Oh-Eight Inspiration
It is almost unbelievable that another year has come and gone. And what a biggie it was. An election. A stimulus check. A recession. A Britney Spears comeback. And the sniffle-inducing loss of a few of our favorite publications (Cottage Living and O At Home to name a few). But they didn’t slip away without leaving us with some pretty amazing inspiration- so we’re honoring a few of our favorite rooms of two thousand and eight and crossing our fingers that oh-nine brings the same abundance of swoonworthy spaces.
Words cannot describe the love that we have for this Cottage Living kitchen. And we adore that every single idea is completely budget friendly. The easy DIY bright red window trim, the wall mounted sconces that add architecture and interest, our favorite bamboo blinds, and even a rustic-industrial restaurant rack turned table (loaded with practical open storage). And of course we love the clam-shell-as-fruit-bowl as we have one of those in our kitchen too. So many ideas, so little time.
We also fell head over heels for this living room (Cottage Living again… oh those were the days). We’re huge open living fans so we loved that this couple worked matching desks right into their living area and the symmetry (created by the identical light fixtures, track doors and grid-like bookcases) seriously floats our boat.
We also love this soft and inviting color palette, which can easily be introduced into your home on the cheap. Some faded yellow pillows, a sky blue spray painted desk chair or two, and deep chocolate doors will look amazing in any room with an abundance of white and neutral tones. And if you’re feeling brave, a side table with a coat of coral paint will take things to a whole new level.
Sometimes outdoor rooms can be just as titillating as indoor ones. We love this simple and sweet backyard that can easily be mimicked in a small space and on a serious budget (from MyHomeIdeas). A nice grassy yard beyond a modest slate or concrete paver patio (both budget friendly materials you can snag at Home Depot or Lowe’s) looks abundant and lush with a textured border of shrubs.
Although a fountain on the far wall might be a bit of a splurge, the idea of creating a focal point to draw the eye out across the yard will really create an expansive feeling- even if you plop down a cheap-o fire pit and two adirandak chairs instead. Even a gorgeous red maple (only about $50 at Lowe’s or Home Depot, where they’re guaranteed for a year) planted on the far wall of the yard will create a gorgeous point of interest for decades to come.
And who could forget this fabulous house featured earlier this year on Apartment Therapy? Goodness knows we love us some soft beachy blue, and those walls in the back room are perfection. We’re also totally digging the idea of adding some soft tangerine accents- such a fresh color combination that we’d love to see more of in 2009. Makes my mouth water for a clementine. Yummy.
So here’s to more unbelievably fabulous inspiration rooms in 2009. We’ll leave you with this elegant New Year’s “toasting table” from MyHomeIdeas. We love the lavender and green scheme (silver is fabulous but adding a few other colors is refreshing and fun) and the idea that guests can grab a glass of bubbly (and a sparkly hat!) as soon as they step in the door is sheer genius. If only we had a vestibule like this- we’d have a chunky pedestal table in ten seconds flat.
Happy New Year everyone!
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Happy New Years Youngsters! Love that red and blue kitchen. Yummy is right.
Such a great roundup of inspiration! Thanks as always for sharing. And a Happy New Year to both of you…and Burger too!
Love it all- and I still have time to set up a little toasting table before everyone drops by in 20 minutes. Thanks for the last minute inspiration. I even have some plastic hats!
I love that living room too!!! especially the doors. I am thankful I found you this year and wish you even much more success in 2009. Happy New Years to all three of you!
Great pics, wish you a lovely 2009!!
Hi Sherry,
I just found your blog via a post from Holly Becker’s blog and enjoyed to read and rummage through your lovely photos for quite some time. I am sure I will come back often.
We have one thing in common – I also love to work on things on my own (especially everything that’s home-related) and working as a full-time artist and designer since more than 10 years I have gained a lot of experience.
Perhaps you might have fun to check out my new blog “Art and Interior” under http://artandinterior.blogspot.com where I started to show ideas about applying art (my works for the moment) to homes and other environments.
Wish you a very Happy and Successful New Year!
Kind regards,
Petra
I LOVE that top photo!
wow! Just found your blog and did not know those two magazines were not going to be published anymore. I thought it was bad enough about Mary Engelbreits’s magazine (we advertised there) not being published but now with these two also, what is becoming of the world? lol
I didn’t realize O at Home had been discontinued but picked up the winter issue and really loved it. Bad timing, I guess!
Seems like lots of magazines were discontinued this year. As long as I still have random frequent flier miles, I’ll be surrounded by magazines I subscribe to. :)
Love the red trim in the top picture. Any idea what color that is?
Hey Amy,
We’re not privy to the exact paint color of that red trim but you might wanna try Benjamin Moore’s Million Dollar Red which should look pretty darn similar. And if you end up taking the plunge of course we’d love to see some before and after pictures. We eat that stuff for breakfast!
xo,
Sherry
We enjoy all the pictures. I love the yard picture. It has given me some ideas.