darlingdesign's Profile

oh so good.

a similar thing happened to me and i did something that i never thought would work. i actually painted my walls a very similar color as the couch fabric... only a shade or two lighter. then, i accessorized with toss pillows, paintings, curtains, rugs and accent furniture that have bursts of colors (i have grass green, ball jar blue, and hints of yellow and other blues and greens). yes, this all sounds crazy but my living room (in my and all my guests opinions) is just beautiful! besides, your couch shouldn't be the focal point of the room. use extraordinary colors and you should be all set!

the alcohol bottles are from a previous post... reusing "pretty" bottles in different ways. i'm guessing the bottles hold shampoo, conditioner, body wash, etc etc... not alcohol.

mouthwash looks awesome in a tequila bottle... :)

seriously... i almost freaked when the mao tsetung comment was made... c'mon...

your place looks great! super cozy.

No TV and hopefully someday... No iPhone...

I mean to offend no one, however, I am a little astonished by "no kids" in bedrooms... what about the family cuddle? While kids should be taught to respect their parents' room, I believe no family member should be "banned" from any safe place.

I think housewarming parties are appropriate ONLY for those who have PURCHASED a house (that is, if we're thinking of the traditional: come-see-my-house-and-bring-a-gift type party)

I just moved in to a house I purchased at the first of the year. The number of times I am asked, "when's the housewarming party?" exceeds the number of times I signed my name on the mortgage paper work... too many to count. Usually I smile and think to myself:

1) I can't possibly ask people to come to a party that is designed to celebrate me living in a new house.

2) My house will never be "done" (i.e., decorated and my "perfect") in time for a party to be near my move in date.

3) where there's a party, there are drinks and food. where there are drinks and food, there are spills, stains and days of clean up. Forgive me if this sounds shallow, but I worked too long and hard and have spent too much money on this little place I call home to have it messed up in one night!

Basically, I'd rather show friends a little at a time. If they bring gifts, I know it will be out of want not obligation. While I don't judge throwers of house warming parties, I don't think they're my style.

care to share the accent wall color behind the TV in the living room? i love the ambiguous shade.

as for the rest of the house... its lovely. crisp but comfortable.

i agree with suzee: painting the surrounding wall (i'm thinking Studio Taupe or Creek's Bend: both by Behr) will make a major difference because with the lack of contrast now, what stands out now are the small framed photos. add a big piece of art on the mantel and a large vase of silk flowers on the hearth and you'll love that fireplace of yours!

i'm quite jealous, myself! :)

I decided to copy Martha Stewart and actually schedule horror cleaning jobs on a calendar. first, I made a list of cleaning jobs that aren't habitual (top and sides of the fridge, shelves in the mud room closet) and then placed them on my calendar throughout the year. Its crazy how time flies between these tasks!

Anthropologie on Southport (Chicago)