Living Room Refresh

I've been pretty busy these last three months (actually not super busy) but I have missed posting! I've been thinking of a refresh for my own living space which inspired this post. I haven't created a mood board in some time, so I thought to create a living space that I would want to live in right now. As many times as I try to create spaces that are timeless and minimal, I can't help but to put my own eclectic twist on it - besides, this is all for fun anyway :) Some of my favorites to incorporate in spaces that I design are natural materials - like these raffia side tables and resin chandelier, pattern and texture play - pairing a larger scale patterned rug with a variety of smaller scale patterned pillows, a light and airy feel - keeping the sofa and paint colors light, and a touch of the beach - I do this with art and incorporating natural materials like this aged elm coffee table.  I've sourced pieces from many different companies, and you can find them in the links below! Enjoy !

Rug / Amira Rug / Room + Board

Sofa / Avalon Sofa / Joss + Main 

Coffee Table / 17th C. Scholars Square Coffee Table / Restoration Hardware

Side Tables / Blake Raffia Side Tables / Serena + Lily

Table Lamps / Lillian Table Lamp / Joss + Main

Chandelier / Addison Pendant / Serena + Lily

Art / Stinton Beach by Jesse Leake / Pottery Barn 

Pillows / Susan Pillow, Kara Pillow, + Luane Pillow / Lulu + Georgia

xo,

Lauren

My Top Californian Finds

It's almost the weekend! I'm just as excited for that as I am about these pieces I'm about to introduce you to. Since moving to California a year and a half ago, I've noticed that handmade items, natural woods, and clean lines is what California is all about -- bringing the natural vibes of the outdoors in. I've rounded up some of my top Californian finds for you to drool over, too. Here are some of my faves:

1 // cedar and moss table lamp / $249 / rejuvenation /

The mid century modern feel with a touch of brass is one of my 

favorite things in this world.

2 // handpainted dusk basket / $48 / anthropologie / I love

baskets -- they are so versatile. I've been seeing many baskets used not

only for storage but as a plant holder. (possible future post I think...)

3 / no 21 / $90 / loomgoods / I love loomgoods. It may be 

a splurge but totally worth it. The mudcloth used is so original and authentic.

4 / tshaj boho pillows cover 20x20in / $50 / etsy / I 

love supporting etsy makers. Tshaj shop has SO many good 

boho pillow finds.

5 / indra rug 3'7''x5'7'' / $239 / lulu & georgia / One of my favorite stores,

ever. This rug has a coastal color scheme with a boho feel. Very Californian.

6 / john vogel bench / $499 / west elm / Another mid-century 

modern vibe with this piece. 

7 / dip dyed stools / $58-$68 / serena & lily / These

stools have always been on my radar. They're one of Serena

and Lily's staple items -- you can use as a side table, in a bathroom, under a console,

so many great uses for this one of a kind piece.

They're all so good! I love supporting local, too. Any chance I get, I love to incorporate the local talent around me. I've had my eye on these pieces for a while -- a girl can dream when she lives in an 800 sq ft apartment. One day! 

Xo,

Dream Outdoor Oasis

Okay -- summer is right around the corner people! I mean, for me it's pretty much been summer since February living in SoCal (sorry my east coast loves). If you don't know already, I currently reside in 800 square feet of space in our 1 bedroom apartment in Orange County and that's including our patio. So, you can't blame me for coming up with my dream outdoor oasis, right? Plus, working at west elm and being around all the summer floorset has me dreaming every day at work. Now about this post -- I've chose some great finds from some of my favorite stores >> Anthropologie, west elm, cb2, One Kings Lane & more. See below for links to each item! 

1 // iris chevron planter and stand / $129 for medium size / west elm 
2 //markua outdoor sectional and table set / $1,299 / one kings lane
3 // outdoor idriss print lumbar pillow / $59.50 / pottery barn
4 // portland lanterns / $49 each / z gallerie
woven round rattan tray / $59 / west elm
5 // ja dora maar planter / $795 / jonathan adler
6 // huron lounge chair / $594 sale / west elm
huron ottoman / $195 sale / west elm
banana leaf outdoor lumbar pillow / $43 / home decorators
7 // magical thinking hand-knotted hanging planter / $29 / urban outfitters
8 // tam tam side table / $98 / urban outfitters
9 // saddlestitch all weather area rug 53x76" / $89 / home decorators
10 // sophia silver dining chair / $85 / cb2
11 // fuze gray bistro table / $599 / cb2
12 // john vogel teak lounger / $1,299 / west elm
13 // remy ceramic side table - white / $119.99 sale / west elm
14 // faceted lanterns / $39-49 / west elm

I'm seriously in love with it all. I know I chose many neutrals and not a lot of bold colors but that's nothing you couldn't switch up with some decor. I just love the relaxed vibe that these pieces have when put together.  The John Vogel teak loungers are probably my must have piece of them all! Which part is your favorite??





