Clean and Crisp

As I child I used to love to shut my door, lock everyone out, and rearrange my room.  I would emerge from my room a couple hours later and beg anyone to come and look at my new space.  My brothers never played along.  My room was my little space and I just loved it.  I'm not sure why.  I remember being inspired by Clarissa Explains It All, about a girl who had a cool, funky room and a cool, funky style.

Starting at an early age, I quit asking for toys for Christmas and my birthday, and I started asking for furniture and home decor.  Earlier than middle school, I remember receiving my first piece of furniture: a fold down desk.  It's currently in my hallway.  I remember the Christmas when my grandmother gave me a white comforter and I squealed, nay, screamed with excitement.

I remember several times, looking at my dresser, trying to find the perfect arrangement for my knickknacks (including a collection of creamers I got from restaurants).  

It wasn't until I got engaged, registered for wedding gifts, and moved into my first home with John, that I started to grasp decorating.

When setting up my home, my friend Michelle (a bit older friend who had the coolest home) helped me understand that I needed to find a style and stick with it.  

I had always loved cool colors and white, so I went with that.  I started reading decorating magazines.  I worked at a local boutique full of linens, furniture and accessories.  

Then, I found this article.  It's about a newlywed decorating their new space.  I'm not a huge fan of yellow, but I love how she used it in her space.  She really had me when she said:

"I like a clean look," says Sarah. "I'm not a big color person, and I'm not into anything dark. If I like [a piece of furniture] and it's dark, paint goes on it." In fact, "Just paint it" is one of the family mottos. "It's our joke," says Sarah. "Just paint it white and it'll look fine."

I still have this magazine and I love it.  Her home is in my Top 5 favorite homes.  The white, the natural elements, the plants, the light, I love it all.

When I found the images online, I got giddy.  I feel like my blog just got 100 times cooler just because I get to share this with everyone.  I hope that it is enjoyed by all.  Again, HERE is the link for the article.

*Side note:  I loved this so much, I'm pretty sure that I bought a yellow shirt and a knee-length skirt.  The skirt stayed, the yellow didn't.  It's NOT my color.

**Side note 2:  I think that BHG did another article on Sarah's current home.  I think it's in the September '08 issue of BHG.  Please, please, please help me find it!!!