happy (early) holidays and hello 2010!

I wanted to share with you amazing readers that I am signing off for the rest of this year to enjoy some offline time (oh la la laying in this hammock sure would be nice!) and to get ready for a very welcomed 2010! Writing this blog is an incredible outlet and very rewarding! Through it I have e-met, emailed with and real-life met many kind people so thank you for support and, well, just reading. I wish you all a lovely holiday and new year! See you in the new decade - 2010! In the meantime, definitely check out these awesome blogs for some design inspiration!

Best gift round-ups of 2009 can be found at lovely Coco + Kelley

Inspiration behind Lonny Magazine (new December issue right here) at M.A. Belle

Great design finds + pretty read at designvagabond

Pretty lifestyle + design inspiration from SimpleSong

Cool style and fun to read at Here's lookin at me kid

Just awesome blogging tips and tricks from Blog.SpoonGraphics

Serious design ideas and how-to tips from Charles and Hudson

Cool paper design love from Paper Crave

Year-end design wrap-ups from all featured cities on Apartment Therapy

Best design + interiors to covet from Desire To Inspire

And, finally, for tons of more amazing blogs, check out the loving. living. small blogroll

:: See you all soon::

xo, rebecca

:: image via Things She Loves ::

SMALL SPACE OFFICE: Saw Horse Desk

While I do enjoy my elfa unit for my desk space (using the walls to create both an desk surface and book shelves), I long for a pretty desk with saw horse legs. I love the look (scale and balance) plus the extra storage that the legs provide. I can see stacking some magazines or books and using the entire desk, not just the surface. I spotted this pretty desk at West Elm and may have to go for it!

loving rose-colored metals

I am on a little lighting kick lately and wanted to share these pretty metal pendants. when I was at the Las Vegas Design Center a few months ago, I spotted this neat light installation in one of the showrooms and loved it! The rose-colored metal looked amazing and inspiring. Since lighting is important in small spaces, be creative with the type of lamp or chandelier you are using. It can add tons of design style to your space. And many come with cool textural style, like these pendants.

small details

I am always looking for ways to add a little detail here and there to make my small space feel textural and colorful. since I have more of a neutral palette in my furniture, I like to use planters, flowers and plants often and they are affordable - yes! loving these little succulents. These guys are full of detail and don't take much looking after.

SMALL SPACE ACCENT: Bold Lighting

One of my fave tips for living small with style is creating a neat lighting design in your home to add balance and scale. You'd be surprised with what a little be of extra lighting can add depth to your home. I also like the idea of using a bold lighting accent in a small space. You can have tons of small lamps and lights but go big in your main room. I spotted this sweet chandelier at Tuvula in Laguna Beach and love the shape - kind of a modern day crystal ball. Like using your walls, adding a design element overhead will draw the eye up and add the feeling of more space. All small space dwellers like that!

happy holiday weekend

:: hope you all are having a relaxing and lovely holiday ::

loving eating small 8 oz. burger

I popped into 8 oz. Burger last week and oh la la what a treat! My friend and I enjoyed a great dinner of short rib grilled cheese, fried olives stuffed with chorizo and some good pale ales - yes! Aside from the incredible food, which is so rich and tasty (you seriously must go! ), I also loved the decor, especially the white subway tile that lined the walls. I have always had a thing for white tile decor and mixed with the wood texture, the look was perfect and would do well in a small space. Looking for more decor love, check out more loving. eating. small. posts.

SMALL SPACE D.I.Y.: Vintage Books

I am always looking for neat ways to reuse things I already I have in a cool way. I have been pretty thoughtful about my decor choices and I think there's often many ways to use one item. I spotted this display at a sweet shop in Laguna Beach last weekend and love it! Using old vintage books and a little string, new life was brought to these pages. Another little creative tip, stencil your favorite silhouette or colorful design in your palette on the pages before you apply the string. 

DESIGN INSPIRATION: Color + Texture

I was flipping through the new House Beautiful today and loved seeing The Next Wave series featuring 20 hot designers - all with interesting style and design elements. One of my faves, Gary Spain, who describes his love of "graphic layering of patterns and objects, textures and fabrics" as the foundation for his lovely work. The interiors are a small space dweller's dream - seriously people! I loved seeing all the color and design (and there's a lot of it) in the rooms and it works!! Small spaces need color + texture so go for it! As you add to your small space, continue to use small space ideas like using your walls to expand your space and adding accents, like mirrors. Enjoy more of Gary's work right here.

:: images via Gary Spain Design ::

USING YOUR WALLS: travel wall

 

about three years ago, I printed out 40 5 x 7 photos and placed 20 each in two large frames. all of these photos I snapped of locations that I had the pleasure of visiting and placing them on my wall instead of keeping them hidden in my computer was a great way to recreate the fun memories. while I love my frames, I also love the this look - a travel wall. This apt owner spread her travel love with individual photos. I think it looks awesome and it's a very cool way to use your walls and share your style.