Mary's Living Room

I recently had the pleasure of designing a Living Room for a previous client.  Mary is a wonderful lady who lives in a beautiful condo.  Her personality is sweet and soft so I decided to use that as my inspiration for her room.

As usual, my starting point was the accessories.  I found a set of pillows on Joss and Main that gave me the color scheme for the whole room.

It's a very large room and the previous arrangement made it feel disconnected (sorry no before pictures...).

Almost everything in this room was purchased online.  The chairs and rug are from Overstock.

The sofa, ottoman, accent table and media console are all from Joss and Main.  Most of the pillows and throws are also from Joss and Main.

The window treatments and artwork are from Bed, Bath & Beyond.

Miscellaneous accessories were purchased at Marshalls and Ross.

This project came in way under budget. Mary is thrilled with her new space and already has me looking for new Dining Room furniture with the money we saved.

But before that I'm taking time off for some much needed rest and relaxation!

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulicious day!!
xoxo,
Kim

Linking to:  Creative Cain Cabin's Budget Decorating Party
                    Savvy Southern Style's Wow Us Wednesday

The Bucket List

Hello dear sweet bloggy friends.  I've been lazy in my blog life recently, but my real life is flying at lightening speed.  I can't remember ever being this busy.  So glad Summer is almost here and there will be no more schedules, homework, waking up at 0-dark-thirty.  The only time I enjoy getting up that early is Saturday.  Yard Sale Day.  I don't even need an alarm clock.  My body just knows.

Yep, I'm an Early Bird.  One of those annoying customers who stops by while you are still setting up and will dig through your boxes.  Shameless I know.  But I don't want anyone else getting my worm.  And around here, the earlier the bird, the better the worm.

I keep a running list in my head of certain antiques that I must have before I die.  A sort of Antique Bucket List.  It's not a particularly long list, but in my opinion, distinguished. This list includes an antique English butter slab, a wicker flea market cart, preferably lined with the most adorable of floral fabrics, and an old oil painting that when I peel back the paper will of course have an envelope with a bazillion dollars in it that someone stashed a hundred years ago.

Coming across an item on your Antique Bucket List can be problematic for a Cheap-O like myself.  Usually, I know immediately if I'm going to pass something up.  For example, I may see a half-used Yankee candle that I positively cannot live without.  Unless it's more than a quarter. I waste no time moving on to the next house.  I do not hem and haw.  If fact, I despise hemmers and hawers.  Yard-saling is a decisive business.  If you waste time hemming and hawing, you lose worms.

Back to the problem at hand.  Actually coming face to face with an item on the bucket list may cause a normally decisive and cheap person to lose all sense of reason, causing said decisive and cheap person to choose between decisive and cheap.

Like this jug-ernaut.

I saw it at a yard sale swarming with e-birds.  It was on my list and I wanted it bad.  Like bad enough to shoot my load on the first big sale of the day bad.  They were asking $30, a good price I know, but I already told you I was cheap.  I've seen these at the flea for at least $50.  I got it for $20.

And I got a check on my bucket list.

Then a week later I spotted this on Craig.

An old tobacco basket. Also on my list.

And got another check.

A week later, yet another item on my list.

Backstory:
A townwide yard sale - my favorite kind - with cars battling for position.  You cannot imagine the potential for accidents in this scenario.  Trying to maneuver your way through yardsale traffic while keeping your eyes on the prize.  Mine dart back and forth between the road and the yards, because Lara Spencer, I don't just brake for yardsales, I screech my tires and leave black tread-marks a mile long in my dust.

That's just what happened when I saw her.  An antique 1941 New York SM Benjamin dress form with a cage bottom  (said in the voice of Ralphie as he describes his bb gun - an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle!)...

A classic battle between decisive and cheap ensued with decisive winning out.  But not before I handed the seller my business card in the hopes that she would still be available on pay day...

Several days later, no phone call, no check...

