PARADE OF HOMES: PART 1

So because I already have so many pictures and we have only seen a little less than half the houses in the Parade of Homes, I decided I needed to upload some of my highlights so far. 

This first house was our "Dream House" (so far), although it could have used a pool and an indoor basketball court.

^^ An open layout is by far my favorite and the space was so inviting. 

^^The dark hardwood floors were to die for. And look at the molding/paneling they have on the walls! Insane details!

^^This was in the basement of the house and they had these cool shelves with lights and a wallpaper backing. 

^^This was the basement kitchen right outside the home theater. Spencer was just playing around with the sweet stove top. 

^^Theater room

^^The backyard had a hot tub, water feature, and cool fireplaces. 

^^ And the doors!!! Oh lets talk doors! Double french doors are a MUST in my future house! 

^^Look at the detail in this bathroom door! Amaze-balls!

^^This mirrored barn door going into the theater was also breathtaking. 

Sadly I didn't get a picture of any of the rooms or of the kitchen in the Dream House because they had a not picture sign and I had to only take pictures where I could sneak them. Anywho, enjoy the rest of the pictures! 

^^That fridge and those lights!

^^Loved the sliding barn door, but it was weird that such an extravagant door was given to the laundry room. 

^^Emerald is the color of 2013. Oh didn't you know each year had a color? Well it is, and it is to die for! I even painted a chair this color recently. It's so rich and vibrant and I love it paired with black or navy. 

^^Ceiling envy!

^^Remember my last post and how I said metal (especially in the pipe form) is sooooooooooo in right now?

^^The view from one of the houses.

^^I want this night stand! 

^^I almost tried to fit this table in my purse. It was a work of art. It's hard to see in the picture but it looked like an exquisitely, glossy chess piece. 

 ^^This stubby horizontal wood flooring was really big this year, as was bamboo flooring. 

^^This home was NOT in the parade of homes but it was next door to one of them and it was gaudy and awful. Right down to that monstrous water fountain behind that skinny tree in the front. 

^^Right now I am in the process of making a little "dry" bar for Spencer and I at our house. 

^^Those cute side doors by the fireplace led to the cutest dining room. 

^^Enter the cute dining room. The picture doesn't do it justice but it had such a cute beachy feel with the shell chandelier and the wood chairs and table. 

 ^^This sun room/living room had gorgeous views, but Spencer and I weren't impressed with the rest of the house. 

^^I loved this island/bar combo. It's so huge!

 Now enter the collage of trends: 

^^Bold wallpaper

^^Exposed cupboards. This is a great trend because it allows you to show off any nice china you may have and it forces you to have organized cupboards. Take note though that none of these houses had ALL exposed cupboards. You just need a few to show off the good stuff.

^^I really liked the 2 sinks on the left, and then I was obsessed over the tile on the wall to the right. 

^^And if you all read my last post, you know how much I adore lighting! I think 40% of the pictures I took were of lights I loved. Haha, dorky much? But seriously how awesome are those. 

Well that's it. Most of the homes here were the mid-range homes. Can't wait to hit up some of the more expensive ones this weekend! I'll makes sure to take more pics with my crappy camera phone for you! 

Until next time!  

5 INTERIOR TRENDS I LOVE

Ok... so I have been working on my apartment FOREVER and I'm sure you all are thinking that I will never be finished (because that is what I am thinking) but hopefully I will get my butt in gear soon and have some pictures up. I just finished my curtains and I'll hopefully have a tutorial on that this week. In the meantime I want to share with you some interior design trends that I am absolutely obsessing about: 

1. WHITE KITCHENS

Sometimes its hard for me to pinpoint my interior style, but Pinterest is slowly helping me find it. I have absolutely fallen in love with white, which is the color that's been taking over interior design lately. White is my best friend because I'm an Aquarius and my mind changes more often then I change my clothes. White allows you to change up my colored accent pieces, without having to repaint cabinets, and walls, and furniture. And my favorite all white room? The kitchen! One time at Ikea Spencer told me he didn't really like white cabinets and I about filed a divorce and threw up at the same time. Although he probably doesn't even remember that, it still haunts me to this day. Sorry honey! Here are some beauties to stare at:

I literally have sexual fantasies about that backsplash! Hot!

2. STATEMENT LIGHT FIXTURES

For all you fashionistas out there, a light fixture is like the jewelry to your outfit; it's just not complete without something amazing. Spray painted chandeliers have been all the rage with DIY bloggers lately because they not only add amazing design, but they add a pop of bold color as well. As all of you know I loath the dreaded boob light that you see everywhere and mentioned it in an earlier post. If I find the person who invented that, there will be hell to pay.  

3. THE FIDDLE LEAF FERN 

House plants use to be seen as "old lady" decor. But if you ask any interior designer, greenery is detrimental in overall design, whether it be a simple succulent, or a tiny tree. Recently the Fiddle Leaf Fern has become the prom queen of the house plant design world. They are gorgeous, make a huge statement, and are hard to kill {just my kind of plant}.

4. OUTDOOR ROOMS

Gardening is becoming a lost art and people are beginning to forget that the outside of their home is just as important as the inside. Seriously though I think all my neighbors have let their lawn turn yellow. Yikes! Nothing makes me happier than sitting outside in the summer and just being. Just sitting still with a cold glass of lemonade and not stressing about anything or anyone. For those of us who don't have lawns, but are lucky enough to have a balcony, it's still possible to obtain that oasis that makes us feel so connected to the great outdoors. There are 16 apartments in my complex and our apartment is the only one that is decorated {shake my head}. 

5. METAL

Metal is one of my favorite ways to incorporate different textures to a room. Recently I painted some L brackets gold, and glued them onto the corners of a boring Ikea shelving unit to give it some pizazz {pictures of that to come soon}. These first two pictures are from my favorite DIY blog Vintage Revivals.

I'm hoping to do a post of my least favorite design trends soon {don't worry I have a giant list} so watch for that as well. Spencer and I are going to the Utah Valley Parade of Homes again this week and I am peeing my pants with excitement. I think this is what truly made me fall in love with interior/exterior designs of homes. I've been going with my parents since I was about 16. On their website under "buy tickets" see how you can get 2 for 1 tickets with a student ID. Can't wait to show you all the pictures from it!