It’s getting cold outside. In fact, it snowed in Boston already (isn’t it illegal for it to snow before Halloween?) This is the time of year where staying in bed just feels like the right thing to do.

So, just how can wooden tones, soft neutrals and warm autumnal colours combine to make you feel like getting out of bed on those cold mornings we know are coming (and to some, already here)?

copyrighted by betterbathrooms.com

Warm colors (oranges, reds, yellows) and natural textures bring warmth to a space. Wooden bathroom furniture is a really practical way to add a natural texture. Bathroom furniture is both useful and aesthetically pleasing. It provides you with a coordinated finish as well as plenty of storage space – meaning your surfaces will no longer be littered with everyday essentials!

Solid wood, freestanding bathroom furniture could be perfect for a traditional home, while a more contemporary space would be served well by some wood veneered, wall hung cabinets and vanity units. The natural wooden tones of your bathroom cabinets will reflect the hues of autumn and give your room a warm glow for the winter to come too.

copyrighted by betterbathrooms.com

Think about your flooring early on. You’ll want something that feels and looks warm, and you’ll need to lay the floor before you install your bathroom furniture and sanitaryware. While you can’t use real wood flooring without risking water-based catastrophe in the future, you can think about opting for waterproof wood-effect flooring. Many of these flooring styles are beautifully produced and incredibly realistic looking; they also have the advantage of being far warmer underfoot than tile. If you do plan to install underfloor heating, you may prefer the look of a tile floor – in which case, adding rugs can soften the appearance of the tile and warm it to the touch on those occasions when your underfloor heating is off.

copyrighted by betterbathrooms.com

The decor of your walls should complement your furniture and your flooring: soft neutral colours can be paired with russet accents for a really rich, warm, autumnal feel. Try pairing stone wall tiles with wooden tones elsewhere for a natural look that can complement a period or modern theme. Alternatively use ceramic tile throughout, interspersing your neutral scheme with splashes of warm colour – for a contemporary scheme, you could look at warm shades of bronze, gold, and chocolate. Finally, if you are a lover of pattern, try adding some bright botanical wallpaper to bring a little vibrancy to your bathroom: a botanical theme will look fabulous with wooden bathroom furniture.

Hiya! My name is Jenn and I’m a member of the team at Arcadian Lighting, which is an e-commerce website that profiles top lighting trends from around the world. Every day I write about home decor, interior design, light fixtures, and more, and I spend hours pouring over amazing websites like Tchochkes, where the posts get my style juices flowing. I feel honoured to be guest posting here today – thanks for letting me contribute! [Our pleasure Jenn!]

Storage in a home used to mean big plastic bins and boxes piled in closets and stashed under beds, but with today’s fun and fancy storage options, an organized space with great light fixtures can be shown off instead. With an endless range of handy as well as stylish tools, containers, built-ins, and more, fun and fancy storage is easy to come by – as evidenced with these eight chic spaces.

A Walk-in Wonderland via

This closet could be a main room in a house, with its smart compartments and cubbies, full-length mirror, and bureau. The inset ceiling lights are subtle but do their job beautifully.

Material Girls via

An excess of dishware can make a dining room or kitchen feel overcrowded, which is why having a convenient butler’s pantry is so useful. Here, this space pulls double-duty as a home office as well as storage space for unsightly appliances like a coffee machine.

Decoration Ideas via

Fun and fancy storage is easy in a kid’s room, where vibrant bins and baskets can be mixed and matched. This unit not only houses toys but contains a bench and spots for boots or shoes.

Shelterness via

A vignette in a casual den becomes a handy spot for a myriad of storage, from the built-in wood holder for the fireplace to a narrow custom-made cabinet and shelf that fits this nook perfectly.

Vision Woodworks via

A dining room is the perfect place to display gorgeous Chinaware in a stunning armoire, which is both an elegant asset to the space as well as functional in that it holds ample items. The inset light fixtures draw attention to each piece of furniture.

View Home Trends via

A kitchen always requires a variety of storage options, and here, a magnet board is used to hold important lists and reminders, while matching mini canisters of spices and boxes of tea create a seamless look.

