{decor shopping in the kid's section}

We are still searching for the perfect dining table lamp for our new place and a recent browsing of pinterest led me to the Pottery Barn Teen website.  I was shocked to find that I liked a lot of the great pieces (and was generally concerned about what that says about my taste level).   That led me to peruse the children's sites of Restoration Hardware and Crate & Barrel's kids store called The Land of Nod.  While many things on these sites really only belong in a kid's room, there are quite a few deals to be had on pieces that are similar to adult decor favorites.  Here's a little round up of some items that caught my eye in the kid's section:

1. copper facet lamp |  2. gold trestle desk  |  3.  upholstered bed & bordered curtain panels  | 

 4. moroccan rug  |  5.  industrial pendant lamp  |  6.  wooden frame leaning mirror

{dtla loft rooftop deck before & after}

Do you guys remember the inspiration board I put together for the outdoor deck space in our new loft?  Well I'm not going to lie to you, but I think I pretty much nailed it.  I am so obsessed with how this deck turned out and am super excited to finally be sharing before and after results with you today.  Our moving truck was over a week and half late coming out from Chicago which was incredibly annoying, but also somewhat of a blessing since it allowed us lots of time to focus on sourcing, buying, assembling and planting all the stuff for our deck!!

The roof deck area is about 750 square feet which is a lot of space to cover considering the only piece of outdoor furniture we were coming into this space with was a coffee table.  The biggest concern of mine going into this was how to fill the space so it feels complete, but enough free space for us to throw big parties while still having an intimate feeling for smaller gatherings.  Some of the mandatory items were a large cabana for shade and privatization, a dining table big enough for 8 people, chaise lounges of some sort and a social game situation (all while trying not to spend a million dollars on this project!).  I have been mildly obsessed with Z Gallerie's Portofino Pavilion for years now and my parents bought it for us as a housewarming gift.  Since the pavilion is such a statement piece, I based the design of the rest of the deck around it.  The other "splurge" item on the deck was the outdoor sectional that sits under the pavilion which was a lucky Craigslist find.  Besides those two items we found most of the deck furnishings at Target, Ikea and Craigslist which helped keep the entire project budget friendly.  You can see all the sources for the items on the deck at the bottom of the post.

Similar to our last loft's deck, we planted mostly succulents here since they are so low maintenance and thrive in the California heat.  I did want to bring in some greenery besides succulents to give the space a more lush feel so we also picked up a small ficus and a palm tree at Home Depot as well as a few Italian Cypresses, a dwarf Eureka lemon tree and a 10 foot ficus from different sellers on Craigslist.  Just as a random tip- if you have the time the drive around, Craigslist is a great source for plants/trees since you get a great deal and the plants are already acclimated with mature root structures so you have less chance of killing them!

I apologize in advance for how picture heavy this post is, but I just couldn't narrow it down any more than this!!

 {I'll let you in on a little secret- for this hanging planter I opted to use faux succulents so that I wouldn't have to deal with the maintenance of watering it and having it drain onto our side table}

{I am so happy with how these DIY lights turned out for inside the cabana- especially since the decorative orbs were on sale for $15 each at Target!} 

{this amazing ceramic swan planter is actually from Chris' late grandmother's house and it definitely is our most treasured possession on the entire deck} 

 {the succulent on the left was actually on our old dtla deck two years and we planted it at Chris' parents house so they could babysit it for us for the past two years.  It really grew like crazy- have you ever seen one flower so much!?!}

 {dogs gotta get fancy too.}

 {As I mentioned, one of the mandatory items for the space was some sort of social game situation.  After spending some time on craigslist, I fell in the love with the idea of buying an outdoor pool table that someone was selling, but it unfortunately wasn't going to fit in the tiny elevators of our historic building.  The next best thing was inspired by a dive bar we sometimes find ourselves at that has a shuffleboard table so I started searching around for one.  Craigslist once again came to the rescue with a 9 foot long shuffleboard table (the limit of what could fit in the elevators) and
we scooped it up right away!}

