The Rug Pad to End the Search for all Rug Pads

I LOVE the look of flat weave rugs...

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BUT, I don't always love the utility of flat weave rugs because they are famous for sliding all over kingdom come on any hard surface - wood, laminate, tile, concrete, marble, stone, etc.  A rug pad is a simply a must in the case of flat weave rugs.

I was recently approached by RugPadUSA.com - an online retailer that specializes in quality rug pads made in the USA - with the opportunity to review one of their rug pads.  I jumped right on the opportunity because I had been on a perpetual hunt for a runner length rug pad for a flat weave rug we have in our master bath.

We have a flat weave runner that spans the entire length of our dual-sink countertop in the master bath.  I love the length of it because it keeps our toes toasty warm no matter where we stand in front of the counter.  My love affair ends there...because for two years the rug would bunch up on either side or slide all over place on our laminate bathroom floors.  I had been wanting to buy a rug pad to literally "ground" our rug but just never seemed to find the right price, the right size, or the right type of rug pad for a flat weave rug on laminate flooring.

My hunt soon ended after I received the rug pad from RugPadUSA.com!

I had selected the Super-Lock Natural Rug Pad and it arrived just a few days later, well packed for shipping but in minimal packaging.  I unwrapped it and braced myself for the typical fumes that are associated with most rug pads; however, I was pleasantly surprised that there were no toxic smells with this rug pad.  I felt like I could simply unroll it and place it in the room without letting it off-gas outside for a week.  Hooray!

RugPadUSA.com offers a large variety of rug pads for different surfaces in your home, but I of course had honed in on a pad that was good for laminate flooring and the moist environment of a bathroom.

Since my rug pad arrived, our flat weave rug has stayed in one place.  No slipping, tripping, bunching, or bagging.  Now I'm just wondering why I waited so long...

The RugPadUSA.com website is easy to use and allows you to search by flooring type or rug pad material type...it was a very straight forward and user friendly experience.

Other great perks, you ask?  Shipping is FREE (often shipped the same day as the order), you get free returns for 30 days, and there is no charge for trimming the rug pads to your specified size for any custom-sized rugs you may have.

Finally, you can take 10% off your purchase when you sign up for emails on their home page!

Now go forth and ground those beautiful flat weave rugs to hard surfaces everywhere...

Temporary Decorating Ideas for Renters - Making a Rental Property Your Own

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Oh how those words ring true for those of us who jump from rental home to rental home. While not always an easy task, we gladly meet the challenge of making a rental home our own even though we're merely transient dwellers.

Where we live is our home, regardless of ownership, and it's only natural to want to make it at least look and feel like our own.  Here are some great low-cost rental home decorating ideas that I've collected and now share with you in hopes that you'll be inspired to make your rental an abode you're proud to call home.

How do you feel when you walk into an empty box of a rental like this property from Renters Pages?

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There's so much potential but where do you start in making this your own?  What sort of temporary fixes can make a space like this feel like home?

I hope the rental ideas below inspire you to make a "rental sweet rental"!

1) Temporary wall treatments

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I love the idea of finding beautiful sheets of wrapping paper or wallpaper, then placing the paper in large frames and hanging them on the wall.  This serves as a beautiful focal point in any space and is very affordable.  Ikea has some wonderful large frame options.  If your landlord doesn't allow the use of nails, 3M Command Hooks serve as very effective but temporary hangers.

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Thanks to new wall covering technologies, there are even temporary wallpaper options for renters! The above photo shows a temporary wallpaper by Chasing Paper.  The options and patterns they offer abound.  The temporary wallpapers would be a lovely feature in an entryway, a small powder bath, or covering an accent wall in a larger room.

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There are some great DIY tips available on many blogs, like Mandi's Vintage Revivals blog (see photo above), which share how to use fabric and fabric starch or corn starch to create a wallpaper-like temporary wall treatment.  The finished product looks amazing, so it's definitely a great option for renters and homeowners alike.

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A final cost-effective wall treatment idea is to create a stamp with craft foam and cardboard, then use paint to repeat a pattern on a feature wall.  The above anchor motif was created by A Beautiful Mess blog.  The easy DIY instructions can be found here here.

2) Temporary Kitchen Upgrades

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Can you believe it, y'all?  This is NOT a stainless steel dishwasher!!  You can purchase stainless steel contact paper at many home improvement stores and apply it to the fronts of appliances and even cabinets for a temporary upgrade.  It looks very real and completely updates a space.  Details for applying the contact paper can be found on the Coordinating Yours blog.

