Spring Cure

Today marks the beginning of Apartment Therapy's Spring Cure. Every fall and spring they host their home cure, an eight week process based on the book intended to help you create a healthy home.

I've participated in the cure 3 times now and each time come out with a home a little closer to my vision of what I want my home to look/feel like. Given that I'm due to deliver my second baby girl any day I won't be participating this spring but I did pull out and reread my copy of the book. I've probably read it 6 times now but every time I find something new or am reminded of something that I want to accomplish in my home.

If you've never heard of the Apartment Therapy cure I definitely recommend signing up and following along the best you can. At the very least, pick up a copy of the book from you local library and take a look. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

Better Late Than Never

I'm a little late to the party when it comes to Lonny Magazine but I just spent the weekend devouring the entire latest issue and I will certainly be back.

It's filled with meaty articles, stunning photos and a wide range of design styles and influences. If you haven't checked it out yet, definitely head over right away.

Blues

This issue of House Beautiful magazine really hit home why I love this magazine. I've been reading home decor magazines for many years now and I can't recall ever seeing an issue that was devoted to a single color. Lots of color issues of course that cover all of the current popular colors but never 1 single color!!!

So when I saw that the March 2010 issue was all about Blue I was intrigued for sure. And it didn't disappoint. It highlights paint colors, accessories and pages of stunning blue focused rooms. The editor even directed me to a blog that only covers blue decorating: House of Turquoise

I guess it shouldn't shock me that I'm in love with this issue since blue plays a large role in my home. In the living room it appears as a jewel toned sapphire blue. In my bedroom, it's softer, more of an eggshell blue. In both places I warm up the blue with dark wood and chocolate brown. And for a punch of contrast, orange accessories.

I also want to highlight an etsy shop I ran across this week. They are local to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island and have beautiful upcycled painted furniture. One look will make it clear why I thought they fit well with this post.
Turquoise Shed

It came as no surprise then to find a plethora of blue in my inspiration file. Apologies in advance that I don't know the sources. Most have been in my files for some time now. Please comment or email if you recognize any of them.

A Seussery

I offered to help an out of town (actually out of country) friend put together some final touches for her son's nursery. She had already purchased furniture (in a rubbed black finish) and bedding and was down to the final details.
She had a few ideas and a budget that I worked with to create two schemes for her. One with a whimsical feel and one with a classic feel.




In the end she chose a few options from each and modified some to work with her ideas but the finished room is a unique room just waiting for the arrival of her little boy.









This job was a lot of fun to work on but I think one of my favorite parts of it is how it dispels a common myth about working with a decorator. It is a wonderful example of how a decorator can be customized for exactly what you need. I didn't work with this client from the beginning, we didn't do all custom pieces and I never actually set foot in the actual room. The most important part is to find a decorator that can fulfill your needs, regardless of where in the world they are.

Ceiling Love

I'll admit that I've never given much thought to ceilings. Slap a coat of flat white paint up there and call it a day. Or if you're feeling brave, take your wall color and cut the intensity is half (or even 3/4 and use that). Nothing too exciting, that's for sure. But after hearing wallpapered ceilings mentioned on The Skirted Roundtable and seeing the picture above (from Apartment Therapy, I was intrigued and started digging through my inspiration folder.

Paint is definitely a common choice for ceilings. Using a vivid color or painting a pattern really draws attention.


Source Apartment Therapy


Source Unknown


Source Ohdeedoh



Source Living Etc..

Wallpaper on the ceiling definitely makes a dramatic impact. Not all wallpapers work well on the ceiling, however. You want to look for a paper that has a non-directional pattern.


Source Flickr


Source Living Etc. via Flickr


Source Ohdeedoh

Of course, in the right setting, a wood ceiling, either beamed or panelled, is absolutely stunning.


Source House and Home


Source House and Home


Source Living Etc.