@TeenVogue 'My Room' Interior Design Feature

I'm about 10 years removed from being the target "Teen Vogue" reader, but by a series of blog clicks I landed on their "My Room" style tours. It's like an interior design fashion baby was born.... dope interiors combined with inspirational, yet attainable design. I was in heaven!

I've been a long time fan of Apartment Therapy which gives a more "grown up" approach to interior design, but I love pretty spaces, so I'm open to wherever that inspiration can come from.

My favorite featured space was the California apartment of 'Fashion Toast' blogger Rumi Neely. It's a very muted color palette, but oozes simplistic, yet girlish charm. I would add just a touch more color, but overall the apartment is a great shell. This is the perfect starting point for anyone looking to design their space.

Using @Flor Carpet Squares to Warm up our Loft

The idea of living in an industrial loft space with concrete floors seems cool, in theory... but once you actually get into the space you quickly realize how cold and impractical concrete floors can be for everyday life.

In an attempt to warm up our loft and ground the space, we decided to invest in Flor Carpet Squares. I can't remember the exact name of the pattern we chose (I think it was Full Bloom in Pearl - $18/square), but it was a great option!

We went into the showroom located in downtown Seattle, and were helped by the lovely store manager, Shelly. She went over all of the options with us and gave us samples to play around with at home. After taking a few weeks to decide, we made our final choices, ordered the squares, and they were delivered to our place within 5-7 business days! Once the squares were delivered, we were able to place the mats and adhere everything together within an hour.

We ordered 20 squares in total, but instead of doing a 4x5 pattern, we opted for a 3x6 pattern, which worked better for the space. Do your measurements at home for the square footage of space you'll be needing, but know that the store has its own conversion because 4 ft doesn't = 4 squares.

Anyways, consider me a happy customer! We'll be ordering some more for our upstairs to add some color to the space. I actually wish I would've bought some Flor Carpet Squares for my studio apartment in Chicago... that would've been so dope... Ahh, should've would've could've lol...

Making our House a Home (Part II)

Oh, the joys of living in corporate housing!! I'm starting to get a little stir crazy looking at the same walls all day, luckily one wall is full of windows and a nice patio view of Lake Union. So, while I do miss having more than 1 suitcase full of clothes/shoes to choose from, I get to see gorgeous lake views and watch kayaks, yachts, and boat planes all day.

As our move-in date draws closer, we've kicked up our furniture search. So far we've been able to find many beautiful things... but we are quickly realizing that unique, quality pieces can easily break the bank. And let me tell you... my boyfriend has some expensive taste! Oooh-wee....

I blame fellow blogger and real-life friend (basically like a big sister to me) Sexy and the Chi for introducing me to Restoration Hardware... and thus causing me to introduce the brand to my boyfriend. I feel like everything in their store is speaking to his inner life force. Locally, we have fallen in love with the pieces carried in Henredon & Schoener (located in Bellevue, WA). Honestly, that store is real life design porn! We both find ourselves being able to stay in there for hours... but the prices are STEEP, so we're always brought to a quick reality check.

Below is a little mash up of some of our favorites pieces so far...

Making our House a Home

Moving can be a drag, but with a new city comes a new home and new furniture! My boyfriend and I were able to find the perfect apartment, but the task of blending both our styles will be the next challenge. He likes industrial minimalism. I'm a fan of mid-century modern glam. Together, we've combined our styles to make what I'm calling rustic modern. I don't know if that's a real thing, but for all purposes we can rock with that label lol.

This past weekend we hit up a few stores to start sourcing pieces and figuring out the direction we'd like to go in. So far, it's looking like we'll be taking cues from the Pacific Northwest and incorporating a lot of earth tones and wood into our new place. Just a little background, we are moving into a very industrial loft (think cement floors and steel stairs lol), so we'll be relying on our furniture to warm up the place.

Has anyone else had to combine styles with their significant other? How'd the process go?

How to Fold a Fitted Sheet

I think I'm the only person that randomly questions how to properly fold a fitted sheet at 10p on a Friday night. Yes, this is really my life and I'm truly this random.

So, with the help of my wonderful e-friend and fellow blogger Gorgeous Puddin, she put me on to the amazeballs YouTube video below. Ahhh, the wondrous world of YouTube - - everything you wanted to know at the tips of your fingers.

I could have probably just called my mom and asked her as she's somewhat of a renaissance woman. Seriously, the lady does it all from having been an RN to a paralegal, owning power tools and swearing by ironing her bed sheets lol... but leave it to YouTube to save me a phone call. So, for anyone that has ever wondered what in the entire hell to do with a flat sheet they were trying to store, look below and see the magic that is properly folding a fitted sheet!!

