To me, February seems like a good time to start a home design blog and I hope you'll agree. Here in Chicago we are all hunkered down in our homes after the city's third biggest snowstorm in history, with frigid temperatures outside. Our homes become even more important this time of year and we are motivated to nest ... to make them warm and cozy, to clean out, organize and complete those "rainy/snowed-in day" projects. So if you, like me, tend to spend more time online this time of year, then hopefully this blog will be your little daily dose of sunshine ... I hope it makes you feel good!
I have so loved reading other design blogs, and I must say it feels exciting to have my own little piece of real estate in the blogging world. You can read more about me and my inspirations for creating this blog here, but in this first post I thought I'd tell you a little bit about some of the things you will find here in the coming months.
I have ideas for a few different series of posts I hope you'll enjoy. I'm thinking along the lines of Mondays at My House where I'll give you an inside look at different rooms in my home, tell you where I purchased things, and write about ideas I have for future projects and furniture. Then there will be Lovely for Less, where I'll spotlight some affordable goodies for your home that look awfully similar to some of the pricey pieces you swoon over in the glossy pages of your favorite magazine spreads.
I'll also invite my favorite fellow bloggers to do guest posts, including a 5 Things that Make Me Swoon series.
And to start out this week, I thought I'd feature some of the things that make ME swoon, one each day ... hopefully they are things that make your heart skip a beat as well.
I'll try to post as often as I can, and when inspiration strikes. Some posts may be long with lots of pictures, some short musings on something swoon-worthy that crossed my path. If you like something you see, please leave a comment! I'd love to read your questions, suggestions and ideas.
So ... in this post, I thought I'd offer up the first of many "things that make me swoon." Often when I am flipping through a design magazine, what stops me in my tracks are interesting tablescapes ... thoughtful vignettes on a mantel, console table, bookshelf that give you a little glimpse into the owner's life, loves or travels. For me they are what elevate a room from something that looks like a furniture show room to an engaging, fascinating space with personality. They can be hard to do successfully. Too many things ... it looks like clutter. I love an artful mix of old and new, texture, color and height, little curiosities that conjure up a life rich with travel and art. Here are some favorites I've spied recently ...
Flowers, pottery, photography, interesting objects and stacks of BOOKS! Can I just say that old books make me swoon! I have them stacked all over my house.
via Lonny
Don't you want to meet the person who lives in the room above?
As I working on the post, I came across the first edition of High Gloss Magazine and the cover made me swoon ...love this tablescape! A showstopping lamp, lots of books, dramatic photography, a cool phone, a punch of color ... and lots of bubbly! Can I be invited to the party at this house? Pretty please?
Love the colors, layers and seasonal additions to this bookshelf ...
I think the shelves below are exquisite ... a carefully edited collection of books and objects unified by a color scheme of gold, cream and green.
via Pink Wallpaper
This one is from an old issue of Domino (don't you miss Domino Magazine? So glad I saved all my past issues)
How about this elegant and functional tablescape in the dining room of Emily from Jones Design Company ...
I apologize that I don't have sources for the next few photos ... they are pictures I have saved from quite awhile ago, before I knew I would be starting my own blog and would need to site sources!
What do you think? I am constantly creating and rearranging little vignettes around my house. Here are a just a few I've photographed ...
Shelf in my kitchen ...
On my kitchen table ...
Bookshelves in family room ...
In my dining room ...
Family room bookcase ...
Living room fireplace mantel ...
Our bedroom fireplace mantel ...
Dresser in our bedroom...
In case you're wondering what the little glass jar is ...
.. it's a little vintage bottle I found that says "Love Potion." :)
So, how can you create your own little vignette or tablescape? Here's my recipe: mix together something old, something new, something borrowed (from another era) something blue (or another bold color), something written (books) , something photographed (black & white), a little flora, a little fauna (I love birds!). Make sure you have varying heights (use the books to elevate small objects) and varying textures.
What are some of your favorite vignettes?
