Home Sweet Home

Remember that house I've been talking about for months? Yeah, it's mine now. It's a cute little thing with a wonky electrical system, floors badly in need of refinishing, and questionable paint colors, but it's MINE. Writing this just made me realize that I have taken zero pictures in the almost-two-weeks it's been since I moved in. Currently I am in between the "moving in" and the "settling in" stages. Owning a home is hard work: for all of the reasons you've heard before, but also because of the overwhelming possibility that lies in being able to do whatever you want. Right now my mantra is to take it one room at a time; although my room of choice has jumped around a bit lately.

I know exactly what I want to do to the master bedroom- I just need to do it. I'm not as sure about the living room (pressing need to decide due to completely bare LARGE window upon move-in; temporary curtains in place for now). The kitchen is something I look forward to modifying down the road as well. And the guest room/office for now is where boxes go to die. This will be a work in progress for a long time I'm afraid.

Oddly enough, one of the first things I moved on was the sunroom. It was my favorite part of the house when I was looking at it, and I'm determined to make it useful. It is the first room you enter upon walking in the front door (it used to be a porch and was closed in by an owner long ago). Right now, it has old jalousie windows that I wouldn't necessarily call watertight. Eventually I would like to put actual windows in and make this room a little more functional, but right now I gotta work with what I got. After experiencing a really hard rain the first night I lived here, I quickly realized I needed to scrap my plans of an armchair, lamp for reading, soft rug, etc. For now, I am going with a more indoor/outdoor feel. I'm also determined to make this room somewhat livable before it's too hot to enjoy it. Clock is ticking...

Here's my loose inspiration (from an old Domino). I think this is the room I want to have the most fun with in the house, color wise. You can see it from the outside (front door is glass), so making it cute is always a plus. Rug has been ordered... trip to Ikea to find good, modern (but comfy) chair is in order next. Will update on progress soon and update with before(ish) pictures of the entire house!

Recent purchases and wishlist

Hi there, internets. I am getting closer and closer every day to becoming a homeowner- I think I've found the one (for now)! Fingers crossed that it will be mine very soon...

Till then, I'll be buying and lusting after things for my imaginary home. Some recent purchases include:

New bedding! While I love the vibrant Anthro quilt that I've used for the past 4 years, I thought it was time for a change. I've mentioned before that I'm drawn to an all white bed, accented with tons of mismatched, colorful pillows. I love that this is matelasse, but the geometric pattern keeps it more modern and less sugary-sweet.

New lamp! I am notoriously picky about floor lamps- it seems like I hate them all- but this looks like one I could get on board with. I found it via one of my favorite design blogs, Copy Cat Chic. It is on clearance from JCPenney, believe it or not. I did get word that it's on backorder until March (!! at least there's no dark corner in my "house" waiting for it), and I am so hoping I don't get the dreaded out of stock notification before then.

As I think about the things I will need to fill an entire home, many, MANY pieces come to mind. I have no real dining furniture to speak of, so that's a priority. I will have a guest bedroom/office to fill. In the past I have bought items to fill a need. However, I think I've decided I'm going to embrace the "if I love it, I'll find a place for it" mentality. That way I will end up with things I actually LOVE, and not just something I bought because I "needed" a lamp, coffee table, etc.

Some practical things I have been lusting after lately...

Faux bois rug by Martha Stewart Living. I have wanted a faux bois rug for YEARS now.

A lot of bloggers have these chairs, but I still love them. I would like them with a sweet tulip table for my dining room.

Another "everybody has one" buy, but they really do go with many different schemes...

A knockoff of the West Elm Parsons desk. This one is a steal! I do already have a desk that is perfectly fine looking and functional, it's just not really my style anymore. I have always been a big believer in desks with LOTS of storage, but I think I am now realizing more storage = more clutter. I am desperate to get rid of the clutter in my life, and maybe having fewer places to actually put it will help.

That's it for now- hopefully soon I will have a place to put all these things!

Practicality

Rooms that I love, though I'm not sure how practical they are for my lifestyle. Still fun to look at! (and aspire to- New Year's Resolution of 2011: regardless of my living situation, I WILL get organized)

Peter Dunham via Little Green Notebook
Such a cute room. I love the fabric and the shape of the couch.

via 6th Street Design School
I love this office because it is attractive but still super functional. The holy grail. As someone who hangs onto a lot of "stuff," organizing everything in the Ikea Expedit storage + various boxes/bins would be a challenge for me- in a good way.

via Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles
Oh my gosh, I love this kitchen! It is so informal and effortless. Love that the island doubles as a seating area. I think all of the galvanized steel fixtures are a little too much, however. Just the pendant over the sink would do it for me. I find myself drawn to kitchens without upper cabinets, but I think I know myself well enough to know that I could never be neat/organized enough to have all that out there in the open.

First

Some rooms that have been inspiring to me lately... I just need someone who is talented at interpreting my inspiration. I feel like my taste is scattered. Who can interpret this into a scheme that works for me? Help?

via Style at Home
I love the rustic, lodge-y feel of this set-up. I would love to curl up in that chair with that blanket. I have noticed I like white living areas. Is this do-able for my lifestyle? Not sure.

via DesignSponge
I can't stop looking at this bed. This is basically what I plan to do in my future master bedroom, with slight variations. Soft grey walls, white bed, all white bedding, tons of colorful pillows. And wood accents.

via DesignSponge
Dining rooms befuddle me, mainly because I've never had a real one before. However, if I get what I want in my future home, I will finally have one. I love the mix of rustic and industrial that is so popular right now. Mine will need to be casual and flexible. It will just be me eating there 90% of the time, but I want to be able to have people over (and fit them all at the table) occasionally.

via Newlywed Diaries
This will be another component of my future master bedroom. Slight problem is that I need to actually find a trunk to use as a nightstand. I love this idea, especially in the tiny houses I'm looking at- extra storage anywhere is always a bonus.

I can't remember where I got this from- help!
Again with the white living areas. I have a foxtail fern that has always been an outside plant. After seeing this picture, I think he may need to come indoors in the future.

Seeing these images just makes me want to find a house and move in tomorrow! It is so hard to balance my desire to get there with my need to be thorough in my search. For now, I'll be perusing design blogs and trying to figure out what the heck my style is.