Design Dreams

I haven't posted in ages! I have been having lots of thoughts about my love for design. I'm sure other people who like interior design, watch HGTV daily, and have homes that are constantly "under construction" can relate. How can we pour so much time and money into a hobby? Well, it's fulfilling. It's the same reason there are thousands and thousands of apps out there. Not every single app made for iPhones has been made by a company. In fact, many have been made my hobbyists. Maybe your hobby could turn into something big, maybe it won't. Either way, you get enjoyment out of it. That's all that matter, right?

Today, I want to share with you all my favorite spaces of all time. These are spaces I dream about at night. Heck--I daydream about them too! Anyway, onto the spaces. I'll leave little notes about what I love * and maybe what I don't love? #yourfaveisproblematic *

Right, so this is gorgeous, kind of old-world-colonialism-chic. I know that's probably super inappropriate to say, but hey it has Indian/Eastern elements with solid wood & large windows prevalent in the western world. I particularly enjoy the canopies for curtains and the fact that the windows actually just look like they don't exist. As in is there actually glass in there?

Cons--this room is probably a sauna. It's a converted attic with basically no insulation. So if there IS an AC unit, it won't be effective. Also I'm not a big fan of the exposed hay/straw/whatever roof. Clearly, I don't know enough about roofs, but I do not enjoy the exposed parts in this place. Also, I could do without that couch cover. 

The bedroom above used to be my inspiration for my freshman dorm room. I had a lot of posters back then (some have ripped in the past four years) and I really liked the idea of white everything. So, yeah I still think this room is cute. Currently, I'm not a big fan of covering the windows with the city scape or whatever that is, but I still dig the lucite chair. The posters are perfectly cute and the light fixture is also soft & sweet. It's no longer my style, but it takes me back to 18 year old me. Good times.

This is the most recent thing I've pinned (I think?) and it embodies a few elements I really love. The first is the LIGHTING. I have been looking for lights like that (vertical string with round bulbs) and I am at a loss. I remember target had something similar but not quite right. What is that thing on the bar cart? I don't know but I like it. The idea of having a bar cart was proposed to me (multiple times) but my lovely friend and former roommate, Shaguna. I'm warming up to it, but I don't exactly want to showcase what I drink & how much I drink. (Because I drink cheap wine and elderflower liqueur) I LOVE THOSE TASSELS ON THE WALL! I found red paper tassels, somewhat similar, at Ikea in England and I jumped. I bought two strings even though I had no idea where I'd put them. The hanging plant, sheepskin rug, very interesting tree-like flooring, and random geometric shapes/flowers just speak to me. I need it all.

Can you say coziest reading nook? I like the idea of piling pillows so high that you cover the wall. I wish the plants were a bit more lively, but the macrame and the dainty lights kind of make up for the lackluster foliage. Also, I have a very similar old camera. I need to display it now. 

Okay, a loft space is the dream. High ceilings are a dream. Also, I have seen that minimal bookshelf ALL OVER THE INTERNET but have no idea where to purchase it. It's maddening. I'm super into tweed-like grey couches and poufs. I could do without the cheetah-print chair, but I do like the oversized candle holder. Or at least that's what I think it is? The illuminated balls just rawk. Hands down.

You guys. I wanted this wall mural SO HARD. I had plans to recreate it, but then got dejected when I realized I can't paint the walls of my rented college apartment. The bed kind of sucks, but LOOK AT THAT ART. Ombre/watercolor/grey/blue mountains. What more could I want? I might get a bed sheet and recreate it still.

So, this room is a bit darker than what I usually like, but I love that I can look at it and kind of guess what type of person lives there. I like that the chairs are mismatched and you could probably get them all at goodwill (except for the Eames chair of course). I just think this could be a good space to share with a significant other. 

Hanging jewelry is my jam. My jewelry isn't pretty enough (not all of it anyway) to be hung in public, but if you've got it, flaunt it. But yeah, this desk is awesome because it has STORAGE!!! I wouldn't need to put everything on top of my desk, which leaves space to style my desk with ART! Also, I have that desk (but with two of the white legs so no storage)

I don't think I need to explain this one. At least I hope I don't. It's an outdoor movie night with like a potluck going on, right? Get a million pillows, a rooftop and some chill friends and you're set.

What spaces have you been dreaming about?

xx Madhu

The Swing of Things

Long time, no blog? I realized I need to put a greater effort into blogging---and I'm starting by joining bloglovin! It's time to see if people are interested in what I have to say (also make some interior design friends maybe? Hmm?)

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I also hope to revamp my layout soon. I'm currently at my mum's in England, but when I get back to the apartment, there will be a style overhaul! My sister has moved out and my best friend has moved in! So, we need to find our collective personality. Since we don't live in a dorm room, we can't exactly split the place down the center and design our respective spaces separately, can we? Currently, the apartment is covered in pictures of my family and friends from high school. Sooo something must be done.

