Teen Girl Bedroom

Life has been a bit crazy busy at the moment (as usual). I wish I had more time to blog (hoping to change that a bit). I've branched into styling more interiors (don't worry I still love fashion) and am working on several new interior design projects!! One project I'm currently working on is a teen girl's bedroom. My client loves color and pattern and wanted something bright and happy and modern. My inspiration and starting point for the project was this brightly colored geomeric art piece from Minted. Minted is one of my go-tos for good and affordable art as well as invitations, and party decor. I also love that you can have the prints framed when you order, which is nice!

And here's the final concept board...

Stay tuned for more project updates that I'll be sharing!

What's your planter style?

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Lately I've been obsessed with planters (it must be the need to see more than dead trees and grass. I'm feeling spring is right around the corner). For the font porch, I love the look of planters on either side of the front door. It feels welcoming and adds so much character to a home. For my own front porch, I'm leaning toward something a bit more modern and geometric with a variety of overflowing greens, but I also love the more traditional and feminine approach using pink flowers and terracotta. Which would you choose? Here are some inspiration photos as well as a few of my favorite outdoor planters below.

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concrete / white chippendale / geometric / black matte / raised / textured / terracotta

Home Trend: patterned tiles in the bathroom

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Bathrooms have a tendency to go boring fast especially when basic finishes are selected. One home trend I'm super excited about right now for bathrooms is patterned tiles. I feel like it's a good way to bring personality to the space and I especially like it paired with something more simple like a subway tile. Also key to getting it right, is pairing the bold pattern with more neutral colors. Add in some pretty hardware and you have yourself an anything-but-boring bathroom.

What do you think? Would you try a pattern in your bathroom?

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Spring 2015 Collection

I'm excited to announce my Spring 2015 collection of pillows! Along with my own custom designs, I have also included found and vintage textiles to the shop in limited editions and will be adding new items here and there. This collection is by far my favorite and was inspired by worldly travels and my ever growing collection of vintage ethnic fabrics. Because I'm a huge fan of pattern mixing, all of the designs are in the same color palette so they can be mixed and matched.

See and shop the whole collection here.

Woodland Nursery

I'm currently designing a woodland themed nursery. My client wants the nursery for her baby boy to be mostly neutral with a few pops of color. Keeping with the woodland theme, I chose several different textures including a lot of wood tones to help keep things interesting. I also am using lots of geometric shapes to bring a modern touch and to tie things together. I'm super excited to see this space come together and will be posting more updates along the way.

1. Leather pouf
2. Wooden tree mobile
3. Dotted crib sheet
4. Raccoon pillow
5. Metal side table
6. Two tone Dresser
7. Brass floor lamp
8. Wooden deer
9. Basket
10. Shag rug
11. Baby bear pennant flag
12. Vinyl triangles
13. DIY Triangle shelves (similar)
14. Happy camper print
   

Happy 2015!

It feels good to enter a new year. It's been quite some time since I've been to this blog of mine. I'm hoping to stop in more frequently from time to time to share inspiration and photos of projects and products I'm working on. I wish to make this blog more of a journey of my design process especially as I shift more into interior styling and design. Thanks for following along. 

Here are some of my goals or things I plan to work on this year and beyond. 

1. Build better relationships. Over the past eight years I've had the opportunity of living all over the country and meeting wonderful people along the way. I would love to keep in contact with some of them better and even reach out to those I don't see often or ever!

2. Better manage my time. I am so much happier when I follow a schedule and have things to do and work on. Being unproductive makes me anxious and I'm hoping to better plan out my days in order to accomplish bigger long term goals I have for myself.

3. Get up early. I know this sounds like a crazy goal but for the past year I've been trying to get up early to get work done and have failed miserably at it. I've tried everything and perhaps being a night owl just might be my thing. But I'm determined to keep at it and see if I can't at least do it a few times before giving up completely:)

4. Explore more places. I love to go places, but sometimes it's too easy to stay home especially when it's -20 degrees outside. I'm determined to get out and explore new places nearby and further away.

5. Continue learning and challenging myself. This past year I decided to go back to school and get my interior design degree. While it definitely hasn't been easy, I have learned so much and I love the challenge it brings. I hope to never lose my love for learning and that desire to develop new skills. I am hoping to maybe even take an art class this year.

I could probably keep going, but I don't want to get ahead of myself, so I'll stop here.

Happy New Year!

    

Sneak Peek of my newest collection

Currently I've been gathering inspiration and designing my newest collection of textiles. Here is a little peek into some of the patterns...

I'm hoping to show you more the closer I get to picking the final designs.
     

