Reader Design: Ashley's Cali Cool Home

Let's go to California! It's finally starting to feel like springtime, and that Los Angeles sunshine is just what the doctor is ordering. Today, we're off to tour Ashley's home in the Mid City neighborhood of LA.

This home is the definition of cool, California style. It's laid back, has a healthy dose of mid-century modern design, and makes ample use of plants. 

From Ashley:

“I’d say my style is a mix of California casual and eclectic bohemian. I like to collect unique pieces and style around those. In our living room it is the colorful rug from West Elm. I picked pink pillows and mustard-colored throws to accent the room, both colors pulled from the rug. I’m also embracing the millennial obsession with plants. Every open space I find gets a plant.”

“I style our home based on the seasons, changing the color of our bedding and the centerpiece of our dining room table. I’ve had people comment on my Instagram pictures saying it looks like an LA winter. I have only ever lived in LA, and I hadn’t realized the influence the city had on me until I started following other interior accounts from across the nation. I have a lot of plants and cactus that require heat and bright light, and I decorate with a lot of warm colors and I throw eucalyptus pretty much everywhere. ”

“I want our home to feel comfortable. Every piece of furniture was purchased based on comfort. Our couch is a dream for binge watching the latest Netflix show and our bed is my sanctuary. I have layers of pillow tops and the most comfortable linen bedding. Our bed is always the thing I miss the most when we travel. It’s also important to me that our home represents us. I want people to walk in and know immediately that this is our home. They see my husband’s collection of DVDs and the art we brought back from our travels and know this is our home; they know our interests. ”

“In our bedroom, the weaving over our bed is by far my favorite piece. I commissioned this from Erin of Sunwoven right when we moved in to our place. It dictates everything I bring into our room. I love the texture, the pop of gold, the copper rod; everything about it makes me happy.”

(For those interested, check out Erin's work @sunwoven!)

We all have different items or pieces we prize in our homes, and the best to create a loving and welcoming home is to focus on those.

What's the prize for Ashley?

“Anything custom by a talented creator. Those are the pieces I will cherish and bring with me to future homes.”

Ashley, thank you so much for the tour! Follow Ashley on Instagram @ashleyhosmer for more!

Reader Design: Monika's Hygge Home

We're off to the birthplace of StyleMutt Home - also our nation's capital - to tour Monika's home for today's feature. This simple but cozy family home evokes all the feelings associated with the Danish concept of hygge that we've come to know and love. I myself am a major fan of Denmark (fun fact: I've visited three times and have plans to return as often as possible), and Monika's space would fit perfectly with the chic apartments of Copenhagen.

Let's take a look!

From Monika:

“We strongly believe in atmosphere at home when everyone should feel comfortable and cozy. Light is one of the factors that make the room calm and peaceful, and it is so important to me to create relaxing and loving mood. I am inspired by “hygge” which is how I used to live when I was growing up. To me, that means a house full of laughter, homemade cake, and coziness. ”

“In design, I follow my inner creativity and decorate with whatever works for my family rather than follow one style. I am drawn to clean lines and all mid-century pieces that remind me about my parents house. We used inherited elements and priceless-to-us family heirlooms that are from all over the world and represent a few different styles.”

The combination of family pieces, vintage finds, and mid-century West Elm items creates a home that promotes togetherness and relaxation. Each room has something that makes it special and different, but the entire home speaks the same language. 

Monika, thank you so much for showing us around! Follow Monika along on Instagram @zigzagstudio for more.

See you in a few weeks, Mutts! 

Room Tour (Finally): McKenna's Bedroom

You guys know how it is... 

It is next to IMPOSSIBLE to decide when to shoot a space. I take one picture, and all I see are the five things I want to change about the room. I keep telling myself that I'll have our new Seattle rental (we moved here in July 2017... is it still new?!) photographed when it's "done." But let's be honest, that day will never come.

I'm lucky, then, that a breakthrough of sunlight - a welcome arrival during this gray and drizzly winter - made my decision for me. I finished work, snuck in a workout, and came home to the most breathtaking sunshine seeping through our windows. So today, Mutts, you can thank the anomaly that is the winter Seattle sunshine for this peek of our bedroom.

Exhibit A:

No, I did not add those light bubbles to these photos. That just HAPPENED. And I know they're not perfect, professional photos, but holy cow, I had to capture it. 

When we moved across the country from DC last summer, we literally brought clothing and kitchen supplies with us. The only pieces of furniture were a coffee table in our living room, and the two bedside tables you see above. Oh, and the painting - which is a Framebridge print of a photo I took in my soul city, Palm Springs, CA. The side table on the left is a table that my parents purchased and refinished at the start of their marriage in the 80s; the table on the right belonged to my fiance's grandmother. Both are precious to us and, luckily enough, majorly back in style. We saw exact lookalikes at a trendy vintage store in Seattle a few months ago. 

So that means that we had to purchase everything else. As someone who moved every 11 months for 5 years, this didn't phase me, but we took our time to make good decisions and find great deals. 

My proudest purchase is actually our bed. Even though it's a mass-produced item from Wayfair, we spent only $73 on it, and the quality has really surprised us! 

I hunted down this midcentury Tallboy on Craigslist. It's a tight squeeze in what is already a small room, but it gives me the storage I need. Now that I've accented it with some dried flowers from our local farmers market and a copy of our favorite engagement photo, I seriously love this little corner. 

And then we splurged on a few things: our Parachute Home bedding; our plug-in West Elm sconces; and our stunning and soft West Elm rug. I waited for sales and have no regrets about these purchases. In fact, we've registered for many more Parachute Home items for our upcoming wedding. They're worth it!

I love the way the small but sufficient bedroom has come together. Of course, there are things I'd change if I had a limitless budget, but it's a space that I genuinely love at the end of the day. There is no better feeling than lighting a candle, diffusing some essential oils, and nestling into bed with a good book. 

I am so excited to share the rest of our home with you all soon; in the meantime, have a great weekend, Mutts!