rug a boo

we want a new rug for our living room. our vision is to one day live in a house centered around neutrals. (by the time we own that house - yes we still rent - we will have a different vision.) we are big fans of creamy whites, greys, woods and metals.

our couch is our only "real" piece of furniture at this point. meaning, it is the one new piece we bought together, post marriage, as a start towards furniture in our home. that said, I love other elements in our living room too. the peacock book case and the french/german trunk from my grandfather are a few. I do also love the coffee table, iron legs, thick wood planks similar to a farm table.

(west elm)

our actual living room (from about a year ago - the yellow table and lamp are no longer there)

I'm getting to my point. What I wonder is this, I am sick of rug patterns that ultimately end up pissing me off after about two months. I want a simple, neutral colored rug. and in truth, I want it to be somewhere in the family of white. now, we have a big ol' crazy dog that has black hair and likes to run laps in our backyard, often after rolling around in rotten apples. I realize that a white rug is stupid. but I want one. I love the pebble rug from west elm right now, mostly because it is the most affordable in that style (we originally fell in love with one at design within reach).

I fear the grey pebble rug will only clash with our couch. or be drab. BUT is the ivory too white (too bright)? AND will it be immediately nasty? thoughts?

welcome summer home: design ideas

I cannot stop thinking about summer. as spring settles, now is the time to begin our musings about lazy sunny afternoons and sweaty weekend leisure time. here are some ideas on how to bring summer back after a tumultuous and somewhat bi-polar winter.

1. garden. obvious, but hear me out. sometimes, all it takes is a garden to give all angles of your home a glow. I am a fan of any and all colors growing in a garden, including lots of green veggies, but there are many ways to approach the garden design. and always remember to bring some of it indoors.

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(I could do without the cat)

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country living

apartment therapy


country living


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2. live outdoors. take it outside. all of it. reading. eating. laughing. drinking. go outside. but in order to do that happily, you have to make your living space as comfy to you as your living room.

the magazine formerly known as domino

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west elm

for cheaper but just as decadent, try ikea:

3. eat fresh; be beautiful in your color choice, even in the kitchen. and let it all be seen. color = summer.

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artichoke, fennel and tricolor tomato salad, recipe: here

prosciutto-wrapped asparagus with citrus dip, recipe: here

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country living

4. bring in the light. open your window. open your door. feel fresh air again. light is the quickest way to brightening a space and your mental state.

country living

country living

mirrors and white furniture help...

country living

...as do bursts of color. use flowers and fruit for this:

martha stewart

5. stay organized. winter moves to summer, thus time to clean up closets, sporting gear, garden tools, etc. I find that if I like the order, I am more apt to use the stuff. but, that's just my crazy side talking (which is really my only side). no surprises, martha has the best ideas.

bin it:

martha stewart

yeah, like anyone has space for this gorgeous recycling wall. but, pretty effing cool all the same:

martha stewart

sigh. I want a garden shed (with a gorgeous farm table that I would sell my right arm to have in our dining room, not wasted in the shed with my gardening tools):

martha stewart

Bridget's living room

Here are a few yellow side tables for Bridget's living room....

Inside Avenue



KFD Designs



Maine Cottage

And some rug options....she mentioned she loathes hers. I would go with jute - it has great texture and nubby softness.

west elm

pottery barn

And some ideas for arranging the wall of photos above the couch...


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slate is great

we got a sofa! while holiday shopping today kevin and I wandered into a west elm and found this waiting for us:
it covers everything we were looking for in a couch, somewhat modern but not too much, simple, grey, comfortable and not too spenny. in fact, we got a great deal thanks to someone's unused return. the sofa is part of the goodwin slate grey microfiber collection (also comes in a 68", a sleeper and an armchair). I was a little sweaty at the time of the big purchase as I don't make them very often, but as my sister so wittingly pointed out, "you spent three hundred on a pair of boots, this is a couch, it's worth it."

our living room color scheme is a leaning more towards the grey, yellow, white below - but much warmer with orange and blue mixed in. still need to paint our walls a pale grey. I think that will be a summer project for my teacher vacationed butt.