Mini Progress Report

Just a super quick update on the home decor front.




I purchased the mirror for a mere $30 at Homesense on Boxing Day and hadn't found a place for it since. I hesitated to hang it between the curtains because it seemed too big but when I showed my husband, he said it looked fine there. Now that we have the dramatic lighting, the larger size seems to fit quite well.



The framed black and white photo was a find at Goodwill back when we were in the apartment. I love how well both the chrome frame and photo itself looks against Benjamin Moore's "Silver Fox" paint.

I'm really hoping to have the bedroom painted within the next month or so and a few other minor projects complete. Expect another update soon!

Make a Statement

I love the look of large scale art on the wall. Whether muted or bright, it always makes a statement.

I find that it can really bring a room together and do wonders for spaces both large and small. In a small room, oversized art takes on this "so what?!" attitude and embraces the coziness of the space. In a large room, it grounds the space and combats that lost, empty feeling a grand space is often prone to.

It can also act as a focal point or a backdrop for pops of colors or interesting little tchotchkes displayed within the space.

Here are some perfect examples of how larger pieces can do wonders within a wide array of palettes, styles, room sizes, and layouts.




















all images via decorpad.com

With all these great inspirations in my head, I've been scouring Etsy, Craigslist, and local print shops for the perfect piece(s) to fill our space. It's not as easy as I thought on a budget! I tried to look up local student art shows but came up blank.

Any recommendations for other budget-friendly places I can look?

Paint The House - Part II

We did it! We finally made a decision - after a bit more deliberation in store. We came home with 7 cans of paint, rollers, paint trays, etc. and about $500 lighter in the pocket (eesh!).

But I'm super excited because we did end up getting Taos Taupe (for the living room) and Silver Fox for the hall/stairs/landing. We were originally going for a gray or taupe for the bedroom but I had the idea of going for a violet-gray. Cam wasn't a fan so I suggested a light blue instead - something smokey and calming, instead of cute and cheery.

We ended up going with Smoke. The name is a little misleading. Yes, it is gray but more like a calm sky covered by gentle clouds than cloying smoke. I found some examples of each paint color used in a room. You'll notice it can look quite different depending on the lighting.

BENJAMIN MOORE SMOKE

image via styleathome.com

image via decorpad.com

BENJAMIN MOORE SILVER FOX

image via decorpad.com

image via decorpad.com

BENJAMIN MOORE TAOS TAUPE

image via decorpad.com

Can't wait to paint the walls so we can finally unpack and I can start decorating!

Walk This Way

Our first floor layout is a little quirky. There's a small foyer as you walk in and a powder room on the left. But the kitchen and living room are all the way at the other end of the house.

We have a long and narrow hallway wall to fill up in between. On one side, there's the foyer, stairs to basement/upstairs, entrance to kitchen...but on the other side? Just wall! See for yourself:


Foyer area with powder room on the left and a coat closet facing the main door.


Hallway leading to the kitchen and living room at the back of the house and stairs on the left.

We need to fill up that wall space on the right without seeming like we're trying too hard. I like the idea of hanging frames in a collage, in a grid, or gallery style evenly spaced out at eye level. It could easily go wrong, though. 3 things I wan to be very careful in avoiding:

Too busy and claustrophobic - too many frames clustered in one part of the wall or too many frames all over.

Too cold and business like - symmetry and careful spacing looking too sterile and looking more like a professional gallery than a home

Too spanned out - looking as if we hung frames just to fill up the wall

Any thoughts on what we should do with this wall?