Sarah Barksdale Design - Inspiration for Beautiful Homes

Ready for Spring

By Sarah Barksdale; March 11, 2013 · 3 Comments ·

Happy Monday everyone! Did you all remember to set your clocks forward yesterday? Longer days are on their way and we finally had some spring-like 70 degree weather here in Nashville over the weekend. Winter was great and all but I am READY FOR SPRING! Who’s with me?

Here are a few things that I am the most excited for this Spring:

I can’t wait for the flowers to start blooming! Especially the hydrangeas. Nashville has some really great scenery in the and I love it when the flowers bring life to the city and everyone gets back outside.

I am DEFINITELY ready to bust out my Spring wardrobe….. and go for a few bike rides with Matt too.

Nope…. this picture didn’t slip in by mistake. My family is taking a ski trip at the end of the month… sounds crazy right? Spring skiing is the best! The snow out West is still really great in March and its a little warmer by then too. This will be Matt’s first time so lets all keep our fingers crossed that he loves it as much as I do.

Easter is coming! It is one of my favorite holidays…. for one I love to dye eggs and I love decorating for Easter… maybe because of all the pastel colors? I hope I have a daughter one day that I can dress in a frilly dress with a huge bow in her hair for Easter Sunday.

Waster also means a lot to me because it is a time to remember when the Lord gave us the greatest gift of all… he sent His son to die for our sins and nothing else in this world has changed my life more than that.

Last but not least….. meet Lacy!!! She is the newest addition to our Barksdale clan! Matt and I will be bringing her home the first week of April! We are both really excited and cant wait to call her our own! She is an Airedale terrier and is about 8 weeks old in this picture.

On another note, Spring decor is my favorite, so get ready for some fun blog posts to be coming your way. What are you looking forward to this Spring?

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Decorating with Maps

By Sarah Barksdale; March 7, 2013 · Leave a Comment ·

Have you seen any of the different ways people have been using maps to decorate lately? There have been a lot of great ideas floating around the interwebs. Personally I think using old maps to decorate is great idea if you do it right. I have seen waaaay too many “crafty” applications out there that I am not a fan of. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for a good DIY project, but at the end of the day you want to make sure your house doesn’t look like it is full of craft projects. You feel me?

Here are some examples if using maps the “right” way…

Stunning! I love this idea of using a giant, blown up monochromatic map as a wallpaper for an accent wall.

I am really liking the “old-school” vibe this map brings to this kitchen.

I am seriously DYING over this application!

and this too….Gorgeous.

Using maps in your decor is great because you can make them personal. You can use maps of places that are special to you or your family… or places that you dream of going. The trick to pulling off the look without it going to crafty is to have a plan for what you want to do, then take time to find some really special maps. Dont just run to the local drug store and buy whatever maps you can find, look for antique ones, or black and white ones, just try to find ones that have some sort of special quality to them so that they seem more like art than a road map that you grabbed out of the dash in your car and nailed to the wall.

good try sock monkey….

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Keeping the old with the new

By Sarah Barksdale; March 4, 2013 · Leave a Comment ·

When designing your home, patience is key. Taking time to really decide what elements to put in each room really will make your house feel like home. You will need to think about your style (what makes you happy? what colors and shapes speak to you? are you traditonal or more modern?), you will need to consider your lifestyle (do you have kids or pets? Do you love to host parties? or have a quite place to read?), and you will also need to think about the functionality of each room (do you want a cozy family style living room for having movie nights? or a more dressy living room for serving cocktail?)

Once you come up with a plan for your home is when the decorating really begins. I think the best designs incorporate old elements with new elements. Even if your style is really modern, try looking for some cool vintage pieces that fit in with your modern elements. The last thing you want is for your home to look like it was all purchased straight from a catalog in one afternoon.

Mixing old and new items is what adds a personality to your home. It will make things more interesting. There are many ways to do this too. It can be as simple as using an antique pieces of furniture or accessories. Or your style might be more fit to take an antique chair and recover it in modern fabric, or refinish an old dresser… this method would give you fresh colors and pattern but you would retain the older style at the same time.

Remember though, finding old, unique pieces takes time. You cant run right out to the mall and find the perfect old wing chair in an afternoon. So be on the hunt when you have the time, know what items you want so that you can be looking for them and spot them, and be patient in your search.

