Model Home Decorating Ideas

One of my most favorite ways to get decorating ideas is to go model home hopping.  That means I take my camera and my BFF and we find all the new construction model homes and take a tour.

The best thing to do, if you model home hop, is to be honest with the sales person there.  Don’t pretend to be a potential home buyer.  It’s a waste of their time.  Tell them you are just out looking at model homes for fun and they will leave you alone.  They are actually used to people looking a model homes for decorating ideas.

Here are some pictures I snapped yesterday.  Now I have even more ideas running through my head! 😉

The butler’s pantry in this home is also a bar area.

I took this picture because I liked the color of the cabinet. Notice the plain, boring mirror on the wall! Tisk Tisk! 🙂

I don’t need to say anything about this photo, but I will… Look at that ceiling!!! Love it.

The wall behind the bed is covered in wall paper. Makes a great accent wall!

Look at the arched windows in this photo.

The ceiling in this photo is covered in wallpaper. The back wall is painted a chocolate brown. I’m not a fan of dining rooms, but this is a pretty space.

This builder did frame out the mirror. Do you see how they added an extra horizontal board?

A cute kitchen eating area.

Bright and happy master bedroom.

Beamed ceilings! Ahhh… someday.

In this bedroom, board and batten was used as a headboard effect. This has my head spinning with ideas!

Beautiful staircase. The dark wood against the white! Love.

I took this picture because I like the hallway floor. Although the different levels could be dangerous in the dark! (If you’re me!)

White/Cream cabinets.

Love this lighting over the kitchen table.

These gorgeous lights are hanging over a kitchen island. I wish I would have asked where they came from.

Have you ever model home hopped?

Dreaming of Redecorating

Happy Monday!

Well, I just redecorated my whole house… in my head! 😉  Have you been to Kirkland’s lately or looked on-line?  They have some fabulous pieces.  I wonder if Hubby would notice the house or the bank account if I redecorated.  My guess is definitely the bank account.  I can hang a picture on the wall and be tired of it before Hubby even notices it’s new.  HA!

Check out these beautiful pieces…

This piece would look great in the entryway or as a sofa table.

I would use this piece as the mail center. Mail in the baskets and phone books in the cupboard. Yes, I occasionally look up a number the old fashion way. 😉

I love this as a night stand.

OMGosh! I want this as my sewing/craft table! Please?

Media console for the one and only flat screen TV we have! I love this!

Night stand for my daughter.

Night stand for my son. Maybe in black.

Bench at the end of the bed or in the bedroom somewhere.

Kitchen bar stools. They would brighten up the kitchen.

Another night stand or end table.

I LOVE this one. It’s only 12 inches wide. I would love to have it in the front door entry way. Something different from a console table.

Just love the colors. It’s happy!

More color!

Message board for the kitchen or in my daughter’s room.

This is just different. I like different!

Creative Ideas for Maps

Before I was married, maps were never a part of my life.  I guess because I never went anywhere that required visual aide to get there.  Not that I would have actually been able to read a map anyway.  That would mean knowing if I were headed North, South, East or West.  I’m lucky to know my left from my right.

But when I met my Hubby, one of the first things I learned about him was is love of maps.  Whenever we went anywhere, here or in another country, his favorite phrase would be “Let’s consult the map”.  And he would hold it in the palm of his hands, up to the sky, like it was a little piece of Heaven.  🙂

Now maps are in my life too.  Not to read them of course, but to use them as inspiration for DIY and decorating!  (You didn’t really think I have learned which direction is which, did you?)  😉

I found some very creative and inspiring ideas to do with maps.  Some of which I can’t wait to get started!  Click on the picture to see the source and directions.  (If there is not a link, it’s because I could not find one.)  Enjoy and create!

Hubby loves maps and I love pillows. It’s a perfect match!

This is beautiful!

Map Chandelier

How cool is this?

Map on a canvas.

This is HAPPY on a wall! I’m doing this!!

