The Master Bedroom

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I began sharing photos of my current home shortly after moving in last September, not all at once but as things came together. The master bedroom has been pulled together for over six months, but I kept putting off posting about his room for some reason. Maybe because a bedroom is about as personal as a home gets, or at least that’s my best hypothesis.

My bedroom has always been my sanctuary. Ever since I was an only child growing up it was the one space my introverted self could escape to, where I might pick up a book or draw for hours on end. I guess some things never change.

 

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My favorite thing about this space is all of the natural light it gets through the west-facing windows. I painted the walls the same custom white-grey/grey-white as the rest of my home and hung simple white curtains to capitalize on it.

To be completely transparent, I’m bored of my metal bed frame that weighs approximately 300 pounds. It was my taste when I bought it nine years ago, but like many things that’s changed. Thankfully it’s rather plain, so I’ll deal with it for awhile longer. The same goes for the matching lamps, but I just haven’t come across the perfect ones to replace them yet.

What I love are my matching Penelope Nightstands, throw pillows from Rebecca Atwood and Kristi Kohut, and the art – Float by Betty Hatchett. I chose this piece for over the bed specifically because it was so calming and reminded me of dreaming.

 

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I also love my mid-century 6-drawer dresser to no end. Until this one came into my life last year I was still using the two cherry wood chests my grandparents bought me when I was ten years old. They’ve been relegated to the guest room for the time being and will probably be schlepped up to the finished attic eventually. Becky Simpson’s Be Present print hangs right next to the door as a reminder every morning.

 

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Jewelry is kept in order mostly where I can see it. Sentimental pieces and things I don’t wear on the regular are kept in the box on top of the dresser.

 

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And here’s the dirty little secret that resides in the second floor hallway and bedrooms. Not Bebe, rather the wall to wall carpet. (Blech.) I couldn’t be less of a fan, but at least it was new when I moved in and it’s not an offensive color. To combat it I’ve gone with the rug-on-rug approach and laid down an 6×9 flat-woven rug by Safavieh that makes the space feel more pulled together through color and texture.

 

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On the wall opposite the bed is the door to my walk-in closet, which I don’t know the history behind but am guessing was added at some point after being built in 1900. I really like how large and clean this wall is and didn’t want to clutter it up, so instead I settled on these three pieces – Staredown by Amy Carroll, Salinity Now by Denny Holland, and Find Your Bliss by Kristi Kohut – that are united by white frames.

 

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I’m slowly becoming a crazy plant lady and experimenting with what I can keep alive longest. This guy is the first of many floor plants that will be added through the next few months.

And that’s that! I’m hoping and half planning to get the guest room up to speed this spring, so hopefully I’ll be able to share that will you then.

 

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Penelope Nightstands c/o West Elm // Shibori pillows from Rebecca Atwood // striped pillow c/o Kristi Kohut // Float, Salinity Now, and Staredown art c/o Minted // Mid-Century Six Drawer Dresser c/o West Elm // Be Present c/o Becky Murphy // rag rug (discontinued) c/o Rugs Direct // Find Your Bliss art c/0 Kristi Kohut framed by Simply Framed

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A Few of My Favorite Things in 2015

I always struggle when explaining just what I do for a living to others. You’d think after 8 1/2 years of Design Crush I’d have nailed down an elevator pitch, but nope. Usually I resort to saying something about the site being a reflection of my aesthetic yadda yadda yadda. That is until a few months ago when I came across this quote by Maira Kalman and it resonated like no other. I feel like this is the absolute perfect way to describe my day to day and if I could use it as the entirety of my bio I would.

 

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I share things I love daily with you, but of course I don’t own all of them. Not even a fraction. One of my favorite posts each year is this one, where I get to share the things I use day in and day out that have stood the test of life. So in my best Oprah voice, herewith are my faaaavorite thiiiiiings for 2015!

 

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1/Artifact Uprising’s Wood Cleat – This sleek reclaimed wood cleat has a magnetic closure system, making it super easy to swap out whatever art/photo/etc you want to display at any given moment.

2/Casper – You’ve surely heard about this startup that’s changing the mattress industry. I got mine back in March and haven’t woken up with a sore back or hips since. I really cannot recommend it enough! (Hit me up if you want a coupon!)

