House Guest // Sadie & Stella

Today's house guest probably needs little introduction. The one and only Lindsay from Sadie and Stella is here with a delicious Jonathan Adler inspired look. I love the mix of metals and bright colors, don't you?

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Chandy / Couch / Rug / Pillow / Bolster Pillow / Art / Console Table / Lamp / Bowl

House Guest // My Favorite and My Best

Today's House Guest needs no introduction. I've bragged on her plenty here and here, and you can verify her awesomeness over at My Favorite and My Best.

Quite frankly, when Jenny said she wanted to try her hand at our Where/Wear column, I was tempted to turn her down. I'm no fool. I know what she's capable of. After taming the ego a bit and agreeing, she came back with this:

rug (similar) // tealight holders // brass peace sign // lamp // lacquer box // pouf // leather console

Jenny original (similar here)

hat // suede & stone cuff // caftan (similar) // sandals // earrings // friendship bracelet cuff

Stupid good.

I want all of that, don't you?

House Guest // Recently

Let it be known that I've already scolded today's house guest for making me look bad. I mean, who visits someone else's blog parading all of this gorgeousness?? Emily, that's who. She's sharing her stupid fly office and -- bonus -- also sharing how to get the look yourself! Yes, please.

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Hello all!  I'm so pumped to be here "house guesting" for the marvelous Tobe.  She probably already told you, but I'm Emily from Recently, and being here at Because It's Awesome is nothing short of, well, awesome in every sense.  (I know you've never heard that one before have you Tobe?) :)

Now, let's get down to it, shall we?  Today I'm sharing my newly polished office nook, along with some elements that I think any inspired office space needs.

Our home was built in the early seventies, so, besides a few annoying elements- like a skylight in our bedroom (a simple rain shower sounds like world war three, yikes!) - there are some super rad additions, like this built-in desk area in our kitchen/breakfast room.  It was my husbands idea to add the chalkboard wall when we moved in, and we added a coat of magnetic paint under the chalkboard paint, so it has the bonus of being magnetic as well.  He's a smart one, that man of mine.

I did some rearranging, organizing, and overall "fluffing" recently to bring our compact office nook up to par.  My goal was to create a space that was as inspiring as it was organized.  I'm a photographer (and blogger of course!) so I need my work area to be a source of constant inspiration and encouragement.

Since it's in the hub of our home, the desk is used as a catch-all for bills, receipts, car keys and school work.   Because of that, it needs to be overly organized, or I might go crazy.  That's where plenty of bins, boxes and trays come in handy.  It's also where much of my work happens, so I make sure there are more than enough objects close by that get my creative juices flowing. 

Since I know Tobe's readers must love to be inspired as much as I do, I rounded up the elements I think are most important to creating the perfectly productive office area:

Don't forget, you needn't spend your entire budget to outfit your office.  I found many of my favorite desk items at local resale shops, thrift stores, and estate sales for a steal.  As if you needed another reason to hit up your favorite flea markets, right?  

SOURCES:

lamp: gem lamp from furbish studio // lacquer boxes: c.wonder // acrylic trays: the container store // blue dot coffee mug: west elm // decorative bowls: anthropologie // pink le pens: design darling // my clear chiavari chair (pictured): find it on amazon  // my lamp (pictured): I found it at a resale shop, but you can also get it at wayfair  // creativity takes courage print: the recently society6 shop // tulip abstract photograph: the recently society6 shop // get it done notepad: rifle paper co.

Tobe, I hoped you loved my post as much as I loved being here!  Thanks for having me everyone!

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p.s. You might recognize Emily from one or all of the images from this post, as they made their way all over Pinterest at lightning speed. While you're check that out, might as well stay awhile. You won't regret it.

House Guest // Raiana Schwenker

I can't lie to you guys. Part of me wanted to wait a week before posting this so I could have first dibs on all of the Craigers gorgeousness today's house guest found in my city. (To be fair, I've made a move on a few of these with no luck.) Let it be known that Raiana is as good as the rest of the Craigslist champs, and she's kind enough to be sharing her dirty little secrets. Woop!

