Inspired By Art {Cozy Rustic Dining Room}

I have always been interested in different forms of art as well as photography. As soon as I see an inspiring piece I am always tempted to design a room with that artwork in mind. I am never drawn to just one form of art. I have landscapes, abstract, impressionism and mixed media all framed around my house somewhere.

I recently came across this site called Invaluable. What a great source for design inspiration! Invaluable is the largest online auction marketplace with an amazing selection of fine art and paintings. I could spend days just browsing their site. Some bidding starts as low as $17 all the way up in the thousands. It just depends on what you are looking for.

Since the cold weather has been streaming in around the country, I was inspired by this abstract piece to design a cozy rustic dining room.

Unfortunately, the piece is no longer available for auction. Some lucky duck has it hanging in their home right now. But, I really loved the earth tones in this painting and used them to create an organic space.

The green tones were brought out by the plants and cozy throw. Mixing the different metals, woods and textures helped the space feel more collected and relaxed because everything isn't so matchy matchy.

What do you think about this dining room? Could you kick off your shoes at the end of the day and cozy up with a glass of wine?



**This is not a sponsored post. I just love sharing new finds with all of you. All thoughts and ideas are mine and only mine!**

Top 5 Design Mistakes {Number Three}

A few months ago I started the series "Design Mistakes" with Number One: Too much of a good thing, which referred to matchy matchy furniture and how to create a space that feels collected. Number Two: Lost in Space  was the mistake of placing artwork on the wall just to fill up space without giving it a second thought. If you are guilty of these mistakes, do not feel ashamed. There are so many clients that have shared the same design concerns. Click the links above to see how you can fix your mistakes and start over.


Today we are talking Design Mistake Number Three: Islands in the Stream.

This refers to the size rug that you might have in your room. The bigger the rug the better when it comes to large spaces. A rug can either pull a whole look together visually or pull it apart. I found this quote from an Ethan Allen design book and thought it fit perfectly into what we are talking about today!

Here are a few No No's I found while searching the web:

While the arrangement of furniture is nice the rug seems like a small lily pad where you can jump from your bed onto it and back again. It doesn't pull the room together.  

The scale of this rug is a little better, however it only holds the coffee table. The rest of the furniture seems to be floating around on the hardwood floors.

So how do you stay away from this design mistake?

1. Measure the size of your room. After measuring I like to place painters tape on the floor to show the size of the rug around my furniture before purchasing and making a commitment.
2. Be consistent: if you place the front legs of the couch on the rug, then the front legs of the chairs also need to be on the rug. If the rug covers to the back of the couch, the rug also needs to cover to the back of the chairs.
3. Lay the rug to fit the room. If your room is shaped longer one way then the other, place the rug in that same direction.
4. Be generous with your Rug Size: I believe the larger the rug, the better! Try to make sure you leave at least 10-12 inches from the wall or else it will look like you are trying to achieve wall to wall carpeting.

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I hear so many clients and friends tell me that buying a 5x7 size rug compared to 9x12 can be a difference of hundreds of dollars. Yes I know. Larger rugs can be quite expensive. Although if you take a look at Overstock, One Kings Lane or Rugs USA you might be able to come across a pretty amazing sale. 

But if you are on a budget here is My solution: buy a cheaper natural looking rug and then layer a smaller rug on top. This way you get a little color and texture without breaking the bank!

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So how about you? Are you guilty of too small of a rug? Do you just need a little tweak to create a more intimate setting in your bedroom or more of a conversational area in your family room?

I hope these tips and tricks gave you a little help! If you are still a bit stuck in your design mistakes, email me some pictures of your room and let's create a more inviting space! eatsleepdecorate (at) gmail (dot) com

If you missed:

Design Mistake One, Design Mistake Two

Pink, Red & Gold

I am getting quite excited for the weekend. I have about 10 ladies coming over for tea tomorrow and I am primping my dining room out for the event! I will post some little updates over on Instagram as I prepare today & tomorrow, if you want to follow along.

Since I am decorating for a Valentine's tea, I have Pink, Red & Gold on my mind this week. I thought a little inspiration from my favorite stores would give me motivation to finish my prepping today.

