The other day, I turned to Mr. Magpie and said, “Tilden [our airedale terrier puppy] has destroyed our house.” It was an overstatement, but not really. She’s mangled a gold tray, gotten permanent puppy stains on a linen-y wheaten upholstered ottoman bench we use for a coffee table (not cleanable, despite multiple attempts to spot clean), shattered not one but two (!!!) oriental umbrella stands, chewed most of the coffee table books and wicker baskets that are out and about, scratched up my precious antelope rug, and chewed the corners of two of our decorative pillows. I hadn’t realized, until I put together that battery of offenses, just how run-down our house had begun to look. (By the way, I will claim as a victory the fact that she has never set teeth on a single pair of my shoes or a single bag. I am way, way, way overprotective of those beauties and I keep them under lock and key.)
So, I took matters into my own hands. I was surprised to find that, all-in, I just needed a few minor purchases to spruce up the whole situation and make me feel like we were no longer living in a shanty. The effort, though, led me down a deep rabbit hole searching for interior design inspo and actually left me feeling like I’d like to redo huge sections of our house, or at least update them. A few living area snaps that spoke to me below. In the first one, I just love that bold wallpaper and think the use of a plant is so powerful here, echoing the wall pattern but also adding depth and volume. Plants can be such an inexpensive way to add texture and (literally) life to a room.
First, that desk situation is so cozy and unexpected. I wonder if it would stress me out to have it always sorta just hanging out there, but it looks so poetic and romantic here, especially amidst the excellent gallery wall hangings. And that velvet chair! Ah! I love a pop of velvet in a room. I have a velvet accent pillow on the little couch in our kitchen area and it makes me very happy.
OK, this is just too good. The unique lighting, the Missoni-esque upholstery on the chair, the black walls, the zebra rug?! I just die over the unexpected mix of things here. This is the sort of level of boldness I am working up to. I’m hovering around it — I’m definitely not afraid to play with patterns — but just don’t have enough happening in my living areas yet.
And the green! Ah! I just love the green! And the old school antlers and framed Audubon prints next to the sassy leopard x benches. It’s just a great mish mash of old-world meets fashion-forward.
Since now is not (sadly) the time for a major overhaul in our living area, here are some of the pieces I snagged for a little interim pick-me-up. The antidote to Tilden’s destruction.
+This midnight blue upholstered x-bench ($105) is the perfect affordable swap-out for the ivory linen one we used to have — and much more practical and Tilly-proof, to boot. We use it as a coffee table of sorts in front of a petite couch in our kitchen area.
+I couldn’t believe my luck when I found these beautiful poppy/coral colored silk pillow covers on sale for only $20 each at West Elm, because it’s the major accent color we use in our front living area and I knew they’d make for the perfect replacements from the gray colored ones that had come with our couch (this one from our favorite furniture store, Jayson Home, except in a great tweedy gray-brown color). They also have some other good colors on sale, like this sophisticated yellow color (love that it’s not TOO bright) and this sedated gray. BTW, I ordered the fillers from Amazon — these to be exact. I always order 2″ larger than the pillow size cover for more of a full/overstuffed look (so in this case, I ordered the 22″ ones.)
+I’m also considering adding in this patterned $10 pillow — marked down from $70!!!
+I swapped out our gold foil tray for this more durable (hopefully) lacquer style from West Elm ($48).
+I also ordered two new throw blankets to add a little more lived in coziness — this poppy-and-white striped one ($18) and this light gray one ($38).
Items currently chilling in my shopping cart:
+This chic brass lamp ($55) — I feel like it fits in with the aesthetic of my living areas, but just can’t find the right home for it…
+I absolutely love this rug for our dining area — it would tie together a lot of the blues, poppy/corals, and grays/whites throughout our house SO well.
+And speaking of blues, this little stool ($195) would be such a perfect accent piece to our bookshelf area, which is already decorated with a bunch of chinoiserie vases I’ve collected over time.
+I love antique-looking details like this little horse tray ($18), which would be so at home on top of a stack of coffee table books.
+I have loved this raffia upholstered coffee table for so long, and now it’s on sale for $800. I just love that it brings an unexpected texture to a room and is so far afield from standard wood. Maybe I err too much on the side of upholstered pieces, but so be it. Mr. Magpie is convinced we don’t need a coffee table for our front living room area — we already have an ottoman to an armchair that sort of juts out into the middle and takes care of the space…but hmm…
+More tabletop goodness ($46).
+This would be such a fun pattern to mix in ($895).
+I love the idea of framing this beautiful, abstract print ($85) and layering it in with more old school Audubon and botanical prints.
+I have lusted after this Jonathan Adler horn objet ($150) for so long. I love that it’s narrow but creates height — could be perfect for a mantel or, in my case, on top of our sideboard in our dining room.
+Do you think I could figure out a way to work leopard ($595) into the mix? It doesn’t feel like it jives right now with all the blues and corals, but per the snap above…
+Maybe just a leopard match box ($5) will have to do for now.
+For art, I’m lovinggg these massive St. Frank otomi textiles ($3500 — or get a smaller size for less than $1k).
+These African juju hats ($395) often show up mixed into the wall decor of the chic, jetsetting, boho set. I managed to find an Etsy shop that sells them for less — $225 — and in an array of colors.
+Quite possibly my favorite Schumacher fabric print (available in a bolster pillow for $60).
+Such (!!!!) a cool lamp — love the marbleized effect ($111)!
Finally, a few parting thoughts:
+Spend some time hunting around Etsy. Lots of golden treasures to be found. Like look at this HUGE, framed oil painting. It’s $895 but you couldn’t even buy the frame/light for that much! What a statement it would make in a dining room. And this store makes the CHICEST upholstered, patterned Parsons-style end tables and consoles.
+Serena + Lily has a major sale going right now, and you can score classics like French bistro stools for over 50% off.
+Pier1 has some great storage options, like this basket or this one, and at great prices.
+This leather-effect bench looks far more expensive than its $89 pricetag.
+Waiting on Martha has the cutest, funkiest little home decor pieces, like this resin tortoise shell or this funky balloon dog figurine (Koons-esque). So does Furbish — check out these slick python trays (on sale!) or this series of botanical prints.
What a beautiful post, thank you Magpie! I recently ended a relationship and am starting fresh in a new apartment, so I need inspiration just like this post! Thanks again. xoxo
Lucy, so glad to hear that you found inspiration in this post!! I was really in need of a pick-me-up. Onward, girl!