Dreams

Yes, I am that person who has a folder on her computer titled "House Decorating", which is filled with images of how I'd like my house to look someday. And yes, I am that person who cuts out pieces (furniture, decor, etc.) from catalogs and tapes it all together to design a room.

I've been having a "girls weekend" with my cousin since the hubby is out of town on a bachelor party. So I showed her some of the pictures I have on my computer. Long story as to how we got talking about it, but I digress. So, I thought I'd share a few with you guys. And if you've ever found a great deal on anything you see, let me know!! I'm always on the hunt for a great bargain (great quality is a requirement)!

My dream kitchen

Who doesn't love the look of crisp white cabinets, carrara marble, and dark wood floors? Oh yum. And with a pop of color in the blue subway tiles, I could just die. What I'd probably change in this kitchen is that I'd switch the marble and wood counters (maybe). I'd love a big wood-topped island like this:

Of course the thought of a massive marble island just perfect for baking is also quite appealing. Oh, decisions, decisions! ;) Hey, a girl can dream right? And check out this other way of bringing some color to a kitchen:

I LOVE it! And how easy would this be to change out depending on your mood! Just repaint the back of the cabinets, and poof! a whole new look. Of course, I'm still sold on the subway tiles for now, but who knows.

And let me get on my soapbox just briefly on carrara marble. I LOVE IT. It's been used in kitchens and homes all over Europe for centuries. Why? Because it's awesome. Some nay-sayers say "Oh but it stains so easily!" "It requires so much maintenance" "It's too porous" yadayadayada, wah wah wah is all I hear. Listen, there's a REASON that the Europeans have been using it forEVER. I'd like to think that if it were truly such a pain, that the Italians wouldn't have plastered their whole houses with it - from floor to counter to, well, probably not ceiling, but you get the picture. My point? Well, just that I love marble. : - )

Onward to my next favorite room: The living room. And with talks of the living room comes the never-ending debate... Formal living room with a separate family room, or just one big room? My personal thoughts on the matter: I grew up with a "formal living room" and a family room. We used the living room on two occasions only. 1) With "special" guests. When my parents would serve fine wine, cheese and crackers. 2) Christmas morning. That's it. What a WASTE! I love my parents living room. I think their decorator did a pretty great job with the room. So why waste it? I think at this point, I want one main living space. Perhaps I'd like an upstairs media room of some sort, for kids sleepovers or when I need the hubby to watch his sports elsewhere. But basically I want a big living room that is open to the kitchen for everyday living. Now I don't have one picture that depicts my exact design, but it's a combination of the following, with some other elements not shown.

Classic slipcovered slipper chairs? Yum. Clean upholstered French chairs? Yummy.

By now you may have noticed... I love white (and blue). I don't care about you nay-sayers who shudder and think "Oh but what about when you have kids?! What about when you have parties and your friends spill red wine?!" Listen, people, I get it. I don't care. That's what slipcovers are all about! And no, I don't anticipate quite the level of white shown in these pictures, but the basic palette is creams, blues, maybe some pops of exotic prints.

Now I know this has way too much stark white for a REAL family, but I love the style of the couches. I also LOVE the asian garden seats that are used as side tables (see the little octagonal blue table in the bottom left corner). The wall color is so soothing and airy. I love open, bright rooms. If you can't tell, I really don't like the dark look that is so prevalent in so many homes. I mean, it looks great. My parent's neighbors home is all dark wood and dark colors. It is beautifully decorated. It's just too dark for my taste.

I also love this picture, though it's too much blue for what I want:

I think the layout works nicely, and I LOVE the pop of zebra in the chairs in the back corners.

Anyhoo, if you're still here, thanks. I know not everyone has the same affection for home design and I do, but I hope you can at least appreciate it. And again, if you know of any great bargains, do let me know! With that, we're off to my favorite Saturday event: Tuesday Morning mecca in Addison, likely with a stop at Marshall's, maybe Weirs... Who knows! :-)

Wishing you a great weekend!