Pastor Gary's Office {31 Days of Moodboards}

My husband wants to be a pastor and when he is, he'll need an office in which to study, prepare sermons and meet with church members. He's told me a thing or two about what he wants in his office over the years, so I put those ideas into pictures and mixed them with other things I know my husband likes.

For a fun twist, I gave myself the challenge of selecting the big-ticket items that are available from IKEA. So for just over $1000 I furnished this virtual office! The bookcase (expedit), desk (hemnes), desk chair (malkolm), red storage drawers (brimna), red chairs (tullsta), black round table (vejmon) and red curtains (ritva) all came from our favorite Swedish superstore.

I put the area rug or wall-to-wall carpeting is together with Flor tiles, something Gary mentioned specifically wanting. The example are from CB2.com for $15 each.

I threw the globe in there because I love them (this one is of the night sky) and it matched. Gary loves orchids, so a red silk number got put in the virtual space. In his real office, Gary would like a real one. He also would like a water feature for the nice ambiance of trickling water. And what pastor's office doesn't have a picture of Jesus?

What do you think? I really like how everything came together. I wasn't sure of the color scheme, but I like it now. You'd have to keep the walls light and neutral to pull off such dark colors in the furniture, but it could be done! 

I hope you're enjoying this series! You can contact me for a moodboard of your own space!

Purple Paradise {31 Days of Moodboards}

Can I just say how much I love this moodboard? And here's the thing: I hate purple!!! Ever since an over-zealous purple phase in second grade, I've been OVER IT.

But these moodboards just grow on their own, you know? I'll start in (I use Polyvore, by they way, but be warned that it's a huge time suck) with a vague idea of a tween girl room and THIS happens! The bed was kinda princessy, then I thought of the cornice thing with the purple drapes behind the bed, and a Purple Princess Paradise was born!

This little princess--who am I kidding, many an older princess would be perfectly happy in a space like this--has a matching set of furniture except for the bed. I think matching sets aren't all that over-rated in small spaces. It helps everything come together better, especially in a neutral color like this gray-washed white. (By the way, this is the "Cora" line from Neiman Marcus and the dresser alone costs over $2000. I don't think anyone should ever spend that kind of money on a set of furniture, but one could easily paint an old thrift store-yard sale-handmedown set like this.)

I chose a pinch-pleat comforter set from Target for the bedding with a few throw pillows and a knit blanket for cozy evenings. A purple rug brings the color to the floor and a purple ottoman gives our princess a place to remove her glass slippers at night.

The butterflies just kinda flew in on their own, but I love the little touch of whimsy and color they bring. It would be fun to scatter a few around, and the shape is echoed in the IKEA ceiling light. With such a dramatic focal point as the bed, I kept the window treatment simple. 

Thanks for visiting today! Do you have a little princess who loves purple? And butterflies? We're half-way through this series already! Let me know if there's anyway I can help you design a beautiful space in your home!

Tween Boy Bedroom {31 Days of Moodboards}

Thanks so much for the positive response on my moodboards, dear readers! They are fun to put together but do take a lot of time, so it's great to hear they are appreciated! You are appreciated too--for reading and for your kind comments.

Now on to today's moodboard.

I decided it would be fun to put together a room for an older boy, something that could grow with him, give him his own space, and not be too thematic or matchy-matchy. I do think at first glance it comes across that way, but once you remove the bottom left section and put it in a hall bath that is shared with other members of the family and/or guests, it's much more subtle.

You can see my love of rustic industrial shining through again! I tried to keep it modern with the clean lines of the bed and dresser, and industrial in general is quite trendy right now anyway!

I gave this young man a large bed to sprawl out on, with reading lights mounted on the wall to keep the side table free for a laptop or ipad or an actual book! There's a sample of some non-girly yellow and gray bedding with an option of charcoal or yellow sheets and a striped duvet and pillow shams. I had to throw in one little bitty extra yellow pillow. Hey, some guys like that kind of stuff! There's a gray dresser and gray drapes--light blocking, of course, for the teenage tenancy to sleep well past sunrise. I also included a small study area, but I know that's mainly a place to store supplies for homework. At least I rarely used my desk to study; it was either on my bed, the floor or somewhere like the dining room table where I could spread out! I also chose to leave out a computer figuring this dude would share a centrally-located family computer or use a laptop.

What do you think? Do you have a not-so-little boy who would like this space? I was thinking it would be a great place to have a chalkboard wall, or moody gray paint on all of the walls. 

I hope you're enjoying this series! I'm taking requests so drop me a line!

Seasonal Sectional {31 Days of Moodboards}

AKA: Pillow Parade!

No, really, my point here was to take a neutral, generic sectional couch and add different rugs and pillows for a totally new look in your room. You don't have to get new furniture and start from scratch to change the look of your space. Try adding new pillows, maybe a rug if you're really committed, or new curtains! You'll be surprised how much of a difference a few small changes can make!

I also want to point out that several of the pillows go with multiple rugs. There are blue ones with green and brown in them as well, so they could be used in several different color schemes. Or maybe it's not the color you want to change, but the feeling for the season--look for different textures. I think of knits and felts as winter fabrics while silks and cottons are more appropriate for summer. You can really have a versatile look in your living room (or bedroom) by just changing out a few accessories.

Hope you enjoyed Day 14 in my series! Have a great one!

Modern Traditional Living Room {31 Days of Moodboards}

This moodboard started with some key components of our living room in Iowa: a leather recliner, two wingbacks in need of a makeover and a wood-burning stove. It started out being blue, but the gray and red just took over and I have to say that I like it! I'd still like my next home to have some sort of grayish/blue walls throughout, but I like this color combination a lot!

The style is also completely me. It looks like if you take this room and the industrial kitchen from a few days ago, I should move into a big loft in an old warehouse! But seriously, I love it. Throw in the work-from-home office and yesterday's beautiful bedroom and I'd be a happy camper!

What about you? Do you like this look? Or do you prefer something warmer and more cozy? Or white and bright?

I hope you're enjoying my 31 Days of Moodboards! I know I'm having fun with it!

Serene Master Bedroom {31 Days of Moodboards}

Oh, man, I want this room! It's beautiful, serene and peaceful. Let's all just gaze at it and sigh, ok? 

There are many more moodboards to come this month! If you have a request for a certain room or challenge that you face in your home, let me know and I'll try to give you some inspiration.

Have a great day!

Pretty Patio {31 Days of Moodboards}

I wanted to create an outdoor space that was pretty and practical, with a place to eat, something to keep you warm, something for shade, and something for ambiance. I started with a plain cement slab on the back of our (imaginary) house and immediately dressed up the space by adding a pergola. Not the easiest thing to build on a Sunday afternoon, but it can be done over a few weekends. Or you can purchase a kit for a couple thousand bucks. Or count your lucky stars that you already have one!

Other than that, the changes are very simple. An outdoor rug, a table and chairs, a fire pit, a fountain, a clock, a lantern and a handful of pillows. I also included some fun, striped curtains which look a little dark here, but could be a great way to add privacy from neighbors or further shade your patio. I love the look of billowy curtains in the breeze, don't you?

Do you have an outdoor space that doubles as another place to eat or gather with friends?