Things I Like

I found this picture of a beautiful bedroom.  It doesn't fit in my house, but I just liked it so much, I wanted to share.

Designer Amy Lau Design

I love this room... everything from the colors, to the rug and the painting.  Beautiful!

by interior designer Jennifer Brouwer
What a beautiful bathroom!  I can just picture this bathroom off the room in the picture above.  I especially love the color, the tiles & the shower doors.  The color is Dunn Edwards' Persimmon.

I just love this little corner couch... okay, there's a lot of things in this picture I like, but the couch is my favorite.  I can just imagine sitting with a friend, drinking coffee, taking in that beautiful view.  Or maybe curled up, reading a good book.  It looks so inviting.  The roman shades are nice.  I love the ottoman & side table & the little plant & the rug.  I'm not a fan of that light fixture though.  I think a distressed white lantern would have been better.

Ignore the picture on the right.  It's the one on the left that got me.  Heaven!

This is a basement!  Could have fooled me.  I love the color combo.

I love this shade of blue with those black & white photos.  It's called Needlepoint Navy by SW.  Beautiful!

Kitchen design by boston kitchen and bath Artisan Kitchens LLC
Look at the spot for the dog bowls & the bone shaped pulls!  I love it.

How cool is this?  The two canvases slide back & forth on a track to conceal the TV.

This is just so cool.

Basement Inspiration

It just occurred to me that I have no basement inspiration pictures in this blog.  That's probably why it's taking a long time to semi-finish the space.  The 'man cave' needs a serious coat of paint.  I can't stand the white walls.  I'd love to paint it this color (according to houzz, the color is BM Mesa Verde Tan).  The throw pillows are close to the color of the sectional, so I think it'll look great.  I really like those mirrors too, but I'd probably put that upstairs.

This wall color is almost the same.  Hmmm.  Guess this is the color.  I like the grouping of pictures on the wall too.

I love the ladder.  What a simple idea.  I could definitely DIY.

This lamp is featured in the 2011 HGTV Green Home Giveaway.  I think it would look great in our basement man cave.

What I learned about lighting

I found a great article today about common household lighting mistakes.  Here it is if you want to read it yourself.  I copied the tips I found most useful.
Common Lighting Mistakes

• By dimming a light, we decrease energy and heat output, and lengthen lamp life.
• Lighting in the bathroom: Standing directly under a downlight, without any light at the sides of the face, creates exaggerated and unflattering shadows. In the bathroom, using a downlight over the sink is fine to accent the expensive polished nickel faucet you've specified, but it's insufficient for tasks like shaving, tweezing, and applying makeup. For this, we need light at the sides of the mirror at eye level to minimize shadows and provide even distribution. This can be achieved with sconces flanking the mirror.

And what's a post without a picture?

 

I love that table lamp... and the rug, and the mirror, and the ottoman, and the tulips, and the desk, and the pillow.  Okay, there's a lot I like about this picture.  I wish it was in my house.

1/2 Bath - ALMOST DONE

I found a bunch of finishing touches for both bathrooms today.  So excited!

How cute is this soap dish?

Matt picked out & hung the towel bar.  I picked out the towel :)

Here's the new panels & rod I bought today.

This picture (along with another that didn't make this shot) used to belong to my parents.  It hung in their bedroom for ages.  The colors are so perfect for this room, I had to use them.  I think I'll paint the frames though.

Here we go, both pictures in the same shot.  I should definitely paint the frames.

Upstairs Bath- ALMOST DONE

Here's our new shower curtain.  I've received a lot of compliments on it saying it has a nice tropical feel.

Here's my favorite find from my shopping trip today.  Although the colors are perfect & the rug is so plush, I think it just doesn't look good with the shower curtain.  I put it in front of the sink, away from the tub hoping it'll look better over time.  Sigh... I don't know.

My sister got us this mirror for Christmas at a cute little shop in Sandwich.  I love it.

Here's the valance I got today.  Not so sure about this either.  It's navy blue (although it looks really dark in this picture).  I thought it might pick up the navy from the shower curtain.

The picture is a framed, hand painted card that Matt's parents picked up for us on Anna Maria Island.

Master Bedroom- ALMOST DONE

Phew!  I few more finishing touches & I'll be happy.  So far, I think it looks great!  We had some company over the holidays & during the 'house tour', I got the best compliment.  She said 'your bedroom looks like a magazine'!!  Joy!!

Here's some details of the room.

Our sheets.  My mom said they look like a chain link fence.  I never thought of that, but yes they do.

One of our new bed side lamps.  Matt picked these out.  I love them.  I think they're very unique.

Here's the window treatments.  I decided on chocolate brown panels & an ivory roman shade.  The rod has capiz shells on the finials.

I think this zebra print bedding adds a little fun to the room while still keeping with the brown tones.  I know, I need a bed skirt still... and some kind of art to hang over the bed.