Xo,

My New Art Series

Hi there! I've been working on some new art pieces as a new series of mine. It is inspired by my love for abstract art, color and the boho/tribal design style. Each one is 100% authentic. I've also updated my Etsy store with a new design and newly added pieces >> Check my Etsy store out here. Here's a sneak peek of my new series!

Thanks for stopping by -- don't forget to check out my new etsy store and if you want to browse more of my artwork click on my art page above! If you'd be interested in one of these pieces or a one-of-a-kind piece message me through my contact page! 

Xo,

Anthropologie for the Win

Happy hump day everyone! I happened to be going through some photos saved on my computer and found so many items from Anthropologie that I'm in love with. I've always loved the eclectic/boho/relaxed style that Anthro brings to the table. Lucky for you guys, they are all still available on their website -- I added a few new items I found while browsing the website. I swear if I could afford to purchase everything I wanted from Anthro it might be quite dangerous. Here are some of my favorite finds:

1) Yalova Duvet Cover / In love with the motif on this duvet. Lay a solid 

colored coverlet on top like pictured above and it balances out all the 

pattern and texture to create a look that's jumping into bed worthy.

2) Hexagonal Mirror Shelves Set of 2 / Loving the antiqued mirrored look on these

two cuties. They are just as pretty as functional.

3) Flutura Pouf / I just love poufs. They're so versatile -- great as an ottoman

to keep your feet up or use as extra seating when you have company. 

4) Kansai Bookcase / It's not everyday that you can find an attractive circular

bookcase (if you have, I'd love to see!). 

5) Resin-Coated Pine Side Table / My heart tends to gravitate towards raw, 

natural, handmade pieces so of course I had to add this cute-as-heck

stool/side table to the list. The resin added to the raw wood adds such character

and each is one-of-a-kind. 

6) Sundial Mirror / This round brass mirror is 36in in diameter -- perfect for an entryway, 

over a sofa or bed, or to fill that empty wall space that you have no idea what to do 

with. I'd say this could be used in a bathroom as well over a vanity. It sure does add

instant style -- so many options to choose from! Where would you put it?

7) Bangala Armchair / Black and white patterns are also a weakness of mine ever

since I can remember. I love the large and small mix of pattern and the natural looking,

tapered legs that fit the style of the chair so well. This is one of those "one day" pieces for me.

8) Textured Stillwater Rug / Finding a shag/textured rug in a soft natural color can be easy, but finding "the" rug is a whole different story. This rug is so simple yet adds an instant 

design element and having something cozy and stylish to step on in your home

isn't a bad thing either!

9) Embroidered Medina Curtains / You can't see the detail all that well in this photo but it 

is definitely worth taking a second look on the website. Turquoise motifs are quite my 

thing, especially when they are handwoven. They also come in a white embroidery 

that I can see being just as gorgeous, too! But I just love a splash of color and curtains are a good place to bring that in and tie together a space.

10) Deco Inlay Nightstand / Another one of those black and white motif situations -- can

you blame me? The odd shape of this nightstand is what draws me to it even more. 

I can picture this piece in a living room set up as well. 

11) Geometria Wall Clock / I love turquoise. The patina look of this clock interests me.

It's beautiful and functional!

Hope you enjoyed this eye candy as much as I did! Stay tuned for my next post on what

outdoor pieces you are going to want this summer. Follow me on my instagram for more inspiration @laurenmaiorana :)

Xo,

DIY Abstract Art

Hello everyone :) One more day to get through until the weekend! Except for me, I work this weekend but today was one of my days off. I had some free time so I decided to get back into painting and create a tutorial for you all.  Abstract art is huge right now and although it takes some skill really anyone can create an amazing piece of art! If you follow me on instagram @laurenmaiorana you already saw my sneak peek of the finished product. Here is the how to:

Materials: 

blank canvas

scraping tool

thin 1/2 inch paint brush

cup for water to clean brush

white paint

any 3-4 paint colors of choice

paper plate or easel

First, start by painting the blank canvas white. This is going to be the background color. Even though a canvas is already white, it's amazing how much of a difference a fresh coat of white paint will make. 

