Weekend inspiration: the relaxation station

 

I’m so excited for this weekend - I have absolutely nothing planned for the first time in about two months! And as you know from the past two weeks’ weekend inspirations (Friendly Inspiration and Lake House Inspiration) I’m pretty much bachelorette party roadkill by now, so I’m going to take this plan-free weekend and make the most of it - by relaxing!

Obviously, while the past two weekends were pretty exhausting, they were packed with a lot of fun activities - such as the above picture. That’s me, enjoying a great day at the lake on the “Relaxation Station.” You really can’t lose with a raft named the Relaxation Station.

So we’re going to use the Relaxation Station as our weekend inspiration - otherwise known as “Loungefest 2011” to me. All of the following photos are exactly where I dream to be this weekend as I catch up on some much needed relaxing. First stop - relaxing in the sun.

 

Next up - reading a book inside. I need this chair in every room in my house as far as I’m concerned.

 

And to wrap things up - taking a nap in the hammock.

 

Have any fun plans for this weekend? Or are you going to be on the relaxation boat with me?

 

How cool is this mirror?! Not only is it great, but it’s actually a DIY project by Emma Reddington of the Marion House Book. Check it out on her blog. She found this vintage oculus in an abandoned building and made it into a mirror. It looks so great in this entryway. I’m not much of a DIY’er, but pieces like this make me want to get my hands dirty!

On display

 

A few weeks ago I shared with you all how I use my jewelry as decoration in my bedroom. If you missed it, check it out - I’m somewhat obsessed with statement necklaces, as you’ll see below. I also featured Stylist Rachel Zoe’s jewelry closet, which had me wondering how other people keep their jewelry - which brings us to today’s post. Some very impressive ladies, with some very amazing jewelry collections.

Above you see Kara Paslay’s display of necklaces, on knobs. Very unique. And below, as you will remember, is how I store my necklaces - on a tie rack.

 

Check out the office space for the Charlotte jewelry company, Towne & Reese, featured on Young House Love. Christi (one of the owners) bought these linen canvases in different shapes and sizes to display their jewelry collection. It’s definitely an easy and inexpensive way to showcase your jewels.

 

As always, I’m a sucker for Me Oh My’s Nicole Davis’ design aesthetic. Her jewelry collection, seen below, was featured on MadeByGirl and I’m obviously drooling over it. It looks so sophisticated and posh. Jealous.

 

The jewelry tree and bulletin board seen below belongs to Bex of Bex…a style diary. She made all of this herself with a frame, a piece of ply wood, leftover burlap, and some branches from outside. A very impressive DIY if you ask me.

 

And finally, you can’t go wrong with some tips from Martha Stewart. She pulled together these teacups to keep jewelry in. It looks so great in this drawer! I love the different sizes and patterns. After all, none of your jewelry is the same so why does what you store them in have to be?

 

I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling inspired to find new ways to display my jewelry. How about you?

 

Do you remember when I professed my love for book shelves? Well, then it’s pretty clear why I love this photo from Elle Decor. I promise you that I would never have this many cookbooks in a million years to store in my kitchen, but just because I don’t use them doesn’t mean I can’t decorate with them - right? haha

Wild for zebra

 

I have a thing for zebra print. I think it exudes a sophisticated, funky elegance. And because it is obviously neutral in color, you can pair it with fun colors and really make a room pop, like the above photo. There’s that orange crush again.

If I could find the zebra rug in the photo below I would be one happy girl. It looks so great in this office, but could also work under a coffee table in a living room, under a bed, or under a dining room table. See, zebra rugs are so versatile!

 

Now while you can pair zebra print with color to make a room really standout, you can also keep things neutral and have a very sophisticated look like the room below. The dark brown and white colors are used throughout the room, and the zebra ottoman is the standout piece.

 

How fun is this zebra wallpaper? This is definitely for the more whimsical home owner, but if you’re not as crazy as you think, a bathroom is a great place to experiment with an edgier wallpaper.

 

This zebra rug is on the smaller scale then the one shown above but it still makes a powerful statement. The little pops of color keep this rug the statement piece in the room and I think that it looks amazing.

 

And if you love the zebra print but are a little weary of working with it on a larger scale you can always have fun with zebra print pillows, like these from West Elm.

 

Ready to get wild? Have some fun with zebra print - you might be surprised at how much fun you have with it.

 

I love the different shades of blue-green that pull together this office. Not everything needs to be matchy-matchy to work. And how great is that large framed bulletin board?!

Photo from Martha Stewart Living May 2010

Into a corner

 

I saw the photo above recently and was enamored by these bookshelves. I’m an avid reader and my bookshelves are one of my favorite elements in my bedroom. That’s why I will never own a Kindle (sorry Amazon), I just can’t bear to part from my beloved book collection.

What caught my eye even more about these shelves are their placement in the corner. To me, they just POP. Not to mention how they capitalize on saving space.

The photo below uses the corner shelves in the kitchen, another great place to save some room. I love the thicker shelf, it makes a statement against the white tiles.

 

Check out these corner shelves in this living room/office. The lighting underneath each shelf is great! It really puts the shelves, and what is stored on them, on display.

 

Corner shelves are also great for displaying photos and artwork in tighter, funky spaces. Pottery Barn can obviously do no wrong showing you a fun way to display photographs and art.

 

Are you using corner shelves to save space in your home? Let us know!

 

Traditional log cabins are so cool, but I love how the wall in this kitchen is painted to bring some color to this room.

In love with: striped walls

 

I’ve been seeing so many pictures of striped walls recently and I honestly can’t get enough of them. I’ve never actually seen a striped wall in a home, so all of these pictures have opened my eyes to a very new (well to me) way to spice things up a bit. Do you remember this photo that I posted a few weeks ago? Now that is a great striped wall.

I have to admit that I’m more partial to the lighter colors for the stripes (as you’ll see in these pictures) but if you’re going for a more dramatic look don’t be afraid to go bolder with your colored stripes.

As you’ll see, there are so many different ways to play with the striped wall concept. The above photo features a wider stripe used in a hallway, while the photo below shows a more narrow stripe used in a dining room. Just for the record, I love both.

 

Now this obviously requires a bit more work, but how amazing are the striped tiles in this bathroom? I’m in love.

 

While I was searching for photos to share with you I stumbled upon this fantastic DIY for painting stripes from Emily A. Clark. Below is the wall that she painted in her home, which looks so great! Check out her tutorial here, and let me know if you try it out!

 

Are you loving the striped wall as much as I am? Or are they too much for you?

 

I’m still in weekend mode after such an amazing weekend at home with my girlfriends. I wish that I was sitting on this porch drinking some coffee and relaxing. Between the chairs and the ceiling fans, it would be heaven.

Photo via Better Homes and Garden