Thou Swell | Lifestyle & Design

My move to Wordpress is taking longer than I expected, but things are still rolling. I should be live by the end of the week... In the meantime, catch me over on ATT today sharing some sapphire inspiration!

I’ve always loved the idea of a color palette being inspired by gem-tones – emeralds, rubies, and deep sapphire blues, but blue particularly sticks out as an easy color to work into any room because it’s subdued and oh-so-versatile. I combed through Pinterest for different ways designers have incorporated blue into interiors, whether it be in the details or as a main element of the room. Check out this bluesy inspiration…

This rug (in the first shot above) packs a lot of punch into this neutral living space. The only precedent for this injection of color would be in the photos on the wall (and there is also a bit of cobalt on the inside of the side table), which shows how well it can be paired with brown and tan neutrals.

(photo by Yours Truly from Santa Fe, NM)

(see phase one here) | Just moving the furniture in Grace's bedroom has made a huge difference (it feels way more spacious), so I can't wait to share the result once all the finishing touches have been made! Check out the accessories we ended up choosing for her room:

1, 3, 5, 7 // Have I ever told you how much I love H&M Home? Their decor collection is minimal, good looking, and super inexpensive. I checked out with four items (a bowl, jewelry box, candle holder, and jar) for under $40!

2 // If you are looking for Kilim pillow covers, Etsy is the place to go. Kilim Decolic has hundreds of pillow covers in a variety of sizes for great prices. I was looking for something with pink and light blue to pull together her rug and chair, so I'm hoping the colors in this pillow match the picture. 

4 // Last week I learned that you can't spray paint the inside of a lampshade because the light shines through and reveals the uneven spraying on the inside! Luckily, I found this modern blue lamp in Target's Room Essentials line through their "three ways" blogging campaign. It's kinda nice to know you're supporting ventures in the blogosphere, right?

6 // As I searched for a throw pillow for Grace's robin's egg blue chair, I thought something simple but with a burst of color would be fun. Again, I took to Etsy and found a great yellow pillow with white pom-pom trim courtesy of The Modern Pillow. I even got a promo code for you to use to receive 10% off your next order: THOUSWELL2

(image via DesignLoveFest: Dress Your Tech 58)

I played catch-up yesterday and read all my missed posts on Bloglovin. It's always fun to re-inspire yourself with the posts of your favorite bloggers! Here are some highlights from this week:

1 // Paper & Stitch shares some tips for Getting Unstuck From a Creative Rut.

2 // Read an inspiring interview with Justina Blakeney on In Honor of Design.

3 // Learn how to paint an outdoor rug directly onto cement with yet another creative DIY project from A Beautiful Mess!

4 // Enter to win a $500 gift certificate to Maven Collection on Bleubird.

5 // Make a colorful clay bead necklace with this tutorial on DesignLoveFest.

6 // Get a peek inside Flux on Tour's apartment, featured on Houzz (via Fluxi on Tour)!

7 // If you are thinking of buying, or if you already own RIBBA frames from IKEA, this tip from Lark & Linen is super helpful!

For the past week I've been at Cape Cod, enjoying the beach and getting some sun before things start getting busy as the start of the school year approaches. I shot some pictures of Grace at the beach sporting some fabulous patterned pants, perfect for the cool windy weather up here. I love these beaches because they're a great mix of the mountains and a Florida beach, with cooler temperatures and more leafy trees. The breeze is constant and the ocean water can range from freezing to refreshing. Thankfully, we've got some warmer waters where we're staying, but I only could stick a toe in the water at Chatham beach where we took these pictures!

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Naturally, home decor plays an important role in the life of Day Kornbluth, VP at One Kings Lane. Her Brooklyn apartment holds a carefully selected assortment of decor that sparkles with interest and unexpected pops of color. Day decorates with personality, infusing interest in each room through small details, like the beautiful bowl perched in her bookshelves below, along with a painting to add bright color and two green leather poufs which spark an energetic relationship with the somber marbling of her fireplace. 

I'm just dying over that fantastic ceiling medallion – creates the nicest setting for her bubbly chandelier. 

(via Elle, photographed by Christopher Sturman)

This last vignette really shows off some specials details, from the cactus to the art to the beautiful floor, there's a lot of interest in this one frame. Isn't it fun to see her passion for decor translate from work to home? 

