Master Bedroom Redesign on a Budget - Color Palette

...Or I could title this post: Getting Started on the "Someday." You see, our master bedroom is the number one room I keep saying I'll get to ... someday. Someday when we have money, more specifically. But guess what I realized? Someday when we have money coming in again, which is slated to be in approximately one year, that money is likely NOT going towards my dream home interior projects. It's going to savings, retirement and kids' college funds. Yes, as my hubby and I were discussing it recently, we will likely be living about the same no matter what our money situation is like in the next couple years. Which is totally smart! Repeat after me: smart, smart, smart. Wise, smart, level-headed, mature, adulty. (As in, "Look at us being all adulty." - Liz Lemon)

So, I decided to get going on my "master bedroom on a budget" and after a lot of thought and planning and looking, I think I'll be able to swing it! Is invention not the result of desperation? What? How does that saying go? 

Anyway, here's my color palette. Kind of funny how it's almost the exact color palette of our heading/logo. I can't deny that I have a thing for grey, white and black. And with navy and yellow thrown in, I think we'll have enough masculine/feminine, serious/happy colors to please both people who sleep in this room.

Stay tuned as I put the pieces together over the next little while.... 

Decorating around a TV

Decorating around a TV can be one of the trickiest parts of putting together a beautiful living room. Thank goodness we don't have to work with those ugly box TVs anymore! However, flat screens still present the same problem: just WHAT do I do with it?

I've collected some pictures that show some "outside of the box" thinking when it comes to incorporating a TV in a design-friendly way.

The surprising placement of this TV is that it's in front of windows. Ever considered that? I think it's an awesome idea.

The only time it would be tricky to watch TV in this setting is during the daytime. But who is home watching daytime television?? SAHMs, raise your hands! :) But, I could get over it. If I had this wall of windows, I could definitely get over a bit of TV glare. But let's be realistic. Your window wall would probably be better suited for drapes, so you could just pull the drapes during the daytime if Ellen at 4 is your afternoon cup of tea.

{Adore Home}

Bookcases are not just for books, of course. Or just for trinkets and books. Include your TV in your bookcase! Notice how the furniture looks like it can be adjusted according to what the room is being used for.

{Adore Home via Danielle Oakey Interiors}

People often think above the fireplace mantel is the obvious choice for rigging the TV. Think again! First of all, you don't want a crick in your neck from looking up at your TV. You always want the TV at eye level when you're sitting down. This photo shows a beautiful mantel display that makes a lovely focal point for the room, then the TV next to it is accompanied by a console table and accessories that help the TV not to scream "LOOK AT ME!".

I like the basket below that stores blankets for snuggling. Because what goes with TV watching? Blankets and snuggling!

{Little Green Notebook - incidentally the home of my former college roommate}

I love the idea of mounting the TV on the wall with a credenza below. Old school credenzas especially are my fave! I'm on the lookout for one for my own living room. Love, love, love.

In this dude apartment below, the caption really sums up what you need to know about decorating around a TV: "We know you love your TV. The trick is to display it in a way that doesn't sacrifice style. Try placing it on a sleek console (like this one from IKEA) and surrounding it with interesting objects. Be sure to keep the TV at eye level but let the accessories and the artwork be the focal point." 

{3 above: Lonny Magazine}

I like how the scale of this TV coordinates with the scale of the framed photos behind it. Plus, it's silver so it does a beautiful job of blending in to the black and white color scheme.

{Domino}

Back to credenzas - I've always loved this painted one in Jordan Ferney's home.

She changed it up later with some simple art above the mounted TV.

{Oh Happy Day}

Another painted credenza. This is Joanna Goddard's home (the blogger behind A Cup of Jo). Love that yellow.

{Little Green Notebook}

*Martha

Modern Fairytale Posters

Thank you Cup of Jo for posting these wonderful modern fairytale posters.

The artist is Christian Jackson and you can buy them here.

Glitter Art

I'm dying that Home By Novogratz is not on Hulu but I was able to catch a few episodes at my sister's house recently. Another thing I was dying over (in a good way)? The glitter art in one of their episodes. I kept hitting my sister in the arm and gasping, "Heather! Glitter art! Heather! Glitter art!" I don't know why I thought it was so genius ... I think it is the scale of the art. Each piece is quite H-U-G-E. It's done by Camomile Hixon and was featured in a home staging done by the Novogratz's, as seen below.

 {3 above images from here}

{2 images above from her gallery}

Are you as stunned by this large glitter art as me? Or are you like, "Puhlease. Glitter is so 2nd grade!"

*Martha

Sunny Boy/Girl Room in Seattle

My friend Tysha recently finished decorating the bedroom her young son and daughter share, and I loved it so much I got her permission to share it with you! It was also just featured on THE interior decorating blog for kids' rooms, OhDeeDoh, (see here) that's how awesome it is! But I don't have to keep telling you ... see for yourself!

