home decor

3 rules for curating conscious home decor

September 11, 2015 by Angela

When I first moved I had one word on my mind: want. I wanted more home decor, a chair for my reading nook, a shelf to display my books—I had practical wants and not so practical wants. Being super picky, I didn’t end up purchasing a lot of those initial things, and over time I realized I wanted to be more intentional about how my home is set up. Being intentional is always a compromise because it means I can’t have everything at once—it’s a slow, steady process of curation. Through this process, I also learned that a lot of my wants fade over time. They’re really just that impulse brought on by an image on Pinterest or an online sale.

Bohemian bedroom decor ideas

July 7, 2015 by Angela

I think I mentioned before that there was quite a lull in my search for the perfect decor + furniture for our “new” apartment that we moved into in April. Finally, I am back on the hunt. I’ve just always had unfinished spaces–mostly because I move so much it hardly seemed worth it–and I want to finally create a dwelling I love to sit, sleep, read, work, and create in. We don’t entertain out of town guests too much and that’s been one of the reasons I want to work on our space too… I don’t like the idea of the friends/family I already don’t see often enough not being able to check out my home! They certainly don’t mind but I do. Anyway, with a little break from the living room, I’m finally putting a little energy toward the bedroom.

amethyst tea light holder | stone washed linens | hand loomed wool rug | toasted coconut hand poured candle | modern kilim pillow

I want it to be very relaxed, warm, and cozy, but also tranquil and fresh. Sure, there will be laundry thrown about on rushed mornings and clutter on the dresser, but I don’t want to take away from it being the ultimate place to rest and rewind. Of course I had to go ahead and paint an accent wall purple. I love it but hadn’t considered that I can’t really pair it with purple decor. For this roundup let’s say I don’t have to avoid purple completely–in reality I’ll likely go with gray or aqua duvet, pinks, and perhaps a few cozy neutrals. Click the links above for my bohemian bedroom picks! Candles, geodes, and stone washed linen – I’m determined to have a bit of each.

Society 6 throw pillows

June 3, 2015 by Angela

I’m not proud of how long I’ve spent on Society6.com looking for home decor. Personally, I think not a lot of art translates well to a duvet, throw, or rug. Society6 can also be quite overwhelming to search on, so looking for practical wares among thousands of designs goes from relaxing to “can this be over?” REAL quickly. Hoping anyone else on the hunt for home decor + the perfect art will find this roundup and be one step closer to the perfect hybrid art-and-ware piece.

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I think I pretty much covered my (often contradictory) aesthetic here: pastels, oil paint, modern, donuts + coffee in honor of national donut day, tropical plants, celestial-inspired, calligraphy, west coast pride, watercolor… Can you see any of these in your space?

decor obsession: kilim pillows

April 1, 2015 by Angela

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There was a time I was not into prints and patterns and woven-ness as much as I am now. It was basically floral print (occasionally of the old-lady tapestry variety) or bust. But after a temporary blogging gig for an interior designer who was very well traveled and into Moroccan prints and colors, I began to do my research. Kilim textiles, often Turkish or Moroccan, are my new obsession. I tend to go for patterns a bit more muted with feminine colors, but the brighter ones (like the vintage Turkish rug-turned cushion from Sister Golden or the bright striped bohemian version found on Etsy, also cut from old kilim that somehow came up while searching pastel) catch my eye every now and then, and would make perf statement pieces. #4 might have to come with me to the new apartment. With moving in a couple weeks and turning twenty five this Friday, I’ve been justifying slightly too many presents for myself lately. After a few investments I think I’ll be content resume my thrift-only type of shopping trips.

In other news, Jennifer and I are having a springy giveaway over on The Blog Market today! Head to the site for details and to enter.

Ethical shopping: home décor resources

February 5, 2015 by Angela

Every now and then something reminds me why I set off to live a more conscious life to begin with. It hits me like a ton of bricks. Reading an article about unfair wages, a news story about injustices beyond my control, learning about yet another company with shady business practices that we all, it seems, must conform to. All of these have been little reminders this week, and the best thing I can do is in some small way make a difference. Even though the things that weigh on me lately have little to do with shopping or design, I like to think the things I write about will help someone else take that first step to a more conscious life too—even if it starts with buying your next blanket from one of the sites on my list as opposed to the mass-produced alternative. Even a blanket has its implications. Sometimes I don’t see it that way, and sometimes it’s the only lens through which I look at the world. When thinking of all these heavy topics, we make a choice to be hopeless or hopeful.It’s a conscious decision.

Home inspiration: living room update

September 17, 2014 by Angela

I’ve been ever so slowly collecting inspiration for a BIG living room revamp…

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I finally got around to creating this inspiration board to brainstorm a little before I start shopping. Earthy elements, native patterns, watercolors, bright whites, and a little hometown love… To be honest, I’ve never had a very cohesive style in my space. Just like with fashion, I jump around from one style to the next before deciding what I want, and when I do decide… I change my mind two months later. So when I revamp my apartment I want to add pieces that all have interest and honestly just make me happy! A lot of times I’ll shy away from mixing prints or pairing different designs, thinking that’s too much. But every good designer I’ve seen makes bold moves and combines unexpected elements, and even if I’m unsure – they always end up creating one amazing space. What is your home decor style? Can you sum it up or is it a mix too?