A few of my favorite things...

Remember that wonderful Domino book I mentioned? The first chapter has some fantastic discussion on how to create your own look. David Bromstad (of HGTV fame) uses aspects of the same principles. To determine your look, check out what you are attracted to. The reason I had to repaint my "happy" laundry room was because I didn't pick colors I could live with. They may have been great together, they may have been in balance, but they weren't MY colors. They were absent from my wardrobe, they were absent from my artwork. They were absent from my life. Then there's the style factor. I can look at a fabulous room and know that I could never live in it. For example, this is a room from the Horchow House website. I love the colors, but not the balance of colors. I adore the entertainment center, but the room itself is far more ornate than anything I have.

But here is another room that fits my taste a little more closely.

Note the similarity in color schemes. When I get ready to put MY room together, it will be important to have a folder of my favorite things from which to draw design ideas. I will need to assess how comfortable each aspect is, and to what I am drawn. I'm in one of those creative modes now. I guess my husband will be coming home to a new room, soon.

Put on a Happy face

I love how happy I feel on bright, sunny days. Unfortunately, today is an overcast day, so it is all that much more important that my rooms create a sunny feeling. Once I decided to paint my laundry room in bright colors that were a little out of my normal comfort range. The base was a pure white with hot pink and chartreuse stripes forming a plaid on the lower third of the wall. It was a little overwhelming, but for the short time before I re-painted, my girls referred to the room as the "happy" room. Now I try to incorporate a little "happy" in all my rooms. I love the light background in this Pottery Barn room. It just feels like summer.
And look how happy this Domino room is. I probably wouldn't be bold enough to use such a bright yellow, but I love the idea of having punches of bright colors on a very muted background.

Time to go brighten my rooms a little more. And feel happy.

A Sad Day ... AND a Happy Day

Not long ago, Meggan shared some sad news. It seems her favorite decorating magazine has closed their doors. Domino magazine is a memory now. I was never as impressed as she by the magazine, but they published a wonderful little book

which Meggan gave me for Christmas. There are some EXCELLENT ideas on creating your own look. The world may be bracing for economic gloom and doom, but your home should still be your haven. So I will periodically share some ideas on responsible (ecologically and economically) decorating.

Glass Half Full

Saturdays in Boise are frequently spent downtown at the Main Auction. One of the great treasures that can be found at nearly every auction, antique store, or rummage sale is great glass pieces. Glass can be reused (how classy is a cupboard full of vintage drinking glasses?) or repurposed as decorative pieces. Below are a few of the gems we recently picked up.

These glasses would look gorgeous in a fancy dining room table layout- with bright colors in spring or jewel tones in fall.

Soft colors, geometric designs, and interesting shapes make these visually interesting.

What could be better than clear faceted glass? Meggan uses the top two to store lip gloss and makeup brushes in her bathroom.