Inspiration has struck...

You know, I can't help but be inspired when I pick up one of Alexandra Stoddard's books.  Her Book of Color is one I don't look at too often, but when I was dusting the bookshelves the other day, I hauled it back to my desk to browse through again.  Admittedly, I did it because it was too big for the stack it was in - and didn't belong with those particular books anyway, but I digress...  Paging through the photographs of glorious color, I looked around and realized that I haven't made much use of color myself lately.  I've been in this condo for a year and a half, and while I have lots of stuff on the walls and well, stuff everywhere, there isn't a lot of actual color.  The walls are a light taupe and the carpet is a nondescript beige.  So I've come up with a couple of ideas to inject some much-needed color into my world.

See this little wall that separates the kitchen from the living room?  I'm thinking of either painting it a sage green or covering it with white beadboard paneling that will match the kitchen cabinets.  I'm leaning toward the beadboard, painted with glossy white paint.  And there is a method to my madness here: for some reason Aggie thinks this is a great spot to rub her face on the wall - and no matter how much I wash it, it still doesn't look clean.  I could remedy that situation and add some interest at the same time.  The living room doors need a valance, too, and I have the blue fabric I need for that project - I just have to find a coordinating red print with some sage green in it for the contrasting lining.  Oh - and I have to get my friends to build me a wood cornice to drape the valance over.  But they're nice that way.

My other color idea is for the bedroom.  I love my antique iron bed and I really like the greenish blue quilted toile coverlet.  I do not, however, like the khaki bedskirt.  It was a sale find at Target when I was in a hurry to put the bedroom together - can you believe WalMart didn't have bedskirts to match the coverlets and shams?  Anyhow, it has served its purpose - but while studying the color scheme the other day, I realized how nice a black gingham bedskirt would look - sort of pulling the bed and the other bedding together.  I got one from Country Curtains in a very small black and cream gingham - and I just need to get Ariela to help me put it on the box spring.  I've also decided that the bedroom has gone without window treatments long enough - I'm going to order two yards of the bedskirt fabric and make a simple valance to further tie the look together.  I'm still pondering a couple of black gingham pillow shams or accent pillows for the bed and maybe a chair pad for the blue chair.  I've already replaced both of those ugly chests on either side of the bed - having moved my round Singer sewing table from the living room to the left side and a cute oak table with a drawer and shelf on the right - both inexpensive craigslist finds.

I do love it when a room comes together!