Pepper Design Blog

Friday Guest Blog Interview: Made By Girl

Made by Girl shares some of the most wonderful inspiration and finds, and if you love home decorating ideas it’s definitely a daily read… I’m thrilled that Jen is participating in PDB’s Friday Guest Interview series!

Launched November of 2006, Made by Girl is a blog full of interior design, art, food and fashion – a few of my favorite posts include featured reader homes and diy projects. Jen’s home is beautiful {a little walking tour after the jump} and it’s so fun to be inspired by her ideas.

In addition to a successful blog, Jen is a graphic designer and entrepreneur with plenty on her plate. MadeByGirl, the shop, carries stationary, home decor and a selection of kid’s room prints that I especially love. Jen’s store has appeared in several publications including Inside Out, Marie Claire, Pregnancy, Lucky and Real Living Australia.

Let’s get on to the interview! Jen shares her inspirations, favorite trends and three suggestions for decorating your own home – love these. {For more great Guest Blog Interviews, check out this link.} Read more »

Rooms Inspired by the Month of July

Pulling together my favorite inspirational images for the month is one of my favorite posts… and July was so fun to concentrate on. (More Rooms Inspired by the Month over here).

What comes to mind this time of the year is one of my husband and my’s favorite things to do, which is sail the sea. We have a 25′ MacGregor – aptly named ‘Madness’ – that Kevin bought pre-marriage. He’s put plenty of love into the boat and takes her out at every opportunity!

Nautical themes are calming and serene – and the marine blues, navys and whites work beautifully with pops of red (which reminds me of another great July holiday…). So without further ado, here’s a little July inspiration…

Crisp white is refreshing and wonderful!

I love the look of cottage decor, natural elements (like jute rugs and woven baskets) as well as stripes, gingham and seagrass.

This next room is my favorite – I love the map decor on the walls, the storage baskets, and the striped duvet and pillows. What a great boys room!

I got a bit carried away with nautical inspiration… so there are many more great photos after the jump. Read more »

The Living Room Gets a Cozy Lift

I’ve procrastinated long enough… it’s finally time to get some pictures posted on the living room progress.

As you might remember, the Before shot was just before we moved in. After a bit of painting, several diy projects and finally a whole lotta assembly, here’s where we stand:

I see little holes and spaces that need attention! But I’ve decided this is my palette to grow on so as it gets minor tweaks and updates, I look forward to sharing all of the fun details.

Neutrals remained the theme of the room and I couldn’t be happier with how the soft wool curtains and dark furniture help to set a base for the crisp whites and bold coral colors. Here’s a link to the original inspiration boards back when color combos were being discussed.

Here are a few of my favorite details:

I love picture collages so it’s no surprise that I’ve found a way to fill this space with three (too many?). One symmetrical version behind the sofa, one wedding grouping above the mantel (I’m still playing with a mirror there – the survey from a week ago was pretty divided!) and one next to the bookshelf and above the “man” chair (aka the huge leather chair that the hubby rightfully claims as his own).

My coffee table-turned-bench has found the perfect spot below our big window and I am still oh-so in love with the suzani print. Jeanne McGee did a rockin’ job on the brown zinnia custom lampshade and I’m thrilled with the splash of pattern it adds!

Storage was critical for us and we found a way to squeeze everything in through baskets, an awesome ‘pouf’ that hides a bajillion blankets, a bar that doubles as a tv stand, as well as sneaky spaces like a coffee table that holds board games, etc. below it’s surface.

Every photo is sentimental, every painting important to us in someway (be it our love of sailing, artwork by Kevin’s mom or diy projects soon to be shared…) and it’s special to know that the space was hand crafted over time with much love.

Sources to come… thanks for sharing the design process with me!