If I allowed myself to look too closely at the individual pieces in this picture, like the prints on the wall or the animal pillow on the left, I might not love this room as much as I do. Yet when I let my eyes go a little out-of-focus, this room is pretty close to perfect.

The color palette is one of my faves. The furniture is cozy but still elegant. And the accessories are generously sized.

Zoom out, however, and the overall look doesn’t appeal to me quite as much, because the chairs and lamp make it look a little “old” style. Still, I want to remember this room because the layout is just so good. The seating is close enough to feel cozy but not crowded. And the drawers and mirror off to the left are a great answer to “What should I do with this wall?”

I also want to remember this room because there aren’t any killer architectural details—no wall cutouts, crown molding, or arty chandeliers. Really, it looks like it could be anyone’s suburban living room. But what designer Allison Jaffe did with it is far from anyone’s suburban living room, which just goes to show that even the simplest space can be transformed into something special.

Alllllright, if I thought I liked the birch tree wallpaper before—check out my post from last month—I’m on the verge of obsession now.

These bathrooms from HGTV.com are killing me with their sharp modernity blended with the tree-laden design.

So, birch tree wallpaper in a bathroom? Yes. Please.

Ooh! The blue lattice stool from Clayton Gray Home that I used in my blue and white inspiration board also looks good in a bathroom.

*Image from HGTV.com.

Since this family room, designed by Linda Woodrum, was intended to have mass appeal, it looks a bit like a hotel lobby: high-end, but drained of personality.

However in this case, that’s not necessarily a bad thing! It’s still beautiful, functional, and nicely proportioned and balanced. We can glean a lot of inspiration from this room. Take a look at the photos, and then read on.

What I like about this family room:

1) The drum pendants. Not only are they way more interesting than trendy, recessed pot lights, they’re more intimate, too.

2) Intimate seating. Oftentimes we think that if furniture is too close together, the room will look smaller or more crowded, but that’s not necessarily true. In this case, it’s cozy and appropriate for a family room.

3) Sleeper sectional. The couch turns into a queen sleeper—and I don’t know about you, but we definitely need more space for visiting relatives!

4) Storage ottomans. They triple as a coffee table, extra seating, and storage bin. So functional.

5) Unexpected black-and-white painting. The designer stated, “With so much saturated color, I knew we needed black and white there to clean and crisp up the room.” So true.

6) Not quite wall-to-wall carpeting. That 12-ish inches of space between the carpet and the wall actually expands the space, and that glimpse of hardwood makes the room look even more high-end.

7) A cohesive color statement, expressed in wall color, furniture, lamps, and textiles. I am always drawn to color. Whether it looks methodical or haphazard, color conveys a feeling; and in this case, there’s a richness and warmth that begs me to sit and stay a while. (Wall color is Craft Paper from Sherwin-Williams.)

*Images from HGTV Dream Home 2012.

Today I’m guest blogging at Lili & Mae! Visit Mae’s fabulous style blog and let me know if I’ve convinced you to go bold and wear zebra print. I think I’ve actually succeeded in convincing myself. Yep, I’m turned on to zebra, people!

Here’s a preview of my guest post:

Visit Lili & Mae for tons of great style inspiration. Thanks for having me, Mae!

Guess what I did today? I wore my cardigan backwards, à la Marc Jacobs, Ann Taylor, and Krystal from This Time Tomorrow.

Krystal’s version inspired me to try my mustard cardi backwards, and it actually worked and was pretty cute! I don’t even think anyone noticed my irreverence. I’m definitely doing this again.

Happy Christmas Eve! Here’s a simple little post today, in favor of the painted door. Doesn’t it look good in this basically neutral interior? And next to that black-and-white floral wallpaper? Hellooo, chartreuse—you’re looking mighty fine.

*Image from shelterness.com.

It seems to be a good week for discovering new textile designers! Today I stumbled upon Caitlin Wilson, a San Francisco designer with a very trend-forward aesthetic in both pattern and palette.

I love how each of her collections has some brilliant pattern-mixing going on. Pattern mixing is not always easy, so she does it for us! See her collections below, Fleur Chinoise I, Fleur Chinoise II, Fleur Chinoise III, Fleur Chinoise IV, and Hong Kong.

I feel terrible. It’s just a cold (I think), but it feels so much worse than that. I’m achy and exhausted and so rundown. Ugh. So let’s keep it simple today, shall we?

I’ve only just discovered Sonya Winner. She designs incredibly graphic, punchy rugs and I need to remember her next time we’re in the market for a unique floor covering.

The first rug, titled After Matisse (I feel like I can say “titled” because it’s basically a work of art on the floor—right?), is especially compelling and so appropriate for a family. Hm, should I be nervous to look at the price tag on these?

I actually like this Americana bedroom, designed by Linda Woodrum. Take a look at the photos, and then read why.

What I like about this bedroom:

1) It makes a big color statement. (Wall color is Bracing Blue from Sherwin-Williams.)

2) The contemporary Old West theme is distinguishable but not theme park.

3) Every element—from the Shaker-style bed to the paisley textiles, wall-to-wall gingham carpeting, and “wagon wheel” light fixtures—lends itself to a cohesive design.

4) Whether you’re sitting, standing, or laying, there’s something interesting placed at eye level. The same goes for looking up and down.

*Images from HGTV Dream Home 2012.