Monday, July 18, 2011

Fireplaces in the Off Season

When it's about a-billion degrees outside (like it is in Texas), our fireplace is the last thing on my mind. But lately, I've been making some improvements to our apartment (lots of posts coming soon!) and I wanted to improve the look of our hearth.

Last winter, we didn't have a chance to buy a screen or even use our fireplace so it's been bare since we moved in. And, go figure, they don't sell that kind of stuff in the summer wit the aforementioned "billion-degree weather". So, I searched out some alternatives to make our fireplace less of a black hole. Here are some of the ideas I love and the one I chose.


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I love the look of this fireplace in general. It's light and cheery, which is the opposite of what I envision when I think fire. Love it! Get this look easily with some vases in complimentary colors to your room decor and fill with faux blooms to keep your display looking good all through the warm months.



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I love this idea! Especially for a room that isn't full of wood tones and natural wood furniture. Here, it really brings warmth to the crisp white walls and fireplace. It's not exactly functional if you'd like to use your fireplace, but if you aren't really a fan of the flames or have a non-working hearth, then this would be a beautiful option!


I kept it simple with some pillar candles and a mirror. It keeps option of soft light and looks good when it's not lit. The mirror also helps brighten up the black hole that was our fireplace.









Have you used any of these techniques? Or any other fun ideas? I wanna know!

Friday, July 8, 2011

Room Love: a living room that's actually lived in...

Room Love: I save so many photos from the interwebs of gorgeous houses and rooms and I want to share some of my favorites.




Bower Power Blog

I love this living space! The warmth of the wood floors and furniture, the bold navy and white, and the mixture of patterns. It just comes together all so nicely. I can picture a family living here and enjoying the space. As much as I love the meticulously styled spaces in magazines and on TV, they can be a bit impersonal. But this room looks like it belongs to someone. (In fact, it belongs to some pretty cool people. The Bowers are a funny, beautiful family that have been blogging for over three years!)


What rooms do you love? Share in the comments!!!