The Inspired Room http://theinspiredroom.net Creating a beautiful life and home on a budget Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:35:31 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc Inspiration: Staircases & AWESOME Photo Wall http://theinspiredroom.net/2010/09/01/inspiration-staircases-and-photo-wall/ http://theinspiredroom.net/2010/09/01/inspiration-staircases-and-photo-wall/#comments Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:30:34 +0000 Melissa @ The Inspired Room http://theinspiredroom.net/?p=11151

traditional staircase design

I’m wee bit obsessed with stairs. When I was a first grader moving into a new home with my family, I remember my utter fascination with the stairs. I remember there were a few steps and then a landing and then a turn before you got to go up the rest of the staircase. I thought that was very cool. My obsession with design observation started early.

In another of our houses, we had TWO staircases going up to the next floor. One for fancy guests and one for the lowly family members. Oh, yeah, and we had an elevator that I rode in maybe once. I preferred the stairs. They were prettier.

And in my last house, we had three staircases, I was in stairway heaven. I could get a workout just running around my house. Remember my red stairs?

my stairway project, in process

In my current house we have one staircase (shown above in that horrid dark and blurry photo, I just snapped it real quick late at night so you could see it) and I am pretty much determined I’m going to make it entirely black and white, including the steps, once I get rid of the carpet.

So far, I painted (ok, my husband painted) the railing black. It was light orange oak. The carpet to black step transformation is going to be awhile.

Pay no attention the upper parts of the wall that are still painted that awful swine color. And notice there are no frames on the walls yet, this whole stairway needs some work, thus my inspiration photos today. I want a complete makeover complete with molding, black steps, photo frames and new lanterns. I don’t expect much, right?

When I ran across the stairway photo (the very top photo), which I found from Houzz, I squealed out loud because it was so much like the basic shape of my staircase and railing design. Minus the wood steps, the molding, the dark wood floors and the archway. But it could look KIND OF like that, someday.

Then when I saw THIS stair case and wainscoting from Sawdust & Paper Scraps (which I found from Today’s Creative Blog where all awesome blogs are discovered, lol), I was in complete stairway molding love. Molding everywhere, be still my heart. She did it herself too. Sigh. Why isn’t she my neighbor?

And after seeing the beautiful colors of frames on her wall above the stairs, I completely and totally heart her. I don’t think she even says on her blog what her name is, so I guess I’ll just call her Awesome, for short. Thanks Awesome for letting me drool over your staircase and frames.

That is all.

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]]> http://theinspiredroom.net/2010/09/01/inspiration-staircases-and-photo-wall/feed/ 35 A Place of Your Own http://theinspiredroom.net/2010/08/30/a-place-of-your-own/ http://theinspiredroom.net/2010/08/30/a-place-of-your-own/#comments Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:30:48 +0000 Melissa @ The Inspired Room http://theinspiredroom.net/?p=11126


As “keepers of the home,” we give and sacrifice for our families 24/7. We make sure our kids have room to play and our families have clean clothes and nutritious food to eat. We volunteer, we clean, we host holidays and birthday parties — we work hard!

One thing that is very important to me is that you all know your value and your worth. I want you all to experience happiness and contentment right where you are. You deserve to create a little special place in your home to call your own. A place to take a deep breath, a place to be reminded of all that is good in your life, and a place that makes you smile! Whether you have a whole room to yourself, a little corner, a wall, or even a shelf or a chair, take some time to make it special!

Please welcome my special blogging friend and guest today, Kim from Daisy Cottage. Daisy Cottage is the kind of home that makes you smile. I have invited Kim to share her “special place” in Daisy Cottage to inspire us!

{this was originally posted in April 2009}

Welcome Kim!

Thank you so much Melissa for the honor of having the opportunity to share one of my favorite spots in Daisy Cottage with your readers – my office and its’ view of the living room.

I love being in here, as it is where I blog, write, read, dream, and enjoy visiting other beautiful bloggers, such as yourself. It is my little room to simply be or to gain inspiration from my books, magazines, and the sweet tokens of friendship that I’ve been blessed to receive from my sister bloggers and readers. It is a happy place and very dear to me.

My wish for ALL keepers of the home, is that they not only fill every corner of their nests with the colors and things that they love and that truly makes their heart sing, but I hope that they, too, claim their own special spot in their homes just for them.

I would like to encourage them to surround themselves with whatever inspires them and reaffirms to them that they are special and unique, not only to their families but to our world. Because they ARE. All homemakers have SO much to give and are precious, one-of-a-kind souls — definitely worthy of having their own little space to call their own.

Do you have a special corner to call you own?
Tell us about it in the comments, or dream about what it would be like!

All images used by permission: Kim @ Daisy Cottage
See how she finds beauty every day!
Thank you for sharing with us today, Kim!


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]]> http://theinspiredroom.net/2010/08/30/a-place-of-your-own/feed/ 25 Where I Blog http://theinspiredroom.net/2010/08/29/where-i-blog/ http://theinspiredroom.net/2010/08/29/where-i-blog/#comments Mon, 30 Aug 2010 05:01:22 +0000 Melissa @ The Inspired Room http://theinspiredroom.net/?p=11130

If you are a follower here on The Inspired Room, you’ve seen my blogging corner many times. You just might not have known it was my prime blogging spot! That right there is my blogging chair. You can see I sit there a lot, since my green pillow is smashed into the shape of my back. Guess I should have fluffed it for the photo, I just get used to seeing it all smushed!

I don’t yet have a home office set up, so I just hang out in my family room. Someday in the near future, I’ll have my own office. I cannot wait to have a space of my own! But honestly, even when I have my own office, I have a feeling I will still sit right here in my blogging chair. I can see the TV if I want, and I can see the kids. And in the winter, I’m right by the fire! COZY! And if I want to really kick back, I can spread out on the couch or put my feet up on the ottoman. I’m all about the comfort.

I like to see what is happening around my house and this is the prime spot to sit!

If I look out from my blogging chair across the family room, I can see right into my kitchen. And I can dream about all the projects I want to do in there! I have a new project I’ve done just outside of this photo, in fact! I’ll show that later!

I REALLY love having a job that I can do right from my family room!

Where do you blog?

Check out the “Where do you blog party?” today at Centsational Girl!

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