Creating a Reading Nook

Nina Chair

The other day a few of my close girlfriends and I were talking about starting a book club. Nothing special or too much of a commitment, but it sounds like something fun and hey, it's a great excuse to get together and drink wine right?

Well even though I'm the last person you'd catch leisurely reading a book on a given night, I've always loved the idea of having a little reading nook. And when I saw this beautiful fuchsia chair at World Market the other day, I just couldn't stop staring.  So, I've decided.. this chair will be mine someday.  Doesn't it create the perfect pop of color? This chair would make that space complete - Somewhere you can go to just sit there and enjoy a cup of coffee and a good book. {maybe i'd actually get to put a dent into my never ending reading list...} Here's what I'd put into my reading nook to make it my cozy little getaway:

1. Bright, comfy chair
2. Small side table
3. Table lamp
4. Small bench
5. Coffee mug
6. Decorative pillow
7. Cozy throw
8. Candles
9. Basket for extra throws or books

Styling a Tray with Mintwood Home {Giveaway}

Orange & Green // Blue & Yellow // Pink & Green

I'm so excited to be partnering with Mintwood Home this week to bring you ideas for using trays within your home. If you haven't heard of Mintwood Home before, I'll forgive you... They're kind of the new kids on the block. So I'm here to introduce you - and you can thank me later when you realize that you've been browsing through their website for hours and haven't actually gotten anything productive done... Been there, done that.

If you haven't noticed by now, I absolutely love trays. They're so versatile, come in every size and shape you can imagine and they can be used many {i mean many} ways. Most commonly known for their use on bar carts and coffee tables; they're great for holding books, remotes, and decorative objects as well as organizing your favorite liquors. The one thing most people don't think about are the other fun uses for trays.

So, You've got guests coming over for the holidays and you want to welcome them into your home in a creative way... Set a tray by the window in the guest room and display shampoo, conditioner, a candle and any other bath & beauty accessories they could use while they're there! I know my cousins and college girlfriends would love to have access to the latest Essie nail colors.

This tray would be the perfect pairing for your coffee mug on a sunday morning when you just don't want to get out of bed yet. Set it by the window with style and not just on the window sill like you would have in college... {just me?} 

With a larger tray, you've got more room to play and get creative. Set your guests up with the book you just finished, a candle, and don't forget that wifi password! How many times have you gone to someones house and asked for their password? We are in a world now where internet and social media are must haves and sometimes, you just have to embrace it. Sharing your wifi password with your guests this way adds some creativity to their stay and makes them feel right at home!

Make yourself feel like a guest in your own home and enjoy a good book, with a cup of coffee and a nice candle. All those things that might be cluttering your nightstand can make you feel pampered for an afternoon when you set them up on a tray and enjoy some time relaxing! 

Shop this Post:

Orange & Green Tray // Blue & Yellow Tray // Pink & Green Tray

Blue & White Candle // Gray Candle{similar} // Gray Matches // Pink Matches

Coffee Mug // Gold Sea Urchins // Coffee Table Books

A huge thanks to Mintwood Home for sponsoring this post. Enter Below for a chance to win the Canary Yellow & Cobalt Blue Ikat Tray photographed above! Giveaway ends Tuesday 11/4 and the winner will be announced on Wednesday 11/5!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Moodboard Monday: Mint

Happy Monday! Today's moodboard is a little bit of a sneak preview for what is to come this week here at Defined Designs. Personally, I love the color mint, pair it with white, gold, or even wood tones and it just pops oh-so perfectly. What colors do you love to pair with mint?

Words of Wisdom

It's been a long week of traveling for me, but I'm finally home and happy for the weekend to be here! Who's with me? Weekends are my time to wind down from a long work week. I usually love to keep myself busy, hanging out with friends, doing some shopping, exploring the city and sometimes even enjoying a patio or two! I think I'll play this weekend by ear and enjoy some down time from all of my work travels. But first - How about a few of my favorite fun words of wisdom to get us through friday??

For more words of wisdom that I've been collecting.. Check out my Pinterest board, here.

All about that Brass

Photo by Andi Perullo

During my time spend styling at West Elm a few weeks ago, I couldn't help but just fall in love with this little guy! I spotted this brass armadillo back when he was a new arrival online and he sat in my shopping cart for a few weeks until I very responsibly convinced myself that I didn't need him. They're all sold out now and I'm pretty sure he was the last one lingering in my local store here in Charlotte.

Well, while I sit here trying to convince myself it's totally acceptable to go back and buy him... Let's take a look at everything brass. Home decor could always use a little sparkle right?

Happy Shopping!

Moodboard Maroons

Here I am again, talking about fall. Last fall/winter season I found the perfect pair of maroon skinny jeans and I just broke them out of the closet again for the season. It's such a great fall color, weather you're wearing it, or adding a little flair of it to your home just for the season. Do you have a fall color you can't get enough of?