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Get The Look

By Sarah Barksdale; March 1, 2013 · Leave a Comment ·

[originally posted on 11/9/11]

Have you ever been flipping through a magazine and seen a photo of a room that just jumps out at you? Then you think to yourself, “I wish I could design my home like that…” Well, I am starting a new segment for SBD called Get The Look for just that reason. Basically, I will be choosing photos periodically and doing some research and making a board on how to “get the look” (on a budge of course!)

Sound fun? Lets get started.

What caught my eye: There is a lot of contrast in this room which makes it interesting. The walls are soft blue while the bed is large and dark. There is also a mirrored dresser to add texture and shine, and finished the room off with some fantastic, eye-catching curtains.

Here are my sources:

1. Wall paint- Sherwin Williams SW6770 Bubble

2. Trim paint- Sherwin Williams SW7551 Greek Villa

3. Table lamp- Crate and Barrel, Shaye lamp. $229

4. Mirror Dresser- Pier 1, Hayworth 4-drawer Dresser. $575

5. Quilt- Pottery Barn, Essential Quilt, Sandalwood. $79

6. Comforter- Target, Simply Shabby Comfortor Set. $119

7. Floor Lamp- Pottery Barn, Gillian Candlestick Floor Lamp, Bronze. $150

8. Curtains- Overstock.com, Bue and Tan Silk. $99

9. bed- Restoration Hardware, Marston Sleigh Bed. $1,955

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Flea Market Find

By Sarah Barksdale; February 26, 2013 · 1 Comment ·

Do you ever have one of those weekends that just gets away from you? Well, I had one this past weekend. Matt was studying most of the weekend so I was left to make plans on my own. Saturday morning I decided to head over to the big once-a-month Nashville flea market to enjoy the nice weather. Its usually a hit or miss for me at the flea market (as most of the time things like that are) but I enjoy the hunt and get inspired by all of the possibilities for the antiques I see there.

Well this weekend was a BIG HIT for me at the market…. I bought our very first dining table! The table extends to almost 9 feet long with both leaves and it has 8 chairs to go with it. I got it for a STEAL too, so I am pretty proud of my find. But the rest of my weekend ended up in more of a furniture-delivery/redo-the-dining-room kind of style. Oh well, worth it.

Isn’t she a beauty? I have been wanting to trade out our hand-me-down table that we got from my parents for a while. It wasn’t terrible, but it could only seat 4 people which doesn’t make having friends over for dinner very easy, plus it was a little to “country” for my taste.

Before… (yikes)

After! If you notice in the back corner of the room we recently added a wet bar. I found a desk on sale a few weeks ago and it fit the space perfectly. I am really excited about having a wet bar so we can have a chance to show off some of the gorgeous stem ware that we got for our wedding. Its going to be a work in progress (I still want to find some decanters and maybe a pretty wine opener and some other accessories) but you get the picture.

Here is a better show of the bar area. I love how the room is coming together now… it feels so much more intentional than it did before when we only had the small table and little else to fill the space. However, this table and desk were definitely worth the wait and the hunt.

weekend = great success

**please pardon the picture quality, I didn’t have the best lighting while taking these…. (See kids, it is important to have good light when taking photos, otherwise you’ll end up having to try to edit out the yellowness)

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Dining Room Inspiration

By Sarah Barksdale; February 22, 2013 · 1 Comment ·

Lately I have had the opportunity to work on several dining room designs. It seems work out a lot that designs come in spurts, like having multiple dining rooms to design at once. But I actually like it that way, it gives me a chance to come up with multiple designs and ideas for the same type of room which is always fun.

This is a dining room that I have been swooning over lately. I love the traditional-with-a-twos feel it has, and those dining chairs are AMAZING! I love, love, love the idea of upholstering the seat and back of the chair. Brilliant! Anyway, consider this my “inspiration.”

And here is a design board that i put together from this inspiration:

drapery fabric / chandelier / paint / Chippendale dining chair / upholstery fabric* / plates / table

*This fabric is Pindler and Pindler, 2709-Tudor, beige

I wanted to keep the look traditional while still using fresh, current pieces and fabrics. The key is to keep traditional lines while incorporating more current patterns or finishes- hence the fabric patterns, the smokey green wall color and the raw iron finish for the chandelier. I wanted to keep the table finish light in order to contrast from the dark mahogany finish of the chairs, but I didn’t want it to be so light that the two wouldn’t work together. I also wanted to keep a formal feel to the room without making it too uninviting. Who wants to eat in an stiff dining room everyday?

