Friday, September 3, 2010

all over the globe(s)

I literally skipped from the mailbox the other day. I was giddy when I opened it to find that POTTERY BARN had finally come! The fall PB kids and PB teen catalogs had been delivered! I immediately started thumbing through. A few pages jumped right out at me:



How perfect is that?? I love this room! I think I want to add some hanging globes to the big boys room now, and what kid wouldn't love a playroom all filled with fun colorful globes hanging from the ceiling. But what I love most is the color. Look at all of that color, and with the warm wood tones and subtle pops of red. LOVE!

I guess I have a thing for globes...

I've had a lot of email requests for my color advice lately. So I've really had to think about how to describe my color style and what I'm going for in our home. The best way I can describe it is lots of white woodwork and trims, with blues, greens, grays and earth tones in broad strokes with pops of bold colors like reds, yellows, browns, oranges. We had a red wall in our first house and I felt like it suffocated me. I LOVE red, I just like well placed small amounts of it. It's just a personal preference thing, but I've noticed I can handle just about any amount of blue or green and it makes me feel calm and serene, and it's just what soothes me, but it definitely benefits from red, yellow and orange to wake it up a bit and make it fun. What I tell people is to collect pictures of rooms and ideas you love, and look at them all together and decide if they contain any similar colors and styles. You'll see what you gravitate toward and quickly get a good idea of what your style is. When it's time to paint or make furniture purchases, you'll already have an idea of where you should start.

I guess my color preferences are a lot like a globe or a map, blues, greens, grays, earthtones in broad strokes, pops of brighter, bolder colors... maybe that's why I like them so much.

A globe or map can look great in any room. How about a kitchen?



Yep! I love this creative placement of globes. I never would have thought to put them in the kitchen, but they look so good there!
(image via the pleated poppy.)

All of this thinking about maps and globes reminded me of something I saw a while back.
(image via censational girl)

And I decided our basement is going to look great with a HUGE map like that one. Of course I'll put my own spin on the whole thing, but I am so inspired by this room. We're moving our brown leather couches down there as well... tell me you can see it!

Speaking of the basement, something really great has happened down there over the past two weeks...



DRYWALL is now DONE!!!
We are so excited about the progress down there! I'm starting to see it in my head and it's going to be great! We wondered if we would ever make it, we're kind of tired of being in construction mode forever... we just finished our last basement a little over a year ago, just to sell the home and start over, but oh well. We learned a lot the first time around, so this one will be even better.
(see our last basement here)

I think one of the best decisions we made was to open up the stairs, here they are in the framing phase, before the wall came down:
Huge difference, I say.

We still need to do some work on the stairs, the balusters for one, but paint, trims and doors are up next! I can't wait to add an extra family room, 2 bedrooms, an office, a storage room, a play house, and several closets! It's going to be like a whole new house! And I can't wait to put a little of the world down there via map mural, because we're all over the globes (and maps)!

10 comments:

Brenna said...

Oh that PBK hanging globe idea is great - what a fun idea for your boys' room!

Moore Minutes said...

Yes, I LOVED the catalog too!...and the globes! You did such an amazing job in the way you incorporated globes into your son's room.

Also, I have a giveaway on my blog right now that I would love for you to enter if you're interested and haven't already done so! =)

Jill said...

can't wait to see the finished basement!

Liz said...

Can't wait to see the end result of your basement, so many cool ideas for basements, wish we had them in Oz actually!! As I wish we had PB , it is AMAZING!!
New follower here and I love your blog, will be visiting more!

Laurel @ Ducks in a Row said...

I wish I had a thing for globes - meaning, I do love globes and I do not have even one!

Laurel @ Ducks in a Row said...

I wish I had a thing for globes - meaning, I do love globes and I do not have even one!

lindy@homemadesatisfaction said...

Seiously. The more I read your blog, the more I'm convinced we were seperated at birth! Haha! Really though! I totally love globes too, in fact I've been looking for one for the last 3 months at thrift stores and antique stores but with no luck. I actually found one at DI once- it was perfect but it was still in the donation pile. An employee heard that I wanted it so he priced it and brought it in. He couldn't find me so he hid it behind the TV's. He ran into me a few minutes later and told me where he put it. I excitedly hustled over there and it was G.O.N.E!!! Some other lady found it and it was already in her cart! ARRRR!!! There was almost a fist fight. K, not really, but I was so sad!! Haha! Anyway, your son's room is to die for and I say ditto to everything you said about color and design. I can't wait to see your basement- sick with envy over the map mural! I'm just going to live vicariously through you until I ever have my own house(we're building and it's taking forever)!!

Emily said...

Hey Mind! I love maps and globes too. In fact, we're putting a big wall map in our family room very similar to what you have pictured. We bought ours from the National Geographic website for super cheap. I actually really like the globes in the kitchen idea too! I have nothing above my cabinets right now because I've been waiting for inspiration to strike. Well... looks like it's struck! I love this blog! I'm always excited when I see you've posted something new.

Anonymous said...

Hi Mindy -- this is my first time to visit your blog and I really like it. I look forward to following your progress on the basement. I would love for you to visit my blog and follow me in return.

Melissa said...

I can't wait to see your finished basement. I love what you are doing with the stairs. Our unfinished basement is very similar, so I look forward to swiping some ideas from you.