Nesting Mode

 via

via

There's been a lot going on "behind the scenes" over here, but the biggest change is that I'm staying in Atlanta. I've accepted a full-time job here and will slowly begin settling into a new routine and a more permanent life. I am so ready!

Since everything was so up in the air re: jobs and staying in ATL, I haven't bought any furniture for my apartment yet, except for a bed. So now that things are more permanent, I'm ready to commit to furniture and FINALLY move things into my apartment for real. I don't even think I can put my relief/readiness into words...

I've been scouting out furniture for a while now, but I'm seriously one of the pickiest people when it comes to putting something in my house. I want it to be perfect and exactly what I've been envisioning...and easy on the budget. I have an idea of where I want things to go in my place, what I want to do and where, and what sorts of things I want to have in my house.

If you take a look at this Pinterest board of mine, it's pretty clear that I'm drawn to creamy neutrals, lots of white, lighter-toned woods, airy spaces, pops of  bright colors and classic lines. I've used those criteria to narrow down my selections when searching for the perfect pieces to add to my place.

A few things I have my eye on...

Campaign Desk, World Market, on sale for $180: I have a little weird space next to my patio door that's where I envision my desk going. How cute would this desk be with a mercury glass lamp, a white pitcher of flowers and a bright (I'm thinking coral? turquoise? navy?) chair!

Hemnes 8 drawer dresser, IKEA, $299: I had this dresser in my apartment in college and l-o-v-e-d it. It's big enough to hold all of my clothing but isn't so big that it's overwhelming. And the quality is top-notch.

Carmen Chair, Pier 1, $600: Way more than I'm planning on spending, but I love the lines of this chair. I'll probably find something similar but more reasonably priced!

Upholstered Headboard, Meijer, $330: I definitely want an upholstered headboard for my room.I think headboards just make a room look more "finished". Plus I spend a lot of time sitting up in my bed and a padded headboard is definitely more comfortable than the wall!

Hudson Settee, Ballard Designs, $1,050ish: I go back and forth on wanting a full-size couch or a smaller "settee" and a few armchairs. I definitely know I want something on a more dainty scale than a massive sectional, so I really like the look of the sofa above...

Everything in my apartment has to be able to withstand little cat claws and a sometimes-overly-hyper cat...nothing too delicate, precious or breakable! I'm obviously not going to purchase everything I have listed above, but I'm excited to start searching on Joss & Main, RueLaLa, sale sections and the outlets!

Hope Burgoyne Art

One of my goals for when I finally get around to decorating my apartment is to buy a few pieces of real art. I want real, one-of-a-kind canvases where you can see the brushstrokes and feel the texture and thickness of the paint. I love prints, but there's just something about a real painting that's so special.

Thankfully, Etsy is a treasure trove of original canvases and paintings on paper that won't break the bank. I did a quick little search this afternoon to eat up some spare time and stumbled across Hope Burgoyne's paintings and fell in love.

Her pieces are soothing, relaxing, a bit abstract and they all remind me of the beach. PLUS they're all extremely reasonably priced!

"Distant"

"Passing By"

"The Strand"--this is one of my favorites

"Forever Fields"

See all of Hope's paintings here! Which is your favorite?

Feathered.

I found Feathered Home through Melissa's blog...and I'm pretty sure I've found my art print/decor soulmate, or at the very least, the store I'll be purchasing a lot of prints from whenever I get around to decorating my apartment.

Everything is very curated and edited, with just enough whimsy to keep things unique and fun. Karen and Kelly have done an amazing job with the shop, and I'm already adding it to my list of favorites for when decorating time rolls around!

A few little favorites...

Duck Cake Stand

Leopard-print Pillow

Small Gold Tray

Je Ne Sais Quoi print

Westside Kate print

Atlanta ABCs print

Texas ABCs print

Decorating Daydreams

As my move creeps ever closer, I've been daydreaming more and more about finally being able to decorate my very own apartment. I've always had roommates, so I've never been able to decorate my entire living space exactly the way I want it. I'm so excited about the chance to finally have everything just the way I want it. Since I'm not bringing any furniture with me to Atlanta, I really do get a chance to start from scratch!

I'm leaning more towards a very edited, very curated apartment. I don't want it to look like I bought everything from the same place, I want it to look very organic--pick up a headboard here, pick up a dresser there, pick up a set of armchairs from somewhere else. I'm going to make a very conscious effort to only buy things I really love and to buy high-quality pieces that will last a while, rather than a year or two. I'm completely aware that it might take a long time to fully furnish and decorate my space and that's totally fine with me!

Of course, since I don't have an actual apartment lease signed yet, this is all just daydreaming right now! I can't wait to settle on a space, start decorating for real and sharing the process with you!