6 Steps to Staging a Coffee Table

Photos: Andi Perullo

I'm so excited to finally be sharing this with you all! Last week, I had the chance to hang out at the West Elm here in Charlotte and play around in the showroom styling things. To say I was like a kid in a candy shop is an understatement. Now, This {I think} is one of the easiest and most fool proof ways to decorate a coffee table to ensure it looks nicely put together. Good thing is... most of these items you may already have - but if not, they are very easy to find!

First things first, You're going to need about 7 items. Why am I calling it the 6 Steps to styling a coffee table?? Well, that's simply because I'm going to assume most of you already have #1 covered. Whether it's grandmas old wooden coffee table, or it's this storage friendly coffee table from West Elm {pictured} Any coffee table will do!

1. Coffee Table: West Elm {similar}

2. Tray: West Elm {similar, similar, similar}

3. Stack of Books: {see here}

4. Candle: West Elm {love these}

5. Vase or Candle Hurricane: West Elm {love these}

6. Decorative Item: West Elm {love these}

7. Decorative Item: West Elm {Rhino, Reindeer}

Start with the tray, place it smack dab in the center of the coffee table.

Add your stack of coffee table books or magazines to one side of the tray.

Top your stack of books with your favorite candle. Feel free to take the top off for added flair.

Place your hurricane or vase in the back corner of the open side of the tray. Making sure your vase is just a little bit taller than where the candle sits is key to create a landscape within your tray.

Huge thanks to West Elm Charlotte for having me!

Add your smallest decorative object in front of the hurricane. Add an extra decorative object on the edge of your coffee table to give the eyes a path on and off the coffee table. This armadillo was my favorite little object in the store, I just had to include it! Brass animals are so popular and trendy right now, check out this rhino or these reindeer.


What's the verdict? Seems easy enough, right?? Do you think you can pull something like this off?

Keeping Up with Defined Designs

tutorial via Whitney Blake

I think I might have learned THE coolest thing a few weeks ago. {i know i know, it's nerdy!} but if you love reading along with me each and everyday and want to be nerdy with me then here's the coolest thing... You can add me to your phone screen! That's right my friends, you can read Defined Designs by the click of an app. Whenever.You.Want. Here's 4 easy steps to get the Defined Designs icon on your phone/ipad: {tutorial via Whitney Blake}

Step 1: Go to Defined Designs home page in your safari browser.

Step 2: Click that little box with the arrow icon at the bottom of the screen.

Step 3: Click 'Add' in the top right corner once the screen shown above comes up on your screen.

Step 4: Click 'Add to Home Screen' on the next screen and Voila!!!

You can now move your new app/icon around the screen or into whichever folder you would like just like a normal app! I've got a lot of exciting things coming up, this is just another great way to stay current on everything I've got coming your way!!

Fall Decor with H&M

Fall, Fall, Fall, Fall... Are you sick of fall yet? I know I'm not! I'm just getting ready for it! Not only do I love the changing weather and foliage, seeing pumpkins for sale in every neighborhood, and the fact that I've officially broken out the boots and scarves... But I'm also so happy to see and browse through the new arrivals at all of my favorite home decor shopping spots!

H&M's new fall arrivals are amazing. They would be easy to transition a few pieces here and there into your existing decor and then stash away for next year! Here are my favorite picks for this fall.

1. Gold Basket - Add this to your living room and pile all of your extra blankets into it or keep it in your bathroom to hold your toilet paper. Gold is always a good answer.

2. Door Mat - This doormat will welcome your friends and family into your home in style this fall season.

3. Cake Stand - How delicious would that apple pie look on this cake stand? The holidays are right around the corner, time to think about hosting in style!

4. Faux Fur Throw - I can't stop thinking about this throw...I need it and you do too.

5. Ceramic Jar - Add this jar to your coffee table for the holidays. Use it to top a stack of books, or just sit on a shelf. I'll repeat myself in saying gold is always a good answer.

6. Herringbone Throw - If you're not completely sold on the faux fur throw that I'm swooning over, this herringbone throw is a close second. Who doesn't love a good throw?

7. Velvet Pillow Cover - Changing out your throw pillows is one of the easiest ways to change the look of a space.  This velvet pillow cover would bring the perfect amount of winter white to your bedroom or living room.

8. Small Metal Bowl - This metal bowl would look great paired with it's larger counterpart as a centerpiece on the dining table or coffee table, fill it with gold painted acorns or pinecones for the fall season.

9. Wooden Tray - By now I'm sure you're also aware of my love for trays.  Top your bar cart with this rustic wooden tray for the fall season or place this on your vanity for easy organization of makeup and jewelery.


Have you browsed H&M's fall decor? What is your favorite piece?

