Movie Set Monday- Breakfast at Tiffany’s

I must have lived in Manhattan in a past life. I have always been attracted to the concrete jungle and have had the privilege to visit it once when I was thirteen. It’s so appealing with the skyscrapers, the fashion, Central Park, Rockefeller Plaza, Broadway shows, New York-style pizza, and the Brownstones. Naturally, we’ll be visiting another Brownstone today from way back in the early 60s.

Continue reading “Movie Set Monday- Breakfast at Tiffany’s”

Movie Set Monday- The Good Wife

Are you ready to see the chicest Chicago apartment on television? It’s truly one of the reasons I liked the show so much. I binged The Good Wife a while back and shared an instastory about it on my Instagram. And then just this weekend my sister-in-law told me that she has started watching it! I was so excited for her and told her to buckle up for the ride. It’s a wild one! One thing’s for sure, Alicia’s apartment is pretty spectacular.

If you’ve been around here awhile, you know I have a thing for French doors and built ins. Since this apartment has both, I’m pretty much swooning over this one picture and don’t have to see anything else. Continue reading “Movie Set Monday- The Good Wife”

Movie Set Monday- Sex and the City 2

MOVIE SET MONDAY

Welcome back to Movie Set Monday! I am still having the most fun putting these posts together. Interior design and home decor really are some of my passions. I may not always be great at putting it together myself, but I love to look at spaces that have been expertly styled. I learn so much from them. And that’s no exception today.

SEX AND THE CITY 2

In the second movie of the Sex and the City franchise we see that Carrie and Big decided not to live in the beautiful 5th Avenue penthouse we saw in the first movie (that post here), but they did get a stunning apartment that we’re going to look at today. I’m a sucker for wallpaper. I know that many people, my parents included, have probably sworn off wallpaper after scraping some from the 80s or 90s off walls and ceilings. Yes, ceilings. There was pineapple wallpaper on the ceiling of my parents’ kitchen when we first moved into that house. Nowadays we have things like removable wallpaper, so if we want to try a bold pattern on the walls, we won’t feel so bad about taking it down in a few years when the trend is over. I very seriously thought about doing wallpaper in our bathroom, but I think, based on my budget, I’d better stick to paint.Okay, back to Casa de Preston. I love a foyer with a table in the middle. I guess that room looks as if it’s technically serving as a mini library, but the table right in the center is one of my favorite ways to style a space like that. It’s the perfect excuse for fresh flowers. And that light fixture is just perfection. I am loving interesting light fixtures more and more lately. This bubbly one is very chic. Moving into the living room brings that beautiful ceiling. I love architectural details. That’s what really gives a home it’s character. Another thing I love about this space (because it feels like it’s breaking the “rules” a little bit) is that light fixture. I can’t quite figure out if it’s wooden medallions or bronze ones or maybe brass? Anyway, I think it’s very interesting, but I also like that it’s not centered over the table or the center of the living room. It’s just right in between the two spaces looking pretty. What a great idea to store your books upright on the coffee table? I never would have thought to do this. See-I’m always learning things. And an added bonus to doing this is the great bookends you get to use.
I notice that Carrie must really like the color blue. Remember the last apartment was all bright and, I feel like, quintessentially Single Carrie. But as she and Big got married and have merged their lives together into one space, she didn’t forget her favorite color. (Just wait for the kitchen backsplash.) She just used it in different shades. The whole apartment is covered in different shades of blue. In the picture above there’s the navy couch, the cornflower blue ottoman, and the teal Foo Dog bookends. And then those drapes. They cover the room in yet another shade of blue, and it all just works. Here’s another lesson I’ve learned in home decor: It’s okay to mix patterns and prints…as long as you have a color that brings them together to help the space make sense. Nearly every piece in this living and dining space is a neutral or has some shade of blue.

Another light fixture I love is that lamp below. I am definitely a fan of the curved lamp stand. You have to look carefully, but you’ll see the black swan-like neck of the lamp’s stand, and she’s lovely. Way more fun than a traditional table lamp. I’m digging the open floor plan and really loving those built-ins. The lights inside each shelf that illuminates them from within is so pretty and really showcases what you’ve got on the shelves. We also get a glimpse of that wild kitchen. Hello, Carrie’s apartment shade of blue. 🙂 I really love these chairs. The shape, the pattern, everything. And see the light? Is it wood? Is it brass? Is it bronze? Whatever it is, it’s pretty. The kitchen almost feels a little retro to me. Maybe it’s the tile backsplash (feels a little sixties mod) or the light (a little bit 50s). Maybe it’s the color of the wood on the lower cabinets that reminds me of some of the movies made/set in the 70s. Or the style of the table and chairs. Or the lack of hardware on any of the cupboards. I do love the big rug in the middle of the kitchen. It’s so unexpected. Again, breaking those rules. The open shelving is really nice, and it appears the fridge is just to the right of it. I also really love the floors. When I first saw this movie and they finally arrived home from Stanford’s and Anthony’s wedding, this was the room that had my heart all aflutter. The wallpaper was speaking my language and then I saw it mixed with the patterned headboard and those inky blue drapes with the gold fringe trim. Yes! Yes! Yes! Another master with a sitting area. I fell in love with the idea when I was putting together the Something’s Gotta Give post, and there’s no exception this time either. I love this little space. I could think of so many things to do in a sitting area in my bedroom. I may need to make this happen…
Also, the drapes on every window a real statement. They are so beautiful. Window treatments are like the perfect piece of jewelry to a room. It just adds a finishing touch that nothing else could accomplish. My mom always says curtains makes a room feel “homey”. I agree. I think they are inviting, and I think I want to plop right there in the seat by the window and have a cup of coffee and read a fashion magazine as Carrie would.

