Indoor Inspiration

As I am waiting on a new home I am going a little stir (stick) crazy. I want to paint something, make new curtains, re arrange, put up a back splash... but alas. I have to wait...for the blank canvas. In the meantime I have been storing away inspiration. I have been hit with a predicament though in design taste. I will come across an inspiring piece, photograph or idea that throws my usual taste and I will declare (I declare a lot...) "I am now into Zen decorating! Jon throw out all of our possessions! Less is more!" and he will pretend he didn't hear me and walk by (he learned to do that after I declared us vegans, until I got sick and then ate a big mac and felt better...now he doesn't abide by my declarations anymore, but he will let me paint whatever I want as long as I keep buying cheese.)

Then I saw a lot of colour and that threw my love of calming neutrals... so I am easily thrown off track. What always seems to pop at me is brown leather, vinyl, word art that creates ambiance and tone to a room, vintage telephones, room embellishments like, crown molding and backslashes, stone facade walls and so on. I like those elements that make the foundation of the space pop (I really want a stone wall in my dining room...when I get one).

I like re purposing things, like my old pickle barrel that was one of the first things Jon bought me from an antique store (going with me in the first place was truly the real gift). I loved it and stored magazines with it in the bathroom. Sadly I gave it to my Mother during a brief Zen phase and she took it three provinces away. Now I miss my pickle barrel. I just discovered primer and paint- in- one and can paint furniture now in a time my attention and interest span will allow for so that has opened up new doors for me design wise. I have done three pieces so far that I am still happy with (well, the armoir proved to be too much so Jon finished that for me...he hates antique stores and painting (and Ikea) but must really love me).

I love thrift stores and yard sales. They are my most favorite thing. If I don't get lucky there though, I always find something at Homesence. I don't like buying off the shelf first thing because I don't feel like I worked for it and don't take as much pride in it as I would, say...a pickle barrel turned magazine holder (...sob...).

I like arrangements of interest, unique furniture pieces and seasonal decor (but hate storing it...). I really like white kitchens with black hardware and I would like a black counter top in my new kitchen. I want open shelving too to display favorite serving pieces. and white dishes, always white. Once I had blue...but then I went back to white.

I love black and white, dark floors, light walls. I like great chairs. I hate disorder and random or complicated does not appeal to me. I like (need) things to be clean, orderly, streamlined and symmetrical...with a touch of spontaneous for interest. I think nothing sets off a kitchen quite like a great faucet and I detest things on the fridge. I understand the convenience and the importance of hanging children's work but really it bugs me so bad. I do enjoy frames- framed mirrors, calenders, bulletin boards (where my children's work hangs in lui of the fridge.) I am also discovering I like tin, I suppose that goes with vintage. A friend spray painted a tin garbage can black for her kitchen can, tall enough that her kids can't get into it and awesome enough that I love it. I like nature indoors, and enjoy a herb garden on the windowsill (I have gone through three of them...I get fed up with the basil...that grows too tall because I rarely use it (but you can't really have a herb garden without basil..) and then it looks half dead and won't perk up again. Anyhow in a basil fit I usually throw them all out.

...I like clocks, wood floors, interesting soup pumps, abhor nicnaks; or things that sit without purpose (dust collection excused) and hooks. I really enjoy a good hook. I have them in various places in the house now. I have some at children's level at the entryway (little sweaters look so sweet hanging off them) and two vintage ones in the kitchen for aprons. There are some plans certainly that I have in store for the new digs, namely a dressing table in the master bedroom...for moi of course. My mom always had one, I thought it was so glamorous...It was a huge (maybe only in my five year old mind?) dark wood vanity with a bench where she kept her jewelry box. I loved it, and in my mind's eye of my adult self I sat in front of one of my own. So...I want one. I figure that 23 years of want warrants one (sadly the exact one is no longer...)

I like to use our garage as an entry point and plan in our new home to use it as more of an extension of the house with proper flooring and paint, storage furnishings, a mirror, hooks (of course) and shoe storage. I cannot stand shoes in the house, not even for the few seconds they stay in the entryway and so the garage entry is my perfect solution for my bottom-of-the-shoe-germaphobia and aversion to the natural entryway clutter. Finally I am on the quest for an awesome playroom. I have ideas upon ideas and my only hope is that Jon will be as excited as I am because I am going to need his manly drill skills to get it done! It consists of a climbing wall, blackboard wall, built ins, ceiling swings, and of course a reading spot...ideally a hidden under the stairs type of nook for my book obsessed boys.

Since I am easily led away from my true taste, which can probably be defined as traditional, eclectic, vintage and warm I thought I would keep some inspiration pictures here...for easy access later, when I am the proud new owner of a new canvas of walls...and floors...and laundry room, Oh! I am going to have a beautiful laundry room in the the next house!I may be more inclined to hang out there more often.

- I didn't keep track of where I lifted my "inspiration" from so I didn't cite or get permission to reproduce...but decided to go with the "it's easier to beg forgiveness than get permission" sometimes motto...so please forgive me and I would happy to cite or remove upon request...