Style Crush: The Dime Building - Detroit, MI

A couple of weeks ago, I visited Detroit. We stayed in the downtown area and was in town to celebrate my cousin's birthday.

I'm a huge breakfast person, so when the group talked about walking around to find a good breakfast spot, I was immediately down. I can eat breakfast anytime of the day, literally ANYTIME. We stumbled upon The Dime Building that has a little brunch spot inside.


After doing a little bit of research, I learned that The Dime Building is one of Detroit's oldest skyscrapers. It got its name from a interesting marketing tactic, and being a marketer I found this story pretty interesting. The bank did not have a lot of capital so it came up with the plan of allowing anyone with a dime to open up an account. This idea turned out to be a profitable one, and lured in many customers. The bank went on to be very successful.

....and the rest is history....

But let's talk about this beautiful decor. I was so in love with this lamp. I love an interesting lamp. This lamp base is calling my name!


One thing I really loved about this space was the mix of colors and textures. This space features a cognac leather couch, eggplant microfiber benches and green linen armchairs.





I have lately found myself drawn to rich colors, and I love this mix. This gave me some ideas for my bedroom makeover.

 Another thing I loved about this space was how they took a big open area and sectioned it off into different spaces. Most newly built houses are open floor plans. I have one myself and my set up of furniture has always helped to break up the space.


They used a large long table to break up the sitting area and added more rich colors through the use of these purples chairs.

Lastly, one of my golden rules is always to add something 'alive' to a space. This space had big beautiful trees and plants throughout the space. Adding this simple element really made the place feel alive. This reaffirms my belief of adding greenery to spaces.



Always remember, inspiration can be found anywhere. I was not only inspired by the decor but also with the history of this building.  The power of people putting their dimes together built a successful bank. There are a couple lessons I can draw from this:

1. A little goes a long way
2. Small steps accomplishes Large goals

Check out my other Style Crush Post and let me know what you think of this crush. 

The Time Has Finally Come: A Bedroom Makeover Story

I've come to realize that the most neglected space in my home is my bedroom. The bedroom should be the most peaceful and relaxing place in the house, but for some reason, ours is not that way. I think because we spend the least amount of awake time there, it gets pushed to the side. Well, the time has come to change that.

I have quite a bit of work to do. Here's what I'm hoping to get to:


I put together this board using Polyvore and I think it's a great mix of masculine and feminine decor.

A few years ago, I did a simple refresh, but it's time for something drastic. I liked it at the time, but as I get older my taste and style has evolved. Check out the before from the refresh.


Some of the items shown on my concept board I currently have but will have to do some DIY updating and for some items I will get to shop for.

Stay tuned for the exciting changes coming soon! I'll be taking you behind the scenes of all of this through my Instagram page! I'm also planning to share with you some of my favorite brands and provide some product recommendations to you.

Coping with Carpet: Dining Room Refresh



We have been in our house for 5 years now. Somewhere around year two I promised myself I would have hardwoods in my house by year five. In came year five and still no hardwood floors. Talking it over with boo we decided to make investments in other areas of the houses, new A/C unit, updated mattresses and a new closet, so that placed hardwood floors on the back burner.

Being stuck with carpet hasn't been my favorite thing, but I have learned how to cope with it. If you are dealing with carpet woes here are some things you can do:

GO FOR A BOLD COLOR SCHEME
One way to distract from carpet is to use  bold colors. Painting the walls a bold color will bring the eyes off the carpet and onto the walls. You can also play with boldly colored accents too. In my dining room, I opted for black paint on the walls. The black walls takes the eyes off of the carpet!


CREATE A FOCAL POINT
Creating a focal point will remove the eye from the carpet also. If done correctly, your focal point will distract from your carpet. I created a family gallery wall above my bar area. This area immediately grabs the attention of my visitors as they spend time looking over the pictures



INVEST IN A LARGE AREA RUG
Area rugs are your best friend if you have carpet. The larger the best, is my opinion. They do a great job of covering up the carpet and also adding some color to your space. In my dining room, I opt-ed out of a rug and used the next tip instead.

SKIP THE RUG AND EMBRACE
Sometime coping with carpet is as simple as just accepting it. In my dining room, I choose to just accept it. I've been leaning more toward minimizing some of my decor, so accepting the carpet came more natural than adding a rug.


