Royal Wedding Bliss!

What an exciting day filled with love, romance and a girl's dream come true...to become a Princess! Prince William and Kate Middleton are now husband and wife and it's been so much fun watching the live coverage of the day's events. Kate looked absolutely beautiful, in a wedding dress designed by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen. I snagged several photos from the British Monarchy's photostream via Flickr, which capture the beauty and magic of the bride and her prince on this magical day.  And if you live in the UK, did you join the crowds along the streets to catch a glimpse of the Royal procession?! What do you all think of Kate's dress? Enjoy and cheers to the happy couple! Have a great weekend. xoxo - Julie

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF THE BRITISH MONARCHY'S PHOTOSTREAM VIA FLICKR

IMAGE #4: Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Europe

Update Your Decor! 6 DIY Weekend Projects

There are endless ways to update your home, many of which you can do yourself. It's amazing how just about anything around the house can be completely transformed with a little time, creativity and planning! I often blog about quick and easy DIY projects, but today's round-up of projects require at least one day or possibly an entire weekend to complete. If you find yourself with a little extra time on your hands one weekend, you might want to take a stab at one of these fabulous DIY projects. Are there any that you'd love to try? Any other DIY ideas you want to share, please do!

1. Add texture & pattern to your walls by installing Fabric Wallcovering {click here for DIY details}

2. Transform your boring bathroom door with paint & trim {click here for DIY details}

3. Create a drapery focal wall - great idea for a guest bedroom! {click here for DIY details}

4. Update a standard bathtub with a custom beadboard surround {click here for DIY details}

5. Dress up your existing upholstery by adding nailhead trim {click here for DIY details}

6. Create a stenciled focal wall - you can get as creative as you want with this project! {click here for DIY details}

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IMAGE CREDITS: HGTV.COM

Inspiration Snapshot: Cool, Classy and Beautiful

Have you seen this dining room by designed by Miles Redd?! It's part of an amazing home featured in House Beautiful's April issue. Where do I begin on describing  my love for this space?! For starters, how stunning is that wall display of celadon vases mounted on plaster brackets? The matching vase and wall color keep the  display from overwhelming the space and the white brackets provide just enough contrast. The monochromatic color palette is fresh and soothing - I could see myself spending hours in this room! And I love the  bleached midcentury dining chairs paired with the ivory dining table. What do you think about this space? Would you try a wall display as dramatic as this one?

IMAGE CREDIT: HOUSE BEAUTIFUL / JAMES MERRELL

Home Tour: Victorian Meets Modern

I've been in love with Victorian homes ever since I was a little girl. It's a combination of their dollhouse-like appeal, intricate detail and impeccable craftsmanship that I find so charming. While I'm fond of the exterior of Victorian homes, I'm not a fan of Victorian or super traditional interiors, which is why I fell in love with this home tour via Interiors Magazine. Designed by Lynne Scalo, this renovated 1826 Victorian is anything but  stuffy or outdated on the inside. "On the outside you have this Norman Rockwell slice of Americana," says Scalo, about the storybook Ridgefield Connecticut neighborhood. "But it needed to reflect who the owners are and the way people live now." This design of this home is fresh and fun with a touch of sophistication and glamour. I absolutely love it! What do you think? To view the entire home and article, click here.

IMAGE CREDITS VIA INTERIORS MAGAZINE / PHOTOGRAPHER TIM STREET-PORTER

Quote of the Week

"I could never live without artwork. 

It’s a constant inspiration.”

- Narciso Rodriguez

IMAGE CREDITS: 1. ADORE HOME (P.68)  2. ADORE HOME (P.94)  3. ELLE DECOR; 4. OOPS-CAN'T REMEMBER...?!; 5. HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

Hello! Did you have a nice Easter and enjoy your weekend? I had a lovely time with my husband and family, but the weekend went by way too fast, as usual. Last week I was out of town for a few days, installing a couple of model homes with my former boss. That's what I did before starting my own business - I was a project manager for a design firm that specialized in designing model homes for new home builders. That was a dream job for a designer! We pretty much had complete creative freedom to design and execute our vision, as long as we stayed within budget. The best part was installing the job and seeing several months of designing and planning come to fruition. It's much more fast paced than residential design! Anyway, I'm heading out of town today until Wednesday to help install another job. On the go again... that's pretty much been my life for the last few months! Take care and have a wonderful week :) xoxo - Julie

Happy Friday!

I've been away on business most of the week and am running on empty at the moment, so today's post is going to be short and sweet! I've gathered together some lovely images from we heart it, and they're all centered around outdoor entertaining, which I can't wait to do once the weather warms up! Have a Happy Easter and enjoy the weekend. Cheers! xoxo - Julie

{ IMAGE CREDITS:1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6}

Deserving Design Makeover by Robert & Cortney Novogratz

This inspiring story was brought to my attention recently, which involves two of my favorite things: a makeover and giving back to those in need. Interior Designers Robert and Courtney Novogratz of SixxDesign recently completed a $50,000 school makeover in Orlando, Florida for a school that needed serious help. Their mission was to create a well-designed, organized and inspirational space for a K-5 public school, who were the winners of a nationwide contest sponsored by Bounty. "Winegard Elementary could not be more deserving of this transformation. Thanks to Bounty's commitment to providing children with creative, clean learning environments, we will be able to transform these classrooms to reflect the true spirit of the school," says Bob Novogratz, designer and Bounty spokesperson. "Consulting with our 'experts,' a.k.a. our seven children, we know the needs schools face and our hope is to help take the load off of these teachers so they can focus on what's most important, our kids' education." It looks like "mission accomplished" with the end result! What a fun, fresh and innovative environment for children to learn, create and flourish in their skills and talents! To learn more about Bounty and the "We Love Our School" campaign, visit www.Facebook.com/Bounty.

{IMAGE CREDITS: MATTHEW WILLIAMS}

Hot off the Press: Trad Home's Premiere Issue!

New online magazines have been springing up left and right, especially over the past year. Much of it has to do with the decline of beloved shelter magazines, many of which have been forced to fold because of, what else?... "the economy" (so over saying those words!). Last month I mentioned the exciting launch of yet another fabulous online read, Trad Home, which is a collaboration between Anne Maine, Editor in Chief of Traditional Home Magazine and Co-founders of Lonny Mag, Michelle Adams & Patrick Cline. This fabulous magazine has officially launched and the premiere issue is packed with 347 pages worth of design bliss! Personally, it's one of my favorites so far in the sea of online design magazines - clean layout, great variety of features and stories, and an overdose of eye candy (but in a good way). Take a look for yourself and let me know what you think!

{IMAGES COURTESY OF TRAD HOME | LONNY MAG}

Reader Snapshot: Fran's Living Room

Today's post features a fabulous living room submitted by belle maison reader Fran. In her email, Fran said, "I am a huge fan of belle maison, it's one of my very favorite interior design blogs! It has most definitely inspired me through the decorating process of my apartment...I've attached a photo of my living room..." I'm so happy to hear Fran's found inspiration for her home through my blog - that's why I do what I do  :) I love the fresh color palette and modern furniture style - everything flows nicely. I'd like to know what paint color she used for that fantastic accent wall?! The crisp white mirror, floating shelves and sconces really pop against the blue. And the fuchsia accent pillows and accessories add a little flair and excitement to the space. Thank you so much for sharing, Fran.  I'd love to see more reader's homes, so  please feel free to submit your own photos for consideration to be published on belle maison!

 {CLICK TO ENLARGE}

IMAGE CREDIT: FRAN S.