Home Tour: A Chicago Apartment with Rustic Touches

Surprise! Today's home decor feature is my apartment! I was inspired by Compass, a real estate website in NYC, and their Starter Stories project to share with you my new apartment and all the work that my boyfriend and I have put into making it home. Since it's our first apartment together, it's most definitely been a learning process that has involved a lot of compromise. We've only been in the space for about 6 months, so there are still a lot of things that we're figuring out how to make work, but I am finally ready to do a little unveiling and let you all into my world! Especially since I've been talking about this new apartment constantly (like here and here and here, for example).

Monday Design: New York Chic

There's nothing I love more than a home tour of an interior designer, because I always imagine that they live perfectly - no book out of place, no dirty laundry on the floor, no dishes in the sink. This is, I realize, a perfectly unrealistic point of view, but the magazine spreads make me believe it's true! Anyway, I found this home our of interior designer Rodman Primack, Californian living in New York, and was instantly smitten. It was definitely cleaned and staged, but something about it still feels beautifully lived in. And not lived in like my apartment is lived in, where you're constantly tripping over someone's shoes. No, not like that. See for yourself.

Home Design: Backyard Greenhouses

I'm not a green thumb. I'm not a black thumb either, but let's just say it's harder for me to keep plants alive than it is to kill them. That's mostly my fault, because I was never interested in hardening growing up. My mother loves to garden. She is almost always in our backyard with her gardening gloves, but it just never appealed to me. And, to be honest, it still doesn't completely. Having taken the time to grow a handful of plants this summer, I understand a little bit better now, but I still don't have the patience for it.

The one thing about gardening that I always did love, though, was the end result. Sitting in botanic gardens or greenhouses was always my favorite thing to do. I was always jealous of my parents' friends who had the lush gardens with stone pathways leading to a hidden seating areas - like a secret garden. I don't think anything makes the facade of a house more homey than a well-arranged flowerbed. So, ever since I was little, I thought the one thing I need to be happy in my home when I grow up, is a backyard big enough to build a greenhouse.

Interior Design: White Interiors with Lively Details

It's summer, it's sunny, and the plants are coming in. There's nothing more warming for your decor in the summer time than house plants. Do they have to be over-abundant and difficult to care for? Absolutely not. Just like this minimalist home demonstrates with them scattered delicately throughout for a little touch of life.

Design Ideas: New Year's Eve Party!

Today, instead of my usual interior design find, I thought I'd share some cute New Year's Eve party ideas! Whether you'll be a guest or the host, it's always fun to get in the holiday mood! (Can you tell I'm excited for the New Year?) These DIY New Year's Eve party ideas are quick, easy, and adorable. You might even be able to get one or two of them in before the big party! A little glitter spray paint fixes everything.

Monday Design: The Makers

I love studio tours. Seeing how creative people have crafted the space that they work in give me odd amounts of joy. I think mostly because it give me the opportunity to dream up what my ideal work space will look like one day. That's why I was so happy to discover The Makers. I really can't believe in all my internet hunting I didn't discover this site before, but it's sole purpose is to showcase (beautifully) the work spaces of creative people! There is so much studio envy happening in me right now.

Inspiration Thursday: Christmas Tidings

Christmas is almost here! And I swear this year, it might very well kill me. Someone teach me how to say no to people? It probably doesn't help that I somehow miscalculated and thought I had an extra week. Ooops. No wonder I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off for a week.

To combat Grinch-ism, I'm trying to remember all the warm and fuzzy feelings that usually come with Christmas. Do you remember those? From when you used to believe in Santa? Well, hopefully these pretty picture will help us both enjoy those Christmas tidings a little more, with a little less Grinchiness. :)

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Tuesday Trendspotting: Birch Woody Design

Birch, birch, birch, birch, BIRCH! I love it. I think it's such a cool looking tree. The wood patterns are just so different from other trees that they really do lend well to new designs in fashion and interiors. I've seen an amazing birch print wallpaper for a while now, but lately it seems like I've been seeing the white and black pattern everywhere. I'm thinking that I might need this iPhone case or these pretty vases for my apartment.

Thursday Tutorial: Hot Pink Home Decor DIY

I've been in the process of making my apartment a home for a little bit now. Slowly but surely it's all coming together! Oh course my appetite is constantly bigger than my wallet, so I've been finding cheap ways to creatively decorate my apartment. This hot pink and gold serving tray set way my first attempt at doing just that and I was really happy with how it turned out so I'm sharing this little tutorial for it with you guys!

Monday Design: Design is in the Details

I have an immense fascination with interior photography. Mostly I think this is because I just love photography in general, but interior photography is of a whole different level. Shooting inside is extremely difficult for me and I love admiring the work of those who can do it and do it really well, like David Prince.

