Fresh Finds for the Home on Etsy

Etsy is one of my favorite places to find anything and everything unique. Today I browsed through several shops found a few little gems I thought I'd share with you. Do you have an Etsy shop and/or a favorite shop? If so, feel free to leave leave a comment about it! There are so many sellers & products, sometimes it's hard to find the really great ones. Have a fabulous weekend!

{The Loft Collection via Modern Art Every Day}

{Ottoman Pouf in gray & white chevron via Aletafae on Etsy}

{Indoor/Outdoor Concrete Planter via Tortoise Loves Donkey}

{Decorative Pillow Covers in Citrine via Nina Von}

{Refurbished Furniture & Vintage Goods via Mint Home}

Timeless Trend: Vintage Gold Gilt Mirrors

Recently I was on the hunt for a mirror to hang over my client's fireplace in a room with 20ft. ceilings, and one of the options I presented was an over-sized gold gilt mirror, bordering "gaudy" but ever so glamorous. Now everywhere I look, that's all I seem to notice - vintage gold gilt mirrors hung in just about every type of interior. Modern, traditional, eclectic, country...this timeless and transitional mirror trend is here to stay! What do you think about this mirror style? Do you have one of these beauties in your home?

IMAGE CREDITS: HOUSE BEAUTIFUL; DECORPAD; ELLE DECOR

A Closer Look: A Chic Living Room

How many times have you come across a room that's really caught your eye and "wowed" you? If you read other blogs, design magazines and design books as much as I do, it probably happens quite often! Do you ever stop to actually study the space and figure out why everything works so well together?  There's definitely a "formula" to every design and specific reasons why a room looks amazing when completed. I came across this bright and colorful living room via Country Living and decided to take a closer look at why everything works so well together. It may seem pretty basic, but every space has several layers, beginning with the wall color, flooring, ceiling, and so on. Here's a closer look at the things I noticed...

{The Living Room - bright, colorful and fresh}

The designer created a neutral backdrop, starting with nearly white walls and several upholstered pieces in neutral shades of tan, grey and cream. Creating a room with a neutral base gives you flexibility with accent colors and allows you to change things up when you get bored.

Although nothing quite matches, the colorful accents and modern fabric prints all work very well together. I especially love the orange tray on the upholstered ottoman - it adds a bold pop of color; any other color, such as green or yellow, wouldn't have had the same effect. The subtle robins-egg blue color is repeated a few times in the rug, chair and end table, which helps visually tie everything together and gives the space a touch of continuity. What else do notice about this space?  What's your design process when pulling a space together? 

 *********

IMAGE CREDIT: COUNTRY LIVING

Kitchen Makeover: Cottage in the Hamptons

I love, love a great makeover! Before & after pictures are always inspiring and a great reminder of how the possibilities are endless when transforming a space. House Beautiful contributing editor Frances Schultz transformed this small, outdated kitchen into a lovely and functional space. She made excellent use of the limited space by planning the design and layout carefully.  "When beginning a kitchen design, the first step is to determine your stove-sink-fridge triangle. Next, take stock of all your kitchenware and whatever else you'll need to store in your kitchen. Map out where everything will go according to how often you use it and how accessible it needs to be. Configure cabinets and drawers accordingly." Enjoy seeing the impressive Before & After snapshots of this East Hampton Cottage make-over. What do you think about the end result? Have you ever remodeled a kitchen?

{Kitchen Before}

{Kitchen After}

"To make the narrow space feel more open and less kitchen-y, I used only a few upper cabinets and left space for open shelves and a plate rack. Four windows let in lots of light. An old painted mahogany table fit right in," said Schultz

{Kitchen After: Eat-in Nook}

{Before: Butler's Pantry turned Laundry Room that wasn't being used}

{After: Functional Kitchen & Work Space}
I love how she painted the ceiling a vibrant blue-green, which was leftover from a guest bedroom.
 ********
ALL IMAGE CREDITS VIA HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

Quote of the Week

"Look up! People fixate on arranging everything at eye level, but being attentive to all surfaces - from the floor to the ceiling - gives your eye places to roam and makes a space look coherent and resolved."

- Jonathan Adler, Happy Chic Accessorizing

IMAGE CREDITS: ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST; HOUSE BEAUTIFUL; COUNTRY LIVING

Thank you for sharing....

One of my favorite parts of running an online boutique is when customers share photos of their homes with the items they've purchased from my shop! It's exciting to see the different ways people decorate and style their homes. If you've purchased something from Modern Chic Home and want to share a photo with us, please email me. Thanks :)

"Hi Julie! Your site rocks! The rug couldn't be more perfect, and while I'm never a fan of " matchy-matchy" the pillows compliment the rug so nicely! Thanks for helping to make my apartment a home." - Lisa S., New York 

"Julie - I never got a chance to say thank you so much for my Trina Turk pillow! I absolutely LOVE your website and can't wait to order more from you."
- Tessa M., Winter Park, FL {Blog: Pagoda Press}

"Hi Julie- Got the rug today and it looks great!! Thanks again for your help!" - Tina B., New York