Inspired!

Hi friends.

I have to say, I've been feeling a little uninspired about blogging lately.  It can happen, right?  Normally I pride myself on my diligence and consistency, but my posts were starting to feel a little diligent and consistent to me.  So I took a little break, kind of accidentally.

But guess what?  Totally inspired.

Do you remember this post from my favorite series?

Well, my friend Rachel saw it and decided to interpret it in her own home.  We had talked about it so I knew the project was a-foot, but I just got the photos in my inbox today.

I have a post on stair risers half-written somewhere, but these two photos are so lovely and joyous, I just had to share.  Aren't those kids just about the cutest thing ever?  Nadia is particularly stylish.

This is the stairway to the kids playroom, and I love how airy and dreamy it is.  Actually, it reminds me of this beach house from Muriel Brandolini.  Love the cool, soothing palette.

Nice work, Rachel!  Who knows, maybe the inspiration will extend to that half-written post about stair risers.  Maybe tomorrow?

Black Friday!

Rather than hitting the stores on this crazy day, why don't we pause for a moment in revelry for black?

Source: housebeautiful.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: hometrendesign.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: designsponge.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: shelterinteriordesign.blogspot.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: eclecticrevisited.wordpress.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: chinoiseriechic.blogspot.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: abigailahern.wordpress.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: picasaweb.google.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: designismine.blogspot.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: sfgirlbybay.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: apartment34.blogspot.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: housebeautiful.com via Heather on Pinterest

That's much better, don't you think?
Lots more black inspiration on my "black" board here on pinterest.

Before we even moved in to this house, The one thing I was "sure" of was painting the fireplace wall black.  I may be coming back to that....

Happy Thanksgiving!

via House Beautiful

via

We're hitting the road today for points South.
I hope you have a wonderful day full of whatever it is that makes you thankful!

We like to have manicures and pedicures while watching the Westminster dog show, followed, of course, by a big turkey dinner with family.

Looking forward to it!

Dreamy Dining Room

I started this board as part of a links party a week or so ago, but sort of forgot about it until I went on over to olioboard to work on something for a client.  The perfect follow up to yesterday's dining room post?  A different take, for sure.


I've been craving lavender and, oddly enough, peaceful palettes.  I'm loving the play on grey, lavender, and silver, and the different textural sheens, from the silvery thread in the rug to the galvanized chairs, mother of pearl sideboard, pressed tin mirror, and gilded chandy and nailhead.  Of course, I can't afford a one of these items, and while I usually make accessible design boards with a balanced budget in mind, sometimes it's fun to play with materials and shapes without the constraints of numbers, no?

What does you dream dining room look like?

From the Archive: dining room board

Between two dinner parties this weekend--one hosted, one attended--and the upcoming Thanksgiving holidays, I suppose I've got dining rooms on the brain.  I was planning my dining room before I started this blog, so I thought it would be fun to take a look back at a TOTALLY different direction.

archives: dining room by heatherjoypeterson on polyvore.com

The orange rug is in my living room, and the suzani armchairs were a possibility before we decided on a loveseat in there.  I was planning to use my four white ghost chairs in the dining room, bring in those great black host chairs and a black chandelier, and go wild with a rug from anthropologie.  (The chinese cabinet is a stand in for the one I actually have.)

Isn't it funny how things change?  First I realized that the turkish rug I was planning to use in my bedroom would work better in the dining room, so that set the color palette.  (I remember that when I bought the orange rug, it was with the idea that it could easily co-habitate with the turkish one).  Then I realized that it would be far cheaper to buy a new set of chairs than to buy two additional ghost chairs plus a pair of host chairs.  Enter the eames shell chairs.  With smaller-scale chairs (and our technically too-small farm table which we love because my father in law made it for us), the room needed a bigger chandelier.  Enter the Maskros.

And just like that, one change at a time, and I arrived at a completely different room.



Dominos.

Small Measures: Botanicals as wallpaper

via Living Etc.

Botanicals take a casual turn in black and white, pinned or pasted up in a random arrangement.  Part two: paint an apothecary chest with blackboard paint and have at it.

Random funny

Okay, I know this is random for me. This video has NOTHING to do with design, but when my husband played it for me the other night, I couldn't stop laughing.  (beware, it kind of takes a dirty turn for a second in the middle.)