3/Cold Gold – This line of hand-crafted geometric and leather jewelry has become my go-to for daily wear and gifting. It doesn’t hurt that the owner is super sweet either!

4/Neoflam – Cast aluminum cookware that’s non-stick and seamless is perfect for making dinner every night. Because when something is this easy to clean up it’s way less likely to end up sitting in my sink for a week.

5/Urbanears Plattan ADV Wireless – I’ve worn this line for years, but they recently released the first Bluetooth headphones in their lineup and I’m completely hooked.

6/Parabo Press Risograph Prints – Really all of their personalized print goods, but especially the pink risographs are amazing. The app is also super easy to use which says a lot in this day and age.

7/Treat Collection – Since trying out this non-toxic line of nail polishes and remover I haven’t used anything else. Great coverage, no odor – what else could be better?

8/Nest – I first plugged my new learning thermostat in this past spring. Not only is it interesting to see it learn your habits, it’s also fantastic seeing the difference in your bills.

9/Canary – Quite simply the easiest all-in-one home security system that’s ever been. You control it all from your phone and there’s zero setup.

10/Frederick’s & Mae Playing Cards – Some of the most eye-catching I’ve ever come across, they even make solitaire that much better!

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Mega Christmas Cookie Roundup

I’ve done it – blocked a day off the week of Christmas to bake my face off. A few years ago I attempted to talk my now 91-year-old Grandma into taking a step back and only making her infamous nutrolls. It didn’t go exactly as planned, so now I simply tell her how many cookie recipes I’m making so she can see the reasoning behind my request/demand. I’ll probably end up baking between five and seven different varieties, but need to narrow the list down from these FIFTY. Help a girl out?

 

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1/Sweet Raspberry + Tahini Sandwich Cookies  2/Slice and Bake Spice Cookies with Citrus Glaze and Sea Salt  3/Old-Fashioned Almond Gingerbread Cookies  4/Almond Butter & Maple Cream Gingersnap Sandwich Cookies  5/Caramel Fluffernutter Chocolate Chip Cookies  6/Chocolate Orange Sandwich Cookies  7/Coconut, Oatmeal, and Cherry Jam Thumbprints  8/Gingersnaps with Apple Cider Glaze  9/Swig Sugar Cookies  10/Rosemary and Apricot Shortbread Cookies

 

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11/Pumpkin Molasses Cookies  12/Honey Cookies  13/Chai Spiced Sugar Cookies  14/Milano Cookies  15/Chocolate Caramel Ginger Cookies  16/Chewy Triple Ginger Cookies  17/Cinnamon Roll Cookies  18/Cocoa Cinnamon Sea Salt Cookies  19/Cranberry Bliss Cookies  20/Thin & Crispy Coconut Cookies

 

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21/Brown Sugar Toffee Cookies  22/Salt & Pepper Cocoa Shortbread Cookies  23/Almond Espresso Cookies 24/Butterscotch Gingerbread Cookies  25/Cranberry Orange Pistachio Cookies  26/Thin and Chewy Spiced Oatmeal Cookies with Brown Butter Icing  27/Orange Spiced Sugar Cookies  28/Chai Spiced Shortbread  29/Salted Gingersnap Mallomars  30/Clove and Molasses Lace Cookies

 

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31/Malted Chocolate Sandwich Cookies  32/Blood Orange Vanilla Bean Meringues  33/Star Anise Spiced Dark Chocolate Sables  34/Spice Sugar Cookies  35/Spicy Gingerbread Linzer Cookies with Orange White Chocolate Ganache  36/Peppermint Drops  37/Citrus Cornmeal Shortbread  38/Cranberry Orange Almond Shortbread Cookies  39/Brown Sugar Toffee Cookies  40/Colorblock Sugar Cookies

 

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41/Cappuccino Cookies  42/Gummy Bear Cookies  43/Smoky Cardamom Ginger Molasses Cookies  44/Butter Crunch Cookies  45/Caramel Stuffed Soft Gingerbread Cookies  46/Pink Champagne Cookies  47/Jumbo Maple Sugar Cookies  48/Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti  49/Cranberry Almond Cookies  50/Whole Grain Eggnog Cookies

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Design Crush x Umbra

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I’ve teamed up with one of my favorite design brands, Umbra, to share how I’m using some of their clean-lined products this holiday season. Their wares are extremely well-designed and versatile, making them an especially good fit for small spaces where they can pull double-duty.

