Hi guys — no baby yet, but my mama sense (and my doctor) say evacuation is imminent. I really wanted to bust out mega shoots of the rooms I’ve finished up, but I’m just too tired and uncoordinated. Like, I am physically unable to bend my body into the positions necessary to photograph small spaces.

So instead of trying to make some House Beautiful spreads happen (I wish), I told myself I could shoot just one sneak peek shot of each room. And I did. And now I feel all crampy and I’m racing just to type this before a baby shoots out of my bajingo…

In other words, this is going to be my last post until I show up with a bunch of sappy photos of a newborn baby. Let’s jam.

The front room/playroom is finally finished… mostly. Is anything really ever finished? Anyway, here’s my source list:

Paint color is Benjamin Moore Dark Harbor.

Couch is vintage Danish rosewood and wool boucle. You do remember Alexis, right?

Painting was thrifted long ago in California.

Rug came from Overstock, but the price has gone up since I bought it.

Chinoiserie etageres were purchased from Room Service and custom painted to match the walls by Matt. These were by far my biggest splurge — about $550 for the pair.

Sconces were $2.99 each at a thrift store, but I had to buy harps and scored some ultra fancy shades at TJ Maxx for $15 each.

Bengal Bazaar pillows came from Etsy.

Everything else is vintage thrift.

I was kinda convinced I would have the baby before I could even move a crib into the nursery, but we actually got a lot further on this room than I thought we would. It’s still missing some art and bedding, but it’s 90% there. Source list:

Paint color is Benjamin Moore Frappe.

Chair is vintage Milo Baughman that I had recovered in Togo fabric. This was the big splurge for this room — about $450 total.

Curtains are super cheap Ikea Ritva onto which my sweet MIL spent two nights sewing ribbon trim… LOVE THEM! Four panels cost $65 plus time. Can’t beat that.

Mongolian fur pillow came from the West Elm outlet for $5.

Light fixture came from Ebay.

Vintage Raoul Dufy screenprint came from Room Service for $28. I cut a new mat for it.

Bookshelf is Ikea Expedit.

Sheepskin rug is old news.

Everything else is thrifted.

And last but not least is Ike’s room. I think that I complain every time about how hard it is to shoot rooms in this house, but this room really is tough. I can’t wait to shoot it with proper lights, but not now. Mama is tired. Source list:

Paint color is Benjamin Moore Deep Secret.

The big boy bed was the major splurge here. I got it off craigslist plus I paid Matt to paint it, so about $450 total.

Light fixture and rocker are both vintage and appeared in Ike’s old room.

Rug is vintage and used to live in our old dining room.

Curtains are Ikea Aina.

Bedding is a super cute Ikea seersucker stripe that didn’t photograph well.

Blue velvet pillows are Ikea.

Sheepskin is Ikea.

Leopard pillow is TJ Maxx.

And that’s what I’ve been working on.

I’m not really sure when the baby will come out — I’m not actually due for another week. But I think I need a few days to myself before the main event, so I’m signing off for now.

Please add DC to your google/RSS feed so you’ll know when I’m back with baby pictures and more room reveals. Or you could just come and visit the archives. I used to write some pretty sweet posts before I got knocked up and my brain turned into jello.

It won’t be too long before my triumphant return… pinky swear.

Until then, I’ll miss you guys.

Be awesome.

Thanks again for indulging all my hemming and hawing about the office. I think I’ve fully vetted the possibilities and have a pretty good idea of what to do for Plan A and Plan B. I’ve also come to the scary realization that we need to get some doors on that room or it’s not going to matter how pretty it looks — it won’t be functional for an office. So decor for “the office” is tabled for the time being until we solve that problem, and I’m moving on to one of the many other rooms that need attention before baby gets here: Ike’s room.

If you don’t recall, here’s what his room in the old house looked like:

Now for this room I really wanted to give him something different, but I also want to reuse as many things as humanly possible. I have so much stuff to buy for this house that I need to make SOMETHING easy on myself (ha! as if). So, without further ado:

Hmmmm, yeah. Maybe not that different. Let’s discuss the room itself. It’s long and narrow and has zero architectural interest — not even the pair of large windows the other room had. The one small window faces west, so it’s dark during the day and then gets a burst of sun in the evening. There’s no way a light color would work in here, so Sanders helped me pick Deep Secret, a kind of gray/navy that I think will look nice with the sisal carpet and also have some kid appeal (I foresee some hubble telescope posters in here someday soon… Ike is obsessed with space).

