Spring Colors

In my post below I mentioned how much I love the colors for Spring 2018. I'm obsessed. Hot pink, pale pink, orange, peach, chartreuse, teal. I even love mixing saturated colors with pale colors. If you're trying to cheer yourself up after the long winter, add a pop of color to your place. You might even trying experimenting with a color you wouldn't ordinarily use. You'd be surprised how an unexpected hit of color freshens up a tired room. And it need not be expensive.

Have you noticed how cute outdoor furniture has gotten? I'd use any of these pieces inside. I really love the ceramic turquoise end table, I'd like to have that in my home.

Tropical prints are really hip right now. I'm not usually one for trends, but I am digging this palm leaf patterned rug. I fear I am becoming a maximalist. Images from Brylane.  BTW, I hate blogging on my Android, I don't know why I can't get my text to wrap left.

My brother and I went to Target tonight. Aren't these pillows divine? I  haven't been there in a long time. It was great to see things in person that I usually only see online. However, I was having sticker shock as well as sensory overload, Target has a lot of beautiful things for the home. I'm especially in love with their Project 62 products, but their prices have gotten high.  I did see a lamp that is haunting me, though....

It's Spring! Be bold!

Dear readers, if you are like me, you are feeling the pull to spruce up your place. It's only natural since Spring is in the air. I'm a bit obsessive about my place. Lately, I am craving color. Bright and happy colors like orange, yellow, chartreuse, turquoise. And, of course, pink. As you know, whatever color scheme I use, will always contain healthy doses of pink. I'm even thinking of experimenting with layering patterns, something I don't do very often, preferring simplicity. But I find that I'm at a stage where I want to throw caution to the wind, be bold and fearless and unapologetically me. Of course there's a ton of inspiration on the internet. Below I've assembled a collage of some beautiful colors and shapes, which give you a peek into my mind. People sure make beautiful things, don't they?

Credits:
1. Mark Rothko painting
2-4 pillows from Amazon. I am head over heels for the beaded chartreuse pillow.
5-6 lamps from Amazon
7 Ashley lamp from Target
8 fabulous blue beaded chandelier - unknown
9 Chinese inspired orange lamp designed by Meg Caswell (remember her from Design Star?  See my previous post reviewing Design Star, here).
10 blue glass lamp from Tuesday Morning
11-13 vintage pillows from one of my favorite Etsy shops, Leelaland Designs. I think these patterns look marvelous together.

What about you, dear readers? Are you busy spring cleaning? What are you doing to spruce up your place?

My Apartment - For Today

It's taken some time, but my apartment and I are having a love affair. My personal space is very important to me. Here's a quick peek at how she looks today.

I love color, especially pink.

I'm a big proponent of color psychology. I got the knock off Middle Kingdom vase at a thrift store for $4.00. If you need cheering up, try a pop of yellow.

The chandelier is a work in progress.

Yep. I've got vase addiction.

My Humble Abode: Loving Pillows

Happy Friday dear readers!  I hope you are enjoying your day. I am working on an exciting writing project. The coffee is brewing and during my stretch breaks I putter around the apartment - my favorite procrastination tool!

I enjoy moving things around to get a different look in my place. That's why I like vases and pillows. They can be moved on a whim. And they don't have to be expensive. The Goodwill and Salvation Army have plenty of lovely vases. When you're done with a vase, you can redonate.  Throw pillows are a great way to experiment with color.

Wanna add pink, but hubby doesn't like pink? Try a pillow.  Need a little sophistication for a dinner party? Add black pillows.  Reasonably priced pillows can be obtained at Marcs, Burlington Coat Factory, TJ Maxx and Amazon. Careful with Amazon, though. It's addicting. When you tire of a pillow, Etsy is a great place to buy artisan pillows covers.  Many are even washable.

Here's a couple of ways I have used pillows in my place.  I don't care that I am breaking the rules by using too many pillows. I love the cozy bohemian feel of pillows thrown all over, even on the floor. A contradiction for a striving minimalist, I know.

Do you have home improvement projects scheduled this weekend? I'd love to hear about them.  xo

My Humble Abode, Part 1: A Preview

Happy Friday dear readers! I hope you're having a lovely day, and have a fun weekend planned. If you follow my Instagram, you know I've been working on my home this week. It's a slow process, but that's okay.  I believe you should allow a home time to evolve. If you decorate your place too quickly, you will become bored.  I'm estatic to be back in my hometown of Cleveland. 

As always with a new place, it took sometime for this apartment to speak to me.  Your place has a soul and a unique character, if you listen it will tell you what it wants. I've always had a love affair with wherever I've lived and now this place is no different. I am hoping to never move again.   :-)

I'm calling my style dollar store chic. I want my place to be: simple and clean; modern, yet warm and cozy;  retro, groovy and mod. It needs warmth because my main window gets the northern breezes from my beloved Lake Erie.  I want guests to feel free to plop down on the sofa put their feet up and cover themselves with a soft blanket. Nothing's too precious, so not to worry if something gets spilled. The sofa cover is washable.

