Inspired Interiors: Design Love Fest

I discovered the most amazingly beautiful blog the other day, Design Love Fest. Bri's home, photography and outfits are adorable. Take her home for instance. Everything I am craving at the moment, style, creativity, color, neutrals, natural light is present. There is an energy that is both relaxing, yet energizing. Eclectic, mid century modern, mint, aqua, pink and white, golden, metallic accents, black and white geometric patterns, poufs and funky chairs... Shall I go on?

Chaotic Color

While I love a beautiful white, restful room/outfit/style, either in modern, urban farmhouse or shabby glory... the chaotic color vibe pulls me in, at least for a little while. Just long enough to get my toes wet in something eclectic, before I retreat back into sterile, predictable comfort. I think I get whip lash changing back and forth, so while my slipcovers went back on today, I felt drawn to these photos. Just like this lovely home above of jeanhclee. For some reason, I'm sensing a familiar color pattern of pinks, oranges and greens. Bright colors have a jolt of energy to them, you know? Perhaps my body is clinging to these sprightly images as a subconscious way to burst me out of this crazy,stressful fog I've been subjected to lately.

Awake is the New Sleep cover art, Ben Lee

Before the Voyage photograph by elle moss

hobby holly tutu inspired prairie girl portrait by Oh So Posh Photography

award ribbon canopy bed, Chrissie Rucker

Colorful ribbon woodland chandalier mobile tutorial by A Fanciful Twist

Connecting the Dots via decor8

Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles

Trash the Dress Wedding Photography by Lynn Michelle

 via

Sew in Love thread on wood spools photo by Iris Inspired

Inspired Design: French Gray Interiors

 leafy168 blog (via)

Sipping a cafe au lait and eating a croissant in a small cafe with a single candle as table decor near the Champs Elysee or gazing out on Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower are quintessentially French.  If May in Paris is not in your future, you can still live a life inspired by French style and beauty in your own home. 

We're in love with French Gray inspired interiors right now. The French have a way with gray that makes it feel romantic and chic, never dull or boring. French gray can range from dove gray to a blue gray and is almost always paired with warm, creamy white for a classic French feeling.

Here are some of our favorite French gray interiors we hope will inspire you too:

Jessica Lagrange Interiors (via)

We adore the the French-like wingback accent chairs near the fireplace, as well as the matching floor lamps in this living room we spotted in Jessica LaGrange Interiors via Design Shuffle. The creamy gray walls balance the warm neutral furniture pieces, keeping the room feeling light and airy.

Dwelement Home Design (via)

This monochrome gray kitchen is French Country chic gorgeous! We like the white and brown accents from the pottery.  The lighter cabinets keep things from feeling too dark or heavy.

Pleasant Living (via)

Gray walls can go quite nicely with all neutral-tone furniture, just like in this casual living room. Check out the chandelier, candle holders, and wall art right above the accent table. All of these items looks like it came from a Parisian specialty store. So chic and unique!

Busybee (via)

The tufted headboard in this bedroom is so romantic.  Soft gray walls and crisp white and neutral tone linens create a soothing, calm environment perfect for sleep.

Decor Pad (via)

This room demonstrates all the key elements of a French Gray inspired room: soft gray walls, cream and warm wood furniture, a sparkly vintage style chandelier and vintage mirror. What makes it one of our favorites is the blue sideboard.  It's a nice spot of color. Don't be afraid to add accent colors in soft hues -- light pink, moss green, silvery blue, pale yellow all work well with gray.

*Content provided by Arcadian Home Decor, a site that specializes in top quality home decor items at extremely affordable prices. Go visit them today!

Inspired Rooms: Rachel Whiting

"Rachel Whiting is a London based freelance photographer who loves modern interior design and clean lines.Like an interior photography must be sensitive to all the elements that will appear in the final print.All the objects from a room look good, but in a print, these objects may cluster the image."-homedit

Whilst not all her interiors are so bright and colorful, they are similar in that  "her photographic work is constructed with an inherent aesthetic of simplicity, shape, color and form evident throughout all of
her images.  "

The rooms she shoots have a certain ethereal function from them. From the airy white draped windows and the bright light cascading onto the white plank floors, the full length canvases of pink leaned against unfussy walls, the classically simple, yet questionably uncluttered rooms are so quiet and yet so full of an almost bohemian character. I do believe I could get used to living in a room with such qualities.

 

Homefront: I'm Going to Miss This Place

 I'm going to miss this place. We have been here for 6 months. It's a 2 bedroom apartment, but we got very lucky. This little room right there, is the patio. But, on the 3rd floor layout, it is an enclosed extra room. I love the massive window, the extra space for my little computer area.  Just when I was starting to feel settle, deciding on window treatments and maybe even a new computer chair... my husband lost his job.



The reason we got this place, is because we also got a great discount on it from his employer. So, not only did our income become zero, our rent went up a few hundred dollars. Fortunately, since he was non-disciplinary terminated due to no fault of his own, we get some unemployment, though we only have 4 weeks of it left. And our wonderful church has helped us out with groceries, and keeping us encouraged as well.



 So, in a few weeks, our family of 4 will be moving in with the in-laws. We've done it before when we were pregnant with our first. At that time, we decided not to renew our lease on the 400 sq ft apartment we were in so we could get a 2 bedroom for the new baby. Just as we were going to put down a deposit on a place we had been looking at, Hurricane Katrina hit and all of the evacuees came here and took all available apartments. We were homeless and moved in with the in-laws for several months. It was rough.

Fortunately, they are kind and gracious people, but that doesn't mean things will be easy. I will miss all that we have built together and wondering how and where we will end up. Starting out all over again is difficult. Not to mention living out of a bedroom with most all of our belongings in storage is hard enough. And being cramped and not feeling like the ruler of your own home is difficult, though I will focus less on that and more on how grateful I am of all that we do have. I am fully aware things could be much worse.

Our home is more than a place... it was a start of something new, a joy, finally feeling like we had a fresh start and things were just beginning to take off. We were just beginning to make friends and find ourselves out here. I had finally decided on what I was going to finish college in, so that is going to have to wait again.

Our oldest was about to start preschool for the first time. It was the first time in the last 7 years we have felt settled and in a city where we were known for us and not as our parent's children.

Before we go, I'm going to do what I can to remember it. Before we pack everything in boxes, I am going to try and finish what projects I can without having to buy anything. Then I can leave here with no regrets.

So, expect to see lots of pictures of this place in the next few weeks. Then, when I am feeling sad and alone and crazy, I can remember that I did have a home at one point in time. I did have dreams and they were starting to come true. Maybe it will help me remember that it can happen again.

Besides, it will be good to leave this city. I won't have the temptation of going and throwing rotten eggs at my husband's jerk of a former boss's office window. And, I suppose, that is a good thing.