I don’t love the white furniture, but I tried very hard to use what I already had, and Ike still sleeps in his crib… IT’S A MIRACLE. Like, he climbs in himself, but we have convinced him that climbing out is dangerous. It’s kind of hilarious. Anyway, when we he outgrows it I’ll get a cute antique twin bed and paint the white table set, or more likely just pass it on to #2.

So the only things here that need purchasing are the curtains, light fixture (hot air balloon fixture is going in baby’s room), a colorful basket, and that leopard stool — which is only $1400. Just kidding, suckers! I’m going to paint the old ottoman and add a cute cushion. Donezo.

I think the basics are here, but it’s missing the wow factor. Does it need wackier pillows and bedding? Or maybe I have a big piece of art I forgot about… Or perhaps I should spend $400 on a roll of this wallpaper and frame a few panels:

But $400/roll?!… I’m thinking no.

Ok, enough of what I think. What do you think?

Hi. I feel a little self conscious about dumping my gross pregnant problems onto you, so if you want to keep it light and fluffy, I don’t blame you one bit — see you tomorrow! For everyone else, I decided I should stop being so cryptic because you’re probably all imaging worse things than are actually happening, like maybe I’m growing a hydatiform mole in my stomach. Or a Snooki. But no, it’s just a baby. And he looks great, and also very well hung if I may say so myself.

The problem is that I have this giant bleed in between my uterine wall and amniotic sac called a subchorionic hemorrhage. It’s actually not that uncommon; what’s uncommon is the size (ginormous) and how late it appeared in the pregnancy (2nd trimester). Also it doesn’t seem to be absorbing and shrinking, which means that every time I go to the bathroom and blood comes out (sorry, but this is my life right now), I start panicking that the baby is next. This occurs on almost an hourly basis.

But the clot appears to be stable for now, and the baby is stable for now. So really all I can do is wait and stress out and do very little in the way of work. Who’s going to do all the wallpapering for me? And the painting??? I have TWO hunky baby rooms to design and unless I learn how to wiggle my nose and make magic happen, I don’t know how it’s all going to come together.

You know what, big effing deal. It will probably make the blog boring since there will be a little more conversation and a little less action, but I’ll do my best to spice things up. With blood and guts (hopefully kidding).

Now let’s get busy dreaming up some fancy boy rooms. I really thought it was a girl so that penis threw me for a loop, but luckily I already have experience in the field.

And luckily I love boys.

[Francois Halard]

Everyone knows it’s bad luck to announce a pregnancy before the end of the first trimester, but here I am. Throwing caution to the wind. I may indeed end up birthing a three headed, chimeric monster. Or perhaps I may end up with no baby at all. But if that happens, I can think of no better people to share it with than you. All thousands of you.

Gulp.

When Karly and I started this endeavor 800 years ago, I never imagined that people would be the coolest thing about blogging. But you are, and I just want to say thanks for reading. In return I am going to try rully hard to whip my lazy ass into shape (not literally – those days are now long gone) and show you some updates. Because guess what? I have to decorate this entire house in 6ish months.

Yep. That means I have to give up my beloved Pawn Stars and Downton Abbey marathons, stop eating so much Costco ice cream (THE BEST), and fight the overwhelming urge to fall asleep at odd times and places.

Instead I’m going to have to do more of this:

And this:

And this:

Wish me luck.

[Pamplemousse, Miles Redd, AD Russia]

This is one of those homes some people will love and many will hate. It’s crazy bright, bold, full of contrast, and not without more than its fair share of nuttiness. The Hamptons beach house of fashion designer Lisa Perry is filled with more art than the Guggenheim, and all those towering white walls have the bombastic feel of a major American museum. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to live here. Let’s take a tour and see what you think.

White walls, black trim, lucite console, jade green and Chinese red = a good start.

For some reason I find the lamps and flowers ultra annoying, but I never met a Frank Stella I didn’t want to french kiss, so this one makes the grade for me.