If you aren't already familiar, I highly recommend stopping in to see Raiana. Maybe you recognize her little feature on Sadie & Stella that went viral on Pinterest? Girl has crazy good taste! The perfect balance of traditional, glam and edgy. And as a fellow lover of vintage goods, sic barware, brass, and blue and white china, she had me hooked in an instant. (I mean, are you kidding me with this crop??)

I digress. Let's hear from Raiana.

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You guys, I am so excited that Tobe asked me to be her House Guest! We have learned that we have a lot in common, especially design wise. One thing I know we share, and I am sure share with all of you - is that we want high style, but without the high price tag. More specifically, we wan't high end vintage that is unique, well made, and gorgeous. Craigslist is a goldmine for these pieces, and finding that one amazing piece you have been hunting for can seriously feel like winning the lottery. The only problem is that sometimes your odds are about the same. However there are definitely some tips and tricks to make using craigslist a bit easier, and help you weed out the garbage to find the treasure. Here are some of my tips and favourite keywords:

   

One of the biggest things that will aid in your success on craigslist is having the patience to go through every page of ads[ and then through them all again after simply adding an 's' to the end of that keyword ;) ]. It's also beneficial to have a trained eye - practice, learn furniture styles, periods, finishes, manufacturers, designers...etc. Those skills are probably what makes certain people seem to have more luck than others. It's not always luck, usually time and experience [and a little crazy passion :)]. I have noticed I can go through ads extremely quickly, and zero in on the good ones when they come up - its just taken practice and experience. Same goes for flea markets and antique sales, eventually your eye is trained to skim quickly and narrow in on the treasure.

 

There are a ton of variations, and if you have the time and patience it pays to try them all. For example - sofa, couch, sectional, settee. Sofa table, console table, entryway table, accent table. Try 'highback' , and then try 'high back'. In the tips graphic I mentioned trying to anticipate how someone with no knowledge of what they have would describe their item. For example I often see brass chair being advertised as 'gold metal'. I found a pair of these, listed as 'yellow metal cottage chairs or good for a student house' [im effing serious people.] So try and dumb your search terms down a bit sometimes, and even downright mangle the spelling of a word and you can sometimes hit the jackpot - because who else would think to search for shandeleere?

 

And just for fun I hit up Tobe's local CL, or maybe just for self inflicted torture...because now i'm in physical pain that I can go pick some of these items up.

 

[brass coffee table here | rare spun fiberglass patio set here |upholstered arm chairs that I am just dying over and need here | brass lamps here ]   [bamboo armoire here | x base cast iron patio set here |vintage sofa here | brass mirror top console table here ]   [bamboo desk here | chinoiserie vintage loveseat which I just think could be the greatest here | milo style brass etageres here | mirrored deco dresser here]   [set of three campaign pieces that will be insane when cleaned and painted here |bamboo and burlwood side table here | milo baughman for thayer coggin sofa here | burlwood pedestals that I would buy in a heartbeat here]

 

Do you guys have any other tips for how you find the best stuff on CL? Whats the most amazing thing you have ever found on craigslist?

I hope this was helpful! Have a great day xox

House Guest // Swoonworthy

I love getting to introduce today's house guest. Not only because she knows a thing or two about design (don't miss her house tour for all of the evidence), but also because she's sic talented in ways even she didn't know! Some of you may recall my mention awhile back about that day she decided to pick up a paint brush and make MAGIC for the first time since high school . . . Total. Ridiculousness.

Thanks for stopping by to share your stellar tips today, Kimberly!

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I'm so excited to be a part of Tobe's House Guest Series!  I've admired her and her blog for such a long time - she's got an amazing sense of style and I'm so so excited to be welcomed into her very awesome space!!   Can I use anymore exclamation points?!! Sorry, I'm excited!!!  Ok, I'm calm.  I am.  And breathe.