Lately I've been getting into more minimalist look. Well, I just don't want my walls to be covered with frames. I think I'll do a frame collage wall on the staircase (I just have two Lord of the Rings posters there from Etsy right now) with my roommate. Then, the living room can be neutral art things/maybe a mirror. The bedroom, I will try to keep calm.

This is an old photo. I have added a garden bench on the right at the bottom of the stairs and the cat is no longer living with us. 

The main problem I'm encountering is that building/storing upwards is the only solution to limited square footage, yet I do not have the funds to buy more furniture. I will only live in this place for a school year more and then I'll be moving into a furnished apartment my parents have, so my only option is stealing furniture from there. If I can transport it in my little, lime green Ford Fiesta.

Enough chit chat! You want some quality tips and tricks. Seeing as I'm currently in a sizable house in England, I don't know how I could be of much help. However, I will see what blog posts I can wrangle up before I fly back to the states.

Toodles!
xx Madhu

EDIT !

I created that collage wall, by the way. Here it is!

Sorry it's like low-quality instagram. But yeah just really simple posters. The Arctic Monkeys one is so wrinkled and I don't know what to do. Probably will have to look up a trick on how to fix posters. These have all been packed away now because I'm moving out in July!

Wall Collages

Every college student has one---you know what I'm talking about. The one place where most people decide to get crafty, the empty wall. My university actually supplied corkboards in each dorm, which was great because it confined the crazy.

Don't get me wrong, I love wall collages. They say a lot about the resident's personality, friends, hometown, priorities and hobbies. They're really interesting to look at and a great conversation piece. Most of them are, sadly, just waaay too crowded or overwhelming. Examples? I think yes!



So, most people put these things up for inspiration/motivation. I'm all for that. In fact, that's why I had collages. I have mixed feelings about this one. I really like that everything has been carefully arranged and spaced so that it looks neat. I don't like the size. Yeah, teenagers should be allowed to personalize their rooms and all, but I'm here to tell you guys what is visually appealing. When you look at this, do you think, "wow that's beautiful" or do you think, "wow he covered the whole wall...". If this person had just divided the collage and put some of the stuff up elsewhere in the room, it would be less visually distracting and more visually enticing.



This is from Karen Kavett's blog. She is a flawless human being. I think the main reason her collage works is because it has dimensions. Yes, it has a lot going on, but does it look TOO busy? No! Because she scaled the collage down and because she stuck to a black&white&green/blue color palette, things aren't too hectic. The fairy lights make sense in the space because they act like a frame and draw attention to the beautiful pennants! Of course, she is a professional visual designer so she knows her stuff. However, if you're bold and have an "eye", you can layer posters and random knick-knacks too. Overall, this is what you want to strive for. Something diverse, but controlled. Not something that draws attention away from the rest of the room, either. Looking at this makes me WANT to see the rest of her room.

See you all soon-ish?
-Madhu

Inspiration

Maybe you're one of the people who has had her dorm room planned since applying to college. However, it's more likely you're the student that doesn't really know where to start. Well, how about you look at these spaces and see what you like about them! Be sure to read my comments on what their doing right and what probably wouldn't work in a college lifestyle. Enjoy!



This desk is great because it has personalization, but it's not completely full. You might want to get a tray to put important papers, because you will definitely end up having papers on your desk. Also, making sure each drawer has a purpose really helps when you're studying for midterms and need to know exactly where you put last week's graded test.



You already know I don't like those chairs, but I love the idea of making the area under your bed to divide the room and create a "chill space" of sorts. Usually people put their desk here but that's a bad idea because this is a dark space and natural light will really help keep you awake. However, it's perfect for snacking and watching TV! Also, it's a great place for your friends to sit when they come over and you're sitting at your desk.



I love this window. You don't even know how much I love this window. However, this student is doing next to nothing to make it awesome. There are beams there for curtains! Utilize them! Also, instead of putting Easy Mac and random food on the window sill, put some flowers or pictures or decorative things to make you happy. De-clutter the pretty areas of your room so you can let them be the center of attention.



This one just makes me itch. In a bad way. Do you see that brick wall? Correction---do you see that BEAUTIFUL exposed brick wall? That's an accent wall! THAT ACTUALLY ACCENTUATES! Some dorms come with accent walls, but usually they're a puke-gross color. This one is not. But this girl isn't taking advantage of that! If you have one beautiful thing in your dorm, exploit it. Put a huge picture or mirror on the wall. Buy a bunch of command strips and hang lights up at the top! Display your quirky button collection/any other collection you have! Get a wall guitar holder if you like that kind of thing! I sound really crazy but I don't think you guys understand how rare these things are. If brick isn't your thing, cover the whole things with posters / pictures (but tastefully arrange them. I will do another post about this).

Until next time,

Madhu