Those chairs are very larval, but I might have a soft spot for furnishings of the grub worm persuasion…

I suppose I could pick this apart, but I won’t. Instead I’m going to imagine that I’m eating eggs benedict washed down with mimosas, and when I’m full to bursting I’ll just scoot myself across the floor until I fall into the pool. Hopefully I will survive the long journey.

Look! They have my eggs ready and waiting. Over easy, how did they know?

Hey kitchen, I just might love you. I think the prints are by Enzo Mari, but I may be embarrassing myself, here. Cassie will know.

That Gaetano Pesce chair appeared in Max Azria’s amazing home. Apparently it’s very fashionable.

Mmmmmmm… no. Valentine’s Day only comes once a year, and it should stay that way forever and ever.

Let’s look beyond the fact that there are way too many beds in here and just agree this room is awesome. I want a green rug (pass on the wall to wall action) and a giant stuffed elephant in the worst way. Ok, I said I was going to look beyond it, but really — four kids stuffed in one room when you live in a giant mansion? Or maybe it’s a dormitory? Perhaps they hold Michael Jackson style dinner parties? What gives, people???

Insert your thoughts here. I probably share them.

That’s it — what did you think? Are you ready to move in, running the other way, or just planning a big heist?

[Lux Productions Photography via Trendland]

You deserve a break today — a break from my annoying, self centered preoccupation with silly paint problems. Ok, I’m also super busy with real life stuff, and I’m currently too tired to attempt painting with a toddler attached to my leg. Don’t worry, I haven’t lost my obsessive streak (is that even possible?). I have a date with Sanders this afternoon to crystallize my plans for world domination, and I hope to have a mostly revamped nursery by the end of the weekend. Right now I just need something interesting to nudge me towards completion… Something exciting! Something crazy!

Something like this:

Marie Claire Maison

I’m sorry, but why did I not think to create Ike a Bollywood themed bedroom? I love the little beds with Ettore Sottsass paint jobs.

On another note, I want to say, Hey! Thanks! For writing in with your thoughtful comments. You’ve all been such good, helpful listeners. Maybe you have problems that you need to unload? Tell Mama all about it.

I’m having trouble transitioning from holiday vacation mode to the real world, plus I only got four hours of sleep last night (thanks, Ike). So rather than attempting a coherent post, I’m just going to go for a rambling crazy stalker post. Sound good? I thought so, too. But then again, sleep deprivation can make many bad ideas sound delightful — like mopping your floor at 5am, or drinking copious amounts of coffee just before bedtime. I also find myself frequently mixing up the freezer and the microwave which has been rather hard on the ice cream, but I digress.

I am obsessed with Princes and Crows wallpaper, in particular the Little Prince papers created for kids’ rooms.

How awesome is Major Tom? He’s flying to the moon in a cloud of… mushrooms. Ahem.

Lots of the Princes and Crows papers are printed on foil backgrounds so samples are a necessity. I ordered some for Ike’s room and I can’t wait to see them in person — I hope that Major Tom is as glorious a Klein Blue as he looks in the first picture.

I also ordered some samples of Sea Ballet in gold and silver foil. Not sure what I would do with these, but I could imagine them as framed panels, kind of like a Zuber panorama.

The grown up line of wallpapers is equally lovely, and can be seen in the home of Princes and Crows owner, Alix Soubiran.

“Enchanted Gypsy” is featured in her living room. Sexxxy gold foil. Mmmm hmmm.

The boldly striped “French Room” lends casual elegance to a bedroom.

In my next house, I want “Santy Ano” on my ceiling, or maybe as a plexi covered backsplash. Golden goodness.

I’ll keep you updated on my samples. I hope they get here soon. Like yesterday. I’m really not very patient when I’m tired.

In anticipation of our wee little bundle of joy I’ve finally finished the nursery I’ve been planning for the last 9 months.   Luckily, our very own Erin is an A++ photographer and somehow or another I managed to sweet talk her into coming over for last week and taking some pics.  You dudes get to reap the rewards.  Let’s not waste any time:

Tada!  Ok, let’s start at the top: The light fixture is a repurposed bird cage that had originally been used to hold rolled silver at my wedding.  I painted it black, Matt made it work.  Art on the gallery wall was covered in this post.  The pouf is from this ebay seller, I made the curtains, which are covered in this post.  The bumper was made by yours truly and the rug* used to live in Erin’s dining room.  I traded her a night of babysitting for it, which, by the way, she never took me up on.