Next, decide what few colors you want to use. I chose a magenta, gold and apricot. 

Then, squirt the paint somewhat randomly  - don't use too much in one spot, you will be scraping it around the canvas. Remember, you can always add more.

Then scrape the paint around in different directions. Now this is the part that takes some skill. It's not difficult but just try your best.

Scrape and add some more paint if needed until it will kind of look like this...

You can add more paint or another color if you would like and call it day or like you will see here you can add another element by creating dotted lines in the white areas. Now, put some black paint on a paper plate or an easel if you have one. Wet the small paintbrush to get the bristles loose, dip in the black paint and start to create some dotted lines. I totally made mine up. This is where you can really get creative...

And there you have it! Follow me on pinterest (lauren_maiorana) and on instagram @laurenmaiorana for some more design and art inspiration! 

Xo,

Favorite Boho Pillow Finds

Boho pillows have been trending for quite some time now. To me, they look like they have a story and they really add character to a space. I've had my eye on all of these attractive pillows for a while but there are so many to choose from and quite frankly I just don't have all the space in my 800 square foot apartment for them all! Some that I picked out are authentic mudcloth pillows and totally worth the splurge. On the other hand the boho style pillows from Target by Nate Berkus gives the same look at a budget friendly cost. The new Steven Alan pillows making their way into west elm right now for summer has me drooling -- I'm in love with the rich blue hues with a touch of yellow. I've also picked out a few local brand pillows -- I love supporting my own community! Bottom line though, I'd love a second opinion on which pillows to buy! Which one's are your favorite?

1 / field of gold pillow / $39.95 / lulu & georgia

2 / hmong pillow cover / $80 / home girl collection

3 / nate berkus metallic textured pillow / $29.99 / target

4 / tecca pillow / $39.95 / cb2

5 / altitude pillow / $88 / anthropologie

6 / little ziggy / $55 / the mod boho

7 / one of a kind pillow, sophia / $85 / lulu & georgia

8 / no 1 / $90 / loomgoods

9 / mistari pillow cover / $19.99 / west elm

10 / steven alan colorblock ribbon pillow cover / $44 /  west elm

I'm in love with all of these. I've linked each pillow to their website and there are so many more worth checking out. Here's a picture of what I currently have on one side of my sofa and I'm thinking in the near future I will have an updated picture for you :)

Xo,

My Dream Home: Living Room

It's been a while since I've created a mood board for the fun of it so when I started to find a ton of items on my favorite sites I figured I had to pull some of these items together. I've been in love with the Hamilton Sofa from west elm since they came out with it last summer -- the tan, aniline leather is gorgeous and soooo soft -- you really have to go check it out if there's a west elm store by you. I've been dying to get my hands on some pillows from Lulu & Georgia -- if you haven't seen their selection of textiles you need to do that. right. now. Okay, maybe after reading this post. I'm also a sucker for navy, turquoise and anything black and white so that led me to create the color scheme you're about to see. My heart also aches for items made of natural materials such as marble, reclaimed wood, jute, rattan...as you can see. So I decided to create a living space that just screams me. Antique brass accents make me pretty darn happy, too. Here's a mood board that displays this look with the links to the items below. You're welcome :) 

rug // caterina rug // anthropologie

side table // two tone side table // west elm 

coffee table // boxed frame narrow coffee table, marble top // west elm

sofa // hamilton leather sofa in tan //  west elm

left pillow // crewel lattice pillow cover - blue lagoon // west elm 

lumbar pillow // nate berkus woven cotton printed pillow // target

right pillow // one of a kind pillow, sophia // lulu & georgia

sconce // reed sconce in old brass // rejuvenation 

art // framed print abstract script // west elm

floor lamp // magical thinking geo floor lamp // urban outfitters

console // emmerson reclaimed wood console // west elm

mirrors // hinged hanging mirrors // anthropologie

stools // elsa stool - black // serena & lily

There it is. Did you fall in love with any of these items like I did? There were too many online to choose from so next up I'll be putting together my dream dining room. I didn't follow a budget when picking these items -- I normally wouldn't spend $400 on a wall sconce but it's all about the look. Depending on what else is going on in your space I really do believe it's worth splurging on an item or two that you love and then be frugal with the rest in order to stay on budget. Like the wall art in this space -- you can definitely DIY and get the same look. You really should love everything you have in your home so to me it's totally worth it to mix the high and the DIY (that's a pretty clever saying, actually). Stay tuned for more dream spaces of mine! 

Xo,