home office beginnings

You may have seen my recent note on instagram about going full-time with design. This has been a goal of ours for quite awhile, and it's wonderful and amazing and still feels a bit surreal. I've been doing a lot of processing and praying about the concept of transition...so stay tuned for a post on that! In the meantime, my home office was seriously overdue for some love. For real. 

The room doubles as a guest bedroom, and is not large…at all. I'm also not willing to put money into it at the moment. Given that I'll be spending a good portion of every day here, I knew it was important to have a spot that served a few purposes: 

- Needs to be pretty and welcoming. (I'm a fairly visual person. ;))

- Organization and storage! The current piles (and piles and piles) are not cutting it. 

- Inspires me. 

I couldn't face another work day without making some significant improvements, and I was motivated. So, I "shopped" the basement (and closets and above-mentioned piles) to see what I could find.

I'm making progress! After moving furniture around for a more open layout, I freed up an entire wall (where the storage will go). It feels AWESOME to have just a few functional, pretty areas in the room already! A pretty inspiration board is like a breath of fresh air to me. And a cozy, welcoming place to sit when I need a break from my desk. Progress!! As for the storage plan…I have a temporary solution in the works  - one that is much, much better than what I've been living with. I hope to finish this weekend and will share when it's complete. 

If you're interested in working together to make your home a place you love, please contact me for 

more information at katiegaviganinteriors@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you!

design plan progress - family media room

Hi and happy Monday! I've been working with a wonderful family on the plans for this room which will service multiples purposes including family room, home office and occasional guest room! We've finalized the larger pieces and are now ready to fill in with art, lighting and accessories. Fun! I'm recommending they keep things mostly neutral while incorporating the blue in their existing rug, which we're keeping. They already own the desk and armchair as well. The loveseat is custom sleeper sofa (using the above image as inspiration) in a navy velvet-like microfiber. It's going to be gorgeous!!

With so many different purposes being served in this room, as well as the amazing and rather grand architecture (it's jaw-dropingly beautiful!), I want to keep things sophisticated and streamlined. Anything too crazy would compete with the awesome architectural elements. At the same time, we're blending husband and wife's tastes and preferences. (One leans more traditional; the other more modern with a touch of artsy.)

Opposite the fireplace wall, there's a long, blank wall. The husband's desk as well as the media console will live here. The art needs to not only fill the wall but also bring balance to a large TV. Again, while not being too overpowering! I provided two suggested gallery wall collections. The first is more subdued and calm. The second keeps with the neutral color story while leaning just a tad edgier by incorporating a couple of modern pieces along with hits of black. Or, as you see in the above design board, they could choose to keep things more minimalist and go with one single piece over the desk.

Art pieces via Minted

What do you think? Which option would you choose? I'm excited to see it all come together!

If you're interested in working together to make your home a place you love, please contact me for 

more information at katiegaviganinteriors@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you!

dining room chairs refresh

Recently, I decided it was time to do something about our dining room chairs. I had intended to paint them months ago and it just hadn't happened yet. I had purchased them at a thrift store at 50% off, so although they weren't my favorite finish, they were too good to pass up. The above photo was taken a few months ago, and you can kind of see the lovely faux finish. 

The funny thing was that we also had this tray table tucked in the corner with a similar finish! I decided to tackle both projects at once. It's from Pier 1 many years ago, and we call it our "orchid table" because it's typically drowning in orchids. (I'm not exaggerating - my husband loves orchids and can't bear to part with any, in case they decide to bloom someday. :)) Matte black was the treatment this table received. I'm sorry to not have an 'after' photo to share just yet, as it was pulled immediately into the Christmas wonderland of my Home Depot Holiday Style Challenge shoot -- more on that soon! Back to the chairs...

Everything was moved out to the deck for a day o' painting. Please note that it was approximately 150 degrees on our deck on this particular day. Okay, maybe 95…but hot. However, I was determined and not going to let a little sweat and scorching sun slow me down. After a light sanding, they were sprayed. (Also, if you don't have one of these and plan to do any spray painting at all, please go out and get one! One of the best $3 purchases you can make. Seriously saves your hand from cramping and twitching and discomfort!)

I knew I wanted a cobalt-ish shade… and this gloss navy fit the bill. Something classic enough, but just a tad unexpected. Blue is basically a neutral for me - I use it all the time. I knew it would go well with everything in our home currently and down the road. It just works. Also, I couldn't bring another brown or black tone into the room -- between the floor, huge banquette, wood console table…I was craving color! 

I LOVE how they turned out. Love, love, love. This photo represents a very 'in progress' shot - I was playing around with art and accessories - but you can see how the chairs look with the main pieces. And, that "tablecloth" is actually a bedskirt I picked up at a thrift store! A couple of safety pins strategically placed, and we have a lovely skirted table. :) It feels so great to finally have the chairs painted!!