It also really got me thinking about the words that get used over and over again on decorating blogs, and the sort of trendy phrases that have snuck in to the collective vocabulary.  I have always, always sounded stupid when I use trendy phrases--I remember my best college friend, Jeff, trying to get me to use "word" (and also getting me into those huge raver pants that looked like a floor length denim skirt--is anyone the right age to remember those?).  So I try to avoid most of these here--they are just really not me.  Goodness (as in, "too much purple goodness").  Pop (as in "a pop of color").  I die (as in, catchphrase from Rachel Zoe).  Amazeballs (where, oh where does this one even come from?).  There are more--can you think of any?

Also, random part two, I had a dream last night that someone gave me a little pod--it actually looked like a drapery weight, only softer--that you eat in order to watch a movie with your own eyes as the screen. Even in the dream I was aware of how AMAZING this was--I was trying to explain it to someone.  Maybe I told them it was amazeballs, who can say.  And then someone set me up with a trust fund for 20 million dollars. That's right: 20 million.  I guess, in my subconscious at least, I aim high!

Happy Weekend!

My Favorite Things

Fellow blogger Ashley at Meet Me in Philadelphia has been featuring some of her favorite things this week, and today she featured favorites from a half dozen other bloggers, including moi.  Check it out here.

Ashley did these posts partly in an effort to appreciate what she has--as bloggers, we tend to write about other peoples amazing homes and stuff, and it can lead to too much wanting.  Instead of wanting new this week, I loved looking around my house and focusing in on all the things I already have that I love.  I'm almost 37 (!!!) which means I have had time to collect, and in addition to my own purchases, I have been the lucky recipient of some great gifts and hand me downs over the years.  As a result, I had a hard time narrowing down just one favorite thing for Ashley, and I thought I'd share a few more here.

1. Gold pig bank

My husband gave this to me for my birthday 6 years ago.  (Metallic gold is my favorite color.  Other birthday gifts have included crackled gold metallic leather stack heeled mary janes from Sigerson Morrison and a vintage gold chain-mail belt!)  Also, bacon is my favorite food.  Well, maybe I've grown out of it, but for a long time bacon was always in the list of top 5 favorite foods.  So i guess this bank is like gilded bacon, in a way.

A couple of years later, my best friend Marni was presenting me with a gift at her bridal shower, which I hosted.  Marni told the crowd how hard it had been to find just the right thing for me, but that one day, she took the elevator up to the housewares floor at Saks, and it was like the heavens opened up and shone starlight down on the Perfect. Present.  Guess what it was?

Yup, gold pig number two.  I guess it just SCREAMS me.

2. Modern murano glass bowl

This one was a gift, too, from my cousin Connor.  My fabulous cousin who came to New York and lived with me for the summer when he was 17, so he could take classes at FIT.  That summer sealed the deal and he is a life-long New Yorker (even as I have moved on.)  I can't remember what this was a present for--perhaps just because?--but I love the unexpected colors.  I've always used it to hold shells and stones that I've collected on random travels.  It has been a number of places in a number of homes, but currently lives in the guest room, next to a little frame my Mom bought for me at an artist fair in Arizona.

3. Silhouette of Clio

I made silhouettes of the girls, but Clio made me this one for me, in school, for mother's day.  I love that it is big and sort of wonky, and that the 3 year old who refused to have her picture taken allowed herself to be captured this way, instead.  Currently in the powder room.

4. Small wooden vases

A souvenir of a trip to Costa Rica--Dave and my first big trip together--purchased from a small, side-of-the-road type shop.

5. Turkish Rug

I bought this at Riverwalk Antiques in Minneapolis a dozen or more years ago.  I love it because it was such a "grown up" purchase, one of the first for my first "grown up" apartment, and that it shows that I have had interesting taste (and a good eye) all along.  I also love that it came from a shopping trip with my Aunt Eileen, who is a kindred spirit in all things home and DIY.  Currently in the guest room.

6.  Painting from my seven year old self

I remember being so very proud of this painting!  I also remember the mistake that required whiteout--quite visible three decades later when the paper has yellowed!  The fact that my parents framed it is so sweet.  We also entered it into the Dakota County fair, and I walked away with a blue ribbon.  I love having it in my girls' room now!

Okay, I could go on and on.  And actually, this process has made me realize that there is a box in the basement labeled "objects" and full of other wonderful things.  Maybe I will dig it up....I've been thinking in particular about a pair of brass book ends--chinoiserie koi fish--a gift from Eileen.

Even if you don't share it with anyone, I highly recommend this exercise of looking around your home and relishing the meaningful things you have collected over the years!

Heather

Art You Can Afford: Society 6

More and more of these affordable-prints sites are cropping up.