I want lots of color. I know I'm breaking a lot of rules, but I don't care. One of my major goals is to prove that pink can be a thoroughly modern color. It's not just a girly color, and it looks great with every color. I've used various shades of pink, have paired pink with green, grey, orange, and blue. There's no such thing as too much pink.

Other styles I'm influenced by are: mid-century mod, minimalism, bohemian, Japanese, and industrial. But please don't call my place eclectic, I prefer the term collected.  I have collected various things that I find beautiful.  Just not too many, clutter will not do. 

Now here's the kicker.  My budget is $100.  How do I reconcile all these different influences and on such a tiny budget? Follow along to find out. I will also have a lot to say about organization. These pictures are bad, but that's the natural light in the middle of the day on a gray day in Cleveland, and I actually love it.  I sure feel grateful for my fab girl cave.

Want more pictures and less words?  Be sure to follow @margiemax on Instagram.

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Everything inspires me when I am contemplating a painting.  I am constantly amazed at the beautiful color everywhere I look.  I bought the most awesome blue lipstick and nail polish at the dollar store recently.  I can see a color scheme of blue, pink and gray.  I also found the most gorgeous pillow at Pat Catan's, on the cheap.  I usually don't like patterns, but the colors are so gorgeous.

I've been seeing a lot of blush or pale pink in decor these days.  And for the first time Pantone selected two colors of the year, rose quartz and serenity.  I am taken with how closely these colors resemble my sky inspiration photo (below).  I even love these colors with last year's color, radiant orchid.

All these thoughts go through my brain as I think about a painting. I become obsessed with a desire to reproduce a color I see in my mind.  As I contemplate, I move things around in my place. My place becomes my color lab.

My new pillow.

Part of my scarf collection

New makeup and thick socks, such luxury!

A Color Story, Part 4

Here's an update of what's been going on in my apartment lately. Last week I decided I had to have a lilac and/or a lavender pillow. Currently I am using a mint green sofa cover and I think mint green and lilac look fabulous together. Shouldn't be too hard to find since Pantone's color of the year is Radiant Orchid. But alas, it was not to be. I was actually surprised I couldn't find accessories in these colors anywhere. C'est la vie. I then stopped at my trusty Goodwill. As soon as I walked in the door I spied this beauty from 50 years away. It's like I have a radar for anything pink.

I couldn't get over there fast enough. $2.00 for this fabulous shade. Score! I love the color, it's kinda pinky-lilac. Since my color appetite was not satisfied, I made the decision to swing over the Home Depot for some paint. If I can't find the colors I want, I'll paint things!

As you know, Behr flat paint is my favorite. Did you know they come in sample sizes? An eight ounce sample costs $2.98. Such a deal. I bought these three gorgeous colors.

And oh yeah, I picked up this cute little eight ounce jar of paint at Target. It's by Martha Stewart and the color is Devine Blossom. Too adorable to resist.

Since I can't paint my apartment, I painted a canvas in Behr's Pink Bliss. Man. Just look at it. I am smitten. I'm going to paint every wall in my next apartment this color. Doesn't it look fabulous with the new lamp shade? For now I just have the shade perching on a vase. I'd love to make lamps out of vases, but I can't find a glass cutter willing to drill holes in vases for me. I couldn't stop there.

Remember this lamp that is now a vase? I'm addicted to the genie shape, but red is a color I really don't like in my decor. I painted the lamp with Behr's little pond. Ahh much better. Don't get me wrong, I love red. Just not so much in place. The canvas is painted with Martha Stewart's Devine Blossom.

Here's a mass-produced vase I got for 99 cents at the Goodwill. I painted it in Behr's Freesia purple. I love it!

Okay, I know you've heard me talk ad nauseum about my new bamboo etagere. I really do suffer with design ADD. After much consternation, I decided that I just don't like the wood color in my apartment. I like my place to be more airy and light. So I painted it white and doubted my sanity the whole time. It was a bitch and half to paint! I had to do it with a brush, having no where to spray paint. It took a million coats, and still needs a little sanding and touch up - but that's on my procrastination list. I must admit, I like it a lot better. I've placed this in front of the counter to be a sort of faux wall to my open kitchen. I think I'm still missing my studio apartment after all this time!

I took a risk and ordered this light purple pillow from Etsy shop owner Sukan. I just had to have a pillow in this color scheme! It's a risk because it's shipping from Turkey. I usually don't order from oversees because of delays in Customs. But I dearly love this color and I've had great luck with Etsy. I can't wait for it to arrive and I'll be sure to let you know how I like it. If I like it, I may order these gorgeous pink pillows.