Decoupage dresser.

I posted this fabric map before. Still on my list of crafts to do! It’s one of my favorite ideas!

Map letters.

This is from Etsy. A perfect piece to store all your travel treasures.

Light fixture cover with circles of maps.

decorating a door with maps.

Love this table. I think I have found my unfinished round table inspiration!

Spring Decor

Now that vacation is over, and the kids will be back to school in a few days, I’m looking forward to spring cleaning.  That doesn’t mean actually “cleaning” (I don’t ever look forward to that!), that means organizing, decluttering and re-accessorizing.  I’m ready to lighten and brighten things up. 

I have been drawn to birds for a while now.  I keep my eye out for them whenever I’m out treasure hunting or antiquing.  It seems birds are quite popular at the moment too.  Most of the pictures I found with ideas I would like to try have birds in them.     (click on picture for source)

Do you “redo” when spring arrives?  Change things up, switch things out? 

Decorating Mantels for the Holidays

Have I mentioned I’m looking forward to the Holiday Season?  I’m planning ahead this year and getting new ideas for decorating.  I want to get out of my holiday decorating rut!  It’s time for an update.  The mantel is one of my favorite things to decorate, so I’m starting with that.

Southern Living.  I love the simplicity of green and white.

Coastal Living. 

Southern Living

HGTV.  I love this one!

Country Living

Country Living.  Blues and white… a twist on the traditional.

Southern Accents

Style At Home.  Another favorite!

Southern Living.  Simple and elegant.

Bedroom Decorating Ideas for Girls

Now that I’m looking for new ideas for my daughter’s room, I googled decorating ideas for girls.  Oodles came up, but I would say more than half the pictures were rooms decorated in pink.  My daughter hates pink.  It we are shopping and we come across something pink, she will throw her hands over her eyes and shriek “My eyes!  They’re burning!”  Ha!  She’s a hoot.

Here are some I found that weren’t in the offensive color pink.  My favorite is third picture, the green with blue.  What do you think?  Which one is your favorite?

HGTV

HGTV (my favorite so far)

(Can’t find source)

http://bedroom-ideas-for.com/tag/blue-bedroom-ideas-for-teenage-girls

Block Painted Wall again

Remember my favorite quote off to the side…“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.” ???  Blah Blah Blah Blah!  WHATEVER!  Ha!  (just kidding)  All I can say is that making mistakes is not alway fun.

I’m redoing my daughter’s room.  I had it all figured out.  It was daughter approved.  She wanted blocks painted on her wall in random patterns, similar to her brother’s room.  After taping off the wall, we painted it.  But before that, I painted the whole wall white.  Since only two-inch lines of white would be showing, I chose to go with cheap white paint.  BIG MISTAKE!  After my daughter and I painted the wall in three different colors, we let it dry before removing the painters tape.  I don’t know if it was the cheap white under coat or if I waited too long to remove the tape, but the result was ugly! : (

My little mini me!

The HORROR! This happened everywhere!

Now the wall needs to be sanded from top to bottom and primed before moving on.  After seeing what the blocks looked like in her room, we both decided that we didn’t really care for it.  It was cool, but not the look we wanted.  I had to step away from the project for a bit.  All that work… and to have it turn out bad is just a little frustrating.  If you want to try this yourself, my advice to you would be DON’T SKIMP ON PAINT.  BUY THE GOOD STUFF, IT’S WORTH IT.

Back to the drawing board.  I know the next attempt will turn out awesome.  I’m thinking positive that when I start her room again, there will be oodles of “having fun”! : )

Too Hot

I think everyone should have a workshop in their home, don’t you?  One that has dust ventilation and air conditioning!  I don’t have one, unfortunately.  Just a very hot garage with all my projects sitting there waiting to be worked on.  Ugh!  Summer is upon us and it skipped right over Spring!  Ah well, that just means I will start on the “in the house” projects.  More post on those projects soon.