Bedroom Update

Now that we are all settled into our new apartment, I decided that it was time to give our bedroom a bit of an overhaul. After much deliberation, we finally selected an upholstered headboard from West Elm. The simple rectangular shape and tailored tufting gives it a classic feel. I love the medium grey fabric and feel that it will really anchor the space.

Next came the Safavieh nightstands. They are relatively large (26"W x 26"H) which always feels better in a space then teeny, tiny little things on either side of the bed. They are a lighter shade of grey and will coordinate nicely with our existing Target bedding (#2). I am toying with the idea of buying new crisp white bedding, but that'll be a later addition.

Then I came across these amazing Geode knobs from Anthropologie and knew that they had to become a part of this room. We'll replace the little knobs on the nightstands with these beauties and it'll give them an entirely new look. To coordinate with the gold accents on the knobs, I wanted to bring in these tall, gold table lamps. Their funky shape and impressive height will allow them to become a focal point in the room.

Stay tuned for the final reveal!

DIY Chair Reupholstery

I recently came across a great find at HomeGoods (which happens often) and had to snag it. It is a mid-century modern inspired chair that has a beautiful solid walnut frame. The seat however was not as beautiful. It was plain red felt wrapped around a solid wood seat. In addition to it being very uncomfortable to sit on, the red felt was not exactly a showstopper. I decided to add a cushion to the seat and recover it with a fun patterned fabric. After much deliberation I settled on a tie-dye grey and white chevron from Duralee. It coordinates perfectly with our other living room furniture, and can now be used because it is no longer excruciatingly uncomfortable!

This project only took about a half an hour total. I removed a few screws from the underside of the seat, popped out the seat panel, cut the cushion to size, wrapped the new fabric around the panel, and stapled it to the back. A few more minutes of putting the screws back in and I practically had a brand new chair!

What do you think of the final product?

Living Room Scheme: Final Design

We are days away from moving into our new apartment, and I have been hard at work re-imagining our living room scheme. Moving to a new space is always a great opportunity to start fresh. We went through all of the items that we've accumulated over the last two years and kept only the things that we really wanted to bring along. The sectional will stay the same, but all other pieces in our living room will either be new or new-to-us (aka, painted or re-used in another way).

My inspiration for our new living room look is the casual, pretty-but-not-too-girly interior in the image below. I love the unique mix of blue, grey (greyish-green in the case of our sectional), and purple-pink.

Photo: Pinterest

Check out my interpretation of this style in the inspiration board below. I've also included a list of these items so that you can get the look in your own space if you love it as much as I do!

Sectional: Ashley Furniture Home Store Freestyle Sectional
Bookshelves: IKEA Hyllis (in stores, currently not available online)
Baskets: Container Store Beach House Bins
TV Stand: All Modern Sauder Soft Modern 59" TV Stand
Side Tables: Umbra Round Folding Tray Table
Throw Pillows: Carly Ahlman Design
Blanket: IKEA Ofelia
Table Lamp: IKEA Forsa

Stayed tune to see how the real-life room turns out!

Good Style Design: Pool Blue Weathered Living Room

About a year ago I launched the web-based interior design company, Good Style Design. The site features a collection of interior design inspiration boards that can be applied to almost any space. It is a great way to determine what your decorating style is, and receive space planning assistance and customized inspiration boards made especially for you. All suggested pieces are readily available from popular brands such as West Elm, Restoration Hardware, and Crate & Barrel.

Below is one of my favorite looks on the site. It evokes the feeling of a laid back, calming space while still maintaining a contemporary look with clean lined pieces of furniture.

Check out other looks over at Good Style Design!

Photo: Good Style Design

Seafoam + Fuschia Bedroom

Seafoam and Fuschia bedroom scheme by carlyahlman featuring a turquoise bedding

Worlds Away round light
insideavenue.com

Bertie metal desk lamp
$67 - habitat.co.uk

Rug
burkedecor.com

Bluebellgray turquoise bedding
$30 - amara.com

Soma bed sheet
hdbuttercup.com

Heal s mohair throw blanket
$165 - heals.co.uk

Window curtain
etsy.com

Blu Dot king size bed
bludot.com

Prepac white furniture
casa.com

Serena Lily contemporary accent table
serenaandlily.com

Surya Beth Lacefield Intersected Geometrics Down Pillow, Pink, 20" x...
casa.com

Curtain Tiebacks

Curtain tiebacks are making a comeback! Not only do they add a nice finishing detail to a space, they also have the practical function of holding sheers and drapes away from a window. Typically most people think of curtain tiebacks (or holdbacks) as a more traditional home decor element (for example, those tassel tiebacks that your Grandmother had in her formal living room), but recently they have made quite a name for themselves in contemporary, eclectic, and transitional interiors. Materials such as leather, acrylic, polished chrome, and even bone make the curtain tiebacks below perfect accents for non-traditional interiors.

