14 May 2012

The Nesting Continues...


This baby needs to come soon because my house is under attack.  (by me) 

{Most recently, I went after the lower level family room.  It's now cream/ white instead of blue.}

The room has gone through a few different phases over the 3 years we've lived here...

{I had an old ship painting from my son's nursery when we first moved in so hanging it made the place feel sort of coastal - which it isn't.}

At first I went with blues & orangey-golds & beiges, using the things from our old house.



Later I added in some more little coastal paintings I already owned and a crazy faux bois lamp.  ( I love this lamp & realize it's one of those pieces that doesn't appeal to most people but that I just have this strange kitcshy love for.)  ....


The room never really sat right with me, mostly because the fact that the coastal things in it didn't fit the house.  One day about a year ago, craving a change, I brought in one of my favorite rugs & tried out some teal curtains & it was just very wrong.  Totally not the fun happy space I wanted.  I think it only stayed like this for a few hours before I changed it...



 ...To this:

{I was getting there with the green addittion.  Green's my favorite color & more than that, to me it fits my house because we're surrounded by trees and have lots of windows in our house.  The outside is the backdrop for the interiors.}

In this pic below, you can see a couple of the windows in the family room's workspace during the Winter:

{photo by Helen Norman}

For a while now, I've been ready to say goodbye to the blue & bring in more white & green.  We just haven't had the get-up-and-go to actually do it... Until I neared 9 months of pregnancy.  OF COURSE that's the perfect time to attack the basement!  (I really love my husband for humoring me.)  We finished adding shelves to a little built-in book area...

Getting the book situation under control has helped immensely. Our family loves to read & not only read, but keep & collect the books we love. So... that's a major storage issue for us. We have books crammed everywhere. Adding the additional shelves in the nook has been life-saving (for now ;)

I'd like to make some botanicals with the kids out of the plants in our yard for the two frames above. 

{Maybe something like the ones we made for the playhouse}

SIDENOTE: Another thing I should probably explain is my obsession with botanicals & plants in general.  I've always loved them, and as a little girl, I had flower presses & enjoyed collecting pretty things to press.  When I was a little older (maybe around 12 or 13) I got very into researching herbs & flowers & plants.  I collected (still do ;)  books on them & the various medicinal uses for plants along with the folklore & & legends that surround them.  I actually have an "Herb journal" where I've collected all of the different information from various sources about the herbs I had access to complete with my own photos.  (Yes, I'm weird, I know this.)   Remember my zit cure, here? (pic below)

{Please don't be scurred.}

In high school I began making (and selling!) things I made out of herbs & oils.  (Lip balms, lotions, teas, natural body sprays, etc...  In college, my best friend & I sold more of the same things & expanded into pillows & clothing.  SO...  the reason you see lots of botanical artwork & nature-inspired spaces in my work is because it's something I'm really passionate about & it comes out, especially in my personal spaces & textile line. 

And now back to the family room....  It's finally getting to where I'm happy with it.  It just feels so much more in keeping with our house:


{While we have lots of vintage educational charts around the house, these two are actually reproductions from The Evolution Store.  I went with cowslip & anemone.  I'd gotten it narrowed down to five options and let my 4-year old pick.  (What 4 year old can resist the name "cowslip?" ...And we have peonies (from the anemone family) in the backyard.)

And for the rest of the space...
I want to add some BRNO chairs around the table & I'm looking for the perfect ones with old-looking brown leather... Similar to this but not quite: (This pic looks like suede to me.)


My Gustavian desk is going black (it's a few pics up & is currently pale aqua)  & I'm slipcovering my Madhatter Chairs in a natural linen & flanking the hutch with them:

{Madhatter Chair}

Everything else just got a bit restyled & of course that'll sort of continue.  I'll take more pics when I can.

On the pregnancy front:  Having contractions but nothing strong enough to constitute labor yet.  With my past two pregnancies, my water just broke with no warning, so that was fairly straight-forward.  This contraction thing is a little different for me so I'm wondering how this one will be.  Here, our  whole family saying hurry up! hi!! ;) to the new baby:

And it's bigger than it looks here.  my husband & I have big hands ;)


xoxo, Lauren

If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

35 comments:

  1. Lauren,
    I am laughing because I just had raw honey and mint leaves on a rash....and it feels much better.
    I love how you nest and all the changes....good luck with no.3! I know you must be so ready!
    pve

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  2. I love the changes! That nesting at the end of pregnancy is no joke! My husband had to tell me no on completely redoing our guestroom. I was ready to head out the door to buy fabric to sew new curtains when I was over 40 weeks pregnant! ;)

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  3. I really love those botanical prints ! Looks like baby is coming soon, wishing you lots of good luck.

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  4. I think the botanical prints are a great change! I'm loving the added contrast in the room now. And I'm considering doing some DIY botanical prints myself. Far cheaper than the ones I've seen for sale. Good luck with the upcoming baby too!!!

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  5. Love the space in white. Thinking of you during your count down!

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  6. Best wishes. I so like the green better than the blue. Great choice.

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  7. Love all the changes you've made and have to smile at your nesting. Great picture with everyone saying hi to the baby.

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  8. Nesting brings out the best in your home! I ABSOLUTELY love the color change in your family room! Bravo! Feels good AND looks great!
    Always watchful of your blog for baby news!!!
    ~Kim

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  9. I think everything looks beautiful! And I think you should have it exactly as you like before the baby is due.

