I know I just did a post, but today has been a bit frustrating and I really think I would enjoy talking to you guys about a few things that help me relax.... Is anyone else having a frustrating day? What do you do/where do you go to relax and find your inner peace? It was the first day back for me at the university and there were some ups and downs and confusion and....oh boy. I got pretty frustrated but my boyfriend knew exactly what I need when I get upset so we went for coffee on the bay...
The sweetness of lattes always help me to chill out and breathe easy and the color of the bay today was too hard to resist. I'm totally in love with the bay because in my hometown, all we have is a river that is pretty dirty and most of the time the park along it isn't all that great. Plus, there aren't really any naturally growing trees or precipitation, which both make the view here a million times more beautiful. Once I felt more calm after walking along the docks for a bit, I really got to thinking about how living here by the university has been so nice and how I feel so relaxed and more at home than I ever imagined. In fact, my little apartment with my boyfriend and kittybaby is my little heaven. I think it's because this is the first time I've lived outside of my parents' home and being across the state in a beautiful town and a cute apartment that's all our own while having the opportunity to study what I love has been a great experience for me and a huge blessing. (By the way...I know I will be mentioning her in the future, so meet my kittybaby Penelope.)
She is like a child to me. Anyone else like that with their pets? She's part of what makes my life here so special...
Anyways, thinking about how much I love it here made me want to talk about decorating because one of the ways I made sure I would enjoy myself is by making a home in my apartment. I know that I've mentioned before how much I love decorating, but I also wanted to talk about why the way I decorated my apartment is such a source of happiness in my life. I began planning the apartment as soon as we decided for sure we were moving. I really didn't even know what the apartment would look like exactly because being 5 and a half hours away we didn't get to travel here much before the moving date and we found the actual apartment long after I started buying and planning. However, I did know what kind of a feel I wanted the apartment to have. Whenever people ask me how I like to decorate, I can't really pinpoint what kind of style I am. I would say our apartment is...
Vintage with crisp colors...
And I like french inspirations...
As far as antiques go, Victorian and Art Deco era pieces are always a nice touch.
With maybe a bit of stripped down/industrial inspiration thrown in?
I love a good, unexpected stripe.
A pop of color...
A statement chair (and another stripe!)
And of course I obsess over empty old frames. Especially gold ones.
I think that the point that I wanted to touch on the most: Decorating isn't always about following a specific style and staying within the lines, it's about surrounding yourself with what you love. When I find things for decor, I just look for things that speak to me without worrying how they will all fit together, because I figure that if I love it all, then it will all go together in the end. I have heard many designers say that decorating is more effective when the room/house has a collected look and feel, that way it feels more like you. Your living space should be a reflection of you. It should bring you comfort and warmth each time you walk into it. To me, that's what makes a "house" a home. Also, and I think you will agree with me if you have a passion for decor, it's never truly finished. There's always a new piece that finds it's way into your heart and your home.
Recently, I picked up two new pieces that I really like in my apartment. Remember I showed you a pic of the radiator that I was working on? That turned out to be a huge and frustrating job but I finally just got it done. I still want to add a gold leaf to the detail, but that will have to come later...
(Above) This was the picture I showed during the process of removing the rediculously thick layers of lead paint...
(Below) This is the color I ended up finishing it as...
Eventually I would like to have it professionally sandblasted and change the colors up to make more of a statement, but for my needs right now it's a more subtle accent. I thought it looked nice next to my "statement chair" and my Victorian era mantel and cast iron fireplace insert that my dad and I spruced up.
The other piece I recently picked up is this crown molding tin out of an early 1900s opera house down in Missouri. I wasn't sure exactly what to do with when I first saw it while I was working over break, I just knew I had to have it. My boyfriend wanted it over the TV so it could be showcased.
I'm still trying to get used to mixing creams and whites together because that isn't something that I used to do before. But no matter the colors, I just love the piece's history and the embossing on it.
I think the old Victorian industrial-type pieces really tie in nicely with old mirrors and frames. Even Penelope likes old frames...
Those are just pictures from my living room area. That and my dining are my favorites I would have to say. I think it's because I put a lot of furniture pieces in those two spots that I had to refinish/repaint and overall I put a lot of work into it, along with my dad and my boyfriend. When we first acquired all of the pieces from various vintage/antique shops around the state and down into the next they looked a bit random. But once we painted, sanded, and touched it all up, it was like the perfect mix. Anytime you can put a personal touch on a piece, I say go for it! The work is always worth it...
By the way...If you are also a renter and aren't allowed to paint any of your walls, I recommend looking into the paintable/textured wallpaper. I know there are also easy removal, temporary wallpapers but that can get spendy and I didn't want to spend the money to do a whole wall. When I first moved into my apartment there was a light chocolate accent wall, and frankly, I'm not a fan of painted accent walls for myself. A good wallpaper wall? Yes please. So I went and bought wallpaper at Lowe's to cover it up. I left mine white, but it is paintable for any color you wish. And also, instead of putting it up the normal way by wetting it, etc., I went to my local craft store and bought glue dots and did rows of three all down the paper, cut it to fit like normal, and it worked like a charm! Now I have a very subtle accent wall that can be easily removed with no damage, and I love it!
If you want to check out my pinterest board that most inspires my decorating style, here is the link to my Precisely This board, meaning, "Precisely This" style, even though it includes many different things, it's all somehow very.....me =)
So, what kinds of styles do you all like to decorate with? Do you feel like your home/apartment is your sanctuary? Do you wish you could change it?
Let me know, I'd love to hear all about it!
Till next time!
Xo
Xo
That black and white kitten is so cute!
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