Stylizimo via

Fun and fancy storage options are benches with built-in compartments, like this hallway gem, which has sliding doors underneath for footwear, winter accessories, and more.

Design Wagon via

Shelving doesn’t have to be relegated to straight lines – this boxy contemporary design becomes the focal point of the room, while a hanging ceiling light highlights the earthen ware on the dining room table.
Keeping your belongings neat and organized doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice style when following these creative storage options, thanks to Arcadian Lighting. Discover more design ideas and brilliant lighting fixture solutions by visiting their website today!

White is one of those amazing non-color colors.  The undertones that can be found in white are many. I woke up this morning to find the ground covered in a blanket of white snow.  With this inspirational palette the skys the limit!

Yellow pops when paired with white, and it makes for good safety in a blizzard.  Room inspirations abound in white.  Choosing the perfect white for your purposes is a challenge.  Finding inspiration can help you make the decision on which white is right for you.

An all white kitchen is georgeous but a lot of work to keep clean.  Consider mixing materials in the neutral family to make life easier.  Adding a touch of real wood or even feaux can help break up the theme.

White never goes out of style.

For the past four years we’ve lived in our house, the work we’ve had done has been pretty straightforward and relatively stress-free—putting in a new deck, adding proper attic access, having a new heat/air system installed. All of that changes next week, however, when my kitchen floor gets ripped out down to the joists.

About a year after we moved in I started working on the kitchen. I removed all the wallpaper (which is quite therapeutic, if I’m being honest), sanded and painted the walls, repainted the cabinets and changed out the hardware. At that point the next step was replacing the floor, which is currently a totally awful brick-patterned linoleum. In its place I wanted a black-and-white checkerboard tile. I found the tile at Home Depot and set an appointment to have everything measured and quoted. First I was told I had two layers of linoleum and the tile couldn’t be laid on top, the existing linoleum would have to come up. Fair enough. Oh, but because the house was built in 1952, there might be asbestos under at least the very first layer of flooring. Awesome.

But then the water heater exploded, more life happened and the floor project was put on the back burner until last winter, when we took out the cabinets around the tiny fridge that came with the house in order to make room for a new one that was made in this century. Here’s what we found beneath where the cabinet was.

We decided to get back to the flooring thing so we could get the kitchen finished and move on to other projects. The guy came back to take a sample to test for asbestos. And of course it came back positive. And it turns out there’s three layers of linoleum, not two. And he tells me that while they can’t remove the asbestos, we can totally remove the flooring and clean the subfloor ourselves. It’s not hard. Just use a lot of water! And we can bag it all up and leave it for the trash collector. Yes, of course you can just remove asbestos-covered flooring yourself with water and toss it out on the curb. All I could imagine was the EPA showing up at my house and turning it into the last part of E.T., when the government quarantines the house and covers it with plastic tunnels and what not.

So, fine. I got in touch with the only “asbestos abatement” company in the state. The guy comes and looks at the multi-layered floor, and tells me that the asbestos is in the mastic, which is what’s holding the first layer to the subfloor. Which means there’s asbestos in the subfloor, not to mention between the myriad layers of linoleum. And that means the entire subfloor has to come up. They’ll seal off the kitchen, cut out the entire floor (except where the cabinets are) and dispose of everything in an environmentally safe manner that does not involved piling it up by the street. The next day, my contractor, who sounds a lot like Rick Steves, comes in and puts in the new subfloor and then finally the new floor itself.

At least, that’s how it’s supposed to work. This weekend we’ll move everything on the counters, the stupid hutch I can’t seem to get rid of, and the refrigerator into the dining room. (And then the dogs will totally freak out because there’s a fridge in the dining room) Monday morning the work begins, and the dogs will get a two-night vacation at their favorite kennel, and we’ll spend Monday night in a hotel, since by Tuesday evening we’ll at least have a plywood floor in the kitchen. Everything should be finished by midday Wednesday, and we’ll finally, hopefully, be able to move ahead with the rest of the work we’ve got planned…because now the goal is to get this place on the market next year!