Or perhaps I’d sit at this lovely desk next to that window and write more about this glorious NYC apartment. 🙂 What a gorgeous piece of furniture, right? I love it’s shape and that wood grain on the inside is so pretty. Well we’ve come to the end. Just like the last SATC set post, I’ll leave you with a view of the perfect closet. His and hers. Again, I love that it’s perfectly imperfect and breaks the rules of symmetry, which I actually happen to love, but this is custom perfection. His is warm and masculine, and hers is light and feminine. And it’s wide enough for a place to sit and fasten your strappy sandals or zip up your boots or tie up your sneakers. And of course she’s still displaying her fabulous clothes as art. Thanks for coming back to Movie Set Monday. Same time, same place next week, right?

Movie Set Monday- Sex and the City The Movie

MOVIE SET MONDAY

Welcome to the second installment of Movie Set Monday! I’m sharing one of my all time favorite apartments that belongs to none other than Carrie Bradshaw. If any of you are fans of the show Sex and the City you’ll remember her apartment being nice, but not overly styled or cohesive. We can all agree the walk-through closet was pretty sweet, but there were no real show stopper pieces in her apartment. Okay, maybe the leather chair she bought from Aidan but not much else. I’d say her clothes and shoes were the real show stoppers.

SEX AND THE CITY THE MOVIE

But then came the movie, and with that came *SPOILER ALERT* a jilt at the altar, a new hairdo, and (my personal favorite part) a newly decorated apartment.

I was googly-eyed, crazy in love with this wall color. I don’t know what it was. (Probably that it was Carrie Bradshaw’s color so, naturally, I loved it.) I tried to paint the third bedroom of our house in Louisiana a similar color and had different shades of blue painted on the walls trying to find the right one. The ending to that story is I chickened out on going so bold and painted it grey…womp womp. Anywho, I still love this color. I don’t know what room I’d paint that color, but I do know that the decorator, Lydia Marks, who put this look together is fearless and I love her for it!And how smart was it that as Carrie started to actually feel like herself again that her outfit matched her new apartment. I loved that tiny detail. Everything went from dark and depressed to bright and cheerful. It was a lovely moment in the movie. (Just so y’all know, I’m rolling my eyes at myself over here. It’s just that I’ve seen this movie and the TV show so.many.times. I have practically studied the decor and outfits of every episode and movie, so I’m just a big ol’ SATC nerd. And though I may be rolling my eyes, I’m not sorry I know so much about it. AND I could put names of some of you right here that have watched it just as many times as I have. Sometimes even WITH me!) 🙂 The color and pattern mixing are just right. And I love all of the white window treatments and trim and still more white accents here and there throughout the apartment. I think it calms down all that bright blue so that it’s just right and not too much. One of my favorite things is her entryway. I really liked the L-O-V-E wall decal. It was (here comes the nerd part again) such a perfect, full circle moment for Carrie given everything she’d been through with Big. She still believed in Love because she, like me, knows that Love does conquer all when it’s all said and done. Also still obsessed with that bomber jacket. ↑ The storage around her TV was another design element I loved about this apartment. It was so simple and sleek and functional. How perfect is that for when you have company coming over unexpectedly? I’d literally stuff everything in there if I had a messy house before guests arrived. Can’t end this post without a little closet love. This is a photo from the movie. I love the pendants and the runner. And displaying the clothes is the perfect “art” for this space. Carrie always had unique outfits, so hanging them outward was a great way to show them off. I imagine that she liked to switch them out so she could enjoy all of her beautiful clothes. And who can forget this moment?

The penthouse on 5th was exquisite. But this closet…. all the heart eyes for this closet. Did we not all gasp the moment those doors open and we saw this?Yep. I think we’ll end on this good note. Hope y’all enjoyed the walk around Carrie’s apartment. Come back next Monday for another movie set. Have a great week, y’all!

