Minimal but not cold – gorgeous Scandinavian spaces

Today is a hectic day, and these spaces just emanate calm and order. However, like some spaces that are super orderly and clean, these still have warmth to them. What do you think?

That green is just the right value to compliment the wood tone but not compete with the black.



Love the coffee table




I’m usually not a fan of “stripes” or other painted graphics, but in the hall like this is doesn’t seem trendy to me. Notice how it goes up the molding? It’s like the owner’s personal little gallery space.

image via KML Design

A variety of delectable dining rooms

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted some dining rooms. I’ve picked a handful of beautiful spaces in all different decorating styles, so hopefully atleast one strikes your fancy…

Love the table and mix n’ match chairs in this Scandinavian beauty…
via Design Interiør

The salon-style wall and dark paint job makes this vintage-industrial dining room feel luxe.
via Scandinavian Chic

A beautiful country dining room
via Elle Decor

I’m a big modern retro fan, but I don’t know if I could go this all-out modern retro…
via Alice in Designland

A cheery and bright vintage dining room
via Creamy Life

Even though this is an open floor plan layout, the dining room is still visually divided from the living room.
via Alice in Designland

A calm and serene dining room.
via House & Home

Which do you like best?

More from my summer traveling Europe – amazing Rome

We had a crazy 5 day whirlwind tour of Rome, which left me exhausted but in awe. In high school I studied Latin for 4 years, and it was wonderful to see the Pieta, the Colosseum, and the Roman Forum, which we studied in depth in the course. Rome is just one of those places you have to visit, as photos just don’t do it justice.

But I’ll try – here goes:

One of the first things we saw was the amazing ruins of the Roman Forum. You can read all about the forum here. It served as a marketplace and where government officials would make speeches, etc. A town square.



I’m sure you’ll all recognize our next stop – the Colosseum. Events such as the gladiator battles and other distractions for the masses took place here.


There is just a small bit of “floor” left, so visitors can see the labyrinth of cells and stalls where animals were kept before a trap door would open and they would enter the arena.


The below is Palatine Hill, where there is are many ruins of the palace and grounds of Emperor Augustus. It was a massive site.


Above is the famous Trevi fountain. Beautiful but it and the surrounding area is always packed with tourists.

We randomly went into this cathedral one afternoon and it was such a surprise – I’ve seen a lot of cathedrals and the ceiling of this one leaves you breathless. It’s the Church of San Ignazio. I definitely recommend checking it out. The trompe l’œil is so good – the characters look like they are climbing up the walls. Behind the main painting, the “dome” is trompe l’œil as well!

The amazing Pantheon. The work they’ve done to restore this building is amazing. The original was constructed in 31 BC, and rebuilt in 126 AD, which is what you see today. It’s still the largest unreinforced concrete dome, and has always been in use throughout history.

The Piazza del Popolo

The heartbreaking and beautiful Pietà, by Michelangelo.

St. Peter’s Basilica, in Vatican City. The Basilica houses the Pietà

St. Peter’s square, in Vatican City.

And below- the amazing Sistine Chapel. There aren’t really words so I won’t bother.



We stayed in an apartment in the neighborhood Trastevere. It’s not super overrun my tourists and we wanted to see where the locals ate and lived.


Here’s a list of all my posts from our travels that I’ve published –

Spain
•Introduction to my European backpacking trip and a list of places we visited
• Galicia – Baiona and Isle de Cies
• Galicia – the coast, some charming vineyards, and Pontevedra
• Santiago de Compostela and gorgeous hidden beaches
• Gorgeous mountain lakes of Picos de Europa
• Stunning mountains – Picos de Europa
• Bilbao and San Sebastian
• Beautiful Barcelona
• The amazing Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona
• Art Nouveau dream house by Gaudi in Barcelona

Italy
• Not to miss – the gorgeous rocky coast of Italy’s Cinque Terre

Creating a space with whites/neutrals, and dark accents

So reader Cynthia wrote me with a question regarding her bedroom suite and using it to create the look she’s going for:

“We are in the process of moving into our new house and I was wondering if you could help us with the decoration of our bedroom? We have an antique white colour bedroom suite (same as the photo attached but the only difference is ours is antique white in colour).

We would like our room to be cosy and elegant,with loads of neutral colour and loads of dark wood. Our main inspiration is from the house in “Something’s Gotta Give”. We are just worried that it might look out of place with the white bedroom suite and that would throw the whole scheme off..”

Here is the style of her bedroom suite – but her’s is antique white.

Here are shots from the home in “Something’s Gotta Give, ” to get an idea of the look she’s going for


So lots of neutrals, creams, and dark wood accents. The floors are also a dark wood.
Movie shots via Hooked on Houses

Pretty much, I think the look Cynthia is going for is totally possible with the white bedroom suite that she already has. The important thing is to keep in mind the proportion of lights and darks when decorating the space. So Cynthia might want to balance out her white bedroom suite with some furniture pieces in dark wood – such as lamps, a side table, chair, etc.

This room has white furnishings but dark wood beams and a dark piano.
via Living Better Together

The white furniture in this room is kept from being too matchy-matchy be the addition of the brown leather chair.
via House to Home




3 above via DecorPad

via Ideal Home
The three images above all display a casual balance or white and/or neutrals, and dark woods.