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Just like temporary wallpaper, temporary tiles can be used to temporarily dress up a rental space.  Smart Tiles is a company that has myriad options of temporary peel and stick tiles that can be used for a kitchen or even bathroom vanity backsplash.

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This DIY rolling shelf system is a fantastic kitchen storage idea for renters.  There is often extra space to the side of a refrigerator, so this utilizes that void as a clever storage solution.  It's the perfect option in a rental home that lacks pantry space.  The instructions for building your own similar storage system can be found on the Classy Clutter blog.

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I'm especially partial to a blackboard paint kitchen basksplash because that's what we have in our rental home right now.  The photo above shows a great example of using a chalk pen over blackboard paint to create subway tiles for a backsplash.  The tutorial for how to do this (the right way) can be found on the Blooming Hydrangea blog.

3) Miscellaneous Around-the-House Updates

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Does your rental have an unsightly light fixture that you'd love to cover?  Well if you have a semi-flush mount light fixture, here's a fantastic idea...use a drum shade to cover the existing fixture. Details on how to do this can be found on The Blissful Bee blog.  Keep in mind, some landlords allow you to actually change lighting as long as you reinstall the original fixture before you move out.  We've done this in our rental, and it's made a HUGE difference.

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No mudroom, no problem!  Here's a great way to create a visually attractive and highly useful spot for shoes, umbrella, and coat storage near an entry or in a laundry room.  Use a boot tray, wooden crate or large baking pan for shoes, an umbrella stand or large vase or pitcher for umbrellas, and decorative hooks hung on the wall.  An addition of a small floating shelf would be a prime spot to drop keys and mail.

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Window treatments that don't require any installation of hardware are a fantastic option for renters. The above no-sew faux Roman shade treatment featured on the Southern in the City blog is a brilliant concept.   The use of multiple tension rods, fabric, and iron-on hem tape allows for a high-end look without an expensive price tag.  There's no way to tell those aren't expensive Roman shades!

Well friends, those were just a few of my favorite ways to help make a rental your own.  What other ideas have you used to fix up your rental space to make it feel just a little more like home?  Do share!

Friday Fun House

Every once in a while I come across a really awesome just-downright-fun-looking house that I'd totally love to live in.  This house in London is one of them!

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The bright white airy space, those wide plank floors, the oversized gallery shelves, and the fun color accents appeal to my adult self while that backyard rock wall and playhouse call to my inner-child!!

If you look really close, you can see that the chandelier is made of wine glasses!  I presume it was purchased at this UK retailer here.  It looks like a piece of art and serves a rather useful purpose too...especially if you have big wine parties.

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Yes folks, that's a tucked-away gold-leaf bar!  These home owners are brilliant and I love how you can tell they don't take themselves too seriously.  The flourescent "boo!" art fixture is simply darling as well.

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A peak into the kitchen reveals those to-die-for wide plank floors again, and a cheeky lime green glass backsplash.  Easy clean-up and such fun for the eyes!  And, check out this coffee mug installation...

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I LOVE IT!!!  And, I totally agree with it...  I sort of want the family who owns this house as best friends.

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There's that playhouse again and a look into the family room.  Not sure how the doors to the backyard work, but I love the plate glass windows and how the doorways seem to be wide open to the outdoors.  There's quite a bit of gray weather in the UK so it's nice to let as much light in as possible.

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The bath is clean-lined, serene, and quite perfect at tempering all the fun colors throughout the rest of the home. The big "greige" subway tiles are a nice modern pick.

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Yep, I saved my favorite detail for last.  Check out those adorable kid work spaces!!  I'd be fighting over the yellow closet desk space for myself.  Such fun, such brilliance.  Just close them up and voila, it's a tidy hall.

This family rocks!  They simply have to based on the house they've created to call a home.  What do you think of it?  What's your favorite feature??

A Modern but Classic Boy Nursery

Hi friends!  It's been almost a month since I last posted...I'm sorry for that but it's been busy around here.  I had some fun design projects to work on for clients and I was having a lack of inspiration on the blog front.  Sometimes a break is needed but I did miss you all!

While I was away from the blog world, I got to design the below nursery for some dear friends who are expecting a baby boy.  Thought I would share the inspiration board with you as a source of inspiration for your projects (I won't share the sources as the full design details belong to my clients).

Isn't it darling?  And it will last well into growing-boy-hood.  We used the below nursery by Erika (featured on the Elements of Style blog here) as our inspiration, tweaking the colors and overall feel just a bit.

