Happy Friday 10.28.11

Happy Friday everyone!

Sorry for the lack of posts this week, I have been working off site this week and haven't had a second to breathe. But it's Friday, so I'm happy!!

This weekend  I plan on relaxing (again), doing some sofa window shopping (word on the street is the Crate & Barrel outlet in Old Town Alexandria has a ton of sofas so I'm going to start there) and spending time with my hubby. I also might start researching some great Thanksgiving recipes, since I'm hosting for my family the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

In the meantime, I'll leave you with a super pretty, feminine room that I just adore. If you are a woman living by yourself, this is totally the time to rock pink in your apartment...believe me once you get married your husband will never let you paint a room pink. Isn't it just lovely!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Image via House & Home

Peek at Rue Magazine's founder's San Fran apt!

Happy Tuesday!

So I've been waiting for the anniversary issue of Rue mag...mostly to see the spread of Founder Crystal Gentilello's San Francisco apartment! I've been following her progress on her blog Plush Palate, but the final result was absolutely stunning!!! I am obsessed with the smoky black walls and light gray accents, and I adore the peach pink flowers below...so unexpected with the charocal palate....love!

I love the idea of doing a wall gallery with all shapes and sizes of rustic mirrors--perfect for a dining room!

I need to find out this hallway gray color...actually this whole hallway is making mine feel empty and void--maybe I should do a little wainscoting and frame hanging?

And then I love how in stark contrast to the moody romantic living room is the airy romantic feel of the bedroom. So bright and feminine!

And if you want more...check out Crystal's old Chicago apartment...man this chica is talented...she should start her own design mag...oh wait...she did :)

 I spy the same charcoal gray vase used in her San Fran living room...so refreshing!

What every bachelor pad should look like!

I can't believe it's already Monday...the weekends fly by so fast! Before you know it...it will be Thanksgiving! I had a wonderful weekend, complete with fall drives, the Georgetown homecoming with friends, and lots of apple cider :)

Anyhooo...I was combing through my favorite mag site, House & Home and came across Brad Ford's NYC apartment.

Seriously, for any guys-guy who lives in an apartment that still looks like a frat house, or use tray tables as nightstands, or sleep on silk sheets...please pay attention: This is what a bachelor pad should look like!

I love this space, so warm and lived-in (the opposite of Sabrina Soto's NYC apt) with interesting pieces and a masculine yet inviting color scheme...good on ya Brad Ford! I feel like at any moment, Brad is going to widdle some wood and make a beer mug for me...now that's a man :)

Natural tones dominate in Ford's living room, grounded by a cement floor painted chocolate brown.

"Texture and shape can help soften that hardness, making the room warm and inviting.”

Photographer: Eric Striffler

Sabrina Soto's NYC Penthouse Apt Tour

Happy Friday! What a great weekend ahead full of fall activities including a Georgetown football game, a drive along the GW Parkway to admire the fall trees on the Potomac, pumpkin carving, relaxing...and lots of apple cider!!

But in the meantime, I wanted to post apartment pics of one of my favorite HGTV personalities, Sabrina Soto. Her penthouse apartment was recently featured on Apartment Therapy. I was so sad to read that Sabrina moved from nearby Bethesda, MD to NYC for her new High-Low show. I was really hoping to run into her in a local Target and try to give her a hug :) I adore Sabrina, however I'm not overly impressed with her NYC apartment. She is so vibrant and cheery and her apartment looks like a "Get it sold" apt she just helped a poor clueless soul. Now to give her credit, she did just move up to NYC and I imagine her much larger home in Bethesda chock full of great design, vibrant colors and a cozy feel.

What do you think?

I SPY the Dwell Peacock Duvet...love!

 

My Kitchen School Project 1

Happy Wednesday!

So we are starting on our second big school project, a kitchen redesign. It works out perfectly because these are the two rooms in our house we actually hope to modestly renovate in the next few years: the bathroom and our kitchen.

So begins my dilemma...making a ridiculous beautiful perfect kitchen design, or designing something I can actually implement in my own kitchen...I decided to do a combination of both. I'm going to keep my kitchen blueprint, but add an island and swap my sink and stove...which in reality would be way too expensive but will make my class project better :) However, I'll source all of the same materials I really hope to use in my kitchen soon...including Ceaserstone Misty Carrara counter tops, Jonathan Adler Hicks pendants, and Ikea white wood cabinets.

Here are some of my inspiration pics:

Stay tuned...

Super Cool Pumpkins

So even though it's only Tuesday, I'm dreaming and planning another relaxing weekend. I thought this would be a perfect weekend to get my flu shot and decorate pumpkins!

I'm not a huge pumpkin carver...so I found some highly decorative and cool pumpkins that don't require  knives and pumpkin guts :)

Check it out...

Loving the nailhead trim from Martha Stewart...I can handle nails and a hammer!

Although you do have to clean the inside, these pumpkins just require a drill  

These pumpkins are super fabulous and for the highly skilled or those with a lot of time on their hands :)