Every so often, we come across refreshing new talent with both words and action. Amber Crawshaw is an young interior architect from Olympia, Washington, whose fondest childhood memories of growing up in a Midwestern town was helping her Grandfather pick strawberries — eating them with juice running down her chin, delighted. So as an adult she began she developing her own garden. Here, Amber shares her experience of creating her lovely “container garden” where she grows flowers and fruits in pots!

Gardening should be fun, and in order to be fun, it shouldn’t be too difficult. Throughout college, I lived in small apartments with few windows, small patios or balconies, and tiny (or non-existent) yards. Being a renter, not a home owner, can pose a bit of a problem, but a little creativity and resourcefulness goes a long way.

Most of the plants I had early on didn’t survive. Then I bought a plant light. A simple and inexpensive step that made such a dramatic difference! The plants started to grow instead of merely exist. My confidence grew along with my desire to grow more plants. Then I wondered, why couldn’t I grow plants outside, in pots? It wouldn’t bother my landlords and I wouldn’t have to dig anything up when my lease expired. I started with Tulips, a Day Lily, a Tomato, and a Spider plant in a hanging basket. (I still have the Spider plant and the Day Lily, nearly 10 years later.)

I didn’t set out to develop a “garden”, I just realized I had one already. The most important thing to consider is to grow what you love (while keeping in mind what Hardiness Zone you’re located in.) I love Daffodils, Tulips, Day Lilies, and Strawberries. I have roughly 50 containers total, but these varieties make up nearly half of my garden.

First, what is your Hardiness Zone? Gardening catalogs have a map and notes for each plant to help you figure out what works best in your area. Typically, your local nurseries won’t sell anything that won’t survive in your climate, but it’s best to do a little research. Always review the plant tag to see what the light and water requirements are. When in doubt, ask — employees at the local nurseries are knowledgeable and eager to help.

After you’ve figured out your Hardiness Zone, do a little planning and observing. Where to put your plants? How much sun/shade does that area get? This changes as the season progresses, but that’s the beauty of container gardens — they’re very mobile!

Plant selection tends to happen very organically for me. On a whim, I’ll cruise through the gardening department or stop by a local nursery and something will catch my attention. (I’m a sucker for yellow flowers — such a happy color — and Day Lilies, and Tulips.) Then I decide if the plant will do well at my place. Other people will look for plants to suit their conditions. There is no wrong way to select a plant– just go with what may works for you.

Choosing your containers is a personal preference of style and material. I prefer clay pots for my smaller plants and plastic pots for my larger plants. That decision is purely a practical one. Larger pots are more expensive and are heavier when full of dirt. (Be sure to buy pots that have drainage holes or, if you’re handy, you can drill a few. Although, the drilling tends to work best with plastic pots, clay pots are prone to breaking.) As for deciding on the correct size container for a particular plant, I always try to put it in something that is two sizes larger than the pot it came in.

I put a layer of newspaper, gravel, or crushed aluminum cans in the bottom of each container. This prevents the soil from leaking out the drainage holes in the bottom and allows for better drainage of the soil. When it comes to soil choices, there are a number of wonderful resources. I have always had great results using Miracle-Grow soil, but I recommend organic soil for growing fruits and vegetables.

Autumn is upon us, and though our thoughts have yet to turn towards the coming holidays, Spring Bulbs have started to line the store shelves. Fall is the perfect time to plant Tulips, Daffodils, and Crocus because it allows them to establish roots before winter sets in.

Not all plants do well in containers, but a surprising number of them do! Always keep in mind that plants in containers are more susceptible to temperature changes and need more protection in the colder months. That is why I invested in a collapsible/portable greenhouse. It is roughly 4ft x 5ft x 6ft and cost less than $125. I love it! My plants were so happy that winter compared to previous ones where I shoved them up against the house and covered them with a sheet. They can do just as well in your garage or basement if you have room.

