Champagne Taste, Beer Budget

I'm currently in mid-renovation, and I've lost a little bit of my giddy-up-n-go. I was prepared for this so I've managed to fend off my desire to go play and do fun things. So this weekend...I will be painting!!! Or at least priming!

Since I've fallen off my wagon a bit I have at least dedicated some time to researching different design ideas. The Carrigan Casa is an Arts & Crafts Bungalow/Craftsman style. It was built in 1902 during a time when folks were becoming less rural and more focused on downtown business, which in Mobile was a lot of banking, shipping, and building. A Craftsman-style bungalow like ours was at one point meant to show great pride in the small details. They were smaller homes with less Victorian granduer. It was really about having a home that was functional and beautiful. A lot of the money saved on building a bungalow was put back into the materials and craftsmanship. It's neat to think that I can track some of the original fixtures and elements in my home back to other Mobile landmarks and businesses. Pretty cool!

Here are a few different designs that I've stumbled across that I really like. I guess my personal design aesthetic is funky transitional. I like simple, classic lines with a little bit of funkiness thrown in unexpectedly. I would soften a few of the items, but I really love the black, white and red against the cottage-y ceiling and drop window.

If I were a single woman, living it up in NYC--this would be my bedroom. Minus the ottomans at the foot of the bed. They can either be used for two things: 1. Catching a wad of comforter at the foot or 2. A shelf for laundy, coats, purses, etc. It also could be used to watch the goings-on in the bed, but that freaks me out even more. So, no ottomans in MY NYC bachelorette pad!

I just love this room. It's romantic. It's light and airy. I could do without the drapes around the bed, but overall I love it. I never really understood drapes around a bed. We aren't in Africa fighting malaria. And we certainly aren't waiting on an Arabian Nights-esque love story to unfold. No flying carpets for me...I'm terrifed of heights!

I have a nook in my kitchen. Right now it has a pub table that never gets used for cozy breakfasts or perusing the Sunday paper. Unless I'm using it to pile loads of laundry that need to be folded, it's kind of just wasted space. If I had my way, this would be in that nook. No changes, just absolutely perfect in its nook-ness. And we would use it all the time.

Whew! That is a lot of HGTV for one night! Unfortunately I now have the tough task of trying to create a design that rings true to the craftsman style, but with my budget and my personal touches. Everything I like tends to be out of my price range! (Story of my life, thanks mom!) I still haven't decided on a paint color. Or even an overall purpose of my room remodel. But I'm just trusting it will come to me! Until then...I'm just looking for inspiration all around me!