Girly Prints!

I just had to share these super cute hand drawn prints .. they will fit so perfectly in the space that I just finished!

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Aren't they just so fun? 

See the room they were inspired by >> A Room For The Girls <<

Find your own inspiration and have custom prints made >> Josie Jo's Studios <<

A Room For The Girls

This was so fun! I got to design my little cousin's bedroom.. to S H A R E. Jessie (13) and Julia (9) decided that they could share a room so that their Mom would be able to convert one bedroom in to a home office (that one is next on our agenda). 

As it sat, Jessie's room was decorated years ago in a jungle theme.. at 13 years old and entering high school next year she decided it was time for an upgrade. Julia's room was still cotton candy pink with bunk beds and had a princess air about it. If you met either of them, you'd know.. they were both way past these themes. But hey, you've got to wait for your busy Mom to make something happen. 

Here are a few "before" photo's of the room we tore apart (Jessie's) .. it isn't a fair view because the bed was already taken out .. but good luck trying to slow these girls down when their new room is in the works. 

I asked each girl what they wanted and both were very adamant that there was to be  N O  P I N K  in the room, at all, whatsoever. I took it in stride and set out to find "the look". Julia wanted blue and Jessie was fixated on purple. I knew that keeping pink out of the room was going to be difficult, I just really love pink. But hey, this isn't my room. 

I consulted my parter in crime in Blueprints & Damask, Tina. We always throw ideas off of each other, even if we are working on personal projects. Our minds work well together. 

I told her what I was thinking and threw her some verbal elements that I wanted to see in the room, she did what she does best, put it to inspiration boards. This is a great tool that we actually offer clients to implement our designs themselves.. check out our joint >> blog << for more information. 

I knew right away what I wanted to do to the walls, the room is small but I could make it seem bigger with layout and paint. Yes, paint makes a big difference in how large your room is perceived. I chose "Manhattan Mist" as the wall color, the rest I'll go into in a minute. 

Here are the boards with our initial thoughts for the room and it's personality:

Jessie's Bed

Julia's Bed

As you can see.. there is pink in there, we just couldn't help it. But, it really was a great starting point. The girls loved them (minus the pink). 

This bedding was from Pottery Barn Teen and to be quite honest, I wanted to find something that could grow a few years with them and not be old news next year. Actually, that was the goal for the room. Make it cute, fun to be in and easily updated without going through this whole thing all over again in no time. The girls were excited because they got their colors. 

The first thing I did in the room was prime the walls and have my handy brother come in to shoot up some simple chair rail trim four feet up from the carpet. Above that I'd paint with the wall color and below I'd paint white, giving it the look of wainscot. Doing this would really lift the ceiling and give the walls a taller look. It's more work, but definitely worth it.


My Aunt wanted to up-cycle as many elements that we could that already existed in the room, I agreed .. why not save as much money as possible? We took the wooden bunk beds apart (my Uncle did) and painted them white, their brown desk was painted white on it's body and "Sea Mist" on it's top, the table lamp was also up-cycled, painted the same fresh colors and given a brand new (on sale) lamp shade. 

My Dad.. the master. 

We hunted for the perfect wall decor, pieces that were more grown up but still fun. Do you see that heart marquee above my Dad's head?? That was a pretty fun find. 

Each girl got a pin board hung above her bed, Julia needed her animal print which we found at Target and Jessie got a custom board made by my Aunt! It seriously is worthy of applause. We had such a hard time finding throw pillows that reflected the girls style and gave the beds the personality that we wanted.. so, I found the material and my Aunt made those as well! 

We had a blast and I'm happy to say, the girls love their room. That's all that matters! Here is the final product.. 

The fuzzy pillows were purchased as was a tiny little pillow (( that we had to have )) and ordered online .. we didn't realize it was the size of a cell phone .. oh well!! My Aunt made the chevron pillows and the Eiffel Tower pillow on Jessie's bed .. I am obsessed with them!! 

Aaaand here we are, happy girls in a happy room. They call it their dorm. 

Romance Me Baby

Perche, Paris - Île-de-France

Well, Tina did it again. She's so good at finding homes that are on the market abroad and stateside that could use our loving touch. When she sent Perche to me I said, “I get my stone cottage!”.. she spoils me. Rotten...

Read More >> http://blueprintsanddamask.blogspot.com/2014/02/perche.html?m=1

An Arizona Hacienda

At first we looked at the space and what was in it and went Southwestern, a more modern and soft take on a Southwestern space... >> Read More <<

The space's inspirational elements.. >> See The final Mock Up <<

Lofty Ideas

For as long as I can remember Dad and I would drive from job to job planning and dreaming what we would do when we could fund our own projects. We've always gone back and forth, bringing each other back to earth.. but only a little bit. What's the point of having a passion for something if you can't dream up the biggest and the best use of your ability? Nothing is out of reach if you're willing to work your tail off to get it, and have that much faith that there is a bigger picture that you were meant to add your stamp to.

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For the past few years we've had project after project of remodeling here in the Southwest, and let me tell you, I'm ever so thankful for the work and the income they have provided.. but putting things back together is always a bit more tiresome than building it from scratch. Although, they both have their upsides and making things shine like new again has it's rich rewards.

>> I would just love to get my hands on an old building either on the east coast, or the west.. either coast will do for my taste.. and completely renovate it into loft spaces for sale or rent. My brain and hands are just itching to tackle one or ten. With Dad and Tina – Wallflower Diaries – as my partners (we each add a different perspective to a project) these spaces would just be spectacular. <<

Hey, I will do them one day and plenty of them. It's my dream. Of course I'd like to fund them myself and pocket the profit from sales and rents.. but it sure would be fun to get paid to tackle one as a paid project! Just putting it out there world. Just putting it out there. But seriously, call me.

Here is my favorite loft space, it has always inspired my imagination!

Gerard Bulter's New York Loft >> Architectural Digest

View More >> Architectural Digest

View More >> Architectural Digest

View More >> Architectural Digest

View More >> Architectural Digest

We'll get into my obsession with the coast in the next post.. maybe..

Lumiere, Old Friend

Yes, that's a Disney reference. 

One of my favorite buys and also one of the most important elements that is so often looked over in décor is lighting, it makes a huge statement in a space. From wall sconces to ceiling fixtures, lights bring the room together with warmth and beauty. If it isn't part of your budget, make sure to add it to the list. Great pieces can get a bit pricey, especially if you have excellent taste and need multiple fixtures for specific rooms, the best idea is to shop around. Someone will always have a less expensive version of what you are looking for, if you can find it use it!

Take a look at the latest spaces on Wallflower Diaries: 

Our House >> View Post

She & Him >> View Post

Light Up The Sky >> View Post

The spaces just wouldn't be the same without these amazing fixtures!

I came across a great company out of the UK for lights and light fixtures, Lights 2 Go check out their site.. 

I just L.O.V.E this glam wall sconce..

Lights 2 Go >> Visit Site