1//2//3//4//5

White Out

Lately I've found myself pinning and pining over more and more all-white or mostly white interiors and exteriors. I love color, but something about the simplicity and elegance of having a literal blank canvas is really appealing to me. All white can easily be blah and boring, but mixing textures, tones and tone-on-tone patterns can liven it up.

A few house crushes...

 obsessed with those vanities and the rugs...! a true dream bathroom with all the marble

so cottagey and crisp

the dark, dark floors paired with the white walls is such a good contrast

all the tones are great...and I love the natural light!

more color than the others, but the white walls, ceiling, doors and moulding are what I have in my head when I imagine my "dream apartment"

As far as exteriors go, apparently white clapboard or stucco is the way to my heart...this, this, this, and this are all dreamy.

What do you think about an all-white apartment or house? Love it or not for you? 

Also, I'm having a vaaague sense of deja vu, like I've already blogged about this, but I can't remember if I actually did or if I just did a draft that I never finished/posted...hmmmm

C. Wonder-ful Home

 pillow//jewelry box//tray//plate

C. Wonder has been knocking it out of the park lately! I just cannot get enough of their adorable, punchy home decor accessories right now. All of it is so bright, summery and cheerful. All of the above items would look just darling in my dream apartment...so crisp with all of the white mixed with brights!

I'm also coveting these wedges...

Minted Art Prints

 "Awning Stripes"--Kristie Kern

Minted is famous for their stationery and business cards, so I was clicking around their site the other day looking for business card design ideas, and I discovered that they have an entire section of art prints and it. is. fabulous!

 "In A Row"--Annie Clark

Every design is by an independent artist, and there are soooo many different styles of artwork to choose from. It's pretty much print heaven--there's typography prints, abstract prints, illustration prints, prints of paintings, photography...anything you want, you can find it on Minted. There's also an entire Custom Prints section that I didn't even explore!

 "Buttercream"--chocomocacino

I'm totally obsessed. I'm pretty sure that all of the artwork for my future apartment is going to come from here just because of the wide, but carefully edited, range of designs. You could easily put together a cohesive gallery wall, a cohesive diptych/triptych for a room, find artwork to coordinate with a color scheme, or find a perfect gift...all in one place!

"Out To Sea"--Carolyn MacLaren

"Peinture Brillante"--Design Lotus

"California Succulent"--LeeAnn Dougherty

My biggest problem will easily be narrowing all of the amazing designs to a few for my apartment! There's just so many I love!

Nesting, part 2

Are you tired of NYFW posts yet? Hopefully not, since I have more to come as the days progress. Can you imagine actually attending the shows and having to take notes for work? I'm sure everyone is exhausted!

To switch gears for a bit and focus on something that's not fashion, I've been dreaming about furnishing my very own teeny tiny apartment that is (hopefully, hopefully) in the very near future. When I was in Tampa on Thursday, we had a good chunk of time between my interview and when we had to be back at the airport, so my mom decided that we should spend that time at HomeGoods and looking at apartments "just in case" and now I'm pining away for a home of my own that I can decorate and furnish just how I want.

I'm leaning towards a mostly neutral palette for the entire apartment, with accents of coral and gray in the living room and turquoise, green and blue in my bedroom. I want it to be a little beachy and very comfortable, so you feel completely relaxed everywhere.

this is what my dream apartment looks like: creamy white walls with moldings, medium wood floors and tons of natural light

I love this headboard and want something very similar, only a bit less dramatic

seersucker upholstery? so cute

I'm also loving seagrass furniture as a way to bring some texture into a room...plus this doesn't look too heavy to move

I love the pattern in this rug...and it's on sale!

this bedding is so cute...I think I would do a solid white duvet/shams w/ the printed sheets

So many decisions, so many things I love...I can't wait to be settled somewhere so I can finally start furnishing and decorating!!

Nesting

I'm definintely in 'nesting mode' right now for no particular reason. I think it's mostly because I'm more than ready to be out on my own, in my own tiny place. It may also be because winter is cold and I would rather stay inside where it's warm and make my spaces cozy and welcoming, compared to the bleak cold outside.

All of these spaces are cozy and welcoming to me, and I plan on stealing a few ideas from them once I get my own place.

1//2//3//4

What Kate Likes: Modern Prints

Recently, I've been job-hunting for a post-grad, real world job. In addition to attempting to find a job, I've also been scoping out apartments in potential cities. Naturally, all of this looking has led me to think about decorating my very own apartment and deciding on what I want it to look like. My design aesthetic is traditional infused with a healthy dose of fun and modernity. These prints are perfect for decorating my future walls!

1. 2. 3.

4. 5. 6.

Be sure to check out these Etsy artists' other work! They are all very talented and best of all, very affordable! Happy shopping!