Guest Blogger: Virginia Roberts from Lovebug

Hi everyone, I'm Virginia! Like Erin, I'm totally obsessed with turquoise. I'm a new homeowner in Seattle who's still in the "paranoid and broke" phase, but I was determined to create a soothing space to meet with clients now that I finally have a home office.

Isn't the chair darling? It's from Pottery Barn Teen! I love how it complements the wall color... which is actually SEVEN different turquoises mixed together, free from a local paint drive, and I only paid $15 for painting supplies. That made me way more willing to take a risk by putting a very bold shade on the walls.

I'm probably a bit geekier than most of the amazing interior designers Erin features. I have a home business offering online dating consultations, and I do a lot of translation, writing, editing, and freelance work for tech and video game companies. I have like seven different blogs (OK, technically five), and I'm always working on nerdy side projects like a podcast, an iPhone app and an eBook about online dating. But I like to think I'm a bit more design- and décor-minded than your average technophile!

Yep, I even buy turquoise-colored tech accessories whenever possible. I couldn't find an iPad smart cover in a satisfactory shade of cerulean, so I bought a cream leather case and dyed it using Rit Aquamarine. My hunger for Caribbean tones will not be denied! Plus I use my tech regularly and it's always visible, so it might as well look awesome, right?

Friends and relatives definitely choose gifts that enable my turquoise obsession, and I occasionally splurge on affordable bits and baubles from local artists. (A couple of these paintings were even done by my craftier friends.)

And as you can tell, I adore houseplants—I seem to be collecting turquoise vases and flower pots in cute, eye-catching designs and textures, and I have a particular affinity for orchids. Lots of plants make my office feel like a healthier little space when I'm holed away in here for twelve-hour stretches.


I'm also kind of a stationery junkie; I like keeping a tray of cute cards, stamps, pens, wax and seals on hand so I can write proper old-fashioned thank-you notes and such. (I love looking at the fancy cards I buy, and having them on display helps me remember to actually send them.) I save old cards and calendars to create DIY backgrounds, like this little owl.

My biggest design challenges in this tiny space are managing cables, toeing the line between beautiful and ergonomically practical, and of course, keeping the clutter at bay. The corporate eyesore I can't get around is my sit/stand GeekDesk—a necessary evil since I need to type comfortably for long periods of time. Standing desks are becoming more and more popular for health reasons, but I sure wish they made 'em prettier. Maybe someday I'll replace the top with a gorgeous antique door that has a bit more character, or wallpaper the top of this one in a fun pattern. Does anyone have an attractive standing desk solution in their home or office? How about a magical formula for minimizing cables?

Oh, and I can't figure out what to do about the floor or the sad windows! Yes, I admit it, I still have those horrible stock beige metal blinds on there. What a faux pas. It's because I can't decide on a good window treatment option! Sheer gauzy whites, a bold patterned pop, or what? Corner windows are hard! I also need a cute anti-fatigue mat for when I use my desk as a standing workstation. Or, I could get a bold rug with a cushy pad underneath it. Decisions, decisions... Erin features so many gorgeous polished spaces, I'm kind of amazed with my own restraint since I haven't run out and bought every rug and pair of curtains I see featured here. Don't even get me started on lighting.

What do you think, HoT readers? Should I focus on the floor or the windows when I go for my next office upgrade? Will anything patterned compete too much with that busy desk chair? I'd love your input on how I can improve my turquoise on a budget. Thanks for letting me share my humble little office with you!

-Virginia

Artsy links:

• Chickadee painting by Cody Blomberg
• Peacock/Iron & Wine poster by Killorn
• Calendar and Japanese card by Pinkerton
• Painted wood flowers by uncommon
• Light switch & outlet covers by Funky Chicken

You have read this article Guest Blogger / Office / Readers' Rooms with the title Readers' Rooms. You can bookmark this page URL https://kmn-radio.blogspot.com/2012/07/guest-blogger-virginia-roberts-from.html. Thanks!

