Feminine, glamorous interiors

Loving this pink and gold.  I don't know how much of this my sweetums would tolerate.

via Recently

If only my dining room was ever this clean and serene.  It's being used as an office until Chris is finished with his masters, and promises that once he's done the table will always be clear.  Time will tell...

via Rue Mag

via Adore Home

via Lonny

via House Beautiful

via House Beautiful

Add A Little Interest To Your Hallway

Since hallways aren't meant for hanging out, we tend to leave them out of the decor process. Here are a few ideas to bring your hallway a little more love:

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Add a touch of luxury with decorative molding. It's eye catching without taking up necessary space so it's perfect for small hallways and tight corners.

via Pinterest

Add decorative corbels or moulding for some character.
via Home Stories A to Z

Add a dynamic impact to your hall by adding a chair rail and painting one half a contrasting color.
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Adding some floor to ceiling curtains can make the hallway feel more luxurious and grand. A beautiful light fixture makes the space seem well thought out.

Decorating for the later years

As we grow older, there are many things we need to consider. From what we’ll do with our time, to how we’ll stay fit and healthy, the options at our disposal are endless and that can leave us a little unsure about what to do.

In particular, how we approach decorating our homes can be a tricky thing to manage. It may seem relatively unimportant in the grand scheme of things but the appearance of our home can have a profound impact on our attitudes, emotional health and general well being.

No one wants to spend their retirement staring at four unsightly walls and here we look at a few tips for decorating your home in your later years.

via houseandhome

Shelf for success

From books and ornaments to films and music, you’ll undoubtedly have a lot of need for storage in your home. Wall-mounted shelves should be at an accessible height and not contain anything too heavy. Anything you require regular access too should be stored at a comfortable height on freestanding bookshelves or display units. You can always arrange items by color for something artistic and playful.

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Spare a thought for cleaning and maintenance of these though. Depending on where you live, you may be able to get some help with this. For example, retirement property for sale from leading firms like McCarthy and Stone offer domestic cleaning services with some of their developments.

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Get it framed

Whether you’re a proud grandparent who wants to show off pictures of their beautiful grand kids or someone looking to take a trip down memory lane through old photos, it’s important you get them framed.

There are many styles to choose from but popular favorites include collage frames which display multiple photos in a large frame or single frames arranged in a symmetrical or eclectic pattern. This set-up can also be applied to artwork as well as to personal photographs.

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Go minimalist

Accessibility is an important buzzword as you age so make sure your decorating takes this into account. Keep walkways clear to prevent the risk of falls and embrace minimalist styles that promote clean layouts and minimal furniture. Combine natural woods with light, neutral colors for a stylish contrast.

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The easy, livable style of interior designer Sasha Emerson

Interior designer Sasha Emerson adds an undeniable sense of ease and comfort to her spaces. They all have a quality of warmth and family, and with character to boot! The four below showcase the home of Emerson herself.  You can see and read the entire article at Country Living.

Love the gray of the walls with the tan console and headboard.

Below are some of my favorite spaces from her website.

What do you think of Emerson's style?

Bright and easy spaces

Here are some rooms I am loving these days. A touch of color, great windows, natural light, and a feeling of ease and comfort that makes you want to stay for a while.

via Crate and Barrel

The foliage in this bright office provides the pop of color.
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via House Beautiful

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Small laundry room inspiration

When did it finally sink in that I was a homeowner?  It wasn't when I was carrying boxes in to our living room or kitchen, it was when I walked past our laundry room for the first time.  I know it sounds silly, but I have never had my own laundry room - I either had to go to a laundromat or down the hall to the residents' laundry room. However, since this space isn't usually seen by guests it tends to be put on the back burner for any updates. I like to remember how grateful I am to finally have my own laundry room by keeping it functional and organized.  Below are some dream laundry rooms for inspiration

Even if you only have a laundry nook, make it feel more luxe with an updated lighting fixture, and sleek shelving with organized supplies.
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Love this Stain kit idea!
via BHG

You can still make a small laundry space work for you and be pretty too. Making the most of the room you do have may take a little creativity and narrowing down your items to just necessities, but making it functional will really help you enjoy this space.

via fourgenerations

Don't forget about the accessories! Have fun with them and mix them up since there are a lot of different small items that get put in the laundry room. Baskets and clear jars keep smaller items from creating visual clutter.

