Fall Décor Home Tour

Posted on October 7, 2015 by lasalledesignblog

Have you picked out the perfect jack-o-lantern pumpkin yet? Indulged in any pumpkin spiced treats?

I haven’t gotten around to either yet, but have been reveling in the autumn season so far! We have had a beautiful burst of fall like weather in Texas. For once, it has been slightly less hot and humid out and we have made a concerted effort to get outside and soak it all in!

I’m so excited to show you some of the new Fall décor around our home this season. So let’s start with the front door. I still love to use my Chevron Burlap Wreath in autumn, but this year I have added purple mums, begonias and a few straw pumpkins. I love the added warmth of these inviting floral touches.

Moving on to our Entry. In past years I hadn’t done much decorating in our Entryway. Maybe change out a few branches in the tall vase next to my mirror, but that’s about it. This year I decided to spread the orange/pumpkin love and incorporate aqua/turquoise with a hint of red.

I draped our entry table with linen and added a bit of the Ming Dragon in Aquatint from Robert Allen’s Dwell Studio line. This fun print pulls everything together perfectly!

Last year’s decorations in the living room can be seen here. And as you can see, I went a little pumpkin crazy. Pumpkins from edge to edge. This year I am using my apothecary jars, a few of my milk glass pieces, and some other fall colors like plum and green.

Thus far, I’ve styled the apothecary jars for both Christmas and spring. They have been a great addition and I’ve enjoyed coming up with new ways to adapt their décor for the coming season.

Meanwhile, incorporating multiple natural elements such as artichokes, pomegranates, and acorns along with the usual pumpkins reminds me of harvest.

That’s all for now, but be sure to check back soon for some of my favorite fall décor across the web.

How have you styled your home for the autumnal season?

Overwhelmed to Audacious

Posted on September 21, 2015 by lasalledesignblog

Upon arriving at home last Friday afternoon, I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders. Geoff and I sat down to relax for a moment, but I could not quiet my mind. All the things I should be doing right now: laundry, dishes, dusting, playing with my son instead of turning on a show and supplying his favorite snack, watering my plants, checking work email, and the list goes on…

“I need to clone myself… three times,” I said to Geoff. He nodded, knowing the feeling, but I wasn’t kidding. I need one duplicate to be a good wife, housekeeper, cook and attempted gardener. One to devote more time to my son with more moments building with Legos, talking about monster trucks and doing educational crafts or games. One to work harder at the office, have days without distraction, get everything ordered, status updates, floorplans complete and installs perfectly scheduled. And the last one to be creative. Sketching, sewing, gathering inspiration, decorating, growing my blog and thinking towards developing my own design business.

But the truth is: I just can’t do it all.

In the world of “super-moms” that tell you how to “have it all” I am just one person… One.

~~~

Flashback to the beginning of the week:
I knew it would be a busy one. I had stayed very late the previous Friday to feel like I had a grip on my workload come Monday morning. And yet… it was an insane week. I trusted a vendor would come through for an install… and that didn’t. Could I have done anything more to change the outcome? No. Did I beat myself up over it? Yes. Did I get flack it? Yes. And I am not good with criticism. It’s not that I am confrontational or rudely defensive. It’s that I internalize failure and mistakes… deeply.

~~~

Flashback again to the previous Saturday:
I went with a sweet friend to the simulcast of Beth Moore. It was my first time hearing Beth speak and it was a blessing, to say the least. The central theme was being an Audacious believer; having the “guts” to live with intrepid boldness. The moment that affected me the most that day was when she spoke about making time to be with God. Time to pray, immerse in the Word and make Him a priority. Specifically, she said something to the effect of, “Don’t say you don’t have time. Because your family, your relationships, and our Lord are work losing 45 minutes of extra sleep!”

Lightbulb Moment.

As a family, we have made a commitment recently to get to church and stop saying to ourselves, “Maybe next week.” That day I made a personal commitment to have a quiet time with the Lord each day No.Matter.What.

