Valentines Day Hearts

Valentines Day is always fun. I found these interesting and unique heart decorative items that I wanted to share with you. Some are simple, colorful, elaborate, elegant, cheesy or childlike but all caught my attention. I'm not usually a decorate with hearts type of girl...but...for Valentines Day there is an exception.

Enjoy. Don't miss the last 2 pictures.

Got to have chocolate, why not in a heart shape!

Imagine taking a bath in these tubs. Wouldn't be what I would choose but maybe once a year it would be fun!

Off the Shelves

I mentioned a few blogs ago about Domino Magazine closing their doors....Well...I've since heard that Home and Garden, Blueprint, In Style Home, O at Home , and Cottage Living all preceded Domino Magazine. So sad to see these magazines going off the shelves. All my favorites are going away. What magazines are left that give good decorating advice without hundreds of ads? I know there are so many great websites but nothing beats curling up in a chair with a big blanket on a Sunday afternoon with a good magazine.

Wallpaper Idea

I meant to blog this weeks ago but never got around to it. I found this wallpaper about a year ago and knew I could use it somewhere. Either as wrapping paper, place mats, an accent wall or whatever came to mind. One pattern was more traditional and it was just so beautiful with it's metallic sheen that I couldn't pass it up. The other was the pattern of an alligator and the color was a beautiful rustic leathery brown. I had to purchase them both, especially since they cost $2.00 a roll.

I finally saw theses niches in this dining room and kitchen and decided that's where it belonged. I ripped the wallpaper into pieces and basically decoupaged it onto the ceiling. The reason I wanted to rip it was that it made the pattern less formal and gave it a more random look. I painted the inset crown molding black to really accent it and added a medallion.

Modern Style to Texas Kitsch

I have a really fun client that found this modern table and it was the perfect size and shape for her living room. However, it just wasn't the color or style she wanted. Well, who says you can't transform it into what you want. The faux artist that I highly recommend (Mary Howe) painted this piece up to her liking and now it's very "kitsch" and fun for her space.

Formal living room with some whimsy

I found this picture in a magazine this month and thought it was so much fun. It is a formal room but adding this fabulous oil painting of a heart adds some whimsy and incredible character. This goes to show you that even though it's formal, it doesn't need to be "stuffy". There are a lot of patterns and textures in this room but they all work together. Pretty monochromatic furniture with big bold pops of color which is what makes this rooms many patterns work well together. I thought this ottoman was very creative and gives a relaxed feel to this sitting room. Of course the chandelier adds a softness to the bold painting. Notice that this room has paneling in it too. Paneling is pretty outdated. However in this room, because of this large scale painting on the wall, it distracts from the paneling and puts the focus on the painting instead.

Don't get stuck with labeling your rooms. If it's your formal living area, it doesn't NEED to have all formal items in it. Adding fun elements to any formal room makes in feel more inviting. Formal living areas are often just wasted space and just "for show". I challenge you to make your formal room feel more casual by adding some unexpected "casual" items to it. Once you do that, you will find that your room is used more because it feels more relaxed, making your guests less intimidated with the space. Every square inch of your home should be USED, not just for show.