CLEAN IT REGULARLY
Cleaning your carper regularly is a must...and I don't mean just vacuuming. Investing in a great at home carpet cleaner will be crucial. We have an awesome carpet cleaner that we use every 3 months or so. Deep cleaning your carpet often will keep it looking fresh and clean. There's something about a freshly cleaned carpet that is refreshing and makes having carpet not too bad.




What are some ways that you have coped with having carpet? Do tell!

How to get the Perfect Masculine & Feminine Decor Mix



Finding a balance between masculine and feminine decor can sometimes be hard for couples.  I have some easy tips and things to keep in mind in order to achieve the perfect balance.

First let's figure out the difference between the two:

Feminine
  1. Soft Material: Plush fabrics, linen upholstered furniture, furry rugs//pillows
  2. Curvy or detailed furniture
  3. Metallic: Gold, rose gold, silver
  4. Light or pastel colors
  5. Small print patterns
  6. Layered Decor (Lots of accents, multiple blankets and pillows on bed, rugs)
Masculine:

  1. Hard materials: Leather, wood, brick
  2. Straight line furniture
  3. Dark Colors
  4. Large or solid print fabrics
  5. Metallic: Chrome
  6. Simple (one layer) decor

There is a pretty big contrast between the two general styles. Most shared man/woman spaces I have seen usually tends to heavily lend towards one end of the spectrum. This is especially true in the bedroom.

Now that we know the basics between the two styles, here is the trick to keep in mind:


Choose three basics from each side to achieve the perfect balance

Here's a visual of what I mean:


This is the approach I use when decorating my home, but I must admit, our bedroom is leaning heavily on the masculine side. Don't worry, there is a makeover coming soon for that space. Also, you don't have to pick 3 and 3; it could be 2 and 2 too...and you may even come up with your own mix too.


The main thing to keep in mind is to mix up the basics.

Another thing that is associated with feminine decor are flowers, plants, and framed family photos. You can pepper those into any mix that you choose.

I tend to lean more towards Mix 1. Here's some shots of my house from my Instagram:

Dining Room

Feminine: Upholstered chairs w/ small patterns and gold accents, plant
Masculine: Dark color, solid color chairs, straight line furniture

Living Room


Feminine: Layered Rugs, Small pattern on vase, soft throw blanker
Masculine: Dark colors, straight line furniture, large print on rug

Don't forget to pin the handy cheat sheet here on this post and tell me if you are living in a man/woman space, which mix do you lean more towards?

5 Life Lessons From My Mom



It's crazy you never know how much you need your mom until you become a mom yourself. Or maybe this was just the case for me. Becoming a mother 8 years ago opened my eyes up to just how much my mom did for me growing up. My mother was a single parent who was always there and available to me, she made parenting look easy. Looking back now, I still don't know how she did it. But she did! and she did it well! 

My mother has taught me so many things. Aside for that, I have learn so many things by just watching and observing her. The lessons I have learned can be applied to everyone and today I wanted to share a few of them:


Independence is Golden
My mom taught me how to be a go-getter, not only in her words but through her actions. Having independence is so important in life. At the end of the day we are responsible for our own life's journey. Independence is a huge part of life and being able to stand on your own two feet without help is invaluable. 



Kindness Rules
My mom has the biggest heart. She is known for her kind and loving spirit. I have always strived to have her same spirit. I have seen where others are willing to go above and beyond for my mom just off the strength of who she is. How amazing is that!



Help Out, Even When it's Inconvenient
It's easy to help others when it doesn't put much of a strain on ourselves. However, what about helping someone when it's not convenient? My mom is the queen of this...I mean super self-less! The help that she offers just means so much more because of this. She even takes it a step further by helping without expecting anything in return. She is the truest example of this.



 It's Not What You Say, it's How You Say It
How many times have you had to tell someone something that they may not be receptive to? I'm sure you can think back on a time of an uncomfortable conversation that you have had to have with a friend or family member. Knowing how to deliver these talks is my mom's specialty. She has always taught me to use the 'Love Sandwich' .... what's that you may ask...well, it's giving good news, followed by bad news, wrapped up with good news. Trust me it works. I love that my mom is sensitive enough to other's feelings that she puts effort into how she delivers news.



Once you Commit, Dedicate Yourself
You don't have to commit to do everything, but if you do commit to something, give it your all. My mom has taught and shown my that giving a 110% is a requirement. I have watched her sign up, pitch in and lend a hand all my life. She always done it with full effort and a smile on her face.


