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4.17.2014

NESTY THINGS / LIVING + ENTRY


good morning! so. since getting back from portland in march, any time i've had a spare second to think i've been thinking about this apartment. after spending so much time at my mother's beautiful home, i walked in the door here and our place just kind of felt like a dorm. you know what i mean? i think too that i just needed something tangible i could work on where i could see immediate results. so, nest fluffing. sometimes it just feels so good, you know?

our place isn't perfect and these photos aren't anything fancy. this isn't some grand reveal. ;) more like an update on what will always be a work in progress. a house is an important family member just like any of us, and she's gotta grow with us, is what i always say. 


it's probably impossible in a small space to really nail the airy, space-y feeling, but that's just what i'm after. our place ins't enormous, though it kind of is, by nyc 1-bedroom standards. this corner of the living room was the worst offender it felt all unbalanced, like it was tipping over. so i moved the small dresser that used to be under the window into the bedroom, and replaced it with this bertoia replica. (i've wanted the real thing for just about forever, but i'm glad i went with a replica because it turns out i'm not as crazy about the bertoias as i thought i was?) i put the record player on the floor for lack of a better option. huck's favorite toys of the moment get to hang out in the basket, and the rest live in his bedroom. the sheepskins are both from ikea, the pillow is from fine little day. also, crayon jar! so, this is how this one is going to go. keep going! if you want!


i found the blue crate at the hell's kitchen flea market, isn't it great? it smelled like polyurethane for two solid months. holy lacquer! it used to hold huck's diapes + wipes. oh sob, my baby! (i buy used records almost exclusively, usually from a seller in grants pass, oregon. i found him on amazon, of all weird things. he has a killer disney collection.)


the black ikea bookshelf that used to be under the tv haaaad to go. it held our books (that we never read) in rainbow order, which i  really loved, but it was just too dark for the room. lulu & georgia happened to contact me just as i was wondering what on earth to do with it, and voila! this credenza. it was a life altering move. so much storage! gorgeous color! the legs! plus holes in the back for our dvd player. finally, charlie and lola are back on the rotation. i missed that soren lorenson. (the shelf is living in my closet now, holding onto mah shoes.) lulu & georgia is extending a special discount to hey natalie jean readers, just use the code NATALIEJEAN20 for 20% off your entire order. they literally carry everything, you'll have fun over there!

i switched the rugs again. sometimes i move the black one to the living room, sometimes to the dining room, this usually happens at 2AM. we got it at west elm but it seems like it's sold out. this one is sick though! (the rug in the dining room i found on eBay.) our drapes are from ikea. the "home sweet home" poster i made myself! just a map, some stencils and white paint. 


i'm trying my hand at becoming a crazy plant lady. so far nothing's fully dead, just a few are mostly dead... we've been ordering our plants online from home depot. it's a little weird when they show up in a box on your doorstep, but i dig it. 


thrift store in idaho. his name is bambi. it's not a terribly creative name.


the living area of our living room. so... how many sheepskins is too many sheepskins? i got the one on the floor on eBay. other than that, i think changing out our throw pillows is the only change in this part of the room. the white pillow is moroccan, from accompany, the red is vintage turkish, from etsy. so multicultural! our couch is from macy's, i get asked that one a lot. it's a great couch, good for sleeping on, so says my mom, it's completely filthy but hides it well. the two baskets are serena & lily and amazon. i have a lot of baskets. i use every stinking one and catch myself thinking like maybe i could need another (i don't need another, holy crap.) the WWII era flag i scored on eBay. it turned into a bidding war last minute and you know how you get roped into those things, so i probably paid too much for it. but i like her! she's not as yellow as she looks in these photos, we just have a hot light situation in the hallway to the right. 


a peek at the entry way and the "north" side of our living room. 



the turkish pillows is another etsy find, the black and white is from fine little daymarket basket is from amazon, the chair is an ikea special, and the ottoman is a recent find from target. it's pretty good for target, huh.


i knit that gray throw using oversized yarn from loopy mango. it was so fun, i sort of want to take it apart and start again. (p.s. that alexa chung book isn't just pretty, it's also pretty funny.) (derp derp.)


this bench, also from lulu & georgia, has made the greatest impact in the space for me. i wanted the room to feel airy, bright, and open, and this bench just seemed to open everything up. i get a lot of compliments on those instagram prints. they're on wood, i believe they were from insta this. we found the flag at the brooklyn flea market when i was pregnant with huck. it's a nautical flag named charlie (no, really) that you'd fly to communicate "affirmative" or "change in course." i found that eagle on top at the flea the same day we found the flag, it's plastic. ;)


the full entry! taduh. there used to always be a stroller parked there but then i realized our super was storing his stroller in the bike storage in the basement and a light bulb went off. it's not that big of a deal to elevator down to the basement for it, especially since we don't need it as consistently as we did back when huck was younger. i made that gold H myself, back in idaho. it's just a gold-leafed cardboard H i found at michael's. my horse dude is also an idaho thrifting score.

don't tell me i have too many baskets i don't want to hear it. ;)

this is what our living room looks like most days:


huck.... the wheels on the bus... (most amazingly weird cartoon ever, and only three episodes, so sad.) the gold side table is from target but i can't find it anymore--this one is similar.


huck's pretty much the cutest thing in here, huh.

thanks for letting me share! i'm hoping to share more of our space over the coming weeks. and thank you to lulu & georgia for the generous gifts!

