Zara Home

I'm late on this boat, but have you seen Zara's new site, Zara Home? I'll be honest, I wasn't impressed with a majority of the items (I know I am probably the minority here), but there were a few items that I feel I absolutely need:

Matilde Dinnerware:

Unfortunately, these plates are only sold in sets of 6. Otherwise I would definitely purchase at least one, maybe a few, to hang on my wall.

Horse Tumbler:

Melodia Tumbler:

I'm pretty sure my husband needs to to be drinking his new found affection of scotch in one or both of these glasses. And I'm pretty sure I'm going to make that happen.

What are your thoughts on the new site? Overall, their tableware section was my favorite. I've never ordered from their clothing site, but it seems to appeal to me much more than their home site.

Zara Home

Wall Decor- Animal Busts

The living room is slowly (and I do mean slowly) coming together, but I hate the wall that is just below our stairwell. I have since replaced the black and white canvas picture with a canvas wedding picture, but it still looks very, very bare.

 

I originally wanted a collage of pictures/artwork, but thought it may be too much with the hanging mirrors that are on the wall above the stairs. Now that I've been living with a bare(ish) wall for a while, I've decided it needs more. 

I have a few items that are part of an art collage in our study, but I think I'll just leave that one there (and take a picture so I can blog about it) instead of moving it to a different wall. This will give me an excuse to collect some new items to add to our new collage wall. And now that I've looked at the above picture again, I think I'm going to go with a solitary color scheme or maybe white with a few variations (like beige or grey) so that it doesn't feel too cluttered or overwhelming.

The first item I would like to add is an animal bust... I've wanted one for a while, especially after seeing the one in Kelsey's awesome dining room. This was further confirmed when I finally went into the new Z Gallerie in Austin. The only thing holding me back is my indecision!

Option 1: Ceramic. I should note that these are much smaller in person. I envisioned them to be a bit larger for some reason...

Ceramic Rhino Head || Z Gallerie

Option 2: I love that it's abstract, but hate the color.  Perhaps spray painted white? Although, I'm not sure how recycled cardboard would hold up under spray paint... (And also, I can't really see myself paying ~$50 for cardboard)

Cardboard Deer Bust || Urban Outfitters

Option 3: Resin Animal Busts. To be honest, these are my favorite, but I'm a little unsure of how the resin will actually look- I would like to avoid putting up something that looks plasticy or cheap, as doing so would definitely instigate questions from my husband about my decision to put one of these on our wall ;)

White Resin Rhino || Mahzerandvee

White Resin Lion || Mahzerandvee

White Resin Lion || White Faux Taxidermy

White Resin Buffalo || White Faux Taxidermy

ETA: I'm not sure which one of these shops opened first (it appears the one cited in the first and second photos- based on their etsy shop opening time/sales history, but one them appears to be blatantly ripping off the other one's ideas/art/creations- a major pet peeve of mine.). For an even better example than the lions... see the wolf (1) and wolf (2). I actually found the second shop first (confused yet?) and was *this close* to ordering from them on Friday, and then I found the first shop today. SO now I'm not sure what to do- what would you do? I don't really want to make assumptions about either shop, but it makes me very sad :/

These are pretty neat, but stray from my "all white" goal:

Wall Paper Deer || Ruby's Lounge

And of course, being a lover of all things DIY, I could always paper mache my own or create one from this foam template...

Wall Decor- Animal Busts

A Table for Coffee {round 2}

industrial coffee table (again) | west elm

Dimensions: 48" x 24" Good: Pretty much what I'm looking for Bad: the price, 16" height- our current coffee table has ~20" height.  I would ideally like somewhere in between.

What this boils down to is 1) spending $$ and 2) purchasing something that looks relatively easy to make.  Now, a table top, I cannot build, but I think my (second) favorite store, Ikea, may be able to help if I go this route:

Lagan countertop | Ikea

Dimensions: 49 5/8" x 25 5/8" x 1 1/8"  Good:  Beech, solid wood; dimensions; price Bad: not currently available, unknown when they will be available, $$$$ to ship.

Numerar countertop | Ikea

Dimensions: 49 5/8" x 25 5/8" x 1 1/2"  Good:  (See above)  Bad: (See above)

As for table legs, I ordered some of these for my ikea expedit cabinet (which was an ultimate fail.... particle board does not play nice with drills and screws).  I would love them on a coffee table too:

Hairpin Legs

In total, I would spend less money going this route (if I wait until the table tops are in stock again).  But part of me is saying, just purchase something... NOT EVERYTHING HAS TO BE DIY-ED.  First world problems, I know.

A Table for Coffee {round 2}

A Table for Coffee

For a while now, we have been wanting to upgrade the coffee/end tables in our living room to better fit our updated sofa.  This is what our living room (kind of) looks like now:

I fell in love with this coffee table, and I went to look at it West Elm.  (I may have even purchased it because it was on sale and on back order.)

industrial coffee table | west elm

And now I'm having second thoughts (to cancel or not to cancel my order...).  X thinks we need end tables that match the coffee table, which I'm not so sure about, but it has led me to continue the seemingly endless search for a table.  I'm looking for something structurally light (in appearance, if that makes sense).  I think anything too bulky will make our room look tiny again, which I'm really trying to avoid.  I'm also obsessed with mixing wood and metal elements.  OBSESSED.

Here are some other options that I came up with:

pia coffee table | crate and barrel

I love that this table looks almost invisible in this room.  However, X nixed this one because of the glass. Sad face that my anti-glass views have rubbed off on him.

hammary "intrepid" cocktail table | wayfair

I like the color combination of this table, but I'm not sure how I feel about the marble top. Yes it looks like wood, but will it look cheesy?  Is it just as durable?

tfg "wabash" cocktail table | wayfair

tfg martini coffee table | wayfair

I think this might be my favorite.  Not sure how I feel about the shape though- I think a rectangular/square table may fit the space better.

rand natural steel cocktail table | room & board

riverside "logan" cocktail table | wayfair

There is a fine line here between rustic and modern.  This one leans more on rustic I think, but I like the dark wood + dark metal combo.  And actually, the more I look at it, the more I don't like it.  Blah.

So that's it.  Some of these are out of my price range, and I really would like real wood, not veneer.  I also prefer bronze/dark steel.  I have looked on almost every furniture site under the sun, but can't seem to find something *just* right.  Any further insight or suggestions are appreciated!

A Table for Coffee

I *need*

found via CSN|Wayfair & also Joss & Main (today)

OMG this chair. 

This also brings me to my second point.  This chair is available on one of those member's only sites- Joss and Main (non-returnable + $24 in shipping), but it's also available at CSN (returnable + FREE shipping) for $20 more.  I originally found the chair on Joss and Main, but further research led me to CSN's site.  I'm not saying one site is better than the other, but this isn't the first time I've found an item on a "member's only" site that I found for a much better price/return policy/shipping policy elsewhere.

I guess my only point is this: shop around peeps... after all, there is a rather large internet out there :)

I *need*