My "This is NOT a Collection" Collection

 

 

Corey's been teasing me like crazy, because I've always disliked collections and often compare them with addictions and now it appears that I may be a bit of a hypocrite.  The problem is, I've just never really understood why adults collect things and I have never really found anything that I wanted to collect. 

That is, until I purchased a vintage West German pottery vase in the summer and I thought about how nice it would look in a grouping.

A quick Google image search revealed the diversity and beauty of this type of pottery.  Here are a few of my favourite "groupings" from around the web... many of which are also displayed on a mid-century sideboard:

I love this restrained grouping on Ouch Flower, 

The muted greys and whites on Second Hand Hannah are refined and beautiful!

While, I prefer more limited palettes, this collection on The Boo and the Boy is impressive.

I love the way this collection featured on Potted Store shows how well a bright colour can stand out amid a sea of neutrals.

The rainbow arrangement on The Red Thread Blog makes the assortment of colours seem less chaotic and more intentional.  Gorgeous!

I just love this group of pieces on Little Denim, which are different, and yet somehow work together.

On Life and Lava features a huge assortment displayed in a pretty hutch.

I thought these pastels on Amsterdam Modern were pretty.

The Style Files features a very diverse collection with some unusual designs.

For my own ... okay, we can call it a collection, I'm choosing blue and turquoise hues for now.  I think it will add a great splash of colour to the dining room.  I recently added to my collection as a treat for my 31st birthday.

To score awesome pieces of your own, here are my sources:

1 & 2 were purchased at The Christie Antique Show.

3 was purchased at The Junction Flea.

4 & 5 were purchased at Love My Vintage Bazaar, an Etsy shop which offers a great selection of vintage items and West German Pottery. 

6 was scored at Eclectivist, which is probably my favourite online destination for West German Pottery.  Not only are prices reasonable, the shop owner seems to have good knowledge of value and origins.

Related articles

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AT Room For Color Favourites

As you know, our living room is currently a contestant in the 2013 Apartment Therapy Room for Color Contest.  While our entry this year is far less popular (in the contest) than our living room in the condo, we're still enjoying watching the contest and search for inspiration from the other contestants.

 

In the spirit of sharing some fabulous rooms, here are my favourites so far:

Paisan's East Meets West Room is bold and stunning in my opinion.  I also think he was wise to leave the bottom of the wall white so as not to overpower the room.

Obviously, I love my own entry, Taylor's Happy Blues Room.  I love that from this angle, you also get a look my our newly finished hallway.

While not what I think of as "colourful", Virginia's Green, White & Cream Room uses muted tones for a restful and clean vibe.

I have always liked non-traditional nurseries, and it's probably no surprise that I'm drawn to the navy and lime colour combination in Cathy's Navy & Green Nursery Room.

Matthew's Moody in Nature Room is fabulous and totally my style.  I love the mix of organic and modern accessories!

I tend to love good, mid-century styling, so I was instantly drawn to Kelly's White, Teal & Oxblood Room.  I think the mix of colours and accessories is perfect!

I'm not normally a fan of rooms that are too symmetrical, but Kristie's Light & Happy Room is just too sweet and pretty!

I love the pretty bookshelves in Maria's Light, Colorful & Collected Room.  She manages to use wood tones, while keeping the rest of the room looking light.

Holly's Heaven Room is professionally decorated and it shows.  I just love it and her curtains are giving me ideas for our dining room!

I love the funky patterns and mid-century touches in George's Shades of Blue Room.  Bravo!

I adore this mix of patterns and colours in Amanda's Clean Modern Mix Room.

Would I ever be brave or fun enough to replicate Vineet's Bold & Vibrant Room?  Perhaps not, but I love it just the same!  My favourite thing may be the reversal of the traditional colourful art on a white wall!

These may be my favourite entries so far, but the contest is far from over.  Which room is your favourite?

Related articles

• Before & After: Sarah + Darren's Living Room
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Style Cure: Part 6 (Connecting the Dots)

 

As I enter the fall market and one of my busiest times of year, I'm scaling back slightly on my blogging time.  Corey and I have some LARGE projects to tackle, and you'll certainly be joining us, but you may notice that I post a little less frequently. 

 

That being said, we still have plenty of work to do on our new/old house, as well as a wedding to finish planning, Halloween around the corner, and a new foster dog arriving next week... so there's still plenty to write about. :)  I'm also trying to finish the next instalment of my Condo Survival series.  I know some of you have been asking (and I'm THRILLED that you enjoy it so much) but the next part of the story is a little more difficult to write about because something sad happens.

 

Anyway, I wanted to follow up on our hallway reveal post to assess how the finished room ended up looking in relation to my inspiration photos.  I thought it would be fun to examine the photos and vocalize exactly what I like about each of them.  I'm already finding it interesting, because some ideas are already cropping up in other areas of the house.  I'm finding it interesting to approach design more deliberately in terms of themes and accessories.

 

By the way, in case you're curious, we are loving our new hallway... and yes, it is already just a teeny bit messy and lived in. :)

 

Let's start with this compilation photo I made of all of my favourite inspiration rooms.  Notice the recurring neutral walls with pops of blue and green and lots of art and texture.

 

 

I just loved this vintage Kilim runner against the wood floor...

 

So I found one for our house.

 

 

I am drawn to geodes and loved the large amethyst in this photo...

And I managed to paint one for our hallway.

 

I love so much about this picture, but especially the colours and subtle hints of gold.

... Which I managed to incorporate with the addition of this DIY painted lamp.

 

This picture is one of my favourites.  I really love everything in this room, but especially the art, the colours and the different patterns.

 



 

I loved this grouping of blue vases, which are so different but sort of adhere to a similar theme.  I'm sort of doing something similar in our dining room with my West German Pottery.

 



 

I still have trouble pinpointing exactly what I love about this vignette.  It could be the art... or all the hints at geometric shapes... but I definitely love the mix of patterns and colours.

 



 

I've already posted a picture of this room, but I couldn't resist pointing out the layering of the white flokati over the oriental carpet.  I love the added interest from the texture.  I used a sheepskin in the hallway to achieve this same effect against the Turkish runner.

 

 

I love this beautiful green glass.  It speaks to me for some reason.  While not the same, I have similar pieces on our hall shelf, which collect our keys.

 

 

Finally, here are the pictures of our hallway again.  Now that I'm looking more intentionally, it's easy to see what inspired each accessory.

 

 

While it's difficult to decorate such a small room, I'm proud to have achieved a result so close to the "look" which had inspired me.  Frankly, I'm surprised I had the patience for the Style Cure exercises, but I believe it was worth it.

Have you ever thought a room through like this?  Do you think it would make a difference?

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