Summer Sleep Essentials

Sometimes when I can't sleep, I imagine the most perfect night of sleep. Windows open to let in a light, summer breeze. A pile of fluffy pillows on my bed. Lots of room to stretch out. 

The sort of bed where I can let all my cares go...

via Traditional Home

My ideal sleep would be a lot like our recent trip to Chicago.

Marriott

We stayed at the Marriott on the Miracle Mile and the bed was one of the most comfortable I've ever slept in. It had all my favorite things: lots of pillows and just the right amount of covers.

via My Domaine

In fact, hotel rooms are a great inspiration for the way I like to decorate bedrooms. The three takeaway tips:

1. Only the Essentials
Hotel rooms are impersonal spaces, which is an advantage when it comes time to go to sleep. You can rest easy because there aren't messes needing to be cleaned up or projects waiting to be done. Only the things most important to you end up on your nightstand, which also usually has a lamp for reading late into the night.

2. Indulge the Senses
Open the windows wide for the fresh air and the sound of crickets chirping, or turn on a fan for a similar effect and some white noise. Spritz your room with lavender essential oils. Cover the windows with room-darkening drapes if you like to sleep late. Which leads us to...

3. The Best Bedding
Sleep on the best sheets, pillow cases, and duvet cover you can afford for a truly luxurious experience. I'm really intrigued right now by Parachute, a premium quality bedding company that sells directly to consumers for reduced prices.

Parachute

Parachute was founded by Ariel Kaye, who had an amazing night of sleep in a hotel room on the Amalfi coast (is there anywhere in the world more beautiful?? I don't think so). Unable to find the same quality bedding to purchase, Kaye created it. 

via Go Italy

Parachute also gives back by partnering with Nothing But Nets, an organization that provides mosquito netting in malaria-stricken parts of Africa. 

Right now you can receive $20 off your $200 purchase at Parachute by using the code BACKTOSCHOOL at checkout. This offer expires September 15, 2015.

What are your summer sleep essentials??

Before + After: Ugly Sofa

Happy Wednesday, friends! I have just enough time for a quick post today and I want to talk to you about how to make an ugly sofa work.
 

via Boho Luxe Interiors

Step 1: Wrap the bottom cushions in a beautiful throw. 
You could use a Moroccan wedding quilt as was done here. If your sofa has an all-over pattern like a floral or plaid, try pulling one of the colors from there. I would suggest using one of the less dominant colors to build your base. And don't be afraid to mix patterns! A stripe or plaid throw on a floral sofa could be great!
 

Moroccan wedding blanket / blue stripe / purple geometric / blue plaid

Step 2: Load the back of the sofa with pillows.
I especially like using texture rather than pattern to create some interest here. Pam wrote all about the power of solid pillows yesterday. And I'm loving these velvet choices. To get the right look, be sure to buy the biggest pillow you can find. Double up the solid colors, add in a touchable texture like sheepskin or fur, and finish it off with a decorative lumbar pillow. 

Purple / Mongolian Fur / Dark Blue / Lumbar / Sheepskin / Light Blue

Bonus Step: Mix solid colors to create an ombre effect. With this patterned lumbar pillow to tie everything together, you could easily mix & match the purple, dark blue, and light blue velvet pillows.

Rather than creating a disguise, I think of this as an enhancement, transforming an ugly sofa into something that is comfortable and inviting!

If I can help YOU with a design dilemma, please let me know! This is one of the services that we are now offering at Your Organized Space.  :)

Rewinding the Weekend

My husband celebrated his 29th birthday this weekend. His real one. Not like my "29th" birthday that has come and gone a dozen few times. ;)

To celebrate, we went to Chicago with a big group of his friends.

This is where I kicked my shoes off last night when we stumbled in the door from the train station. I got tons of compliments on these sandals from the under-30 crowd. You can buy them online here--mine were on clearance so they are even cheaper in the store if you can find them. The high backs were (mostly) great ankle support. 

Because we walked and walked, then walked some more this weekend. My FitBit hit 10,000 steps not long after lunch. Of all the bright lights and big city attractions, my favorite was this pod-shaped set of condos atop a parking garage (with an attached steak house--anyone have any idea how many steak houses are in Chicago?? It makes the whole city smell delicious!).

We hopped on the train early Saturday morning to head into the city. Chicago is only about four hours from East Lansing by train, and on both days of our trip, we bumped into people we know. It's such a convenient way to travel. The weather was slightly overcast and just a little breezy. Perfect!


I'm glad we went; it was a very fun trip and nice to see friends we don't get to see very often. But I am also so glad to be home in our sleepy little town even with all the messes in our house to clean up from last week. Isn't that the beauty of travel?? That it helps us to appreciate the ordinary parts of our life in a new way? {And hooray, I'm able to format everything the right away again here on the blog AND upload photos!}

Going with the Flow

Since I have not yet figured out this issue between Windows 10 (Microsoft Edge) and Blogger, AND I have so much to share with you all, I am going to make this weird, photo-less format work for me!

The other night my husband and I spent ten minutes looking for my measuring tape, and it was suggested that this may be why Erica is the organizer, not me. ;) But truly, I'm SUPER excited to be working with clients to use what they have in new ways, styling and re-decorating their homes and businesses!

And my work has inspired me at home, too! We have given away or sold TONS of cool things this summer, including:

--the gold-lined lampshade that Jenna featured here

--this runner

--the pink couch shown in this post

--a tall, dark bookcase

--our TV stand

--the headboard that I used to create the faux daybed in my daughter's room

Because "using what you have" is best when you are using what you love...

We've gotten some new things like this and a TV stand from the sale I mentioned on Friday.

There are still a few things left around our house that I want to do. Having cleared out some of what we don't want, it's as if I've created space for inspiration to strike!

--Replace the fixture over our dining table // I think I've found a few low-cost options!

--Switch out the front and back doors, and replace the creaky, bi-fold closet doors in our entry

--Change the exterior color of our house to make the look more unified yet still fit the era in which it was built // I am leaning toward something like this project's facade, especially after a drive in the country this week when I saw a building that has a similar look!

I'm hoping that I figure out this blogging issue soon and that I can post a picture of our new TV stand on Instagram very soon!