I’ve been reading from the 365 day devotional book, Jesus Calling, and doing 10-15 minutes of prayer. I have done this each day this week… except for Friday morning. Christopher woke up super early, my routine was altered and life got in the way.

~~~

Back to Friday afternoon: I am sitting with Geoff feeling Overwhelmed (with a capital O). And then I realize that I haven’t read my devotional. My heart was heavy about it… not with guilt, but I felt like God was telling me to read it.

As I did, the words leapt off of the page. It was as though each and every sentence and passage were written for me in that moment. The scriptures of that day are below:

“But seek first the kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33

“The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” John 8:29

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:23-24

Then came the real tears. Isn’t it astounding how our Savior can speak through the words on a page directly to our hearts?!

I wanted to share this with you because I know that ALL of us have these moments! Nonetheless, the Lord is there to comfort us saying, “Why did you want to carry this alone? Cast these burdens upon Me, accept the peace that only I can provide, and wait patiently for My discernment and direction.”

How blessed are we to be children of God?! Let’s live for him and be Audacious!

Maggie’s Dorm: Part 2

Posted on August 26, 2015 by lasalledesignblog

Yesterday, in Part 1, I went over the inspiration for my baby sister, Maggie’s, dorm room as well as some of the selections. We wanted to make this a comfortable space that felt warm and cozy as opposed to a cold and impersonal cinderblock box. Maggie has a spunky and fun personality, so we wanted the decor to reflect that.

Once we had selected the main decorative elements, such as duvet cover, desk accessories, armchair and rug, we needed to fill in with lighting, art and accessories.

In general, dormitories employ overhead fluorescent lighting. While very functional, it does not provide the same ambiance as other forms of lighting such as floor lamps, table lamps and desk lamps. Maggie already had an adorable desk lamp from IKEA so the only remaining item needed was an adequate floor or table lamp. In this case, we decided to use a vintage piece from our parents’ house (aka free). It was a 70’s era floor lamp/table in a slightly dated wood tone with a more formal shade. We painted it navy, grabbed a new drum shade at IKEA, added some grosgrain ribbon and voila!

(Sorry for all of the cell phone pics! Somehow I never end up with photos of the individual items!)

To finish everything off, we picked up some fantastic artwork, cork boards, greenery, and decorative accessories at Hobby Lobby. However, the finishing touch to the artwork in the room was a piece of string art, done by our sister Becca, with the university’s logo. I love the look of string art, but I am sad to admit, I have never tried making a piece of my own. Becca has become quite accomplished in creating it and should possibly think of opening an Etsy shop. (wink, wink!)

With all of that being said…. It’s time for the grand reveal!

We raised the bed to accommodate a mini-fridge and lots of stackable, rolling IKEA storage below.

The floor lamp got an extra boost from a milk crate so that it would be high enough to comfortably light the bed. Since the light had a three-way switch, we were able to use a 75/100/150 bulb to offer multiple brightness levels.

The pillows are a mixture designer fabrics that were in our free stash. Often, with less than a yard, we were able to get one pillow from a small piece of fabric. This is where spending a bit more can make a big impact!

The chair looks fantastic with Dritz Polished Brass Nailhead Trim. We used the same type of nailhead tape that I have used on my desk chair and Greek Key Headboard.

Meanwhile, a funky and fun accent pillow finishes off the look!

For the desk area, we decided to keep things simple on the shelves. We love the combination of the geometric pattern of the HEJSAN accessories with the SKURAR pots and greenery. A few gold metallic pieces and three prism shaped objets pulled everything together!

The curtains were a steal at Tuesday Morning and present a neutral enough color and design that they go well with the décor of any roommate.

I think this will be a calming yet practical space for late night study sessions!

Last, but not least… The beautiful FLOR tile rug:

I completely forgot to take a photo of the rug before we headed out on Move-in day! So Maggie was nice enough to send this pic earlier in the week. It is already getting a lot of use!

We had an absolute blast planning, DIY-ing and installing this comfy slice dormitory heaven! More importantly, it was a blessing to be able to start off Maggie’s college career in a space where she feels comfortable and inspired!

I’d love to see other fun dorm room designs! Have you done anything fun with dorm décor?

Maggie’s Dorm: Part 1

Posted on August 25, 2015 by lasalledesignblog