SOURCES:

Striped Cabana: Zgallerie
Outdoor Sectional: Craigslist (brand is Terra Collection)
Throw Pillows: Custom upholstery at D&R Upholstery in Los Angeles, Palm Fabric from here, black sunbrella and black/white printed fabric from Michael Levine
Coffee Table: Wedding Gift from this post
White side Table: Nate Berkus from Target
Rug in Cabana: Mali Geometric in Black/Cream from Target
Lighting in Cabana:  Decorative Orbs from Target fitted with lantern chords from Home Depot
Macrame Holder: Macrame holder & gold bowl insert from CB2
Lanterns: Lanterns in various sizes + LED Candles with Remote from Pier 1
Various White Planters: Target, Home Depot, Michael's Crafts (many have been spray painted white)
Dog Bed: Home Goods fitted with custom upholstered cover from D&R Upholstery in Tommy Bahama Palm Fabric
Black Trash Cans: Two sizes from Ikea
Wood Bar Cart: Applaro Collection from Ikea
Dining Table: Applaro Collection from Ikea
Dining Chairs: Tabouret Chairs sold in sets of 4 from Overstock
Rug under Chaises: Durham Rectangular rug from Target
Chaise Lounges: Applaro Collection from  Ikea
Chaise Cushions: Pottery Barn
Chaise Throw Pillows: Ikea
Serape Blankets: Amazon
Garden Stool: Target
Umbrella: Stand + Sand colored umbrella from Pier1
Bistro Lights:  5 packs of clear globe lights from Target
Entrance Decking tiles: 3 packs of Runnen decking tiles from Ikea
Shuffleboard table: Craigslist, similar here
Fencing Panels:  Redwood panels from Home Depot

{giveaway with The Aestate}

If you have read this blog for a while you know that I don't do many giveaways around here which means that today's giveaway really means a lot to me!  After seeing her Beverly prints in my Chicago home, the fabulous Jessica of The Aestate offered to do a giveaway with my readers which I immediately jumped at the chance to bring to you!

 Today you can enter for a chance to win a $50 gift certificate to The Aestate's online shop so you can score a Beverly print of your own or one of my other faves below!  Simply leave a comment on this post to be entered (more rules at the bottom of the post).  You do not want to miss out on this one- I already have my eye on a few more prints from her shop for our new place like the new Sophie print!

{images via TheAestate's instagram}

Giveaway Rules

Prize: One $50 gift certificate to TheAestate's online shop

Entry:  To enter this giveaway simply leave a comment on this post- if you are not a registered commenter make sure to leave your email address.

Additional Entries:  For one additional entry: "like" Mint Love Social Club & The Aestate on facebook then come back here to leave an additional comment letting me know that you have done so!

This giveaway will end on Sunday July 27th at midnight PST.  I will draw a winner at random via the comments and contact them directly on Monday July 28th.

{loft bedroom before & after}

In addition to our outdoor deck (which I'll be sharing next week!), we were able to finish the bedroom area of our loft pretty quickly- I mean there is nothing like sleeping on an air mattress for a week and a half to motivate you right?!?  Our old loft actually had walls around the bedroom area, this time around we are in a true loft situation with the bedroom being located just on the other side of the kitchen separated by a partition wall.

Not much has changed in this room since our Chicago bedroom, we had to lose the slatted bench for space reasons and we brought in the Beverly prints from TheAestate since this is the only wall they will fit on nicely.   The moroccan wedding blanket has found a home at the end of our bed and I love the bohemian vibe it adds to the otherwise glam-inspired decor.  The one problem area I haven't figured out in this room is what to put on the gray credenza (which used to be our bar) that is under our largest (and favorite!) piece of art.  I don't want to overload the piece with a bunch of stuff, but it definitely needs something, but I'm not in a big rush to figure it out since it's always nice to have a little project to work on.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for a special giveaway post with The Aestate!!