Now I'm not really liking my mint green sofa cover, and really want something lilac or lavender. Oh, I do love a color dilemma. I'll be sure to do a tour of my place when I resolve the color scheme.  Hope you have a great day!  Stay tuned for an exciting announcement later today. xo

Favorite Color Scheme of 2013

Happy New Year dear readers! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season. I've seen so many review posts on my favorite blogs so felt I should do one too.  A friend of mine recently said to me, "I wonder what 2014 will look like?"  Interesting thought. Each year does have its own unique look, doesn't it? In the next few posts I will endeavor to show you what I think 2014 will look like.  But first, let's take a look at what 2013 looked like.  Here is a review of my favorite color scheme for 2013.

Dove gray, pale pink, hot pink. Added to that are a small amount of black, and a large amount of white. No matter what color scheme you choose, you should always balance it with a large amount of white. There are so many beautiful variations of pink. You may opt for a coral pink instead of pale pink - or even in addition to the pale pink for a beautiful look. Peach will also work in place of pale pink.  This color scheme can be done in a soft hue or for more drama in a bold hue, or a mixture of the two. The possibilities are endless and experimentation is so much fun.

For those lovers of color, you may want to add just a pop of an accent color.  Here are my favorite accent colors for 2013:

Yellow, orange, turquoise and aqua. A small amount of yellow goes a long way.  Any of these colors can be used as a pop to the above color scheme, or could replace the pink (gasp!). In my humble opinion, every room needs a dash of hot pink. Color is fun, and I love experimenting with color in my apartment, and I will continue to experiment with color in 2014.  For now, here are some inspirational rooms in this lovely color scheme, some soft, some bold.  Hope you enjoy!

Love the softness of this room. Very restful and calm. Image via Milieu.  Fab tray tables by Hay. Perfect multifunctional pieces that work very well in a small space.

I dearly love the pale pink walls in this room.  Gray artwork and pillows add softness, while a gold ottoman and darker pink rugs add drama.  Simply gorgeous.  House to Home.  We will continue to see blush walls for 2014.

Love the softness of this room also. A perfect place to take a nap.  Image via Alcro.

Love the pink lounge.  A perfect place for reading.  Image One Kind Design.

This pipe bed adds just the right amount of edge to this room. The chandelier is the perfect foil to the pipe bed. The room is a perfect combination of hard and soft. Pink and gray accent walls are also a great combination of hard and soft. The room is both masculine and feminine and very chic. Proving once again, what I've said a million time on this blog. Pink is not only a girly color - it can be used in a thoroughly modern way.  Simplified Building Concepts.

Pink lamp looks gorgeous against the dark wall.  Image via Gild and Grace.

I am completely smitten with this apartment. I adore the pale gray rug and the pale furniture, floors and walls. The color comes from the accessories and art. And they've gone big with the art - which I love! I could live here. You must see the rest of this home, it's gorgeous!  Click Design Hunter.

Want a small amount of hot pink?  Add a pillow.  Love the Moroccan wedding blanket-inspired rug. Eva Chen's apartment via Domino.

Love the pops of of red, pink and that orange vase in this room.

Beautiful soft gray floor and cute gray furry stool.  Images via The Style Files.

Hot pink and gray sofas look beautiful together.  Gorgeous pillows, art and ottoman.  I'd love to edit the animal skin from this otherwise gorgeous room.  Image New Home Design Ideas.

The decorator of this room has skillfully added both ethnic and metallic touches to this color scheme. The room disparate objects unexpectedly meld together to form an elegant and, yet, cozy room.  Jennifer's Pink and Lime Room via Apartment Therapy.

Another fine example of mixing disparate objects with this beautiful color scheme.  Houzz.

This room looks modern and fresh thanks to its pale gray walls and hot pink pillows. It's a sickness - I know - but I want to edit this room. I'd like to edit the grouping of artwork on the right wall.

If I had my druthers, I'd take the grouping down and move that fab graphic orange and white painting there.  That painting deserves a place of greater prominence without so much competition.  Still, it's a gorgeous room. Elle Decor France.

Simply divine pink sofa I've had in my inspiration file for a while.  I'd love to paint those walls pale gray. Via Indulgy, original source unknown.

Another beautifully soft room in pink and gray.  Ministry of Deco.

This is very close to being my dream kitchen and was the inspiration for painting my kitchen gray (see previous post here).  Wish I could paint my cupboard white!  Image via Desire to Inspire.



While exploring this color scheme, I found some accessories from a shop called Leif.  Lovely pot holder, tea towel, dipped spoons and vase would look great in the above kitchen.

Gorgeous room from CB2 catalog.  I love that hot pink end table.

New vases from CB2 in this color scheme.

This color scheme can be soft, or bold and dramatic like this room.  I adore the pops of orange, hot pink, and blue.  House to Home.

And speaking of drama, look at this bold and beautiful bedroom! I actually found this in an ad for DNA kiss portraits, but it was the bedding and those fab lamps that caught my eye. I am drooling over those lamps, if anyone knows the designer of those lamps, please contact me.

That's a wrap of my favorite color scheme for 2013.  In my next few posts, I will be talking about what 2014 is going to look like.  We are going to continue to have fun with color.  Happy New Year!