Thursday, February 19, 2015

Home Inspiration Within Reach

Jon and I have been in our new apartment - the first we moved into together as just the two of us - for nearly five months now and it's finally feeling permanent.  We've known since day one that we plan to be at this address for a couple of years, but for the first few months I stubbornly maintained a low-level dissatisfaction with how we'd decorated and were living in the space.

Yes, I'm a delight.  I know.

Something clicked recently, though, and I'm much more content with what we have and how we're using it.  I still imagine how the apartment will evolve but my fantasies are less abstract than they were; rather than being consumed by a general sense of "this isn't finished," I've defined a few things/areas that will change eventually.  And, I was surprised to discover, making peace with "eventually" was a big part of my adjusting my mindset.  Our apartment isn't unfinished - it's simply in progress.

To that end, when I do think about what this apartment might look like down the road, I'm much more intentional.  I no longer let myself get carried away by pieces or aesthetics that either don't work with our space or with Jon's taste.  (Our somewhat distinct preferences have made decorating an interesting challenge!  To be discussed in another post...)  Ideas can come from anywhere, sure, and can be adapted to anything, but I limit myself to dreaming about what realistically fits our styles, budget, and life when I idly search through Craigslist, page through catalogues, or scroll through design websites.  I've even started following a few Instagrammers whose homes serve as inspiration within reach for me - here are some of my favorites at the moment:


A photo posted by Karen (@somewhereonmain) on


A photo posted by Nicole (@windyhill_cottage) on

A photo posted by Layla (@mysunsetavenue) on

10 comments:

  1. We've been in our apartment for about 5-6 years now and it's constantly a work in progress and changes as we change. I think a well appointed home is something that changes with you and I love seeing the evolution in our place over the years! Can't wait to see how your own home changes and grows with you! :)

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  2. I was like this with our house, we put off decorating for so long I felt really fed up with the whole thing. Doing small things and finishing little corners has made it a lot more manageable though. I will say this though, I tried to use pinterest for paint colour inspirations and everyone has grey houses!!!

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  3. gorgeous inspiration shots :) h and i are usually on the same page about how our place should look -- but he is on board with the whole "less is more" thing so i have to work a little harder to convince him gallery walls dont have to look like clutter ;)

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  4. Paige @ Little NostalgiaFebruary 19, 2015 at 11:18 AM

    Aaaah! I'm so flattered to be included here! Our house was a work in progress for a long time, too. We've lived here for 2.5 years and only a few months ago did things really start to feel cohesive and "finished." When you're on a normal budget, things are just going to take longer because you end up doing more of the work yourself. (Which is a big plus for me anyway, haha.) I'm glad you're finding your groove and I can't wait to see how it looks when you guys have more done. :-)

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  5. We have lived in our house for five years, and things STILL aren't as they should be. The neverending joke is that projects are never finished. However, I like that. I think that it's fun to change bits and pieces of where you live as your styles evolve and as you get tired of things. Progress is a good thing, and most likely you won't ever get out of that progress phase. Sure, you may find that more things come together as you had hoped, but most likely you'll adapt or change again. That's the fun of having a space of your own to begin with!

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  6. I'm also trying to come to terms with our house being "in progress." I think it does help to concentrate on one thing at a time...I keep telling myself that I'm not spending a lot on other rooms until the master bedroom is complete!

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  7. Our home has been a work in progress since we moved over with very little furniture 2 years ago. It slowly came together but there are still things I want to change. Hopefully though, we'll be moving at some point this year so I'm kind of putting things on hold until we see where we are!

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  8. I like things that are in progress - that way it's less threatening to make a decision about something because you know, you can always change it again eventually.
    ps. that last dog photo is adorable. I want him to come with my next home purchase!

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  9. I'm really excited to move into a new space with Dan and start decorating. We're selling or donating most of our furniture since it's pretty much all old or cheap or both. My best friend and I share a Pinterest inspiration board for my new house/townhouse/apartment. Yeah, Dan had a townhouse picked out, but that fell through, so we're going to look together once I'm in Atlanta. Luckily Dan is on board with my color scheme! And we're both super-pumped to go to Ikea for the first time ever!

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  10. This post is exactly how I am feeling with our rental home. It's so frustrating, mostly with our living room, because none of our pieces go together and a plaid couch is nearly impossible to coordinate with... anything. Everywhere else in my house is fine but since the living room is the first thing that people see, it drives me bonkers!

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