Life happenings...

So again I took a blogging break, but not necessarily by choice. In the last month, we moved to Dallas...that's right folks, we are officially Texans. We moved into the tiniest apartment in the world, and are waiting for our new house to be done...someday.  My laptop charger is MIA so I'm actually writing this post from my IPhone (meaning there are no pictures). In the interim, I've spent my days scoping out vintage stores, and checking out the city. Both fun and both could potentially bring out the blogger in me again.....as soon as I get a new charger.
Our small apartment is anything but inspiring so I wouldn't expect a lot from me over the next couple months, but once we get in our new house you can expect to be bombarded with new content. Seriously, prepare yourself. I will be back soon friends, you can follow our new adventure on my Instagram if you would like @thegrayhouseontheleft.
See ya soon.

PNE Prize Home

As we tread on in the "trying to make the new build still work" phase, we are spending a lot of time packing and organizing these days. Things that we enjoy have taken the back burner...including this blog, unfortunately. Please bare with me readers...and sponsors.

In other news....Have you guys seen the PNE Prize Home yet? It's seriously gorgeous. Designed by former Bachelorette, and star of Love it or Leave It Vancouver, Jillian Harris, the house has a bit of a country style, something I generally don't gravitate towards, but it's more modern kitchen and flooring choices make this house a perfect eclectic mix.

When describing the house she said she wanted something casual and welcoming:

“I wanted to design a house that felt every day like a Sunday morning. And you know what? Every time I’ve walked into the home now that it is finished, that is exactly how I feel. I want to take off my shoes, sit down and enjoy. It’s modern, yet warm and welcoming.”

*I apologize for the lack of order in the pictures below...blogger and me were on the outs today.

I loved the openness of the whole house, but especially the dreamy living room. And those side tables...forget about it.

The kitchen is by far my favorite space in the house. A genius mix of finishings gives this kitchen such a great look, and the large island with beverage cooler gives it practicality and function. 

While the dining room definitely brings in a country vibe, the all white mixed with a more contemporary buffet gives it an eclectic look.

The whole house looks so light and airy. This is definitely a look I'm leaning more towards these days.

I love that she gave the porch different functions. There is a separate sitting area, eating area and cooking area.

 I can't get over this bathroom. The tile flowing from the floor up the wall is genius and don't even get me started about that bathtub...it's too dreamy.

What do you guys think? A dream house?

The Great Gatsby

Anyone that knows me, knows that I watch movies for mainly one reason...the sets. Regardless of whether I genuinely enjoyed a flick, if I love a house in a movie (such as Something's Gotta Give or It's Complicated) I will watch it over and over. Luckily, when it came to The Great Gatsby, I loved the movie and the sets. 

Another thing many people know about me is I dream of being born in a different era. 

The 20s happen to be one of my favorites.

We'll start with Daisy's colonial style brick house.

The style screams old money and is a perfect portrayal of what I imagined her house to be when I first read the book years ago.

This was my favorite part of the movie, when the gorgeous white sheers were wrapped around those gorgeous chandeliers. 

The light and airiness of this space are not what you expect from a mansion in the 1920s. The gorgeous reds peek through a mostly neutral palette....and don't even get me started on those gorgeous wood floors.

 Here's a peak of the living room set from Architectural Digest.

I was also dearly in love with the charming cottage Nick lived in, in West Egg.

 Through a set photo, you can see the amazing woodwork that went into building his little beach cottage.

 The tiny and adorable kitchen, had me at hello.

 Then there's the gorgeous green rug and green tiled fireplace, that just adds to the charm.

Then of course there's Gatsby's castle, right next door:

 What I found amazing about his bedroom is that if I saw it on a movie set that took place today I wouldn't blink an eye. The art deco/modern style surprised me but also reminded me how some styles are classic.

 The famous round pool.

And because, it is exactly what I imagine a 1920s New York City apartment, I have to share Tom's secret city pad.

The vibrant colors just scream a 1920s party to me.

How about you guys? Any movies you love purely because of the glamorous sets? Do tell.

Wallpaper, patterns, and paint...oh my

Hello friends...It's been awhile.

Over the last few weeks, I took a bit of a blogging break. In those few weeks we sold our house #yay, found out our new house was not only behind by a month but also over the original budget...by a lot #boo, packed many boxes of kitchen gadgets (who needs three juicers btw), leased a small apartment so we are not living out of a Uhaul truck during the interim in Texas, and spent a lot of time with friends, since we leave for Dallas in a month...yes a month. 

