Guilty, no more

Since we took on our first dog in 2011, I thought I was a stern believer in "no pets allowed on the furniture." I was worried it would ruin our couches and chairs and imply that I lacked discipline.
 It started when Newton was only a few months old. We would would wake up and find he was not asleep on his bed, and venturing out into the living room, lo and behold, there he was, legs sprawled, fast asleep on the couch. He knew if he waited until we were asleep, he could creep down the hall and get on the couch (which he knew full well was not allowed during the day). We eventually caught him in the act, and it stopped for a while. That is, until the night I came home to find Newton and Zach cuddling on the couch. Nothing was said, Zach just looked at me and smiled, and that was that. From then on they have been welcomed on our couch, and despite the constant hair removal, the biggest challenge I face it getting Newton to scoot over when I want to watch a movie. So I am over the guilt, and I don't feel like a softy anymore. I love my dogs, they love me. We like to cuddle. Get over it. And thanks to Pinterest, I know I am not the only one who caved.....

All images obtained via pinterest.com

Picture Update

Finally got a lamp for this little area, this shade is BIIIIG, but it works in the space

I spent some time at grandma's house this past week; the food there is legendary

She also has one the the loveliest homes in the world

What an amazing lady....

Her garden is pretty cool, too.

The Nina and the Pinta were passing through...

Then Zach's parents came to visit; here they are at the World War I Museum

A nice shot of our new home...

Bathroom Envy

So, just to be clear, we LOVE our new loft. But......... the bathroom is a little, let's say...yucky. The tub, floor, lighting and fixtures are circa 1980, and are starting to look haggard, which makes them very difficult to clean. The grout is coming up, stains of god-knows-what here and there, along with virtually no storage are slowly starting to wear on me. Ah, to create the perfect space...In the meantime, I try to remember that this is a rental and there is nothing I can do about it. This ongoing unpleasantness has me thinking about what I want in a bathroom someday: naturally, it has to be beautiful, but function and natural light are at the forefront.... Any of these would do just fine...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All images obtained via pinteres.com

 

 

Bookish

Ah, a library, wouldn't all of us love to have one in our homes.... if only. There is something very cozy and comforting about stacks of books, I can't explain it, it just works. In my opinion, a  book shelf shouldn't look too contrived, it should be effortless, easy, and non imposing. I hate those spaces where you feel as if you need to tip toe around, a room (especially one where you are meant to escape) should let you utterly and completely relax. Plop down on the couch without worrying about the upholstery, drink some wine, and let loose.
I am a firm believer that your surroundings should be an exact reflection on how you want and need to function in a space. When I read I want to feel completely immersed, comforted and in a space that will allow my imagination to flow freely. If we were able to make changes to our loft I would have custom built-ins along our little back wall. Then, this space could quite possibly be perfect, but in the meantime.....

Lets start with one of my all time favorites. I love the dark built-ins, complete with lovely sconces, add a comfy couch, fill with books, we are good to go...

 

Fun fun fun

 

Nothing to outrageous here, just simple comfort

 

Love the arched bookcase, adds interest to a small space, and I love how it is just stuffed with books

 

A wonderful moody getaway

 

Love the scale, a great way to make a house feel like a home

 

Light and airy

 

Who wouldn't want to sit down and read a good book in here?

 

book, books, everywhere

 

YES!

 

classic goodness

 

Needs a place to sit, but other than that it's wonderful

 

This looks pretty, but Zach would never get any sleep

 

Love the columns

 

Lovely

 

classic

Ah, the best, want to read and nap here...

 

 

 

 

 

All images obtained via pinterest.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Afters...

 

So here are a select few images of our new little loft. Things seem to be coming along beautifully, and I am having so much fun in the process.

I love green, as many of you know, so it only seemed natural to incorporate it into this space. Green is  also a nice counterpart to the warm brick walls. I picked up this green leather wingback beauty on craigslist for fifty bucks!

 

Since we don't have any shelves in this space, I turned our hand-me-down coffee table into one  and placed it at the end of the bed. It adds some much needed color and interest here, and I love the look of stacked books.

 

My little nightstand, I love it so

 

I found these oval frames at an antique shop. My intention was to paint the white part black, but after letting them sit in the loft for a while I decided to let them be. Those silhouettes were sure fun to paint..... can you guess who they are? They are also a nice anchor for the end of the room...

 

This is our entry arrangement, the longer I am in a studio loft, the longer I realize how important multi-purpose spaces are, this is where we dump our keys, sunglasses, and there is a little storage bin on the left for the dogs leashes, balls, etc.... but I also use this space as a little desk.

 I changed out the wooden nob for an old crystal one and added the vintage map. Zach promptly added our different living and vacation destination with pins....

Eventually I would like to have an old floating coat hanger to the left of the desk (still looking)

 

 

We are LOVING our IKEA butcher block island, we NEEDED the extra counter space....

Butcher block is one of my favorite countertops, I want it in my home someday.

 

 

The antique school chalkboard is one of my new favorites, it is a great room divider (it hides all of our computer junk very well here) as well as adding some much needed height, not to mention  I have been a doodling freak with it.....

 

 

I would like to have a little round coffee table here someday.....oh, and a beautiful floor lamp.

 

This is the view when you walk in our front door......

As you can see there is zero overhead lighting, so things seem pretty cozy around here in the evening.

 

Here is what is next......

Hanging more art in the living room area

trying desperately to find a set of drawers for the bare spot on the back left side of the room, maybe the gilded mirror above it? Or how about an armoire?

Get more storage for the computer area ASAP!