A little about me... My boyfriend and I bought our Edwardian semi in Manchester, England nearly 3 years ago and have been working on it with our own two hands ever since, blogging about every success and every failure at www.swoonworthy.co.uk.  My own style is a mix of eclectic, boho and glam (Is it any wonder I love Tobe's style?).  However, like many of us out there, we don't have loads of cash to splash around and yet, we want big style.  It's hard to find fantastic products when the selection here in the UK is pretty sparse.  The room sizes are decent for England but homes are generally much smaller here than in America or Australia.  With such challenges, I've learned that many of the rules I read when I first started my decorating adventure are meant to be broken - with creativity and a bit of attitude, I've discovered anything is possible.

So with that in mind, I thought I'd share with you today some of the things I've learned along the way using my own home to demonstrate each point...

5 Myths of Decorating Debunked!

Myth #1.  It takes a big budget to get big style.

Hell, this is the easy way out!  Who wants to just BUY when you can 'make do and mend'?  Get creative with paint, wallpaper, fabric and vintage items.  Your home will be more creative and more eclectic to boot.  Not only that, but you'll end up with pieces that are unique and uniquely you.

See that little chest of drawers?  It was a horrible ugly painted pine dresser with silver knobs that was ready to go to the charity shop.  Left over wallpaper and paint and some new handles gave it a new lease on life.  Total cost?  £24.

House Guest // Peonies and Brass

I'm excited to welcome today's house guest, whose style always appeals to the girly decorator in me. Her DIY skills are truly enviable and her taste in rugs is top notch (how do you score them, Elyse?!)

She's brought a little bit of spring our way and since we're rocking snow on the ground in Kansas City, I'm taking as much of that as I can get! Thanks for stopping by, Elyse!

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Hey BIA lovers, Elyse from Peonies & Brass here, feeling positively giddy to be Tobe's house guest today!

If you follow Tobe on Instagram (and if you don't, you should!) then you know that it's not looking much like spring where she is. Two feet of fresh snow does not pretty new blooms make! Sadly, the same is true for a lot of us, but if you're anything like me you're still itching to usher old man winter out the door. So today I thought I'd bring you my tips/picks for fakin' it until we make it - Mother Nature be damned!

For me, welcoming spring is all about bringing luscious colour back into our lives - from watery blues, to berry pinks, to lemonade yellows. Take these two gorgeous spaces, for example. Don't they just scream sing spring?

These pretty ladies are all about taking a blank (dare I say wintry) white canvas and injecting pure joy into it, using nothing but punchy new textiles and natural textures. The best part? Maximum impact with minimum commitment. No new sofas or wallpaper paste required - just some well chosen accessories to add some serious drama. Even that stunner of a headboard is actually just a pretty scarf thrown over a neutral one!

Here are some of my pieces to help to get this season started, and quick:

1. If you're on board with the switch-up, but not with a full-on rainbow, try cool blues and greens in patterns that evoke all kinds of life - from jungle cats to fig trees! 
2. Baskets are a great way to bring in natural texture, plus they'll help you organize after that big spring cleaning. Nate's new offerings for Target are cheap and cheery, a total win win!
3. Not afraid of a little boom boom pow? Then these bold pillows -from three of my fave etsy sellers - might be right up your alley! {hot pink // ikat // gold zig zag}
4. I came across these vintage Bolivian blankets in the most recent Lonny, and they completely stole my heart! They'd be perfect as a pop of colour at the end of the bed, or to cover a boring banquette. Kantha quilts are another great option! 
5. If you can't have fresh flowers, grab the next best thing. A change of seasons is just the excuse I need to indulge in a whole host of pretty new scents!
6. West Elm's Soumake Jute rug is totally on point and easy on the wallet. Want something with a little (or a lot) more colour? Check out my fave turkish kilim vendor on ebay - you won't believe the selection and prices.

