It started with the chairs.

I spotted them in my neighbors trash sitting by the curb on a rainy day just as we were pulling out of the driveway. We were already late for preschool, so I figured what's another minute? :) I hopped out of the car, tucked a chair under each arm, and ran them into our garage to dry off.

After a quick trip to Target where I found the perfect fabric in the form of a curtain panel, I recovered the seats with my handy staple gun, gave the wood a good clean, and swapped them in the place of our old chairs, (which I had found the same way and painted mint green). 

Well wouldn't you know it, with the 'new chairs' in place my gold matted botanical gallery wall just didn't seem fitting and I was craving the white wall underneath! So down came the prints, and I hung my trusty book page wreath and antlers. 

And with the newly aired out room, I just needed some fresh clippings right from our backyard to call it a day.

And just like that, our dining room got a little makeunder. I've been enjoying simplicity lately. Perhaps it was the long winter and feeling so closed in, but I've been craving open, airy rooms. Our dining room is just that at the moment - it feels lighter, cleaner, brighter, and so very peaceful!

Now our industrial shelves really stand tall and proud! There's nothing competing with them - and why should there be?! They're such a fun statement! 

So not a drastic makeover, but refreshing nonetheless! Have you been changing up any rooms in your home? We'd love to see what you've been up to! Post your pictures right to our Facebook page or tag #stylemuttspaces on Instagram!

Thank you for stopping by!

Reader Design: Casey's Charming One Bedroom

I left my heart in PA last weekend, it's true. I had the sweet pleasure of joining forces with the other ladies in my family to help my younger sister, Casey, settle into her adorable new nest - a quirky one bedroom apartment tucked smack dab in the middle of what I will affectionately call Mayberry, for those who remember the old Andy Griffith show. It's the sweetest little town full of even sweeter people. So happy for this new chapter in her life!

This was a full team effort with Cate managing phase one - the initial move from one apartment to the other! Equipped with two unstoppable forces of muscle, (my Dad and brother - Cate's husband), she managed to help Casey completely pack up one apartment and unpack into a new one all in the same day, (while poor Casey came down with a horrid stomach bug on moving day). My Mom and I came a week later, (this past weekend), to help figure out what items she still needed. For two years Casey had lived in a 150 sq ft studio apartment - 150 sq ft!!! That's like a whole new category of tiny homes! Moving into this one bedroom apartment, complete with a kitchen, eating area, and living room - truly feels like a giant leap up. This is a real apartment and we wanted to help make it feel like home.

So, let's look around!

You enter the apartment at the kitchen. It's not huge but very warm and inviting. Casey is a true hostess at heart with ready-to-grab glasses and snacks at a moment's notice.

The framed art is a verse printed on a hand painted watercolor - you can this and other beautiful prints from www.ashleeproffitt.com.

As you walk through the kitchen you enter a small passageway that connects all the rooms. There is ample room for a small dining table, but Casey had a vision of bar style seating here. How cool is that?! So, rather than search for the perfect size table, we just grabbed a pre-cut shelf at Home Depot and some metal brackets. We used drywall anchors to attach the brackets to the wall, and regular screws to attach the shelf to the brackets. Easy peasy and super cool! I want a bar counter...

Past the eating counter you walk into the living room...

...which, SURPRISE! has a permanent ladder slicing the room in half and leading to an attic. Luckily for Casey, it's a gorgeous ladder! Warm wood and black wrought iron rails...totally cool. We had a couple ideas for the ladder from a total book-keep, to an indoor garden, to growing ivy all the way up to the top...but ultimately, once we played with it, it seemed to make the most sense to just let it breathe. It's not a large room and while the ladder is a cool architectural piece, it seemed best to leave it alone. A few books pushed to the side make it functional, while a small piece of art pulls the visual interest out a little.

I wasn't the only one to benefit from Cate's brilliant taste this past month, (oh, I didn't tell you? I bought these chairs. :) Reveal coming soon!) - Casey got Cate and Caleb's old couch when they recently moved! Not bad, not bad at allllllll. Topped with a couple pillows in some of her favorite colors, and fresh natural wood lamps on either side, the room is instantly cozy and welcoming. 

This gorgeous little coffee table belonged to our Grandma and was no longer needed when they downsized. Isn't that metal inset stunning?!

Naturally, while we were busily setting up the nest, we found a yard sale! The perfect pedestal table, (below), was waiting just for us, as well as a beautiful piece of art. I, myself, found a box of old dentist tools which I was HIGHLY interested in, but the ladies put their feet down. Who doesn't want to do their own dental work?! I still don't understand...