What are your thoughts?  Any favorite features of the inspiration board design?

(If I can help you or a friend with a nursery design, please contact me at inspiredwhims@gmail.com.  We can put something beautiful together based on your budget and style preferences!)

Brimfield Antique Show Review... Sadly, a Bust

Well, friends, I was giddy with anticipation as my hubby and I drove up to the September showing of the Brimfield Antique Show in Brimfield, MA.  As we got out of the car I had butterflies dancing in my stomach because I was so excited to wind in and out of the rows upon rows and acres upon acres of thrifty finds.  And, this time with my partner in crime!

Sadly, that was the pinnacle of my excitement...I only got more disappointed as the day wore on.

Weather was AWESOME!
Company was AWESOME!
Parking was affordable at only $5.

But....absolutely no one was willing to budge on prices.

When you go to an antique fair or thrift fair you can almost always expect to respectfully haggle a little bit and find bargains all over the place.  When I went to Brimfield in May of 2012 - my trip report is here - I got nearly a dozen things for less than $200 total.  This time, not so much...

I had so many things on my list this year, but because of terrible pricing I came away with only three things:

1) Keys for a project I'm planning for Christmas time.  No wiggle room here, folks...they told me $2 per key and wouldn't even give me 6 keys for $10.  Come on people, at least throw the last key in for free!  It's the least you can do, you've got 500 more to sell.  I'm almost doing you a favor by buying these.  No??  Ok, fine, you can break my $50 for $12 worth of keys. (wish I could have said that)

2) My ONLY "steal" of the day at 33% off asking price - this cute old painting ladder that can be used as a magazine rack or blanket rack - which I got for $20.  It was marked at $30 and this guy was actually nice and accommodating about a lower offer because it was smaller than a similar ladder he had that was marked at $20.

3) I can't complain too terribly much about our last purchase - a beautiful handcrafted bench - that we'll use at the dining table, in the foyer, in the mudroom, or even as a coffee table (depending on the home we live in). The bench has a leaf that extends it from 5' to 8' and it's likely the highest quality and most versatile piece of furniture we own.  They had it marked for $245 and we got it for $230 - wow, 7% off.

Honestly, I don't mind paying more for high quality stuff that's new and custom and heavy-duty and handcrafted with love.  This was worth it.

Bottomline, no matter how much leg I showed, how much I used my fading Texas accent, or how severely I played hardball, people weren't willing to wiggle.

Case in point: I wanted a little metal sign with an arrow on it.  My husband asked the guy how much, and he said $15.  My husband said "how about $10?", he said "nope, $15".  (Not even a meet in the middle deal?) We left.  I come back a few hours later, this time without my husband, and ask again..."hello sir, how much for the arrow sign?"  He says, "weren't you here already?".  I say, "well, yes sir, I was.  I was just about to leave but wanted to see what you could do for me on that little arrow sign.  I only have $10.50 left in cash, but I'd like to give it to you for the sign.  Can you work with me?"  He says, "Nope, it's $15".  Well, I hope he never sold it...

Maybe people are pricing things low to sell - which if that's the case, mark 'em up a bit so people think they're getting a deal when they talk you down a mere 10%.  Getting a good deal is what makes shopping at shows like this thrilling - it's what brings people in.  No deals, no shoppers.  There's only so many full-price paying people out there who have $1000 to spend on a leather chair with rips in it.  Or, $75 for a 24"x24" cardboard Red Cross-like plus sign....really!?!?

Unfortunately, I think antiques and vintage items are becoming so popular that even the vendors who hunt and gather things day-in and day-out to bring to shows like this aren't getting things for reasonable prices anymore, so they're not passing any deals on to the customer.  They're likely paying too much for the space they rent at Brimfield too.  Higher booth pricing means higher product pricing.  I also think that vendors make up arbitrary prices without doing much research.  I could have bought most of the stuff I saw on Etsy for half the price.  My rant is over...for now.  (Thanks to those of you who stuck with me!)

Lesson learned: DON'T GO TO BRIMFIELD UNTIL THE LAST DAY (OR TWO) OF THE EVENT, when people have to get rid of things so they don't have to haul them home.  Perhaps then they'll be willing to negotiate a bit. (We went on a Wed of a Tues-Sun show)  The crowds will be terrible, but maybe you'll be a happy camper and score some good loot like I did back in 2012. (oh, so long ago...)

