Unique Photo Frames »

I saw this post from Design Sponge about Photojojo’s glass jar frames. I thought this was such a fun idea to make your photos more interesting. You can see the tutorial at Photojojo.com.

The New Couch »

My friends are probably beyond tired of hearing of my couch escapades. If you remember, I had already gotten a new couch just a few months ago. As it turns out, that couch was as hard as a rock. I never sat down and watched TV and we never had people over because it just wasn’t comfortable. I even started developing some upper-back pain because of the angle of the cushions. So - big fat lesson learned, and a renewed appreciation for craigslist: we sold the couch for just $200 less than we paid for it and moved onward and upward.

Now, I’m not as big of a furniture snob as you may think I am. I do however cringe when I hear these words: “sectional” and “rounded arms”. A sectional always sounded like one big mammoth piece of furniture, and I’ve already had two couches with rounded arms, so I wanted something new. Because the shape of our living room is so narrow, there isn’t enough room for a couch and a loveseat, and our best option is a sectional. Turns out, sectionals aren’t as ‘not cute’ as I thought, but 90% of them had rounded arms and I just couldn’t do it.

After sitting on probably 50 different couches, we made our decision and I must say, I’m quite happy. The couch was firm at first, but after jumping on the cushions {yes, one cushion at a time, my husband and I jumped on the cushions while we watched a golf tournament}, they loostened up quite niceley.

{sigh}… so glad that stress is over and my living room looks better than ever, with BEAUCOUP seating for friends. May I present, Macy’s “Bradley” sofa:

Now, if I could just figure out what to do to make my boring little contemporary kitchen look a little bit less generic!

Ikea Expedit Shelf »

In search of another opportunity to showcase a little personality in our dining area, I turned to the Expedit shelf from Ikea. What I love about this shelf more than anything, is that it is so versatile. It can house books, movies, clothing, computer accessories, crafts, and so many other things in a very orderly fashion. I also love that when turned different directions, it can act as a room divider or faux wall. So it’s safe to say, if we move or change things around, there will always be a home for this shelf.

So this is what my expedit shelf looks like now, although I’m certain things will move on a daily basis. I have a tendency to keep noodling with nick nacks.

Some of the things shown:

Branch pitcher {jayson home and garden}

Faux wood alarm clock {eq3}

Mercury glass votives {pier 1}

Picurewall Company »

I saw this company from the Jennifer Squires Photgraphy Blog. I love doing picture walls in homes because they give a wall purpose, add color and show personality. My cousin was asking me what she could do in her new house that would help her make it feel like home. I suggested a picture wall for those reasons and to help her connect to this home that she didn’t yet have memories in.

And since picture walls can get tricky, The Picturewall Company helps take the guesswork out of it. They provide frames, images, mats, tacks, hooks, a template and bubble levels to easily and evenly hang the pictures. Great idea!

“He’s Just Not That Into You” Design Style »

Having seen the movie, “He’s Just Not That Into You” with my girlfriends last weekend, I haven’t stopped thinking about the interiors. While I absolutely LOVED the movie {for reference of my movie style, my favorite movies include Cold Mountain, Love Actually, and currently, Burn After Reading}, I was very distracted and enamored with the interior design style that was used in each of the revolving character’s respective homes. I’m still digging around for better pictures, but I’m going to show the ones I found and what I think there is to learn about these interiors.

KEEP IN MIND: Reflect on how you decorate your home as you look at these images. I have started a post on ‘Throw Away The Rules’ decorating for all of you matchy-matchys out there. Do you love the looks of these interiors? Are they in keeping with the ‘purse matches the bag’ rules? Likely not. If you choose to continue reading this post, you are making a silent vow to ditch the ‘rules’ of decorating.

What I take away from this bachelor pad, is the use of multiple textures; The leather couch, the exposed brick wall, and different surfaces lining the windows. I also noticed the use of colors that break the rules; brown sofa, grey chair, and black shelving. Didn’t we learn not to mix our blacks and browns? While many of these things ‘break the rules,’ they look great together.

Now, the bachelorette pad, with the overuse of pink, and vintage fifty’s-era touches. This room was too cute - and did a great job of mixing patterns. I wish I could find more images of this room because it really did a great job of breaking the rules. Yellow walls, pink shelving, an awesome-bizarre horse lamp {who doesn’t want one of those?}, red curtains, and pretty much anything you could pick up at a flea-market.

This renovated house made me fall back in love with mid-century modern. They had the greatest built-in shelving and beautiful neutral greys with honey colored wood. I guess you’ll have to see the movie to get a better glimpse of this one.

This home had a crazy eclectic style.  Everything was browns and neutrals, with patterns that don’t match, and rugs that don’t match the sofa, and I loved it. What stood out the most was the artwork that covered all the walls. There was no rule to the artwork - there was a print next to an oil painting next to a photograph, and it all looked amazing. It had this great lived-in masculine feel and I thought it did  a great job of breaking the rules.