Through much trial and continuous error, I have learned (and continue to learn) about container gardening. It brings me so much joy. May it do the same for you! — Amber Crawshaw

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Online shopping has taken the world by storm…

Below is a list from Home Textiles Today, a publication to the trade for fashion and textiles.  The media snoop that I am, I thought this was worth sharing. 

2010 Favorite 50

Rank	Company	Headquarters
1	Amazon.com	Seattle
2	Walmart.com	Bentonville, Ark.
3	eBay.com	San Jose, Calif.
4	BestBuy.com	Richfield, Minn.
5	JCPenney.com	Plano, Texas
6	Target.com	Minneapolis
7	Kohls.com	Menomonee Falls, Wis.
8	Google.com	Mountain View, Calif.
9	Overstock.com	Salt Lake City
10	Sears.com	Hoffman Estates, Ill.
11	Macys.com	Cincinnati
12	OldNavy.com	San Francisco
13	LLBean.com	Freeport, Maine
14	LandsEnd.com	Dodgeville, Wis.
15	QVC.com	West Chester, Pa.
16	Yahoo.com	Sunnyvale, Calif.
17	WomanWithin.com	Indianapolis
18	Blair.com	Warren, Pa.
19	Kmart.com	Hoffman Estates, Ill.
20	VictoriasSecret.com	Columbus, Ohio
21	HomeDepot.com	Atlanta
22	Lowes.com	Mooresville, N.C.
23	Haband.com	Oakland, N.J.
24	ColdwaterCreek.com	Sandpoint, Idaho
25	AE.com/AmericanEagle.com	Pittsburgh
26	Zappos.com	Las Vegas
27	Gap.com	San Francisco
28	LaneBryant.com	Bensalem, Pa.
29	Newegg.com	City of Industry, Calif.
30	HSN.com	St. Petersburg, Fla.
31	TigerDirect.com	Miami
32	MSN.com/Bing.com	Redmond, Wash.
33	Cabelas.com	Sidney, Neb.
34	SamsClub.com	Bentonville, Ark.
35	Craigslist.org	San Francisco
36	KingSizeDirect.com	Indianapolis
37	Forever21.com	Los Angeles
38	Express.com	Columbus, Ohio
39	Costco.com	Issaquah, Wash.
40	Chadwicks.com	Boston
41	Roamans.com	Indianapolis
42	Eastbay.com	Wausau, Wis.
43	NewportNews.com	New York
44	FashionBug.com	Bensalem, Pa.
45	Buy.com	Aliso Viejo, Calif.
46	AOL.com	New York
47	Aéropostale.com	New York
48	BananaRepublic.com	San Francisco
49	EddieBauer.com	Bellevue, Wash.
50	Nike.com	Beaverton, Ore.

A shed is a small building that stands alone on a property.  It is the “jack of all trades” when it comes to storage solutions.  Some folks use their sheds for work, others may stock pile them with odds and ends that don’t have a home.  We recently renovated the shed that came with our property and boy does it look fabulous!

Our shed was just about gone.  The roof had caved in three years prior to our living here and the rain water and elements had wreaked havoc on the inside and the outside walls.  We nearly lost her, but with patience and time we were able to revive a living treasure.

Here is a photo of the shed as it looks today.  It is visible from my back porch and I have spent many late afternoons admiring our work.

Many things took place to restore the beauty of this 1937 smoke house. 

First, the roof had to be removed and replacedwith new build which was done over several weekends.

Then a layer of plywood for roofs had to be applied.

And finally an layer of shingles.  We chose architectural shingles which are all the rave when it comes to roofs these days.  For the exterior we decided to maintain the weathered look and used stained instead of paint for the siding and trim, the colors are by Cabot.  Walls:  Federal Blue and Trim:  Artic.  This project took four months of weekends to complete but the result is total satisfaction.

And last but not least, a view of the house from the shed.

Considering it took me several months to decide which pillows to buy for the living room, it should come as no surprise that it’s taken me ages to pick out a new lamp for my home office. I admit I wasn’t nearly as dedicated to (read obsessed with) the cause as I was with the pillow search, but nevertheless it took a while to make up my mind. And also the $25 gift card to West Elm probably factored into the decision.

