Great flower arrangements

Tomorrow brings a number of photo shoots, where I will be creating the flower arrangements for. I thought I would share my great finds!

Pretty flowers from Everyday Occasions blog by Jenny Stephens Hobick

I like the clustering of the flowers from Birmingham Blossoms.

I love purple, pink and lime green in flower arrangements

Great find by my friend Jan Gautro, from her pinterest page.

Very tempted by these Juliet roses from David Austin!

Country Living offered great ideas for simple arrangements!

Back to School- the guy's dorm room

The past dorm rooms I have covered have been girl's rooms. However, I have helped many guys move into their dorm rooms and I know that if they have a blanket and a gaming device with a TV they are good. However, it is nice to purchase pieces of furniture that will last past dorm-hood and into adulthood. It is also important that it doesn't look like Mom helped, but maybe a really cool older brother who understands gaming and girls.
To that end, I have created some design mood boards for just those guys- the ones who game and the smooth operator with the ladies! Hope you are inspired to help your guy make his home away from home be as comforting as his real home. If you need any help, just let me know!

The sophisticated guy's dorm room for the guy who is Chuck Bass... if only in his head!!

The gamer's dorm room- perfect for study break for clearing your head and marathon weekend with the guys!

Back to School: The Dorm - Senioritus and the bridge to adult digs

I always love the back to school issue of Seventeen magazine... long after I was 17! It was the issue that instructed how to take your high school look and elevate it to a college look. Taking that inspiration, I would like to share ideas from Senior year dorm life that transitions nicely to the first apartment and the real life.
Like learning how to wear your fave jeans to the office by adding the jacket from your interview suit, dorm decor can transition to the apartment with the addition of a "grown up" items. Hot pink, neon's and bold florals can be tempered with neutrals. Maybe neutrals seem boring, but everyone cannot be the star of the show. Make your favorite items from college be the leading lady and build a supporting cast of neutrals with fabulous textures.

Here's some mood boards to help create the blend!

A collection of decor from the Senior year dorm

Taking the parts of the hot pink college dorm room and creating a first gathering space!

 

Inspiration: Great on the outside and in

This pattern could go traditional or Southwestern
depending on the accents- great warm color selections.

I have been inspired by a neighbor. I don't live in a neighborhood where we leave the drapes open for all the world to see the living room. However, I passed by a house the other day who does leave the drapes open and I was inspired by what I saw. The house is a medium tone brick with cream shutters and trim, and a soft orange front door. Doors are a great way to express your personality and utilize a little color theory to tell your guests about your home. They are also the easiest to change- and the cheapest costing about a pint of paint and a Saturday afternoon.

The inspiration came from the bigger picture than the orange front door, because the large plate glass window framed a pair of wing-back chairs in a bold cut-pile fabric in colors of oranges, browns, greens and cream. This pattern and colors expressed the energy of front door and created a repetition of color and pattern that is most comfortable for the mind.

To celebrate great facades, I have created great pairings of fabrics and exterior trim paints for you to spice up your home! The upholstery fabrics are paired with Sherwin Williams paint colors using their new Chipit! online program. It's fun to see what colors the programs pulls, of course choosing colors in person is best to take lighting conditions into account, but this program is a great start!

Fun cut velvet giraffe fabric with great beach-y paint colors



A twist on animal print makes this fabric contemporary and a great home accent piece. I would love to see the Eminent Bronze on a front door of a contemporary style or international style house!



Modern classic damask pattern would be striking on a large chair in a picture window on a cream house with a Tricorn black or a Raisin front door!



Robert Allen floral for your formal spaces and very pretty when viewed with a creamy white exterior and a Polished Mahogany or Saguaro painted door.

Robert Allen Velvet Stripes perfect on contemporary lines of a chair or chaise in the front window! I'd choose the Rookwood Dark Red on a light house or the Garden Sage on a medium toned house.

Need help coordinating a paint color or with fabric selections. I'd love to help! Color is one of my favorite things to work with and fabrics are a long passion of mine! Drop me a line and we can chat!
laurlself@gmail.com

Trending- Kantha

I love to trend spot! This month I am seeing an increase in Kantha a traditional  method for making blankets from India. The Hallmarks of Kantha include layers of fabrics, running stitch quilting and stitch rows very close together.

Kantha throw from one Kings Lane!

As Kanthas are traditionally blankets, they are an easy addition to your home as a simple throw for the sofa or bed. They can also be table coverings, drapes, pillows and accessories like handbags! Here are some great Kantha pieces I have found on the web.

Kantha pouf from One Kings Lane.

Kantha Blanket from By the Sea company on Etsy!

Kantha Sachel from Luxury Lanna Crafts on Etsy

Peach and Mint- Summer colors

According to Etsy's extensive research, peach and mint are THE colors for the summer. Fortunately, they are also easy to add to any decor. Here are a few suggestions on great peach and mint accessories for your home!

Great Kantha throw from One Kings Lane!

Set of Peach and Mint clothes pins from Owl and Thistle on etsy

Mint green paint can be grounded with earth tones and white from House Beautiful

Arrows are my secondary trend for right now! And they are so fun in peach from Fletcher and Fox on etsy!

Mint green can look dated, however once it is paired with a crisp white, it goes fresh!
From House Beautiful

Peach is great for warming up a space with out heating it up! What a great private space from Design Sponge!

Back to School: The Dorm - Junior

Junior year... everything at school is old hat... real life is still a year away... it's your Hellenistic Period! During this time you learn who you are, change your major to what you really want to be, have a crisis on consciousness and come out stronger.
My favorite dorm decor from my junior year was the time I hung and entire bouquet from the ceiling, individually no less with push pins and fishing line. It gave the illusion of an upside down flower garden.

Light weight items can easily me hung form the ceiling, even if the ceiling is a drop ceiling. Push pins can easily push in the drop ceiling and are undetectable when removed. if you would rather not use push pins, you can go with hooks for suspended ceilings. They simply clip onto the splines, or grid, of the ceiling

 There are so many great ceiling adornments and they are great for adding height to a space which is hard in a dorm. Here are some great ideas for adding height to a room!



Tassels are a great way to add color and movement in a dorm room. This tassel garland from The Flair Exchange on Etsy adds some bling with the addition of gold tassels.

Eco-friendly cardboard chandelier from Seequin on Etsy! A fun addition for over your bed or desk... or if you dorm room is big enough, the dance floor!

school colors, greek colors, club colors - these tissue pom poms from Hope Decor on Etsy are great for adding to the ceiling! Hang them at different heights, all the same or in a cluster, like a cloud!

Pennant banners make a great addition to a space. You can hang them from the ceiling, or across your bulletin board, as a headboard. The fabrics also aids in absorbing sounds in a space, which is great for a dorm! This yellow and grey banner is from Sugar Owl Designs on Etsy.

Using the ceiling clips would be a must for these guys, but how awesome would a hanging garden be in your dorm! This orb terrarium comes from The Succulent Garden from Etsy!