Monday Mind Dump

This week will be light around here at After Adornment. I am traveling and have limited access to a computer (compared to a normal day anyway). It should be a busy week ahead but I love to travel so it should be fun.

#1 Off to Seattle and SoCal this week. Lots to see and do.

not me...but I do have a pink suitcase :)

#2 I had a great day yesterday (Sunday) watching my sister and cousin scuba dive at the Ga Aquarium. It was so cool to see here in the big tank with the sharks and fishes! Yeah, that's right...sharks!! And to top it all off we got a great behind the scenes tour as well.

me on the outside...the two of them in the water

Here's to a great week!



Images: Skontent, Elaine Daly

Art Addiction {Kate Boyce}

On a recent art hunt through Etsy I came across the fabulous pieces of Kate Boyce.

Crimsworth Dean Beck

I was instantly drawn to her linear style and colorful cityscapes.

 The River Irwell, Manchester UK

 Autumn Sunset, Crimsworth

 Portland Street, Manchester UK

 Slow Lane 4, Midgley

Snows Up Over Old Town

The colors make me happy and I'm thinking I need one of these for my living room gallery wall. Now, the issue is which one??!

____________________

Hope everyone has some great plans for the weekend. Nothing much going on here. I actually have plans to get some pantry organization done. I went to Container Store the other day and spent way too much money on some things that will help us find our food better. It's bad news when I go in there. Like Target, I can't get out for under $100. Small price to pay for an organized life huh.

Happy Weekend!

Our House: Living Room Progress

The living room is another spot that we did a quick spiff up before our Christmas party in December. We already pretty much had everything shown, it just needed to be placed and put up.

The one thing I have kept in mind for this townhouse is that I wanted to keep it light and bright. So, I have used lots of white and punched with colorful art and accessories. It's a great departure from our last house that just felt dark. Here is what that house looked like....

I love the bright feel of the new place and have plans for even more color through some new pillows etc. I still don't have all the yellow I want throughout the room. We also have a chair to get for my husband that goes on the other side of the sofa (not in the picture). That is next on our list as well as a new coffee table. The Ikea lack tables are a temp set up because we were tired of not having anything to put a drink on...or to eat dinner off of for that matter.

I also love the bookshelves! They really help fill up that wall as well as provide an additional architectural feature to the space. The accessories on them change all the time and will most likely change again (probably as you are reading this). Can anyone set up shelves and keep them that way? I just can't keep my hands off and always rearrange things.

I'll also get some pics of the opposite side with the TV. I'm still adding art to that wall as well as have to get a pot for my new find. That should come soon and then I can get pictures of the rest, and I'm still in the process of learning my camera as well.

Week almost over! Hope everyone is having a great one.



P.S. I spent forever taking these two pictures while learning some things on my camera...like pulling in light. It has been such a dismal grey week here in Atlanta so I had to do some crazy things to even get them this light. I learned so much just by setting up on a tripod and taking the same picture 100 (or so) times while changing the settings. Wallace (the pup) was even running around playing with his ball. He didn't understand what I was doing and kept pausing to look at me with his head tilted to the side. After awhile he got tired and just laid there and looked at me....haha. I actually got him in the last shot with that cute face.

Color Theory

Color theory was one of my favorite classes in design school. I loved how colors would change as you used them in relation to other colors. Depending on how they were used it would create different feelings in a space.

Here are some of the basic (and not so basic) color schemes and examples of how they are used in spaces:

Analogous

Complementary

Split Complementary

Triadic

Rectangle

Square

I also remember having to as a class put together a Munsell color tree as one of our assignments for color theory. I had to do a green leaf. It was a beast of an assignment and I remember to this day how many paint chips I had to do to get enough to form my one leaf. I still have it though. Anyone else have to do this in school?

Images: Via Apartment Therapy, Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Magazine, Unknown, Windsor Smith, Studio ten 25, Via Apartment Therapy

Monday Mind Dump

So I was thinking that I would start a new feature on Monday's where I just did a mind dump here on the blog. I always have so many little tidbits that I have in my head but aren't enough for a full post. Here I can compile them all together so I can get them out of my head and keep track of them.

#1 This wreath just kills me. I need one....but not sure I would hang it on the door.

Via interior design musings

#2 I think I might give this a go for our dining room rug. The puppy has wreaked havoc on it and if I can't get the stains out this would be my next step to save it. Not to mention add a great element to the dining room!

Pudel-Design via Pinterest

#3 We finally got our Christmas decorations down this weekend. I know, kinda lame....but we couldn't get to the storage boxes because of the flood and everything sitting in the garage. We feel so out of place and just want to get things back to the way they were.....hopefully soon. Christmas coming down is one step closer.

