Stariway to heaven

In our home search we've been looking at mostly traditional two stories, with a couple california splits thrown in there for good measure. What this means for a stylist like me? Stairs....Not the easiest space to style, but it can be done and well. Just check it out:

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Emily Henderson you did it again...Love this idea. Love it even more that throughout the years these photos/prints would change and grow with our family.

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Stenciling the wall...Not a fan of this particular stencil, although it works in this space. Love the idea though.

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I love the idea of adding architectural interest to your staircase wall with molding...Genius.

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Don't forget about the landing. This idea of a grid of pictures from ceiling to floor is great, and will bring your eye up, emphasizing ceiling heights or making them feel higher.

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As I've told you before, I've never met a stripe I didn't like. Therefore stripes going along the staircase wall in an accent color (probably not brown personally, but it looks good here) are a perfect fit. They will keep a space from feeling too cluttered and take up less visual space, keeping you from feeling like the staircase walls are closing in on you.
Now, let's hear your ideas! What you got for me?

Let's talk about dining spaces..I'm dying to have one, whether it's a formal dining space separate from the kitchen or a larger eating area that would allow for a 6-8 person dining table. I have trouble justifyfing the prices that your expected to pay for dining furniture. There have been a few tables and chairs I've loved until I realized they were half the price of my car...hmm...With that in mind, here's what I've been thinking lately:

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I've loved these vintage tabouret stacking chairs for awhile, and have used them in a few of my own designs. They are metal (meaning they will last forever and be kid friendly down the road), a great vintage bronze color, and $200 for 4...you heard me. My fear has always been their comfort. They may look great but let's not make our future dinner guests sit on a cold metal chair. So I tried them out at my good friend, Leesa's house, and guess what? Super comfy/bigger than they look=success. I imagine them with something like this:

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Yes that is an Ikea table...but it's simple, classic, seats 6-8, and only $200, and I actually really love it. 

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I've been dying to bring in a bold black and white rug into our home, and I think this is it (the $70 price tag don't hurt either). 

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I'm also dying to bring in some wall to wall picture ledges, for easily switching out art. Something like this:

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And I will bring in a color story that will continue through the accessories, through this piece of art (that I've coveted for awhile now):

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My favorite color story in every room, but especially a dining room...

What do you guys think?

Anthropologish...

Besides my project posts, my window shopping posts are by far my most popular posts.....like by a lot. So because of my project rut (due to basically being between homes), I thought I'd mix it up a bit by doing a couple of shopping posts for ya guys, since all the new spring lines are out, and I know you're dying for them. So let's get started shall we? Starting with my favorite (and probably yours), Anthropologie:

Anthropologie has a great selection of hardware...check out this beautiful indigo handpainted knob:

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or this gold pull:

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or this gold coral knob, that I am completely obsessed with:

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This gold honeycomb mirror is too pretty and reminds me of summer:

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These acute mirrors are so much fun and would be too cool in an industrial styled space:

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The Ikat petals frame adds a fun pattern and color to a neutral space:

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I have wanted this Vestige Bathtub Caddy for awhile now...I have to admit I think I could make something similar for a lot less than $168 though:

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And there you have it, a few pretty eye candies for you from Anthropologie...Happy Monday all!

Happy Chic...

I'm a big fan of Jonathan Adler...seriously, no one does bright colors and mixed patterns quite like him. So it was no surprise that I jumped for glee when I saw that Jcpenneys was now selling the Happy Chic line by Johnathan Adler, himself. Check it out for yourself, in fact, here's a few of my faves:

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This midcentury media stand is fantastic. Clean lines, and the two toned finish add so much to this simple piece. 

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I'll take three of these please....These two toned candle holders are so simple and add a fun pop of color.

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I love unexpected accessories, especially bookends, so these apple bookends are right up my alley and might be the perfect gift for my soon-to-be-teacher little sister.

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Love the greek trim and the color. 

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This navy velvet chair is so pretty I want to pet it. Great color (of course) and great simple lines.

What about you guys? Do you love Johnathan Adler too?

A bright idea...

Let's discuss lighting shall we?

In almost every home we've looked at or every model we've discussed with builders, lighting has been a hot button topic for me. Basically, I don't like builder grade lighting, I also don't like brassy 90's lighting, or pine ceiling fans (yeah that's what is our there people). So, we now realize, whatever house we buy/build we will want to personally choose every piece of lighting in the house. Sounds like a good time to me...the hubby, not so much. Here's some of my faves:

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I've written about this aged bronze pendant before...like last week...but that just shows you how much I love it. It's neutral enough to go in any home, but still has some character and vintage nod to it. I am hoping to find a place over a kitchen island or peninsula for these bad boys in our next home.

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The Filament Design drum pendant would be perfect over a breakfast area table. It's simple/casual and neutral, but adds a little glam and sophistication to a space.

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Perfect in a den or even over your dining table if you want something a little more industrial/casual. Plus at $89, you can't beat the price...man those youngsters know what they're doing.

And then there is the flushmounts...something to replace the horrible boob lights that are in EVERY house in some form or another:

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Maybe in a bronze or gold finish?

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This is an outdoor flush-mount pendant, but I love the idea of using a pendant flush to the ceiling down a long hallway...and whose going to tell me I can't?

Then there's this one:

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I love her...and only imagine her in a future dressing room/large walk in closet or a little girls nursery because it's not really the hubby's taste (I guess that's a good thing, right?)

In any case, we haven't came up with any lighting plans (or any plans period for that matter) for our next home, but these are a few I've been oogling in the meantime. How about you guys? Any other's spend hours on shadesoflight.com this week?