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Four Inspiring Rooms

by | Feb 28, 2012 | Decorating Inspiration

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Four Inspiring Rooms

Yellow extendable island via BHG

You all know I have always loved looking at magazines. {And now, Pinterest.} I have a disease you know. Magazine cover-itis? Yep. You’ve heard me mention that a time or two. It may now be known as Pinterest-itis.

Pretty rooms are like magnets to metal, they LEAP out at me. They beg me to admire them. But it is OK. That is how I am wired. I must be a visual learner because I soak in the details and imagine how the ideas could be applied in different ways to my own home. Pouring over images is like reading a book that has no words. I enjoy photos like a good book.

So today, because I’m gearing up for some more decorating projects, I’m needing to SOAK IN some inspiration to get my wheels turning. Let’s look at the four rooms that caught my eye at Better Homes & Gardens recently, shall we?

1. Could this yellow island (top image) be any more awesome? Extendable? Yellow? I seriously stopped dead in my tracks and drooled a little bit out of my mouth when I saw it. It will be mine. Someday.

Four Inspiring Rooms Red wide striped curtains via BHG

2. And those red striped curtains? Fun. Whimsical. Statement. Yes. I’m always a sucker for stripes. Always have been, always will. I’m always a sucker for statement drapes. Why? I don’t know. I just like ’em. They are daring. Bold. Fun. A splash of color and pattern like wallpaper without the fuss.

Four Inspiring Rooms

Citrus colors and built in bookshelves in a charming cottage via BHG

3. My heart stopped beating for a moment when I imagined what it might be like to live in this citrus colored cottage. The lights! The colors! The stairs! The bookcases! This room convinced me that I cannot have a house that is too serious or glamorous. This house radiates life and happiness. Love it. And it reinforced my desire for built-ins.

Four Inspiring Rooms

Laundry room with open shelves and copper laundry tub via BHG

4. And, last but not least, my jaw hit the table with one glance at this laundry room. Of course, I imagine it filled with cabinets on the other side of the room to hide junk. But this side of the room is charming charming charming. Can you imagine having that glorious copper laundry tub? I would do laundry several times a day, just to walk in this space and admire it.

I’m having a blast being a pinner for Better Homes & Gardens. So many inspiring ideas to see and enjoy! You can find all of these ideas and more on the BH&G website via the links provided under each photo.

Which featured room do you like the most?
Are you a visual design-absorber and learner like me?

If you would like to vote for The Inspired Room over at Apartment Therapy for the best home design blog! It is so easy to vote, all you need is an email address to log in. You guys rock! Thank you, xo!

Four Inspiring Rooms

39 Comments

  1. Suzanne

    Those are 4 amazing rooms. I love the pass through under the stairs with the wonderful shelved wall and that copper sink is to die for. I am heading over to put my vote in for you. Have a Lovely Day!

    Reply
  2. Simple Daisy

    Love this first room!!
    I wasn’t always a yellow kind of girl….but it’s slowly growing on me:):)
    And I love the window covering in that room….so perfect!

    Reply
  3. Annie

    isn’t that amazing – red curtains and they look fab!!

    awesome!

    Reply
  4. Tiffany

    I absolutely love that first picture. Yellow is just the happiest color ever and it looks so fresh and inviting in that kitchen. And, an extendable island…hello? Awesome!

    Reply
  5. mandy snow

    oh….lovely …but its a toss up between citrus house and yellow kitchen…if only i had lots of money …lol…xxx

    Reply
  6. Aili

    The “citrus cottage” got my attention when it was first published! I tore that sucker out and started an inspiration folder right away. Seriously a fun, welcoming home! I call magazines “adult picture books.”

    Reply
  7. Heather

    I’m a magazine (and now Pinterest) junkie too. Have kept inspiration binders for years. Now that there is Pinterest, it’s like the lottery came in for us pretty picture junkies.

    These rooms are gorgeous. Love the copper sink!!!

    Reply
  8. Jen

    They are all beautiful. I liked the citrus cottage when I saw it in bh&g they have beautiful storage in that home, tons of window seats with beautiful fabric, I really enjoyed it.

    Reply
  9. janet

    I LOVE the curtains in the dining room. Red is not one of my colours but I love the pattern and texture they add and may do something like this on my white curtain in my dining room in a different colour.

    I wanted to see the source article but the link is actually to the first picture and I could not find the striped curtains on bhg.com. Help! :)

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Oh sorry I can fix that when I get to my computer!
      Thanks for letting me know!

      Reply
  10. Susanne

    Oh my…I’m still wiping the drool from the the front of my bathrobe. The yellow island in the bright white kitchen is outstanding, literally and figuratively. To live with built-ins would be so charming and practical. The citrus colors would make me think I was on vacation every day. Aruba in Massachusetts…woo hoo. I’ve always known that I’m not a formal being nor glam girl. Light, bright, cheery would do wonders for my world. As for being a visual learner, I can see the detailsbut can’t replicate it on my own. Do and always have needed help in this area. I can honestly say these rooms represent “my style”.

    Reply
  11. carol

    hey melissa, You are so funny and energetic about decorating! I love the blue and green cottage. So pretty. Im going to go out today and pick up some springy things to decorate my mantle in. Or maybe just find what I have around the house and not spend any money. I have worked at Pier 1 for years so my basement is filled with stuff that i have purchased over the years. Have a great day!!!