Vivid Hue Home

The philosophy of Heather Grahling, author of the color-loving blog Vivid Hue Home, is have fun with design! She recently completed her fresh and cheery sunroom, filling it with the prettiest blues and greens. I'm not sure what I love most...the Company C rug (the inspiration behind the space) or Benjamin Moore's Spectra Blue on the walls and ceiling! But what about the fab Oly cocktail table or all the chic Bungalow 5 tables?! Actually I'm loving all of her accessories! What's especially cool is that she mixed budget pieces from places like HomeGoods (the lamps were only $25!) with more expensive ones. You can see more pics and get all the source info right on over here!


Love turquoise? Visit my shopping blog Everything Turquoise...updated several times throughout the day! Check out Decor by Color for even more color-themed shopping!

You have read this article Great Paint Colors / Living Room / Painted Ceilings / Porches / Readers' Rooms / Turquoise and Green with the title Readers' Rooms. You can bookmark this page URL https://kmn-radio.blogspot.com/2012/06/vivid-hue-home.html. Thanks!

Guest Blogger: Hollie from I Lived On Wisteria Lane

This is my home in Southern California.

Full of navy to the palest of blue and of course just the right amount of turquoise.

I want to thank Erin for giving me this opportunity to share my home with you. If you would like to see more of my home come on over to I Lived On Wisteria Lane. And remember my door is always open, so come visit as often as you like. I love pretty things and that is what my blog is about. I hope to inspire you through lovely home decor, yummy recipes, clutter remedies, handmade projects, and my quilt patterns.

Thanks again,

Hollie

You have read this article Dining Room / Guest Blogger / Living Room / Office / Outdoors / Painted Door / Readers' Rooms with the title Readers' Rooms. You can bookmark this page URL https://kmn-radio.blogspot.com/2012/05/guest-blogger-hollie-from-i-lived-on.html. Thanks!

Jenna Sue

Have you ever seen a more striking, turquoiselicious sunroom?! It is my pleasure to introduce you to Jenna Sue. Together with her husband Brad, they have spent the last 5 weeks tirelessly working on their Jacksonville, Florida sunroom and documenting all of their DIY projects and construction phases on her incredibly inspiring blog. When she's not doing amazing remodels, Jenna runs Jenna Sue Design Co.–a custom print design shop filled with super cute personalized art (as seen above!). So we know she's got some major talent! You do not want to miss out on the rest of her home either, it's sprinkled with our favorite color all throughout! Visit her blog to see more fab photos of this space, including the always-fun 'before' shots!

Sources
Ceiling & accent trim paint: Tropical Mist by Valspar
Floor tile: Woodland Faggio Grigio
Daybeds: Ikea
Pillows: Festive Home Decor on Etsy
Coffee Table: DIY
Console Table: DIY
Art Prints: jennasuedesign.com
Chair & ottoman: Craigslist, DIY slipcover
Curtains, rug, woven ottoman: Ikea
Seaglass vase: Ross
Side Table: Target (painted blue)
Lantern: World Market (painted white)
Mirror: Lowe's (painted gray)
Table Accessories: Michael's, Garden Ridge, Target, etc
Wire baskets: Ebay

Love turquoise? Visit my shopping blog Everything Turquoise...updated several times throughout the day! Check out Decor by Color for even more color-themed shopping!

You have read this article Painted Ceilings / Porches / Readers' Rooms / Turquoise and White with the title Readers' Rooms. You can bookmark this page URL https://kmn-radio.blogspot.com/2012/05/jenna-sue.html. Thanks!

Guest Blogger: Erin from The Impatient Gardener

Hi everybody! I'm Erin, but not the Erin you're used to seeing here. I'm Erin from The Impatient Gardener and I'm thrilled to be guest blogging on House of Turquoise today.

