a decorating kick

I've been on a major home decorating kick lately. I think after 9 months of being too tired to think about redecorating anything (except the nursery of course), and then 4 months of taking care of a newborn, I am ready for change. Especially since I work from home, I need some new surroundings!

So, over the past month I've been painting. I was so tired of the dark wood and wanted something fresh and bright, so I painted our dining room table, dining room chairs and our armoire. I'll post details soon showing the before and after pics. Annie Sloan Chalk Paint is awesome BTW...

But today, I got woven wood shades installed in our living room, so needless to say, they are on my mind. I've been thinking (and talking) about doing this ever since we moved into this house (3+ years), but I have never pulled the trigger. So, I was in Lowes this morning (with Calder riding in the buggy), and and of course I knew I had limited time until she was hungry and/or tired...

I had my window measurements and the Levolor samples I ordered online forever ago in hand. I rummaged through the different shades for about 15 minutes, then Calder started crying, and I looked down at the sample date order and read it 2010 and thought to myself. Screw Forget it. It is time to DO this! So, I grabbed the blinds and hurried to the checkout line. 

I normally don't make such an impulsive purchase, but with a 4 month old, you don't get out much, so when you do, you need to make decisions.

And here are some rooms I've been drooling over for years. Don't the wooden shades add so much to these spaces? Of course, I love the idea of no shades at all, but if you're like me and need the option of privacy (AKA: don't have the luxury of being on top of some hill with no homes in site), this is such a good-looking, affordable option.

images via House Beautiful, Coastal Living, Phoebe Howard, Jim Howard

I feel re-energized in our new space. More to come soon...