37 comments:

  1. I think you're doing "airy, space-y" pretty darn well. But that backpacked-kid is definitely my favorite detail in the joint. (xo!)

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  2. I love it! Sometimes our homes just need a little TLC and updating. We all go through it. It does wonders for our spirit...It looks great!

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  3. Omg, my son went a good couple months where all he wanted to watch was Wheels on the Bus. Ha. It was kinda the worst. Love your place. You definitely accomplished light and airy!!

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  4. love your apartment! even though i live by a home depot, i kind of want to order myself some plants..i mean, online shopping...for plants!! raddest thing. x

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  5. Natalie, this looks great! Your nesting puts me the mood to redecorate our place. ;)

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  6. i love it! so many textures and so cozy! seriously anything that happens at 2am is a great idea!

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  7. Love the credenza update, it really lightened the space! I've also been itching to update!

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  8. That's so beautiful! Love the guitars and the flags!

    Happy Easter to everybody and love from Europe,

    Bambi and Birdy

    http://lasagnolove.blogspot.de/

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  9. such great style!

    and question. are your wooden insta prints 8 x 8? 10 x 10? thanks!

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  10. that target ottoman is so ridic right? target has been straight up nailing lately.

    http://semiweeklyeats.blogspot.com/2014/04/atticus-outfit-4.html

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  11. I absolutely love your apartment, it is so comfortable and bright :)
    Michelaxx
    pursuingadreamcalledlife.blogspot.com

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  12. I love that I'm finally seeing a room makeover that wasn't sponsored by the Land of Nod. I know, I'm being snarky, but fo' reals. It's encouraging to see so much Target and Ikea, because it makes me feel like redoing my living room the way I've been envisioning it is actually an attainable goal!

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  14. your home is so lovely! perfect place to relax xo

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  15. Beautiful! I think you've aced the "airy and light" feeling you were going for :)

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  16. We live in a 1000 sqft condo in california and I TOTALLY feel you on sometimes feeling like you live in a dorm. Loving the update. Can't wait to see it all finished. Love that credenza!

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  17. Can I move in? Haha jk but I seriously looooooove your decor! It is exactly my style. :)

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  18. there is nothing I love more than a good apartment sneak peek. ooooooh la la! your place!

    isn't it amazing what moving some of your furniture does? it's like getting a whole new room every time! your entry way might be my favorite part. those magnets are awesome.

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  19. Love this! You have a wonderful eye. Do you know when the Lulu and Georgia coupon code is set to expire? I have such a crush on one of their rugs but I'm not moving for a few months and want to get the right size. If it expires soon I'll just wing it, but if it lasts all year or something I'd love it wait. Please let me know!

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  20. you have a perfectly cozy home and i absolutely adore your decorations.love your room so much..no,you don't have too much baskets.

    xo josephine
    www.joselovincolors.com

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  21. You always have the best style. I'm glad you seem to be getting back to blogging; you can always perk me up with your words. Lately I've been feeling a little down since people seem to keep asking me when I am going to wean my son and it makes me want to punch them. Just oversharing since you are my nursing muse. I was thinking about that yesterday and I looked up your post about weaning Huck and then I said some prayers for you in my heart because you are just wonderful being and mother. You deserve all the babies that you could possibly enjoy and more. I hope your book also has great success. Just commenting a good long one full of randomness since I haven't commented in a while, apparently. Anyway... I'm glad you still keep up with this blogging thing when you get a chance.

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    Replies
    1. As a long time mo whith middle school kids...you nurse that child as long as you want to nurse that child and the child wants to nurse. You will know when the time is right. Listen to you mama instinct. Great job, mama.

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    2. Thanks for your kind words :) He's only 10 months old so I don't even know why I'm getting all the comments! I started going to la leche league a few months ago so I won't feel like I am the crazy one.

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  22. I love everything about it! -Hanna Lei

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  23. Your place is absolutely lovely

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  24. i love your place! You've done a really great job at decorating and making the space feel airy (yes yes!)

    Valentina
    Valentina Duracinsky Blog
    -- Facebook Page

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  25. Your space is really great. Thanks for sharing and giving me some good inspiration for my own tiny, Seattle one bedroom (400sq feet).

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