Trois Amours ~ Hi Sugarplum!

A big welcome to the lovely Cassie of Hi Sugarplum! Here today to share her Trois Amours with us. I bet it was tough to choose her 3 favorite things since there are so many great projects in her home!

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Hello! I'm Cassie from Hi Sugarplum! and I'm so excited to be participating in Jane's Trois Amours Series! She's so fancy and French, I love it!
I had a hard time narrowing down my favorites, so I thought I'd just answer each of her finely-tuned categories.
One piece that finished off a room.
While I'm not done with my Daughter's Room Makeover, the one piece that is the piece de resistance (see, I can be fancy too!), and really stands as the focal point in the room, is her Fancy Pants Highboy.

Talk about fancy...look at the legs on that beauty!

A great find, or steal of a deal.
I can be quite a cheapskate frugal, so I have a few items I practically stole. My most recent was this Knot Mirror.

It's 'inspired by' the Horchow Mirror that retails for $600. I scored it from Kirklands for a measly $45! Stole! Um, I mean, Score!
Something that makes you smile when you walk into a room.
I'm still not able to walk into my Son's Room without getting a big ole goofball smile on my face.

This room is the first I designed and created from start to finish. I couldn't be any happier with the outcome. And it brings me so much joy knowing how much my son loves it, and the pride he feels when friends come to visit.
Thank you, Jane, for allowing me to participate in this fun series, and be on your lovely blog today!

Thanks so much Cassie! I'm still entralled by her little boys room and the finishing touches on her little girl's room are causing me to love it just as much! Lucky kids! :)

Trois Amours ~ Flights of Whimsy

I'm so happy to welcome Brandi today from Flight of Whimsy to share that three things that make her house a home! I recently disovered her blog and love her artwork.. so pretty!

Hey there Modern Jane Readers! It's Brandi from Flights of Whimsy! I'm new to Jane and her blog so I was delighted when she asked me to participate in Trois Amours series! I love making new friends in the blogosphere.

My #1 love right now is my formal dining room. It's the only mostly finished room in the house so naturally I'm smitten with it!

My husband and I bought our 1980's ranch almost two years ago and the decorating process has, at best, been very slow. Partly because I wanted to take my time figuring things out, partly due to lack of funds and partly because of all the DIY projects it takes!

The table was a clearance purchase from Pier 1, my mom and I made the curtains with fabric from Mood, the chairs I purchased on craigslist and repainted and upholstered them.

#2 Amour is the striking Art Deco mirror I got for a song.

 

It was a score from my old boss when she moved back to NYC. I bought it along with an amazing dresser for a mere $200 for both!

It's had many locations throughout the house, but I think it's here to stay on this wall in our living room. I just love how unique and striking it is. I probably could have never afforded it from a vintage store so I feel especially grateful to call it mine.

And lastly #3 (it's so hard to choose!) is this painting I made.

See a tutorial on how to make this here!

It's the first piece of artwork I have ever really done and I couldn't be more happy with the results. It was mostly an experiment that I was fully expecting to go horribly awry. Like other things in my house, it hasn't found it's permanent home yet but since purple and gray are my favorite colors it can happily saunter from room to room in my house! I've since made another version for Christine from Bijou and Boheme that turned equally fantastic.

Thanks for having me Jane!

Thanks so much Brandi! Hop on over to her blog and check it out!

Don't forget to check out my favorite textiles over at Danielle Oakey Interiors today!

Trois Amours ~ The Fabulous Design File

I've asked some of my favorite bloggers to share the 3 things in their home that they love most. This could be:

•that one piece that finished off a room

•a great find or a steal of a deal

•a sentimental item

•or simply something that makes you smile when you walk into a room!

This week, I welcome Carissa, from The Fabulous Design File. She has such a beautiful sense of style and a great eye for thrifted items! Her home was featured at Made by Girl this week! So excititng! If you haven't yet, you must head over and check out Carissa's DIY painted chevron rug! So cool!

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Hi!  It’s me, Carissa, from the Fabulous Design File.  I have to start out by saying that Jane is one of my favourite new blog friends… especially after I won her Eva Juliet giveaway!!!  Hahaha… just kidding.  I loved Jane’s style as soon as I found her blog, and she’s been on my daily tour ever since!    I’m so excited that Jane asked me to share the 3 things in my home that I love the most this week!  Such a fun series… and surprisingly difficult to narrow it down to only 3 things!!!

#1.  Library



This is currently my favourite room in my house.  I love the library shelves, and have fun switching out the books and accessories often.  This room is also the home of my chevron rug… by far the most successful diy I’ve undertaken so far.

#2.  Family Gallery Wall



This is a collection of family photos, kid art, and other meaningful pieces.  It really does make me smile every time I walk past it!  Seeing it in the photo makes me think I might want to paint the wall a brighter color… hmmm….

