My Work: Eclectic Style Model Home, Southern California

Hello my lovely readers! I'm still here, working away and keeping busier than ever. I've missed you all so much and have had some life-changing events happen recently that have re-inspired me to get back into blogging and connect more with the design world. I've been a busy mom to two boys (4 and 22 months) and am pregnant with our third - a baby GIRL due in September!!!

 I'm still working full time as a designer for a firm specializing in designing and merchandising model homes - an industry that's booming and keeping us very busy with projects. It's a great job and I've had the privilege of designing, from top to bottom and everything in between, about 40+ homes in the last 3 years. Needless to say, I have a lot of projects to share with you and look forward to doing so over the next several months.

 Today I wanted to share some raw/unedited/non-Photoshopped snapshots of a job I designed about 18  months ago. What really made this otherwise ordinary tract home stand out were the 13ft ceilings in the open living and kitchen area. I won't go too much into detail on this house (for lack of time today), but you'll get a peek at the Great Room, Kitchen, Master Bedroom and Home Office. I hope you enjoy and find some inspiration here! 

ALL IMAGE CREDITS: JULIE THIGPEN 

xoxo,

Inspiration Snapshot: Refined Living Room

I was flipping through the latest catalog from Ballard Designs and came across this beautiful space designed by Suzanne Kasler. Where do I begin?! I love the gallery wall of white frames and the sunburst mirror mounted in the middle - something I'd never think of doing. The mix of powdery blues, neutrals and natural wood accents is refreshing and inviting. The Greek key pattern on the chair and ottoman is fresh and timeless. The vignette of accessories on the table adds a nice touch, along with the fabulous iron chandelier. What are you liking about this space?   

[IMAGE SOURCE: BALLARD DESIGNS CATALOG]

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Inspiration Snapshot: Clever Art + TV Wall

Wall mounting a flat screen TV looks great, but what do you do when there's a ton of extra wall space around it? Depending on how high your ceilings are and the size of your TV, creating a gallery wall around your flat screen may be just the solution. The TV in this space almost disappears with the interesting art prints surrounding it. Clean lines and simple frames keep the wall from looking overdone and cluttered. I also love the kelly green console - what a fabulous pop of color! What do you think about this idea? Is your TV wall mounted or on a stand?

{IMAGE SOURCE: THIS IS GLAMOROUS}

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Quote of the Week

"Whether it's your main gathering spot or the place where you entertain, your living room can be customized to fit all its functions in truly comfortable fashion. We think it should also be designed to convey who you are and how you like to live, because after the entryway, it's often the first impression people get of your home."

- Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams, The Comfortable Home

[IMAGE SOURCES: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5]

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Fresh Ideas: Patterned Upholstery

When designing a space, I enjoy incorporating at least one special piece (usually a chair or ottoman) that's upholstered in a large-scale patterned fabric. I have yet to do an entire sofa in anything but a solid, but would love to one day! Introducing a patterned upholstered piece into a space is a great way to add color, texture and interest. I think the key to picking out the fabric is to keep the scale large...anything too small will get lost and lose impact. Do you have any fun upholstered pieces in your home? *** I'm off to pack and ship the rest of the orders sold in my One King's Lane sale - it was a huge success (there's still one day left to shop)! Have a fantastic weekend! xoxo - Julie

{ALL IMAGE CREDITS CAN BE FOUND VIA MY "LIVING ROOMS" PINTEREST BOARD}

{SOME OF MY FAVORITE UPHOLSTERED CHAIRS: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5}

A Few of My Latest Pins...

Pinterest has become one of my new best friends! With all of the images I find online on a daily basis, it's great to have a place to save them all, complete with a link to where each image came from. Over the weekend I rearranged some of my boards and added lots of fresh new photos. Here are some of my favorites! And if you haven't joined Pinterest, I encourage you to do so! Follow me and I follow you back :) Now I'm off to Old Towne Orange to do some shopping for the upcoming One Kings Lane Blogger Tastemaker Sale I've been asked to be a part of! I'll share more details later this week. Wishing you a fabulous and productive Tuesday.

{Photo from my Bathrooms Pinterest Board}

{Image from my Kitchens Pinterest Board}

{Photo from my Living Rooms Pinterest Board}

{Photo from my Bathrooms Pinterest Board}

{Photo from my Outdoor Living & Dining Spaces Pinterest Board}

{Photo from my Living Rooms Pinterest Board}