A Little Girl's Room ...with Ballard Designs

When I got my latest catalog from Ballard Designs, I couldn't help but notice so many great deals going on with their summer sale.  And on top of the good deals, they also had some products that were just too good to pass up, sale or no sale.  Inspiration struck, and I threw together a little girl's room design with my favorite findings.  

Many kid's rooms are not so subtle on gender specific themes--i.e. a girl's room must be pink and full of butterflies and a boy's room must be blue and have baseballs somewhere.  Not so.  A good design doesn't look like it came out of a bag, but rather was layered together to create a space that will last for many years.  It let's the child's belongings become the ornamentation, and the room be a backdrop for imagination and comfort.  Or at least those are the ones I like to design :)  Take a look...

1. Wall Sconce- $80.  I'd put them hanging on each side of the headboard for function and style.  They were origin

2. Ticking Stripe Headboard- $189, orig. $249. this is one of their current specials and the black ticking stripe got me.  

3. Bookshelf- $229. It seems there's never enough space for books and trinkets and iron is virtually indestructible.

4. Scalloped Sham- $35, orig. $49. This sweet scalloped sham is made of linen and can even be monogrammed. 

5. Coral Pillow Cover- $18, orig. $29.  Adding in a little color is always a good thing.

6. Rug- $75 for 5x7, was $99. This is actually an indoor/outdoor rug so it's great for kids and their potential messes.  The polka dot design adds a little fun and the reviews on comfort sold me.

7. Basket- $29, orig. $39. Stuffed animals and toys need a home too.

8. Pom Pom Quilt- $199.  This quilt isn't on sale but those pom poms are too good to resist.  

All of these items could be used for years to come, even in other areas of the home aside from the bedroom...which makes these deals even sweeter!

A Rug Affair with West Elm

If you haven't stopped by West Elm or westelm.com to check out their sale, you're missing out!  They have a bunch of deals, but some that really caught my eye were on the rugs!  Oh how I love a good rug...especially one on sale.  Here's a few of my favorites:

Phoenix Wool Dhurrie- 8x10 $349

This little pink beauty would be awesome in an office, little girl's room or playroom.  And that's coming from a girl who is not a big fan of pink.  I typically shy away from bright colors in rugs due to the price and longevity I'd like to achieve when purchasing one, BUT I don't think you can go wrong here, especially in a fun, inspiring room.  Who needs a room designed around this rug? I'm dying to use it in a space!

Bazaar Wool Dhurrie in Ochre- 8x10 $399

This one too would look great in a kid's space or even a living room (especially a beach condo). Dhurries are great for wear and tear and typically can look brand new with a quick vacuum!  And they are much softer than most natural optional like sisal and jute.

Key Wool Dhurrie in Iron- 8x10 $299

This one is a combination of two of my design favorites--black/white color combination and classic greek key pattern.  And the price tag makes it even prettier!

Offset Stripe Wool Dhurrie in Sable- 8x10 $219.99

This is another classic but with a twist.  The offset print adds interest and the stripes bring in a little sophistication.  I'm tempted to buy this one for my own house!

Those are my top four rug sale picks.  Be sure to check out their website to see all of the other deals they have going on.  Get ready for the urge to empty your wallets too! :)

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!  This will be my last spent in my 20's!  Ahhh!

A Vintage Nursery for Twin Boys

Per usual, our hectic schedule has kept us from showing you a design project we completed months ago.  We've designed several nurseries in the past, but this was our first for twins!  Kristi from Atlanta contacted us about helping to finish off her adorable boys' nursery.  This momma already had great taste but needed help making the finished product a sweet, vintage space just as she dreamed.  She was super enjoyable to work with and was on board with everything we sent her way--a dream client!

Here's how the room looked when she contacted us:

We needed to work with some existing furnishings, wall color and chair rail.  Our job was to tie everything together and bring in some new pieces to add color, interest and texture to make this space everything it could be.  Here's what we suggested (click on image to enlarge):

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We switched out the white blinds for bamboo shades for added warmth and texture, added in new fabrics and linens in pops of green and yellow and brought in new wall art and accessories to bring the room to life.  For long wall, specifically, we suggested the collection of oars shown in the image above.  Here's the elevation we sent Kristi to give you an idea on the size/scale.  

