Archive | HOME AND GARDEN

When we moved into current home – my favorite part was the open kitchen, dining and living room space. Since our home is tiny (1,000 square feet) this is our main living area that we spend almost all of our time in.

Eben likes to snuggle up on the rug with the dogs and his computer. I like to snuggle in the corner of the sofa during movie time and for coffee on the weekends. And you can most likely find the mister comfy in his favorite chair or cooking up a storm in the kitchen. Since this space is so small we can all be in the area doing different things but still be together. (It’s a good thing we really like each other!)

The problem with the space was the rug we had in it was simply too small and made the whole room look and feel smaller. (I wanted to share a before picture, but the mister surprised me by putting the rug together for me when I wasn’t home! However, you can see the rug that was in the space before here.) Since Olive, our French Bulldog is now potty trained (Hooray!) we decided it was the perfect time to get a new rug. We wanted something large, sustainable, beautiful and that would pull all of the room together – and since FLOR has so many different options available, we were confident that we could find something that would be perfect.

Because FLOR carpet squares can be placed in any configuration, pattern or size we knew we would be perfect in our rectangular shaped space. It took us forever to pick out the perfect rug – seriously, the selection is huge, trying to pick just one almost felt impossible! After a lot of back and forth – the mister and I finally agreed on the Vintage Vibe in cream, it’s a modern take on the traditional Moroccan Beni Ouarain rugs with diamond shaped “starburst” patterning with subtle irregularities that honor the characteristics of ancient weaving techniques. It’s made in the USA out of 100% recycled face fibers too! We felt it was the perfect combination of sophistication and coziness!

The installation is quick and simple, the mister just stuck them together with the stickers that came with the carpet squares and within a few minutes we had a nice, cozy rug that our entire family loves!

What do you think?

Full Disclosure: I received a FLOR carpet tile rug to review – however, we have used FLOR before and really believe in the brand, so I would have told you about them anyway!

I have always loved children’s toys – especially fantastic vintage ones. Believe it or not, I still have a lot of my childhood toys stored away in my cedar chest. Which reminds me, I should really go through it one of these days – it has been years! Anyhow, I came across these reclaimed cardboard robots from Rika and I was a little nostalgic for times past. Aren’t they fun? I love their simplicity, moving joints and they are eco-friendly too!

These cuties are made in Lima, Perú by industrial designer Ricardo Geldres and plastic artist Kareen Nishimura. I think a set of these would look amazing on Eben’s bookcase – and then I could go in and admire them everyday. Ha!

Do you have a favorite vintage toy from your childhood? 

photo credit

We recently moved into a tiny 2 bedroom townhouse and while downsizing is super exciting to me – initially I was concerned about the lack of storage, especially in Eben’s bedroom. He has so many small trinkets, art supplies, LEGO pieces, books, and other fun kids stuff. I wanted to reuse the pieces of furniture that we already owned in any way possible. Here are the solutions that I have implemented into his new bedroom which have given him a ton of storage and cut the clutter too! Check it out.

#1: Floor to Ceiling Shelving
We love this IKEA Expedit Bookcase – it is perfect for holding his insane book collection. I recently pushed all the books to the back of each shelf, giving him more room for those little trinkets in front. He has also utilized the top of the bookcase for displaying his comic book, coin and vintage toy collection. There are 5 large pull out bins on the bottom level that house all of his trading cards, robots and other toys.

#2: Under the Bed Storage
I always feel like the storage space under the bed gets ignored. We have large sliding bins under his bed that are perfect for storing his large art masterpieces. However, I also love the idea of an elevated bed with drawers and shelving underneath – what a great way to add more space to a small bedroom. This particular solution wouldn’t work for Eben because he sleeps with these cuties – and they can’t jump very high. Ha! 

#3: Stacking Storage Bins
We have three of these fantastic Sortera stacking bins from IKEA in Eben’s closet right now. They were designed to house recyclables in the garage – however, they are perfect for storing LEGO pieces. Since Eben has seriously over a million LEGO pieces this has turned out to be a great storage solutions. They are easy to slide out and since the lid comes off, they make clean up time a breeze.

#4: Top of the Closet Bins
The top of the closet can become a waste land of anything that your child throws up there that doesn’t fall back down! We purchased large fabric bins and were able to get 6 of them to fit perfect side by side on the shelf (however we only have 5 up there – since his overflow LEGO bin is up there too!) They are tall and deep, so they fill the shelf up exactly and this is where we store all of Eben’s stuffed animals. He doesn’t play with them anymore, however they have sentimental value to him and it’s a great way to store them, keeping them off of the floor or cluttering up the bed.

#5: Rethink the Closet
Eben’s new bedroom had a much larger closet which is great – except for the fact, that he doesn’t have a ton of clothes. He wears a uniform to school – therefore he only needs a handful of outfits for the weekend and special events. We removed the doors from his closet and transformed it into his office space. We had a 6′ slim desk from my office that fit perfectly inside, giving him tons of space to work. We hung all of his clothes at the far end of the closet, giving him the rest of the closet space to organize his art, photography, computer and animation supplies. This project is probably my favorite storage project that I completed in our new space because it gives him the space he needs for his creative endeavors.

YOUR TURN: What suggestions do you have for adding more storage and reducing clutter in a child’s bedroom? 

photos via here, here, here