Sources to items that are still available for purchase (everything else is old or vintage) at the bottom of the post!

diy navy blue headboard
nightstands + overlays (diy here)
bedside lamps
moroccan wedding blanket
white quilted euro & boudoir shams
Beverly Palm prints
picture frames for large prints
floor mirror


Here's one more sneak peek "before" photo looking into the loft from another angle.  I can't wait to share the living room area which is almost done!!

{shopping for a pair of prints}

This past weekend, we worked on getting all the art up on to our walls (including the indecision I was having over the Slim Aarons prints here).  Even though some of our art doesn't have a space and will go into storage for the next couple years, we also need to purchase a few new pieces.  The biggest space I'm shopping for right now is behind our sofa.  We will be using this sofa table again and directly behind it is an eyesore in the form of a metal grate that covers an air conditioning unit.  I decided to cover it with two large layered frames and now have begun to shop for two prints or photographs that would work well next to each other.  Here's some pairings that are currently inspiring me:

1. Abstract Anthropometrie Print & Stephanie Vovas piece

2. Floral plotter print from Debbie Carlos & Peony No. 3240

3. Abstract Test Case Print & California Beach Photo

Which pair do you prefer?  Do you have a great resource for inexpensive but large art prints or photos?  

{vintage dining hutch turned bar}

In our past places we have used our painted credenza as our bar area - see it in our Chicago place here and our old DTLA loft here.  In our new place, I had my heart set on getting a bart cart to switch things up a little bit.  After checking out a few options online and in person it became clear to me that we have way too much liquor and bar accessories for a tiny bar cart.  I started searching around on Craigslist for other options and happened upon a total gem of everything mid-century called Sunbeam Vintage.  Located on a little downtown street in Highland park, Sunbeam vintage has an adorable storefront as well as a big warehouse around the corner filled with tons of goodies at great prices (if you follow them on Instagram you can check out new pieces as they come in!).  

In their warehouse, I discovered this vintage dining hutch that was severely on sale and decided it would be the perfect size for a bar.  I thought we might want to paint it or add some interesting molding or maybe even a wallpaper backing, but after getting it home and placing all our bar items in it I decided I like it plain and simple.  We may add some brass door pulls to the two doors at the bottom, but for now I'm going to keep it as is.  It feels so good to start completely areas of our new place and I can't wait to share more of it in the following weeks!

 {Z Gallerie Oxford Bowl & vintage flamingo print}

 {a selection of our bar books:  PDT, Old Mr Boston's, The Bar Book.  See more of my favorite cocktail books right here}

{Tiffany cut crystal decanter & vintage cylinder decanter both with vintage liquor labels} 

{custom monogrammed old fashioned glasses we received for Christmas}

{bathroom rug shopping}

Let's be real for a second....I'm typing this from an air mattress that we have been sleeping on in our empty loft for the past week or so.  Our moving truck was supposed to arrive somewhere between July 1st to the 5th and that clearly did not happen.  It is now slated to arrive this afternoon...thank. god.   In the meantime we have been putting together our rooftop deck which is pretty much done at this point (I'm not going to lie to you, I'm obsessed with it and it just might be the best work we have ever done- I cannot wait to share!).  I have also spent some significant time sitting on said deck researching odds and ends for our place on the internet (shopping on the internet might be one of my top three skills in life.)

Currently one thing I am trying to hunt down is a runner sized rug for our bathroom.  Our Chicago place and previous DTLA loft had reaaaaally tiny bathrooms.  Bathrooms so small that even regular bathroom rugs were a stretch in those spaces.  So while our new place's bathroom isn't that huge, it feels luxuriously large to me in comparison to our past spaces.  Since we aren't planning to get too crazy with this bathroom (such as painting it black/gold), I definitely want to bring in some color or interest with this rug.  I also do not want to get a traditional "bathroom" rug, but instead find a flatweave rug that will be able to hold up in a bathroom.  The space is sized perfectly to house a runner-sized rug so here are some options I'm currently exploring:

1. Rugs USA Savanna Lattice: I love this one a lot and the price is great, but I fear it's 

too similar to all our other lattice style rugs.

