Photo of Young House Love's John and Sherry's gorgeous living room!
In the midst of searching for a rental home, I am dreaming of a future (hopefully not too long) down the road where I'll slowly be able to purchase new furniture and actually decorate our home. The past two years the hubby and I have been living in a very old, very neglected apartment in a converted 100 year-old-home. I graduated a year ago and the hubby just graduated this May. In the past two years while living here the only furniture we have purchased are a cheap kitchen island (bought with housewarming gift cards) and two ugly bedside tables we got in a yardsale for $10. Our apartment is a hideous mismatch of hand-me-down furniture and bachelor style pieces my husband purchased from Goodwill before we even met. Nearly half of the furniture pieces we do have are broken. I've never had the opportunity to buy furniture or even really decorate a room. I find that I am drawn to a couple different visual styles and I'm afraid I won't be able to decide on a cohesive decorating style when I am finally able to indulge in decorating.
There is a huge part of me that has the urge to decorate everything in florals and sweet candy colors, but I know that outside my studio and kitchen, my husband would never let me indulge in this girly style (and honestly, I'm not sure I would want to let myself either). I also enjoy the clean, modern, nature-inspired look from folks like John and Sherry of Young House Love. I think I could please my husband with a simple, understated style along these lines but part of me craves a bit more character and whimsy. This is where the trouble comes in. I've seen so many homes featured on blogs like Design*Sponge and Apartment Therapy that I've loved that I can't even pinpoint what I'd like for myself and my home. I am set on mixing new and vintage pieces in our home to create a unique look (and also to save money by buying used). I really love the look of mid-century pieces mixed in with inexpensive new furniture with simple, clean lines. I think I'll probably bring in some whimsy via accessories and art, that way I can change things around without breaking the bank if we ever decide to go for a different look.
I love the whimsy and vintage vibe of this workspace of Liz of say YES! to hoboken.
I do have a general idea in my head of how I'd like to style my home, but I'd like to start an inspiration folder on my computer to keep an extensive inspiration resource at my fingertips. So, I'm hoping you all will be willing to share some of your favorite home decor blogs with me, and/or share photos of some of your favorite spaces! I'm definitely most interested in spaces that are welcoming and cozy with a bit of whimsy. I'd really love to see spaces that blend vintage and new pieces beautifully and make use of budget-friendly resources such as Target and Ikea. Thanks so much! I look forward to seeing all your favorites!
I thought I followed more interior design blogs, but instead it is mostly crafty blogs. I also follow Young House Love, but in any case, you might also like Jeremy and Kathleen. Kathleen posts a lot about the work changes they're about to undergo, re-designing her new home office (and in earlier posts, other rooms in the house), and some great recipes using local foods.
ReplyDeletehttp://jeremyandkathleen.blogspot.com/
I like http://www.sarahklassen.com/!
ReplyDeletehttp://theentrepreneurialnorth.wordpress.com/
I think I follow more craft and organizing blogs than design blogs - my two favorites closest to what I think you want are Savvy Housekeeping (design/craft) and All Things Beautiful (re-purposing/craft). I also follow Organizing Your Way, Simple Mom and Small Notebook - these are definitely organization-centric, but their minimalist approach to things helps me with design, too.
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain as far as designing in rental. My husband and I are renting a house and all our furniture are hand-me-downs or family 'heirlooms.' It bothered me at first that all our stuff didn't go together or match, but then I thought about it. As long as we're happy and comfortable, it matches with a little work. We'll go through several houses before we ever buy (hopefully in Bourbon or Harrison County!), I'm sure, and between now and then I'll bet we'll change our styles so much that matching furniture will be the last thing that will matter.
I completely relate to the worry about a cohesive style, since I have mostly hand-me-down furniture as well. But I found that most of it is pretty classic, which means you can add interesting pieces to change styles pretty easily!
ReplyDeleteThese are also great places for a little design inspiration:
http://remodelista.com/
http://tinyassapartment.blogspot.com/
I don't follow any home décor blogs but thanks for the comments above. Great post.
ReplyDeleteThank you for all the fantastic suggestions, everyone!!!
ReplyDeleteI just found your blog and started reading through some of your posts. If you're still looking for decorating sites, I have some I enjoy.
ReplyDeletehttp://thepaintedhive.blogspot.com
http://shabbynest.blogspot.com/
http://theoldpaintedcottage.blogspot.com/
http://www.remodelaholic.com/
http://myrepurposedlife.blogspot.com/
http://creativelittledaisy.typepad.com/creative_little_daisy/
http://itsthelittlethingsthatmakeahouseahome.blogspot.com/
http://thespottsvilledaily.blogspot.com/
http://southernhospitalityblog.com/
http://www.infarrantlycreative.net/
http://www.thenester.com/
And last but not least, a quiz to help you define your decorating style
http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/decorating/decorating-style-quiz-00000000030420/index.html
Yes, I know I read way too many decorating blogs, but I can't help myself. I love decorating!
Great post.Thank you very much for sharing.I love all decorations.Shed Plans
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ReplyDeleteNice list put together...my share is
ReplyDeletehttp://www.realreviews.in/home-products/home-decor/entry/eco-corner-a-totally-filmi-collection-of-coasters-bags-cushion-covers-and-more
You can share your favorites home décor blogs here. Useful post
ReplyDeleteYou can share your favorite hoe décor blogs in the post here. Useful post
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