This past weekend was a milestone for our family. My youngest sister, the baby of the family, moved into her college dorm! It also so just happened that 10 years ago I moved into my first college dorm a few feet away at the very same university.

It was a mixture of budding enthusiasm for her new endeavor in life as well as nostalgia while thinking back to my college years!

Nostalgia aside, we were all eager to get our sweet Maggie settled in!

A few years ago I did a few posts about our sister Becca’s Dorm Inspiration, her Dorm Reveal as well as a 7 Ways to Make a Dorm Room Feel Like Home. We wanted to create an equally cozy room in this space, so we decided to go with a cheerful color scheme and layer playful patterns.

This was the original inspiration for our design. As you may remember from the makeover of her room in our parent’s home, Maggie enjoys color! We knew that we were working with a very blank canvas, but wanted Maggie’s vibrant personality to shine through in the space!

We pinned a few other ideas and inspirations, but our jumping off point came with the items below:

We loved the neutral background and large geometric lines of the IKEA PS 2014 Duvet Cover. Maggie was not sure about this duvet at first, but when she saw it in person… it was a done deal!

*(I will warn you there is only low stock of this item at best because it was a 2014 collection item)

Then we fell for the HEJSAN desk accessory set… We knew Maggie’s desk area would be limited on space but this collection was a great way to incorporate some much needed color and fun!

For dorms, and especially for someone starting out, IKEA can be the perfect place to start.

Our next major hurdles were a rug for the space and a comfy yet functional (not enormous or expensive) armchair. In both of these areas, we were blessed to receive free alternatives that we were able to DIY into fabulous items. (eek!)

This armchair was a dinged up and dust covered sample frame that our upholstery company was nice enough to give me. Seen here on a forgotten shelf in the warehouse.

We recovered it and added nailhead trim to finish it off. Consequently, upholstery is not always for the faint of heart! This little chair consumed a few hours of one Saturday. Note to self: striped fabric curved furniture is attractive, but maybe I’ll have a pro do it next time!

My little nugget chilling out in the semi-finished piece in Grammy and Poppa’s living room. The finished piece will be in tomorrow’s Part 2.

Last, I had been given a stack of FLOR tiles that were originally used as a temporary solution for a client. They had been sitting in the back of my car taking up space until we realized that they might work in the dorm perfectly.

There were an awkward quantity of each color, but we fiddled around with a few different designs.

… You’ll have to wait until tomorrow to find out which one!

I’ll be posting the reveal and more info about the finishing touches and accessories. I just can’t wait to show you!

Ikea – Items to Love in 2016

Posted on July 29, 2015 by lasalledesignblog

Greetings!

The question going around the blogosphere this week is, “Did you get the new Ikea catalog yet?”

If you did, consider yourself lucky as some are still waiting for them to come in the mail. I would not necessarily call myself an Ikea addict, but many of their items grace my home. Ikea is renowned worldwide for making decent products at affordable prices. Every year when their catalog comes out, new products are displayed and hosts of their other merchandise is staged in inviting and accessible spaces.

As I turned the pages of the 2016 catalog, here are some items I found particularly tempting:

Beginning with new items, the SINNERLIG collection will be one to keep an eye out for this fall. With natural textures and clean lines, I think this will become a fan favorite

This new MOCKELBY trestle table will certainly be a new staple.

Meanwhile, one could set this beautiful table with the new SITTNING collection.

Although they are already being sold in stores, the FJALLA boxes are an excellent and attractive storage option.

And I love the new RADVIKEN chair!

The new TJUSIG collection will have you reorganizing your entry/mudroom.

The ALMASTA chair is probably another soon-to-be favorite of mine.

This particular product really caught my eye. I have been seeing lots of patterns like this in high end fabrics and I am supremely impressed with the style and vibrancy of this new print!

As you flip through the pages of the new catalog, you may find yourself drawn to a few of their existing pieces.

I am very fond of the HOLMSEL chair and its tasteful lines.

I am still trying to find an excuse to buy place to use the ALSEDA stool. It would be fantastic both indoors and outdoors!

And the adorable BRADA would be great for a dorm or teen room!

The TORKIS boasts many utilitarian uses from laundry basket to doggy bath.

However, I will be forever drawn to the STOCKHOLM chandelier. This is the closest my current budget could get to a gorgeous crystal chandelier… and in the case of the STOCKHOLM… I’m perfectly OK with that!