Inspiration

Whew..it's busy around here...how bout you?  Getting ready for the holidays, client projects, working on my on-line store {stay tuned}, and multiple projects around my own house has kept me pretty busy. 

Speaking of... I have started working on the upstairs den, a long overdue makeover has been in the making for a long time now...I just needed some inspiration.  It is a tough room...it's a catch-all really.  It serves many purposes...it's the guest room {fold out bed}, computer room, kids sleep over room, xbox/Wii home base and a great place to take a nap on a Sunday afternoon :)  I haven't done much with it so I felt this neglected room needed some style and warmth. 

I took the first step for this room by identifying my inspiration piece.  What's a good inspiration piece you ask?  Maybe it's a fabric, a piece of art, a photograph, an accessory or a design picture from a magazine.  Start with something that inspires you - it will help guide the rest of the room for color (including color tone - saturated, muted or vibrancy of a color), style and pattern. 

My inspiration for this room is a vintage travel poster that used to be in my son's room.  I love the colors and I spent a hondo {technical term for A LOT} amount of money getting it custom framed so I thought it might serve well in the den.  This re-do is on a budget so I am looking to use as much as I can that I already have or that I can re-purpose.  It is a large piece and will help to anchor the room.

I thought it might be helpful to share with you this re-do and show how an inspiration piece can guide a room.  My framed poster has a muted sky blue, some reds, creams and a dark brown frame all of which will serve as inspiration for my color palette.  The vintage poster provides some style direction too - I can pull in vintage and rustic details through accessories.  I want the room to be fun (pops of red and vintage details) and warm (blue tones and dark browns). The bones of the room are already in there, light brown chenille couch, dark desk, dark bookcase, dark entertainment shelf with rustic baskets for storage.   The walls are painted a cool grey that works great as a neutral background.  The accessories and styling will help to pull the room together.
These are some items that are already in room - ottoman with nailhead trim (serves as a coffee table combo footrest) and some baskets for game/movie storage and guest linens.

Original artwork and picture of Darren's family farm in Iowa.

Here's the vintage inspired Popcorn machine I am thinking about - the kids would love this!

Here are some fabrics - love this ikat print for some pillows.  I am taking some tone-on-tone cream curtains that used to be in the kitchen and cutting them down to fit the windows.  I am also trying something interesting with plumbing pipe for my windows - stay tuned in for that.

Here's the window seat cushion I am making with cording - don't be impressed yet, it is not done. Here's a picture of the cutest dog in the world, Bella.  She is "helping" me make the cushion by laying on the foam.

Lastly, here's an inspiration design from one of my favorites Sarah 101. 

It will be a work in progress.  What have you used for inspiration to decorate a room?