I’m starting with my favorite, the Hub Ladder. I wrapped the expandable beech wood and rubber-coated steel clothing (or towel) holder with 200 white lights for a sculptural Christmas tree alternative. Right now it’s my bedroom lending some festive and functional flair to the chaos.

 

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I always have fresh flowers (usually from the grocery store) in my home, so for Thanksgiving dinner I wanted to get extra creative. I used three Touch Toothbrush Holders as vases that formed a modern arrangement when clustered together. (Tip: It’s always a good idea to keep florals short so that guests can see one another across the table.)

 

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I took down two large pieces of art that hang in my entryway and replaced them with wreaths. Each one got decorated with half of a brass Prisma Wall Decor set, which couldn’t have been easier because the pieces could be hooked around the branches.

 

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I use the Gazette Magazine Rack year round in my living room, but for dinner parties I give it a different job – as a utensil and napkin holder. When you’re short on space you can carry it around until everyone is set to eat, then set it down someplace out of the way.

 

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My Toto Storage Box usually lives on a bathroom shelf holding lipstick and nail polish, but during December it becomes a corral for some of my gift wrapping supplies. Sanity and patience are in short supply and this guy helps me out so I don’t lose it wondering where the pen/scissors/tape disappeared to.

 

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Every year I inevitably end up saving a few of my favorite holiday card designs. For what? I had no clue until now. I picked up a few Corda Photo Displays to make some seasonal art that I actually like. And because you hang this frame either vertically or horizontally I can swap out favorites every year.

It’s nice to be able to stick to your style and aesthetic no matter the time of year, and when you don’t have to reinvent the wheel to do it that’s all the better.

Thank you for supporting the brands that help keep Design Crush creating fresh content!

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4 Recipes for Winter Simmer Pots

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The weekend after Thanksgiving I started swapping out the candles I normally burn with stovetop simmer pots. I was surprised at how easy they were to put together as well as just how good they made my home smell! Just keep adding water as the burn down and one can last for a few days. Pop over to eBay to check out the four simmer pot recipes I’ve had on rotation – Cranberry + Orange + Cinnamon, Lemon + Bay Leaf, Apple + Clove + Cinnamon, Citrus Peel + Eucalyptus.

 

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Thank you for supporting the brands that help keep Design Crush creating fresh content!

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Adrienne Slane

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Adrienne Slane slays at creating hand-cut collages from old illustrations and antique and decorative papers. Plants, insects, animals, planets, human anatomy, and various objects that date from the 1500s to mid-1900s make up her intricate works of art.

 

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Christmas Wish List

This is maybe the first year I’ve had a tough time coming up with a Christmas wish list. I’d always heard about reaching that age where you just buy yourself all of the things you want and/or need, but I thought it was probably one of those adulthood myths. (You know what I’m talking about.) But after combing through my Pinterest boards I realized there were a few things on my list after all…

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1/Howell Short Canvas Parka  2/Glass Water Kettle  3/Big Shampoo  4/Signature Flannel Bedding  5/Cowboy Coffee Kettle  6/Decked Out Pink Stone Coasters  7/Ebony Stripe Planter  8/Merengue Merino Wool Blanket  9/Newen Days Opal Ring  10/Metal Framed Round Mirror

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Erin Armstrong

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Toronto-based artist Erin Armstrong uses swift and decisive markings over acrylic-based images to create expressive people in everyday situations. The result is more about creating an atmosphere than mimicking reality.

 

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Print Edition: December

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Bayleaves Watercolor Canvas by The Savvy Heart // Bowl of Ferns by Stellaire Studio // F + V by Young American Creatives // Frame Two Flat by ALSO // Good Day by Moon Rabbit Press

 

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Good Vibes by Cat Coquillette // Indigo Lines by Sycamore Street Press // Inspirational Quote by Easy, Tiger // New York Rooftop by Idlewild Co. // Orange Sun by Honey & Bloom

 

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Rose Poster by Fine Little Day // Subtle Horizon by Georgia Paraschiv // This Print Wished You Would… by Laure Prouvost // Vintage Beer Photo by The Beer Book // We Are All Made of Stardust by Ban.do

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