Decorating Cents

I am a huge fan of HGTV and I love it every year when they display the HGTV Dream Home .  This year it is in Park City, Utah.  One person will actually win this home, all the furnishings, a new 2012 GMC Terrain, and five hundred thousand dollars cash!!  What.  Sign me up.  I've never thought of moving to Utah, but if I won this house, I'd be packed in 10 seconds flat. This home is gorgeous. Foyer Family Room   Kitchen   Dining Room Great Room Laundry Room Mudroom Changing Room Master Bedroom Master Bathroom Master Sitting Room Guest Bedroom 1 Guest Bathroom 1 Guest Bedroom 2 Outdoor Living Room Entertainment Deck Hot Tub Deck It's a lot of space and I would use every square inch of it.  Is anyone else drooling over the beauty of this home? 

Gallery walls seem to be popping up all over the place.  I like the simpleness and ease of creating art on the wall with your photos or artwork. Being Brook has a nice display in her playroom. From Gardners 2 Bergers has a gorgeous wall full of DIY art. I love the space A Soft Place to Land created for her child's art.  Check out the chalk board! Simcoe Street added one to her kitchen. This wall display is expansive.  It was put together by Twenty Something .  It took some time and planning but it was well worth it. I love the wall The Creative Imperative did in her son's room.  I especially love the personalized subway art. Just a Touch of Gray transformed a wall in her hallway. It's Great to Be Home created a collection in her den. Have you tried a gallery wall?  Any tips for those wanting to try one? 

I told you yesterday, I had a chance to go to Ikea alone.  While there, I picked up a great rug for the dining room.  It has the perfect amount of blue in it.  It has clean lines and a subtle pattern.  I didn't want anything that would interfere too much with the stenciled wall .  I should have taken pictures before I put the table back on but I was so excited to see how it would look. This is my starting point for the rest of the room.  I want to bring in more blues and touches of red like the family room.  Ikea comes through again.  I love that place. Sharing at Not Just a Housewife * Confessions of a Stay at Home Mommy * Tough Cookie Mommy * The Shabby Creek Cottage * Bear Rabbit Bear * House of Hepworths * It's Overflowing * Ginger Snap Crafts * Savvy Southern Style * DIY by Design * Homemaker on a Dime * Making the World Cuter * Thrifty Decor Chick * Lines Across My Face *

Before Christmas break, I had some time off from work and a few days to spend by myself.  I decided to visit Ikea.  I had never gone by myself and actually got to stop and take in everything.  It was nice to go slowly through each room and enjoy not being rushed.  And since it was Christmas break, there were very few people in there so there was no one behind me trying to run up my heels with a shopping cart. I loved going in and looking at all the design inspiration.  They have everything set up by rooms and give great inspiration to how you can decorate a room. Here are just a few of the rooms I snapped pictures of. This island with red counter top is amazing.  It's very modern along with the stainless pendants and white kitchen cabinets. Love the pendant here.  It was basically a woven basket over a plastic light.  Something you could DIY for sure. Love the grey tiled backsplash and grey countertops in this kitchen.   ...

There are several projects I want to start and finish this year. Remember the office we started?  Yeah, me too.  I'm typing from it now.  I moved my focus back downstairs.  I figured no one was coming over and asking to hang out there.  I want to paint the kitchen cabinets using the cabinet transformation kit we used in the master bathroom .  I want the darker cabinets but so afraid it won't turn out like I want it to.  I have big dreams for that kitchen. I want to finish accessorizing the formal dining room.  The stencil wall really got me excited and wanting to get this room done.  I know I just painted that chandelier but I want a more modern light fixture there. The formal living room is bare.  Enough said. I would love to make our master bedroom a sanctuary for us.  Right now its builder beige walls are cold and not inviting.  I'm thinking a warm paint color and lots of neutrals and blues. ...

Happy New Year! Where did 2011 go?  Can you believe it's already a new year?   To start the new year off, I want to introduce you to my new sponsors.  This is a group of talented women with mad DIY skills. Beth Anne Adventures of Homeownership I've always preferred travel and adventure to "nesting," but after buying a little home of my own I became hooked on every detail of creating a comfortable haven.  This blog is my way of recording the adventures of learning and doing all the steps necessary to having a home worthy of sharing with others. Cameron Homemade   I love to create . . . just about anything.  I sew, knit, crochet, paper craft, have a kiln that needs to be hooked up and a pottery wheel that needs to be dusted off.  My two kids keep me grounded and remind me of what is MOST important in life, and my husband may be the most patient man on Earth.  In between all this, I work nights as an emergency room nurse. ...