P.S. All that being said, I'm thankful I got to go to Brimfield.  I'm thankful my husband got to take off  from work and go with me.  I'm thankful for amazing friends who watched our little girl so we could make it a hot date. I'm thankful that I found what I did.  I'm thankful I have these first world "problems" to rant about.  And, I'll still go next year (on SUNDAY) in hopes of having better luck.

The Notion of Living Small

Has anyone watched this documentary?  If not, you should.

We watched it last weekend on streaming Netflix and both really enjoyed it.  It's a very thought provoking look at living minimally...like really minimally, in just over 100 square feet.

No, that's not feasible for everyone, especially not for families with children.  But it begs the question, how much living space do you really need?  Does every family really need 4 beds, 3 baths, an office, a playroom, and a formal dining room?  I cringe at the thought of cleaning and maintaining all that.

I think it's good to reflect on what is really necessary in what we think of as "home", about how much extra we think we need, want, and dare I say deserve when it comes to living space.  As with many things, less can often be more.  Less square footage usually means a smaller (or no) mortgage, which leads to less time at work, less house upkeep, fewer homeowner headaches, and ultimately more time with family doing what you love to do.  I like that notion.

The tiny (or at least smaller) house movement is really growing.  Are you in?

The Beach Condo Inspiration Boards

Hi friends!  It's so good to be back...I missed you while we were away.  Our trip to Spain was awesome and I can't wait to share it with you soon (in multiple installments because we took so many photos!!).  In the mean time, I thought I would share the first wag of inspiration boards for my parents' new condo at the beach in Sarasota, Florida.

Overall, we're going for a relaxed and classic beachy vibe thats mostly neutral and full of pretty textures but with some pops of pretty color - blues, greens, and corals - in the accents throughout the condo.

First we have the entry and dining area:

sources: mirror / lamps / console / upholstered stools / doorstop / chandelier / dining table / chairs / rug

Next we have the living room:

sources: media cabinet / light fixture / sofa / pillows (l-r) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 / lamp / chair / ottoman / side table stool / storage trunk table / rug

The office nook adjacent to the kitchen:

sources: pendant light / chairs / pillows / secretary hutch / rug / seahorse art / lamp

And finally, the master bedroom:

sources: art / bed / side tables / lamps / accent pillows - patterned, solid / throw / bench / rug / driftwood shelves

There you have it!  Beachy and fun but nothing too kitschy or over the top so it appeals to everyone's tastes.  What do you think of the initial design inspiration?  Which room design is your favorite?  Do share!

Ikea Got it Right Again

I haven't been to Mecca...I mean Ikea...for a while now.  But, I just received their new catalog in the mail the other day and love so many items that were featured.  It's a good thing it takes me an hour to get there, otherwise I'd have already gone and justified purchasing things that were never intended to go in my house.

Here are my recent Ikea faves:

item links: coatrack / pillow / lamp / vases / rug / sofa

My most favorite items need a house with pretty classical features like crown moulding and wood floors to carry the more modern pieces and keep them from looking too cheeky and youthful.

Perhaps an uber dreamy room just like this...

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A space like that elevates contemporary Ikea pieces to masterpiece status.  Add a few vintage items and antiques to the mix and you end up with a sophisticated, timeless look.  Don't you think?

Have you liked anything new at Ikea latey?  Do tell!

To the Window to the Wall

We're talking wallpaper today, friends!  Come on now, what was your guess with a post title like that??

Large scale wallpapers are HUGELY popular now (ha ha).  Long ago are the wallpapers of the 80s with dainty little pastel flowers...may they rest in renovated peace.  I'm suddenly feeling the design urge to go the wallpaper "look" route on an accent wall in my entryway/foyer.  I'm crazy, I know, but these rooms below are just so inspiring.  They make me want to jump on the crazy train!

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So, after that visual circus, you may ask what space I'm working with and what direction I'm going with this wallpaper "look" notion.  Here's the entry - the wall to the left is my target wall (the wall the door is on).

Now here's the catch...with the house being a rental and me being noncommittal when it comes to more-permanent decor options, I wouldn't actually wallpaper the accent wall.  I'd make a stencil that would look like a large print wallpaper, and then paint the design on.

Here's the large scale wallpaper design that's giving me inspiration right now for a stencil job:

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What do you think?  It's sort of a sunshine shape in relief.  Not sure what color I'd do - chalkboard black would be nice and graphic.  Dark gray would be more subdued like above.  Navy blue would match the powder bath situated across from that wall.  What would be your recommendation for the color?

So, should I give it a whirl, friends?  Come on, I need your advice!