Reader Design: Janet's Smart Sophisticated Style

Answer me this: what is better than a Friday? 

How ‘bout a Friday Feature Reader Design!  

Today’s #stylemuttspaces feature is Janet from Style to Move Blog and she is one savvy sophisticated homemaker.  Based just north of Toronto, Janet has managed to pull off a restoration hardware look without restoration hardware prices.  I mean just look at the perfect shades of flint gray, organic accents, and monochromatic genius!

From Janet:

I moved into this new home about five years ago with my husband and two kids (now teenagers).  This was a bit of a shock to us because we had only lived in century homes full of character and charm.  The real challenge has been how to give it some character and put our mark on it.

This is our family room which is off the kitchen so it gets lots of use.  We had a lot of stress prior to moving here, so it was important that this home was calm.  Therefore, we wanted a calm color scheme and no clutter.  The book shelves (previously in our office) and the coffee table (previously a table) were painted a soft grey.  I also turned the books paper side out to fit the color scheme and to add to the calm in the room. 

I always like to mix ferns and woven baskets in my spaces because they add a relaxed sophistication.  I'm also eclectic, so I like all styles.

You’ve certainly found your kinfolk here Janet – eclectic is just a synonym for StyleMutt ;)

The side bar was actually an island in my previous house. Here, I added some baskets underneath and painted it an almost black, giving it a farmhouse feel.  Nothing in this room was overly expensive.  Most things came from either a big box store, HomeSense or Ikea.  Even the rug is two small inexpensive rugs put together.

So smart painting it a "almost black."  Painting pieces a matte black or a charcoal gray softens the harshness the a black piece can give to a room, making it feel more rustic while still providing a rich tone.  I told ya she was a savvy lady...

Thank you Janet for sharing such a smartly put-together living room with us on StyleMutt Home.  You can follow Janet @styletomoveblog on Instagram for more of her savvy finds!

And hey, we are always looking for more readers to feature on Fridays.  You don’t have to be a world renowned designer to get some real estate on our SPACES page – you just have to love your home and want to show if off.  Post your proud pics to our Facebook wall or tag #stylemuttspaces on Instagram. 

Reader Design: Kelly's Effortless Bedroom

Guys, I have a new happy place.  It’s the StyleMutt SPACES page.  I mean, would you LOOK at all that eye candy?!?  But you wanna know why it’s my favorite place – or collection of places rather?  Because of you. 

Seriously, this page is all you.  This gallery represents décor from all over the world, all walks of life, and all kinds of Style Mutts.  And you don’t have to be a designer, a blogger, or a betty-homemaker to join this league of extraordinary rooms!  Just use the tag #stylemuttspaces on Instagram or post to our Facebook page to enter your pics. 

Today’s reader design is from San Diego, California.  Kelly from House of Aqua started with a desk and a magazine rack and built an entire bedroom around it!

From Kelly:

Our master bedroom design was inspired by my desk nestled into the corner of our bedroom. The desk was originally in our living space but I no longer had room for it so I moved it into my daughter's room. My daughter wasn't using the desk and wanted more floor space for playing so it ended up in my room, awkwardly placed behind the bedroom door as it was the only available place in our small house to put it. I realized that if I had a stool or chair without arms it could function as a desk without interfering with the bedroom door. I've logged many hours in my cozy desk area while conducting research and writing my thesis for my graduate degree! 

Those oversized acrylic numbers once belonged to a Gas Station marquee!  Clever clever salvage.

I keep my desk supplies to a minimum by only keeping what I need so that everything fits into the shallow drawers of the desk. For example, I only keep one set of pencils and a couple of pens which are in the cup on my desk.

Our bedroom furniture it just over ten years old and I was ready to replace the set with an upholstered bed and white furniture until I thrifted a midcentury modern magazine holder that sits next to my desk.

For whatever reason that magazine rack helped me link together a design that I didn't know I wanted and helped me fall back in love with the bedroom furniture I already had.  Most of the decor is hunted down in HomeGoods and thrift stores. I find that I gravitate towards a mix of elements such as acrylic, wood, stone, and nature. I like crisp white bedding but I bring in different textures with functional pillows.

That’s funny, Thor sleeps almost exactly the same way as Emmy there…

Gah!  Where'd she find those Swiss cross sheets?!

The mirrors propped on our nightstands help to make the room feel larger by reflecting light...  We maximize storage by using the decorative vase and box to store belts on our dresser.

UGH!  More adorable terrariums!  I want them all.

Aren’t you just amazed that this whole room effortlessly started with such a relaxed workspace?!  I just wanna set up camp at this desk and blog for dayssssssss…

Thank you Kelly for opening up your home to us this Friday!  Follow Kelly (@houseofaqua) for more easy-breezy style!  And if you are on the fence about submitting your own room for your chance to be a Friday feature, then ask yourself one question: do you like what your style has to say?  If the answer is yes, then we want to hear it!  You never know who else out there will be empowered to develop their own voice...xoxo

More chairs, more makeover!

I know, I know. This isn't the weekly anticipated Friday Reader Design I KNOW you all have been on the edges of your seats waiting for. Say whaaaaat?!... ;)

As Spring has sprung and everyone seems to be going full speed, we are waiting for more tours to land in our inbox. What is this Friday Reader Design, you say? It's a weekly tour that we share every Friday from one reader anywhere in the world. Our desire is to be a resource of inspiration covering many styles in design, and Reader Design tours is one tool that does just that! There is no requirement to be a professional designer or even a fellow blogger; we just want to share your work and creativity! You can post a few photos to our Facebook page or tag #stylemuttspaces on Instagram, and we'll contact you for further details! Check out our growing collection of awesome tours on our SPACES page - but be warned, you might want to get comfortable first! 

So, since we don't have a tour to share this week, I thought I'd share a room in my home recently upgraded by another pair of chairs! Last week I shared our updated dining room which was prompted by a couple roadside rescues.

Well, our living room got a little lift as well with a few rescued chairs - remember these beauties rescued by Cate and upgraded with new gams?

Well Matt and I bought em'!

So far they have adapted well to their new environment and are playing well with others.

Nothing else in this space has changed, but these chairs upgraded the space quite a bit toward the more rustic, boho vibe we've got going on.  

I'm so grateful to Cate for giving us first dibs on these chair! They were love at first site the day she texted me a pic of her new find and I knew she'd make them sensational. Girl didn't disappoint. :)

Happy Memorial Day weekend and thank you so much for stopping by!