inspired design...alice in wonderland

I am just a kid in a grown up's body. That is why I love the premise of this inspired design. It takes an old childhood favorite and gives it a classy, grown up spin. It's the best of both worlds! I always loved the whimsical story of Alice in Wonderland, and since I believe that everyone's bedroom should be a magical wonderland (though hopefully less creepy than Alice's wonderland), I decided to make the classic fairy tale the inspiration for this month's inspired design!

The color palette for this design is inspired by the queen of hearts and uses mainly gold, black and red. 

Alice in Wonderland Silhouette Art Set... $80.00

Red velvet curtains... $39.99

Black Paris side table... $280.00

Black and white striped comforter set...$79.00

Red heart pillow... DIY tutorial!

Gold dot pillow...$70.00

Red high back chair...$571.99

Gold tufted headboard... price not shown

Black and gold lamp...  currently sold out (bummer! hope they bring it back!)

For this design I chose classic pieces, like the black side table and the tufted head board, and paired them with bold, funky pieces, like the red high back chair, and the black and gold striped lamp. I am in love with the Alice in Wonderland silhouette set; it is a great way to add fun and charm to the room with out overplaying the theme. And if you are feeling adventurous try doing it yourself! Google images to trace onto black paper. Cut out the silhouette and paste them onto white paper and frame! Easy as that!

I hope you have enjoyed this inspired design and it helps you create your own wonderland!

- holly

inspired design - garden of eden...

I love bathroom designs that help you escape. One that allows you to step out of reality for a while, where once you step into a steamy shower all of your worries melt away. As a girl, when I need to relax I like to pamper myself; a nice hot bath, a face mask, and some nail polish can usually brighten my spirits. This is why I love the idea of bathroom designs that take you into a new world. And that is how I came up with this week's inspired design. A bathroom inspired by the garden of eden...

The color scheme uses a variety of green hues paired with natural beige, brown, and gold tones. These colors give the room a lush, natural, "garden" feel. Then I added red accents which is inspired by the forbidden fruit.

bathroom vanity from TradewindsImports.com...$1709.00
wood framed mirror...$899.00
gold mosaic vanity light fixture...$250.00
red sink...$135.00
soap dispenser...$12.99
ecru towel set...$39.99
red hand towel...$27.68
green subway tiles...price will vary depending on area tiled and size of the tile.

I loved this application of the green tile. The mix of green colors adds depth and is perfect for a bathroom that is inspired by nature.  I would suggest using something like this in moderation, for example only tiling the shower in this, or only one small wall. Too much of this would over power a small room. pairing this green with a light ecru or beige wall color will allow the tile to be a dramatic and exciting feature, with out being too wild or overpowering. When adding in red accents moderation is key. You want one key piece to be a focal point in the room. Too much red and green and your bathroom may end up looking more like Santa's workshop than the Garden of Eden. 

-holly

inspired design...oh, the places you'll go!...

Last week Jon and I welcomed a new little nephew into the world! He is so cute and perfect and we fell in love instantly! In honor of little Owen, this week's inspired design is a boy's nursery. The selections are inspired by a book by my favorite author, Dr. Seuss. Just like the book "Oh, the Places You'll Go" this design is all about adventure and far away places.

The color palette uses neutrals and baby blue to give the room an overall calm and relaxing feel. Then pops of red and brighter blues are used to add interest. Studies show that babies prefer bright primary colors, and red and blue in particular. The design was centered around this hot air balloon  mobile. It is so fun and whimsical and worked perfect with the theme. I found the mobile from the mmm mobile etsy shop.

hot air balloon mobile...$49.00
cloud wall decals...$60.00
grey and white crib bedding...$169.00
red gumball lamp...$89.00
sofa...$1499.00
red and white striped rug...$275.00
world map wall art...$175.00
blue glider chair and ottoman...$999.00
baby changing table...$599.00
map of DC pillow...$20.00
red and white striped pillow...$20.00

If you like this inspired design, then you will LOVE these DIY tutorials I found!...

I found this adorable tutorial and pattern so you can make your own hot air balloon mobile! You can find this and other great DIY ideas over on the Craftiness is Not Optional blog.... Hopefully you are as obsessed with this hot air balloon stuff as I am, because the second craft project I want to share with y'all is this  hot air balloon baby blanket!

You can find the full tutorial for this quilt on the Moda Bake Shop blog. I hope you enjoyed this inspired design and remember... "You're off to great places, today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So... get on your way!"

