PICTURE THIS: Inspiration Found Again

I have posted many times about the rewards of using your own personal art to create galleries in your small space. This is really a meaningful and creative way to showcase your work and allow for those fun memories to always be on your mind.

Three years ago in Chicago, I snapped this pic of my boy and I in the reflection of Cloud Gate, a gorgeous sculpture in Millennium Park. (That's me in the red skirt). It's by far my favorite pic and it hangs in our main room.

Just the other day, I came across quite an amazing shot on Flickr of the same sculpture by photographer iceman9294. It quickly reminded me of my wonderful time in Chicago and my own picture hanging in my home.

Enjoy!

COLLAGE KITSCH

I enjoy getting Anthropologie's weekly emails in my Inbox. Always colorful and inspirational, this week's was simply fun! I love their term "collage kitsch" when describing the mixing of patterns and colors. And it really works! Quick tip - if you want to mix patterns in your small space, keep the color consistent. Then you will keep the cohesive flow of your space.

Enjoy!

DESIGN INSPIRATION: domino's MY DECO FILE

I posted just this morning about one of my fave sites, Flickr, and how photosharing is an incredible resource for design + life inspiration. A new member of the photosharing world is domino. Their wonderful feature, MY DECO FILE, has many of the same concepts and ideas of Flickr and is connected right into domino's site. Not only can you add your own images and create your own Deco Books but you can add other members' imagery and photos right from domino. Inspiration all around!! Love that! To sign up for MY DECO FILE, click here.

Enjoy!

MAKING ROOM: Our new king sized bed has arrived!

As I mentioned last week, we finally got a brand new king sized bed for our not so big apartment. Here is us in "getting ready" mode by disassembling our old bed.

SMALL SPACE DWELLER HANDBOOK: Creating negative space in your home

If you are looking for ways to expand the look of your space, try integrating negative space to create a clutter-free environment in your home. You will feel less overwhelmed and the flow of your space will function better. One key to creating a negative space is to organize all of your essentials in a place where they can be hidden but accessible. Not only will this provide the clean surface you need but you will feel better about your organized space. Plus you have allowed your space to breathe and, therefore, seem larger. Try this idea in your own small space.

For other pages out of the the SMALL SPACE DWELLER HANDBOOK, click here.

Enjoy!

SPOTTED: Leaning Wine Rack

I posted about the leaning wine rack months ago and finally spotted one in Los Olivos, CA at the Los Olivos Garage, a little vintage shop in town. Although a bit pricey (about $295), it looked as rustic and cool as it does in the picture here.

Enjoy!

A FAVE SITE: Desire To Inspire

I often post imagery from one of my favorite sites, Desire To Inspire. Their mission simple - showcasing beautiful rooms from all over the world. They recently updated the look of their site and with their easy tagging system, you can easily search by topics such as HALLWAY, ECO-DESIGN, WINKS and my favorite WHITE (see 10 of my favorite white rooms above). I was lucky to be featured in their READING GUIDE just a few weeks into starting loving. living. small. Check out my original banner and a few of the many wonderful sites featured in this section.

LOVING EATING SMALL: The Hungty Cat (SB Outpost)

In Santa Barbara over the weekend, we enjoyed a a very delectable dinner at hip bistro, The Hungry Cat. The small-ish and very comfortable dining space was simple in decor and the color palette rustic with clean lines. The food - amazing! Here are some pictures of our meal - Seabass for me, mussles for him and chocolate creme brulee for dessert. Yum!

Enjoy!

USING YOUR WALLS: Scattered Plates

I first saw use of "plates as art" a few years ago at the Viceroy Hotel in Santa Monica. Since then, this style of installation pops up often on design sites and magazines as an affordable DIY project. I like this particular look - spreading the plates across the entire wall - allowing the eye to travel through the small space. I also love the rustic wooden table! [Image via Desire To Inspire]

Enjoy!

DESIGN INSPIRATION: Vintage Posters via Bob Staake

I love the colors of Bob Staake's poster collection featured here. His collection of mid-20th century collection is rich in color and graphic design. This could be a great way to find your next color scheme in your small space.

Enjoy!