I won’t be buying it (because if I’m going to spend frivolous money right now, it’s going to be on the Animal Crossing themed Switch I’m hoping I can find on the release date), but this vase was practically designed for me.
Everything by Flesh is half off at Ulta (are they discontinuing the line?). I love their lipstick, and now it’s $9. Prize and Prime are my favorite shades.
Eleanor and I had initially thought we would paint her room blue. She chose dark blue when she was five, and five years later still liked it but was ready to lighten up a little. Maybe something like Farrow & Ball’s Light Blue or even De Nimes? Then she decided on purple and the color scheme completely changed.
But do you want to see what could have been?
I mean, I do love it. A lot.
It’s funny though, the wall color drives the color scheme but we only had to make a few changes to some fabric choices to make it work. And the purple/pink design we ended up with fits Eleanor’s personality perfectly.
Do you have a preference between the two?
The sconce color even worked well, and it might have been the choice I was most worried about. I chose a pair of POP Wall Sconces from Blueprint Lighting in Rubbed Sage before we changed the palette. I think I would have chosen Vineyard from their custom colors had I not already ordered the other color, but E and I both still liked the green when it arrived!
Blueprint Lighting was a One Room Challenge sponsor and provided the sconces. We liked some of the more retro styles like Campana or Ludo, but the vertical element of those POP Wall Sconces grounds the curves of the headboard (a lucky FB Marketplace find) so nicely.
Eleanor has continued to make changes here and there. It’s her space to personalize as she sees fit, and oh, she does! String lights have been draped from the picture rail over to each sconce. Toys get moved around. Signs have been pinned to the fabric of the headboard like it was a giant bulletin board. They’re small glimpses of changes to come as she heads into her teenage years and I love it.
I enjoy working with clients so much, but am having a hard time figuring out how to meld my work with individuals and my desire to share design details here with all of you. I know I’d be upset if I were hiring someone to create something one-of-a-kind for me who then turned around and gave it all away for free to the world. It’s something I’ve seen others struggle with too, and I’m not sure there’s any single right answer.
This design came about as I was thinking about a family room that I’m working on for someone, but in a different style and color palette and without some of the real-life limitations we’re working with. (It’s a tricky space, hence my being brought in to help.) Another difference is that I always specify retail for the blog rather than including custom or trade-only sources that not everyone has access to. So maybe this kind of approach is a possibility moving forward? A fictional design loosely inspired by something I’m actually working on? Either way, it was a lot of fun to pull together.
I also want so much of this for my own home. Imagine this in our snug!
Wirth Chair, Jayson Home It can go inside! It can go outside (in a sheltered spot)! Nice curves!
Cotton Knit Throw (Pink Stone), West Elm I’m not presenting pink for my client, but for myself it would be the way to go. I can be predictable like that sometimes.
Echo Wallpaper (Ash), Kelly Ventura I realized after looking at the pattern for some time that it reminded me of mascara swipes, and I’m into it.
Coffered Inlay Trays, Jayson Home Fancy-ish decor things like this are a luxe touch. I have a similarly made box on my bedside table (in lieu of a drawer).
Day Glove Flats (Cream), Everlane Well, I went and did it. I wore too many super open d’orsay flats that my feet had to hold onto with each step, and I gave myself shin splints. These stay on effortlessly for walking around all day and look good in that sort of frumpy uncool way that I like.
Fluid Pants (Dusty Cameo Pink), LOFT The pants are equally good paired with a sweater or tee and I can see myself wearing them anytime the temperature gets over 40°.
Art, design, and coding for funsies! The kids and I have been making pixel art lately and I’ve been using mine to change the look of my farm and and farmhouse in Stardew Valley with some personal aesthetic mods that I’ve made.
I had a pink Smeg or Big Chill fridge in mind when I was changing the vanilla kitchen. Then I added the Portal cake (no lie) and thought I should add a mixer too. And if I need a rug, you know I’m going to make a teeny pixel version of the wool kilim I designed for Annie Selke.
I stand by this as a solid farmhouse kitchen design, digital or otherwise. I’ll leave it up to you to find Leah’s sculpture and a giant wooden chicken.
I mentioned on Instagram Stories that I’d share some of the resources we’ve been using to make mods, so that will be a future post. My SV house is all pinks and flowers, books and bugs, crystals and skulls, plus a good dose of my ever-favorite black/white/brass/wood combo. A lot like my own house (though I need more skulls IRL is what I’m taking away from this.)
The base recolor I’m using is Toned Down Stardew Valley (ATDSDV) and the art is from Elegant Victorian Interior. I don’t have a mod ready for you to download if you want to add any of my customizations into your own games, but I’m giving you the pixels for now if you want to mess around with cutting and pasting them in on your own. If you already know what you’re doing, fit the kitchen into your farmhouse_tiles.png and the flowers and rugs into furniture.png files. The subway tiles belong in walls_and_floors.png.
We’re back from vacation and I’m feeling a mix of emotions as this new year begins. Nerves and excitement around shifting my business toward client work while figuring out how to still keep the elements of what I’ve been doing here (since 2007!) fun and fulfilling. The new decade feels like a new beginning.
But then things also remain very much the same don’t they? Right now it feels most exciting to focus in on the little organizational projects have been put off. January will do that to a person. In our house, closets and cabinets stay neat but the piles that grow around them do not. The kids’ rooms after Christmas are stuffed with toys both new and old and the hall is collecting spillover. Clothes and craft supplies abound. Even our books have grown too numerous! Surely you can always find a spot for one more book, right? At some point, no. The whole house needs a good decluttering and it’s overwhelming but necessary for physical and mental space.
2020, last year of my thirties. First year of a new decade. I’m ready.
