Cozy & Chic Accessorizing for Winter

 

Every year around this time, I really start craving the cold winter weather and the cozy, warm decor that comes with it. My itch came early this year when we stayed in a beautiful log cabin during our week in Lake Placid in October. The decor itself was very classic “adirondacks” though, so it was lacking slightly in the style category. How I would’ve loved to do some redecorating! My inspiration would have come straight out of Williams-Sonoma Home’s winter collection…

How amazing are these rooms! I love the rich colors and the many layered textures & patterns. Leopard print is pretty much a neutral these days and it goes especially well with red and anything tartan. And I love how they incorporated the zebra ottoman as well – it adds a whole new, chic dimension to holiday decor.

We don’t all have charcoal colored walls, brown leather furniture, and animal patterned ottomans in our homes, but it’s still so easy to add a cozy, winter feel in any neutral-based room. I love to switch out my pillows & throws for winter, and add cozy accents like candles and vintage silver. And it”s a look that will last you through February, not just the holidays! Here are my picks for stylish accessories to cozy up your home this winter.

 

Clockwise from upper left:

1) Baluster pillar candles, Ballard Designs; 2) Faux Fur Pillow, ZGallerie ; 3) Kilim Throw, Happy Habitat;

4) Boxwood Topiaries, Pier 1; 5) Jo Malone Pine & Eucalyptus candle, Nordstrom; 6) Tartan Pillow, WS Home; 7) Buffalo Plaid Fringe Throw, Schoolhouse Electric

And for those on a stricter budget right now (which I know I am!) – I was at Home Goods this morning, and they are thoroughly stocked with tons of holiday decor and winter accessories. Happy shopping season!!! xoxo

 

 

The Style Cure: AT’s One Month Room Makeover

Have you heard of Apartment Therapy’s one month Style Cure challenge? I’ve participated in the past (in my pre-blogging, pre-baby days) and have always had a blast – you not only get to refresh your space, but also get to do it fast and with an awesome community of people sharing their work along the way. Here’s how it works: head over to their Style Cure page everyday (started last Thursday) and follow the simple & fun instructions which over the course of one month will help you refresh one room in your home. You can interact with other participants on their website, as well as instagram (#stylecure) and Twitter. It’s as easy as that!

So I’ve been following along and so far, we’re up to Day 3. Here’s the summary of what we’ve done:

Day 1: Take the Style Cure Interview. It’s a quick self-administered quiz that helps you hone in one your design preferences and aspirations. It helped remind me of what I really like and how I want my home to feel; ultimately, I like a stylish space that mixes casual classics with colorful accessories and some vintage eclectic accents as well, for a look that is cozy, welcoming and truly me. If that makes sense?! Hopefully, it will after I finish my cure 🙂

Day 2: Go on a Style Scouting Outing – I wasn’t able to get out to my favorite shops this weekend as my inlaws were visiting and Ollie came down with the flu, so I did some virtual inspiration scouting. I’ve decided I’m going to focus on our guest room which is so blahhh, so I took to Pinterest to gather some favorite images.

image via sadie & stella

image via Simplified Bee

image via Bon Vie Va

image via Sprinkle in Springs

Day 3: Choose your room & do a 10 minute mindful makeover: Like I mentioned, I’m going to focus on our guest room. With the arrival of baby numero dos right around the corner, we’ve actually decided to have an Au Pair from Europe come live with us. We are really excited to have the help, especially for Oliver’s sake, and I want to welcome her into a really beautiful, happy space. Right now, the room feels very sparse, dull and outdated. Everything in the room has a vintage-y feel and it is scream for some chic, modern accents. It also just need to come together with more texture, patterns and furniture to truly be a welcoming & comfortable space. I think the above rooms (from my Pinterest Style Cure board) will provide a nice balance of chic & modern, yet cozy & welcoming.

Here is the room right now:

HELP ME!!!!