#4 I love this idea of corralling everything on a nightstand on a tray. I'm thinking this would look great on my husbands side of the bed and keep things looking neat.....oh, and I love that headboard....and lamp.

Scott Meacham Wood via Eclectic Revisited

#5 I have a trip coming up to Seattle and Southern CA. I'm excited cause I have never been to any of these places. It will be for work but it's always fun to see someplace new!

 San Diego

Seattle

#6 I got lost in a blog worm hole this past week. I checked out the lists of some blogs that I frequent and found tons of new blogs to check out. I can't wait to dive in. Anyone have any suggestions that I shouldn't miss? Better yet, comment with your blog address so I can check it out!


Busy week ahead. Hope everyone has a great one!

Just a Touch....

So I know everyone has jumped on the bandwagon....

But how can you not! It's just too fun.......Neon Brights!

Have a great weekend :)




Images: Via Pinterest

Our House: Entry Progress

A couple of months ago I started thinking of ways to help get my husband and I in and out of our house in an organized way. I posted some inspiration and developed a mental plan on what I needed to do. It's a tiny space so I always knew I didn't want or even need that much down there. Keeping things simple and neat would help us get in and out yet still give people a sense of arrival when they came over.

View from the top....tiny entry

We went with a wall mounted shelf since the space is so small. Initially I was thinking a slim streamlined shelf but when I saw this shelf with drawers at Ikea I jumped on it. It's the perfect amount of storage for the dog leash and other small misc items that we want to keep there for easy access.

I  found the print on Etsy through seller Siiso (Yangyang Pan). It's the perfect shot of color for the space and brings in the yellow that is going to be throughout the house. I ended up doing a custom order so I could get a larger print and Yangyang could not have been more helpful. I used a simple white Ikea frame but had a custom double matt cut to fit the piece....and add a touch of turquoise. Keys are kept in the wood bowl so that we always know where they are.

The turquoise rug is from crate and barrel and I think it really helps ground the space with all of the white. I had plans for a striped rug but decided that the solid darker color would mask the dirt brought in a bit longer than a stripe with white in it. I'm glad I went with the turquoise.....it's a nice cheerful color to come home to. The basket under the console is used for shoes. They always seem to accumulate down there even with just two people and it's great to have a pair handy when we need to let the pup out.

At the top of the stairs you can see the other bookcase (and my vacuum) that we plan on using for everything else. I hope to set up a system for in and out mail etc to keep too much junk from coming much farther into the house. So far I have baskets in place but we absolutely suck at actually using them...user error so far on the system. Hopefully we can get with the program soon. I'll post more on that when I have that set up and my new mirror hung!

Progress and almost done. It's such a hard space to photograph as well and hopefully when I learn my camera more I can get some better photos where I can manipulate the light.

Hope everyone is having a great week so far! It's been a short one for me but busy non the less. I'm ready for the weekend. You?




Images: Me

Symmetry vs. Asymmetry

When I meet with new prospective clients or even just discuss design with friends I always try to determine whether they prefer symmetrical or asymmetrical design.

Most of the time you can find out just by looking at their home, or by showing picture examples and asking them to choose preferences. Most people will have preferences towards one or the other.

Symmetry

Asymmetry

But, then there are always some who prefer a mix. Symmetry with something to throw things off.

How about you? Do you prefer one or the other? Or do you like a good mix?

Images: Unknown, Unknown, Unknown, Thornton Designs, Unknown, Sarah Richardson, Elle Decor, Unknown, Country Living

House Update

Ages ago (or what seems like it) I posted a Master List of items that needed to be completed for our house. It's for the whole house and is long, but I am a list maker so having something constant that I can work from helps me a lot....even if it gets really long. I also love to cross things off, even though that rarely happens (until now).

After I posted that list I did absolutely nothing and spent months just thinking about what I was going to do. We continued to live in our place looking like we had just moved in.

Then, fast forward to December and we had friends asking us if we were going to have our annual Christmas party. Initially we had decided not to since the space was smaller, the parking was difficult, our place looked like we had just moved in.....yada yada yada. But, when people kept asking we just decided to go ahead and have it. (We had a blast by the way)

What! Ahhhhh!

So, in a matter of two weeks time my husband and I tackled a few items on the list that were easy and that would make the biggest impact.....and make it look like we didn't just move in.

