Be Inspired: I Heart Organizing

I have so much in store for you today.  I want to welcome you to a new series on Teal & Lime.  I find inspiration in all kinds of places, but I am mostly inspired by interiors both residential and commercial.  I wanted a more formal way to share some of the spaces I find inspiring.  In this new series, called Be Inspired, I will take you on a tour of amazing homes and spaces in the greater Twin Cities metro area.  A good friend is helping me kick off the series.

I heart Jen, of I Heart Organizing fame, so it was only fitting that I got to spend Valentine’s day hanging out with her and photographing her beautiful home.  Back in November when Jen did a Reader Raid on my house, she agreed to let me come raid her house and share it with my readers.

Jen’s home was everything I expected.  It was happy, colorful, welcoming, and of course, organized.  Jen gave me a tour of her place, then I went back through and snapped a bunch of pictures to share here.  Plus, read on to the end of the post for source information on some of my favorite things in the I Heart Organizing home.

When you walk into Jen’s house you are immediately greeted by the happiest living room.  The green walls are striking.  The main wall features a huge gallery of happy kid photos.  I love a good photo gallery, but now I am inspired to create a jumbo-sized one.

This corner caught my eye immediately.  That teal chair has my name all over it.  I may have paused on the tour to sit in it…what?!  It’s perfectly normal to wander around a friend’s home trying everything out like it’s a furniture showroom.

Let’s take a step back and look at Jen’s entry.  Her awesome organization skills are apparent the second you walk through the door.  You never even realize Jen’s house doesn’t have a formal foyer, because she created one.  An Ikea shoe cabinet with upgraded hardware serves as a space-saving entry table.  The starburst mirror is dazzling in person.

With three school age boys Jen definitely needed more entry storage than one shoe cabinet.  Jen came up with the most stylish backpack and kid stuff storage I have ever seen.  Using the Besta units from Ikea she created this gorgeous credenza.  The boys each have a personal cabinet to keep their boots, backpacks, and school books.  Jen’s super-organized entry with concealed storage inspires me to get my mudroom under control.  That shoe cabinet is on the top of my list.

The foyer area leads right into the dining room and kitchen.  The colors between the two spaces coordinate perfectly and draw you in.

Jen has made her eat-in-kitchen live like a formal, yet kid-friendly, dining room.

A traditional dining table and upholstered seating make the space feel like it’s own room, even thought the kitchen is only steps away.

Down the hall on the main floor are the boys bedrooms.  Jen’s oldest has his own room that she recently gave a mini makeover.  I love the dark orange striped curtains Jen DIYed for the space.  She’s inspired me to tackle a DIY curtain project for my son’s room.

The introduction of orange was inspired by the cool chevron pillow Jen found on Joss & Main.

My favorite part of the room was the study area tucked away in the closet.  Boys don’t really need a closet.  Jen took advantage of the space in the closet by turning it into a mini office complete with shelves, lighting, and a charging station for electronics.  My boys each have an unused closet.  Jen has inspired me to maximize that unused space for study or reading areas.

Jen has used this great trick elsewhere.  I found this closet office in her guest room.  Decidedly more feminine with the beautiful wallpaper backdrop, Jen uses this space as a writing desk and wrapping station.

Jen’s two younger boys share a room, and how lucky they are.  The room set up is perfection for two little boys.  A tall storage unit between the beds provides plenty of bedside storage, but also allowed Jen to mount two space-saving sconces for reading lights.

Jen upholstered the headboards herself.  I love how she mixed the graphic Ikat fabric with the bold striped walls.  With my youngest transitioning to a big boy bed, this room inspires me to make my son a DIY headboard.

With two twin beds in the room, there was no space for a dresser.  Jen made the most of the small closet to hold clothes for two boys.  I love the visual labels on the bins.  Removing the door was another space saving move.

The lower level of Jen’s home is just as stunning as the main floor.  Jen and her husband have taken full advantage of the square footage in their basement for extra living, working, and sleeping space.  The journey to the lower level begins with this gorgeous stairwell.  The white wainscoting and wood steps were a DIY project.

Around the corner from the stairwell is Jen’s studio.  The first thing you see is the great blue painted dresser and giant pin board.  This area is the perfect transition from the lower level family room space to the studio, since they are open to one another.  Jen’s work space doesn’t feel like an office, it feels like an extension of the living space.  I am in the trenches of my studio design project, so I found inspiration in ever single thing in Jen’s studio.  

I adore this giant pedestal bowl full of acrylic paints.  Jen has me inspired to store my craft supplies in plain sight.