Anyway, a few days ago my industrial task table lamp arrived from West Elm, and after the 15 minutes it took to get it out of the box (seriously) I instantly fell in love.

First, the polished nickel is wonderfully shiny, so I was immediately mesmerized. Second, this is one tall table lamp. At almost three feet tall, it’s as graceful as it is modern thanks to the long, sleek silhouette.The lamp is adjustable at the base and the center joint of the arm, but what I really love about this part is the detailing of the knobs. Instead of the tension-style mechanism found on a lot of lamps like this, and at this price point, this lamp has knobs similar to the look of a wing nut that unscrew for precision adjusting. Did I mention this lamp was just 60 bucks?

This is the kind of lamp you want to buy in a six pack and put them everywhere. The design fits into a variety of decor styles, and the lighting is just great—it illuminates a large piece of real estate in my office, and I definitely don’t need the overhead light to work. The base has a relatively small footprint and would fit nicely on a nightstand or on an end table without taking over the entire surface. This lamp is heavy and very well made and I’m impressed with the quality after having it less than a week. I fully expect it to last for a very long time.

So many great things have happened this summer that I have not had much time to write for Tchochkes.  But, the bright side of this is that I can share my new stone walls with you, which are a powerful addition to our yard.

Stone is one of those natural elements that is hard to ignore.  placing a wall in an area of a yard makes such a visual difference which defines the space.  There are many styles of wall and stone and the materials that are used definitely dictate the end product.  Here are a few photos of the process, enjoy! 

Despite having lived all of my 32 years in Arkansas, I’ve never been much of a fan of many typical Southern foods, particularly side dishes. Beans and cornbread (or worse, cornbread mushed up in a glass with buttermilk), greens, hominy, fried squash…none of these have ever held any appeal whatsoever to me, despite having it all forced upon me during my childhood. I like my greens in a salad, and I prefer my squash sauteed in some olive oil with a little garlic. Or a lot of garlic.

One Southern food I was never force-fed during my youth was grits. Grandma never made them (because Grandma only made things I loved and it all tasted good), and it wasn’t until several years ago that I first tried them, when my husband procured his mom’s recipe for our New Year’s Day feast (also the only time I’ll eat black-eyed peas, and only if my husband makes them, because they’re damn tasty). The specific recipe was for tomato grits…and yeah, I didn’t like them so much.

I wasn’t faced with the scary consistency and texture of grits until a couple of years later at a breakfast potluck at work. Garlic cheese grits casserole, to be precise. I was convinced to try them, since they did contain two of my favorite food groups, cheese and garlic. Clearly those two things would make grits edible. And oh, do they ever!

I procured the recipe and have sort of made it my own over the past few years. I like to call them Angry Grits, mainly because of how violently the grits boil on the stove top. There’s a reason you cook them with the lid on the saucepan. And also, depending on how you make them, they can be a little spicy. They’re not at all healthy, but they’re better than mac & cheese when it comes to delicious comfort food. I made some tonight, and they go quite well with crab cakes!

Here’s my version of the recipe. It fills a 2-quart casserole dish, which means plenty of leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

Garlic Cheese Grits Casserole

1. Boil 4 cups of water with a teaspoon of salt. I like sea salt. Mostly because of the cute container I keep it in.

2. Stir in 1 cup of instant grits. Reduce the heat, cover and cook about 5 minutes. Stir a couple of times. (You might get splattered with rogue grits.)

3. Stir in 8 ounces of cubed plain Velveeta and 8 ounces of Mexican Velveeta. (Like I said, not at all healthy.) If you want more jalapeno-y goodness, go for more Mexican and less of the plain. Either way, mix well.

4. Add a stick of unsalted butter. (Not. At. All. Healthy.) Mix well.

5. Add garlic powder. I like it garlicky, so I mix in about a tablespoon. I also like to add in a little pepper.

6. Pour unhealthy grits concoction into casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Enjoy. But only a few times a year.