Thanks so much for having me Tobe! Here's hoping we all get a little real sunshine soon! xoxoxo

House Guest // Mimosa Lane

I've never actually met her, but I feel like it's pretty safe to say that today's House Guest, Albertina, is one of the sweetest girls you'd ever meet. And I'm not just saying that because she said the nicest things about BIA in her intro below. She also has super great taste and can decorate a guest room like a boss (yes, I'm using Kid President's lines like nobody's business). And, clearly, she knows a thing or two about color. Without further ado . . .

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Morning!  I'm Albertina from Mimosa Lane.  I can't tell you how excited I am to be Tobe's House guest of the week.  I'm truly honored as I am and have been a huge fan of Because It's Awesome for quite some time.  My home is surrounded by color, from pink fuchsia curtains to purple walls.  But for color to look its best there has to be some rhyme and reason to the color combinations for them to look right and beautiful.  This is why I want to talk to you all about coming up with winning color combinations.  I'm no interior designer but do know my way around a color wheel and can tell you it is very helpful.  By using different color schemes you can come up with that perfect palette you have been dreaming of.  It just boils down to the relationships between colors.  Here we go!

These are just some color schemes.....there are quite a few more.  To some people it might seem random that a designer adds a throw of a certain color, but most of the time its all perfectly planned.  What are your favorite color combinations?  Do you have a go-to color formula?

[ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]


Thanks, Albertina!

* Come back later today for the Annawithlove giveaway winner! *

House Guest // For the Love of Design

Today's House Guest is a Kansas City graphic designer with mad skills, Rachael from For The Love of Design. I came across Rachael's blog last year and have been hooked ever since (her Pin Palette posts are stellar for color inspiration). We have yet to get together, but I can tell we'll have a real good time when we finally do! I am loving Rachael's tips for adding graphic elements to your space, and am happily applying a few of them to my own home.

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 Hello BIA readers! I'm Rachael from For The Love of Design. I'm super excited Tobe asked me to be a part of her house guest series this week. Ironically enough, I'm on the hunt for a new place, so to say home design has been on my mind would be an understatement.

As a graphic designer, I'm constantly finding inspiration in interesting patterns, shapes and textures, so I thought it would be fun to bring a little graphic inspiration to the interior today. A lot of people think bringing graphic elements into a space can be too bold or scary. I'm here to give you a few ways to use them subtly will work in any space you chose.

House Guest // (BAD) Blog About Design

Today's house guest is a man after my own heart. He has a great eye for art (umm...holy gorgeous), loves vintage furniture and, as evidenced below, needs to be dressing me. With the cool weather we've been experiencing lately, I'm all over this spring inspiration!

http://www.elledecor.com

Hello Because It's Awesome readers! Brendan here of (BAD) Blog About Design. I want to thank Tobe for having me on today's house guest series. Living in NYC, I'm feeling the cold temperatures. So I wanted to take my mind to spring and out of the winter. The space above was featured in Elle Decor, I love all the pastel colors and bright pinks, oranges, and graphic art in the space. It's an inviting Living Room, that makes you want to kick your feet up and relax. My favorite pieces in the space are the two bright orange armchairs. I'm huge fan of anything vintage. I love the 1960s-80s and often find myself buying pieces from this period. The chairs have a strong form and really ground the seating area. If you want to give your Living Room some updating for the spring, stick to bright solid colors. Lamps, flowers, pillows, are a great way of giving your space a new look with minimal work. I'm kind of curious as to what the view is looking out those floor to ceiling windows? What do you think of the space? Below are a few fashion picks that have a similar look and feel to the space. They're all great pieces for the spring. 