Now can you tell how awesome my mom is?? ...and today I will honor her with a few small gifts and her favorite meal. This table set up is for her and my mother in law.

Share with me, what are some life lessons you have learned from your mom?

Style Crush: W - Atlanta Buckhead



I'm back with another round of Style Crush and today I'm feature W Hotel in Buckhead (Atlanta, GA).

Over the weekend I spent time with one of my sisters for her birthday. It is our birthday tradition to get a room for our birthday and have a girl's night. We have been doing this for a few years now. It's a way for us to relive our college dorm room days. Sometimes we go out and sometimes we just sit around and talk to catch up.

I couldn't help but grab a couple snaps of the room we stayed in. I was super inspired by the decor and it gave me some ideas on some style challenges I have been facing.

One challenge I have been having is rugs,specifically, the best rugs to use with sectionals. I love the use of this round rug with the sectional.


I love how this rugs breaks up the boxy feel of the sectional. I will be on the lookout now for the perfect large round rug to fit my sectional. I think it's a great way to add a little interest.. I'm wondering why didn't I think of this in the first place.

One thing I'm switching around is my house if the use of gallery walls. I love a good gallery wall, but I think larger pieces are more my style. I love the use of this large print over the couch.


I'm not particularly in love with the print, but I do love the gold foil. Now let's talk about this gorgeous door.


I am in love with this door. I guess you would call it a modern barn door. Barn doors are all over the web now-a-days. I never thought it was quite for me until I saw this modern version. I love the frost glass with the white overlay. One problem we have is privacy on our back deck. I would love to update my sliding door with this treatment. It will still allow light in while giving privacy.



 Lastly, I have been considering converting my home office into a guest bedroom. I love how they added this workspace to the bedroom. This would be the perfect solution for me.


All in all, I loved the design of this suite. Lighting was an issue so I wasn't able to capture the best pictures or the ones that I wanted.

So what do you think of this space?  What design challenges do you find solutions in the places you visit?

Ready, Set, Organize: Build A Wall Command Center


Command Centers are all the rage now-a-days. I'm pretty late to the train but glad I finally got on board. About 8 months ago one of my friends gave me the suggestion of making a command center. I saw many on Pinterest that were super cute, I had a blank wall, so I figured I'd give it a shot.

Over the past 6 months I have slowly been turning my hallway wall into a command center. What is a command center you may ask: Well the best I way I can explain it is that it's a go-to area for mail, calendar, to-go list, notes, memo, etc. Think of it as the business hub of your home.

Some things that were necessary for my command center was a calendar, pin board, mail area, and a clock. I wanted to stay on a small budget with this thing so I was careful in my planning and purchasing. To add a bit of jazz to this command center I used chalkboard paint as a background for the wall. This was my first time using it and I love it!


I painted the wall about 6 months ago and my daughter and her friends have had a good time drawing and writing on it. Here's how I addressed the area of my command center

Mailboxes:
Our kitchen counter is generally covered with mail. To address that I decided we would have a dedicated area for mail. I had some thrifted file folders on hand that I figured would be good to hold mail. I spray painted them bronze and turned them on their side. They were a dollar a piece..talk about bargain!


Calendar:
Although it is only 3 of us in the house, we have quite a busy schedule. Keeping up with dates can be somewhat of a challenge, so having a calendar is a must. Since this is a wall command center I knew it would need to be oversized. I purchased a desk calendar from Target for about $8 that fit perfectly.


Notes/Memo:
Our daughter gets a million little notes and reminders from school. I knew a pin board would be needed to keep all this together. I used small corkboard squares to gather all of the random notes we get. Another thing that is important is to just leave messages in general for each other. We don't always work the same schedule so leaving reminder messages on the board is a great way to quickly pass a reminder.


Clock:
Time management is a must in every house. The message board is right outside of the bathroom. We all tend to use the same shower, although we have more, we favor the water pressure and size of our daughter's bathroom. In the mornings, we easily lose track of time. Now we have a clock right where we need it! ....when I ran across this clock in Target's clearance section, I knew I have to have it! I love it! Can you tell?


Lastly, I added this bowl I found at Goodwill $3.00 to collect pens, pins, dry erase markers, chalk and anything else we need.


Putting this wall together was a blast! Loved-loved-loved doing it! Truth is, I am so unorganized that I need this in my life. It's a shame it took 6 months to get this done, this easily could be done over the weekend. But hey, it's done now!


Here is how it all looks together!


Now that is is all finished, we have been enjoying using it!