Well that’s all for today guys – stay tuned for more on my Style Cure makeover and let me know if you decide to join in the fun. I’d love to see pictures! Also, new posts coming up will include my latest nursery & baby shower projects, as well as some winter decorating inspiration. Have a great week!

nursery trends i am loving right now

As I’ve said before, nurseries are my favorite rooms to design – there really are no rules but to be fun, creative & a little bit whimsical too. Now that I’m expecting (15 weeks already!) and some close friends are as well, I am soooo excited to have some nursery projects once again.

While I’m not picking a design or theme just yet, I’ve certainly been compiling lots of inspiration via my Kiddie Spaces board on Pinterest. In doing this, I’ve noticed quite a few new trends popping up this year and I thought it would be fun to share!

7 Nursery Trends for 2014

1. Natural elements

via Revista Glamour 

Natural elements like branches are popping up as clothing displays, mobiles and more in nurseries right now. The Young House Love crew made there own adorable mobile seen here.

2. Bohemian Style

via Bodie & Fou

The california cool, Boho/hipster style has made it’s way into the nursery! What’s not to love?

3. Wallpaper Accent Walls

via Des Fruits Des Fleurs etc.

I love, love, love wallpaper, but who wants to commit to an entire room of it, especially in a nursery? An accent wall is a great way to get the benefits of adorable wallpaper without the commitment or splurge.

4. Grown up rooms

 

via Grey Likes Baby

A nursery with the sophistication of an NYC bachelorette pad? Grown up design is the new thing in nurseries – with the addition of soft textures & light colors, its a room baby will love now and later.

5. Teepees

via Land of Nod

Not exactly a new trend, but I love all of the DIY’s all over pinterest like this No Sew $30 Teepee from We Lived Happily Ever After blog.

6. Animal photography

via Danielle Oakey Interiors

Definitely the cutest trend on the list, there’s nothing better than sweet baby animals. I love all of the work at The Animal Print Shop.

7. The modern crib

via Domaine Home

The modern crib is undoubtedly the go-to crib design right now. Kind of kicking myself for going classic with Oliver’s 2 years ago, but we are not buying another one so I’m sticking with what I’ve got! Still, the modern crib is oh-so chic and a must for parents-to-be.

So, those are the top trends I’m seeing right now in nurseries, what about you? What’s your favorite? P.S. as I’m reviewing the photos I chose, I realized I selected all girl’s nurseries…guess I have pink on the brain! We’ll just have to see though 😉

pinspirations & an update on mwah

Hi guys! Long time no talk…sorry, it’s totally my fault, I’ve been avoiding you. The truth is there has been a lot going on with this move and I didn’t expect to find it so overwhelming, but in fact, I am. So, I am going to take another few weeks away from the blog while we get things together here and have some family time on the weekends. Next weekend we are going to Disney World (Ollie’s first trip) which we are super excited about! I’ll be sure to post some pictures and keep you guys updated and am planning on being back in (mostly) full swing in July.

In the mean time, here are my latest inspirations from Pinterest!

more coastal chic

via Domaine Home

not your ordinary coastal

via Coastal Living

pattern mixing is an art

via Bloglovin

what a fun office space

via Simplified Bee

oh how I would love to dine here!!!

via House Beautiful

and zucchini nachos because, why not?!

via Country Living

For more, check out my Pinterest page…I’ll be back soon! xoxo

Still fit for a Brit: Oliver’s room transformation

Remember Ollie’s dark blue nursery in our old house in Ridgefield? Well dark blue no longer! With the move down to Florida, I knew I wanted to give a new feel to the room while maintaining the theme and reusing all of the furniture, etc. I think I achieved that and love how it turned out!

 

Please pardon the less than stellar photography – I tried using my tripod yesterday, but Mr. MDU (Mobile Destruction Unit) was not going to let that stand on three legs for long. So, I went with the iPhone, but will hopefully take more shots this weekend when hubby can watch him.

Anyway, the biggest change is the walls. We went with thick stripes in Benjamin Moore Harbor Gray & Decorator’s White – I’m so happy with how it turned out and think the two colors have just the right amount of contrast. These walls work so well for the room because there is just one window and a bold color would have made it feel like a cave.

