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Last week I got this random surge to redecorate and rearrange just about every area in our house and I think I know what sparked it. When we moved into this place just a little over a year ago, it happened really unexpectedly. We were fully planning on staying in our previous apartment for another year and just before our new lease was to start, the landlord announced he was selling the unit. That left us three weeks to find a new home, book movers and pack everything up.

The first few places we looked at were all smaller than our last place (which was around 850 sq ft) and a lot more expensive. It was really discouraging, but then we fell upon something good. Well, at least we thought so. There weren’t any pictures on the listing, just the name of the building, the unit number and the floor.

We immediately started stalking the buildings Zillow listings and we came across the same number unit as the on online, just a few stories higher and it was gorgeous. Oh, and it was a corner — say what?!

When we came to tour the unit I was expecting something to be horribly wrong with the place — how had a well-priced corner unit been on the market for 4 months?! — but it wasn’t. So we signed the papers that day and moved two weeks later.

Since it all happened so fast, I never had time to decide if our current furniture was a good fit for our new place and for all of last year, all the random pieces that we’d jammed in here, just sat here collecting junk, until finally I couldn’t take it anymore.

Over the past few months, I’ve been systematically cleaning out different areas of the house — first the kitchen, then clearing out the old kitchen island (then selling the island!), then the TV console, and lastly our closet, which could use another clean out soon. Purging all that junk has been liberating and our place is finally starting to come together. In fact, I’m finally going to be doing a house tour in the next few weeks, but more on that later!

One area that I really want to freshened up is our entryway. The hard part is that it’s dark and tiny, so I’ve struggled a lot with what to do with the space. Right now we have one of my big paintings and a skinny console table. The table wobbles, mostly due to a loose floorboard (how do you fix that?!) and isn’t very sturdy and I’ve outgrown the painting.

Today I pulled a ton of inspiration so I can get the wheels turning and it’s working! I’m still not decided on anything, but the first thing to tackle will be the lighting issue. I think one of the biggest reasons that I don’t like that area is because it’s dark — not the most welcoming thing to come home to, you know? There’s a spot to hang a light in the entryway and I’m still confused why they didn’t just put a light there in the first place, but it’s an easy fix! Right now I’m loving this fun fixture but I can’t decide if I like the gold or black better.

Anyway, I can’t wait until I get everything in it’s place and can share it with you guys in a few weeks! I’ll be sharing the before too, so you can get an idea of just how messy (it’s bad — eek!) our place really was!

Which entryways do you love the most? Any tips on decorating an entryway that’s functional, but also stylish?

white bedding here

If you ever saw along came Polly, you might remember the scene where Jennifer Aniston asks Ben Stiller why he has so many pillows on his bed when all he does is take them off and put them into a box every night. If so, then you probably also remember the part where she comes back in the room and rips one open with a knife (my worst nightmare)!

After that scene Rob gave me a look that was one of those ‘she has a point you know’ looks. But just like Ben Stiller’s ex, I like a good decorative pillow and think they’re essential to making your bed look amazing. That being said, the number that he has on his bed — twelve, I think — is totally absurd.

So it begs the question, how many pillow are appropriate to put on your bed? Rob would say only the pillows we sleep with, but he doesn’t care much for decor. Other than shams, I say 1-3 decorative pillows are appropriate without looking ridiculous. What do you think?

If you’re looking to make a simple change to your bedroom decor, switching up the throw pillows is the easiest and cheapest way to make the room look totally fresh and new! I’ve rounded up a few stylish throw pillows and pairings that look amazing, especially on crisp white bedding!

On the subject of bedding, I’m on the hunt for a new white quilt and sheets for us — any suggestions? I’ve heard the Belgian linen sheets from West Elm are amazing, have you tried them?

And lastly, how many pillows do you have on your bed?!

If you had asked me a few years ago what my dream house would look like, it would have been big and spacious with large rooms and high ceilings. It was located in the neighborhood I grew up in and the kitchen would have white marble, duh.

If you ask me today, the only thing that I still really want in my dream house is that white marble in the kitchen. Why I ever wanted a huge house eludes me. Maybe I thought it was an outward sign of success, but as I’ve gotten older I no longer care much about that.

Instead, my (our) new dream house is cozy, quaint, has an open floor plan, but still has places that you can go to be alone. It’s not in the neighborhood I grew up in anymore, but I’m also not quite sure what city we’ll end up in.

The master bedroom isn’t massive, but the closet is! It also has a light-filled office space with built in shelves to hold my ever-growing collection of coffee table books that overlooks our backyard and vegetable garden. There’s a craft room for potential little ones and a big, bright kitchen where the family gathers.

It’s nothing ostentatious, but has special details that make it unique to us and reflects who we are and how we live.

The kitchen will require a big farmhouse table that I hope to make myself and maybe even a fireplace, because everyone knows the kitchen is where everyone gathers, so why not?! The living room will have exposed beams because I simply love the way it looks and makes a room feel.

It may be a long time before we ever move into our dream house, but it’s still fun to dream. I find that the older I get, the more focused and defined my interior style becomes.

What does your dream house look like? What city is it located in? And lastly, has your idea for your dream house changed over time or has it always been the same?

images via Le Fashion, Amber Interiors, My Domaine, Parade of Homes, Nous Decor, Paulina Arcklin, Luxe Source

At the turn of any season, I start thinking about freshening up the house. It’s sort of like spring cleaning, but it happens to me at the beginning of every season. Lately, I’ve found myself seriously drawn to emerald green. Actually, just greens in general! I recently bought a fiddle fig leaf tree that’s added a nice natural touch to our bedroom and those green leaves?! I love the color!

I’m not sure what it is about this shade of green, but I find it interesting and inviting and plan on adding more of this color to our home as soon as I can. It’s a bit unexpected and seems to soften the space, at least in my eyes! I’m thinking a new painting for our living room (we currently have a blue one) might tie the whole thing together nicely since I can’t afford this beauty just yet.

What color are you crushing on now?

Speaking of painting, I actually pulled out my paints last week and have been playing around with some different styles, techniques and sizes. I’m hoping that the end of the summer crazies can not only bring more balance to my everyday, but make time for painting since I enjoy it so much.

What’s on your to-do list now that summer is coming to an end?

images via 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

image via

I find myself dreaming about our future home on a pretty regular basis. Side note, we’re not even looking to buy, but who cares! It’s still fun, right?

One area I always think about are the bathrooms! I always think of them as a little slice of heaven in an otherwise crazy life. Between work, projects, family and trying to squeeze in a bit of exercise, it’s so nice to have a place to go when you want to shut off the noise of the world and just relax.

One of my favorite designers, Amber Lewis of Amber Interiors, has designed some of my favorite bathrooms of all time (and some of my favorite interiors ever!). I’m sharing a few of her designs along with a bunch more in this round up of 15 stunning bathrooms, make sure to check out number one!

What does your dream bathroom retreat look like? Which of these is your favorite?

P.S. You’ll quickly notice that I’m in love with white subway tile with black grout! Anyone else?