If you're interested in working together to make your home a place you love, please contact me for 

more information at katiegaviganinteriors@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you!

magical oversized paper flowers

A quick and fun little post for you today. For my lovely sister's 30th birthday last month, I made these awesome, huge paper flowers and have been meaning to share! I used a mash-up of the instructions found here and here.

We felt a little like Jack and the Beanstalk for a few days as they took over the living room. For easier transporting, I left the flowers unattached from the stems until arriving at the park and simply attached them with zip-ties upon arrival. They were a hit, and made for such fun photos!

And just because it was such a beautiful and lovely day, I thought it would be fun to share a few more photos. After a picnic in the park, we rented pedal boats! I haven't been in a pedal boat since childhood summers in Michigan, and wasn't sure if it would be fun or a flop. We ended up having a great time being silly, and also really enjoying how peaceful it was out on the water on this gorgeous day! 

simple, everyday fall decor

Everyone who knows me would say that Summer is my favorite season. I love warm weather, going barefoot, warm sun rays on my face and the carefree feeling of it all. It's true. But…I have to admit that the slight change in the air lately has me pretty excited about Fall!

I was pretty late to the party this year in terms of adding some Fall-like decor at home. We've had a really warm September & October, and the weather really influences my decorating choices. Decorating for me engages multiple senses. It's about the feel of the air, the scents wafting through the window or through the house, and the sounds around me. It's all inspiration, and plays a part.

As the years go by, I find myself gravitating more and more towards simple ways of bringing beauty into our lives. Going all out with seasonal decor is fun (and I will always do this for Christmas!!), but in the everyday, it's just not practical for me. Maybe this will shift at some point, but right now, I need to lower the expectations I place on myself and keep it simple. And the thing is, I end up finding joy in these little things.

These beautiful sunflowers were left by our sweet house sitters after our recent vacation. I split them into a couple of small vases, added clippings from a backyard succulent and called it good.

And call me crazy, but some days it really just comes down to the subtle changes in the light that filters in through our blinds. It's warm and comforting and suggests a change in the air...

The below was an accidental grouping that was caught between styling projects, and ended up staying this way for a few days. Nothing especially seasonal about this, except that it's sometimes fun just to switch up your everyday objects for a change of scenery. You'll see them with new eyes. :)

Remnants of a drink station after a women's Bible study at our house. I especially love the scarf-as-tablecloth.

So, let me just encourage you today. If you're feeling overwhelmed about the idea of decorating for the season, here's an easy plan: the next time you're at the supermarket, pick up just one interesting-looking pumpkin and a bunch of flowers. Maybe light a candle or two. For a few dollars and very little effort, you'll have added bits of warmth and beauty to your home. It's worth it!

If you're interested in working together to make your home a place you love, please contact me for 

more information at katiegaviganinteriors@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you!

color couples with Chairish

Chairish has quickly become one of my favorite go-to sources to find unique pieces for clients.  They've done an amazing job curating a diverse, interesting and practical inventory…and the fact that it's ever-evolving makes it that much more impressive. I can always count on finding just the thing, whether it's an accent chair, lighting or accent tables.

What you might not know is, they also have a blog. When they recently asked me to share their post on "color couples," I was happy to do so! The color pairings they've pulled together, below, got my wheels turning about interesting color combos. First, I was inspired to pull together some of my favorite images highlighting Chairish's featured "color couples"…

house & garden uk

domaine home

elle décor

original source unknown

house beautiful

amber interiors

Then, I couldn't help but have some fun with a little color exercise of my own.  I set out to create a couple of rooms featuring bits of pink or purple, with the goal that the rooms not feel feminine… and of course using a few key pieces found on Chairish!

bright berber rug  |  classic, casual sofa  |  danish modern chair  |  brass pendant  |  mid-century floor lamp   
coffee table  |  black marble lamp  |  geometric pillow  |  purple lumbar  | modern city photo

I realize not every guy would go for this, but it was fun to find masculine elements to ground the pink found in the rug. To me, the velvet lumbar pillow kind of bridges the gap between the pink family and the darker tones. And while the artwork has softer tones to help bring the room together, it feels very edgy and masculine. The deep-seated linen sofa keeps things from getting too serious - comfort is always a priority in my book. (For some fun accent chair browsing, be sure to pop over to their site -- I'm telling you, so many great pieces!!)

For this simple, sophisticated dining room, I imagined the artwork as the starting point. Pull in a subtle purple rug and then pile on some stylish neutrals.

modern art  |  chrome + leather dining chairs  |  rug  |  dining table  |  pendant  | elephant statue 

Which color pairings are inspiring you lately? With the change of seasons, are you feeling darker colors, or maybe neutrals? Don't be afraid of color... life's too short for that.

Interested in working together to make your home a place you love? Contact me for 

more information at katiegaviganinteriors@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you!