This space wasn’t horrible, at least not in this photo. But the table was way too big and the whole space felt a bit cramped! So we ended up getting the Smart Round Marble coffee table from CB2:

And it’s fitting quite nicely! Kira especially loves it, though normally she hangs out underneath of it.

But we had to show the table up and get something else. I’ve been watching craigslist every day waiting for the right moment to pounce and then BAM! There it was! I hustled to contact the seller, and after a few hours finally got in touch with him – but oh no! Someone else wanted it! I puppy-dog-eyed the boyfriend and we were on our way to swoop in and nab it. So I guess this is where I should say, if you are the other person that was interested in this:

I’m sorry.

I wanted something with plenty of storage, modern lines and maybe something that made it a bit different. I think these will do the trick.

I think the new coffee table and the new (old) tv unit will play nicely together..

What do you think? We are absolutely in love with the storage it’s giving us. Plenty of room to hide away the DVD player, DVR and Wii; hold all of the DVDs we never watch and the Wii games we have. Plus, since the new coffee table doesn’t have a place for storing remotes, we have those drawers at the top to wrangle all those odds and ends. :)

I’m quite excited. :)

Second thing that’s kept me busy? Car shopping! I had a pretty reliable Mazda3 for a few years, and it was GREAT for hauling all that stuff back and forth from Ikea, since it was a hatchback. But.. I just wasn’t in love with it. So, after hunting for 2 weeks, I managed for find this lovely down in Raleigh, NC:

And transferred it free of charge up to Dulles! While I know I usually focus on all things home around here, I thought I’d let you in on what I’ve been busy with lately that has kept me from progress around the blog (other than my slump). It was a pain, getting rid of the Mazda — let me just warn you, NEVER LEASE A VEHICLE! It is such a pain to trade it in early!

But in the end, it was worth it because I ended up with this feisty little car. I am so excited! The new job means at least an hour in rush hour traffic, but with this cheery, peppy, zip-in-and-out-of-traffic car, I think I can handle it!

I have a week of vacation next week before I head into a new job, so here’s hoping at least the painting will get done in the dressing room, huh?

Today’s post is all about yellow. Yellow rooms and yellow accents. Pillow, rugs, walls — you name it, we’re talkin’ about it!

We can start off rather traditionally. Pale yellows are a good way to bring happiness and a cheery disposition to a room without overpowering it with YELLOW. The graphic rug and the classic furniture take center stage here, but the yellow is in the background, keeping you happy!

This photo does the same thing — it’s a simple, traditional home but the yellow accents are the POP, the WOW, the PIZAZZ! The thing I like about this one, is that there are completely different things going on in each of the pieces. You have a lamp that has a bit of an eclectic, mid-century edge to it; a graphic and modern pillow and a more traditional pillow with yellow piping. This is also a great time to point out the wonderfulness that is grey and yellow together. I’ll have to do a seperate post on the combination, but they work fantastically together! Modern, clean and totally cool.

Next we’ll go bold and brave. Who needs traditional? This can also be all about making a statement with yellow. Sure, it’s not taking up the whole room, but man, the return on investment of a couple of fantastic focal points in yellow is amazing!

Maybe you like punch and wow, but you don’t want to go overboard. Keeping the scheme monochromatic with a few punches of color is another way to add wow factor. Take for example the image above — the fuchsia and yellow really give this room character where it would otherwise feel cold.

Following the trend of the bedroom, but going a bit more moody, this living room has pops of color in all the right places. So much so, that I focus on the hot pink table, the yellow artwork and the yellow lamp and totally forget that ugly lamp off to the right. ;)

And how about the kitchen? The heart of the home? It needs some cheery air to it as well, right? Not only does this room have fantastic light, but the bold cabinets really make it a place to want to prepare and enjoy a meal with friends or family.

Perhaps a whole wall of yellow cabinets is too much for you. How about this yellow range? That is a bold yellow, but it’s so cheery and welcoming! The view isn’t too shabby either. :)

And finally, my favorite. If I had to decorate my living space from scratch, I would totally start here. The purples, pinks and yellows all go fantastically together. It feels modern, contemporary but totally accessible. Flop down in the middle of the pillows, prop your feet up on the garden stool and let’s watch some HGTV! This room has it for me!

So how about you? What is your power color? What color, when you walk into a room, makes you go wow?