sun porch pallet swing

Last week, after I posted about my desire to transform an ugly wood pallet into a cute piece of furniture/decor, I found out that my granddad, Papa, did just that a long time ago!

He used reclaimed wood from a pallet and made a porch swing! So ador!

Papa is the DIY King for real! (actually his last name is King, ha) He is such an awesome carpenter, and has made so many beautiful things!

So that would make my grandmother, Monnie, the DIY queen.  She can sew anything, and of course she made those pillows and cushion!

As many times as I have sat on this swing...I never would have guessed it! Totally brill!

Seriously guys, they have the cutest house ever! Inside and out!

Layering patterns

The art of mixing patterns to create a lively, interesting space is something that is somewhat hard to explain how to do.  It really just takes practice experimenting with different looks using fabric swatches.

I highly recommend trying this design technique in your own home, but try not to use too many contrasting  patterns or it can end up looking way too busy.  The colors and patterns you select need to coordinate and compliment each other.  Decor8 has a great post that explains how to properly layer patterns.

Here are some excellent examples of how to successfully layer...

Better Homes and Gardens

via Delights by Design

Apartment Therapy

A simple start is to mix and match patterns on your sofa using fun pillows.

Coastal Living

Young House Love

Don't be afraid to layer on those patterns!

My favorite patterns to mix right now are florals and stripes! What are yours?

my inspiration

One place where I look for design inspiration is on design blogs. I have TONS of pictures that I have saved to look back on later when I need fresh inspiration. I look through them every now and then and I was looking through them the other day and I noticed that several of the pictures had bold horizontal stripe window treatments! I love it! So here are some of the pics from my inspiration folder. Sorry I don’t remember where I found them.