2. Crate & Barrel Diamond Harbor: The small pattern of this rug would be perfect for a 

high traffic area, but is it too boring?

3. IKEA Valby Ruta: I'm not sure why I think it would be kind of amazing to have this rug that feels like it belongs in a cigar room or old library, but something about it just seems kind of interesting if it was placed in the bathroom.  

4. Crate & Barrel's Dyna Grey  This one is a pretty solid option - especially the price, but I'm concerned an "outdoor" weave rug will be too rough on bare feet. 

5. Vintage Kilim Style I'm kicking myself for not buying 45 more dugs just like this one while we were in Morocco because they are about 12 times as expensive to buy them here, but I love the bright colors of this kilim rug from Ebay. 

{entryway table options}

Besides fully furnishing our outdoor patio, one of the other areas in our new place that will need some attention is a small entryway directly inside the front door.  This spot is about 4 feet wide and would be perfect for a simple console table table and a few accessories.  Here are three entryway table combinations I'm considering (products links at the bottom of the post!):

At this point I'm leaning towards #1 or #2, both would fit in well with our current design.  #1 is a bit more modern with the acrylic table, but I love the vintage parisian feel that the glam mirror brings in plus we already own that lamp!  Option #2 is a great masculine piece that would break up some of our more feminine furniture and I'm obsessed with the artwork!  Since we haven't officially stepped inside our unit, I will be waiting to make a final decision until I see some our furniture set up with the artwork we already own up on the walls!

1. CB2 Peekaboo Table  |  Vintage Parisian Mirror  |  Target Lamp Base & Shade

2.  Ballard Designs Console Table  |  Water Artwork  |  High Street Market Lamp

3.  Macassar Brass Table  |  The Aestate Kelly Art Print  |  Jayson Home Lamp

{dining room lighting inspiration}

Lately I have been spending significant time scouring the internet for a new lighting option for above our dining room table.  We have used my DIY Bubble chandelier above the table for the past 4 years and while I still absolutely love it, it feels like its time for a change (but don't worry it will hopefully find a new home in our entryway!).  I really like the idea of doing a cluster of 3 to 5 pendant lamps grouped over the center of the table - I would especially love this one if I could find a more affordable version or a DIY option.  Here's a few others that have caught my eye as options recently (one or two are purely in the wishlist territory because of the cost, but I'm hoping to find a cheaper alternative):

1.  This Bosonic lightbulb grouping has a similar feel to our bubble chandelier, but with a decidedly more masculine feel to it.

2. I love the thick iron on this prism pendant and the price is approachable so we could potentially do 2 or 3 of these centered along the middle of the table.

3.  This simple sputnik chandelier is a total dream, but it's way out of my price range.  Although I have seen some promising DIY versions that I might be willing to try out. 

4.  Tom Dixon copper pendants in a group of 3 would be a beautiful pop of color paired with our glossy black table and crisp white chairs. 

5. I know this will never really be a viable option because Chris will veto it in less than 2 seconds, but how amazing would an over the top glamorous chandelier look inside an urban loft?!?!

6.  This full sputnik chandelier from Anthropologie would be perfect....if they mark it down by like 90%. 

7.  I like the easy industrial look of these caged pendants from Target and they come in two sizes which could be good for clustering together a big group of them.

8.  Big white globe lights in a grouping have a great mid century modern vibe and pretty much every website I have browsed sells some version of these.  I also particularly like the glass versions from West Elm. 

{glam style app: summer lovin' edition}

The new June edition of the Glam Style App is available for download on your iPad and this month I contributed an article about easy home decor swaps to get your place ready for summer!  You can check out all the products below and get the details on where to buy them in the app.  Of course I had to include our new Palm Leaf artwork because I'm generally obsessed with it and at $60 per print it is a great inexpensive way to bring some bright summer inspired art into your home!  Browse some previous contributions I have made to the Glam Style app here.

{details for these products in the glam style app!}