A Purge & A Plan

This past Saturday was our church's annual yard sale where all the money goes towards our missions contribution. I haven't participated in years past because the timing just hasn't worked out but I was happy to finally be a part of the festivities and get rid of lots of stuff.

I was especially excited to clean out our guest room (if you can even call it that anymore) by donating the full size bed, green leather arm chair and purging about half my closet. Now that the room is cleared out, I am making room for the desk that currently sits in our living room for Taylor's studying/work space. The trick to truly using the room for studying or work will be to disguise the dog creates. I have searched for ideas on Pinterest, Google, Apartment Therapy and HGTV and although most ideas are cute or relatively practical, most are for small dogs and our crates are huge.

For inspiration, I loved sifting through Apartment Therapy's ideas on small work spaces (transformed from closets!!) and this room transformation in particular caught my eye. My plan is to be as thrify as possible, using items we already have around the house. Since some purchases were necessary I picked up a table top with adjustable legs and a shelving unit yesterday at IKEA. Wish me luck as I attempt to assemble everything without losing my sanity!

// Image sources: 1. Apartment Therapy, 2. Apartment Therapy, 3. Apartment Therapy //

Coveting Ikea

I've had an Ikea gift card burning a hole in my wallet since Christmas and I'm excited to finally head to Atlanta this week [for meetings]- which gives me the best excuse to make a trip to Ikealand! Here are a few items I plan to pick up for the house:

Our living room is in some desperate need of curtains. Ever since we got a new couch (light tan sectional -score from Craigslist!) I've been needing to bring some darker hues into the room as our walls are light too. I would love to use industrial piping for the curtain rods instead of something traditional and more expensive too and I plan to round out the dark tones on the couch through accent pillows and this throw blanket.

I am slowly making progress in our dining room by hanging art (pictures coming soon) and keeping a steady flow of flowers on the table. My plan is to swap out the light for something more fun like the pendant lamp above!

Another slow process has been the transformation of our guestroom/office/dog shelter. Just kidding about the dog shelter...but seriously with two crates it's beginning to feel like one. In my dream world we would have a mud room to designate for the crates, but that is just not the case and if I want the room to function beyond storing the dogs, it's time to move the guest bed out (no one stays there besides my sisters) and put our work desks in here. The room will need more storage and this simple shelf should do the trick.

I'm hoping to make my gift card money go as far as possible so I will have to save bigger purchases (like this and this) for another time :)

P.S. Can you tell I'm obsessed with neutrals and terrified of color?!

House Projects

I feel like I have 20 half-finished projects around my house and it is about to drive me bonkers. I'm talking mirrors that need to be hung, curtains that need to be sewn, shelves that need to be fixed and an office desk that hasn't been cleaned in 2 months.

I recently discovered the blog natalie creates and was inspired by her 25 by 25 project list. Her goal is to finish 25 projects by her 25th birthday and with mine 3 months and 6 days away (who's counting) I thought I better get started on my own 25 by 25!

Here are my first 10 projects to be completed by October 15th:

1. Clean and organize the garage.
2. Build a picnic table for the back patio.
3. Plant mint in the backyard.
4. Decorate the front porch for ideal dining and relaxing.
5. Paint and reupulster my desk chair.
6. Finish bar console with gold trim and wicker baskets.
7. Build a headboard for the guest room and reorganize baseball photos.
8. Get wedding photo printed and place in the empty frame in our bedroom.
9. Spruce up the bathroom with a new paint color (this, this or this) on the lower walls and add more artwork!
10. Organize desk for optimal work space and storage.

I'm sure the additional 15 projects will come to me between now and then, and I definitely want to include projects for others- not just myself- in this list.

xo

// Photo via Moderne Press //

Design Dreaming

I would scour over Pinterest all day and dream about designs for clients if time allowed, but it's probably good thing that other things in life require more of my attention. I typically get on the site for brief moments during the week to log inspiration for either myself (mainly in the realm of fashion and home decor) or for clients' weddings. 

