Grey and White Palette

My best friend has decided - OFFICIALLY - to move to Chicago, and while I need to come to terms with it... I think I'll stay in denial for a while longer...

Possibly the only good thing that will come out of her moving half-way across the country from me, is that I get to help her decorate her new place.  

She recently mentioned that she's been loving two things - chevron, and a grey and white palate - so I put together a few inspiration boards of how I envision her future Chicago living space...  It's been a good long while since I've put together an inspiration board, and it feels good to be back in the game - creative juices flowing, and all!

She has the white Ektorp sofa from Ikea already, so I built everything based on the fact that she'll likely be moving this with her.  She has always been fond of the shabby chic look and feel, but has been coming around to more contemporary styles (my personal favorite).  

Keeping the feminine feel of the shabby chic with a light color palate, I'd say this inspiration board is contemporary meets feminine... You know I love a good graphic trellis pattern, and this rug is perfection.  This rug is on sale right now too!! $222 on sale at RugsUSA (50% off)... go get it!

The bold striped curtains are really fun, and could be easily swapped out for a solid white during the summer.  Even though both the curtains and the rug make a statement, the soft grey doesn't distract, and the fun pillows and art bring in color.  

I've been wanting a ginger jar lamp for the longest time, and these pale blue beauties seemed fitting to balance the pops of pink...

My second inspiration board takes girly to the extreme.  I kept details from the first inspiration, but incorporated more bold sweeps of blush (those curtains are not "pink").  This is an apartment that CLEARLY belongs to a girly girl, but I think it's still sophisticated, and adult.  Nothing about this says "little girls room".

To balance out all the pink, I swapped in a bolder rug in dark grey chevron, and kept the lighting a little more quirky with a masculine brass reading lamp, and a fun ceramic owl lamp.

I LOVED the mint linen pillow, and the peach ikat is just fun.  During the winter months, it would be so easy to swap out the art for something black and white and moody, do switch out the peach pillows for faux fur.  Bring in some dark red (or snow white flowers), and do a cool Lucite tray on the table, and this room goes from summer to winter in a snap.

See what I mean??

So as fun as that was... I still think she should stay.  Chicago is sounding VERY far all of a sudden...