So to get you up to speed quickly, we found out a couple weeks ago that our new house's price was miscalculated by our builder....again, by a lot. We decided to explore other options, but realized quickly there were none. So we are waiting now to find ways to cut the price down. In the meantime we will be living in a small apartment (we never expected our house to be done when we got down there, so we were planning this long ago), and deciding what to do.

With all of the commotion, my saving grace has been Pinteresting and Houzzing design ideas for my new home (where ever it might be). My newest obsession? Wallpaper...that's right ladies and gents, I've gone madd-hatter crazy for wallpaper. A few of my favorites? I thought you'd never ask...

Schumacher chevron home decor
fschumacher.com

Kellys Ikat Wallpaper by Kelly Hoppen - Designer Blue Wall Coverings...
grahambrown.com

Removable Wallpaper // Pinstripe Floral // Adheres to walls and...
etsy.com

Removable selfadhesive modern vinyl Wallpaper by PatPrintbyAmy
etsy.com

Removable Wallpaper // Diamonds are a girls by KateZarembaCompany
etsy.com

Coral, Mint and Navy Ikat Chevron - sparrowsong - Spoonflower
spoonflower.com

The Blue Ikat and Waves pattern will definitely make an appearance in our new home at some point, and possibly the rest of them too. We'll see. How about you? What have you been crushing on lately? Any other wallpaper fans out there?

Fabulous and cheap lighting...

After sharing with you my latest splurge (which in a huge plot twist I actually cancelled, in an attempt to DIY my own...more to come on that later) I decided to keep a tight string on my lighting budget. Since we decided to go with the freebee lighting package from our builder (more on that here), I have taken it upon myself to pick out new lights for every room in our house to replace those ugly freebees. I'm realizing how quickly lighting adds up, so I put together a little roundup for you guys. Here's a few options all under $100.

How about you? Do you have a favorite lighting source, with great prices? Do tell..

Lights made of driftwood and Coach handbags...

Happy Friday all. First off, let me apologize for my two week hiatus here at The Gray House, but as I spent the last two weeks nauseous and dizzy, staring at a computer screen was on the bottom of my "want to do list." Sinuses, you are a sick sick son of a.
Now onto the fun stuff.
Race really wants to play up the "nautical" style in our new home. Our house is only a few miles from the Lake Lewisville marina, and our neighborhood and the style of homes in our neighborhood reflect that....a lot actually. I, on the other hand do not like "themey" spaces. I'm trying my best to bring this style in small snippets in our new house when buying new things, without bringing it in at full force.

I planned on waiting to show you guys anything for our new house until it's hanging in our new house (or we're closer to selling our current house) but I'm so excited I can't stand it...
So here it is, the light fixture that I love more than wine Race.....I kid I kid....kind of:

via

Let me introduce you to my newest love...this ladies and gents is the Driftwood Ball Pendant from Shades of Light...and it's on it's sweet little way to me now. I made a vow not to spend a lot on light fixtures, because I just get bored too easily with things like this, so this light was a splurge. It's actually a very early birthday present from Race. He claimed he was going to buy me a new Coach bag for my birthday, but then explained that I am probably the only woman he knows that would rather have a light fixture made of driftwood than a Coach bag. 

#theguygetsme

It definitely gives off the "nautical" or "natural" look that I'm loving right now, without hitting you in the face with it like Rafiki and his stick to Simba.

#TheLionLingsontvrightnow

When i first saw it, I liked it, but thought it looked more like a rustic light fixture for a man's den...maybe because before I realized it was made from driftwood I thought it was made from a deer's antlers....

but then I saw this:

A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.

I can't wait to see it hanging in our new home (probably in our sunroom).

I'll keep you updated...probably by throwing a ticker tape parade when it arrives...I mean this occasion can not go by unceremonious. 

Peace folks. Happy weekend.

Chevron floors and brass accents...

Textile designer, Caitlin Wilson's (of Caitlin Wilson Textiles) kitchen was named House Beautiful's Kitchen of The Month a couple months back. I finally got around to reading this issue and was so beyond enamored with this kitchen., that I was just dying to share. See for yourself:

via

From the bright white and gray two tone cabinets, gorgeous chevron floors, brass accents, and gorgeous decorative pieces, this kitchen had me at hello there. I can't even describe my feelings for the wallpapered pantry or the fireplace right off the dining space.

What do you guys think? Is it deserving of the House of the Month title?