currently loving
gold enamel votives








A few weeks ago, I posted about a black and gold combo that I see coming on strong in the next few months. {Be on the lookout for the November InStyle Magazine where I talk more about this trend} I spotted this style over the summer when I was in Stockholm, Italy and London. While there, I picked up  a bunch of design goodies, including this fave item - a votive. Super small in size, this little guy is such a nice design element in my new small space, I love it! There's something chic and cool about this votive - matte exterior and and shiny enamel interior - the tiny tealight creates such a look in such a small package. I love small details in small spaces // they truly add style.

Check out more items that I am currently loving //


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small space d.i.y.
tin tile headboard








One of my favorite neighborhoods is Georgetown. It's completely quaint mixed with cool design and shops. I spent some time there the other day and enjoy the pretty cobblestone streets. I popped into West Elm's new pop up shop. There were some neat design ideas and I thought one, in particular, was perfect for a small space DIY. How cool is this tin tile headboard? Full of design style, texture and color vibe, these tiles make a great impact. Consider placing your tin tiles (found at your local home improvement store) on a large plywood sheet. And don't forget to add some color with spray paint. Check out over 50 small space DIY ideas right here - fun!


:: all photos by loving. living. small. ::


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ready to relax | rain edition





I'm buckling down for the crazy rain that's headed towards the east coast and the DC area. 2 weeks in and already an earthquake and more so I'll stick to relaxing at home, watching movies and continuing to decorate and move in to our new townhouse. Have a great weekend!

 :: images by loving. living. small. ::

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small space style inside the rustic vibe of a Maryland barn












The other weekend, I headed over to a monthly decorators' tag sale and absolutely loved it! The location - a rustic barn in Maryland. Who doesn't love that? 30 designers were on-hand, showcasing vintage decor, furniture, rustic pieces and commission design. I loved seeing the industrial chic style on display - from factory carts as coffee tables, to lamps made from machine parts. Small space dwellers can definitely benefit from adding in small details and these items had that extra style. I also spotted something totally new to me - clay tags (Love the Le' Amore tag) Full of texture and whimsy while being unique and interesting.


:: all images via loving. living. small. ::

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a small chat
jeni maus | found vintage rentals







Hi all, I am so happy to share a new interview in the A SMALL CHAT series and this one is simply awesome! I am planning my wedding and have been spending some major design time on wedding-inspired blogs and websites. One of my absolute favorites - the blog and website of Found Vintage Rentals blog by the lovely Jeni Maus. Jenni has over 12 years of experience in the wedding industry and has an incredible eye for discovering and curating gorgeous vintage furniture and decor items. Seriously - Jeni's collection of vintage goods is thoughtful and dynamic - I love it all! As a design lover, enjoy what Jeni has to say about choosing pieces for small spaces, mixing and matching design styles, creating vignettes in your small space and more.



You are the founder and owner of found, vintage furniture and decor rentals and sales. You have such an eye for curating unique vintage pieces across the board. (I absolutely love your style!) How do you search and then select pieces to ultimately create a vignette? A lot of small space dwellers want to add as much style into their square footage and picking the best pieces is sometimes a challenge.

My motto is "form over function." Our home was built in 1926 so I know about small spaces, and when I decorate it (yes, I am constantly changing things) I don't always think about the most "functional" pieces, but rather the ones I like to look at. Not to say that nothing has a purpose, but I want to love everything I have in my spaces. Another crucial element in decorating small spaces is, layering. It creates depth, and can actually make a space look bigger by putting pieces on top of and around each other.



Your collection of available pieces is amazing and it's quite a mix of textures, colors, patterns, etc. I definitely believe that mixing and matching furniture and decor in a small space works and can make a room appear bigger with the addition of textures. What tips can you give for mixing and matching furniture? Is there such thing as too much mixing?

"It's in the mix, not the match!" I am, nor never have been a matchy, matchy kind of gal. Furniture is a great way to express your style putting pieces together that may consist of different kinds of wood, or shapes just shows a dynamic personality. I love throwing is some industrial pieces as well. The straight lines and harsher materials are a wonderful contrast to the softer, chippier pieces in my collection. I think it is a great balance.



On loving. living. small., I often talk about making your house a home and the foundation for this is to feel great in your space. You create "real moments" in your vignettes for weddings, events, photo shoots, etc. I mean, I think I could lay back and relax on one of your sofas in a field of green grass for days - your photos truly evoke a sense of feeling fabulous. :) How important is it to make a furniture layout "feel" good and what are your tips for making this happen?

Accessorizing. It is crucial. Pillows, candles, books, lamps, clocks....there are so many ways to make a vignette more inviting, which is exactly how I want my clients guests to feel at their wedding. I want Uncle Fred to feel like he is sitting in an outdoor living room, chatting it up with other family and friends. If too many accessories feel overwhelming, I would say pillows are at the top of the list of must-haves to make a space feel more comfortable. Even throwing a rug down under the coffee table (yes even if it is on the grass) makes the space feel warm, and comfortable.



I often tell small space dwellers to edit their things and really integrating items they love into their home that also are efficient in the space. Can you offer a few ideas on how to edit a space? What about adding in new pieces?

When you love something, you can't live without it. You can walk a room/or any space, and some things will evoke emotions, some will not. Some items have memories associated to them, or sentimental value, and some just make you happy. If there are pieces that don't do any of these things, most likely you could do without them. This may also open up the door for incorporating new pieces that will evoke those emotions! I am always adding, switching around, making changes. You will always find things that you love, how much you love them is the question? I base that love and the decision to buy an item on how it makes me feel. If I know I am going to smile every time I look at it, it usually goes home with me.



