wallpaper download

a friend of mine recently asked for some help in pulling together some bedding ideas for her daughter, who will be starting college in utah this fall. she mentioned that she was looking at some options at pottery barn teen, and i immediately stopped her and told her she was about to make a terrible mistake. (you can say mean things like that to a friend....i would have said the same thing to a client, but in a more professional and "nice" way!)

hey, nothing wrong with pb teen. i actually love pb teen, but taking an entire bedding ensemble from their collection can look a little juvenile--especially for a college student. their girl bedding tends to be bright, and more "clear" colors, which aren't as sophisticated as more muted tones.

for instance, yellow is a great color, but at full intensity (think big bird), and mixed with a hot pink AND a dose of turquoise, it can get bad.


(imagine mimi from the drew carey show... as a bedroom. yeah, YIKES.)

now, take that same yellow, but add some gray and brown to it, and you get a muted, pretty mustard color that will mix well with dusty blues, deep plum, lavender, and ALL kinds of neutrals. the palette can still be youthful, but in a controlled and sophisticated way.



here are a few color schemes that i came up with using a few of my go-to places for tween/teen/young adult bedding items: urban outfitters, west elm, etsy, and serena and lily.


so, which one did she end up choosing?
she chose the "dusty blue + black/white" option, and we ended up throwing in some green for an additional dose of color:

i am looking forward to seeing it all pulled together! my friend and her daughter flew in yesterday, and we met at west elm to make a few purchases....i will be sharing some pictures of my visit tomorrow, so stay tuned!

interested in working together?
i still have openings for september and october. 
email me at autumnclemons@yahoo.com to set up a consultation!

ok.
first of all, let me just state that--NO, gradys bathroom has NOT been painted yet.
i have thought about it at least 355 times since june, but i still have not taken the plunge.
this is due, in part, to me trying to spend as much time as possible with the kids before they went back to school (yesterday was the first day!). the other part is just sheer laziness. i just haven't made it a priority!

that being said, i am making p-r-o-g-r-e-s-s.
everything EXCEPT the paint is ready to go.
i shared my new design plan of this bathroom here, and one of the things i decided was that i wanted two separate, decorative shower curtains. i looked online to see if i could find a nice looking, double shower rod, and spotted one at bed bath and beyond.



i was going to order it online, but i decided to swing by my local store instead. luckily, they have one in stock, and so i brought it home and tried it out.



i am in love with this! it was really easy to install---it just went up like a normal tension rod. i actually think it was a tad easier because it was larger, and easier to keep lined up in the same place on both sides.


i placed mine right at the top of the shower tile.

 because the decorative panels have grommets tops, i did have to thread them onto the rod before tightening it into place. i put the rings for the curtain liner on after the rod was up.
here it is!
i love that the shower is still totally functional, but the shower liner is hidden. i LOVE being able to see the tile in the shower, and feel that having the opening between the panels helps make the bathroom feel a little bigger.
*oh, and see??---the paint and all the supplies are just sitting patiently on the floor, waiting for me to get started. and i will. someday.

(at least i believe she will!)

so, what do you think? do you believe in fairy tales?
have you ever scored an incredible deal on ebay?
do you think i should write a post on how to shop on ebay for designer goods?
let me know!

buy what you love

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think of lighting as the jewelry in your room.
just as the right necklace or earrings can take and outfit from ordinary to stunning, the right lighting can elevate your room and make it feel special. an interesting and beautiful light fixture or lamp can make any space come alive with personality.

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hard-wired fixtures such as pendants, chandeliers and sconces can be pricey, so be sure and purchase ones that you know you will love for years to come--whether that is a modern, sputnik-type chandelier or a set of vintage brass sconces with intricate scroll-work. if you love it, it will work.


divide the light (types of interior lighting)

lighting is generally categorized as ambient, task or accent lighting. when each of these lighting categories is present, the result is welcoming and well-lit room.

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 ambient, or general lighting provides enough light to function in a space, and is accomplished with ceiling mounted fixtures, or can lighting.

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task lighting helps you perform a certain task such as reading, preparing or cooking food, writing or grooming. this light is usually provided by smaller, portable desk or floor lamps,  pendants and under cabinet lights.

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accent lighting is used to draw attention on a piece of art, a texture on a wall, or other architectural feature. these lights tend to quite bright, and are generally track or wall mounted spot lights or picture lights.

if your room feels flat or the you feel the lighting could use some improvement, look around and see if you have all three types of lighting. if not, add the missing component, and your room should feel more balanced and welcoming. all three types of lighting can be purchased at stores like habitat lighting.


hide the cords (make lighting cables invisible)

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we have all seen those beautiful, glossy spreads in magazines where lamps seem to magically float on glass tables in the middle of rooms, without a cord to seen. most of these miraculous feats are accomplished with photo shop, but you cant photo shop "real life". you can, however, minimize the appearance of unsightly cords. simply take a few minutes to manipulate your cords down the backs or legs of furniture so that they are not as obvious. there are also products on the market that attach to your furniture and keep cords tucked neatly away. cords can then be kept along baseboards and neatly brought up to the outlets.


check your bulbs

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often, if a space feel sterile or too dark, the simplest solution is often to change your light bulbs. if you have a space that feels dark, try upping the wattage of the bulbs in your light fixtures, or switching to a more energy efficient form of light such as fluorescent or LED, which tend to feel brighter than most incandescent bulbs. if your space suffers from "hospital syndrome"-where the lighting feels bright and flat and has a cool cast to it, consider switching to a bulb that promises a warmer output of light.

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going with a 3 way bulb can be a great option in a bedroom or media room, where at times you want a small output of light, and at other times you need the light to be brighter.

This post is written by me and sponsored by  habitat lighting. The opinions expressed in this post are entirely mine.