1. Valentine's Garland; 2. Gold Polka Dot Pillow; 3. Heart Catchall; 4. LOVE sign; 5. Red Flatware;
6. Fuchsia edged napkins; 7. Love Pillow; 8. Gold Heart Pillow; 9. Fuchsia Ottoman; 10. MR & MRS Mugs; 11. Rug; 12. Heart Pillow; 13. Fuchsia Pouf



Would you ever add any of these items to your home decor? I am thinking that rug and pouf would look fabulous in a tween girl's bedroom. And..well I love anything gold, so I would totally add the Love pillow and polka dot pillow to my own bedroom!

Have a wonderful weekend! Hope to share some pictures of our Valentine's Tea on Monday!

Oriental Rugs in the Bathroom

Welcome to Monday! I am surely not awake yet today, but here goes nothing....

You all remember my Master Bath plan that I posted a couple of months ago? Well I am finally getting busy starting on that space. The cabinets and walls have been painted and I will post some pics as soon as the sun comes out around here! I went with Urbane Bronze for the bathroom Vanity and I couldn't be any happier! I have gotten so many great compliments already. The walls are Shoji White. It is a warm white with bits of tans and grays. It has totally brightened up the space and created such class with the contrast of the dark vanity.

The tile around the tub has been put on hold for just a bit while we finish a few other projects around here. So I am starting to pick some accessories for the bathroom. I have been toying with the idea of adding an oriental/Persian rug next to the vanity. I use to think that oriental rugs only were seen in my grandparents house, but I have really been loving the sophistication and age they bring to any space. I have been looking around for rugs that have a bit of texture but are soft on the feet and bring in a little color to the space. There are so many great graphic rugs, but I want to go for something a bit different this time.

Here are some inspiration pictures I have been enjoying.

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Contemporary Bathroom by Denver Interior Designers & Decorators Andrea Schumacher Interiors

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I will NOT be spending a fortune on a rug for our bathroom because it would just get all wet (and don't forget I share a bathroom with a guy!), but would look for a rug with a good price and colors to compliment the dark vanity.

What do you all think about oriental rugs in the bathroom?

A Nursery Makeover

It seems to be the season for babies! I have 10...yes 10 friends having babies from February 2012 till sometime in the Fall 2012! That is at least one baby a month! Yikes!...talk about baby shower galore!
Most of my friends know that I am not a BIG baby shower fan. I am just not in to all the cheesy baby games and such. (No offense) However I do like all the decorating and preparing that goes into a baby shower. I am actually hosting one next weekend with a few favorite ladies. I will have to show you what we have up our sleeves next week!

What I love most about the season of babies are all the darling baby Nurseries that are out there! There is so much you can do to a nursery to make it personal yet Fabulous!

Last month, my friend Shannon sent me some pictures of her Nursery. She wanted to ask my opinion on the room and how to add some color without going crazy. Shannon really likes neutrals. Neutrals are very soothing and can really work as long as you have a few pops of a contrasting color here and there. She went with a subtle Owl theme..check out her nursery thus far:

Isn't it adorable? I am really in love with the bedding!

Shannon and I decided that she needed a rug to punch it up a notch as well as something on the wall above the crib.

Some rugs that I found that might work in her nursery space are:

Gray and White Zig Zag

Lattice Dhurrie Rug in Orange or Gray

West Elm Striped Rug

Cream Plush Rug from Urban Outfitters

Zig Zag from Urban Outfitters

(Comes in a lot of great colors!!)

We also met for lunch last week and took a stroll through West Elm. Shannon instantly fell in love with all of these fun Paper Mache Animal Heads:

They were a little pricey, so I came home and did some research. I found these cardboard cuties:

They were also more than half the price! She could even spray paint them some fun colors and hang them above the crib. Wouldn't the baby just love looking at some bright colors?

I will have Shannon send us some updated pictures as soon as her nursery is finished! I can't wait to meet her new baby boy coming in less than a month!

Are you decorating for a new addition? I would love to see some pictures!