The only other project was spray painting his name letters gold (like I did for little Sophia) and they came out great as well! I do have a few more finishing touches planned for the room – I’d like to add a new crib sheet to give an addition pop of color & patter, and plan on sewing a pom-pom trim to the pretty basic curtains. And after that, finito! When it’s all done, I’ll be posting it on my House Tour page.

What do you think of the changes? Anything else you would do? 

Cheers!

My tips for easy bookshelf styling

One of my first priorities this week has been to get my office together. Thanks to my hubby’s amazing IKEA furniture assembly skills, I was able to decorate my lovely Fjalkinge shelves on Friday. I thought I would share my simple tips for styling a bookcase, as well as  a step-by-step how-to.

So before you begin styling I recommend you determine either a color scheme or theme. It could be preppy brights (like mine) or all white or a theme like “nautical.” The key to a well styled bookshelf (in my opinion) is creating a cohesive display out of a variety of items. Once you have your theme or color scheme, go around your house (or head to HomeGoods) to collect items the that you would like to display. And then, you’re ready to go!

Easy Bookshelf Styling:

1. Anchor lower shelves with storage: not only does this provide a pretty place to put unsightly things, but it also is a good space filler. Plus, then you don’t need to worry about kids or animals knocking things over!

2. Create stacks with books and boxes – they will be like little stages to display other items. I like to keep things symmetrical, but not the same on every shelf. Variety is good for the eye!

3. Next, add your large items (like vases), followed by smaller items which can be placed on and around the book stacks. Be sure to vary the height, volume and scale of items.

4. Last, add art as a background and space filler. And once everything has a place, don’t be afraid to edit! Keep editing over time, until you know that it’s right.

 

There you have it, my advice for bookshelf styling. Do you have any other tips and tricks? Please do share them!

Oh and p.s. – you may have noticed I skipped a post on Friday (sorry!). With the new move, decorating my entire house, and trying to get my business going, I’ve decided that I need to dial back just a little bit on the blog. I love doing it and it’s a great creative outlet for me, so I’ll definitely be keeping up with it, but now only 3x per week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday). As soon as things are under control, I’ll ramp back up! Cheers and happy monday!

outtake with the little man while i was working, he’s a fan of mommy’s office…or at least my furry rug 🙂

new house plan: coastal retreat master bedroom

The last two days have been an absolute whirlwind and all I can say is I’m tired!!! Let’s start with the plane ride – why do they allow lap infants up to age 2? My fifteen month old had absolutely NO interest in sitting on my lap…It was pretty much the worst 3 hours I’ve ever spent on a plane. But I digress…other than that we’re just unpacking and getting organized, and sneaking away to enjoy the beautiful weather 🙂 It’s frustrating to not have the house looking how I want it to yet, but am trying to remind myself that it’s a process, it’s going to take time, and this is the fun part! Oh and that I need more patience…

So anyway, I still haven’t had a chance to take full house tour photos (hopefully coming tomorrow), so I decided sharing my master bedroom plan was a good option for today.

coastal retreat master bedroom by alongcameollie featuring a sheep skin rug

White shades / Williams Sonoma taupe rug / Safavieh sheep skin rug / Italian bed linen / Safavieh round patio furniture / Bone box / Sun burst mirror / Nearly Natural floral decor / Handmade home decor / Williams Sonoma beaded throw pillow / Jonathan adler home decor / Hand woven basket / Home decor / Diptyque fragrance candle / Pier 1 Imports velvet throw pillow / Beach home accessory / Blue home accessory / Pier 1 Imports blue home accessory / Glass home decor, $34 / H M ceramic home decor, $6.76 / Pottery Barn drawer furniture / Tufted head board / Euro furniture / Grey furniture / Oakwood furniture

Here is the actual bedroom as it was when we saw the house originally. I immediately saw past the decor and new this room had a ton of potential!

And here it is with our stuff on move in day:

I love the paint I chose and our bed looks great in the room. Waiting on our new Restoration Hardware bedding and have lots of other goodies to order to bring this all together. I’m hoping to have it all finished in about a month, so stay tuned!

Thoughts about the design plan? I’m still making changes so would love to hear what you think!