#3.  Brass Bargains



I’ve been enthralled with brass this year.  It seems that people are still in the mindset of getting rid of their brass pieces, because there are a ton of bargains to be found on kijiji and craigslist!  I just picked up these faux bamboo brass nesting tables up on the weekend for $15, and I’m quite enamoured with them!

Thanks so much for inviting me over to your blog today, Jane!  

Thanks so much Carissa! Happy St-Patty's Day to all!

Trois Amours ~ A Delightful Design

I've asked some of my favorite bloggers to share the 3 things in their home that they love most. This could be:

•that one piece that finished off a room

•a great find or a steal of a deal

•a sentimental item

•or simply something that makes you smile when you walk into a room!

Today, it is wonderful to welcome Abby from A Delightful Design. I discovered Abby's blog recently and been an avid follower since! She and her husband are on the house hunt and hopefully they will find something soon! It will be so fun to watch her transform it into a home!

Head on over and check out her blog!

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Hi friends!  I'm Abby from a delightful design and I am so happy to join in the fun with Jane's new series! 

 I confess, this was a tricky post to write.  I love different pieces in our home for different reasons...how do you choose!?  We have lived in this house for seven years and that's enough time to accumulate items of meaning.  But what do I love the most?  Pieces with sentimental value of just stuff I'm crushing on for the moment.  I say both! :-)

This white sofa is my number one love of the moment.  I wanted a slipcovered sofa to stand up to my two little boys, and this one fits the bill without looking shabby chic.  Plus, it allows my artwork, pillows, and wall color be the stand out.  

This chair is my second love it-have to have it-can't live without it piece in our home.  When my first baby was born I used a wooden rocking chair.  BIG mistake.  Trust me--after pushing a baby out of your lady parts you want a nice upholstered chair.  Admittedly, damask is a rather feminine fabric choice for a boy's nursery, but I plan to move it into our bedroom once he becomes a "big boy".  Just look how sweet he is!

My third love is more on the sentimental side.  

Can you see the painting over the sofa?  I love the painting but what really drew me in was the frame.  I fell hard for it while visiting my home town.  My dad noticed me noticing the painting and gave it as a birthday gift.  I would never have bought it for myself and I love that I will have it forever.

Thanks for spending time with me today!  I can't wait to keep reading Jane's "Trois Amours" series!

Trois Amours Series ~ Ten June

Today, I welcome the lovely blogger, Michelle. She is the author of the blog Ten June, where she shares how she and her husband are transforming their 50s rancher into the gorgeous home they share with their two pups, Tucker and Maggie.

Michelle is my first guest in a new weekly series called "Trois Amours". I've asked some of my favorite bloggers to share the 3 things in their home that they love most. This could be:

• that one piece that finished off a room
• a great find or a steal of a deal
• a sentimental item
• or simply something that makes you smile when you walk into a room!

Thanks so much Michelle for participating. If you haven't checked out her blog yet, head on over and check her home. It's looking fabulous. I'm especially loving the progress in her dining room!

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Hi friends!! I'm Michelle, popping over from Ten June. Jane is such a sweet blog friend and I'm so excited to share something fun with all of you today. And guess what it is?? My TOP THREE favorite things in my house. Isn't Jane's series on bloggers' favorite things such a good idea?! We all spend our time blogging about all kinds of fun design and decor projects, but I think this is such a good question: what part of your home REALLY puts a smile on your face??

So here's my list! I'm going to go all David Letterman on you and count down backwards : )

3) My dining room!

I have only recently begun decorating this room and it feels really good to see it all coming together! I don't have much on the walls yet and I'm still working on the chairs and table settings, but I have painted the walls navy blue, added a DIY sunburst mirror, and recently bought a new rug. I think it's really coming along well :)

2) The window wall in my kitchen/breakfast room.

A few months ago, we repainted the kitchen cabinets and trim a fresh, bright white. It has literally changed the entire face of the room and has made it such a beautiful, bright, airy space.

And this beautiful wall of windows along our breakfast room certainly helps in that! I love looking out the windows over our backyard while I drink my coffee in the mornings. Just so pretty!

Annnnddd drumroolll pleeeeease...... My favorite-est (ok, not a word, but I like it!) thing at my house?

1) My family!! :)

Cheesy, I know. But it's true!

Thanks for having me, Jane!!

Guest Blogger ~ A Kapple a Day

Rounding out the Design Trends Guest Series is Kristen from A Kapple a Day. She and her handsome husband just closed on their first house! I am anxious to see what design trends she incorporates as she makes it a home!

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Hello everyone! I was so excited when Jane asked me to participate in her guest post series on trends. I will be the first to admit, my knowledge of design is limited, and my formal training is that of an ICU nurse, not an interior decorator. So when I saw the other guest bloggers Jane had lined up for this series, I was a bit intimidated! I mean, these are all blogs that I read to keep up with the trends and search for inspiration. So with that said, I'm happy and honored to be here!

