Fashion Meets Decor

interiors via 1 , 2 ,3, 4

It's been awhile since I've done a Fashion Meets Decor post. What better place to be inspired than Anthropologie? Anthro is among one of my go to "happy places," (Sephora, coffee shops, and any place that sells books hold the same thrill for me). The gelato shop in the first photo has me craving some Pistachio gelato big time! 

Where is your go to happy place?

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Simply Smitten: Preppy Bedrooms

via
These bright bedrooms are just so ideal for a teenager or college student. Fun, colorful, and exciting which is what that stage of life is all about, don't you think?
Of course, a girl with great preppy style would need accessories that are befitting of a preppy princess!

What would you do differently if you could go back to that time of your life?

Cotton Candy Dreams

via 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Pink.... embedded into our girly brains from day one.  It begins with a pink knit hat covering our newborn head shortly after arriving into this world.  Color of childhood bedrooms, cotton candy, tutus,
bubble gum, strawberry ice cream and peonies.  It shouts femininity and no boys allowed.
If I were single I would envelope my home in it.  I would have a glamorous pink bedroom room, pink tea cups and dishes.  I would walk around my home in a pink tank top and pink undies, and have a yard full of beautiful pink climbing roses.  I might just even have a pink front door!
What does pink represent to you?

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Chic and Plush

via 1, 2, 3
Oh, wouldn't that first room be divine for a small New Year's soiree?  There is nothing better
than sinking into a comfy velour sofa for some delicious conversing with that interesting someone.
We have not made any New Year's plans made as of yet, (yes, thank you again Mr. Flu... you can leave now)!  How do you plan on ringing in the new year?

Naomilynn Stationery Giveaway enter here

Creative Decorating Ideas

THIS POST IS FROM ROOM REMIX - THE BLOG .

BHG.com

Happy Monday! 

I can't believe Christmas is already over, can you?  Our weather cooperated for travel, thankfully, and we had a great time with our families!  Hope you all did as well. 

Traditional Home

From a decorating perspective, I'm actually a little relieved to be done with Christmas and moving on to decorating that will last all year long. 


BHG.com

With that in mind, here are some ideas to help jump start your decorating creativity with ideas for the upcoming year...

Use a rug to make a headboard "slipcover. Attach with clip-on drapery rings and ribbon.

Midwest Living

Another out-of-the-box idea for a flat-weave rug.  Use it to cover an ottman!

Midwest Living

Make a desk with a hollow core door, sawhorses and some fabric like Heather Chadduck did...

Finish the edges with decorative trim and nail heads.  Cover with a thin piece of glass...

Add custom detail with ribbon.  We've talked about it before - the details really do make a difference. Without the grosgrain ribbon detail, these pillows would just be pretty floral pillows.  Nothing wrong with that, but the addition of the ribbon adds a striking graphic element and the brown ribbon, combined with the brown lampshade helps ground the space...

Style At Home - Designer Virginia Macdonald

Paint a whimsical chalkboard wall in your bathroom like they did in this one featured on Design Sponge. Then paint the ceiling blue, of course!  (I think a mirror inside the chalkboard frame would up the functionality a bit.)  Probably not for every bathroom,  but I do love it...

I always love Tobi's ideas and this one is no different. Paint the back of your bookshelves, then add all white accessories, grounded by some black artwork attached to the front of the shelves.  A designer look that would be very inexpensive to achieve...

Designer Tobi Fairley via At Home Arkansas

Add interesting fabrics to your silhouette art...

Country Living Photo Susie Cushner

Think outside the box when it comes to places to put your magazines, books and other things you want to keep close at hand.  This aged urn adds so much more character to this space than your basic magazine holder would...

Womens Day Photo Michael Partenio

I've seen the numbered stairs idea before with painted steps, but I really like this idea of adding mismatched metal numbers with the rich stained wood...

traditional staircase design

Make it a great day!

Swan Lake

via 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Natalie Portman is always stunning and graceful, so it seems only fitting that she was chosen to portray
a ballerina in the upcoming Black Swan.  These graceful interiors are just as elegantly
orchestrated.
Black Swan is a psychological thriller which promises to keep you on the edge of
your seat.  Are you looking forward seeing it?

It's Blooming Pink

via 1, 2, 3, 4
What a powerful punch these hot pink accents pack! That last bedroom makes me want to crank up
the music and dance!  I'm thinking maybe Beast of Burden by the Stones would do!
What song would you be dancing to?