Will's Bedroom Reveal

I'm finally sharing a few photos of Will's room! It has been a work in progress and I've been collecting and putting things together over the past year. I probably could have finished it much quicker than I did, but if you've ever designed anything for yourself you know how hard it can be. It's much easier to design for others. Because we moved a lot over the past several years, I've never really completed a space for Will so I thought it was time. I knew I wanted a space that could grow with him and reflect his personality. I also wanted a space that felt light and bright with a bit of fun. He is a four year old boy after all! I think spaces for kids don't have to feel too childish and themed, but should have some elements of playful and fun. While there are still a few things left to finish like window treatments, brass knobs for the dresser and I would like to eventually get a headboard, but for now I'm happy with how it came together.

 See more photos after the jump...

Hello

Hello friends. I'm alive and well and it feels good to be back! I've been busy working on lots of new ideas and patterns for my shop and as well as focusing more of my attention on new design projects I'm working on when it comes to styling. I will be sharing more of those with you over the next several months. Stay tuned. xoxo Ali

For the home: linen bedding

What is it about linen that makes it so inviting? Despite linen wrinkling easy, I'm a big fan. It feels so relaxed and casual and doesn't have to be perfectly ironed to still look pretty. I love all these different colored versions from Anthropologie. It's also tempting to get some dye and try making my own.

What do you think, do you like a more relaxed look for your bed or do you like everything to look crisp?

     

A day trip

Last month I had the opportunity to fly with my dad out to Monterey, CA for the day. It was pretty last minute. I didn't know until that morning I was going to go. I had been to Carmel and Monterey before, but it had been several years, and I forgot how much I love that place! The morning was pretty foggy, but by the afternoon the sun was shining and the ocean breeze felt so nice especially coming from the midwest. I started thinking if I could go anywhere for just a day, where would I go? I think Monterey would be in my top 5. What about you? Where would you go and what would you do?

Here are a few of my images from the day after the jump if you'd like to see...

For the home: accessories

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Lately I've been on the hunt for home accessories (vintage and new) for some prop styling projects I'm working on as well as a few spaces in my home. I find that a few pieces here or there can transform a small space or vignette. Last year H&M came out with a new home line, and until recently I hadn't checked it out. I was pleasantly surprised with all the good I found. Here are a few of my favorite pieces from the current collection.
         

Strawberry salad with caramelized almonds

In the summer I love to eat salads, especially ones with fresh fruit mixed in. This one has been on rotation all summer and is super simple to make. I used to buy already made caramelized almonds until I realized how easy it is to caramelize your own in a skillet with sugar and chopped up almonds. Stir them around until they are golden brown. Plus, what a difference it makes to pour warm almonds onto your salad!

Strawberry Almond Salad

Mixed Greens

Chopped celery

Shredded carrots

Crumbled blue cheese

Sliced strawberries

Caramelized almonds

Shredded chicken (optional)

Other variations could include diced grapes, blueberries, or mandarin oranges. 

For the dressing you could easily make your own, but I personally like to mix the Brianna's Poppyseed Dressing with the Blush Wine Vinaigrette Dressing.

 

Fall trend: high waisted skinny jeans

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I love a good pair of skinny jeans in a dark wash, but lately I've been seeing a lot of high waisted ones. The other day my friend Amanda had on the cutest pair that she wore with a tucked-in tee and skinny belt.

What do you think, will you try them?

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 (The ones pictured here are all from Anthropologie, but I also like these, these, these, these and these)

    

Design details: painted front door

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Last year The Huffington Post did an article about The 6 Absolute Best Paint Colors for Your Front Door (not sure about the lime green). A painted front door seems bold, but I like that it's a bit fun too. Plus, it's always a nice treat as a passerby to see a brightly painted front door. Don't you think? If I were to paint my front door, I often wonder what color I would paint it? I'm sure it would probably be a shade of blue although deep down I may try something brighter like a yellow or orangey red.

What do you think, would you paint your front door? What color would you paint it?

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Bedroom update

Over the past six months I've been working on styling the boy's bedrooms. It has taken me way longer than it should, but other things have come up and sometimes I'm just plain indecisive. Plus, anyone who is a designer knows how hard it is to design for yourself. Designing for others is waaaay easier! I finally got Will's gallery wall installed and with a few minor details to wrap up, I'll be ready to share the rest of his room soon.

   

Summer trend: embroidered tops

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In the summer I go for pieces that are lightweight and airy especially when it gets hot! Lucky for us, it hasn't been too hot this summer (70s, just the way I like it:) I love these pretty embroidered tops and they would perfect with jeans or shorts and flat sandals this summer. Plus, today you can get all tops from Piperlime 30% off with the code TOPS30.
     

Home trend: round mirrors

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I've been using all sorts of inspiration from Pinterest and home magazines lately as I finish styling the boy's bedrooms and gather inspiration for my master bedroom. One home trend I've been seeing everywhere is the round mirror. Decorating and styling with mirrors has always been a favorite of mine because they help bring in more natural light to a space. Plus, the curved lines of the round mirror pair so nicely with the straight lines of frames and furniture (or brick!).

What do you think, would you use one in your space?

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