As a new home owner, I am constantly on the lookout for ways to decorate and accessorize our home, and really make it ours! I have been scouring blogs and magazines for months and have quite a nice inspiration folder set up on my lap top. There are a couple trends that I have been seeing around the blog world, and in magazines, that I can see being popular in this coming year:

PINK! Ever since Pantone introduced Honeysuckle as the color for 2011, I feel like I've been seeing it everywhere. And I can't say that I mind! I love little pops of color here and there and pink has always been one of my favorites. It's such a cheery, happy color and I can't wait to incorporate it into our home, somewhere, somehow!


{photos via lonny, bellemaison23, everythingleb}

Gallery Walls. This trend has been around for a little while, but I don't think it's going anywhere anytime soon. What a fabulous way to showcase favorite photos and artwork for everyone to see! I can't wait to have something like this in my new living room.

{photos via abodelove, lesueurinteriors, & martha stewart}

One trend from 2010 that I won't be disappointed to see go?

Tribal Prints. Although I love color and patterns, this one is just not for me.

{via anthropologie}

I'm looking forward to seeing what trends really take off this year! Thanks so much for having me Jane!

Thanks so much Kristen! Everyone should head on over to her blog and check it out! Her new house is adorable!

Guest Blogger ~ Let's Make it Ours

Day 4 of the Design Trends Series welcomes Jen from Let's Make it Ours. Jen has been making changes to her home to make it perfect for her family. One change includes painting her oak kitchen cabinets. I think it looks terrific! Check it out here! I also can't wait to see what little projects she creates in her new series 12 Months of Martha.

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Hello! My name is Jen and I blog over at Let's Make it Ours about design, renos, crafting and my two little ones.  I am absolutely thrilled that Jane asked me to participate in her guest series. I have been a huge fan of hers for quite a while! I think that Jane chose a great topic for her series, as I love to read about how others interpret trends. 

Lately I have found myself drawn to a "modern rustic" style and I love seeing how others pull it off in their homes.  Along those lines, one trend that I am really intrigued by is industrial looking metals paired with medium or light toned wood, which seems to be gaining momentum these days. I found some beautiful pieces at Crate and Barrel and West Elm this season. Since we are currently on the hunt for a new dining table, I am contemplating working this style into our own home!

 Since I can't afford this stunning local loft I will definitely settle for a small piece of furniture that encompasses that style.
 

On the other hand, there are definitely a few trends that I will be happy to see go this year, but there is one in particular that I am really excited about...the gravitation away from beige walls! While I love my beigish/grey living room (Benjamin Moore's Revere Pewter), I am happy to see that grey, soft blue and even white are taking over as the standard neutrals. Beige had a nice long run and I am not sad to see it go! 

Patricia McDonagh

320 Sycamore

 Thanks again for asking me to participate Jane!

Thanks so much for being here today Jen! I can't wait to see what you choose for a dining table!

guest blogger ~ name 5 things

Welcome to day 3 of the Design Trends guest posting series. Today I welcome Emily from Name 5 Things. Emily has a real eye for all things beautiful and her home is no exception! Every project and update in her home is so tasteful, relaxed and fun! Head on over to her blog and check it out!

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I was thrilled with Jane asked me to participate in her great Design Trends Series. Her home is gorgeous and is full of inspiration (can we talk about how amazing her dining room is?)! Of course, I have no expertise on the subject, but it's fun to think about all the great (and not so great) design trends.

Here are the trends I am most looking forward to in 2011:

Pink! I think pink will be a big color. For starters, honeysuckle is Pantone's color of the year, but check out how great the pink in these rooms is:


via decor pad



via decorpad

(And I am hoping animal print stays around. When used in moderation, it can really complete a room.)

Reusing/Re-purposing/Upcycling furniture. There have been some amazing before and after pictures of craigslist and thrift store furniture finds around blogland. I think this trend will continue (or maybe I should say it shouldn't continue, so I can get first dibs at all of my local craigslist finds!).


via littlegreennotebook

 

via emily a. clark


I also think dark walls are around to stay too. I am not daring enough to do one of them myself, but always admire them. They create such drama!


via decorpad

 And there are some trends from 2010 that I am not quite ready to let go of yet either -- gray, lucite, sunburst mirrors, trellis, greek key, and chevron.



images via decor pad



via lonny mag


There is really only one trend that I am ready to see go in 2011 . . . and this may may be shocking, but wall antlers/animal heads. Don't get me wrong, I am not against all antlers -- done right, they can look great. Other times they can be downright creepy. These rooms fall into the creepy category (in my book):


via decor pad



via country living

(but the rest of the room is fabulous!)

I am excited about another year of fun decor inspiration and seeing what things I can incorporate into my own home! Thanks Jane for having me over at your blog today!

Thanks so much Emily for stopping by today! I am totally with you about repurposing/upcyling. My pocketbook hopes this trend is here to stay for a while! You can do so much! I don't usually share my love with too many people either.. keep all the good stuff for me!