Sometimes all a space needs is a few elements and switches to really make it what it could be.  We were very happy with the outcome of the room and were so pleased that the client loved it too!  If you have a room that you need help designing, whether it's a clean slate or just finishing touches, we'd love to help.  Contact us for your E-Design needs.  

Vendor Spotlight: Cost Plus World Market

One of my go-to affordable, home furnishing stores is Cost Plus World Market. I always come away with some great finds. I like that they offer handmade items from all over the world and that much of their furniture is made from real wood. 

Here are some of their new items that I am currently loving.

1. Metal Bookcase & Ladder, $599 //  2. Gold Taj Wine Rack, $30 //  3. Hammered Steel Tea Kettle, $25 //  4. Mushroom Kaelyn Daybed, $500 //  5. San Paolo Outdoor Dining Collection, $179-499 //  6. Black and White Dhurrie Rug, $230

The Kaelyn Daybed is such a versatile piece and at a great price point. It could easily be used in a home office or a child's room as depicted here.

Until next time lovelies.

Auden's Neutral Nursery

My husband and I welcomed our little girl Auden Emory into the world almost four months ago.  

Photo credit: Jordan Burch Photography

Her nursery was probably the most personal space I've ever designed.  I wanted it to be sweet, calming and full of meaningful family pieces.  Our photographer snapped a few images of it when she came to shoot Auden's newborn shoot, and I had to share them, along with a few of my own showing you all of the details to our baby girl's room.  Below was my original mood board. 

I really like how it all turned out with the exception of the wall color.  It came out much more yellow than the taupe I wanted.  I had purchased a few samples and put them on the wall to make my selection.  After I picked my favorite, I decided to take it to the hardware store down the road to have them match it instead of going across town where this particular brand was actually sold.  I will never do that again--a least for not for a neutral color.  Unfortunately the match did not turn out like the sample, and I didn't have the heart to ask my husband paint it again.  Lesson learned, friends.  All that aside, it was great to see my vision come to life.

Photo credit: Jordan Burch Photography

Photo credit: Jordan Burch Photography

This dresser is a family piece and has a bunch of "memories" styled on the top of it.  The baby booties belonged to my mom and the round frame holds a picture of my sister and I when we were little.  The brass animal figures were Target finds.  

The Bible and silver cup were mine as a child and the sterling rattle was my sister's.  The framed image is photo of my grandmother as a child.

I framed a Feltman Brothers dress that I wore as a little girl above her crib.  

Photo credit: Jordan Burch Photography

The eyelet pillow in her crib was found at JCPenney and the sheet from Serena & Lily.

Here's a shot of my hubby and pup Remington hanging out with Auden.  The gallery wall above them is a mix of DIY artwork, commissioned watercolors and maternity photos.  The sofa is a family antique once belonging to my great grandmother.  

Photo credit: Jordan Burch Photography

A collection of neutral pillows and gifted elephant and tiger stuffed animals (representing the mascots for mine and my husband's alma maters) fill out the sofa.

The watercolor dog prints of our fur babies are some of my favorite pieces in the room.  Erisha from A Thing Created did a wonderful job.  The "I will be grateful for this day" print is an Etsy purchase that I've had for a couple of years and thought would be perfect moved into the nursery.  The oversized clothespin is one of a set of three from Ballard Designs, also a piece I've had for years waiting to use.

The curtains were a great surprise TJ Maxx find ($25 for the pair!).  I added pleats with pleat tape to give a more custom look.

I imagine we will spend many nights rocking and reading in this chair.  I hope Auden loves her room as much as I do one day.  Thanks for taking the tour! I've posted a resource list below for your convenience.  

Resource List:

Crib-Restoration Hardware Baby & Child (no longer available)

Crib Sheet-Serena & Lily

White Pique Crib bumper and skirt-New Arrivals Inc.

Eyelet pillow-JC Penney (no longer available)

Pom pom blanket-Marmalade

Sofa-Family piece

Brass clothespin-Ballard Designs

Commissioned watercolor dog prints-A Thing Created

"I will be grateful for this day" Print-Etsy

Dresser-Family piece

Monogram sham-Etsy

Sweater pillow-West Elm

Table lamp-TJ Maxx

Rocker-Nurseryworks Empire Rocker

Gray Herringbone Tassel Throw-Pure Home

Floor lamp-Target (no longer available)

Pouf-Target

Striped basket-TJ Maxx

Curtains-TJ Maxx

Bamboo Shade-Wayfair

Light fixture-Home Depot