Decorating in my Dreams

Due to crappy roads yesterday we weren't able to get to the city for dance, so that left alot of time for putzing around, doing small menial tasks that left me with nothing to do this morning. So I have been searching my new fave site www.houzz.com for some visual inspiration to help make my daydreams of the new house become a reality. We all know if you tell me I can't do it or that it can't be done (due to expense, lack of experience, or knowledge for example), I will try three times as hard to do it, if not for myself then to just prove you wrong. So with that said, I have big decorating dreams and I will make them happen...because if Debbie Travis could do it then so can I (she's my reno idol, if you haven't figured that out ;) ).
You have already seen the inspiration for Jacelyn's room on my previous blog, and I found an 8 piece bed in a bag the other day for a sale price of 39.48! Couldn't believe my luck. The thread count isn't as high as I would like in my own bedroom, but she's a kid...she won't care. For a full ensemble I thought that was a hell of a deal. It's black and white damask, and is perfect for what she wants. I was happy about that. She already has alot of the other room elements that I picked up here and there at Winners and a few other places, so I'm shelving that project until we get into the new house.
Brandon has been over the moon for this skateboarding room for a while now.

The bedspread and accents come from Pottery Barn Teen, which, in my opinion, while really cute and co-ordinated, are expensive. I like to look at an idea, put my own spin on it, pick out key features, and then build on the concept with homemade inexpensive alternatives. I found a striped duvet cover in blues, browns and oranges just like this one for half the cost, with shams, at an online store on E Bay...free shipping. Looking around and comparing prices always pays off in the end...even if it means sitting in front of the computer for a few hours, right Mike? I'd much rather 'shop' around on the computer than go from store to store...unless I'm alone and on a good bargain hunt. I am not a good shopper otherwise.

I put an ad on Kijiji ( our absolute favorite bargain hunting site ) looking for old unused skateboards to make a great display on a feature wall in B's bedroom. I'm thinking of using some for shelves as well...he can use the wheels for hanging medals and the like from them also. The mural behind the bed in this photo is over $150 bucks, which is way out of my price range for something in a kid's room, so will be looking around for ideas on that. I will probably end up painting a silhouette of a skater instead.

Charlie loves butterflies and flowers, and I just picked up a nice bedspread for her from Costco about 6 months ago that looks nice on her bed. That's not going to stop me from dreaming though!

I found a gorgeous comforter and room ensemble that I just love and thing would suit my little girl perfectly.

I will keep her in her twin bed for a while, and have upgraded Brandon and Jacelyn to a full bed...also to give company big beds when they come to visit as well as for growing kids. So Charlie could make do with the hand me downs from Jacelyn's bed. Again, what fun is that? With that in mind, here's the elements for her room that I'm gaga over:

Lots of ruffles, 3 D elements, and girly touches. It will be alot of fun to decorate the kid's rooms, and I'm really looking forward to it.

Our room will be quite simple, with quiet colors and espresso colored furniture. I'm really into grey this past year, and I thought I'd be bored of it by now, with our duvet that color as well as the basement. But I've grown fonder of it, and also with the color combinations that work well with grey. I'm loving how the lavender hues look with grey, but I think, after convincing Mike to do wallpaper, he's put his foot down on the lavender in the master bath. Ah well, I guess even I can go too far. We'll see.

We stopped by a house in town owned by people we know and who Mike sold the house to with the exact house plan we have chosen. We took them a few bottles of wine and had the luxury of them giving us a tour of the house, showing us what works and what doesn't with the design. I'm so in love with the size of the pantry, the L-shaped stairway, and the general lay of the house...with small lots in Lloyd you don't see too many bungalows as people build up in order to get the square footage they want. We are fond of bungalows rather than bi-levels however, and so have to stick with smaller square footage. This house is 1280 square feet, which isn't small, but after coming from 1600 I have to keep an open mind. The living room space is small, as is the master bedroom, but with a full sized finished basement I think the size will grow on me. The key I think is to keep the design simple, clutter free by adding hidden storage elements, and intimate. All in all the house is designed well, and I walked away from the tour feeling lighter of heart and excited for the building to begin. 

The entry way is so large that I can have my deacon's bench in there without cluttering it up, and giving the kids a place for mitts, hats, and bike helmets. 

These two I found at Home Depot, and they will suit the space beautifully. I like having a place for visitors to put on their shoes as well.

We have picked out a patterned cut and loop design for the carpet, which will be everywhere except the living and dining rooms and main floor hallway.  The color is debatable, with light sand colored walls and the trim painted darker I think I'd want the carpet to be like the trim or even darker yet...any ideas on that? Too light and I'd be concerned about staining...three kids and two cats added in to that equation!

Now that I have bored the men who read the blog to tears, I am open to comments or ideas about the key elements in my design ideas...a room only comes together with the start of one simple plan, be it the wall color or floor choice. Lay them on me, ladies!

Have a great week!