Summer time bathroom makeover

As the hot weather approaches those indoor home improvement projects become more and more appealing. Here are some ideas for updating your bathroom that you can do yourself. No matter what type of remodeler you are these ideas will defiantly keep you busy during the hot summer months ahead.

If you pride yourself as fashionable modern home owner consider something sleek and modern, as your bathroom sink shouldn’t be the entire focus of your bathroom. If you find that your high end fashion sense isn’t satisfied by a traditional looking sink try a wall mounted sink. This will open up a huge amount of space in your bathroom allowing you to splurge on that pricey handmade shower curtain you’ve had your eye on.

If you are looking to makeover a child’s bathroom get creative, install a above counter sink that sits 6 inches in height above the countertop. You could easily let your children paint this sink to give it a little personality and it would serve as a great indoor activity.

When choosing a summer project remember to keep it simple, make sure that you have all the materials you need before getting started and most importantly make it fun!

Modern Pendant Lights

After a long move from NJ to AZ, we are settling nicely in our new home. We’ve decided to rent for at least a year to get a feel for Scottsdale. Purchasing a new home is a BIG step, right? Plus, I LOVE looking at real estate and want to do this for a LONG time before buying. So far we are loving our rental home. It is small, but located on a 1 acre lot with all kinds of beautiful cacti, fruit trees, & brush/bushes.

I haven’t lived in a rental since my 20s, so I am not sure how much I should spend on updates/changes. The first thing I’d love to do is add some new light fixtures. There are 3 rooms that I am currently shopping for new light fixtures: the Eating Area/Kitchen, Master Bedroom, & Dining Room.

Here are a few Pendant Light Fixtures that I’m considering. I feel like I should be on a budget since this is a rental home, but I do LOVE some of those more expensive lights!

Which ones are your favorites?

under $100:

HEKTAR Pendant lamp
Progress Lighting 1-Light White Pendant
ONSJÖ LED chandelier, chrome plated
Hampton Bay 1-Light Brushed Nickel Warehouse Pendant
Brief Birds’ Nest Kitchen Pendant Light White
IKEA PS MASKROS Pendant lamp
Muuto E27 Pendant Light

between $100 & $300:

Factory Light No. 5 Rod
Norm 12 Pendant Lamp
Filament Design Vista 1 Light Brushed Steel Incandescent Pendant
cage pendant lamp
Design House Stockholm & Form Us With Love’s
Work Lamp
Design House Stockholm Form 1 Light Round Globe Pendant
Ivanhoe™ Sky Chief Warehouse Porcelain Pendant

over $300:

Factory Light No. 9
Patrick Townsend White Orbit Chandelier
Frame light – large
David Trubridge Coral 600 Pendant Lamp
Puncto 4203 Suspension Lamp beech natur/cable white
Superstar Suspension Lamp
tom dixon bronze copper shade pendant
Muuto & Thomas Bernstrand’s Studio Pendant Light
SLAMP Goccia Suspension Pendant
Small Spica

Here is my current Eating Area:

Cactus Inspiration

Now that we are living in the southwest, I’ve been looking for some fun ways to plant succulents and mini cacti for the back patio. I’m just collection photos and cannot wait to plant some colorful plants!

*images via PINTEREST

A Modern Country Kitchen

This month for HOUZZ.com I’ve picked out some of my favorite things for my dream country kitchen. That would be if I had a house in the country, on the side of a mountain! I love that country has recently merged with modern – i’m really digging this new style!

1. Between Us Canvas
2. Green Polka Dots & Stripes Ceramic Bowls
3. Factory Light No. 4 Cable
4. Linen/Cotton EAT Napkins
5. Whisk Icon Apron
6. GLÄNTA Bread Bag
7. Wood Leg White Accent Chairs
8. Boerum Dining Table>
9. Blackened Stainless Steel Cutlery Set
10. Keith Brymer Jones Teapot
11. Bread Pin Basket
12. Garden Party Straws
13. LANTLIV White Plant Stand
14. Farmers Market Ceramic Quart Container
15. Classic Cocktails Tea Towel
16. SOMMARFINT Serving bowls
17. Kate Spade New York Larabee Road Black™ Tidbit Plates
18. 72″ French Library Shelving Polished Stainless Steel
19. RÅSKOG Turquoise
Kitchen Cart
20. La Cornue CornuFé Stove, Stainless-Steel