Tysha has a great mix of homemade and friend-made and hand-me-down and store bought. She put this room together over a long period of time, so she chose everything very carefully. There is a reason behind every decision which makes the room super special for the little inhabitants. 

She and her husband opted to give the kids the master bedroom so it could easily double as the play room. Smart move! I also love that she chose a pale yellow for the walls to off-set the often gloomy out-of-doors.

Birds done right! Love that mobile! The yellow and grey combo is perfect for a girl/boy setting.

This play kitchen is fantastic, no? As with all the other objects in the room, Tysha put a lot of thought, time and effort into this thing. 

And there are her two cuties! Tysha is a photographer, too, so these pictures are hers.

Cool roadster and some inspiring words!

Seriously, nice job Tysha! Thank you for sharing.


Read more here on her family blog about her process of putting together this room as well as the back stories on several items that are especially meaningful.


*Martha

Large Photo Booth Prints

{Pinterest}

I keep thinking about this wall of enlarged photo booth prints. I do love photo grouping/gallery walls that extend diagonally up a stair case wall, but they can often seem busy and messy if not done right. I love the idea of these huge vertical pictures on what would otherwise be a huge, overwhelming wall. It's from the movie The Joneses (you noticed David Duchovny, right?), which I must have missed because it's already out and I never even heard of it. Did you see it?


*Martha

Tiny House Movement

Are you guys watching Design Star? It's down to the final two designers. I'm rooting for Karl ... what about you? Their latest design challenge, space planning and decorating tiny houses (you can see the episode here ), made me so excited! I've been thinking about small spaces lately and they really, really, really excite me. It's the minimalist in me. I love my small apartment and wouldn't mind staying there forever mostly because it's easy to clean and maintain, and it forces me to find a space for everything. To see people taking small living spaces to the extreme fascinates me and I love to see how other people make use of their small spaces. Recently I went to a boat show (is that what it was called?) where people were showing off their old, wooden boats. Some people live in them! I could not stop asking them questions about life in a cramped cabin space. They loved it. Hey, whatever floats your boat. (Sorry.) Then, my sister told me about the Tiny House Blog. Of course there is a blog of tiny houses! Sometimes, the human race pleases me. Here are a few...

What about you? Could you live in a tiny house?


*Martha

Industrial Kid Stuff

I'm pretty sure there is not anything I don't love about industrial design. (Are there enough double negatives in that sentence for you?) Well, thanks to Restoration Hardware, we have it for kids! Woohoo!

Are those vintage boxing gloves? Also, the striped baskets! Please. These shelves are just perfect for a little dude's room.

I'm getting giddy just thinking of kids hanging out at these old fashioned chairs and tables.

This is a locker style dresser. Um, hello wagon wheel lamp.

The Baby & Child Restoration Hardware line has oh-so-much more than this! In just about every style, too. Check it out!

*Martha

S'mores in a Pan

{Pinterest}

Dare I say it is the end of summer? Too bad it just got started here in Seattle. Ah, well, we enjoyed every single minute of it while it lasted. And here, for your end of summer pleasure, is my favorite recipe of the season. I'm making it one last time tomorrow for one last summer beach party. Do go forth and make and enjoy!


S'mores in a Pan
{Recipe from here}


8 cups Golden Grahams cereal
6 cups mini marshmallows (10 oz. bag), divide into 5 cups and 1 cup
6 single serving Hershey chocolate bars (aka, NOT king size, just regular size)
5 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla


Place chocolate bars in freezer and chill well. Once the bars are very chilled mash them with a rolling pin (or coffee mug or whatever) and then unwrap them. Place broken candy bars back in freezer. Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Melt five cups of marshmallows and butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Stir occasionally. Once the marshmallows have melted remove pot from stove. Add in cereal and mix well. Add in your remaining 1 cup of marshmallows and chocolate bar pieces. Smash mixture into buttered baking pan, and place pan in the refrigerator. Cool and serve.


*Martha

Variation on Apple + Pear

When I saw the cover of this month's Martha Stewart Living magazine, I knew what I needed to do.

You see, when I made this green canvas with the grey apple on it awhile back, I knew it was not exactly what I wanted. Also, it was too small a print for the wall it was on. So, enter the pear. And my variation on the apple and pear pair from the magazine cover.

I switched the apple colors to pink, since the pink stem was what I liked best from the original apple. Then I chose a 20x30 canvas, painted it with Krylon spray paint in the color Blue Ocean Breeze and added a yellow pear.

I love the combination of colors. They are unexpected, playful and fun.

My apple is so much happier with a pear for a friend.

*Martha