THE MASTER LIST:

Entry
- buy and hang shelf
-find art/mirror – frame and hang

- Find slim coat rack

- basket for shoes

Living Room/Kitchen
- gallery wall (find and hang)
- buy bookshelves for behind sofa
- find coffee table
- buy "the chair" for hubby
- find and buy throw pillows
- drapery - find fabric
- find pair of small chair
- get cabinet shelves for kitchen storage

- hang new mirror over entry shelves

- buy lamp for entry shelves

- get plant and pot for corner

- recover armless chair seat cushion – find fabric

Dining Room
- buy and hang chandelier
- finish painting console!!!!
- find lamps
- hang art and mirrors
- drapery - find fabric

- switch out chest for armoire in guest bedroom

- find pedestal for between windows

- get plant and pot for pedestal

Powder Bath
- paint???
- find new mirror
- hang small shelf
- find art

Master Bedroom
- drapery -buy fabric

- have drapes made and hung
- buy bed
- find nightstand for me
- find lamp for dresser
- hang art
- paint my dresser

- have accent pillow made for bed

- find small bench for foot of bed

Guest Bedroom
- paint bed? find new? (headboard only)
- find and hang art
- drapery - find fabric
- buy reading light
- find nightstand and lamp
- buy shower curtain

- switch out armoire for chest in dining room

Office
- buy bookshelves
- diy pin-up board
- paint desk
- drapery - buy more fabric
- buy frames and hang art
- buy more shelving for closet

- find lamp for desk

- find lamp for dresser

- Paint and redo dresser???

We pretty much did everything that has been crossed off so far. I have also added some new items in RED where I made changes to the plan, or grayed and crossed out if I felt maybe it wasn't needed anymore or might not be worth the effort (my lists are ever evolving). A lot of these were quick fixes and just gave the place a more lived in look. We are in a rental so I have never had plans to go all out in this place. I am saving all of that energy for our home when we buy some day soon. I do however feel that you should put some effort into your place....even if it is just a rental. You do live there after all!

I plan to have some actual pictures soon of some of what we have done....progress photos if you will. And, as you may know, the office is on the top of the list for spaces to get some work done. We need to get the shelving in there first and then get things organized. Then comes the pretty.

Lots to do, but like I said before....this is the year to do it.

Art Over The Bed

Art on the bed wall has always been a tricky concept for me. I have never been a fan of hanging art above the headboard but recently I have seen many images that made me rethink my decision.

See, much of my hesitancy stems from hotel rooms. A single piece hung over a wall mounted headboard. Blah art, blah concept, and just a way to get something on the wall. I conjure up images of a too tall headboard with art just stuffed above it. Blech. But even in hotels times have changed and if art is hung over the headboard it is being done well.

This has also got me thinking about possibly hanging something over our headboard in the Master. I still am on the fence and will see about the final composition of the headboard nightstands etc. I think it's important to take the headboard shape into consideration and also the height with the height of the ceiling.

With all the great examples I have seen, I can definitely say my opinion has been changed on this.

What about you? Do you have art hanging over your bed?






Images: Ann Rue Interiors, Lonny Magazine, A Country Farmhouse, Cary Bernstein Architects, Phoebe Howard

Our House: Office

So this has been an interesting week for us at Chez Pierce. The other night I can home from work to find that a pipe had burst upstairs and water was flooding through our living room and into the downstairs office.

Not Our House

Thankfully there was no real damage to the living room furniture as most of what we have is on legs and so the 1" of water didn't reach any upholstery. And commercial dehumidifiers are in place to remove any water that hit the bottom of the wood legs. Whew. I do however have a sisal rug that is being dried as I type this but will need to be cleaned. Anyone have any tips, do's and don'ts for cleaning sisal rugs? I plan to use a professional but want to know what I am in for.

The office however did not have a similar fate. At this point lets just say the crews have been in and stripped the room down to the concrete and studs. My husband and I are also sorting through wet piles of papers, books, and other misc office items. It's a mess. All of the water traveled down the wall as well as through the vents in the living room floor directly above.

I unfortunately had stuff everywhere in the office as I was beginning to organize down there and get the room in shape. I was at the point where I had things divided into piles all over the place. Organization has been fast tracked now, and we are really being ruthless as to what stays and goes (primarily because what stays will have to be dried out and flattened). That also means this project has been put at the top of this list!

I have long thought of ways to get my office looking great and being organized not only for personal business projects but also for the paperwork and things that come with life in general. Below is an inspiration board for how I want the space to look. Bright and inviting....

I plan to get this space set up in the next month or so (depending on the construction schedule for the walls and ceiling). I also will be doing some major research on organizational solutions that will keep things safe and dry. I had lots of storage boxes but once the water hit they were soaked through. I even had water get inside plastic bins with tops! Thankfully we had a water tight and fireproof box for our most important papers, but lesson learned on some things and I will be moving forward with an "anything can happen" mindset. Anyone have any great products they use?

Otherwise, All is well. We are all fine and will survive. I hope everyone has had a great week and some fun plans ahead for the weekend!

See you next week!
     Lissa