Office Space

Well, I'm finally getting to do some relaxing after a couple very busy work weeks. And where do I find myself relaxing? In my office, of course! Except, it's not very relaxing at this point. I have painted and purchase a desk and shelves from IKEA, but have not determined what to do with the other half of the room. Here are some current photos:

There is about 4 to 5 feet behind the desk that I would like to make cozy with some seating for reading a sipping coffee or tea with the hubby or a friend. Here are some initial ideas I had today which incorporate florals and some cottage styles in each. Most products were found on IKEA, West Elm, Macy's, and Urban Outfitters -- I'm leaning towards the first one:

Japanese Floral Arranging

So some friends and I went to a Japanese floral arranging class at a local florist shop, Grafe Studio, this past Monday. We studied the "Ikebana" style that emphasizes organic materials, asymmetry, and minimalism. This style of floral arranging focuses on shape, line, form, and he scalene triangle.

There are five different Ikebana styles, but we actually created

a "Moribana" style arrangement, which means "piling up of flowers." These are usually in flat, wide vases and composed 3 additional plant materials: Shin, Soe, and Tai. Each of these have to be angled in unnaturally yet have different heights to symbolize sky, tree, and earth.

I don't think I followed this exactly, but I wanted to actually like what I was making, so here it is.

Burlap Pillow Project

Haven't started on this yet, because I don't have a sewing machine --

but want to create pillows similar to these to place casually in the dining room chairs.

Once I make my own, I will post here with some instructions :)

Dining Room Chairs

It's a toss-up between these two, just trying to make a decision! I leaning towards the first option (from CB2)... the others are a good deal on Overstock. What do you think?

Dining Room Lights

We replaced the recess lighting in our dining room with these great (and inexpensive) IKEA hanging pendants. Want to keep the light fixtures modern and industrial throughout the house.

Turned out to be more of a process than we expected, but worth it. Here is the sequence:

Watercolor Inspiration

Also found on decor8 are these lovely watercolors that have inspired me break out my on paints today from Christine Lindstrom of Mia Autumn.

flower school

I found this great blog on decor8 that is run by a florist group. They offer several classes as part of their business. Here are some images to brighten up this dreary day, or visit the Flower School blog. Enjoy!