This room is a mix of so many styles but still gorgeous
via DecorPad

via The Lennoxx


The four images above illustrate how even with dark walls white furnishings can be integrated with dark wood; just make sure you supply adequate lighting.
2 above via CocoCozy

Well, I hope I was some help Cynthia – or atleast provided some eye candy. If anyone else has some advice for Cynthia please comment!

A month by month plan to get your home storage organized: March is for living room organization

So month three of BHG’s month-by-month storage plan is to conquer your living room. This one is pretty easy, I promise. If you missed month one – January, you can see the home office storage plan in my previous post. If you missed February, which was conquering the kitchen, you can read it at this post. You can also read them here on BHG.

March Storage Projects: Living Room

• Personal Storage Bin. Give every family member a spot to stash personal items. Fill a bookcase with similar baskets or bins and label containers with each person’s name. Establish a house rule to put away books, magazines, toys, and projects every night.

bins keep clutter under control
via House to Home

• Multifunctional Storage. Overhaul your occasional tables. Replace tables and traditional ottomans with small chests and storage cubes. Add baskets to open spaces. Skirt tables and stash items underneath.

• Don’t Overdo with Collectibles. Edit a collection to 12 or a fewer outstanding items. Display on a single shelf for maximum impact. Store other items in the collection in one location. Introduce three or four new items–and remove and store the same number–every season.
via BHG

• Create a Space for Entertainment Supplies. Designate one easily accessible drawer for entertaining supplies. Fill the drawer with coasters, napkins, and snack bowls or plates. Include a basket of favorite snacks, a roll of paper towels, and a mini trash receptacle.

via BHG

Some living room inspiration

via Real Simple

via KML Design


3 above via House to Home

A month by month plan to get your home storage organized: March is for living room organization

So month three of BHG’s month-by-month storage plan is to conquer your living room. This one is pretty easy, I promise. If you missed month one – January, you can see the home office storage plan in my previous post. If you missed February, which was conquering the kitchen, you can read it at this post. You can also read them here on BHG.

March Storage Projects: Living Room

• Personal Storage Bin. Give every family member a spot to stash personal items. Fill a bookcase with similar baskets or bins and label containers with each person’s name. Establish a house rule to put away books, magazines, toys, and projects every night.

bins keep clutter under control
via House to Home

• Multifunctional Storage. Overhaul your occasional tables. Replace tables and traditional ottomans with small chests and storage cubes. Add baskets to open spaces. Skirt tables and stash items underneath.

• Don’t Overdo with Collectibles. Edit a collection to 12 or a fewer outstanding items. Display on a single shelf for maximum impact. Store other items in the collection in one location. Introduce three or four new items–and remove and store the same number–every season.
via BHG

• Create a Space for Entertainment Supplies. Designate one easily accessible drawer for entertaining supplies. Fill the drawer with coasters, napkins, and snack bowls or plates. Include a basket of favorite snacks, a roll of paper towels, and a mini trash receptacle.

via BHG

Some living room inspiration

via Real Simple

via KML Design


3 above via House to Home

An organization junkie’s dream – Not to miss home organization sale

Spring cleaning is upon us and Beyond the Rack is having an awesome sale on essentials you’ll wonder how you ever lived without. Beyond the Rack is one of those sites where you need a membership to shop – and if you click on this link – http://www.beyondtherack.com/member/invite/B3CBBBA8 you can sign up to be a member free and fast.

Enjoy!

$54.99 for this hamper cart
$18.99 for this bamboo shoe rack

$99.99 baker’s rack

$11.99 storage set

$8.99 drawer organizer – (I have one of these and it’s a life saver)
$19.99 for a 24 pack of wooden hanger

lots of garment racks on sale – $29.99 for this one

rolling cart for $89.99

$34.99 for this entire laundry organization system

They also have lots of nice bedding, decor, and rugs on sale.

A cabin retreat in Denmark – to rough for you or just right?




ahhh…that hot tub might just make it just right for me…


What do you think? Could you live in this cabin full time – or just a week?
via indenfor & udenfor

A great coupon code for pet owners and readers of Decorology

The super nice folks at DenHaus are offering a super generous discount on BowHaus pet crates. Just use promo code DECOR2011. It’s for $100 off the BowHaus. This promo will expire 2-weeks from today so don’t drag your feet on this one. You can start shopping at the site – DenHaus

About the product:
Dogs naturally like to “den-up,” and their den is a safe haven for them and a place where they can achieve a little much-needed privacy from time to time. However, most families end up putting crates in laundry rooms, basements, or garages, because they usually aren’t the most attractive piece in the house. However, a little Seattle company called DenHaus has decided to do something about this issue. DenHaus offers a line of crates that your pet will feel comfortable and safe in, and that you will love the look of! You can opt for something more traditional, the “TownHaus,” or something more modern, the “ZenHaus.” You can also pick between different sizes and colors.






BEAUTIFUL spring outdoor spaces and exteriors

I NEED sunshine and warm weather NOW. I cannot take the cold or dreariness anymore. I love that smell when it is first getting warm and you open your windows. Hopefully it comes soon. In the meantime – I’ll just imagine I’m here:

My favorite place on earth – the beach

Such a great way to spend an evening – reading out on this porch


I like when outdoor elements are made of organic, raw materials like this canopy made of branches

via Eric Roth Photography

so cute
via Nikreations


One day I hope to have some wisteria
via Scandinavian Chic

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