Shades of gray.

Back when our home office was upstairs we painted it a light gray, and we love it so much that when we converted the room to a nursery we chose to keep the same color. For months we tried swatch after swatch, each time determining the color to be too blue, too purple, too dark, etc. I wanted a light, warm shade of gray, like in this image.
I finally found a gray with the perfect undertones, but when I painted it on the wall it was too dark. At the home improvement store I showed my swatch and asked for a lighter version, and learned that the lighter colors on the same card are not necessarily just less saturated versions of each other. For example, the lighter shade of gray on my card used much more blue. So they simply whipped up a sample with only 50% of the formula (i.e. more white overall) and it is perfect! Here is Behr's "Dolphin Fin" at full color and the 50% solution.
When we decided to paint the basement a light gray (almost white) we went back to our tried and true "Dolphin Fin", this time having a solution of only 25% color mixed. It gives a subtle contrast to the white trim but keeps the space light and bright.

Take Five Friday.

It's been a long time coming, but today I have another amazing blogger to interview in my "Take Five Friday" feature. You can catch up with past interviews here.

Joi, of Nuestra Vida Dolce

Joi started her blog as a space to keep decor inspiration and update family and friends. She has some super creative ideas, and together with the help of her husband David they complete some pretty amazing transformations. She also does this great feature called "What's Good in Your 'Hood" where she scours Craigslist and finds awesome furniture and decor in your town.

What advice can you give readers on getting started when decorating a new home?
Take your time. It is so tempting to "finish" a room that many people often buy things they don't love just to have a room "complete". I think the more a person shops around and figures out their true style, they will be happier in the long run.

(joi's living room)

Who is your favorite interior designer?
At the moment, it is Emily Henderson from HGTV's Secrets From a Stylist. I can totally relate to her vintage-modern eclecticism and I feel like what she creates is so fun and livable.

What are your favorite online resources for all things home-related?
I love good design that is also affordable. My quick go-to stores are Overstock.com, Urbanoutfitters.com, Fabric.com, CB2.com, and WestElm.com

(joi's master bedroom)

What is your favorite piece of furniture in your own home, and why?

Our dining room table. I envisioned what I wanted and my father-in-law built it. It is very sentimental to me.

(joi's kitchen)

What has been your most successful DIY project?

My favorite project was painting the kitchen cabinets white! It was one of the first things we did and we were so proud of ourselves!

Thanks to Joi for taking five out of your busy schedule to participate in this feature. I love her colorful and creative home!

A new addition.

Now that the basement is complete and the office has moved to its new home, it is time to begin work on the third bedroom. This project is a very exciting one for us, as we have been converting the room into a nursery! Normally the way the hubby and I decorate is to use what we already have first, then fill in with things we find along the way. That way we end up with a room full of things we love that have been collected over time. The nursery proved more challenging because we had to start from scratch. I had a million ideas running around in my mind, but for me it was totally overwhelming to try and design a room from the ground up. The plan was for the room to have a "vintage modern" aesthetic, and for the walls to remain gray with white furniture. The room started to come together after we found this beautiful rug:
I'll share the rest of the plan and progress with you next week!