    Reply
  12. Julie

    Love all of the photos…I have to “see” ideas like that to inspire me most of the time…otherwise I’d be floundering about what to do in my house. I’m incredibly indecisive, too, and that doesn’t help at all.

    Isn’t Pinterest AWESOME? That has helped me so much with so many things…from gardening to cooking to home decor.

    Thanks for your contributions!

    Reply
  13. Glenda Childers

    LOVE the first picture. (and Better Homes and Garden)

    Fondly,
    Glenda

    Reply
  14. Vee

    The laundry room!

    Reply
  15. Marilyn

    Wow! I loved the laundry room with all it’s lovely shelves, and THEN I saw the copper sink! Just WOW!

    Reply
  16. Ms A - the monkey keeper

    I love the kitchen with a touch of yellow. My house is almost all white – so that kitchen is right in line with what I love.

    Reply
  17. Anita Gambrell

    I am so into Pinetrest too. I have put my actual magazines in boxes. I rarely look at them since I got my ipad too. Oh and saving , printing, and note booking has almost been over for me.
    Back to the blog, I have been looking for over a year for ideas on how to redo my small kitchen. Loving these ideas. Thanks for sharing!!!

    Reply
  18. Ashley

    That laundry room with the copper sink had me literally say “oh my gosh” out loud (at work!). It’s rustic but not in a chippy unrefined way.

    I also absolutely adore the second room, too. I love the wide baseboards, wood furniture, and flashy drapes. The wall colour and light streaming in make the room feel light and airy (it helps that the furniture isn’t too “heavy”!).

    Reply
  19. Sandra

    The white makes everything look crisp – the color accents bring it alive!I love this look!

    Reply
  20. Robin

    I sooo know what you’re talking about with “Pinterest-itis!” A couple of my design teachers have told us that these sorts of pictures are like “design porn”! It’s totally unrealistic, but very addictive!

    I’ve seen that picture with the under the stairs bookshelf and the green globes all over the place–it’s one of my favorite houses from BHG and has inspired me to not be afraid of bright colors! They can still be so homey!

    Reply
  21. Robin

    Oh, and I love the way the shelves in the laundry room are cut out to allow for the light fixture! So cute!

    Reply
  22. Nicole Schuman

    wow it’s amazing! I love the combination of the colors, and it’s so spacious.. so nice it looks so fresh! Thank you for posting this!

    Reply
  23. sarah

    love these rooms….i am reworking my entire dining room and family room right now…which are really just one big room split into zones. i am struggling with the balance of formal and casual and color. i think i’m going to like it, but some days i wonder if i just should just scrap everything and start over. no money to do that….so making do with pillows and paint and things like that.

    Reply
  24. Flower Patch Farmgirl

    I am determined to procure a yellow island for the next house. Image #1 sealed the deal!

    Love those stripey curtains, too.

    Thanks for the shots of color today!

    Reply
  25. Helene

    I completely agree with your assessment of the citrus-colored home. Too many in-vogue rooms today are so grey and white I sometimes think I’m staring at a black-and-white photo! I think that kind of room would leave me depressed most of the time. The whimsical lay-out of those stairs and bookshelves with plenty of color here and there (and also the presence of those kids!) lifts me up and says, “Happy people live and love here!”

    Reply
  26. michelle starling

    I can see why you drooled a little. I love the laundry room pic. Just to die for.

    Reply
  27. Kim

    LOVE the walkway under the stairs, not to mention the built-ins. So much fun!!

    Reply
  28. Sarah

    I cannot decide which room I like the best. I love the yellow on the table and the striped curtains, so cheerful! I am your newest follower!

    Reply
  29. Dawn{RestForTheWearyMother}

    I voted for you:) I love the kitchen and the bookcases under the stairs! Thanks for sharing

    Reply
  30. KATHYSUE

    Hi Melissa, I am totally visual, I can seem to paint pictures of rooms in my head. I don’t know how I do it, I just do. I love to look at images and analyze the heck out of them. I have learned so much over the years in doing just that. I just wrote a post about a fast quick way to get in tuned with our decorating style, but once you do the fast part then it comes time to analyze the why!! Loved each of the above images. They were all family friendly, inviting and they just looked like a fun room to be in. Kathysue

    Reply
  31. Susan

    I love all of those rooms, especially the 3rd and 4th one – I love, love, love that copper laundry sink!

    Reply
  32. Jenny

    I vote for the staircase pic. Oh, man, is that gorgeous!

    Reply
  33. PriscilaPetersDecor

    Hi!
    My favorite style is cottage, so I the photo #3 is very inspiring. I adore white spaces with pop of colors.

    Reply
  34. Grace

    I love those rooms – especially the first two. I think it would be a lot of fun to paint an island yellow. I painted our lower kitchen cabinets grey and the uppers white and i love it.

    I’m most definitely a visual learner, studying photos the same way you do.

    Reply
  35. Pat

    Which featured room you ask? It’s a toss up between that lovely yellow and white kitchen and the copper sink and what appears to be a harvest table… in that wonderful laundry room.

    I would do laundry {cheerfully} if I had that room!~Pat

    Reply
  36. Jo

    I love that laundry room! Especially the light, and the copper tub. The yellow island is pretty too…I’ve been so drawn to yellow lately! I just added some yellow prettiness to my blog!

    Reply
  37. Tara

    I simply cannot believe that last photo is a laundry room! It is amazing, and mine is so grungy and lacking any kind of tub.

    I really love citrus colors, too. Our dining room and kitchen (attached to one another) is decorated with a royal blue and citrus colors.

    Reply

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