Reader Design: Claire's Custom Space

Fall is officially here. It has me craving hot toddies at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, which is not quite acceptable yet - but we're almost there! It also has me keeping an eye open for perfect "trick-or-treating" homes, where parents & kids alike feel called to walk up to the front door. 

Today, I'm introducing you all to Claire from Vista, California, a small city just north of San Diego, where I can only imagine Halloween is perfect. 

Claire and her husband built this beautiful house two years ago and have been making it home with their son ever since! 
From Claire: 

[Our home] has an open floor plan, clean lines, and tons of white, which all help in making it seem spacious and airy. I don’t know if color just terrifies me, but my home is mostly made of neutral tones. I love the mood set by natural wood against white walls. There are, however, some pops of color throughout the spaces. Anytime you see them, it is me being daring!

You all can probably tell this already, but Claire is a style mutt to the core. 

When styling my home, I drew from a plethora of styles: modern, boho, industrial, shabby, farmhouse...I could go on and on! It is just important to me that the spaces feel light, minimal, and fresh, without feeling cold. One of the easiest ways to stay away from ‘cold’ when you want a minimal look is to decorate with things that have meaning.

One of the key indicators of a mutt is a love of moving things around - art, accessories, even huge furniture. That willingness to change spaces frequently, and swap in items of totally different styles, normally indicates a willingness to take risks. Even though Claire says she's a little intimated by color, I would beg to differ judging on her favorite piece! 

A favorite piece is the blue dresser in the dinning room. This was the first piece of furniture my husband and I bought after getting married. We almost sold it a million times, because it was in our bedroom and I thought it was too ‘shabby’ for the look I wanted. However once I moved it to the dining room and coupled it with some modern pieces, I fell in love!
 
 
Another aspect of my decor is plant life. I love the freshness it brings to a room and the pops of green amongst my neutral decor. I swear, whenever you are in a decorating rut with a certain space, just add a plant and the problem is fixed! This is one design element I am always down to splurge on. That and my bed!

I'm all about beds these days {stay tuned for my bedroom refresh reveal soon!} and am totally supportive of Claire's splurge on that one!

Thank you, Claire for this insight into your beautiful home & life!
Follow Claire along on Instagram @clairealexis to get more peeks into her design and life as a mother in CA! 
Happy weekend, Mutts!

Reader Design: Beverly's Trendy Home Ensemble

We know, we know - it's been TOO LONG since we've done a Friday reader design.  We took a brief hiatus for the Sweet Clover sale but don't worry.  We've been saving a winning look for a juicy StyleMutt Spaces feature.   If you are new to this little corner of the interwebs (welcome!), almost every Friday we like to feature a reader's home from anywhere around the world on our Spaces.  I've said it before and I'll say it again, these reader designs are the jewel in our StyleMutt crown. And we just can't get enough.  So if you love your home, we want to share it!  Just post your photos on our Facebook page or tag your instagram pics with #stylemuttspaces and we'll contact you with further details.  

Today's feature is a fun one FOR SURE.  Fashion consultant Beverly (@LuLaRoe_beverlylilly)  has perfectly translated her fun and flirty personal fashion sense into her home decor!

From Beverly:

When it comes to decorating my home, I try to think of it like an outfit. What pops? What can I mix and match? What is timeless? I love fashion and putting together outfits comes easy to me, but it takes me a while to decide on decor.  For instance, our living room walls have been blank over the last year (we moved in last July) because I had no idea what to put on them. I just knew it needed to be large.
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I would describe my style as rustic chic. Funny story, the sticks laying against the wall I bought at TJMAXX. When my husband saw them in the house, he said, "Please tell me you found those in the backyard." Not exactly, but they were too perfect not to buy!!!

Bev, I've bought sticks before too so you are not alone ;)  And hanging a giant retro coral door on the wall is like my dream.  MY DREAM people!!!  It the perfect large element to balance out the large sectional.

When it comes to decorating, I love incorporating meaningful pieces to my decor. Through out our living room there are pieces from my grandmother's river house that I inherited. One of my favorite pieces is her bible.

When Bev posted this pic on her facebook of these amazing DIY industrial pipe shelves, practically begged her to showcase her home.  Floating them above the couch is a great minimal-furniture-footprint alternative to Chelsea's wall unit.  Snaps for Bev (and her husband Craig who helped with install).

Gah!  I can't get over the mid-century door and windows for dayssssssss!

I love this space because it feels so inviting where meaningful conversations can take place. My husband and I want our house to be a space for others and this room allows for many people to gather. 

Guys, I've known Bev since college and I have to say her most noticeable trait is her killer confidence.  But what I love the most about Bev is that she's made it her mission to give women everywhere that same confidence.  Which is why it's PLUM PERFECT that she's the newest fashion consultant for LuLaRoe in the Hampton Roads area  (I'm jealous of you 757 area code.  Tres jealous).  

Thank you Bev (and Craig) for letting us into your home!  I hope you will host a pop up LuLaRoe boutique in the DC metro area soon so I can comb through your treasure trove of dresses, skirts, tops, and epic printed leggings! And if you're not already in the fashion loop, follow Bev (@lularoe_beverlylilly on instagram) for more flirty fun fashion!!!

Happiest of weekends to you friends,