A bright, modern kid's room

Not much was on the agenda for us this weekend so I caught up on some housework (not fun but satisfying) and some blog reading (fun and satisfying). I looked at so many beautiful images, but the room below really captured my attention. I thought I would share it with you as we start a new week of decorating and crafting adventures.

Surprisingly, what I love most about this room that I found via hello lovely inc. are the white walls, which create a perfect canvas for any color combination. In this case, great big pops of red and green make the room come alive. The colors are not ones I would usually put together, but I ended up doing so recently to satisfy my son's request for more green in his room. I promise to share soon!

That pegboard wall certainly had me agape. Sheer genius and pure style. I wish there was a way to incorporate such a wall into my family room to contain all the kid clutter.

The rest of the home, located in Stockholm, is equally breathtaking. Go take a look at it at here at Sotheby International Realty. You won't regret starting your week by looking at such bright and inspiring rooms.

The Swedish are speaking to me

Ah, clean lines and modern simplicity.

The Swedish seem to have a special talent for this. They are especially known for their deft use of white. Even though I'm all about color, the quiet beauty of an all-white interior does seem appealing. So off I went to the Skona Hem magazine website, knowing not one word of Swedish, but my lucky clicks somehow got me more goodies than I bargained for:

Let's face it, most family life takes place in the kitchen, not the living room. Look at all this sweetness, though you almost don't notice there is a big steel appliance in here.

A white, black and silver color scheme keeps the design simple and uncluttered. The lamp is not frilly or fancy, adding the perfect touch. I think I want it for my dining area.

This a great use of wallpaper, with two contrasting designs of black-and-white patterns. The little houses would be great in other rooms, too, but seems especially apt here in the hearth of the home.

I adore weathered furniture. Not just old and threadbare but with a character that suggests a story behind the piece and a patina hinting that someone loved it for years.

This is absolutely fabulous wallpaper! I'm not usually a fan of white furniture in living rooms, but I could be convinced if I had this wallpaper.

This is beautiful in what appears to be a random way that owners artfully arranged a hodgepodge of belongings. After all, isn't that what we all have anyway, an odd assortment of objects?

Oh, this looks like such a lovely spot to curl up with a book or just to cuddle up with one of your little ones.

A corner made special by the sculptural coat hanger and phone.

An old windowpane (?) repurposed into a bulletin board of sorts, with mementos hanging from it. This would add a touch of whimsy to any home.

This caught my eye because of the wallpaper, which looks like it could also be individual pages from a botanical book.

All these bright colors create a festive mood, helping us celebrate the joy in every day.

I might as well call this the wallpaper post, but seriously, folks, this reading nook is so stylish largely because of the wallpaper.

I can't decide if I like the Tord Boontje chandelier, but I have to admit it adds a special oomph to the room. The bed reminds me of one where the seven dwarves from Snow White might sleep since this looks like the beds I saw illustrated in a Snow White book I just read to my son.

A quiet, peaceful spot for a boy to do his homework ... or daydream.

Of course, you know I'm going to say this bedroom is perfect for reading. Those fabric wall pockets are great for storing books. A wall panel like this would go over well in California, too, since we always have to think about the potential for the Big One (major earthquake) striking so many of us avoid heavy objects over our beds.

There are so many pretty little vignettes scattered throughout this room. You will just have to go to the Skona Hem website to see more photos of this great home and close-ups of this room.

Inspiring mamas 'round the world

Bouncing around on the Web from blog to blog the past couple of years, I've found kinship and inspiration from so many bloggers.

The blogging community seemed so creative and nurturing that I decided to start my own blog. It was a venture I had been thinking about for months, fine tuning it in my head, waiting for just the right moment to launch it. Then, Holly Becker of decor8 announced her plans to teach an e-course on blogging. I was one of the lucky 200 or so to enroll out of the more than 800 bloggers who wanted in. I'm not surprised so many would want to learn from Holly, whose blog has 950,000 readers each month! She is an endless source of inspiration, with her numerous daily posts containing beautiful, dreamy images of her design finds along with special features like a series on creativity.

The only requirement for the month-long e-course was that I had to have a blog. So with Holly's gentle nudging, I launched Mama Without Borders at the same time that her e-workshop began last month. Let me tell you, Holly worked all of us hard. She had us listen to her "lectures" on podcasts, post our homework for all our classmates to see, form a critique group, and so forth. But Holly did more than provide us with the nuts and bolts of running an effective blog. With stories of her own path toward success, she encouraged each of us to look deep within ourselves to discover what will feed our soul on our journey as bloggers.

With that in mind, I would like to honor today five mamas, all fellow students in Holly's course, whose blogs are inspiring me with images of all kinds of creativity from around the world. Reading over their blogs tonight has made me feel like I've been on a wondrous trip, much like opening a cupboard full of goodies. I hope you enjoy their blogs as much as I do:


sam's notebook: Sam, mom to a two-year-old daughter, is an Australian living in Malmö, Sweden who posts lovely images of all that inspires her, including this Swedish Gustavian 18th century secretaire.



kireei: Cristina Grascamarena, a professor who has a son, writes this blog along with three other parents who live in Spain. Their blog is a "catalogue of beautiful things" from all over the world, including artwork from an Australian artist who uses pencils as his canvas.



hardakerandpope: Two mothers from the Cotswolds in England who combine their creativity to document everything from their love of rubber stamps to tea parties they host. Sarah, one of the mothers, is also a designer who makes wallcoverings, pillows and other items from fabrics she designs for her company Sarah Hardaker Ltd.



bondville: Stephanie Bond, who has a young daughter, blogs about Australian art, design and products, such as this flocked ampersand cushion.


littlehendesigns: This is written by a "self-proclaimed crafter and do-it-yourselfer" who writes about her ideas, projects and bargain finds. Below is the nursery that this talented mom designed for her son, featuring a tree she painted herself.


I would also like to mention fellow bloggers in the class who took the time to critique my blog:
doodlebuds, mamaloves, moorethanamom: blaubeermund, she & helix.

Image credits:
Top photo of world cupboard: Desire to Inspire;
secretaire by Appley Hoare Antiques via samsnotebook;
blue-and-red cushions by hardakerandpope;
ampersand cushion Aunty Cookie Etsy shop via bondville;
nursery by Little Hen Designs.