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Miranti is celebrating her 31st birthday this month, and together with a great bunch of bloggers (see below) we're giving away a Wacom pen tablet! My older sister has a tablet that I borrow occasionally to add custom typography to pictures or to create other digital art and I know how useful these tablets can be... What a great way to celebrate Miranti's birthday! To enter this giveaway use the Rafflecopter widget below.

Tara Victoria | Mamages | Of Trees & Hues | We Resolve | Diana Willard | A Lively Blend | Helarious | Type & Title | Fernaly | Emma Lou Designs | Lucky Number 7 Studio | Love Grows Design | A Fine Line | Thou Swell | Cocorrina | Safaris and Sunsets | Folk & Fest | Kitty and Buck

Hey friends, it’s Grace here, back with three more summer looks to share! Lace shorts are a great asset to your wardrobe – their simple cream color makes them super versatile, and they go great with chambray, sandals, t-shirts (almost anything). You can dress them up or down, by layering with accessories and different shoes. My shorts were a total find at Target, but you can find them practically anywhere! Enjoy these fun summer looks.

A simple and chic everyday outfit featuring a chambray shirt.

A preppy pink and cream ensemble with pink oxford and gold belt.

A bright layered tank adds a neon pop for an evening out.

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Okay okay, I know it's been months and I haven't even revealed my own bedroom makeover (see here & here) on the blog, but I'm lingering on those finishing touches, and unfortunately won't be home to share the whole reveal until I'm back from my semester in California this Winter. In the meantime, I'm doing a super quick room refresh for my little sister (Thou Swell's very own style columnist)! Check out the inspiration below:

(1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

So basically pink is the name of the game, and maybe some blue, yellow, gold thrown in as well. I'd love to swing a color-packed lumbar pillow on the bed. These images suggest a project much bigger than what we're undertaking, but they just help to get those creative juices flowing in the right direction. I've learned how easy it is to sink your money into little decorative accents, so I'm trying to avoid that by re-purposing what is currently in her bedroom... But my cart at H&M Home is currently full so we'll see how that goes! See the Before pictures and her new furniture layout after the jump.

Studio Four, another young multidisciplinary design studio has wowed with their minimalist magic. They chose a Victorian on Albert Street in Melbourne to make their home, but strayed from traditional design and created a space that's simple and serene, but with a hint of acknowledgment for the old bones of the house.

Wide open spaces and the use of glass leave space for indoors and outdoors to meld together in a continuance of the kitchen and dining rooms' entertaining function into the courtyard.

I absolutely love the floor-to-ceiling built-in bookshelves in this room, which create a strong contrast between the living and dining room. Because there's no door, the books create a visual barrier and add a lot of visual interest to the wall.

The armchair features cream-colored cushions, which keep the simple living room furniture from being too stark.

In this hallway is where the designers at Studio Four paid homage to the house's traditional bones. The all-white woodwork makes a graceful transition from the clean lines of the living room to the ornate layers of the wood trim, all while keeping in the same simple palette as the rest of the house.

(via Est Magazine, photography by Shannon McGrath)

The bedroom feels very Scandinavian, even a bit utilitarian with the exposed metal in the light fixture, but creams in the carpet, chaise, and wood side tables steer the bedroom towards a more welcoming palette.

A couple months ago, my older sister and I were walking through Ikea and stumbled upon some fantastic (and inexpensive) white lanterns, and Julia immediately thought they would make good terrariums. Fast forward to today, and we finally got ourselves together and assembled it! Terrariums can be a bit tricky since they don't have drainage or much air circulation, but with my sister's research we found some helpful tips to prolong the life of your plants!

Supplies

- Ikea BORBY lantern

- Kwik Seal adhesive sealant (waterproof)

- fern and/or other small shade-dwelling plants

- live moss

- potting soil

- approx. 8 inch square of screen

- pea gravel

- spray bottle or mister

- charcoal for decoration (optional)

Instructions

1. Assemble BORBY lantern. Follow instructions on sealant to prepare surface and sealant, then squeeze sealant into the gaps at the bottom of the lantern, and a little up the sides of the corners. Use a small plastic spatula to smooth sealant into a flat edge on the outside of the lantern. If any sealant gets on the glass, wait until it dries to scrape it off. Refer to sealant packaging for wait time before assembling the rest of the terrarium.

2. Lay down a thick, flat layer of gravel (up to the door frame), then cover the gravel with the 8 inch square of screen, making sure that the screen is slightly smaller than the lantern to prevent it from being seen.