Monday Design: Skull Home Decor

I have an affinity for all things skull shaped. I can't explain why or how it started, I just know that I am always drawn to that shape. In high school I thought it was just part of my "punk rock" phase, but last summer when I was walking around all the craft fairs I realized that I kept being drawn to all the skull sculptures that were painted in different colors - neon, pastel, chalkboard black. Now I know I can't escape it. I think I love the way a skull sitting in a room next to a bowl of fruit reminds me of a still life painting - always reminding you to enjoy every minute. Of course, I'm not talking about real skulls here, that's kind of creepy even for me, but plastic and wax molds I'm ok with. Although, adding skulls to your home decor doesn't always have to be morbid. Just check out these adorable mini skull speakers below! They are sort of cartoon-y but still add a modern feel to the room.

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You could also just do a bowl of skulls like in this picture. This is more on the extreme end of displaying skulls in your living space since they are so bare and exposed. I prefer nestling one in your bookshelf or on your mantle, somewhere prominent yet unexpected.

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This skull rug is another example I love of turning something that can be kind of morbid into a fun center piece.

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It took me a second to notice the skull candle in this picture since it's such a bright white against white, but it's an interesting arrangement of objects.

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Now I know this last one isn't a human skull and it's not really a skull either, but I just thought it looked cool and was an interesting take on the mounted deer head trend. I believe this one is just carved wood. Still pretty intimidating huh? It looks gorgeous against the brick background. 

Would you ever add a skull to your home decor?

Redefining Spaces with Optical Illusions

Happy Friday!
You probably needed it to be Friday just as bad as me huh? Well, the weekend starts tomorrow and I'm going to catch up on some much needed sleep. In the meantime, here's a little optical illusion to get you through the day!

Swiss artist Felice Varini has created a fantasic spin on optical illusions for interior design. I don't know if any of you would be able to get away with this in your homes, but I'd love to see this in person in a large building. From one angle, it's an oval with many miniature ovals. From another, it looks like someone did a really bad paint job. From up close, one wall of the room has been painted in a very artistic manner while the others were left white. I love it. All photos via FreshHome.

Messes with your head a little doesn't it? I think it would hurt my eyes to look at if I wasn't looking at it head on constantly.


So what do you think? Would this be practical in a home or is it better off as an art installation?

Monday Design: Create Your Own Futuristic Office Space

Now, I love all things vintage and I know this is a brand-spanking-new design, BUT you can't tell me this desk table design by Turkish design firm Nüvist does not make you think of all those examples from the 60s of what the "future" would look like. Don't get me wrong, the design itself is fantastic. I love the organic shape and fluid feel. I imagine a viscous liquid that froze mid-pour. It would be an amazing focal piece in an otherwise sterile office space. All images via FreshHome.

But looking at the Volna table I still think it would fit in perfectly with the aesthetic in this 1960s depiction of a home from the future. Can you see it too or am I just a nut? Check out this artist's conception of a future home, would this organic desk fit right in? I can see the Brady Bunch going to see an exhibit on the "future" and seeing this desk.

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It's probably just me, either way the Volna desk is a futuristic, space-age dream.

Fun fact: I just asked the roommate if he thinks this desk is cool and he looked at me like I'm crazy.  Am I the only one that thinks this is awesome? Ok, the desk in no way fits into the rustic-chic aesthetic that I usually go for, but if I were to design a modern office for perhaps a publishing company or advertising I would give these to the receptionist.

So tell me what you think about the Volna desk, awesome, interesting, or just plain weird?

Monday Design: Clean and Eclectic

Today via my favorite interior design blog, Desire to Inspire, I found an amazing photography duo in Amelia and Andreas Lönngren Widell. They have an impressive photography portfolio, but of course I gravitated towards their photos of interiors and I have to say that our tastes match up exactly if these two chose all these locations. Any of these interiors could have easily been pulled from my dreams. In case you haven't noticed yet, my dream home would consist of clean and modern furniture with rustic touches. I love that this first interior shoot does just that. The walls are simple and white and the furniture is pretty basic, but the collection of stuff, for lack of a better term, makes it feel perfectly home-y.

This living room is simple, clean, and eclectic.  I love it!

I love the steel greys in this living room with the pops of color in the pillow on the couch, but I have to admit that I included this photo because there is an adorable puppy in it!

Loving everything about this living room from he vintage crate coffee table to the old fire stove in the corner just reaffirms my belief that I secretly want to be a cowgirl.

There is something mysterious about this lone-standing chair. No? Just me?

What design elements live in your dream space?