New Apartment

Here's a first look at my new apartment.  It's humble and small, and I love it!  I love it more than any where I've lived in a long while.  After years of living in old buildings, I have a new appreciation for clean and modern.

I love that the apartment has a little entry way.  I have one of my paintings hanging there.  The air conditioner is an eye sore, but thank God it's there.  It's a necessity.  I've actually used it already!  Who would have thought it would be 87 degrees in March!

Here's the living room, proudly displaying my Dee Adams painting. My stuff fit perfectly!  There is nothing new here.  I'd love to have a new  lamp where my moon lamp is.  I can see the lamp in my head:  oversized, mid-century, Danish-inspired, turquoise....I hope to find it at a flea market this summer!  I have an oversized ottoman that I am currently recovering and hope to show you soon.

I love the hanging lantern!  I might add a couple more at staggered lengths.  I also love the deck.  There's a tree right outside my window which will provide great shade and privacy once it blooms.  What a blessing!

I have part of my rock collection on my end table.

Here's the view to the entry way from the sofa.  Not really a fan of carpet, but I like that this carpet is neutral and unobtrusive.  It's great to walk around unselfconsciously.  I prefer wood floors, but everywhere I've lived the floors creaked.  The building is so quiet it's wonderful.  I can't hear cars, sirens, buses, planes, helicopters or trains (like I could at my previous place)!

As you know, I purged a great deal and went with a simple aesthetic, all though colorful.  Wish I could paint the walls!  Here is a view of the island separating the living room from the kitchen.  I love it!  It's so cute and efficient.  This is by far the most efficient kitchen I've ever had.  I'd like to get a couple of cute stools to put by the island.

Here's a view from my living area to the kitchen.  Cupboards are pretty generic, but at least they are clean and new, and there are a lot of them.  I'm able to store computer, art and photography supplies in them.  That's a lucky thing because my closets are teeny tiny!  I love my Urban Outfitters rug there.  I bought this rug sometime ago and thought it had been a mistake.  It didn't fit in my last apartment, but it's perfect here.

I wish I could paint the cupboards and take the doors off.  But it's a rental.  I'm really pleased with this apartment.  There are all kinds of little luxuries.  There are plenty of outlets, which is a blessing.  There's actually an outlet for my blow dryer in the bathroom and medicine cabinet!  Two luxuries I have been without for a long time.  There's on site laundry.  And, thank God I don't have to walk up three flights of stairs anymore!  But the best part is the simplicity.  It only takes me 10-15 minutes to clean the whole place!

The bedroom needs a little work, so I'll show that to you at a later date.  As you know, my place is always a work in progress.  Thanks for reading!  Hope you have a great weekend.  xxoo

New Stuff

There's a perk in my new neighborhood - a really nice Goodwill store.  Even though I got rid of a lot of stuff - and even though I'm trying to control my consumption - I still felt like I needed a little something new for my new place.  I found a cute teal vase and a really cool architectural remnant.  $1.50 total!  This is the way to spend money and not feel guilty.  Then if you tire of the items, you can just donate them back.  It's the ultimate in recycling.

Stay tuned!  New pictures of my apartment coming up!

Design Overload, Part II: Color Inspiration

So many choices.  How does one decide which colors to use when decorating when they are in love with color?  I think the key must is to trust our instincts, do what we like and let our place evolve and change.  Here are more of my ramblings on color.  As you know, any color scheme I contemplate has large amounts of pink.  Pink and yellow is one of my favorite color schemes.

 

Did you see the cover of the recent Inside Out?  It's gorgeous!  I wish I had seen the magazine.  I love these colors.  So happy and full of energy.

Ya'll know that Nicki Minaj is the shit right now.  Here she is rocking a pink wig with yellow lipstick.  Too fab.

Or how about pink and orange?  Also fun and energetic.  Love this color blocked frock from Forever 21.

Or how about yellow, orange and pink?  This sporty little dress shows it works.  This dress is so cute it could be a painting!  Sorry, I don't remember where I found the image.  I know it's from an Etsy shop.  Please contact me if you know the designer of this dress.

I love yellow with turquoise.  Love the lamp in this picture.  But I think those pillows should be replaced with hot pink ones. Bethany and Joshua's Calming Lake View via Apartment Therapy.

See how great hot pink pillows look with blue?  Love the blue sofa, with the hot pink pillows, organic table and gray ceiling and Moroccan-inspired lanterns.  Cool updated mid-century look.  Spearmint Decor via My Mod Style.

This hot pink chair looks great with the gray walls.  Wish I could paint my walls gray!  Image via Craig Wall.  Anyone know the designer of that fab hot pink chair?

Omigosh - did you know the Vago chair now comes in hot pink?  It's so affordable too!  I need two of these for my deck.  I've said it a million times.  Why isn't there an Ikea locally?

 

I never tire of pink walls!  Love this gorgeous room!  It's divine!  I adore the combination of the pink walls, white floor, orange bedding, pops of black and that fab spaghetti lamp.  The room was designed by Debi of Greener Pastures - A City Girl Goes Country for her teenage daughter.  Lucky girl!