Erin (the other one) does such a wonderful job posting inspirational spaces featuring one of my favorite colors so it's no surprise that the spaces I saw here on House of Turquoise influenced many of the rooms in our house, which underwent a pretty substantial renovation last year. You can read about the renovation here, but it can be more or less summed up by saying that our goal was not to make our house bigger, just better. We had the top of half the house (an old Cape Cod-ish cottage located about 500 feet from the shore of Lake Michigan in southeastern Wisconsin) taken off and put back on higher, allowing us to add much more usable space, including a second bathroom.

Turquoise and blue (along with a healthy dose of gray) featured prominently in many of the rooms.

The bathroom was the most fun to decorate and we went all out because it will probably be the only bathroom we'll ever design. It's a relatively small bathroom—8 feet square—but we fit in a sizable shower, vanity and lots of storage.

The master bedroom stayed basically the same size as before the renovation, but it feels twice as big thanks to the addition of windows on the east wall and a high ceiling.

In the hallway I made a small gallery wall. It's really the only place we display family photos so we have everything from a wedding photo, to pictures of our dogs and cat to a great black and white photo of my grandmother. At the bottom is a board we uncovered when we took the roof off that says, "Put here July 11, 1938." I put it in a shadow box with some linen fabric on the back. I also hung a piece of driftwood that I've been hanging onto for awhile just because I thought it was interesting looking. I collected a variety of frames for the wall and painted several of them different shades of blue mixed from paint I had laying around.

I hope you enjoyed this peak at some of our renovated spaces. You can see more over at The Impatient Gardener, where I blog about gardening, cottage living and misadventures in DIYing. Thanks for having me, Erin!



Love turquoise? Visit my shopping blog Everything Turquoise...updated several times throughout the day! Check out Decor by Color for even more color-themed shopping!

You have read this article Bathroom / Bedroom / Guest Blogger / Hallway / Readers' Rooms with the title Readers' Rooms. You can bookmark this page URL https://kmn-radio.blogspot.com/2011/11/guest-blogger-erin-from-impatient.html. Thanks!

Guest Blogger: Roeshel from DIY Showoff

Hello House of Turquoise fans! I'm Roeshel from

and it's such an honor to be guest blogging for Erin today and so exciting! This is me:

But most days, I look like this:

It's nice to "e-meet" you!

For those of you who don't know me, my blog journals our DIY projects, home improvement and decorating as time and money allow. We also feature other bloggers and their DIY. I recently gave our guest bedroom makeover using paint, things we already had and thrift store, flea market finds. Inspiration:

The room before was a blank slate. We removed previous owners' carpet when we moved in, I removed the trim, walls were a dingy white....

before

after

My starting point for the room were the orange/gold wingback chairs. I thought about redoing them because I wanted a turquoise and white room but as I collected ideas for the room, using things we already had and did up a mood board, I decided I really loved the turquoise, orange, gold together.

I painted and stenciled the floor (budget friendly)...main floor color True Value 'Ticker Tape'.

Nearly everything else in the room is a thrifty find (with the exception of these lamp shades and bedding shown below).

Turquoise lamps were $4.99 at thrift store.

Even the chandelier got a makeover going from black to a turquoise patina...

I made a brooch wreath...

...for my mismatched gallery wall...

A free scratched up buffet got a makeover and became a dresser...

Painting Furniture

I even made a coordinating cat window seat using an old tray and made catnip stuffed toys with turquoise fabric scraps...

Thanks for letting me share our guest bedroom makeover, a much more welcoming place for our guests to relax. I might even move in myself! Unless you're coming to lend a DIY hand for a visit? See more of our DIY Project Tutorials here and our farmhouse before/after projects here. Erin, thank you so much for having us share our guest bedroom transformation.

~Roeshel

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You have read this article Bedroom / Guest Blogger / Readers' Rooms with the title Readers' Rooms. You can bookmark this page URL https://kmn-radio.blogspot.com/2011/11/guest-blogger-roeshel-from-diy-showoff.html. Thanks!