Now that I've (almost) finished tackling my studio, I've been contemplating changes to the rest of our house. I feel like a mama bird about to tidy up her nest - ha!

Our kitchen could really use a facelift (an understatement if ever there was one). Between the faux-brick wall paneling and the dark, nearly-black-but-not-quite cabinets, I'm ready for a change. While we can't afford a dramatic overhaul, we can afford some paint and other fixes. I present to you my kitchen inspiration:

I'll paint our cabinets red for sure. And the cheesy 70s brass cabinet pulls will be exchanged for some brushed nickel ones. As for the wall color, I think I'll choose something on the creamy, yellowish side. The beige just won't fulfill my color lust. All the trim and the ceiling will get bathed in white. In the picture here, you can see a little bit of the ceiling beams. We have a similar ceiling, but it is that same dark-brown-to-the-point-of-nearly-being-black. (Did I hear a collective gasp from those of you who love our ceiling? Sorry, but I can't stand the darkness anymore!) I guess the only thing still to be determined are light fixture changes. I'd like some pendant lights like the ones in the picture, but that might be out of our budget right now.

Then, there's the living room. I found a beautiful wool rug at Target for cheap. It's a lovely green Persian with red accents. The walls are a greyish green. It's starting to look like moss grew all over everything in there, so I really want to warm it up. Here's my living room inspiration pic:


I have a lovely, old rocking chair that reminds me of the chair in the pic. Right now it has (surprise!) a green upholstered seat. That will be an easy fix, and I'm sure I can find a mix of fabrics for the pillows. The big stumper right now is the rug. I can't find it (although I'm sure it's a Pottery Barn rug from 2003 or so). I did find a similar one in the current Pottery Barn catalog, so that's what I might get if something closer doesn't turn up when I'm actually ready to buy.

Finally, we have the dining room (sorry, no inspirational picture for this room). The green rug from the living room will move into the dining room. The walls will get a covering of paint called "Spicy curry." It's a deep red that matches the bricks in our chimney. I think I'll spiff up the light fixture, too. It needs a coat of matte black paint, and some little lamp shades instead of the etched glass globes it has now.

I'm hoping to get a lot of what we need (besides paint) either second-hand (thank you craigslist!) or deeply discounted. I'm really excited to get going on these fixes, but I won't be able to start until maybe May or June. So, stay tuned!