The Perfect Cover Up

I know I talk about everything and anything blue a lot. Let's be real, I just love navy. I also love the classic blue and white combo. Ginger jars anyone?? This past weekend I went to Aiken, South Carolina to visit a friend from college and I just died over her nail polish color. It was the most perfect slate blue color you could ever imagine, and perfect for fall! It's called 'The Perfect Cover Up' by Essie and you can bet I'll be going to scoop it up ASAP. {you can get it at Nordstrom!}

What's your favorite fall nail color?

Comfy Cozy

via Sally Rhys-Jones

Back in June, this beautifully soothing bedroom was featured in Adore Magazine. I remember flipping through the pages of their online e-magazine and seeing this beautiful space but moved on thinking, I'll come back to it. Well, a few weeks back I pinned the same exact image to my bedrooms board on pinterest and I immediately saved the image to my desktop. I mean, how could you resist? Look at it! It's perfection!

What's even better? There's a ton of items and ways in this one singular image to help transition your bedroom to the fall//winter months.  Start with your basic white bedding, keeping the furniture you have, and adding some candles, a faux fur throw, a few snazzy pillow covers or some decorative pillows, and a new basket and there you go. Comfy, Cozy and ready for fall! Your sunday mornings spent in bed reading a book will thank you later.

Nightstand // Table Lamp // Blue Pillow // Brown Pillow
Faux Fur Throw // Basket // Tray // Candle // Candle

Pendant Lighting

You'll never realize what a difference lighting will make to a space until you see it. You may be thinking yeah, yeah, lighting is boring..and unless you are a complete and utter nerd like me, the last thing you would want to do when you move, or buy a home is shop for lighting. Well, let me change your mind a little today. A few weeks ago, a new restaurant opened up in Charlotte called Bakersfield. If you're in the area you might have heard of it or even visited for a margarita and some tacos. But if you haven't been by - You must stop in and try it. Not only for the amazing tacos and pitchers of margs in mason jars, but the lighting is simply captivating. Endless amounts of strategically placed pendant bulbs hanging from the ceiling created such a warm and edgy atmosphere all at the same time.. and did I mention the Margs? YUM.

Check out some of my favorites:

via Remodelista

via House of Turquoise

via Lonny

via Purodeco

via my paradissi

Save the Ta Ta's

October is filled with a lot of things. While most people are talking about everything fall.. colder weather, halloween, and obviously pumpkins, it's hard not to notice all of the pink that's out and about this month. Pink fountains, pink banners, pink balloons, and even pink lights at night shining on buildings. If you haven't noticed by now it's breast cancer awareness month!

Today's moodboard is dedicated to everything pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Wear something pink, grab a ribbon from a fundraiser, walk in a 5k for a cause, and keep fighting until pink is just another color!

Friday Favorites

via Apartment Therapy

Hello Hello and Happy Friday! I don't know about you but this weekend to me just screams relaxation... and by relaxation {which i could definitely use a little bit of this weekend} usually means browsing local stores for home decor, redecorating a little, and laying in bed binge watching netflix. Did anyone else notice that Netflix added Gilmore Girls to their line up this week? Kid. In. A. Candy. Shop. Seriously..

So, for today's friday favorites in honor of all of the window shopping I'm hoping to do this weekend - Here are a few of my favorite online boutiques! These four shops are on top of their game with all of the home decor goodies they're offering right now. Whether it's pop-up shops, new arrivals, or even just their best sellers... you're bound to fill your cart up and drop your entire paycheck. Or at least contemplate it.  Happy Shopping!

1. Design Darling - between acrylic desk accessories, the most perfect art prints, and an entire collection of blue and white decor... design darling is one to check out! I just ordered this, this, and this..... guilty.

2. Lulu & Georgia - Ahhh I dream of lulu & georgia.. that's a little aggressive, i know. But how much do you love this rug, this vase, and this {insert heart eyes emoji here}

3. Mintwood Home - Mintwood Home may only be a month old but the girls behind this lovely online boutique are going to be taking the internet by storm in no time! The quality and selections of their products are untouchable. If you don't remember this instagram of the infamous golden pineapple, check out these products I'm swooning over here, here, and here. Oh - and don't forget you can design your own pillows.

4. Furbish - Furbish Studio is a new one that I actually discovered via instagram.. yes, instagram. I find myself liking one of their photos and the next I know, I'm filling my shopping cart.. whoops! Looking for something trendy or did you see something on pinterest or instagram that you have to have but don't know where to go to find it? Furbish probably has what you're looking for; trendy, trendy, trendy, trendy.

Rugs Under $200

One thing every living room needs besides the obvious....sofa, tv, coffee table, etc.? If you're asking me, add a colorful or geometric area rug to that space and make it something to talk about! Check out this video below from Emily Henderson on how to choose the perfect size rug for your room and you'll be in business in no time!

Shop These Rugs:

Check out these other rugs I'm loving currently: