Danielle's Profile

Gorgeous! Usually I'm not a fan of such a neutral color scheme, but this really stands out for me. I love how well you've blended masculine and feminine, and nothing feels over-the-top or unlivable. Fantastic job!

I've always had a love of nooks. I agree that they're so classic and timeless. As a little girl, I yearned for a bedroom with a nook in the window with a plush, padded bench, where I could read and write in my journal or write poetry. Alas, our home couldn't accommodate that.

But, now that I own my own home, I love creating little reading nooks. We're still renovating most of our house, but so far we have a comfy chair and ottoman nestled into tall bookcases that wrap around a corner of our office. It's both a space of its own, and a nice place to perch when hanging out with whomever happens to be playing on their computer. We also had an awkward space in our back room, behind the sofa and before the kitchen/breakfast bar. So we filled it with another comfy chair and ottoman, and I'm seeking out the perfect end table and reading lamp. It's right next to a floor to ceiling window, so I love sitting there and staring outside.

Fortunately my husband loves the nooks too. On our wish list is a bay window in the front room where we can a well-padded bench (possibly with a bookcase built into the bottom of it) and lots of pillows. It'll do double duty as the spot to put our Christmas tree in December (after temporarily relocating the bench for the holidays).

Maybe it's because my husband is in law enforcement, so he KNOWS what can and does happen, and how even the "nicest", "safest" neighborhoods are not as safe as they seem (people with bad intentions often go to nicer neighborhoods to commit crimes because people tend to have their guard down, and the loot is more valuable).

Opening a door for a stranger is not smart. That's often how home invasion robberies happen. Someone knocks on the door (if someone asks who it is/what they want first, they'll often make an "innocent" sounding request, or say it's an emergency) and then as soon as you open your door, they storm in (sometimes violently -- like punching the occupant in the face).

My husband and I live in a well-to-do, safe neighborhood. But I won't answer the door (or even make my presence behind the door known, while looking through the peephole). If someone has a legitimate reason to be at our house, they know to call in advance. Or announce themselves at our door.

I think I just had a decorgasm. What a beautiful home! Major kuddos for not messing with the architecture and details of the home -- they are just stunning. And fantastic job on putting together an eclectic mix of stuff that just feels like it was all made to go together!

Also, a lot of you need to start reading recipes before you start. A quick scan of the ingredients and steps would save you a lot of headaches later, because you'll know what's going to be expected of you. If you opt to fly by the seat of your pants, well then you need to expect that you may run into the unexpected because you chose not to prepare.

And... if you don't know what certain terms mean (i.e. "shimmering" oil), then perhaps you're either A) making a recipe that is too advanced for your skill set, or B) need to educate yourself on those terms before you get angry at the recipe writer for including them. "Shimmering" oil is an actual sign the the oil is heated properly. You can find videos online (for free) that will show you what this looks like. Learning how to properly heat your oil to the right temperature (and be able to properly gauge this using visual or other cues) will help ensure that your dish is cooked appropriately and tastes the way it should. It's not just some obnoxious term they threw in there solely to piss you off. Again... Google is your friend if you see something you don't understand!

I had a yellow bedroom as a young child, and hated it. Then when my husband and I moved into our first rental home, just abut every wall in the house (except the bathrooms) was painted some shade of yellow. We hated it, but weren't allowed to paint. I later read that yellow is very stimulating and can cause people to be more anxious, have higher blood pressure, and even to get in more arguments (especially if the yellow is in the bedroom). I'd say that seemed pretty true for us! We've since bought a home, and painted with lots of soothing blues and grays, and feel much calmer.

But yellow can be good as a little burst of color. We painted the half bath with charcoal gray vertical stripes, and added bright yellow hand towels, and a couple of other small, strategically placed yellow accents. It plays really nicely with the gray, adding a dose of cheer without being overwhelming. Its given me a new appreciation for yellow -- although I won't be painting any walls yellow ever again!

My husband and I enjoy inviting other couple friends to our home for dinner, and many of them have reciprocated. It has definitely been on my mind to start hosting dinner parties with two or three other couples -- partially as a way to better introduce some of our friends who don't know each other well, but who we think would get along very nicely. Plus, we bought our first home last year, and are almost done remodeling the bottom level (with the exception of the kitchen), and are eager to start entertaining in the space.

I will say that I've noticed a "trend" amongst many people in their 20's and 30's of preferring housing that does NOT have a formal dining room -- and if it does, they use the space for something else. When we were house hunting, a formal dining room was a must for us. I actually dislike eat-in-kitchens. So, perhaps I'm odd. But, this break away from formal dining rooms is likely related to the decline in popularity for dinner parties.

I don't doubt that many people in their 20's and 30's are not into throwing dinner parties. They can be expensive. Many people don't have the cooking skills or the equipment/place settings. People's living situations may not be conducive to such parties either (we know lots of young couples living with family to save money, or living in very small spaces, like apartments). I know many people in this age range that don't even cook much for themselves/their family (unless it's easy/quick meals). Also many people are pairing up/marrying at an older age, and I really can't see any of my friends that are still single (or at least not in long term, serious, live-in relationships) throwing dinner parties. Many of our other friends who are paired up have infants/small children, and don't have the time or energy (or the clean space!) to host such parties. I imagine that as we get older, that will start to change.

I've been eyeballing this door for our pantry that has a chalkboard on one side and a white board on the other (or you can get just one or the other). But it's like $500. Now you have me thinking that I could just make my own for waaaaay less! The only issue is that I wanted one side to be magnetic. I wonder if a layer of magnetic primer would still work under a sheet of chalkboard or whiteboard contact paper?

I would do a combination of lush plants and colorful vintage glass bottles and/or yard ornamentation (think kitschy gnomes or other sculptures). I wouldn't put anything valuable or expensive there (unless your neighborhood is very safe, and you don't think people would snatch them).

From the pictures, I think it actually looks better (it has more personality) than the CB2 one!