Photo: Anthropologie

Photo: The Curtain Rod Shop

Photo: Urban Outfitters

Photo: Urban Outfitters

Photo: Anthropologie

Mixing Throw Pillows

Incorporating differnt colors and patterns of throw pillows is a great way to add some fun to your decor. Start with an overall pallette or direction such as pastels, florals, neons, or full on rainbow, and then begin building your throw pillow collection based on that. Once you've determined your overall look you can shop around for throw pillows that will help you to achieve it. Try places like Home Goods, Pier 1, Target, Etsy, and my very own Carly Ahlman Design. Just grab styles that you love as you see them, then you're guaranteed to acquire a well thought out collection of throw pillows that you truly love.

I'm continually working on my two-of-a-kind offering of throw pillows, and my website is a great place to start your collection (www.carlyahlmandesign.com/store). All styles are 16" x 16", not too large for side chairs, not too small for sofas.

Take a look at the inspiring interiors below and get started on your mixed throw pillow collection!

Photo: Blocnow

Photo: Homedit

Photo: Jangrue

Photo: Roomology

Photo: Sonehed

Photo: Tastemaker

Photo: The Interioz

Living Room Scheme

Although I am an Interior Designer and work on other people's homes on a daily basis, I find it difficult to make any decisions when it comes to my own home. I love so many different styles of furniture, fabric patterns, and color schemes, how can I possibly narrow it down?! A great way to try out a design scheme is to create an inspiration board. That way you're able to see all of the pieces of furniture, fabrics, and colors in one place. It's a great way to view different "looks" before making any big purchases or changes. My online based design firm, Good Style Design, provides customized inspiration boards and floor plans to make the interior design process much easier.

Currently I am working on completing the design of our living room. We already have a dark green sectional from Ashley Furniture, throw pillows that I made using a  Kravet fabric, and three red side tables by Umbra from Bed, Bath & Beyond. I like the idea of brightening the space up with two small white coffee tables from IKEA with baskets underneath for extra storage (also from IKEA). Then the white locker-inspired piece from IKEA would be used as our TV stand.

As I said, it's hard for me to make a decision, so I may have to put together a few more inspiration boards before settling on a final design. Stay tuned for the final look!

Zippered Pouches

I have always had a love of fabrics. One of the great perks about being an Interior Designer is that I am around beautiful fabrics everyday -- it is definitely my favorite part. Ever since I got a sewing machine a few years ago, I have been eager to turn all of these colorful, textured, and patterned fabrics into beautiful things.

First, I created a growing collection of two-of-a-kind throw pillows available through my website and Etsy, and I am now getting ready to offer a collection of one-of-a-kind zippered pouches. If you see something you like, don't wait too long because once it's sold, that's it! Below is one of the first pouches that is going to be available. It's the perfect size for a makeup bag, a place to keep receipts (I'm a big receipt-hoarder), or to organize any other little items that need organizing.

Keep an eye out for many more styles to come!

Turquoise Home Decor

Turquoise furniture and home decor items seem to be popping up everywhere. It's the perfect color to add to almost any space. I love it because it reminds of the clear, bright blue water in the Caribbean. Add this color to your home through pieces of furniture, light fixtures, or small accessories like vases or an ottoman. Brighten up your decor just in time for summer!

Turquoise Home Decor by carlyahlman featuring glass bottles

Currey Company colored light
zincdoor.com

Ceramic garden stool
kathykuohome.com

Glass vase
lampsplus.com

Glass bottle
etsy.com

Swivel chair
dotandbo.com

3 drawer dresser
kirklands.com

Surya ottoman
blisshomeanddesign.com

Casters furniture
ikea.com

Favorite Patterns: Watercolor Florals

Recently I have seen watercolor-inspired florals everywhere from dresses to throw pillows. The watercolor technique gives a more contemporary look to otherwise traditional floral patterns. I also love the bright and sometimes unexpected color combinations that are used on the floral watercolor patterns on the items and spaces below.

Get your home ready for summer with this seasonally appropriate trend. Incorporate throw pillows, artwork, or even an entire accent wall.

Photo: Carly Ahlman Design

Photo: Etsy / Pineapple Bay Studio

Photo: Anthropologie

Photo: Lily Bunn Interiors

Photo: Urban Outfitters

Favorite Patterns: Ikat

Adding pattern to a space is always a great way to liven up the look. A very popular pattern these days is Ikat. Traditionally, Ikat is a fabric in which the yarns have been tie-dyed before weaving (Merriam-Webster). Ikats come in a variety of colors and patterns, and can be found on almost any home decor item that you can imagine. I even have an Ikat pillow in my new throw pillow line! Get inspired by the great Ikat-filled spaces and products below.

Photo: Design Sponge

Photo: Carly Ahlman Design

Photo: The Kellogg Collection

Photo: Apartment Therapy

Photo: West Elm