Hudson Bay

Over the weekend Taylor and I went to my parent's for a quick visit and to see my granny since her husband passed away. While my granny is moving in with my aunt, she is in the process of downsizing her belongings and letting the grand-kids pick out any items she no longer has a need for.

While digging in her garage, a colorful blanket caught my eye. The thick stripes looked familiar, but the chances of it being a true Hudson Bay Point Blanket seemed too good to be true...once I pulled it from a pile my instincts were confirmed and the iconic wool blanket was mine! I've been gathering some design inspiration to figure out how I would like to use it in our guest room- which might be getting a make over in the near future.

Although I'm sad the blanket came with loss of a family member, I can be happy that it offer's a sweet reminder of my granny's husband. Have you inherited or discovered any family treasures that have been a design jackpot? I would love to hear!

// Top image from my Instagram (follow me @marilisa_martel). All other images via Pinterest //

more bedroom ideas

I hope everyone had a nice weekend! Taylor and I had a great time with my little sister and she was so helpful when it came to painting the living room. I thought it was going to be a beast of a project, but we actually finished all the painting in ONE day!

My hope is to actually have pictures posted this week of all the updates to our home. For now, I thought I'd share a few more lovely images of bright and fresh bedrooms.

Our bedroom is pretty much complete with the exception of installing our mirror and some picture frames. I'm especially liking the low bed in the second image and the tapestry in the third- what a cool way to add interest to a blank wall besides pictures or shelving.

// Photo sources: 1. via Apartment Therapy, 2. via Apartment Therapy, 3.via Pinterest //

dream home {outdoor space}

The countdown to the new house has reached less than two weeks! I'm excited and overwhelmed at the thought of packing, unpacking, painting, and decorating- but I know it will all turn out great. One of the luxuries that comes with the new house is a fenced in back yard, complete with covered patio, grill/smoker and kids playhouse (not that we're having kids anytime soon).

Besides being perfect for Chief, it's also exactly what I want in terms of outdoor entertaining. Over the weekend I gathered some inspiration for our outdoor space. If my wicker chair makeover doesn't work out for the living room, we could always put them on the patio.

Another idea for ultimate lounging would be a hammock. I can absolutely see myself falling asleep on this during a cool summer evening. I love the dainty tassels too :)

I can't wait for outdoor dinners with our friends and using the side yard for corn hole. Taylor and I have already started talking about a "house warming" party as our first excuse to have everyone over and try out the grill!

I guess I will be on the hunt for some outdoor seating. Any suggestions for where to find reasonably priced tables and chairs? Charming cafe lights are also a must for the backyard. Don't they seem more sophisticated than your average twinkle lights?

Our landlords are graciously letting us do any gardening we want and even though I have no idea if I have a green thumb, it will be fun to try something new! Do you garden? What's best to plant in late spring?

I hope your Monday is wonderful!

// Photo sources: 1. via A well traveled woman, 2. from Design*Sponge, 3. from Design*Sponge, 4. via the style files, 5. via Apartment Therapy, 6. via Pinterest //

dream home {bedroom}

I haven't been daydreaming about our new bedroom as much as I've been anticipating our living room, dining room, kitchen, guest room and bathroom. But I'm never one to pass up an opportunity to gather design inspiration on this little blog. One of the biggest adjustments we will have to face is the size of our bedroom. If you remember from my house tour, our bedroom is massive and offers plenty of space for a king size bed, night stands, two dressers and a seating area. Our new bedroom will probably be half the size.

Although there will be less furniture, there isn't too much I want to change for the overall look of our new bedroom. The most important decision to make for our little retreat is the wall color. Even though the living room will be gray, I like the look in bedrooms as well. Perhaps we will try a hue between a gray and a blue.

The next decision will be layout. What layout do you prefer for a bedroom- the bed facing windows or facing the entrance of the room? With two sets of windows we can still use our current drapes from Ikea (similar ones here) and spruce them up with rope accents. I also love the idea of homemade rope bowls for jewelry, keys or keepsakes.

I also love the thought of a soft, furry rug as soon as my feet hit the floor. In college my friend Erin had one of Ikea's sheepskin rugs by RENS. So fluffy between your toes!