SO, Lesson learned: You are now going to break the rules with your next decorating project, and you’ll be amazed at how much personality gets put into the room. Out with the stiff and boring, in with the eclectic and fun! Good luck!

Image source: media.movies.ign.com

West Elm Grand Opening »

On Wednesday, I went to the grand opening of West Elm {Pottery Barn’s more modern and slightly less-expensive sister} in Emeryville {next to Ikea}. It was totally worth the trip, because the store was beautiful! Every piece was modern-but-comfortable, and had touches of fun: glass butterflies hanging from the ceiling, suspended candles, and herb gardens spanning an entire dining table. It was definitely a place for inspiration. Upon entering the store, I hardly made it two feet before I fell in love with their Walton Sectional Sofa. It was comfortable and modern {I have no tolerance for ‘puckered’ couches or rounded arms}. Until Sunday, they are drawing names to win $500 gift cards, and since you have to believe to win - I’ll be getting my phone call sometime this afternoon.

Here are the pieces I enjoyed the most:

Walton Sectional sofa { Straight lines AND comfortable. }

Ceramic Solstice Hurricanes { I don’t normally like using candles in decorating, but these are a fun way to add texture. }

Parsons Desk with Drawers {Laquered is ‘in’… }

bond desk, small { I’m a sucker for mid-century furniture. I love the angles of this piece. }

poufs { I love it when ‘cool’ is comfy! }

curved upholstered chair { The softness of the fabric on these chairs is unreal. If I had to do my dining room all over… }

spine wood bookcase { I don’t have many ‘pretty’ books, but some wrapped in paper would look great on this shelf. Sometimes bookshelves look ’stuffy’ to me, but this one is definitely not. }

More Great Wall Art »

I came across Jennifer Squires somehow, and found that she has a really great photography blog and etsy shop. I think she would make a great addition to the artwork in my house, and these are my favorites:

images from JenniferSquires.ca

Wall Stripes: Subtle or Circus? »

It is becoming popular to paint stripes on walls, and rightfully so. The technique has the same feel as wallpaper, but in my opinion, looks better and is easier to replace. While noticing this trend, I have also noticed the good, the bad, and the ugly.

My theory on wall stripes is: less contrast is better. It is easy for your striped wall to morph into a circus-tent-feel if you aren’t cautious with the colors. For example: painting a baby boy’s room - it might sound cute to paint the walls blue and brown. Naturally, blue and brown look good together, but on the walls it will be too intense. Instead opt for dark blue stripes and light blue stripes, a less-contrast option,  to avoid that circus look.

My favorite stripe effect? Sheen on sheen. Once, I had my bedroom painted a celery green, and the stripes were flat celery, and shiny celery. It was subtle, charming, and non-invasive. This can be achieved by painting the first wall color in a flat sheen, and masking off and painting the stripes with glaze or with the same color in a satin sheen.

Here’s what I mean by ‘the good’:

Here’s what I mean by the bad {and ugly}:

Of course, everyone has their own tastes and opinions, and this is just mine. This is a rule I like to stick to, and it hasn’t failed me yet!

image credits {in order of appearance):

kris omalley
shannon nicole design
igloodgn.blogspot.com
garay artisans
bookhuntersholiday.wordpress.com
mobcreative.ca
brenna-girl.blogspot.com
www.mackpainting.com

Target’s Look For Less »

While at Target with my friend this weekend, I noticed many look-a-like pieces in their furniture section. Where I was annoyed by one in particular {because I own the original} I started seeing it for it’s value. We all want the ‘original’ in our home, but may not have it in the budget. Here were the pieces that I found in Target that looked familiar… and for LESS…

Here are the links:

Upholstered, no-arm chair {target} {pottery barn}

Armed wingback chair {target} {west elm}

Shelved side table {target} {wisteria}

Branch side table {target} {west elm}

Nightstand {target} {pottery barn}

I also heart Target for their pillows:

In order of appearance {from left to right}:

{1} {2} {3} {4} {5} {6} {7} {8} {9}

ohbrooke Sells Prints! »

I often make prints for my home because I have a hard time with artwork, as many people do. Art on the walls can be the difference between a sterile room and a lived-in home with personality. But artwork can be hard because:

• It can be expensive
• You may feel no connection to the piece
• You don’t know how to pick it
• You don’t know where to put it

I struggle with buying artwork for some of these same reasons, so I make it for myself, and now I’m making it for you! The best part is that these are limited edition, only a dozen or so of each kind. So, you can have TRULY UNIQUE prints in your home that nobody else will have.

I’ve started an ohbrooke SHOP (see new navigation item up top) where I’ll be adding limited edition prints as I create them. The two first prints are apropos for the upcoming holiday, Valentines Day, but needn’t be seasonal. Have a look at the first ohbrooke prints here.