Meet McKenna!

April: "How funny would it be if we had an intern! LOL!!!"
May: "So, we might actually really need an intern..."
June: "Let's put out the word and see what happens!"

Everyone, meet McKenna, our new intern!

Holy smokes, this may be our most exciting announcement yet! It sure is for us, and we are just thrilled to introduce you all to the latest addition to the StyleMutt Home team! McKenna has already been a tremendous blessing to us and our business and we couldn't be more excited for what's ahead. As soon as we expressed interest in bringing on an intern, the response was as heartwarming as it was overwhelming. We received over two dozen applications for the position and reading a bit about each person just gave us a strong sense of community - there are so many passionate and like-minded individuals out there doing their thing and going for it and we felt incredibly blessed to be a part of such a talented and creative group.

Among all the inquiries, we were drawn to McKenna right from the start. While reading a bit about her and her background, (which, like us, has nothing to do with interior design), we felt like she was a true kindred spirit. Her voice and point of view are exactly what we've been looking to add to StyleMutt Home.

The process of finding an intern was completely new, uncharted waters for us. We spent time praying and considering the ways in which we could really use an intern and the qualities we were looking for in our ideal candidate. We asked McKenna to fill out a questionnaire and to help you get to know her a bit, we thought it would be fun to share her answers! Because nothing says hazing like waving around the new kid's test scores. Hah! Just kidding. She knows we're doing this. Or at least she does now. :)

We asked McKenna to share with us an inspirational space and write a brief 'mock blog post' explaining why she identifies with it:

I think we can probably all agree with this statement: The simple and monochromatic approach to design has hit the blogosphere like crazy.  Like many of you, I design for function, so I've been wondering - 

1.   Is this craze practical?
2.  Is it going to last?
3.  How can I make it work for me

This adorable sideboard space tells me one thing: the answer to all of the above is "YES!"

This space has everything I love.  The white oak wood wash make this piece perfect for pairing with warm tones - for those gold lovers like myself - or cool tones.

Sideboards are traditionally used to store china or other dining supplies. But, the great thing about them is that they can really conceal anything (kids toys, arts & crafts, your weekend wine supply). Then again, it also makes me want to throw a good old dinner party.

What about you all? What would you do with this piece?

For funsies, we also asked McKenna to solve this design puzzle:

Here's an example of a mock-moodboard for an eclectic, fresh, and color-loving client. If we had $75 left to spend on accent pillows, find some suitable candidates within budget that would help finish the space.

 
 
Option 1 will test if the client is really a color lover. It includes an awesome beaded pillow, which would not be practical for a bed but would live well in a less-used chair, and two matching Ikat pillows for the bed that tie in well with the curtains. I’m all about function and am personally the kind of person who likes to sleep holding an accent pillow – hence my preference for two pillows on the bed.
Option 2 is the more neutral choice and features a vintage felt pillow from Chairish, which would add an interesting textural element to the space. 
 
 

From McKenna

I would describe my style as living somewhere at the intersection of mid-century modern, industrial, and "glam."  By "glam," what I truly mean is that I love anything gold and will always find a way to incorporate it in some way.  This part of my style can sometimes conflict with industrial elements - but, practice makes perfect!

We are so looking forward to what McKenna will be bringing to the table here; plans and ideas are already in motion and we have no doubt that you guys will like her better than us in no time. Lol! Seriously though, please leave her a warm welcome aboard!

Blue Couch Room

Fall is the best time for craigslist-ing in my humble opinion.  Lots of people seem to be moving at the start of the school year or are redecorating for the coming holiday season.  in fact about this time last year I scored a tufted blue velvet couch on craigslist [FOR FREE!].  I know right?!  Right place, right time.  Basically, I saw the listing and canceled my plans for the afternoon so I could go pick it up.  Luckily, I managed to get it into my truck just fine:

I never got good pictures of it in our old apartment but basically my blue beauty looks like this:

And I LOOOOVE her.

Back in college, my crew and I had a favorite study spot in the library we dubbed the "Blue Couch Room."  It was quiet, and wonderful, and filled with blue velvet couches, and conveniently spaced outlets.  And a constantly rotating schedule of friends meant we pretty much always had a monopoly on the place.  I used to joke that if I ever had enough money to make a sizable alumni donation, instead of naming a building after me, I would request they simply make the name official.  This may be where my blue couch obsession began...

Now that Caleb and I are finally getting ready to move into another apartment [woohoo!], I'm beginning to think about how I want to decorate this time around.  As a self proclaimed style mutt, my tastes have changed since I first started blogging.  I look back on those old photos and feel like the room seems "juvenile" (does this happen to anyone else out there?)  As you can see from our first apartment living room tour, I love bold and bright and pops of color.  

But Blue Beauty makes me want to elevate this look to her level.  I've researched other blue couch rooms and found an incredible line up for my inspiration.  Here Annabode expertly sets the stage for the saturated blue with some warm woods and serene greenery:

Source: Annabode

Source: Annabode

Emily Henderson's pairing of a velvet couch with a neutral-but-still-a-statement rug and some leather chairs makes me want to do a jig - and makes me realize that I want a rug that won't compete with the couch like the trellis rug from my first apartment would.  

And here her pop-of-color(s) gallery wall of unique art makes for a worthy back drop:

I've also been gathering ideas over here on StyleMutt Home.  I've been eyeing the casual seating a vintage cot lends to a room ever since Chelsea brought home this WWII army cot.  And then when she ingeniously converted it into a coffee table [which is on sale until Nov 1st btw!] I thought, "What a versatile piece for a small apartment!"

In our old apartment, I was constantly battling a throw pillow identity crisis.  The selection was all over the place: modern, boho, rustic, graphic, contemporary - a true style mutt conundrum.  But after recently sharing Veronica's #stylemuttspaces reader design, I finally realized what kind of pillows make my heart pitter-patter: Kilim.

Yes, I need some textiles in my life - stat.

So with this working formula for our new apartment living room, here's what it's shaping up to look like in my head:

 Blue couch + warm wood + greenery + neutral statement rug + 
leather + pops of color artwork + versatile seating + textiles =

Can you see it coming together like it is in my head?  I incorporated some of my original artwork and even our rustic bench/ coffee table to help me visualize.  I'm really feeling like it's the more mature version of our original apartment.  I'll keep you all updated on our next apartment's progress as I  acquire all the pieces I still need to complete this look [slowly and patiently as our finances allows].