-holly

inspired design...back to school hipster...

For this week's inspired design I decided to do a dorm edition for all of you college students, like my husband, gearing up for a new semester. I am calling this design "the back to school hipster". The color palette is made up of soft pinks, blue, mint, yellow, and beige. The soft pastel tones of this palette help bring an instant cozy feel to the room and will brighten up even the drabbest of dorms.

The design is a mixture of vintage cool, and modern hipster. The result is a fun, and comfy room that will be the envy of every other girl on your hall.

patchwork quilt...$169.00
bicycle wall art...$135.00
mustache push pins...$3.30 (for pkg of 8)
we are young pillow...$20.00
yellow triangle pillow...$20.00
hipster glasses pillow set...$28.00
mint, over the door, vanity station...$89.00
mint, vintage style microwave...$749.00

The pink vintage mini fridge is an actual vintage piece, and therefore extremely difficult to find, but if you like this, I found another mini fridge that has a similar vintage feel. you can find it here in multiple colors, including light pink!

Also, the pink display/storage cubes shown on this design board are hard to find in America. I found these on Ebay. They are coming out of the UK, but can probably be shipped here for a little extra money. Or you could buy this set at target and paint them pink yourself!

Dorms are not always the easiest room to decorate. You have to be careful about what you hang and how you hang it, you can't paint, and you have to work with the furniture you are given. Here are some addition tips on how to make your dorm feel like home...

img. from: http://www.juxtapost.com

I love the idea of draping some fabric over your bed. Fabric is always an easy way to add softness to a room and help it feel more cozy. And this is a great idea because it can help provide a little more privacy if you are sharing your dorm with a roommate.

Another way to soften the room while adding a little bit of whimsy and fun is by hanging paper lanterns from the ceiling. These are light and easy to hang withr out causing any damage. Not to mention they are super cheap! you can often find these for $1 each! Hang several together in a cluster at varying heights to create a strong visual effect.

img. from: www.inarkansas.com

Wanting to add some more color to your space? read this article with 28 decorating tips to brighten up your rented home. It has several great ideas for adding color in a temporary way.

Have fun decorating your dorms, and I hope everyone has a great semester!

Is your dorm room creative and inspirational? Share it with me, and if I like it I just might feature it on my blog!

inspired design - Duck Dynasty...

This week's design inspiration comes from one of my favorite quirky TV shows, Duck Dynasty!! Season 4 of Duck Dynasty kicked off last night and it got me thinking. For those of y'all that don't watch Duck Dynasty, you need to start, its hilarious. But let me fill you in...the show is about a big redneck family that became multimillionaires from their duck call making business. The guys in this family have big scruffy beards and are crazy hillbillies that spend all their free time hunting. Somehow they all managed to snag BEAUTIFUL, classy wives. 

photo from www.realitytea.com

I started thinking.. (Even though I am sure this is not the case) what if they had a similar issue as me, where their husbands wanted to have an input in the home decor? What would that house look like? How could you possibly mix the tastes of cute, preppy stylish women with dirty, bearded, redneck men? Here is the solution I came up with...I'm calling this style the sophisticated hillbilly!

deer head...$335.00

coral chair...$349.00

drift wood lamp...$503.80

sheep skin rug...$197.99

stag print pillow...$20.00

coral damask pillow...$20.00

wood coffee table...$1,495.00

black tuffed sofa...$4,867.00

The entire design was centered around the black and white print paper deer head. Its a bold piece that immediately sets the tone for the whole room, and it is the perfect mixture of classy and country. I started off by keeping with the black and white color scheme. Black and white is classic, timeless, and so easy to work around. If you ever get tired of the design its easy to completely change the feel of the room by changing accessories and pops of color, while being able to keep the basic pieces of your room. I also wanted to stay with a natural material palette, which is why I chose to go with a leather sofa, sheep skin rug, and wood accessories. So while the selections have a sleek and sophisticated look, the materials help give the space a  manly, "hunting cabin" feel. I then added in the coral chair, pillows, and flower arrangement to add a soft feminine touch to it. When you put all of these together you get a soft, modern, take on the hunter's decor.

For those of you who love this look, but are on a budget, I found an awesome DIY tutorial on making a paper deer head. the best part about this is that you can completely customize it in any color or pattern you wanted!

To see the tutorial, you can go to the chroniclebooks blog.

I love the idea of taking two opposing styles and putting them together. Do you know of any designs that do this? share them with me!

-holly