My to-do list.

Being new to Salt Lake City, it is so exciting to discover all of the shops and markets this city has to offer. There are so many talented, artistic people living here. This week I plan to visit my favorite shop in town, The Green Ant. The owner is incredibly kind and has an eye for all things mid-century modern.

(the green ant via your heart out)

Next on my list this week is the shop Elemente. A good friend discovered it this weekend for the first time and told us it was a must visit. Their merchandise ranges from the 1940's to the 1970's in design, and their prices are said to be very reasonable. I also found this great review on the blog Your Heart Out.

(elemente via your heart out)

Last but certainly not least, I plan to attend the Bijou Market on Saturday. Many of my favorite Etsy sellers will be vendors, and I look forward to meeting them in person. You can visit their site to see a comprehensive list of vendors. Here is the info:

If wishes were fishes.

Then a set of these would appear in my kitchen.
Tucked into this.

A beautiful bed.

(Anthropologie Crowned Crane Bedding)(West Elm Organic Pin-Tuck Duvet)(Anthropologie Tuxedo Bedding)(Urban Outfitters Waterfall Ruffle Duvet)(Anthropologie Rosette Bedding)(West Elm Ruffled-Circle Quilt)

Three of my favorite sources for beautiful bedding are West Elm, Anthropologie, and Urban Outfitters. I've been noticing a lot of similarities between the companies lately, and thought I'd show a few of my favorites. As for me, I have West Elm's Organic Pin-Tuck duvet on my own bed as well as my guest bed.

A lovely console.

I have been searching for a Parsons style console table to establish an entryway in my family room. I love this one from West Elm, and this one from CB2. Then one day I discovered this piece of furniture from IKEA:The MALM occasional table is only $80, and its width and height are nearly identical to CB2's Fresca Console. Unfortunately it is only available in red, but I plan to spray paint mine glossy white. Take a peek at what others have done with theirs.

(margot austin)

(caitlin creer interiors)
(apartment therapy)

Lovely.

Don't try this at home.

In an ill-advised attempt to make our kitchen makeover easier, we tried this paint sprayer on our kitchen cabinets. We quickly learned that we were never going to get the smooth, even coat we wanted with this product. The reviews online were great, but no one had tried using it on a kitchen. I'm sure it does have its uses, but as far as this project goes, nothing beats a good ol' paint brush and roller.

Kitchen cabinet makeover.

This first picture was taken by the realtor before we even moved in. The kitchen was remodeled in 1988, and while it boasts tons of storage, it came in the form of dated oak cabinets.We started seeing a difference after replacing the appliances and tearing out three cupboards and two oak "walls" surrounding the refrigerator. The real transformation though happened once we painted the cupboards.We did one coat of primer on every surface, and followed with two coats of Behr Ultra Pure White semi-gloss paint. We allowed 5 days to pass before re-hanging everything. The total cost for paint, supplies, and new hinges was only $150. Oh, and please excuse the hole in the wall and the painter's tape. We have several more projects planned for this room. Walking into the kitchen now is such a difference from before. It looks light, clean, and feels like it is truly ours.

What's that underfoot?

(charlie's design diary)

(rikshaw design)

(the brick house)

(isabella and max rooms)

IKEA rugs are making the rounds in the design blog world. The Stockholm Rand rug has been doing so far a long time, but today I noticed this one: the Alvine Ruta rug. Both are perfect for my new wood floors. Take a peek at how other people are using them in their homes.

We have arrived.

(domino)

(domino)

(domino)

(country living)

We moved into our new home over the weekend. It's both thrilling and exhausting to own our very fine house. Our home was built in the 50's, and while many improvements were made to put it on the market, it still needs some updating. Today we sold the old bisque colored kitchen appliances and tomorrow the new stainless steel set arrives. Hooray! In the meantime, here are some kitchen images that inspire me. Note the common themes: white, blue and green, a little Eames, wood counter and tabletops, checkerboard flooring.