Making it Lovely

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  • Colorblocking for the Home

    Colorblocking for the Home

    Colorblocking is still everywhere (Pinterest counts as “everywhere,” right?), so I figure why not have a little fun with it in your home?

    It’s easy enough in fashion to pair color with color, and when fickle trends have moved on, pair everything with neutrals again. When it comes to decorating your home though, you’re looking at a bigger commitment. To make sure you’ll still love your space long after the colorblocking trend has moved on, choose one big item in the room (sofa, dining table, rug, etc.) to go colorful with that you really love. I’ll focus on pieces for a living room in this post. These are some good options:

    Colorblocking for the Home

    1. Encore Sofa

    2. Klyne Sofa

    3. Lucy Upholstered Chair

    4. Parlour Atomic Orange Chair

    5. Thesi Pool Loveseat

    6. Madeline Chair

    7. Mellby Armchair

    8. Movie Pool Sofa

    9. Club Atomic Orange Sofa

    Next, mix in the smaller pieces like lamps and end tables, while still going colorful.

    Colorblocking for the Home

    1. Luck Side Table

    2. Mia Table Lamp

    3. Perch Table Lamp

    4. PS Coffee Table

    5. City Slicker Side Table

    6. Aqua C Table

    7. Ljusås Uvås Lamp

    8. Factory Side Table

    9. The Slim Collection

    At this point, you’ve got the basics in place, but it’s this final step that really makes a room look good. Time for the pillows, blankets, and tchotchkes!

    Colorblocking for the Home

    1. Square Orange Wall Clock

    2. Sunshine Cosmos/Oyster Pillow

    3. Bottle Vase

    4. No Fair Bookend

    5. Favorite Throw

    6. Colorful Pillows

    7. Hive Vases

    8. PS Bowls

    9. Elephant Bank

    10. Diehl Vases

    Now, to put it all together… Keep the rest of the room subdued and neutral, and it will be easy to change the colorblocked look when you’re ready for a change. If you kept the orange chair above, you could move the yellow lamp, pillow, and throw blanket to the other side of the room (over to the couch, say). Then swap out the blue table for something less colorful (paint it, move it to another room, or Craigslist it), and add a different pillow to the chair for a new look.

    Switch it Up!
    chair • throw blankets • yellow pillow • white pillow • blue table • yellow lamp • floor lamp

    Don’t you love how technology has made it easier to see how something will look? Thank you, Photoshop, my favorite decorating tool.

     

    This post is presented by smartwater.
    smartwater, simplicity is delicious. Click here to learn more.

  • Buckle Up

    Buckle Up

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    August and Eleanor are always buckled up in the car, without exception, but I’m sure you would have assumed that. They’re always buckled up in the stroller too though. Eleanor’s getting old enough to not need the stroller at all (she walks a lot of the time), and when she does want a ride she can be counted on to stay put without being strapped in. The thing is though, that she insists on it.

    I only have myself to blame, of course! Eleanor and August thrive on routine and consistency when it comes to learning rules and good behavior, so those rules like buckling up have become automatic. It’s a little ridiculous sometimes, really. Baby dolls need to be buckled in. And don’t let those kitties fool you – they’re safety-minded too! Even if they are riding 2-up.

    The kids know that getting buckled up is just part of sitting in the car, so it’s not an issue. And maybe I’ll change my tune eventually, but I’m a stickler for the rules and the car is just for driving. Our minivan has built-in TV screens and a DVD player that we’ve never used, so the kids don’t realize they’re there. We don’t eat food in the car. We don’t even drink anything in the car except water. It’s best for them, but the rule is also there so that if they spill, it won’t stain anything or end up a sticky mess. Any toys the kids bring in with them need to come back out with them.

    Balloons are allowed of course. Nay, encouraged.

  • Style: Mint, Coral, and Pink

    Style: Mint, Coral, and Pink

    You already know how I feel about coral lately, and pink is my forever love. Mint is right up there too, ever since painting my office a minty hue. Put them all together, add a little pattern into the mix, and I’m a happy lady.

