Eclectic Dining Room

It took about three months to get this space finished. This is my first time actually having a room fully completed in my house with everything I love. Over the years I would say my style has shifted a bit from contemporary to more of an eclectic vibe. It kinda fit my personality. I'm simple but there a bit of randomness that just goes. 

Initially looking at the room you may notice the beautiful wall map. This mural was painted by my god-sister, by hand, no stencil, no tracing.. just straight free forming. It was amazing watching it all come together. I tried to stay out of her way as she created it, but it was hard to not just stare and watch.

I've spoken about before my recent love of travel. Granted I've only been on one international trip, but I have been making some progress in seeing new cities domestically. One thing I'm trying to infuse into everything I design is my passions. I love to entertain and I love to travel. This map is a bit of an encouraging reminder to get out and see the world.  Every time I visit a new city I put a push pin in the wall.

When it come to entertaining, I'm pretty simple,  I like to have my favorite drink with my favorite people. I purchased two of the IKEA shoe cabinets and turned it into my mini bar. It holds all my special glass and drinks, discretely.

Another new addition to the room was my light fixture. I wanted something simple that would stand out and I was surprised to find that Target carried beautiful light fixtures... this is no plug, I was just truly surprised. It also wasn't too bad on the pocket. I believe it was about $129.00. Because I'm not a fan of downward light I did not put a bulb in the bottom of the chandy, but I don't think it looks to bad without one.

This is no doubt my most favorite room I have put together. I am absolutely in love. My daughter loves it too and hangs out and reads in the dining room. And lastly, I purchase a new table from American Signature, again another surprise find that was not expensive. Only $260. 

I spray painted my silver metal chairs a bronze finish to match with the chandy. I love love love it all. I can't want to finish the next area of my house!

If you want to get an idea of my style and the different phases of the dining room check out this post: http://www.behindthebiggreendoor.com/2016/11/the-2-year-dining-room-makeover.html

For behind the scene details, follow me on IG, www.instagram.com/behindthebiggreendoor

California Dreaming

This year I took my first trip to Cali... I know it, like who hasn't been to Cali! ...I am one of those people, well up until February.

I have to be honest, Cali is beautiful, the vibe is amazing but as a southern girl, for me, Cali is strictly a place just for visiting, not settling down.

The weather was perfect. Coming from Georgia in February where it was winter weather to sunny Cali was amazing. Summer clothes in the winter, i'll take it! I realized more than anything that I was a southern girl on this trip. I've never really considered myself southern, since I'm originally from Cleveland, but I guess it's time to claim my southern roots!

I think us Southern folks like thing slow and chill.. to me Cali felt very much the opposite.

The Hollywood Sign

What's one thing everyone wants to see when they got to Cali, If you guessed the Hollywood sign, you're probably right. Imagine seeing the Hollywood sign, it seems to be in the near distance, you keep walking and then boom, 40 minutes later you still aren't there and it's further away!

Needless to say, we didn't get too close up on the sign, but seeing it waaaaaay off in the distance, in person was pretty cool.

but on the way there I was able to snap this awesome photo... I love how the palm trees line the street. Nope the camera isn't crooked, the tress all lean to the left. I wonder why that is???

Rodeo Dr

After the Hollywood Sign search we ventured to Rodeo Dr. We walked around the fancy area of town for a hour or so, the area was beautiful and was exactly what I would imagined it would be.

Walk of Fame

Again, I had a totally different perception of what the Hollywood Walk of Fame was.. I pictured some sectioned off part of town, somewhere near a big building, maybe an eternal flaming burning... ok I was way off, it's basically a bunch of side walks with stars on it. I was underwhelmed, can't lie, but again it was cool to see it in person

The Food

We of course had to check out Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles....listen! the food was sooooo good. I'm a huge chicken and waffle fan so I knew this was a must try. I was not disappointed!

We also checked out Catch, I'm not much of a seafood person, but from what I heard from everyone the food was great. I stuck with the chicken...But the entrance to the place was beautiful. These lights and greenery made the perfect area for photos.

Well Cali, thank you for being so nice to me! It was real! It was my first time, but it def won't be my last!

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?