Until Mother's Day.  You see, my sweet middle was with me that day and called her Daddy to tell him that Mommy found something on her Antique Bucket List.

She was rolled into my room on Mother's Day morning as I lay in bed.  A sight for my swollen eyes.  And another check on my list.

Still in pursuit of the butter slab and envelope with the bazillion dollars, but at least I get to wake up every morning to this.

So what's on your Antique Bucket List?  I'd love to know.  I'm nosy like that...

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulicious day!

xoxo,

Kim

Joining:  Grace at Home at Imparting Grace

Sizzling Summer Style at Home

Happy Friday!!! I've been sort of MIA these past couple of weeks.  April was a super-dee-duper month for Larkspur Interiors - we sold just about every piece of furniture in our booth and have been scrambling to restock.  In my absence I am delighted to have the beautiful and talented Eva Stephen do a guest post for me.  Here is what Eva has to say about Sizzling Summer Style at Home:

At last summer is just around the corner, with its promise of long, warm balmy evenings and the chance to wear shorts and flip-flops around the barbecue. As you plan your spring-cleaning (unless you are super-organized and have already finished it!) you can organize and decorate your home to welcome back the sunshine. 

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Rearrange the furniture

As winter drew closer your furniture probably crept a little closer to radiators, heaters and the fireplace and the curtains were firmly shut to keep the elements at bay. Now is the time to open out the circle of furniture, turning chairs and settees towards the bright sunshine that is hopefully pouring through the windows. Open the curtains fully every morning, and maybe even invest in some cheerful tie backs to get the maximum benefit. Move lampstands and table lights out of the room, or tuck them into unobtrusive corners, and spread the lounge suite out, just a little more. 

Having furniture crammed together forces people into closer proximity, which is fine when the weather is cold, but not so much fun on a sweltering hot, sticky day.

Splash in some colour

Change heavy lined curtains for brighter and lighter ones that will let plenty of sunshine and daylight into the room. Thick curtains are superb at keeping the cold out and the warmth in, but in summer it is best to allow the warmth outside to penetrate into the house while encouraging a free flow of fresh air to avoid stuffiness. You’ll definitely love the curtains designs at Hillarys. They’d be the good choice for summer decor. Take thick, fluffy throws off the chairs and sofas and replace warm-toned textured cushion covers with cool silk and cotton ones in bright summery colours.  

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If the throws are hiding stains or tears, perhaps you need to visit shop4furniture website to find a replacement? A splash of lemon yellow or flame orange draws the mind to thoughts of sunshine and touches of brightness here and there in the room will give a lovely fresh, spring-like appearance. 

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Dress up the window sills

While the mantelpiece is often the focal point of a wintery living room, turn attention towards the window sills in summer. Brightly coloured glass jars and vases, a strategically positioned sun-catcher and even a cheerful display of pretty pebbles and twisting driftwood are perfect 'window dressing.' 

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There are wonderful lo-tech window decorations that are brightly coloured gel shapes. These just need to be pressed firmly onto the glass and they will stay until you remove them. Make a beautiful motif in the corner of each pane, or buy seasonal shapes and change them every few weeks for a unique and colourful display! TheGelStore might give you some idea about what would be perfect for your bedroom windows. 

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Make the garden ship-shape

Mow the lawn and sweep and mop the decking ahead of all those leisurely summer barbecues! 

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A neat and tidy outside is an absolute must if you are going to be encouraging the focus of the living room towards the garden. If you are not a keen gardener you can purchase a vibrant and colourful display of potted plants to dot around to give the garden a joyous burst of colour and fragrance. Clean your garden furniture set and make sure that the parasol still works and is not full of dust and spiders! 

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These are some simple and quick ways to make sure that your home is ready to sizzle into summer, a welcoming haven for friends and family alike as you all enjoy the best of what the weather has to offer over the coming months!

About the Author: This article is provided by Eva Stephen who is a writer forShop 4 Furniture. Eva likes to write about DIY tutorials, home organization and experimenting new and odd things in home styling.