A Pretty Bedroom Makeover

THIS POST IS FROM ROOM REMIX - THE BLOG .

BEFORE

I recently visited Kristen from My Small Treasure's blog, and discovered the prettiest bedroom makeover! I knew you would want to see it too and she gave me permission to share it. She mentioned in her post that she intends to paint her furniture or buy new in the future, but I think these images prove that if for some reason you can't do that you can still have a beautiful room!

She painted the artwork on this nightstand herself and it does a great job of hiding the telephone/answering machine behind it. Clever idea!

Thanks so much, Kristen, for sharing your makeover with us! Didn't she do a great job?

One Way To Keep A Bedskirt In Place

THIS POST IS FROM ROOM REMIX - THE BLOG .

Janell did a bedskirt post the other day and there was discussion in the comments about how everyone kept theirs from moving around (or not). I said that I would do a post about a solution that works for me, so here goes!

The rug pad is a little bit more of an initial investment than other solutions might be, but I've had it for 5 years and it's still good as new so I'm assuming I'll never really have to change it out. When I'm ready for a new bedskirt I'll just detach this bedskirt, sew or glue velcro to the new one, attach it and call it good.

The rug pad really does want to stick to the mattress, which is the idea, but when you're putting it on for the first time or rotating the mattress it definitely takes two people because the mattress won't slide on the pad. Once it's in place though you're good to go because it's not movin'! It's been the perfect solution for me, so maybe it will be for some of you as well. Nice to have options. :-)

How high do you hang your curtains, and what about that space?

THIS POST IS FROM ROOM REMIX - THE BLOG Veranda photo Tria Giovan

I used to get questions a lot when I was decorating on how high to hang curtains. My opinion always was:

• Higher is better.  It adds height to the room and more presence to the windows.  I also like them hung off to the side with the inside edge of the panels just covering the inside of the window casings because it makes the windows appear wider and allows more light in.

myhomeideas.com Lisa Romerein

Here are some opinions from other sources:

• Southern living - "Hang your drapes high. To create the illusion of a larger room, hang your drapery rod just below the ceiling rather than right above the window frame. A higher rod draws the eye up and allows more light to come in. If the ready-made curtains you love aren’t long enough, add a simple band of fabric in your accent color for a custom look that costs a lot less."
• From Canadian House and Home's How to Hang Curtains - "For standard drapes that hang on either side of a window creating a frame, the typical height at which to install the drapery rod is halfway between the top of the window and the ceiling. This applies if there are more than 12 inches between the window trim and ceiling. For a cathedral ceiling, try to leave approximately 4 to 6 inches above the window trim as a guideline. If your ceiling is low, consider installing the rod as close to the ceiling or crown moulding as possible. In a small room, hanging drapery panels as high as possible will give the illusion of extra height."

I think it also works well, and feels more cohesive, to hang all of the curtains at the same height, even if the windows are not...

myhomeideas Photo Tria Giovan

Many times hanging the treatments higher is not that much of a stretch because the window is fairly close to the ceiling.  myhomeideas

But other times there is a space between the top of the window and the rod.   Almost every time I would suggest curtains be hung higher than the window (without a top treatment) when the ceiling wasn't in close proximity, I would get the question "but what about that space?"

I think it's fine to leave the "empty space", but in case it bothers you, here are some ideas.

Colour Confidential

A cornice board is an option everyone is probably familiar with...

Colour Confidential

I don't know if the shades in the next two images (from Amanda Nisbet and Phoebe Howard) are functional or not, they probably are, but it's a good visual on how it would look to make a faux roman shade to fill the gap.    Sunset shows you how to make them here.

We've already seen this image from bhg.com in this post. In it, they've used a mirror to fill in the space. I admire the idea although the fact it reflects the chandelier makes it feel a little busy for me.

Cassie at Hi Sugarplum, put a clock in the blank space in her son's bedroom makeover.

GCI Design used artwork...

Kimba at ASPTL wasn't talking about curtains in this post,  but she did talk about what she puts above her doors and windows.  Any of these ideas would work!

I saw on a TV show some time ago (I think it might have been Colour Confidential/Get Color, but I looked for it on their site and couldn't find it - which is how I ran across the other images!)   They hung the window treatments at ceiling height and then painted the space between the top of the window and the rod in a darker shade of the wall color.  It looked great!  Wish I had a visual for you, but if one of you try it I hope you'll send me a photo.

What's your opinion on curtain height?  Also, are you a space filler or fine without? Any creative ideas that you've used above your windows?  Have I asked enough questions yet? :-)