*BTW, I understand that there is a vicious anti-zebra rug movement going on right now, but guess what, I got this rug for free and I don’t have to feel bad if the baby messes it up.  Plus, it goes.  Winwinwin.

Pretty damn cute, right?  You want to know where I got this stuff?  The light was a round top score ($10!) and the swivel rocker was purchased at Uptown Modern, I had the cushion made for it because the one that came with it was gross brown.  The pillow was bought on super clearance at anthropologie.  The terrarium used to hold plants but, despite my green thumb, they died, now it has toys.  The star hooks are from hobby lobby and the clock was a whopping $7.99 at Marshall’s.

It just keeps coming, right?  Let’s see… the dresser was found by Erin on craigslist (she has CL talent, yo) the tiger painting was purchased by Erin at the thrift store for (wait for it) $3.99 – I think I still owe her for that.  I purchased most of the lanterns at the cleverly named, paper lantern store.  The orange light is another round top score.

Here’s a shot to put the corner with the dresser in context for you dudes.

How’s my sweet little baby angel supposed to recognize his family without a little educational tool?  Pics of the crew live on a magnetic board over his changing table.  (table base bought at Salvation Army and painted black by me).  FYI, the magnets are made from wood cutouts bought at hobby lobby that we glued magnetic backings onto.  It’s hard to find cute magnets these days.

Gratuitous lantern shot.   Did I mention that the walls are Benjamin Moore Harbor Grey? I just can’t get enough of it.

And a last look at the top of the dresser.  I forgot to mention above that the room is tiger-friendly, not to be confused with tiger-themed.  Our little man is going to pop out in the year of the tiger, just like his daddy and his uncle, it’s cool, we’re into it.

So, there you have it:  the only completely complete room in my house… minus the occupant.

I remember when I would run into all my friends at a bar on any given Wednesday.  A couple of years later I started bumping into them all at weddings and (do you see where this is going) these days I seem to see my favorite ladies in groups most frequently at baby showers.  What conclusions can we draw from this:  1.  I’m getting old.  2. I’m not sure why we ever stopped going to bars on Wednesdays and 3.  Eventually I was going to get sucked into the baby crazy too.  Yep, babies are the new black and I’m cooking up my own.

We’re 5 months along (I’m sorry I didn’t tell you dudes sooner, I just didn’t want this to turn into some lame mommy chat room) and just this past Tuesday we found out that we’re having a bouncing baby boy.  We’re BEYOND excited and now it’s time to decorate his room.

I hate to admit that my number one nursery inspiration room is also the most popular baby’s room ever to hit the interwebs but I just can’t help it.  The room of Beckett, Jenna Lyon’s son, is just filled with everything I love.   There will be no knock offs, but don’t be surprised if you see this pallet again over the next few months.

I spent some serious time considering a mural like the one here for his room.  I even found this exact mountain scape.  But ultimately decided that I wanted to cover the walls in clustered art (surprise!) and figured I would get sick of the mural before the little dude even popped out.

One thing I’ve realized while pulling photos for le bebe’s room is that I really like stuff hanging from the ceiling.   I’m hoping and praying to find a dream chandelier for a bargain basement price but I haven’t ruled out the possibility of a clustered grouping of goodies hanging in a corner somewhere.

Of course, there’s always the option of keeping it clean and simple.  Ok, who am I kidding?  There’s no way I’m giving up a crazy sweet mobile so that an arc light can shine on the baby all night long.

Minus the crib too close to the floor, and plus some cooler artwork this is probably more my speed

If I want to creep the baby out I’ll go with this assylum-chic space.  It will be good for the baby to learn all about anatomy, sweeping and ironing before he’s able to walk, right?

Because I’ve never found fault with this pallet (see image #1) this photo generally tugs at my soul.

I’ve been picking up a few random items over the last few months, they all tend to fit into the black / white / yellow theme, so I think that’s where we’re going.  The walls in the room are light grey now, but I can’t decide if they should stay that way.  This is where you come in.  Tell me everything you would do that doesn’t involve snuggly elephants in bonnets or sunbathing bunny rabbits.

Oh, and no asking what his name is, you got to find out he was a boy on the same day you found out he exists (I’ve been waiting 5 months for the luxury), the name is under wraps until his October due date.  xoxo!