Going coastal

Coastal Life: Current Cravings by alongcameollie featuring palm trees

Serena Lily beach towel / Ethan Allen palm tree / Navy blue throw pillow / Calypso St Barth cover up / J Crew summer purse / Ray-Ban aviator sunglasses / J Crew straw hat / Thomas Paul Chevron Pillow, Marine | Lulu and Georgia

With our move to Ponte Vedra Beach just one week away (eeeeh!!!) I am seriously coveting all things beach style; from decorating the house to updating my closet, I am taking inspiration from the coast. For the home, I’m loving casual chic textiles like dip-dyed pillows and hand woven towels as well as lush indoors plants like this palm. And how about that photography – have you heard of Gray Malin? His work is incredible and I would LOVE to own any number of his gorgeous pieces. Though I really should use my own photography in the house, I am contemplating splurging on his for our master…we shall see.

As for closet updates, I am still thinking about that Calypso cover up (need to save my pennies) and will be grabbing this new sun hat from JCrew. The brim is just the right size – big enough to cover your face, but small enough to not flop. And accessories – seriously loving the rattan purse!

I also discovered Serena & Lily’s new Summer Catalog this week, and that has me completely swooning over their coastal room features.

And this image from Pinterest (no additional source noted), is AMAZING:

I seriously can’t wait to get to the new house to start making these inspirations a reality! Stay tuned!

room reveal: sophia’s glam forest nursery

Over the weekend, I finally completed my current nursery project and I am so happy with how it turned out! The gorgeous apartment is in Tribeca, and once again, it had good bones which made my job a whole lot easier. The room was already painted a very pale blue and it had a gorgeous crystal chandelier, begging to be made into a glamorous girl’s nursery. We wanted to keep the colors uber soft and feminine (pinks, purples, blues) and add cuteness with forest animal accents.

 

Here is my original post with the plan for the room and here are is the tassel DIY post. As for where we got everything, here are the resources:

Rug, book shelves – Land of Nod

Bunny pillow – H&M Home

Floral wreath print – Minted

Fawn print – Society6

Deer print – Etsy

Rocking Chair – Soho Mod Furniture

Heart pillow, fur rug, picture frames – IKEA

pretty sure my niece, Sophia, loves her room too!

p.s. how adorable is she?

The Look for Less: a Stunning HouseBeautiful Room

While I await the big move down to Florida and all of the fun decorating that will come with it, I thought it would be fun to experiment with some new types of posts. Whenever I see beautiful, expensive spaces in magazines and on Pinterest, I’m always thinking of how I would recreate the room in an affordable way. One of my go-to blogs, Copy Cat Chic, focuses entirely on this idea and I thought (since I’m always thinking about it) I’d take a crack at it as well.

I chose this room from HouseBeautiful which I’ve been in awe of ever since I saw it published last year. It’s just so bright and happy, while also being rich and luxurious at the same time.

Look for less by alongcameollie featuring contemporary modern furniture

White table lamp / Beige wool rug / Butterfly home decor / Butterfly home decor / West Elm gold home decor / Home decor / Diane James rose bouquet / Aqua home decor / Red centerpiece / Round box / Zara Home white ceramic vase / Forever 21 bird home decor / Diane James pink home decor / Light blue furniture / Mocha chair / Pier 1 Imports ivory table / Contemporary modern furniture / White accent table / Watercolor Butterfly Print. Nursery Decor. Girls Nursery Art.

I didn’t try to replicate it exactly, rather take inspiration and put my own twist on it. The beautiful couch I chose is only $720 and believe it or not you can get all of the major pieces in the room (excluding a few of the accessories) for $2,245…that’s a very good deal for all of this furniture and style! Just click on the link under the picture to find all of the items and prices. I love how the gold pillows pop on the blue sofa, and how the pops of pink throughout work so well together. Even the budget version is chic & fun!

What do you think? Are there any high end rooms you’ve been eyeing lately? Let me know and perhaps I’ll take a stab at creating the look for less here!

Oh and speaking of the look for less, check out the amazing sale at Happy Chic for Jonathan Adler (JCP) such as this chair originally $540, now just $159!!!!