Now all that’s missing are my dinner guests…

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Let’s talk about grass shades

By Sarah Barksdale; February 20, 2013 · 5 Comments ·

I am really loving grass shades lately!…I know you are probably thinking that I am crazy, and that grass shades belong on a tiki hut in the Caribbean and would never be suited for your sweet, darling home in the ‘burbs. WRONG! We have used these shades several times lately in some clients homes and I am absolutely thrilled with the results.

Gorgeous right?

What I like most about grass shades is that they provide the same effect as blinds, but are about 1,000 times more attractive than regular metal blinds. They are easy to raise and lower and they still let plenty of natural light in, while maintaining the privacy that you want from blinds. Plus, they work in casual spaces as well as dressy ones.

Grass shades are also really easy to use in conjunction with draperies since they lay niche and flat and roll up like a Roman shade would.

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They can also be custom cut to fit your window… no matter how large it may be.

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I love the way they look over a kitchen window. It adds interest without being quite as heavy as a Roman shade.

So what do you think? Would you ever consider using grass shades in your home?

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Guest Post: Designer Keri Peterson

By Sarah Barksdale; February 18, 2013 · 9 Comments ·

Happy Monday everyone! Today I am really excited to introduce you to a fantastic designer that I have had the privilege to get to know over the past several months. She has a great eye for interior design and a hilarious sense of humor to go along with it. Enjoy!

—————————————————-
Hey Everybody!

It’s Keri Petersen here, hopping over from my design blog kp spaces. I’m an interior designer in Seattle, and pretty much giddy to be here on Sarah’s blog because I absolutely adore her work, her blog, and her fresh perspective on design!

Here in Seattle, we have about 363 days of overcast and rain, and about two days of sun the same week everybody goes back to school. Okay, maybe it’s not THAT bad. But it sure feels like it sitting on my living room sofa, watching the rain fall and chugging my fifth cup of coffee in attempts to ward off permanent hibernation.

It’s about this time every winter that I start fantasizing about the warm weather of spring and summer. The longer days, starry nights, the smell of the ocean and blooming flowers. I dream about lounging on a beautiful wrap-around porch, sipping sweet tea and watching the world go by. So whether you are watching rain, snow, sleet or sun from your window, let’s sit a spell and enjoy these magical, wonderful porches.

This chandelier makes an impressive, grandiose statement.

Loving the planked wood floors and ceiling.

Gosh, think about the history of this porch. What was going on here 100 years ago when this was built?

I’m a sucker for a porch swing.

Exotic, dreamy…

I need to sit here and drink a Mint Julep. And where a hat.

Don’t you feel a bit more relaxed just looking as this beautiful porches??

Which one is your favorite??

xo,

KP

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Happy Valentine’s Day!

By Sarah Barksdale; February 14, 2013 · Leave a Comment ·

Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope everyone has a blessed day filled with love and chocolate.

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Romantic Valentines Table Setting

By Sarah Barksdale; February 13, 2013 · Leave a Comment ·

Valentine’s Day around the Barksdale house tends to be pretty low key. Matt has a birthday right before Christmas and then mine is right before V-day, so by the time February 14th rolls around we are both a little spent (pun intended) on gift-giving. But just because we both want to keep our celebration low key doesn’t mean it has to be lame! This year we are planning to go a fun dinner at home… which got me brainstorming some fun, easy ways to set a romantic dinner table at home.

I really like how elegant these little bottle vases look. It would be really easy to pick up a few different glass bottles at a craft store and then buy a bundle of flowers at the grocery store to divide up into each bottle.

oh, to live by the beach and have a Valentines dinner in the sand…. what a dream.

I really like how this antique table setting looks. It is so romantic. I bet you could find some items like these at antique stores, flea markets or even garage sales if you just keep an eye out for them.

This rustic Valentines day theme is really cool too. I bet it wouldn’t take too much time to cut out some fun paper hearts to attache to branches in a vase.

Who says you even need to set a fancy table? I would love to take a romantic picnic! Especially since it has been in the 50′s all week here in Nashville.

Do you have any special Valentine’s day traditions?

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