Pure green beauty: eco-friendly interiors that can't get much prettier

drooling - those white curtains make this shot super dreamy...

love the archway which leads from the dining area to the living room

love this cozy home office

stunning windows, airy lush bedding

via Pure Green Living

Book Review: The new book from Decor8's Holly Becker and Joanna Copestick

I'm sure many of you here have heard of Decor8, but have you heard that it's creator, Holly Becker, along with Joanna Copestick - have come out with a book?!  Well, the book, titled "Decorate, 1000 Professional Ideas for Every Room in Your Home" does not disappoint.

The book definitely focuses on ideas instead of achieving a specific look/or style - which I prefer anyway because it means there is a little something for everyone. It does tend to feature interiors with more of a Scandinavian chic aesthetic though, so if that's your style - it's an added bonus.

adore the color scheme here - the yellow, light blues, and gray is perfect.

The book also features tasty tidbits of interior design genius from Nate Berkus, Jonathon Adler, Amy Butler, and Maxwell Gillingham Ryan.

' "Start thinking about how you live, then plan a layout of rooms and furniture to suit your lifestyle before you get on the details about what style to follow" - Rita Konig, writer/interior designer" '

The book also features some helpful arrangements for different types of floor plans.

All in all, Decorate definitely has something for everyone and anyone. You can purchase it on here on Amazon. If you pick it up or already own it please share what you think!

Home office for two? How to make the space work

So my boyfriend and I will be moving into our new apartment in Bethesda, MD in a week. I still have a ton to do - pick out paint colors, paint, pack, etc. I work from home, and he will be spending a lot of time studying when he starts his masters program at GWU the end of August. We have a large living room, and a medium-sized bedroom, so we've been trying to plan out how to create workspace that works for the both of us. I know I will want my desk in the living room, and we can either set up a home office for two in the living room, or he can set up his desk in a nook in the bedroom. We're not sure which route we will take, but in my search for inspiration I found some great 2-person home offices.

Check 'em out below:

This set up is a great idea..though it will inspire footsie in times of peace and kicking in times of war...
via Unclutterer

Really like this one too...seems the key is staying uncluttered!
via Curbly

two desks situated in an L position...I like this home office but I don't think we could work this configuration in our space

via Apartment Therapy

One of my all-time fav offices.  If we had the space I'd love to do something like this
via ?

This couple created a workspace in the bay window of their bedroom with a piece of Ikea counter top. This is great but I can't work from the bedroom. The idea could really be done anywhere, though.
via Flickr

This 2fer looks like it's an ikea desk with a small set of malm ikea drawers for storage to divide the desk space.  Also one of the monitors is mounted on the wall to save space.
via Picasa

So pretty.  I need a tad more surface space on my desk though, and one of those hopelessly ugly office chairs... There's a DIY for this desk here.

I adore this home office/guest bedroom/playroom all-in-one
via Young House Love

 
Another pretty option.  This desk is fashioned from a closet door.
via Utopia Invitations

Has anyone every had a 2 person home office? Any tips for me - did it work for you or no?
Thanks guys! I'll be sharing some pics of the new apartment soon!

Two awesome shows back-to-back tonight! Design Star and awesome HGTV new-comers the Novogratz!

So - I have a confession to make - I don't really watch much HGTV, but that's only because I don't really watch much TV.   I'm not a TV person, and it is really hard for me to commit to a tv-watching schedule. Luckily, we just got DVR, and two new shows have caught my fancy. One is this season of "Design Star" (I hadn't heard of the show until this season), and the first two episodes I loved, and the other is "Home by Novogratz." I know of the Novogratz via Six by Design and their awesome book, "Downtown Chic" - which I reviewed here.

So when I heard they had a new show airing on HGTV I figured I'd give it a shot, and I really like it so far. The duo's solutions are great for people who love to try DIY projects, shop at flea markets, and find it really important that their home reflects them, not the most recent issue of the top-of-the-line home and interiors glossy.

I have for you a sneak peak at what you'll catch on tonight's "Home by Novogratz," where the couple livens up a rather dull family beach condo into a colorful and whimsical get-away. What's really exciting about tonight is the Novogratz are also guest starring on "Design Star" and then their new episode airs directly after that! So be sure to have the tube on HGTV at 9 for "Design Star", and/or 10 for "Home by Novogratz"

These images below are from their first episode, where the Novogratz team created this awesome surfer-girl home for two sisters.

