when blogger niki at my scandinavian home asked is she might share the pretty pics bonnie tsang took of my home over on her blog, i was naturally flattered. and then i started looking around and spied some pretty pics of her own that i wanted to share, so we did a bit of a swap this week! i fell in love with niki’s cute mid-century modern bar cart, and the clever way she’s styled it. a gift from her parents-in-law, she’s not utilizing it for cocktails, but nonetheless, it looks tres chic! and how about that metallic dreyfuss phone from graham & green? so cool! thanks for allowing me to share, niki!

• all photos courtesy of my scandinavian home.

the idea of pops of pink and white with a dab of black inspired this round up of rooms — all with lovely light and happy colorful hues. all very cheerful spots to hang out that exude a kind of eclectic charm, each in its own unique way. p.s. i’d like to get my hands on one of these amazing paintings!

lucite looks so great with pops of color in this fun workspace, via lonny; lovely pastel twist on a mid-century modern room, via elle decoration uk; love this dramatic dining room with all that pink and white in strong contrast to the black background.

pop of pink walls via home life; stylist pippa holt’s home on living inside, via automatism; raya carlisle photographs jaime morrison curtis’ patio makeover for babble; and i love this little bar cart from hannah’s room.

pretty, pretty office designed by Betsy Burnham, via lonny magazine.

• top photograph beautiful home from interior magasinet; via damask & dentelle.

i covet bar carts. i saw this amazing vintage bar cart on elle interiör, and haven’t been able to get it out of my mind. it may have originally been some kind of tacky restaurant serving cart, but now it’s been re-purposed into an industrial chic cart for serving up cocktails in style. just in time for holiday parties!

this bar cart via lonny is a pretty nice one, too. it’s nice to have a few mixers on hand when guests pop in, right. society social has a variety of excellent little bar carts, too. and tradewind tiaras teaches you tricks to make an edible cocktail garnishes. pretty, no? here’s to holiday cocktails! have you got any favorites?

so, now that i’ve gone and swapped all the rooms around, i find myself staring into an abyss of this giant blank wall in my dining room. it’s a large room, so i’ve gotten the notion that a little sitting area in the dining room might be nice. you know, when everyone’s too full to move, but doesn’t want to leave the party? they can collapse on a little settee and still join in the conversation. they may have to fight over it, because this one’s not large, but hey, we’re all friends, just squish!

i wanted something that wasn’t too big, and not too much like my other sofa, so i opted for this charcoal gray daydreamer settee from urban outfitters. i think because it’s almost more decorative, and not used everyday, it will work just fine, and was within my budget. plus, i’m gonna jazz it up with a few of these ideas.

i like the idea of hanging my chalkboard above it, to add some vintage, not-too-fancy contrast, and it’s a great spot to post my dinner party menus; i’ve also loved the idea of a plate collection, like this one i saw in lonny. the bar cart is quite a nice idea, too! and, that all still works within the context of a dining room. i really like this zigzag area rug from urban outfitters, too, but its discontinued, so i’m hoping it makes a comeback, or i find it elsewhere. any ideas? oh! nevermind – lookie here, jordan found one!

these are a few great plates to begin collecting for my wall display — clockwise from left to right: Antique Dunn Bennett & Co Beehive from bloomdar; Guinness Bicentenary 1759-1959 commemorative bowl from moderately modern; vintage pink & gray plate from daisy farm antiques; pink porcelain plate from forest daydream; yellow & white plaid Vintage Edwin Knowles Platter from blurred visionary; Vintage West German Bavarian Souvenir Plate from spanish moss; of course, a souvenir san francisco tray from planet trout; and center, a Midwinter Stylecraft Harmony Plate from wave song.

i quite like the idea of this vintage industrial clip lamp, attached to the chalkboard as a kind of spotlight. hmmm…and, naturally, i’m also going to need some end tables, especially with an armless settee, and i like this matching black & gold pair from tini vintage.

via lonny magazine.

i’ve often thought it would be very sophisticated of me (this is quite an oxymoron if you know me at all) to have a charming little cocktail bar cart, like the ones you might see in a stylish manhattan pied-à-terre. so, ah heck, i think i’m going to go for it in the new house. i plan on lots of little lifestyle changes, and being less hermit-like is one big change i’m adding to the list. lots of backyard dinner parties, and regular sunday suppers, complete with a cocktail hour. so, here’s some sweet little bar carts and set-ups that have inspired me.

via lonny magazine.

via kcweiss.

via lonny magazine.

via lonny magazine.

via kcweiss.

via kcweiss.