On the wall opposite is Jen’s work center.  It is more than just a desk, it’s an entire storage space.  This is where the I Heart Organizing magic happens :)

Just off Jen’s studio is the laundry room.  Despite no natural light, this is one of the cheeriest rooms in the house.  I think the bold floral rug and sunny yellow drum shade have a lot to do with that.

Check out the wire basket hanging on the wall below…genius.  It is holding small bottles of stain remover and other laundry supplies.  Jen spray painted it blue to coordinate with other elements in the room.

The open storage is expertly organized with a variety of storage bins.  Jen inspires me to be flexible with storage containers…they don’t all have to match to look good together.

Around the other side of the stairwell is the playroom.  Oh, how I wanted to be a kid again!  The playroom stage is set with the amazing and whimsical birch wall stencil.  Jen’s playroom inspires me to go big or go home in the playroom I am creating for our boys.

Like every other space in Jen’s home this room is full of the small details that make it happy and welcoming.  This room also shows that Jen has a great eye for mixing patterns and fabrics.

Last, but certainly not least, on the tour was the Master Bedroom.  The master bedroom is the most relaxing room in the house.  As soon as you walk in the soothing blue walls put you at ease.  It feels like a beautiful, luxurious hotel room.

As pretty as the bed is, this happy corner below was my favorite.  The leaning photo from their wedding and the cozy chair just let you know this is a room full of love.

I want to move into Jen’s dressing room.  Jen is a pro at making windowless rooms bright and airy.  Instead of making this a traditional walk-in closet, they used wardrobes for clothes storage and made a luxe dressing room.  You can’t see it in the pic, but this room is large enough for a treadmill in the corner. I have a completely dis-functional and un-organized walk in closet. Jen has inspired me to transform my closet into a dressing room.  I hope it will turn out as lovely as hers.

No wonder Jen is so beautiful…she has this beauty to sit at and primp every morning!  The mirror is amazing, and I adore the clear chair.

Is it obvious that I love Jen’s home?  We both love a similar aesthetic, so it was super fun to see how it plays out in Jen’s home.  I walked away inspired!  The attention to detail in Jen’s home is most inspiring.  Beyond organizing every nook and cranny, Jen makes every square inch beautiful.

Most of the things I loved most about Jen’s home are intangible…the way a room feels, the colors she chose to pair together, the love and warmth. But, there were also a bunch of things in her home I fell in love with.  Below is a roundup of my favorite things from Jen’s home.  The complete source list is below along with a reminder of where you saw the item in Jen’s home.  Maybe you’ll be inspired to bring some I Heart Organizing style into your home :)

1. Hammond Bench – Child-friendly seating at the dining table.

2. Tobias Chair – Seating for the vanity in the dressing room.

3. Tivoli Model One Radio – On the storage credenza in the living room/entry.

4. Yellow Task Lamp – Accent lamp in Jen’s studio.

5. Knit Pouf – Extra seating in the playroom.

6. You Make Me Happy Print – In the art gallery in the playroom.

7. Big Garden Rug – Warming up the laundry room floor.

8. Carpet Tiles – Suit Yourself Linen tiles laid parquet-style to create a rug in the playroom.

9. Green Trellis Fabric –  Used to upholster the bench seating in the playroom.

10. Chipper Fabric in Twill Storm – On the upholstered headboards in the shared boys bedroom.

11. Striped Duvet – Bedding in the master bedroom.

12. Pacific Blue Elliot Chair – Accent chair in the living room.

13. Life is Beauty Full Pillow – Accent pillow in the master bedroom.

14. West Elm Hive Vase – The wide tall vase in teal.  Holding flowers on the storage credenza in the living room/entry.

15.  Swing Arm Lamp – Mounted on the wall in the closet study area.

16. French Wire Basket – Spray painted blue and holding stain remover in the laundry room.

17. Yellow Lamp Shade with Sliver Embossed Lining – Converted into a ceiling mount fixture in the laundry room.

18. Red Open Work Stool – Next to the buffet in the dining room.

Hanging out in Jen’s home was so comfortable and fun!  The bright spaces and cheery colors made me feel happy and energized.  Jen’s home definitely inspired me to be more playful with color in my home.  Jen loves a cool blue and green palette, but I love how she has introduced pops of red and yellow throughout.

See more of Jen’s gorgeous home on her home tour page, and check out all her DIY projects in her project gallery.

Tell me, what inspires you about Jen’s home?  What is your favorite part?  Anything from the source list you are dying to add to your home?