You can read more about the show on HGTV.

A month by month plan to get your home storage organized: May is the garage

Yuck. The garage. Not a very fun one to organize is it? Unfortunately it's one of those chores that must be done, and being that it's a long weekend you might have more time to get it done. Here is BHG's plan for organizing your storage in the garage.

Create Task Kits. Create kits for various outdoors projects by filling 5- and 10-gallon plastic buckets with all the tools, products, and accessories you need to complete specific tasks such as car-washing, weeding, bicycle repair, and more.

Stash Sporting Gear. Fill tall kitchen trash cans with large and odd-shaped sporting gear. Drill holes in the bottom of bins if drainage is important. Stabilize containers by securing to a wall with short bungee cords.

Organize the Trunk. Clean out your vehicle's trunk. Toss every item that is expired or damaged. Place all trunk gear in a canvas bin or box. Make sure the container doesn't slip by adding rubber or hook-and-loop tape to the bottom.

Tidy Up the Tools. Hang hand tools on a wall near your workbench from hooks on pegboard, magnetic board, or a wall-mount strip system. Label each tool's spot. Put extra tools in a tool box or clear plastic boxes and store on floor underneath workbench.


I've rounded up a bunch of images that I hope you find inspiring and help you rally the motivation to organize the garage.

The chalkboard cabinet and drawer fronts is a great idea.  You could always paint yours with chalkboard paint.

A magnetic kitchen knife strip works great for holding drill bits too

Use magnetic spice containers to hold small hardware in the garage

This space has to be the prettiest garage I've ever seen

In the garage, bins and hooks and boxes are our friends

A rolling cart with most used cleaning supplies and tools is a great idea!
images above via BHG

Take a cue from Julia Child's kitchen and do the same for your tools!
via Martha Stewart

A super easy DIY that makes a great Mother's Day gift

The new home networking site - Link My Home, was awesome enough to publish my post today on turning a Mason jar into a soap pump. Link My Home connects home owners globally to chat, share inspiration, and buy/sell - check it out.

Below is my post and DIY

Office Furniture DIY: Turn a Mason jar into a charming soap pump – A great Mother’s Day gift too!

via Country Living

I’m far from the first one to present this idea, but it’s really great and perhaps some of you out there have yet to discover it. All you need is a soap dispenser pump (reuse one from your last soap bottle or purchase one from a supplier like onedreamdesign.com), a mason jar, and the jar’s lid. It is also helpful to have a drill, as you will need to create a hole about half and inch wide to accommodate the soap pump. Other supplies you may want to have on hand include scissors, a marker to mark where you will drill the hole, and some 2 part epoxy to seal the cap of the soap pump to the jar of the lid.

(via Apartment Therapy)

Directions:

1. Use marker to measure and mark a circle in the lid of the mason jar the width of you soap dispenser pump
2. Drill hole where you marked in lid of mason jar
3. Mix epoxy and apply to the lower rim of the soap dispenser pump
4. Insert the pump dispenser through the jar lid (if the tube is too long for the jar, just snip it to size with some scissors)

5. Let the epoxy dry according to the instructions
7. Fill with your favorite liquid soap – and enjoy!

Here are some examples of what you can create:

(via Apartment Therapy)

If you don’t have a Mason jar they are pretty easy to find at thrift stores.

via Décor Chick

So cute right? I think I’ll be making a couple for my mom for Mother’s Day!

Spring bliss

The weather has been so wishy-washy. Teasing us with a 70 degree day, and then bringing us back down by dropping to 50 overnight! But, the leaves are finally on the trees, and the days are longer - so it's safe to say Spring is here.

I love the longer days...so beautiful
via KML Design

Domino Mag

...and fresh flowers. The first image is flowers in tea tins. I do this, but my tea tins aren't water tight so I put a juice glass with water inside the tea tin and just put the flowers in the glass. The second image is a cute idea: use some glass bottles (they don't have to match), wrap some jute or hemp around them - and you get a lovely handpicked, country centerpiece.
via Country Living

....weekends in the country....
via NiKreations

Love the lanterns hanging from the trees!
via Scandinavian Chic

Meals outside..
When I was a kid, we out outside every evening in the summer. We didn't have a patio, so we just set up chairs and a table right out in the yard

2 images above via Rue Magazine

The ultimate---poolside...
via Design Interior

How do you enjoy spring?