Our New Living Room

FREE IMAGES As some of you know, we are in the middle of renovations - opening up our kitchen, dining, and living room to be one big space.  Since my dear hubby is installing all of the hardwood himself, things are taking a bit longer than expected.  In the meantime, I've been dreaming up plans for what I want to do with the space.

I really like to mix styles - rustic with regency, feminine and masculine, etc.

1.  We already have our paint, Sherwin Williams "Retiring Blue" from the Harmony line.  Zero VOCs means it's safe for baby.  I cannot wait until the flooring is done and I can see this gorgeous color on our walls!

2. A small sectional.  This one is from West Elm.  While I'd love cream or white, no way that is going to happen in a home with a dog that lives on the couch and a little one on the way.

3. Our coffee table.  We can complements on this EVERY time someone walks in the door.  It's from a local artist Scott Alan Ewine (don't worry he sells on Esty - click here to see all of his work!) The wood all has a story and his prices are reasonable!

4. Yeah, I still love sunburst gold mirrors.  This one is from Joss and Main.

5. A gorgeous leather armchair has been on my wishlist for years.  This one is available on Gilt.

6. Gold and glass regency style side tables - I love how these contrast with the wood coffee table. Available at Gilt.

7.  Soft and pretty throw pillows. West Elm

8. Our gorgeous new flooring, cherry oak.

9. Our rug - it's two-sided so we get double the wear.  I purchased this from Joss and Main.

I can't wait until we can start decorating. What do you think?

Gorgeous floor inspiration

FREE IMAGES We are about to remove the carpeting in our home to hardwood floors, and while we are just having the new floor match the existing, I thought it would still be fun to search for some gorgeous floor inspiration!

 Loving the color of these floors
via 29 Rue House

I rented a brownstone in Brooklyn with floors like this one once.
via Airbnb

Wide plank...drooling

via Indulgy

I like the look of white washed floors - I'd like to know if they wear well...
via Indulgy

Clean and sleek floors.  Probably super easy to clean...
via Indulgy

Our original floors look like this, just not as glossy.

via Indulgy

Photographer portfolio Bethany Lynn Nauert - Gorgeous, livable spaces

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The wedding was wonderful and we are back from our honeymoon!  It was all wonderful.  Before I start sharing the details with you we have a lot of loose ends to tie up and thank you notes to write.  In the meantime, enjoy the stunning rooms below...

Love the gray velvet...

Can't wait to get hardwood throughout my whole house!

See more gorgeous photos at Bethany Lynn Nauert.  All photos property of Bethany Lynn Nauert.

What to do...real hardwood floors or laminate?

FREE IMAGES Currently our home is about 35% wall-to-wall carpet. The carpet is at least, fairly new, but it's just not for me.  In my mind the only option is hardwood flooring. However nice hardwood floors are not cheap, especially considering the square footage we need for our home.

When you buy flooring for a home there is always the tough decision of either spending a lot of money for a great look or saving your pennies and going for a cheaper option that doesn't fully achieve the stunning result you want.

These days, more and more people are turning to laminate, but I've only ever seen cheap laminate that sounds like you're walking on thin plastic. I'm wondering if upscale laminate might be a budget friendly option that doesn't sacrifice looks or other qualities of real wood....

Here are some of the examples I found:

via Houzz.com

Along with cheaper flooring costs, laminate also costs less to install than hardwood. That's two ways to save if you are on a budget...

I seriously can't believe some of these are laminate flooring.  The laminate flooring I've seen never has the groove between planks, which is what always makes it look so fake to me.  Below are actual laminate planks.

via Houzz

I've also read that if you have pets or children, some laminates are actually more durable than some hardwoods when it comes to holding up to wear and tear.

With us having a new puppy in the house, easy to clean floors is a MUST.

via Houzz.com

If cleanliness is something you love, laminate definitely wins the spot on that one. Sounds like it's really easy to clean and keep clean!

You all know how much I love a bright bedroom and this light bedroom laminate flooring looks just as nice as real wood. Once the puppy is potty trained I can add a nice throw rug too...

via Houzz.com

Luckily, with  laminate floors you get just as many options. There are so many different styles of laminate flooring, it isn't going to be hard to find one that fits your style perfectly.

Whether you like a simple sleek finish or one with great texture and color, laminate is a viable consideration if price is a big issue.

via Houzz

This post is in partnership with carpetright.co.uk

Our first home!

FREE IMAGES I am so excited today, we decided to buy the house in Gaithersburg, MD.

We weighed pros and cons and did some back and forth and decided to take the leap! As soon as I agreed I knew we'd made the right decision. I've easily seen over 15 homes in the area, and this one just had a feeling right away - only the first house I saw and this one could I ever see myself living in. It has some quirks and character, but nothing we can't work with. Our settlement is late May.

 As you can imagine I already have a smorgasbord of ideas for the home. Here are the listing photos:

A summer shot of the front of the house

 Unfortunately the adorable German Shepherd puppy doesn't come with the home... Behind the wall with the TV is the kitchen, which we plan to open up and turn into a breakfast bar...

 Master bedroom.  We also plan on having hardwood throughout - my allergies can't handle carpet.

 Guest bedroom

 Another bedroom, which will be my office

 One of the two full baths...

The backyard is what is really special to us.  It by far and away is the largest and the mature trees give it a secluded feeling.  It needs a little love, but we're excited to get started!

It even has an outdoor fireplace!


I've already started my wishlist:

I'd love to have a settee or something like this in the bedroom,  since it's pretty spacious compared to what we're used to.

We're going to need some additional rugs now that we have more than two rooms

The lighting throughout the house is not our style, so we're going to be replacing it all

4 items above via Joss and Main

 I would like something similar for the diningroom, but perhaps a little crisper than this.

Love the end table.
2 items above via One Kings Lane

Hopefully a real bed! I've been using one of those metal frames with the wheels ever since I left my parents! via Rue La La

Some barstools for the breakfast bar via HauteLook

Mixing white and wood

FREE IMAGES Happy Friday everyone! I've gathered up some images of spaces that marry two of my favorite interior elements: white, and wood. I personally don't think there's anything more classic, crisp, and "home."

Those floors are gorgeous!

The shelves are a great use of an otherwise hard-to-use wall adjoining a gabled ceiling.

Do you like white and wood?

1.-2. Rue Mag 3.-5. Sweet Home Style

My Thoughts on Hardwood Floors

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I love how hardwood floors add instant style and character to a home.  When we built our house five years ago, hardwood floors were an absolute must.  I don't regret that decision, but I do regret my colour choice.  I would never, ever choose a dark floor again.

Dark hardwood shows every speck of dust, every smudge, every footprint, and every little ding.  I want a floor that looks great all the time.  That's why I'm leaning toward a medium toned hardwood floor for our next home.   

       

Perhaps a hardwood with a subtle variation in colour, to better hide daily wear...

In a tone that offers the same warmth and elegance of a darker floor...

Or, maybe a hardwood with a slight, greyish cast...

Or, better yet, a wide plank floor in a rich walnut...

Perhaps a warm neutral that would complement my existing mahogany furniture...

But would still create depth and impact in a space with a soft, light colour palette.

For me, the beauty of a deep, dark hardwood floor is outweighed by the fuss and maintenance required to keep it looking pristine.  For my next home, a medium toned hardwood is definitely the way to go.

Do you prefer a light, medium or dark hardwood floor?  Which tones appeal to your own personal design style?  I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Thanks to all of you who've patiently stuck around, even though I haven't been able to post for a while.  I'm anxious to catch up and see what's been going on in Blogland!