    Style: Mint, Coral, and Pink on Making it Lovely

    1. Polka Dot Chiffon Print Shirt

    2. Tippi Sweater

    3. Alexa Crop Skinny Jeans

    4. Coral Red Triplet Necklace

    5. Stitched Chevron Wedges

    6. Cable Bangles (Set of 3)

    7. Rose Gold Chronograph Bracelet Watch

    Sponsored posts are purely editorial content that we are pleased to have presented by a participating sponsor. Advertisers do not produce the content.

  • Style: Equestrian Inspired

    Style: Equestrian Inspired

    This summer has been too darn hot, so I’m moving on sartorially to cooler seasons. As a fan of skirts and dresses, and a gal that lives in Chicago, boots are a must in fall and winter. I got my first (and only) pair of Frye boots a few years ago, and they’ve spoiled me for all others. Mine have buckles, but other than that they look a lot like the boots below (and the price is so good on them right now!).

    I’d wear the dress below with the belt and a pair of flat strappy sandals when weather permits, and I’d wear it as below in the winter, but with a pair of cream cable-knit tights. And maybe a jaunty hat. How would you style it?

    1. Totally Turnlock – Natasha Crossbody Bag

    2. Banded Orbit Belt

    3. Cherry Print Blouson Dress

    4. Frye Melissa Trapunto Boots

    5. Dégradé Scarf

    6. Orchid Nail Lacquer

    Sponsored posts are purely editorial content that we are pleased to have presented by a participating sponsor. Advertisers do not produce the content.

  • A Guide to Mixing Patterns in Your Home

    A Guide to Mixing Patterns in Your Home

    Mixing patterns in fashion happens all the time (I’m always a fan of stripes and florals), but people seem to shy away from doing it in their homes. I mean, other people tend to shy away — not me. I’m a pattern mixing fool, so today I put together a guide to doing just that. Huzzah!

    I think of Photoshop as a decorating tool, just as you would consider a designer’s measuring tape or sketchbook. Seeing how everything comes together digitally has been the best way for me to get a good idea of what will work in a space, and I love putting together layouts for you. Below is the guide I’ve created, with 27 patterns matched to perfection.

    A Guide to Mixing Patterns in the Home, from Making it Lovely

    • You can find the links to all of the patterned chairs and pillows used in the graphic above on my Pinterest board.

    The trick to mixing patterns is to start with a bold scale. I like accent chairs in oversized prints, so I begin there. Pick something like this one in pinstripes, or maybe something a little crazy like this one in raspberry ikat or my floral grandma chair. It will be easier than you think to make it work! For example, my chair may seem limiting at first, but there are so many colors in it that it’s easy to find a match. (In my home, that match is of course pink. And now coral too.) Next you add a contrasting pattern. In my case, the next thing would be my pink zigzag rug.

    You can stop at two patterns, but you don’t have to. I certainly don’t! Vary the scales enough (something large, something significantly smaller, and then maybe a teensy ditsy pattern), and everything will look fine. This corner of my living room, below, has a whole lotta pattern going on. Bold floral fabric on the chair, a zigzag rug beneath, wallpaper in the room beyond, a textured (read: patterned) side table, art above, a patterned throw, and a patterned pillow. But it all works.

    A Guide to Mixing Patterns in the Home, from Making it Lovely

     

    This post is presented by smartwater.
    smartwater, simplicity is delicious. Click here to learn more.

  • Style: Night at the Museum

    Style: Night at the Museum

    I like the idea of carrying the makeup pouch below to an art museum event because it’s a little Picasso-like. And maybe there’s something off about me, but I like for there to be something a little off-kilter about my outfit when dressing up. I’d say the casual sketched pouch and bug earrings are doing the trick here.

    This is the type of thing I’d wear to a meeting too. Switch out the bag for something a bit bigger, maybe swap the bracelet for a watch, and you’ve got a great creative professional look.

    Style: Night at the Museum #MakingitLovely #Nordstrom

    1. Ant Studs

    2. Preston Bellini Glasses

    3. Cap Sleeve Peplum Sheath Dress

    4. Blush Stone Link Bracelet

    5. Etta Cap-Toe Leather Pumps

    6. M·A·C Bag & Makeup Set

    Sponsored posts are purely editorial content that we are pleased to have presented by a participating sponsor. Advertisers do not produce the content.