tracks!

I can't bare to show you the before but here is the after.
Wow look we have a floor! Even the golf clubs are up and away, YAY!

We decided to use the Hose Hooks for the folding chairs because they will be more versatile down the road.

The U Hooks can hold up to 50lbs and are easy to lock into place and slide if needed. Perfect for the golf clubs!
 

This is what a beautiful garage storage can look like, we are not quite at this point yet but we're getting there!

The tip here is to remember your height! If you have clutter look UP and see what unused space you have!

 

Next up, cleaning out all of our files!

Don't you just love a new year? Have you been hit with the organizing bug too?

(images #1 and #3 from Jace Interiors, #2 and #4 from Rubbermaid)

Achieve Those Dreams 2013 Style

Happy New Year Friends! As 2012 came to a close I took some alone time to flip through my photos and reflect on all that has happened in the last 12 months. It truly was an incredible year and beyond dream worthy from the wedding, to honeymoon, to feeling secure with the business to the silly little daily moments!

I am feeling so grateful that I did not give up on my dreams years ago, which let's face it when things are not going your way it is much easier to just throw in the towel. Today I thought I would share with you my FB status update I wrote after this time of reflection:

If your dreams didn't come true in 2012 don't give up! Just 3 years ago I was a single city girl now I have just finished a year that was beyond what I could ever have hoped for! An amazing hubby, hilarious stepson and a waiting list of design clients. I am proof, DREAMS DO COME TRUE just stay focused and keep at it!

As I continue to float on my 2012 Cloud 9, 2013 has arrived and it's time to refocus on new goals!

Below are just a few you will hear about throughout the next 12 months.

• Continue my Italian Language Classes - Benvenuti!

• Finally put my hubby out of his misery and decide on a rug for our Living Room (check back in 30 days..and lets hope I have made a purchase!)

• Answer and delete emails as they come in...no more 4000 emails in the inbox! 

• Take a breath, slow down and photograph my design work from 2012 and hopefully get published in a national magazine! I KNOW there are 2 projects which would be perfect.

• Stay in and have more dinner parties, they are always so intimate and honestly more fun than going out! 

• Say out loud how much I am grateful for even the little things in my life!

• As my new hubby encourages me I will share even more here on the blog, both design wise and regarding our home renovation!

I hope all of your dreams come true in 2013! If you would, please share a few of your goals for 2013 and lets encourage each other!

(image from luminaire foto property of Jace Interiors and CreateGirl - please do not copy! and  hola!design and yes you can purchase it over in their shop!)