How Big Should a Rug Be?

As I work to unpack at the new place, I’m trying not to let my mind wander to decorating just yet.

Um, yeah right.

First on my decor to-do list? A living room rug.

The living room has so far gone from looking like this on moving day:

To this:

I have most of the boxes cleared out, and I’m ready to make the space a little bit cozier with a fabulous rug.

Common decorating wisdom is that an area rug should be large enough that the front legs of each piece of furniture sit on top of it, like this:

Source: gallery.apartmenttherapy.com via Youa on Pinterest

That’d be an 8 x 10 rug in this space.

The room above is big enough to sport the traditional layout and still show off the hardwood floors, but my little room is not.

Since I’m not into completely covering up these lovely floors, I’m going with a 5 x 8 area rug.

I’m a rebel!

A 5 x 8 rug will leave a little gap of hardwood between the couch and the rug, and a nice border of hardwood around the rest of the room, kind of like this:

Source: pinterestgreatdeals.com via Keitha on Pinterest

Although, the rug won’t be patterned, the couch won’t be slip-covered and no creepy guy paintings are allowed.

How big do you think a room should be? If you’re trying to lay out a room/rug combo, check out this Apartment Therapy post on different styles.

Update: I wasn’t ready to pull the trigger just yet, but when I saw West Elm’s rugs were all 15 percent off right now, I just had to act. I’ll share the pictures of the updated living room as soon as the rug arrives (hopefully, it works!).

Progress!

Hello from among the boxes!

What a whirlwind moving weekend. It feels wonderful to be in the new place, but now I’m getting down to the business of actually getting settled in.

I set up my bed and cleared a path to the couch, and that’s about it.

My one true accomplishment?

I may not know where half my clothes are, but by God the Modge Podge has a home.

Priorities. Sometimes it’s the little things. 🙂

How was your weekend?

Currently Making Me Happy…

It’s Friday, it’s Easter weekend, it’s pretty outside (at least in Memphis)…these things make me a happy girl!

Here’s what else is currently making me happy:

This coffee table: It’s my white whale. I snapped this picture from an old issue of Domino that sadly didn’t list the shopping information. It’s exactly the kind of table I want for my living room, so I’m on the hunt. I’m even toying with the idea of using a mirror or frame as the base and connecting some legs….we’ll see. (If you know who made this table, let me know!)

Source: 1stdibs.com via Katie on Pinterest

This rug. I know, it’s like $5,000 dollars, so not this rug exactly, but one with its essence, its feel, its mojo, if you will. Moroccan rugs are all over design blogs right now, so maybe this thing is destined to go the way of ikat and that ubiquitous Keep Calm and Carry On madness, but for now, I’m feeling it. Feeling its much cheaper, off-brand cousin, actually.

DIY Food: I’ve been on a kick lately to make the foods I can, instead of buying their fatty, over-processed doppelgangers from the grocery store. It was one of my New Year’s Resolutions to continue to find ways to eat cleaner (cutting out processing when possible) and these two recipes make it SO easy.

My first success: this amazing, can’t-stop-eating-it peanut butter granola (pictured above) from one of my favorite bloggers, Peanut Butter Fingers. This girl has a website full of healthy recipes that usually take under 20 minutes to prepare. This granola is not only a healthy snack (grind your own peanut butter at Whole Foods for the ultimate DIY), but it also takes about 10 minutes to put together. Trust me, you’re welcome.

My second success: Pomegranate Vinaigrette Salad Dressing! This one had me slapping my head…why did I ever buy salad dressing? It might be the simplest thing to make next to toast, and making your own means you know exactly what is in it. This dressing is all of three ingredients and tastes great on spinach salads. I keep mine in a mason jar for a couple of days in the fridge. Google around for all sorts of variations, or just start playing with ingredients you have on hand!

Haven Conference: I’ve registered to attend my first blogging conference! I’m so happy about it, but also nervous too. I’ve never been to a blogging conference before and I have no idea what to expect. But, I promised myself at the beginning of the year that I was going to try to make this little blog better, so it’s the place to do it! Plus, Sherry and John from Young House Love are the keynote speakers. Um, is there such a thing as a home decor groupie? Perhaps I can have them sign a spray paint can? I’m so excited! If you’re going, let me know!

And, just to round things out, one thing that is not making me happy:

This is the current state of my back room. I did a lot of packing last weekend, and decided to start grouping together everything that that was coming with me to my new place. This is only a small fraction, so it’s going to get way messy before it gets better. And see those lamps? They are all getting reworked in some form or fashion. They are only three of 8 (!) lamps I am taking with me…to a one bedroom apartment. I’m a hoarder. Of lamps.

I’ve got about four weeks until the move, so you can add “box hunting” to my list of obsessions.

So what are you thinking about this Friday?

Happy Weekend!

What are you up to this weekend?

I will, I believe, ceremoniously pack my first box. Ceremoniously because I literally only have one box. I need to get on the box hunt.

I’ve still got more than a month before the move, but April is looking like a crazy travel month, so I’m going to take advantage of the time at home this weekend and pack what I can (and wish I looked as cute as the girl above while doing it!).

What are you doing? For my fellow Memphians, be sure to check out Memphis Fashion Weekend. It’s sure to be a glamorous time.

And for those excited about April Fool’s Day, I think this art museum exhibit is brilliant.

Happy Weekend!

Organization Round-Up: Genius Ideas for Keeping Things Neat

If you follow me on Pinterest, you may have noticed I’ve been pinning a lot of organizational tips to my Genius Ideas board.

Besides the pure joy of nerding out on organization (who else gets excited when school supplies hit stores?), I’ve been gleening inspiration for the new place.

In many ways, my new place will mean more space. After all, it’ll just be me, so I can store shoes in the hall closet or craft supplies in the kitchen, if I want.

No, I won’t got as far as this chick:

Shoes! In the fridge! Photo credit: Mark Von Holden, NY Post

However, in many ways, the move will be a downsize, mostly in the kitchen and bathroom. (I know! Hitting a girl where it counts!)

So I’ve seen the move as a sign from the universe to pare down.

I mean, do I really need six bottles of nail polish, when I rarely paint my own nails and when I do it looks like I did it during an earthquake? No.

Do I really need to hold on to stadium cups from every trip to Central Barbecue (some of the best barbecue in Memphis) last summer? No.

Do I really need 12 cereal bowls of varying colors and patterns? Well, yes. I mean, I like cereal. And I like pretty things. So I’ll find a space for those.

Here are some of the most genius of the genius ideas for storage and organization I’ve found so far. What are your favorites? What tricks do you use to keep small spaces organized?

Source: containerstore.com via Katie on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Katie on Pinterest

Source: bhg.com via Katie on Pinterest