 And if there's room for a woven basket with extra pillows and blankets, I'm there!

// Photo sources: 1. from Design*Sponge, 2. from Design*Sponge, 3. from Design*Sponge, 4. from Design*Sponge, 5. from Design*Sponge. 6. via Pinterest, 7. from Design*Sponge. 8. from Ikea, 9. via un petit baroque //

dream home {guest room}

In our future home we are beyond blessed to have a second bedroom. If you remember from my tour, at our current house you have to walk through our bedroom to get to the kitchen AND bathroom. Which basically means no privacy for anyone when there's an overnight guest.

The room will hopefully host a full size bed and our desk for studying (Taylor) and blogging (yours truly). Twin beds would be precious- but probably not ideal since most of our out of town guests are married. I swoon over four-poster twin beds like in the home of Ryan & Emerson and below that, from the home of Lucy Allen Gillis (who lived right here in Athens).

Also in Lucy's home, this gorgeous dresser:

I would love for the room to look like something you'd find in a cabin on a lake. A tufted headboard and  wool blanket add a touch of masculinity to any room:

For accessories, I plan to frame some Scottish tea towels given to Taylor by his grandfather and some handkerchiefs. Doesn't this little collection look fabulous? You can find a tutorial right here.

I'm also diggin' this lamp from Ikea and the pressed botanical specimens below:

A simple stool like the one above would be the perfect spot for extra blankets or kilim pillows. In regards to the office part of the guest room, I would love for the wall to display inspiration in an organized way, like the clipboard gallery below.

I also like the look of bamboo blinds instead of curtains. Isn't this little work space gorgeous? I can see myself now...just sitting there & blogging to my hearts content :)

We will probably keep Chief's crate in this room too until he's old enough to sleep on a doggy bed. And I'm pretty sure I will be storing most of my wardrobe in this room as well.

Do you have an extra bedroom in your house? Is it used as a guest room or office or for storage?

// Photo sources: 1. via Pinterest, 2, 3 & 4 via Design*Sponge, 5. via Pinterest, 6. from Martha Stewart, 7. via design is mine, 8. via Say Yes to Hoboken, 9. from Ikea, 10. via Design* Sponge, 11. via Pinterest, 12. via decor8, 13. via Wit + Delight //

dream home {kitchen}

I'm excited to get back to discussing the new house. Now that it's March, we're only two months away from our move in date! I am especially looking forward to redecorating and working out of a new kitchen.

The kitchen in the new house is pretty tiny, but thankfully it has cabinets and plenty of storage. And it has a dishwasher!! Can I just say we will never appreciate a dishwasher more than after a year without one. To make the space functional, we will probably keep our little Ikea rolling cart for food prep and storage, but sit in the dining room for meals.

I don't know exactly what I want to do in terms of color. The other day I was eating a grapefruit for breakfast and just couldn't get over the gorgeous coloring of the tasty citrus- from the bright yellow peal to the vibrant pink flesh. It could very well be my inspiration.

Do you think peachy pink walls would look good or a bright & sunny yellow? Perhaps we will keep everything white and just use accents of the yellow and pink (if I can convince Tay to have anything pink period). One thing I do know for sure- we need a chalkboard wall.

It would be great to add open shelving as well. Not only is it a practical way to grab what you need, but pretty dishes can make wonderful displays of art on the wall.

For simple details, I like the idea of organizing utensils in pretty bowls on a serving tray. Herbs in tin tea canisters right by the window are a sweet touch too. And speaking of tea, who doesn't love tea cups hung under a shelf?

Right behind our sink is a window looking out to the backyard which will be the perfect spot to keep an eye on our new pup, Chief. What kitchen features are most important to you?

P.S. You can also check out my dining room and living room ideas too!

// Photo sources: 1. via Design*Sponge, 2. via design is mine, 3. via Pinterest, 4. via design is mine, 5. via design is mine, 6. via Apartment Therapy, 7. via decor8, 8. via Design*Sponge, 9. via Apartment Therapy, 10. via Design Scouting, 11. via Pinterest, 12. via Pinterest, 13. via Lets Drift Away 14. via design is mine //