Elbow Rooom with @ChipWade

Chip Wade was always one of my favorite contractors on Curb Appeal (with John Gidding), so I'm excited to see him coming into his own on Elbow Room. The series has its season 2 premiere Saturday, April 20th @ 9a/8a Central, and will feature more stunning remodels. For those early to rise, be sure to tune in tomorrow morning and eat your breakfast while watching some great makeovers.

A few of my favorite remodels from season 1:

Linda's Apartment Tour (via @nomnomblngblng)

I'm completely smitten with Linda's apartment design I recently saw on Apartment Therapy. I love the idea of saving corks, want to snatch up her gold vase asap, and think her bedroom and office space are lovely. My amazing friend SexyandtheChi sold me her white lacquer West Elm Parsons Desk, so I'd be interested in recreating this look using that as the foundation for my color palette. What are your thoughts? Do you enjoy this space?

Name: Linda, pharmacist and fashion and food blogger of NomNomBlingBling, and dog Mandu
Location: McLean, Virginia
Size: 903 square feet
Years lived in: 1 year; own

Working as a pharmacist by day but a fashion blogger in her spare time, Linda describes her home style aesthetic as being much like her fashion sense: a mix between high and low, elegant and modest. In her one-bedroom condo that she shares with her cute dog Mandu, pieces from Home Goods and Ikea mix with vintage purple suede and lots of shine.

Along with her new neighborhood, home design is another area Linda is looking forward to exploring a bit more. "I'm very comfortable with fashion, but home design is new and seems a bigger, more personal reflection of you."

Within her small space, Linda focuses on the little details and touches to make it feel more homey. Accent pieces and pops of purple and red inject a little energy into the quiet space. Flowers fill vases in every room. "I'm pretty much done in terms of the overall big pieces, but details and little things I'm always shopping around for. Perhaps next season I'll change out the details, like switching out the rugs or pillows. It's winter so I figured I would do a winter palette."

Being on a high floor of her building afforded Linda the opportunity to transform her sun room into a multipurpose office/dining area to take advance of the natural light. "The sun room area is my favorite. Especially taking food photography for my blog, the natural light is the best. It was a major selling point for me." Using her wanderlust as inspiration, she created a sort of a gallery showcase out of her dining room wall, where she displays photos of her travels.

Symmetry is another theme throughout the space, whether it's the two pillows on the couch mimicking each other, the glass lamps flanking either side of the bed, the lined picture frames above the dining table, or striped carpet in the living room.

Stacey Dash Home Tour (video)

Political affiliations aside, I still like Stacey Dash. She makes me think of Clueless, a movie that gives me warm fuzzy hints of nostalgia... and on top of that, her home is UBER luxurious. I'm a sucker for lavender walls and sparkle.

Last night she was featured on Bravo TV's Million Dollar Decorators as Interior designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard worked his magic in her home. This design aesthetic is right up my alley and I wouldn't mind trying to recreate this in my house. In the meantime, I wonder if I could do this on a MUCH smaller scale in my Chicago studio? Hmmmm.... Time to put my thinking cap on.

What do you think of the interior? Check out the home tour below.

@AptTherapy New Video Series

One of my favorite sites, ApartmentTherapy.com, is introducing readers to a new weekly video series. With hopes of bringing blog posts to life, the site will feature weekly videos discussing everything from DIY projects to interior design, apartment features, and everything that readers have come to love about the site. I'm hooked on all things interior and am looking forward to watching the weekly videos.

For design lovers, be sure to also check out blogger and designer @NikiMcNeill and her "Design Talk" web series - - another one of my favs!

Smitten...

I'm currently stuck in Hartford, Connecticut waiting for my flight back to Chicago, and what better way to pass the time than downing drinks with my coworker and looking at pretty condos.

I came across this post on one of my favorite blogs, Made by Girl, and was instantly reminded of my love for interior decorating and city living. I'm on the apartment hunt (yet again) and have a few rentals lined up to view this upcoming weekend - - yet another reason why I'm eager to get back to Chicago.

Design Talk Webisode 2: Top Ten Tips for Renters

Interior designer Niki McNeil, and her design enthusiast bestie Tricea, are back for the 2nd webisode of Design Talk! This month the ladies are dishing their top 10 tips for renters... a topic idea yours truly suggested via twitter. One must love the power of social media. I'm very excited for this month's webisode and think it's full of great tips. In particular, I love their suggestion to paint! I think all too often renters are intimidated by the idea of painting their walls (if the landlord allows it) and their sugestion of doing the trim as well was awesome.


