surf's up

My hubby learned how to surf while stationed in Hawaii his first four years in the Marine Corps, so I was thrilled to have such a great teacher to show me how to navigate through the three or sometimes four-foot waves off the coast of North Carolina where we lived for eight years (and subsequently surfed every weekend!)  We have a bunch of boards hanging in our garage and there have been many times I've wanted tofind a way to incorporate one of them in our decor, whether inside or out and with it finally feeling like summer, these images have me admiring that idea once again:

Coastal Living

Rooms to Inspire by the Sea by Annie Kelly

Maria Reeves via Coastal Living

Remodelista

Brooke Giannetti

House Beautiful

Tim Clarke

Serena & Lily via Habitually Chic

unknown / Nate Berkus

Better Shelter Home

horse play

Sometimes, the most utilitarian items turn out to make the most dramatic statement...take galvanized water troughs, for example.  When turned into containers brimming with flowers and plants, watering tubs for horses suddenly become a bold, welcoming statement on front porches and soften the lines of decks and patios.  While this is anything but a new design idea, I can honestly say it wasn't until I saw this array of rosemary, purple verbena, Mexican sage and basil that Jennifer from the Newlywed Diaries snapped in front of Beach Dwelling that got me hooked on using horse troughs as planters in the first place:

Erika of Urban Grace Interiors has two 4 foot wide water troughs flanking her front porch stairs, brimming over with the most beautiful purple queen-gorgeous:

I love the idea of planting around the base of the trough - makes it look as though it's been there forever:

Here are a few other lovelies:

Pam Penick

via

Apartment Therapy

I love the idea of using water troughs as raised vegetable gardens, especially in the middle of a lovely fenced-in space like this one:

While you can find a ton of different sizes and shapes of these water troughs online, I would suggest going in to your local feed store to purchase one....they are HEAVY and you would more than likely pay more to ship one than it costs for one of the tubs themselves!

get the look: hamptons guest house

Great things come in small packages and this Hamptons pool house-turned-guest house/couple's retreat is a fabulous example.  I've loved this little slice of heaven, which was actually part of Traditional Home's 2009 Showhouse, since it was first published...I still have the dog eared issue amongst my hoard of magazines! Comfy, oversize furnishings, a blue, gold and gray color palette, plush rugs and soft patterned fabrics create a charming, dreamy feel, perfect for a little getaway (without actually getting away!)  I featured the bedroom in my headboard roundup yesterday and just couldn't get enough of it, so I thought I'd post the rest of the house today, as well as a few picks to recreate that dreamy bedroom:

Get the look:

Kelly Wearstler Katana pillow / Bronte lamp / Colin club chair / Souk rug / Chesterfield bed

Driftwood sculpture / Campaign desk

Have a wonderful weekend!

5 amazing headboards/beds

The furniture in our master bedroom was a purchase my husband made right before we started dating - I remember the first time I saw it, in all its knotty pine glory (eek!) - I wasted no time painting it black the day he left for deployment right after we were married!  The time has come to get rid of it (halleliuiah!) and get something more "us" and less matchy-matchy.  Needless to say, I have major headboards on the brain!  Here are five beauties I can't get enough of lately:

1.  Ingrid.  I can't express how much I love this bed - between the shape, the nailhead trim and the raffia upholstery, I am completely smitten.  Unfortunately, she comes with a pretty hefty price tag that far surpasses what I have to spend on a headboard, dresser, end tables, bedding and accessories COMBINED, so, for now, all I can do is admire her from afar:

Phoebe Howard / Tumblr

Alice Lane / Bunny Williams

2.  Chesterfield. What I love most about this English-inspired design, aside from its gorgeous tufting and dramatic rolled ends is the fact that it works with so many different decorating styles and is equally beautiful in both masculine and feminine spaces.  (I happen to love it without the footboard):

 

Traditional Home / Lee Ann Thornton

3.  Seagrass.  There is a fine line between "beachy" and "kitschy", but this woven seagrass beauty gets my vote for it's clean, modern lines and, of course, beautiful texture!  Pair it with crisp white monogrammed bedding and black lamp shades like this Nate Berkus-designed bedroom below and you have sophisticated elegance!

4. Canopied.  We have vaulted ceilings in our bedroom and I think a modern, canopied farmhouse bed would be a fabulous way to draw the eye up and make use of all that extra space.  Adding some beautiful linen panels to each corner for softness - perfection:

Traditional Home

Mark D. Sikes via Lonny

5.Colette. Ah, Colette....your subtle curving and nailhead trim are classic and so elegant.  Just when I think it's a little too dressy for my style, designer and blogger Erin from Elements of Style shows how well it works with bright colored bedding for a casual feel or with simple black and white bedding for a more sophisticated look:

Which is your favorite?

color cues from amanda nisbet

As much as I love and gravitate toward neutral spaces and color palettes, there is nothing like a bold pop of color to make a room feel fun, fresh and crisp-especially as the weather gets warmer.  I've admired designer Amanda Nisbet's work since I saw a Hamptons home she designed in Coastal Living a few years back - she is a pro at using color in unexpected places like the trim on a seagrass stair runner, pieces of art, bold curtain panels, striking lighting or even a bowl of brightly colored flowers to amp up her otherwise neutral spaces.  The result is fun, sophisticated and so fresh.  Here are a few of my favorites from her portfolio:

To see more of Amanda's work, check out her portfolio here.