    I love the photos at the end...oh so precious the little moments as a family.

    Take care, cannot wait to "meet" number 3.

    Elizabeth

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  10. I love the evolution of your room. I am feeling the need to transform my whole house but I am such a slow decorator that I don't even have one scheme "finished" before I want to change it. Plus, I hate spending money. :)

    Happy baby soon....lovely photo!

    xo Terri

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  11. Good luck on the baby front. It is sooo hard to wait.
    I love the botanicals and I think I want to incorporate a few in my house.

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  12. Ah-hah! Now I know you're a fellow backyard herbalist! No wonder your use of green things is so prevalent in your designs. Love the new look in the family room.

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  13. Loving the botanical prints!! I bought a vintage botanical poster online a few months ago and felt like a total idiot when I went to show it to my husband- turns out it was a marijuana plant and I just couldnt read the text because it was in French! I had no idea...but he got a good laugh out of it. Goes to show I was not rebel in high school :)
    Katie
    Athomewhenimwithyou.blogspot.com

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  14. Beautiful!

    And as far as the baby. TRUST. It is supposed to be different. Your body knows exactly what it is doing!

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  15. So I know you are not going to have any time for a while, but if you haven't read "The Language of Flowers" I think you'd really enjoy it! Love the changes to the room!

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  16. Okay, so either your white sofa is HUGE or your kids are really tiny (or the photo is just illusionary).
    Love all the new touches.

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  17. You have totally made my day with this post - I have been looking for the perfect sized botanicals for over my couch FOREVER and LOOOVE the ones you found and also love that they are reasonably priced. Already placed my order :-) Best wishes for a smooth delivery and healthy baby!

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  18. Kerry Steele from Design du Monde has Brno chairs for sale!!!
    Your family room looks so lovely..so do those cherubs..best of luck Lauren!
    Nancy
    Powellbrowerhome.com

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  19. Lauren,

    Your room make-over is wonderful. I especially love the two little gnomes you have tucked in to the sofa - perfect! Soon there'll be three. Along with all your readers, I'm keeping you in my thoughts and waiting to welcome the newbie.

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  20. Love the rooms transformation! That hurry up and wait is all too true at the end of a pregnancy! Can't wait to see pics of the new one!

    Annie
    House on Rene giveaway!

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  21. Love the room! Where did you get your sofa? I love the high back. Good luck with baby #3.....you are a doll!!

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  22. I have loved vintage botanical educational charts for decades. But the price has always put me off. All things come to those who wait! I found three (one of which you have in your living room) framed at GoodWill for $20 each. I snatched them up and drove them home in my convertible with the top down because of their large size. And it was in January in Ohio! I laughed at the looks I received along the backroads going home. All worth it!

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  23. Not wierd at all!

    I have been collecting botanicals and herb books forever. Probably because my mom did too so it was natural that I would get into it. I find the best herb books and old botanicals at thrift shops and flea markets. And we still use those home made remedies like my mom used to make so your picture made me laugh.

    Love your space!

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  24. Thank you so much for giving the resource for your botanical posters. They are very cool. GoodBonesGreatPieces featured a similar item on a recent post...but no source.
    Good luck to you as you wait for baby's arrival!

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  25. LOVE the Peter Dunham fig leaf pillows! I've been admiring that print for quite some time.

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  26. I love your hands photo. Such a great idea!

    And, I think the 9th month gave you great inspiration because it does feel so you.

    I like the desk going black and wonder about bringing in your black and white strip rug. So fun!

    And, I love seeing the evolution of this space and remembering the different incarnations we've seen.

    Good luck these last few days! They are precious even though they drive us all nuts ;)

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  27. It was fun watching all the changes inthe evolution of your living room. It was all beautiful! The plants and green are so fresh! You gave me lots of ideas! I love herbs and gardening too. I use Aloe often and cook with fresh basil, thyme, rosemary, chives all the time!
    I hope your delivery goes great, and I wish you every happiness with your new baby!
    God bless your little family!
    Linda @ Grandmalay's Daydreams

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  28. Love the new cream colored couch and absolutely love the paintings ( I think they're veggies?? Best of luck with the baby!

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  29. I love your botanical prints and green pillows on the sofa! Where are the pillows from? Best wishes with baby!

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  30. The changes look great, and gave me a chance to revisit your blog again, I am so impressed with how you did your house!! It is so similar in style to mine and I am totally at a standstill right now. I love the modern-traditional look but its easy to mess that one up! ;)

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  31. I adore those botanical prints and really didn't realise how big they are until I saw them here! Will definitely have to take that into consideration when buying one. I just love how the family room is looking now - I liked it before but I love seeing how it is evolving over time.

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  32. i love the botanical plant poster picture. along with the green pillows and accents to match the picture - it just ties everything together. where is it from? it would be cool if you collected all those plants yourself through the years.

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  33. i love the botanical plant poster picture. along with the green pillows and accents to match the picture - it just ties everything together. where is it from? it would be cool if you collected all those plants yourself through the years.

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  34. Your place is absolutely amazing. I thought at first it was inspiration photos then I realized your house is the inspiration. LOL. Blessing to you and the new baby and hydrangeas are my absolute favorite. I wish mine would burst into bloom. They are being slow this year for some reason.
    Thanks. Will definitely be following your blog

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~Lauren