From what I gather, Society 6 is not curated the way many are, and rather than produce a limited-edition run, they print on demand.  In addition to art prints or stretched canvases, a number of the images are available as iphone or laptop covers, t-shirts, and other products.  Because any artist can submit to sell their work here, it feels a bit more like etsy--some great stuff, but also lots of less-great stuff to wade through.

Interestingly, I found myself turned off by the images that were available to be printed in every format--it almost felt like the prints that were only prints had the most integrity, and I almost wished the site was divided by "art prints" and "graphic design".  But that may just be the curatorial degree rearing its (ugly?) head.

All that said, here are my top picks:
(note: because these are all available in multiple sizes and price points, I'm providing links to each item, but not writing in price points or other information here.  Click the picture to take you to the site.  Most prints start under $20 and top out under $100.)
































There are tons of great choices for kids spaces, too.
Do you have a favorite?

Sew your saying

I'm loving the textile take on all the "word art" that's out there these days.

I remember first noticing these felt-applique pillows from this etsy shop when they were featured in House Beautiful a while back.



I was liking the idea of creating something similar but more in my colors (or commissioning the seller to do it).

And have you seen Muriel Brandolini's custom words wallpaper?  She created the lyrics to a family's favorite Rolling Stones song and applied it to the walls in all sorts of crazy textures.




Well, I just recently spotted these one-of-a-kind embroidered textiles, many of which use popular song lyrics, from Australian shop Castle and Things.



Some play around with composition and negative space in quite a fetching way.



This one makes me hear John Denver in my mind.  (NOT a bad thing, I promise you.)



There are also non-word compositions that still create a little story.  this one is called Dream a Little Dream.



These are pricey (in the hundreds of dollars), but they use great materials and could be a wonderful gift (even to yourself).

I like the idea of creating your own felt applique of a meaningful lyric, poem line, or saying, and making a throw pillow or framing and hanging it.

So personal.

Guest Post and Sneak Peak

Today I'm guest posting over at 10 Rooms for Anne-Marie's series Crushing on Color.  It may come as no surprise that I am crushing hard on raspberry.  I've been randomly collecting pictures with the hue for ages, so I had lots to choose form when putting together this post.



One of the key ways I'm seeing raspberry?  Paired with blue.  Cobalt, teal, turquoise, and aqua.  And you know what?  Just a hit of turquoise took raspberry to the next level in my girl's room.  A few projects to go before a full reveal (or the "after after," since I already shared a before and after last winter), but here's a peek.

Go check out a ton of inspiration, here, and let Anne-Marie know I sent you!

Small Measures: Stenciled Baskets

Hank Azaria's house.  Love the random numbers on the baskets, but I wonder where they keep the reference list of what items go in which numbered basket?

Kudos

Three bits and pieces.

First.

Metro Magazine invited me to be this months "guest expert" for their "Feng Shui Rater," in which someone in the design field "judges random home design trends by their energy," and, naturally, I used DIY trends as my organizing principle.  Some of my choices may be controversial (I sent Union Jack-painted furniture way to the bottom of the list), but I'm so glad to see a shout-out to Danika and Cheryl at O'Verlays right there in print.  Metro, thanks for having me!

Second. 

West Elm knocked my socks off today. How, you ask? I installed a fabulous gallery wall using some of their gallery frames (okay, like 30 of their gallery frames), and I was sooooo happy to discover that they come with their own little mockups. In hot pink, no less.  (It's the little things, right?)

Usually I cut these myself from kraft paper (like this), and I'm sure having them pre-made saved me an hour of install time. Plus, they actually work for hanging. See the little illustration for the hook?

Shockingly, they are in the right place. Another chunk of time saved.

Third. 

I share my current color obsession on Monday over at Anne Marie's Blog 10 Rooms for her series, Crushing on Color. Be sure to check it out, then come on back here to see how I put one of the illustrated color pairings into practice when I rearranged some things in the bedrooms.

I'm working this weekend, but it's all fun projects. Which is good, because the alternative was a girls weekend in NYC with two of my best-ever girlfriends. (Have fun ladies--I will miss you!)  How about you--anything fun planned?

Oh, fourth.


Speaking of NYC, tomorrow night Dave and I are going to see The Moth live here in Minneapolis.  It's like a little slice of our New York experience following us out here, and I can't wait.  Here we are at a Moth event early in our dating days, I guess March of 2003?  I was WAY ahead of the curve on the brightly colored pants trend, let me tell you.  (Purple!)  And those yellow dangly earrings were an absolute fave.