(1) Moschino Cheap and Chic Floral Print Dress, (2) Ben-Amun Round Crystal Drop Earrings, (3) Iris & Ink Brushed Silk Shirt, (4) Jean-Michel Cazabat Ella Suede d'Orsay Pumps, (5) Christopher Kane Princess A-line Skirt, (6) Some White Sunnies (7) Michael Kors Gia Ostrich Embossed Clutch, (8) Erdem Floral Scarf, (9) K Jacques St Tropez Delta Suede Sandals, (10) Paris

Thanks for the warm up, Brendan! ox

House Guest // Catfish & Caviar

Today I'm excited to introduce the very stylish Drew from Catfish and Caviar! She's talking chic small space decorating but, frankly, I'd like to apply a few of these concepts to mi casa regardless.

Small space living can have it's benefits; cheaper heating bills, less furniture & they force us to stay organized 24/7. They can also be challenging when trying to fully maximize your living space. If you're like me & have a major shopping addiction, especially when it comes to decor, then you know how crucial it is to not go overboard. Buying too much "stuff" can make you look like a hoarder ESPECIALLY in a small apartment. Here I have listed 3 main tips to simplify your stress when decorating your tiny space. 

Pendants & small scale chandeliers are the next best thing when you don't have enough windows to brighten up a room. These ceiling lamps not only add light but they are art pieces in themselves.

 

Capiz Pendant || Pose Pendant || Noir Pendant || Big City Chandelier || Cage Fuel Lamp

Multi-functional furniture is key when decorating a small space. These pieces are awesome. I don't even know where to start with this Format cube. It is clear which creates a floating illusion & you can display your objects on top or inside. You can set it on a table top or hang a couple on the wall for added dimension. This toilet roll holder seems like an odd addition but when you have a box of a bathroom it acts as a shelf for your toilletries too. A tall vertical bookshelf creates a sense of height but also fits in a skinny space. There are a few finds like the one shown on the CB2 site that I just love. For the hostess that loves to entertain once in awhile this serving tray is perfect. It folds up & the tray is detachable. You can use it next to your sofa or bed or to serve your guests a few cocktails. A chaise is the ultimate in multi-purpose furniture.  You can use it as a guest bed, extra seating in your living room, or outfitting a reading nook. 

Mirrors are the easiest way to open up your space. They add dimension by giving an illusion of added space & you can use them to achieve different effects. These are some of my favorites!

Leaning mirror || Konos mirror || circle mirrors || wall mirrors

**Real Simple & Apartment Therapy have some awesome ideas on how to make the most of your small space!

 

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Drew was sweet enough to have me over to Catfish and Caviar last month as part of her Short List series. Super honored to be among so many other stylish ladies!

house guest // the aestate

i really doubt that today's house guest needs any introduction. if you haven't been following jessica before now, you have seriously been missing out. she's hilarious, stylish, honest, and has an unbelievable eye for design. i'd be lying if i said that i don't occasionally want to lick my computer screen when i see her posts. i'm also fairly certain we'd be fast friends in real life if we ever met. super honored to have her visit today!

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Jessica here from The Aestate! I want to give a big thanks to Tobe for having me as her house guest!

Variety is the spice of life and nothing gives a room the “wow” factor like a great pattern combination, but mixing patterns can be tricky. The pros make it look easy- throwing together mixes that looks effortlessly chic and daring. Its a skill I'd love to master myself, but it takes time and practice to develop an eye for patterns that play well together, so I want to share with you a basic method used by many decorators. Remember we’re not just talking throw pillows here. Upholstery, curtains, rugs, wallpaper, lamp shades, and trims are all opportunities to inject some pattern and texture into a room. When you’re feeling stuck, try this method for selecting patterns…

1. Pick a large-scale pattern with many colors in it: This one will set the tone for the whole room. The more colors it contains, the easier time you’ll have finding textiles to fit the mix in the room.
2. Pick a medium-scale pattern with a few colors found in the first pattern:  Doesn’t need to have all the colors, but it definitely should have a different motif.
3. Now, pick one small scale pattern with just a few or one of the colors found in the first two: This one can have a similar motif as one of the first two.
4. Bonus: Add one or more very small-scale patterns or textures.

I hope these rooms will inspire you to mix it up...

{1 2 3 4}

Have any pattern mixing tips to share?