Bathroom Makeover- Before

BATHROOM MAKEOVER- BEFORE

I wrote a Thursday Thoughts post yesterday saying how I couldn’t believe that we’ve been living in our apartment for almost a year and a half. I also mentioned that I’ve got some big and fresh ideas for our apartment to make it more functional for us. It seems to be my pattern to need to live in a space for almost a year before I really know what I want to do in it. If I want to change anything, paint anything, add anything, etc. I have come up with some ways to help make our bathrooms a little prettier and use the space we have to be super efficient.

I have always just known when a house or apartment was right for us. When we bought our house in Louisiana, I went to see it without Paul and knew right away that it was our house. I told him I thought it was the one, he came back for a second visit with me, and we just knew it was right. I sort of felt that with our apartment now, but it was in a different way. I knew we were going to move in to this apartment when we decided to move. It was a bit of a site unseen situation, but I knew I had to trust that it was going to be alright. When I finally did see it (just before we moved), I knew that it was right. It was smaller than what we were used to, but it was going to work for us.

Front Bathroom

I’ve had a tough time figuring out what to do in this space. Part of that was because I didn’t know how long we’d be here, and I didn’t know if it would make sense for me to do anything to it. If I wasn’t going to be here long enough to enjoy it, I’d probably not want to invest the time, money, and effort into making the changes. But as I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I am feeling quite happy here in this apartment. It seems to be the right time to customize the things we can and want to do, because we don’t plan to leave anytime soon.

The previous tenant had the bathroom walls repainted, but the job wasn’t up to my standards. I know that makes me sound like a snob, but there were paint brush hairs stuck to the wall. Nothing wrong with wanting to fix that. Also, I really wanted it to be bright and white. The beige color is a bit warm for my liking, so at the cost of a gallon of paint, I could really make this space over.

You can see some of the imperfections in this photo. The white mark under the towel bar is an imperfection in the paint job.

The Plan

I want to first say that there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING wrong with this bathroom. Everything works perfectly. I just wanted to make some changes that make it a little bit easier on the eyes…well, my eyes and that would make it function in the best way possible.

Here’s what I’m planning to do:

Paint the walls, baseboards, and door bright white
Paint the vanity black
Change hardware on cabinet doors
Add shelving above the toilet for extra storage
Rug or runner

Things I’m keeping:

Light fixture
Faucet
Shower curtain
Flooring
Shower/Tub insert

This will in no way be a gut-job. It’ll be a little mini-makeover. Like getting your hair and makeup done. 🙂

Here’s the inspirational photo that most accurately shows what I could do in my bathroom.

I’ll keep you updated on the progress. The colder temps deter me a little from painting because it doesn’t dry as well. I’m hoping it’ll be a quick weekend project, though. I’m looking forward to putting this in motion and showing you the results.

Have any of you done a mini makeover? How did it go for you? Let me know in the comments.

Have a great weekend, y’all!

Want To Be My Neighbor?

WANT TO BE MY NEIGHBOR?

That’s right! You can be my neighbor! The apartment across this gorgeous hall is available for rent. Trust me, you want to see this charmer!

Come On In

I mean, could you just die?! That exposed brick…gets me every time. The hardwoods are just as beautiful as they are in my apartment, and I love the bead board wainscoting. So charming. You can see that it’s an open floor plan into the kitchen which is equally as charming. I’ll show you in a second. Here’s another view of the living area. This is looking at the front door. There’s enough space on either side of the door for a small dining table, much like our side of the building. A hallway to the two bedrooms and bathrooms is to the right and the kitchen to the left.

Let’s have a closer look at the details, shall we? I just love the bead board. It’s such a simple detail, but isn’t it all in the details anyway? That’s what “they” say. And I agree. Come on…. I fall in love with this apartment even more every time I see this brick wall. Such a beautiful part of the history of this building.

Let’s Look At This Kitchen

Who doesn’t love a white kitchen? It’s bright and get’s the BEST afternoon light. You can watch the sunset right through that window.

Plenty of space and great cabinets. Lots of storage here too. Also, to the right of the fridge is the door to the back porch we share.

Here you can see how open it is to the living space. I love this about my apartment too. I can cook dinner and not miss all those Hallmark movies that are always playing on my television this time of year. 🙂
This wine rack built-in is such a cute feature. I love this so much because I need this! Keeps them off the counter, because that’s prime real estate, people. Just off the kitchen there’s a laundry room. It’s very spacious and has folding doors to close it off.

Guest Room

There’s already a bed for you! And look at those windows! What a way to wake up every morning. So much delightful natural light in this apartment. Closet is a good size too. All of my clothes (and shoes…and purses) fit in a closet this exact size.

Master Bedroom and Bathroom

Four glorious windows, y’all. FOUR. The pictures don’t do it justice on how big the room is either. It’s so beautiful. I love the built-ins in the closet. This is a game changer in closet organization and maximizing space.
Large en suite with the cutest linen closet. (My apartment doesn’t have this, and I am jealous!) The guest bathroom looks identical to this bathroom just flipped around. Shower on the right, toilet and vanity on the left. The guest bathroom has those charming cabinets too.