3. Pour a thin layer of dirt on top of the screen and gravel, then after knocking out as much dirt as possible from plant roots, place all plants except for the moss inside, away from the door. Mound the dirt around these plants, keeping it from piling too high near the door (to prevent it from spilling out when the door is opened).

Today I'm popping over to Stripes and Peonies to share some interior inspiration while Gracey is on vacation. This bright apartment belonging to Pelle Lundquist is up for sale and it showcases Pelle's contemporary aesthetic quite nicely. I can appreciate some solid Scandinavian design, but rarely have I loved it as much as I have in this apartment – with bright pops of color and unexpected design elements to break up the monochromatic palette. Don't you just love this floral print ottoman?

Check out the full tour over on Stripes & Peonies...

This cheery LA family home is simple but warm, with large windows letting in the sunlight and plywood used throughout the house. The effect is comforting and inviting. It looks like it has lots of skylights and even an expanse of glass above the beautiful chevron wood front door. I would love to see the house from a bit farther away and see how those skylights work. Back to that fantastic front door though...

The kitchen boasts impressive slabs of marble as the counter and backsplash, and I'm absolutely in love with the way the counter continues flush the floor without any molding or detailing. It's simple and straightforward, and very striking.

This little balcony is heavenly – the tiles are beautiful and those chairs look pretty comfortable. Just two chairs and a little tree, with a view of the hills.

(via Martha Stewart, photographed by Matthew Williams)

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This summer Grace and I have collaborated on a series of style posts, each post featuring a summer essential that's a must-have in your summer wardrobe. For each item, Grace has styled it with three different outfits to showcase its versatility in your closet. First up: heeled sandals. Hope you enjoy the series!

Hey friends, it's Grace here (remember me?). I'm excited to be back with this summer style series... This first item, heeled sandals, takes a simple and obvious essential – and adding a heel makes for a whole different story! Sandals, heeled or not, are a no-brainer for summer, though sometimes it’s hard to find the right pair. If you do land on the perfect ones, they can be super versatile – their neutral color matches anything, and you can dress them up or down. Heeled sandals are an excellent item to have in your closet and I’ve barely stopped wearing mine since I got them!

All white ensemble featuring a shear layered tank and white jeans.

Casual day outfit with striped mint shorts and white henley t-shirt.

An simple outfit for going out with a cream trapeze top and skinny jeans.

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This past week I've been in Boston, enjoying some cooler weather than Atlanta's muggy 90 degree regular, and interning at a very cool architecture firm. I'm staying with my aunt and uncle, who's house I love for it's unusual Mediterranean vibe and vine-covered walls. New England is famous for it's traditional saltbox style architecture which makes my aunt and uncle's stucco house a bit special. I'm excited to share some snapshots I captured this morning in and around the house...

(photographed by Yours Truly)

The rub of the green, being a British phrase meaning to have good luck fits this simple beach house well because it is lucky that green foliage rubs up against the house on all sides! The house seems to be decorated to highlight this feature, for it's minimal neutral and white decor set the stage for the emerald views out the windows. The overall feeling of the space sums up summer, with it's laid-back simplicity and leafy-green backdrop.

The dining room might be my favorite room. It almost feels like it is outside, or that it's open-air on the left side thanks to the huge floor to ceiling window. The window and pendant light also accentuate the tall ceilings, and the little accents on the shelving keep things beachy.

In the vignette below, I am in love the the photograph at the top. I also dig the wicker theme continuation from the dining room to this scene, which is consistently bringing a warm tan to the palette of the house.

The kitchen might be the greatest display of green scenery in the whole house, with that same floor to ceiling window that we got a peek of in the dining room, combined with a window above the sink. The white kitchen cabinetry disappears into the walls and floor, creating a seamless transition from white to green.

(via Home Life, photography by Prue Ruscoe)

The bedroom has a bit more punch to it, with some blue and yellow added to the scheme. Another fabulous photograph adorns the wall and these copper pendants are the bomb-diggity. Happy Monday!

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I've been seeing Agate coasters everyone – gilded, plain, in all sorts of colors, but all expensive for a mere set of four (or even for just one!). I set out to find my own, and ended up adding gold to their edges to create my own glam agate coaster set (of six) for under $30!

To source the coasters, I searched for wholesale agate slices and found 3"-4" non-drilled slices from Crystal River Gems for just $4.25 each (for a set of six). The great thing about wholesale is that the more you buy, the lower the unit price for each slice is, so if you want to buy more for gifts or just to have extras, the unit price could be as low as $2.00. I picked blue coasters, but there were also red, pink, teal, black and natural available.