A pop of hot pink looks great in this otherwise earthy neutral room.  Recognize that lamp?  (See previous post here.)  Image via est magazine.

Love this romantic room.  The gray walls and sofa look great with the hot pink pillows.  Image via Fey Handmade.  I also love mostly white rooms (especially with white floors) with pops of pink and black or gray.

Image via delikatissen.

Image via Frances Herrera.

Love these beautiful glass vases.  Image via Purple Area.  What's a girl to do when she's addicted to two (or three or four...) different color schemes?  Can all these colors be incorporated into a home that is chic, simple, minimal, modern, Asian, ethnic, Bohemian and Moroccan-influenced?  The key is loving what you have, having fun while decorating and maintaining a sense of balance. 

Design Overload, Part I: Shopping for Inspiration

I was on a wait list for quite sometime for my new apartment.  The time I spent waiting was spent obsessing over design, color schemes and what things I would take with me.  I was really torn on my color scheme.  Of course it would have lots of pink.  But would I have pink with yellow?  Pink with orange?  I also need turquoise, my second favorite color.  I love turquoise with yellow.  And some gray, my new favorite.  Love gray with purple.  Oh so many choices.  I haven't been shopping in quite a while, so decided to shop for some inspiration.  Even though I had no intention of buying anything until I got in my new place, it was fun.  Here are some of the cool things I saw.  Never a shortage of cool things to buy.  First stop Target.

Target had the coolest microwave ever.  I have an open kitchen in my new place, so maybe this Hello Kitty microwave would fit in well.  That brings up another design dilemma.  I love simplicity, but also love a graphic punch.

 

I am on the lookout for an oversize turquoise lamp.  I'm thinking of something ceramic, with some Dutch mid-century influence.  However, these glass lamps at Target were pretty sweet.  They are much prettier in person than in the picture. The picture makes them look sort of green, and they are more teal.  They would look great with an oversize shade.  I love the teal end table.  Reminds me of the teal I used in my kitchen shelving in my previous place.  (See previous post here.)

I don't really use red in my place, but these cute vases at Target were tempting.  I'd love to see these in my brother and sister-in-law's place.  On to TJ Maxx.

Where I saw this cute lamp with an over sized shape.  Even though it's for a little girl's room, I adore it!  I've always wanted to decorate a little girl's room, but I'd use this for myself.

I am completely smitten with this bench.  I'd love to have it in my entry way.

Also in love with this end table.

 

 And this dresser!  Love yellow with turquoise.

 Saw these beautiful pillows at Home Goods.  Love purple and gray together.

This is my sister-in-law's office with her new chair and pillow.  More proof that purple and gray look fab together.

stuff...

Man I hate moving.  I just can't figure out why humans have so much stuff.  I've never been a pack rat or a hoarder.   I feel burdened by so much stuff.  I long for the minimal days of my youth, where everything I owned could be packed in my car.  I loved the freedom of feeling mobile, I could move on a moment's notice if I wanted to.  But I started accumulating.  And purging, trying desperately to keep the clutter at bay.  It's a constant balance.  A love of beautiful things, and a love of sparseness.  Even though I've been downsizing over the last couple of years, this time I was ruthless in my editing.  The place I am moving to is small.  And more than anything, I want simplicity.

As I said, I was ruthless in my editing.  I got rid of rugs, drapes, exercise equipment, most of my books, all the clothes that didn't fit, 90% of my pottery collection, furniture, my journals, tons of paper (where does it all come from?).  After getting rid of so much stuff, there was still so much left.  I am so sick of lugging my paintings around, I almost stopped at the dump to get rid of them.  My sister-in-law talked me out of it.

Ah, time to unpack.  Here's all the stuff in my new place.  Even though I still have a lot of work to do, it's a relief to be here.  I've lived in small places before, but I think this is the smallest.  I do love its layout, though.  Love the open kitchen.  Now the fun begins.  Time to decorate!

Goodbye attic apartment

Hello dear readers!  I am all moved!  I'm living in Akron in a small, simple, modern apartment.  I am really thrilled, and very, very grateful.  I am just about all unpacked and hope to show you my new place tomorrow. As you know, the last couple years have been a time of transition for me.  I lived in the attic apartment for almost a year and half.  Even though I moved things around a lot, I never really felt happy with it.  I've grown tired of old buildings with creaky floors, creaky windows, dust and bad plumbing.  As I cleaned my apartment, I continually thought about how I'd decorate my new place.  Simple, of course.  With lots of pink, of course.  And maybe some pops of yellow and black.

Here's my last photo of the living room in my attic apartment.  I was ruthless in my purging - I sold the two-tiered end table.  Stay tuned for lots of design inspiration and my new place.

Loft Love

Hello Creative Influences readers! Since Peggy is super busy, she asked me to do a guest post for her. One thing Peggy and I both love are Lofts! The open space, layout and high ceilings. I dream of having a loft someday in an old building in a big city....

About Design Interior
I love the row of cabinets under the windows.
Also, with tall ceilings you can have huge artwork, something else I love!

I am also drooling over this loft apartment in Stockholm!
Bright white walls with pops of color throughout.....