Where do you find your vintage inspiration (flea markets, magazines, films, environment, etc) and what has been your favorite vintage find? I can't wait to hear what you love because I love all the items you have on your site :)

Home magazines and blogs really inspire me. One of the most relaxing things to me is to curl up on the couch and look at one of the many home magazines that I subscribe to. Blogs are the same. I get lost in them, and feel inspired at all of the beauty and creativity in the blog world. Flea markets do the same. I spend hours and hours at them, and there is no better feeling than finding something (that you weren't at all looking for) but wonder how you have lived without it all this time :) My favorite find...easy. A chair that has been completely stripped down to the lining, (buttons still attached with fabric) and horse hair and hay coming out all over the place. The original upholstery webbing is still attached on the back and the caster wheels are original, but the chair is not to sit in. It is itchy and pokes in weird places, but it will remain un-upholstered in my dining room (or somewhere in my house) for as long as I live.


Thanks, Jeni! Definitely click here to check out Jenni's fabulous website and blog, found. Follow her right here @foundrentals. And enjoy over 20 more small space inspired interviews from designers, lifestyle experts, design bloggers and more, including...



:: all images via found ::

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sometimes you need a little shine







I needed a little shine and smile today so I wrapped one of my fave j. crew necklaces around a vase of pink roses. happy :) 

speaking of happy, this made me smile this week. 

have a great summer weekend! 


 *Gorgeous cantilevered furniture for my small space via fab

*This absolutely gorgeous wedding on a ranch via found vintage rentals

*Trend watch :: mini-handbags that are fab and cool via whowhatwear

*Major statement decor and furniture pieces featuring pleats {love this!} via casasugar 

*The pretty amazing MOVE, EAT, LEARN short films that truly inspire via OK, great


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{small} bed idea inspired by poolside in Vegas










You may not exactly think "poolside in Las Vegas" when you think of bedroom inspiration but you may be surprised.  I recently spotted these fab little cabanas at Green Valley Ranch and wanted to share them with you. I love the stark white walls of the cabana frame - super modern and fresh. The bedding design palette of gray :: blue :: coral :: white adds a soft style to the hard edges and is a good example of creating a feeling of design depth. 

I think this look can be recreated in a small bedroom at home. Use the color palette above in simple ways. Consider painting your walls bright white, adding some pretty patterned fabrics for curtains and throw pillows and a few planters and you will feel "summer afternoon poolside" year-round. 

:: all images by loving. living. small. ::

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a fave color combo
natural wood and poppy red











I have always been fond of natural wood decor. Every piece is unique since the wood grain falls where it falls and I love that. When I was in Stockholm, my friend took me to her favorite coffee shop - think Intelligentsia and Blue Bottle meets Swedish style. Yay! Aside from the rich coffee  and delish bull'e treats, the poppy red and natural wood style caught my eye. I absolutely love this color combo. There's something special when the bright color pop meets the calm wood texture. The coffee bar was my favorite - a polished slim wood counter with cutout holes for the bright poppy red coffee cups to drain the beans. 

I was inspired to pull some decor in this color combo perfect for a small space - a very cool reclaimed wood mirror, ceramic vase full of poppies, a reclaimed wood tray for displays, a red light pendant perfect for a small dining space, a reclaimed wood console to store and display your favorite things and red folding chairs that can be stored when not used for extra seating.

:: all photos by loving. living. small. ::



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loving. living. small. digital snapshot | no. 4
a fall wedding inspiration edition











It's been a pretty fantastic summer with lots of fun travels and exciting life stuff. One of my most special moments was getting engaged in June to my longtime love - my oh my! I am super happy about marrying this cute guy. :) 

Now I have to admit, while I love design, writing about design, window shopping design, taking photos of design, I really have never "designed" my ideal wedding.The only wedding thing I have ever really bookmarked was when I tore out a wedding ring from a magazine years ago because I thought it was so pretty. (And guess what, that's the ring my sweet guy got for me! Seriously, it was a total surprise and I still can't believe it!!) So now I am looking at planning my own wedding and I think I am getting into it now. I approached the planning the same way I love with a small space - what do I *love* about it? How do I want to *feel*?

My fiance and I are having our wedding in the late Fall and we are inspired by the season and harvest tones - merigold, pumpkin, saffron, ivy. Of course we do love deep grays and gold tones too so - voila - our color palette was created based on the season we love most - Fall. A few other goodies that we love - cupcakes, salt, pretty flowers, mixing design styles, mixing textures, color and, of course a little Veuve.  We are looking at a historic venue but we are definitely not formal so we'll be adding in some of our rustic chic style on a budget. I see a lot of small space DIYs in my future. I put together this digital snapshot to share a few ideas that I am thinking of for our wedding weekend. More to come... :)


Images from the top clockwise
1. Honeycomb floor cushion 2. Roost beverage dispenser 3. Chinese Chippendale chair 4. Birch candles 5. Glass Bell Jar 
6. Veuve Clicqout 7. Custom wood slab pedestal 8. Georgetown cupcakes 9. Gold bowl 
10. Tulips 11. Alberion lantern 12. Pressed leaves


Check out more digital snapshots right here


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currently loving...
the soon-to-be-launching missoni for target collection








If you are a design lover and a Missoni lover like me then I am sure you are also anticipating the very cool and fab Missoni for Target collection launch in a few weeks. I was thrilled to spot a few images online and in magazines that preview a few items from the very full collection. There are about 400 pieces, including a bike and patio set. (Yea, that patio set is mine - dying for a sneak peek :) I love the Missoni style and color - remember my small space DIY from a few months ago when I turned a Missoni hand towel into art? I also have been coveting their cashmere throw, even spotting it in Florence this summer and wishing I could take it home with me.

:: all images found online for Missoni ::

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