The lovely ladder, in all it's glory. I have to admit, every time I see this ladder I hear the last lyric to Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway to Heaven', when he's singing in his broken, shrill voice, "and she's buuuying a staaaaairway to hea-ven." 

The bedroom is as peaceful as can be and that light just doesn't quit! It seems to filter in every hour of the day.

These ladder shelves have been with Casey since before college and whats so cool is that with every one of her moves, they've had different arrangements! For this narrow space they are perfectly suitable bedside surfaces and fill the corners well.

It was so fun helping Casey settle into this new place as I learned so much about her aesthetic! She likes clean and simple, uncluttered, and open. While adding this desk and stool, (both from Target), was, in fact, putting more furniture in her room, it really functions to organize and hold house hold bits and bobs that were previously out in the open of her living room. Now her living room is far less 'cluttered', and this desk hardly calls for attention in the room as it matches her black dresser and is a clean and simple design.

The weekend was a success and we accomplished what we set out to do - help the youngest lady of our family nest - and we got to celebrate her 25th birthday! But, it wasn't ALL work. We know how to relax and make ourselves comfortable. In Home Depot. :)

And we braked to watch the Derby at a local bar! We missed our Cate, but she was visiting with her family last weekend at a little spot called the GRAND CANYON! 

Mom, sister, me.

Spending this time together was such a gift! Thank you so much, Casey, for inviting us to enjoy and celebrate your new apartment with you! Looking forward to the next visit already!

Have a room or part of your home you'd be willing to share with us here? Don't be shy! We encourage all styles and stages of life to share! Don't hold out on inspiring us - that's what Reader Designs are all about! Check out our growing SPACES page for countless ideas and unique home tours from around the world. Whenever you're ready, just post your photos to our Facebook page or tag #stylemuttspaces on Instagram!

Thank you all for stopping by! Happy weekending!

Reader Design: Tina's Mod Touches of Timberwood

It's Friday ya'll and you know what that means...

It's time to debut another #stylemuttspaces reader design and boy am I PUMPED.  The whole point of Reader Designs is simply to share incredible rooms with fresh ideas and document these features in our SPACES section to use as a reference of inspiration.

Tina from Melbourne Australia really put the Yay in my Fri-Yay.  She's got waterfall counters, beautiful statement lighting, a minimalist color pallet, and TIMBERWOOD FLOORS.  Who else is drooling in anticipation? 

Take it away Tina:

Three years ago I wanted to renovate my home and incorporate the [kitchen, living, and dining] rooms all together as an open concept. At the start of the renovation we completely changed the format of the rooms, by knocking down some walls and flipping the kitchen to the other side of the room to achieve the open plan. 

With my kitchen I wanted to keep it simple and not go over the top, so this is why I chose to go with white cabinetry and a spacious Caesar stone island bench. As a finishing touch to my kitchen I added a glass splash back and hung three timber pendants over the island bench to add warmth to the room. 

With my dining and living room I wanted a space where the whole family could come together and relax. This room is one of my favourite rooms in my house because of the bi fold doors which allows an abundance of light to flow through the room. When styling this room I wanted to make the most of the space so I didn't over clutter it with large pieces of furniture. Since the room isn't very big I added a timber round table which allows the room to feel more spacious, also the two white swivel leather chairs allow you to either watch TV or engage in a conversation with guests sitting on the three seater couch or at the dining room table. 

In the dining room, the table was a hand me down from my parents. I loved this piece because it allowed me to bring more timber pieces into the home and tie it all together. The flooring was replaced by my husband and dad with a beautiful floating timber floor which adds character and warmth to the home.

I'll say!  Look at that wood grain!  And if you think her common space is chic, just wait until you see her seventeen year old daughter's room:

She wanted a space where she could hang out with her friends and was conformable. In her room I just tried to keep it young and fresh by not using vibrant colours, instead I layered the room with pattern and texture. I added a quirky timber stool from Indonesia beside the bed which adds extra seating. I paired it down with neutral walls to make the timber floors pop. 

Is anyone else coveting that stool?!?  And what a fun copper candle holder!  #StevetheStag represent!  Thank you Tina for sharing your space with us.  Now if you're salivating for a full home tour, be sure to follow Tina [@myhomeblog] to satisfy all your timberwood and mod cravings! 

Don't forget, we want to celebrate your individuality with you!  Tag #stylemuttspaces on Instagram or post your photos onto our Facebook wall for your chance to be featured as a Reader Design!