A few years ago, I took an art class where I was required to create several paintings, the final one being an abstract work.  I never thought I would like painting abstract art because of the fact it’s not about a pictoral representation, rather the use of color, brushstrokes and emotion.  

Lately, I’ve imagined a large scale piece over our living room sofa, so I’ve been collecting inspirational images to remind myself how fabulous a large scale piece of abstract art looks over a mantel, couch, or console. 

 Ballard Designs

Decorpad

Pottery Barn

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You know that holiday tune “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” ?  Well whenever I hear it, I often substitute these words. 

It’s the most wonderful time of the year,

With the relatives yelling

And everyone selling you plastic reindeer!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!”

In my family, we make up new words to old songs just to amuse ourselves, we’re just strange like that.  Or perhaps you do that too. 

Joking aside, it’s true that even though December is a magical time of year, with little ones counting the days until Santa arrives, it can quickly become stressful and commercialized.  I try to take it all in stride and focus on more meaningful moments: making cookies with the kids, crafting, decorating the tree, snuggling up with Christmas movies, and remembering the reason for the season.  I read this on Laurel’s blog the other day, “Sure, the season is hectic, but you only have a few years to put tradition in their hearts.”   So true!

Amidst the hustle and bustle of the season, there are always moments when I need a little peace and I seek an escape.  When I feel the need for calm.  For me, often that’s dreaming about pretty places.  Time spent with family and friends is priceless, but there is something to be said for the desire to transform the places in which we live into calming spaces.  It’s why we read shelter magazines and follow good design.  It’s why we write about our own spaces and read other blogs ~ we seek to be inspired.   

Pictures are worth a thousand words, so when I seek serenity, quite often I turn to sites or images that inspire me.  I love magical airy ethereal spaces that instantly make me breathe a little deeper, and make me want to curl up with a good book and some tea.

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Most catalogs pile up around my house, and quickly make their way to the recycling bin, but I was glancing at the latest Wisteria catalog over the weekend, and was completely inspired by several of their pieces.  What I love about the style on the pages of Wisteria is the mix of old and new, whimsy with tradition, and rustic with modern chic. 

This reproduction trumeau was the first to catch my eye.   

I spied several expensive reproduction trumeaus on our recent trip to Jan de Luz in Carmel, and am determined someday to have a reasonably priced one in our foyer.  I’m so crazy about trumeaus, I may follow Susie’s brilliant DIY tutorial to reproduce one of my own. 

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Confession time, I’ve been sprucing up my laundry room this past week.  It struck me on Monday afternoon that I’d been avoiding that space for a good reason – it was outdated and not functioning as well as it could.  Plus I dread laundry. 

So I had a compulsive moment and started painting the cabinets which led to installing shelves which led to making window treatments.  I’ve convinced myself a spruced up washroom will fundamentally alter my aversion to laundry, and reverse my embarrassing habit of letting the clean piles of clothing get so high my children disappear under them.  

It’s almost done, but while I finish it off, how about a few gorgeous washrooms to inspire? 

What’s not to love about this beauty ?  I love the wainscoting and the picture frames on the white cabinetry, plus the oh so functional drying rack for delicates.  How soothing is this color on the walls ? I think I might like doing laundry in here.  But I think the floor needs a soft and playful patterned rug. 

 Rabaut Design via House of Turquoise

Oh, don’t you love that pop of apple green on the middle upper cabinet ?  I adore the blues and greens with crisp white cabinetry, and the contrast with the rustic wood folding table.  How incredible that shell fixture ?

 My Home Ideas

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