I continue to love white kitchens for their timeless appeal and this one is definitely a favorite for several reasons. It’s light and bright yet warm and inviting, combining traditional and modern style to make one stunning space. Here’s today’s episode with five great takeaways from this breathtaking kitchen!

Design by Allison Hennessey – Photographed by Emily Jenkins Followill

What do you love about this kitchen space?

.

Hey everyone, it’s the start of a new week! Let’s kick it off with a recent reader submission, an email from Kristin who posed a design dilemma many people (*ahem* ladies) face when decorating their living or family rooms, and today’s focus is on that piece that so many dudes love, the leather sofa or sectional. I received this recent email from Kristin:

“Hello! I have been following your blog for years and I share a lot of the same styles but have a dilemma. My husband and I have a decent size house but one living room with a leather furniture set. I love the airy and clean looks of your decorating style, but the leather furniture purchased by my husband is big, dark, and manly.  We don’t have many windows and the walls are a light beige (Latte by SW) and I decorate with a lot of whites, blacks and beiges but I just feel STUCK! Any suggestions for making the room feel more light and feminine?”

Hi Kristin! This is a common dilemma, since many people own leather sofas and sectionals, and pieces upholstered in a traditional dark hide can feel visually heavy in a space. But I think it’s less about making a room feel more feminine and more about creating a room that is balanced with clever layering and accessorizing since (done right) leather sofas can be both attractive and comfortable. Here are five ideas I came up with to decorate around leather sofas.

1.)  Lighten Up.  A traditional leather sofa is dark by nature so the easiest way to balance that out is to accent and/or surround it with plenty of light for desirable contrast. A paler hue on the walls, soft cream or white accent pillows, and/or a light or white coffee table will accomplish just that!

The Painted Hive

West Elm via Apartment Therapy

source unknown

SF Girl by Bay

Read the rest of this entry »

Happy Cinco de Mayo amigos! We’ll be making some tacos and margaritas to celebrate with friends this afternoon, olé ! Here’s the latest roundup of the top ten not to miss posts from April!

1) We built two criss-cross planter boxes for the rear yard; 2) and featured some of our favorite spots in Maui. 3) Here’s a simple photo editing trick for fixing blown out windows and 4) Matt shared 10 tips for buying a home.

5) I created a mosaic tile mirror for the studio bathroom; 6)  my favorite perennial (or ornamental shrub so I’ve learned) 7) our courtyard seating area got a little spruced up 8) the ‘Solutions for Renters’ series continued with ideas for rental bathrooms 9) using pattern to dictate palette, and 10) we launched the Best of DIY site!

You can read all of the monthly top ten summaries here.

Have a great Sunday and enjoy your Cinco de Mayo!

.

Hello friends! Excited for the weekend? I’m hoping to squeeze in some relaxation time, secretly planning a nap outdoors while the kids are at the ballpark with Matt tomorrow. Or maybe just some iced tea and a pile of shelter mags to catch up on my stack. The weather is so perfect right now I can’t resist being outdoors as much as possible.

Here are a few articles/features I loved reading this week, enjoy!

Sweet Paul Kid’s Issue

10 simple ways to love your home

A fun way to find similar design inspiration using Google images

Helpful tips for working with a kitchen designer

The 10 best jobs in America

This kitchen?  Yes please.

Upcycling your fireplace stones – clever!

Have a fabulous weekend!

.