Trendir

I am super jealous of these windows....

I hope these lofts inspire you. I can't wait to see Peggy's new place and how she decorates it!
Feel free to stop by my blog sometime, My Mod Style and say HELLO!
Take Care,
Jessie

Brief Hiatus and Exciting Announcement

Sorry for the brief interruption of posts.  I don't need to explain to you, dear readers, how life is.  Busy.  Seems time rushes by and we lead such harried lives.  I'm excited to announce that I will be moving (yes, again).  After several years of transition, unemployment and illness, good fortune has smiled on me.  I have been given an opportunity to feel more settled.  I will fill you in on all the details at a later date.

As I look back on the last couple of difficult and tumultuous years, I can clearly see that I am always taken care of by God, Higher Power or the Cosmos, whatever you prefer to call it.  I can also clearly see that everything happens for a reason.  Even the difficult things.  I am a better, stronger and more peaceful person.

I am leaving my beloved Cleveland again.  I wouldn't be surprised if I return one day.  I definitely will be visiting.  There are exciting things happening in Cleveland.  In the meantime, I have been purging like crazy.  I have been ruthless in my editing, and yet it seems there is still so much stuff.  As you know, I've never really been a pack rat or a hoarder.  I like a clean, simple aesthetic. I'm trying harder than I ever have to live simpler.  The funny thing is that the simpler I make my life, the happier I am.  I still love beautiful things and, of course, am obsessing about decorating my new lovely, small, humble apartment.  And, of course, I will be sharing all my musings on simplicity and decor with you.

One of the things I purged was my boxes of journals.  I had been keeping journals for the last 20 years.  As I looked back on them, I saw destructive and repetitive patterns that, I am proud to say are no longer a part of my life.  I am no longer a victim, and am living an authentic life with integrity.  It felt great letting them go.  Closing one chapter of my life and welcoming the next.

I will be offline for a short time.  But stay tuned, I will be asking Jessie to guest blog again (although she is busy too!).  I have lots of interesting things to report when I return, such as thoughts on organic decor, uber simplicity and new art projects.  In the meantime just for fun, I'll leave you with some fab chicks on fab red sofas.

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The always fabulous Kate Winslet.  Is it just me, or does she keep getting better and better?  Okay, let's balance this with a cute guy.

The chair is not red, but it is fab.  And designer extraordinaire, Antonio Ballatore, looks fab in it.

P.S. Have you ever watched Clean House?  I've been watching it marathon style on Netflix while packing and organizing.  I love the team's campy sense of humor.  Designer Mark Brunetz and I share the love of clutter-free simplicity.  He is such a hottie and I just learned that he is a Cleveland native!  I'd love to meet him!

Take care, dear readers!  See you soon.  xxoo

The Art of Display

Hello dear readers!  So good to see you.  Sorry for yet another hiatus.  I've missed you.  Let's see where was I before this long hiatus?  That's right.  Obsessing about one of my favorite things.  Pottery!  As you know a collection of beautiful objects is only part of the equation.  Display is an art form of its own.  Display should be simple, and never compete with the objects.  And most importantly, clutter just won't do.  Here are some artful display ideas from my inspiration folder.  

Having a collection of beautiful objects is a delicate balance.  Display should be simple, leaving room for objects to breathe and not compete with each other.  Going vertical is a great idea in a small place.  Your collection can have a lot of impact without using a large footprint.  Grouping like objects, such is shown on the left, makes an impact and still remains simple.  Image Jarlath Mellett.

Sometimes a display case is so beautiful it can stand on its own.  This beautiful case creates an airy entry way into the space.  It's not empty, but rather full of potential.  Harper and Caleb's Sophisticated Southern Gem via Apartment Therapy.

Ethnic items are gorgeous against this white back drop.  Notice how objects are allowed to breathe.  Negative space is as important as the objects.  Keeping all the objects neutral provides impact and remains simple.  Jen Fong Photography.

Vertical built-ins look great in this cozy corner.   There's plenty of storage here too, making this a great solution for a small space.  Image Natasja Molenaar.

I love these crates so much.  I'd like to experiment with some painted crates for display of my own pottery collection.  To see more fabulous crates, see my previous posts here and here.  Image Lotta Agaton via Agent Bauer.

I love utilitarian looking display.  This display is unobtrusive, so objects take center stage.  Again, leaving negative space is very important so objects have room to breathe.  Image est magazine.

One of my favorite types of display, is the all white display.  Objects are multi-shaped but unified by the crisp white.  I love this.  Image Mark Gregory Peters.

I adore open shelving in the kitchen.  And check those teak dishes on the counter!  Gorgeous.

Images reader Lucy's home via Desire to Inspire.

Vertical display boxes work great in the kitchen.  Image Love Nordic Design.

Horizontal display can be done skillfully as well.  It should also be simple, not too much.  This beautiful room remains serene because objects of simple shape and like textures are grouped together.  Image Welcome Beyond. 

Yet another fine example of horizontal display.  I adore the all white palette with just a couple small pops of orange.  Orange is a color that is only needed in small doses, and makes such a large impact.  Sorry, image source unknown.  Please contact me if you know the source of this image.