Since my husband and I have been on the apartment hunt, I've come across many rentals that were lacking. If there was great light, the interior was dated. Great floors, but appliances are from the 1900s lol... Location is amazing, but the carpet looks like death. Unless you have a $$$$ budget, most renters will be faced with having to find a place that has some potential and doing the work. I know that nobody wants to invest a ton of money and work into a rental property, but as Tricea said, your home should come up and greet you when you walk through the door. We spend so much time in our homes and making the space a reflection of our personalities and a true oasis of relaxation should be high on everyone's list.

I'm going to continue my rental search with an open-mind and eye for design. I'll also be sure to ask the landlord/property manager their rules on light fixtures being changed, walls being painted, and especially the trim!! My father-in-law is an electrician so it'd be nice to put him to work. I have chandellier dreams bouncing around my mind lol.

Sidebar: Peep the background of the video!! Niki's room is GORGEOUS. I need to hire her to design my space :) (once I get a space that is lol....)

So, what do you think of Design Talk? As a renter, did your favorite tip to transform a rental into your own space make their list?

Summer's Lincoln Park Gem

Summer and Josh added a classic touch to their 1800s historical charmer. The Lincoln Park 1 bedroom is gorgeous and a smart mix of classic pieces, pops of color, and fun patterns. Not to mention their effective use of window space! The curved seating is genius!

The chandellier is amazeballs, but I would have added an area rug to ground the living room space, as well as opted for a different wall treatment. Not a huge fan of the wall paper. Still, Summer and Josh have a Lincoln Park stunner. They've successfully inspired me to continue my apartment hunt.

Design Talk with Niki McNeil

Ever wish you could sit around with your girlfriends gabbing about the latest in interior design? Well, if you're like me and completely obsessed with HGTV, interior design blogs, and magazines, Niki McNeil -- interior designer and blogger for SingleBubblePop has the perfect web series for you!

Design Talk features Niki and her design enthusiast friend Tricea, discussing everything from their favorite design magazines and TV shows, to fashion and DIY projects. The best part? It's interactive! Feel free to tweet or email Niki your questions and she can answer them on future episodes. (I'm already picking her brain about how to design a rental to get the biggest bang for your buck).

This web series has quickly become a favorite for me because I'm hooked on all things interior design, yet have nobody to discuss it with... well, actually I force my husband to watch HGTV with me and SexyandtheChi and I can talk about interiors all day... but this definitely gives me my design fix 24/7.

In their first webisode (below), they're discussing House Beautiful's November 2011 issue.

Stylish Studios from around the Web...

By now everyone knows I'm slightly obsessed with studio living and the innovative ways people around the world make use of their smaller spaces. Each time I see these unique, quirky, glamorous, and efficient spaces it inspires me that much more to take the plunge and try living in a smaller space.

Apartment Therapy recently posted some of their top picks for cohesive and stylish studios from across the globe -- of course I was excited to share!

Images: 1. Innerstadsspecialisten 2. Trevor Tondro for The New York Times 3. Andreas Larsson for Chicago Home + Garden 4. Marie Claire Maison 5. DigsDigs 6. Thomas Loof for House Beautiful 7. Grant Delin for Dwell 8. Design*Sponge 9. Per Magnus Persson for Dwell. 10. Paul Costello for Glamour.

• Easy does it in this minimalistic, masculine home. The colors are minimal without being austere. See the full tour at emma'sdesignblogg.
• Blue beams and red doors create an intimate, unified space in New York City. See the full tour at The New York Times.
• Dwell Studio's popular Chinoiserie bedding pairs with modern photography in this bedroom in Marina City. See the full tour at Chicago Home + Garden.
• A carefully considered, layered color scheme looks sophisticated and inviting. See the full tour at Marie Claire Maison.
• This airy Swedish studio is decorated with thoughtful, lovely accent pieces. See the full tour at DigsDigs.
• A clever photo holder is the centerpiece of this traditional studio. See the full tour at House Beautiful.
• A tiny studio is meticulously organized and decorated. See the full tour at Dwell.
• Lavender walls look fresh in a light-filled studio in San Francisco. See the full tour at Design*Sponge.
• Dark hues make a 495 square foot space look both cozy and modern. See the full tour at Dwell.
• Layered textures look sophisticated in a space Nate Berkus designed for his sister. See the full tour at Glamour.

The space Nate Berkus designed for his sister and the airy, Swedish studio are my favs! Which is your favorite space?