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Giving your laundry room a makeover doesn't need to be pricey. A few cabinets and a table top to fold your clothes can really make a difference in the room. Also adding a touch of color with some paint can make it feel more like a homey space than a commercial laundry.

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If you laundry room has plenty of space you might consider a wash tub or sink, and some hang up space for those items that need to hang dry.  I think laundry room slop sinks are a must.  We don't have one yet, but it's on my registry! A rug can also add a little comfort to this space to keep it from being to stiff and cold. 

Bring in green (and clean air) with houseplants!

As we struggle to make it through this long winter and prepare for spring to come, bringing some plants into your home may be just what you need!

DesignSponge

There are some great indoor plants that not only bring a little life into your space but also give you a little extra something to brighten up your day. Plants improve the air quality in your home by filtering things like dust, allergens, and toxins and release oxygen.

I don't know if this little lotus is easy to grow - but how gorgeous is that?

If you are the kind of person that struggle to keep plants alive , there are some great choices that need little attention! Some examples are the kentia palms, spider plant, myrsine, and bamboo. These plants make it carefree and easy to have plants indoors. The only plants I've managed to keep alive are spider plants and palmes.

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Smaller plants can add a little something to the room without being too distracting. If you are starting out with plants in your home, this may be the way to go so it's not too overwhelming! 

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Working from home just got a little more pleasant. Plants are said to reduce stress and create a calming work environment which can produce productivity! Having a dedicated space to work is amazing but having a place that is going to enhance your work day is a great plus!

 via Apartment Therapy

The biggest issue in my home is not having the windowsill space for plants that need sun, so be sure to do a bit of research so you know what will work best in your environment.

If you have an empty space in your home your not sure how to fill, pulling in a plant could be a great way to complete the room! There are plenty of choices to choose from to fit your needs and very beneficial to a home.
via Apartment Therapy

Are you a fan of indoor plants? Any green thumbs out there?

Lovely Eye Candy

To get you in the mood of falling in love today, here are some rooms I'm falling for these days:

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via habituallychic

via laurenconrad

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via godiyrenos

Make the most of a snow day with some of these projects

Four great ideas of things you can do to change your decor while your stuck inside (since we are snowed in with over a foot of snow here and it's still coming down!). Might as well have fun - and if you're like me I can only watch so much TV before I need to get up and do something!

1. Rearrange your furniture:

via BHG

I get so excited rearranging my furniture.  It is really refreshing and can make old things seem new again. It takes some trial and error to get things just right, and don't forget that you can "shop" furniture from the rest of your house!

2. Clean out your drawers:

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In your kitchen, bathroom, pantry, bedroom, and more! Clean out those drawers by creating three boxes: throw away, give away, keep. Sort your items and when you get to the keep, figure out if you have any good trays, shoe boxes, or containers laying around that would keep the items corralled.  It looks like the drawer above is using small jelly roll pans, which is really clever.

3. Make that gallery wall you've dreaming about

I like Design Crush's tutorial, but there are a lot of great ideas and step by step instructions online i you just search for something like "create your own gallery wall."  Even i you don't have all the art you want to use yet, gallery walls can be flexible and expand over time, or you can at least decide where you want it and start composing it in kraft paper.

4. Style Your Bookshelves

2 images via DesignSponge

You will be surprised how many compliments you get when you thoughtfully arrange your shelves.  Thinking of a bookcase or set of shelves as a composition really lets you show off your favorite accessories and books while also serving a purpose. I'm not going to lie, it's not always easy to strike that perfect balance, and you'll likely always be making little tweaks.  I would start by pulling a few images that I really like to use as a guide.  Next, collect the items that will be on the shelves.  You may have to omit some items or add some along the way.  You will want items with a variety of heights and widths.  Other than that, a lot of the process is just "feel."  Step back from the shelves from time to time to make sure you are happy with how your "composition" is taking shape.