Minimal versus ‘cosy’ home interior design

With many of us facing an ongoing struggle for space, going minimalist can have its advantages in terms of keeping our homes clean, fresh and manageable. But for some, this rather brutal take on interior design can be too cold, too faceless, leaving many to stick to their more ‘cosy’ style of home décor. So is there a way to be minimalist without leaving homes devoid of all personality?
What is minimalist?
Minimalism is all about space, clean lines and removing all the clutter from sight. Creating a minimalist home gives a peaceful, more purposeful environment where each piece of furniture and décor is there for a reason. A minimalist home has the benefit of being easier to clean, to keep tidy and gives us the space we crave so much.
What is ‘cosy’?
A cosy space in the home is at the other end of the spectrum. Creating a cosy room is all about generating warmth and homely comfort with our layout, objects and furnishings, often including lots of unusual or quirky items in the design. The cosy home has lots of ‘clutter’, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but in a home where space is at a premium it can start to feel a little claustrophobic. Not to mention all the dusting there is to do!
A happy medium?
Most people will fall somewhere in between the two extremes. A desire to maximise the available space and create a home with less clutter and more purpose lends itself to some minimalist touches, but a fear of creating a space that is too cold incites us to bring in more decorations and quirky items to freshen up the face of the room.
So is there a way to create a perfectly minimal room that is still warm and comforting? Here are some ideas for doing just that:
· Colour: Minimalist homes are traditionally very white or grey with very little colour injection. But why? Add in a splash of colour with a bright rug or some statement pieces of furniture and instantly the room feels more homely.

· Materials: Use as many natural materials as you can to create a sense of warmth in an otherwise minimal environment. Think about reclaimed wood, wool rugs, linen napkins etc.

· Texture: Add visual interest to an otherwise monochromatic colour scheme by being inventive with the textures in the room. Go for things like hammered metal table tops, chunky hand knitted throws and smooth, polished metal embellishments as a funky alternative to frills.

· Decorations: Rather than trawling the home interiors shops for expensive designer pieces, try using things that have more meaning and purpose to them. Sticks you have gathered on a walk, unusual rocks found at the beach and simple plants or vases of flowers will create a lovely, organic look for your home.

· Light: Make the most of natural light by keeping window dressing to a minimum. You don’t want to have to redesign your window locations around your interior wishes, so design your room to maximise the window light. Use mirrors or polished, reflective surfaces to bounce the natural light around the space and create warm, comforting glows in every corner.

Gilt Picks!

I am obsessing over all of the fabulous home decor items for sale on GILT right now. Have you purchased anything lately?

Light & White Washed Wood Floors

I am kind of obsessed with light wood floors lately. Last year I had dark hard wood floors put on the entire main floor, but in our next house I plan to go LIGHT! Here are 5 of my favorite ideas for inspiration.

1. Looks like a bleached pine wood floor with a few knots in the wood.

2. bleached white wood floors, wider planks. These floors almost look unfinished.

3. Super white washed, narrow wood plank floors

4. white washed herringbone wood floors

5. white washed pine floors LOVE that piano!

Society 6 Throw Pillow Covers

1. Hakuna Matata Pillow
2. White Grey Deconstruction Geometric Pillow
3. Mustard/Yellow Chevron Pillow
4. Coral Modern Dahlia Flower Pillow

Did you know that Society 6 now sells pillow covers? You can order them with or without the insert in 3 different sizes. Prices start at only $20 for a 16X16 inch pillow cover! A serious bargain if you love to change up your home decor with the seasons. Here are 12 of my current favorites. There are literally thousands to browse!

5. Black Cat Pillow
6. White Cross on Black Pillow
7. White Dots on Black Pillow
8. Black Cross on White Pillow

9. Glitter Stripe Pillow
10. Stockinette Orange Pillow
11. Minimal Complexity Pillow
12. Peach Heart Pillow