I'm heading over to my parents' farm for the holidays tomorrow, so I'll talk to you guys next week.  I wish everyone a wonderful, wonderful holiday - filled with loved ones and yummy treats!

via Country Living Mag

I was so excited when I saw photos of this home for the first time. It's so fresh and coastal, but somehow still manages to be festive and feels like Christmas.The home is a barefoot style cottage in Florida.

The chair was a flea market find, now reupholstered in a modern coral print.

I didn't know there were fireplaces in Florida...


Okay - I love this banquette. It's custom made in faux-ostrich vinyl that's super kid-friendly

Woolen stockings didn't scream beach cottage, so the kids used buckets in lieu of stockings


If you can, use accents from your own backyard.  They don't look like everyone else's decorations, and they're free. This owner took cuttings of pine from her own property. Don't have property? Take a walk in a park and see if there are any fallen pine cones you can gather.


I adore how she did up her stairs with mercury glass candle holders and jumbo pine cones.

The bedroom color palette is so serene.

Does this home still feel holiday spirited to you?

via Southern Living December 2011

This home is so pretty - I definitely have some home envy going on. I could never be so disciplined though, as to only buy things in black and white. I'm bad about that - If I like it, it could serve a purpose, and I can afford it, I buy it. I worry about it fitting in (and sometimes not) later.

I'm digging the birch(?) branch!


How about you?  Are you good at sticking to a color palette in your home or do you stray?

via Hus & Hem

I know I post a lot of bedrooms, but being that I spend no less than 9 hrs a night in mine, the bedroom comes first in my home. Also, it's Monday, and if I could, I'd spend half the day in mine...

via Little Green Notebook

country minimalism...love it
via Country Living

Talk about a fab studio.  So crisp and clean
via Apartment Therapy


Can I dub leather, canvas, and hardwood floor a palette?  Is so...it's one of my favs..
via Adore Home

via Apartment Therapy

Modern and clean
via Apartment Therapy

neutral and lovely
via Ballard Designs

For some reason I have not been sleeping well lately. I wake up feeling anxious but I'm not sure why; so needless to say I'm a bit groggy. Maybe if my bedroom looked a little more like these I'd sleep easier...

Love the quiet, clean design of this bedroom
via Home Sweet Home

Great morning light...
via Country Living

Neutrals can't help but create a peaceful feel
via Ballard Designs

So simple and clean... and coffee brought to me in bed is my idea of heaven!
via Pinterest


clean, no-fuss design

gorgeous!
2 above via Apartment Therapy

Love the raw linen bedspread and other natural textures
via Adore Home ma

I don't know how to make your Monday better, because if this house tour doesn't leave you high off the beauty I don't know what will. It is simply gorgeous.

The house is registered for film and photo shoots - so no one actually lives here. Still, it's beautifully done. Seriously, I would consider giving my left hand for this house. And I'm left handed.

ps - you can see a larger view by clicking on the image



















Well ? What do you think?
via 1st Option

Put simply, yes it can! Interior design projects are great for making your house look the way you want it to and feel like home, but new interior design is also a great way to boost your home’s value.

Obviously a new kitchen or bathroom suite will increase your property value, as modern fixtures and fittings are always more desirable than used, old ones. But the changes don’t have to be as extreme or as costly as this.

Making your home look more appealing can be as simple as adding a fresh coat of paint, cleaning the carpets or just getting new curtains. The more aesthetically pleasing your home is the more interest it will attract from potential buyers and therefore will increase in value.

However, although new decor will usually increase a property’s value there can be cases in which it doesn’t. When prospective buyers view a house they want to see a blank canvas to put their own mark on, so make sure to decorate with natural tones and universally appealing fixtures. You may think bright yellow with orange spots is beautiful but there are those who would disagree!







All of these images demonstrate homes that would show well. Keep personal or quirky items out of sight so potential buyers can see themselves living there.
via LivingEtc.

You should also weigh up the increase in value with the initial design costs. A new kitchen or bathroom may increase the property’s value but the increase could be less than the cost of the new fixtures! What’s more, you will also have to think about the cost of labour and the impact on your home insurance cover.

My advice would be, if you are staying put for a while and will get to enjoy the new decor than go for it! You will get use out of it and in the long term the value of your property will be healthier because of it. If however you are looking for a quick bump up in value before you move, stick to small improvements that won’t cost an arm and a leg but will still have a slight impact.

disclosure: this post is sponsored by fresh! home insurance