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:

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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. 

 
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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! 

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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!

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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!

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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!