Virtual Nesting: Turquoise Dining Room

Yesterday afternoon after having another round of house hunt, Matt watched the masters as I jumped around in the Internet looking at dining room tables, couches, decorative mirrors and whatever nesting "stream of consciousness" lead me to. 

After a while I looked up and noticed Matt watching me...and he clearly had been quite some time. "Mm Hm. MMMMMM HM." He said giving me a sly eye and then went back to watch Tiger digging himself into another ditch. 

I can't help doing what he calls "Virtual Nesting" while we are doing this whole house search thing. After living in Boston Shoebox and our fully furnished in law suite currently, we have next to no furniture. When we move into our new place, I want to know what I want and where to find it so our new home can unfold in a pop up book sort of way. Of course that would be way too easy and way to expensive but but googling for vintage bakers racks is way more fun than watching Golf on Television, so I have my vice and my husband has his.

Along with furniture, paint swatches have also been receiving a lot of attention from me. Right now I am trying to decided if Turquoise is a fabulous color for a dining room---or too bright and too cold and too, too.

Here are some if the images that are helping me mull it over. 

Wait. Before you take a peak I want to say a word about Turquoise and loving the home you live in.

I know Turquoise is the pantone color for 2010. I know that next year it will be "so last year". I  also know that I love blue. Any shade of it---and Turquoise is probably my favorite shade and that's what makes me want to smack it up there on a white wall. Design trends are a fun way to update your home, but when it really comes down to it you have to live with what you love!

Photos from the ever inspiring House of Turquoise

What makes a soulful home?

Matt and I went house hunting this past weekend and I'll tell you that I thought I would be the picky one. I wasn't. I was wowed by white kitchens, walk in closets and and pleasant rooms...mean while he was standing by seeming unimpressed. My husband is the ever practical one, keeping track of things like money and re-sale value, but when I asked what he thought about the homes he said:

"They are ok I guess....it's just that I fee like they have no soul."

My love, they have no soul because we don't live there yet.

photo via Mary Ruffle 

We were looking at recently built town homes. They were not totally without character...but I suppose that they were lacking the echo that is left behind in older homes by owners past. I love that about older homes...they are full of enchantment....

But so are white sparkly new kitchens. 

Oh, new vs. old. It's quite a dilema. Your stuff might get soaked in the basement with that stone foundation in this old house, but with the new you know your neighbors are sitting at 8pm watching TV in a living room that looks just like yours a la Truman show. I don't know which is scarier.

Regardless, I have a hunch that it's a lot more than the age of the foundation that makes a house a soulful home. Here are somethings that I think help make a home soulful whether it's built in 1900 or 1999.

*Use. Inviting people over, having a party, dancing in the living room, enjoying a romantic evening in. Creating adventures inside the home. Making the home a destination.

*Show and tell. Where'd you go, what did you do, who did you meet, who do you know? Some decorators diss decorating personal photos. Ok. Good for them. Personally, I like having evidence around of all the people and places I love. I guess you could go overboard...but it's your home so you can if you want too!

*Bring the outside in. Fresh flowers. Sand in a bowl. A Pile of Rocks. A twig or two. Nature makes us feel so good when we are out, why not bring it in?

*These are a few of my favorite things. Write a list of things you love (I love lists). Then, walk around the house. Are those things there? If you love skiing...why not hang some vintage skis in the hall? If you love pink, how 'bout a display of framed pink fabrics in your powder room? You get the gist. Sure we'd all like have a spontaneously personal and beautiful home...but sometimes the business gets in the way. A list helps you make something you want to do---happen!

*Books. Open. Closed. Stacked. Piled. Layered. Lots of them.

*Original art. By you. By a friend. By a child. By a lady in the thrift shop. Art is soul baby.

*Laughter. Enjoy your home and all that is in it.

So...what else????

Sing a song of chevron

When it comes to style, mine is much more romantic than modern but sometimes I long for a punchy graphic print to make my heart go boom.

A chevron stripe fits into this category and for these peaks and valleys I might just ask my ruffles and linen to move over and make an exception...

Fabric from Brunschwig & Fils

I know this has been floating around for a while, but don't you just love it???

Personalized calling cards from Pixelimpress

Zippy Bag from Rubie Green

Pillow from Snuggledown

There's an Office in the Closet!

I've always loved the idea of keeping your office in the closet.

This one from the March issue of Country Living is especially attractive...

photo via Country Living

Of course you can make these little nooks pretty, and who doesn't love a pretty little nook?

photo via Flickr

So many ways to stay organized. Shelves, cups, hooks, and the holy grail of office organization:

Magazine Files!

photo via my home ideas

But if things get a little out of hand and your best intentions of an organized office go by the wayside.....

photo via apartment therapy

Shut the doors and...wha la! Out of sight out of mind!

photo via sunset

My only question is...who has an extra closet to spare???? 

Do you? 

If so I would love to slap you on the back and shake your hand! And perhaps interview you. 

"Are you a minimalist? Where does your other stuff...you know...go??? Is your house huge and blessed with many closets, and if so why do you need to have a closet office?"

Maybe I am tainted by my Boston days living in an apartment the size of a shoebox but I just can't imagine having an extra closet with space just waiting, begging, to be used. 

Seriously though, do you have an office nook? If so I would love to see and show it! Please send me a picture, or blog about it and link back. The photos above are darling, but I would love to see a collection of real. live. office nooks. Because they are creative, and cute, and  hey, they're nooks.

The Green Room

Ever been to western Massachusetts in February? It is cold, windy, and usually there is LOTS of snow. I spent four years trudging to class and letting my cheeks thaw for 90 minutes just to head back out into the cold. 

My place of solace during the cold months and treks to and from class was the Durfee Conservatory. This greenhouse was a warm, plant filled oasis in a world of gray, bleak, cold. There was always light classical music playing, complimented by the light trickle of the indoor waterfall. 

It's this time of year that I long for the little bamboo bench where I studied for my Art History exam though I'd gladly curl up on a couch with some tea in one of the rooms below. 

Photo Via Pretty Little World

Caldwell-Beebe

Sue Roher

Photo Via Country Living

Photo Via Desire to Inspire

Photo Via Love, Meghan

I love how the plants are wild, unruly, and seem to be taking over the room as if to say "You may think we belong outside, but we know better."

 I just seem to be able to live and breath better with a plant nearby, don't you?

I'm in love with a mixer.

It's from Kitchen Aid. 

When I got married and it came time to register, my Dad said "Pick something practical", but my mom pulled me aside and said "pick something you love".

So I picked Pistachio. 

Sorry Dad.

We are house hunting right now, so I have no place to put it. It is sitting in a box, just waiting to be used. 

I day dream about this mixer.  And the kitchen it inspires me to create. And all the cupcakes it will make.

I dream of it sitting in a room that looks kind of like this.....

Next to it's kitcheny friends in a color palette of sweet treats like this....

Martha Stewart even helped me out by coming this kitchen gadget line like this...

Now all I need is a kitchen.

Do you dream of mixers and kitchens and cooking gadgets?

You may say that I'm a dreamer, I hope I am not the only one!

Photos via House of Turquoise, Paper Source, Martha Stewart