Apartment Inspiration: Turkey Travels

I told you a while ago that I would love to go to Turkey, and more specifically, on a hot-air balloon ride in Cappadocia. Well, I did it, and this is one of the reasons of my long absence on the blog. Last May, I got hitched in Greece! This involved a lot of planning which didn't leave a lot of free time to blog. But here I am, back on my keyboard!
 The last few months have been packed with changes and adventures: I went to Greece, got married, honeymooned in Turkey and moved to Denver. I got lucky: I quickly found a new job (I interviewed for it over the phone while in Greece!). So I started working even though we were not fully settled in our new place. As I am slowly decorating our apartment, I realize how my trip to Turkey inspired me. But how can you not become obsessed with carpets when you enter a room like this?

We finally purchased this beautiful Turkish carpet (below) that was shipped to us in the US (or maybe flew by itself? It occured to me that it was a perfect size for a flying carpet).

 Now that I'm back, I wish I had bought so much more! I want to cover everything with Turkish carpets/blankets/pillows. During my stay, I learned quite a few things about rugs. There are two main types: kilim and carpets.

Kilim are woven in a flat way that makes no pile. They are usually reversible and are much more flexible than carpets. They usually have bigger patterns and bright colors (they almost look southwestern):

Source: persiancarpetguide.com

Carpets, on the other hand, are much less flexible. They are a good choice if your home has floors because they tend to slip or fold less when you walk or move objects. They also usually have more intricate and detailed designs, are not reversible and have low to medium pile. 

Source: oldcarpet.org

Turkish (or Persian) rugs are my favorite way of adding some color to an otherwise neutral apartment. I am obsessed! And I also just discovered that Ikea has a wide range of Turkish rugs (yep, really hand-made in Turkey) at reasonable prices (you have to go in store).

My apartment is completely white with cream carpets, so I had to rely on area rugs for a pop of color. Here is what inspired me:

All Carpet Everything

Source: Found on Pinterest

This makes me want to lounge all day. I wouldn't even mind rainy days! These seem to be layers and layers of kilims.

 

Source: Elle Decor

This mix of vintage, modern, classic and ethnic makes me swoon. I want this apartment. In Paris, too, if possible!

 

Source: Apple of my Eye

This is such a coincidence. I have the exact same couch! In fact, my living room looks a lot like this now!
I liked how they paired the modern and flower cushions with the carpet. Strangely, it works! The white couch and walls really make the room a blank canvas that allows the carpet to fully express itself. I really think investing in that type of rug is worth it: they last forever (really, I saw some 250+-year-old carpets that looked great in Turkey!) and they can be the only element of decor in a room: they have enough impact!

What do you think of Persian or Turkish carpets/kilims? Are they worth the investment? Would you shop online or at home or would you travel to buy that kind of product?

Snow White

Over the last few years, I had a few of my friends tell me their landlords would not let them paint their walls. It seems like it is especially true in big cities like Montreal or Boston. When I first heard about that, I thought that this was the most horrible rule possibly made on earth. I love bright colors, and I could not imagine myself being happy in an all-white apartment. All I could think of was me being depressed in my white apartment in the dead of winter. But lately, I have been browsing the home decor category on Pinterest and I found myself surprisingly inspired by all-white apartments. Maybe it's me getting older and wanting to purify my lifestyle in general. I realized that it IS possible to be happy in a winter white apartment by following a few simple rules. By looking at hundreds of pictures, I created my own theory for the successful decoration of a white apartment. (Please don't follow all the rules at once. Choose with parcimony).

1- Make it look like it was planned. Like raising an "accidental" child (you don't want to make him think he wasn't wanted), you need to make your apartment look like it is how you have always imagined it. Clean or repaint the walls white again if the paint does not look fresh and choose your props accordingly. One way to make it look planned is to choose white furniture to match your walls. 

(jurnaldesigninterior.com)

2- Play it like it's 1953. The first color television show was broadcast in 1954. Why not make it completely black and white so it seems like you're stuck in Pleasantville. The black and white trend of last spring is not ready to leave and is expanding from the wardrobe to the whole home. 

 (found on pinterest)

3- Café-crème. You're a big Starbucks fan? You can now make your home look like a coffee, by adding chocolate accents in your cream white home. Coziness guaranteed. (I'm already picturing myself grabbing a book from that bookshelf and reading it on that comfy chocolate leather couch sipping on a latté bowl). 

 (thefancy.com)

4- Colorful prints. Not sure a bi-chromatic look is enough to cheer you up every day? Add colorful prints everywhere. Think of your apartment as a blank canvas and go wild. My advice would be to stay within on category of colors: bold, pastel or dark. Not all at once. (Love the bright vintage French prints. And I already own that dotted cushion, eek! Only 53 other things to buy to achieve that look!)

 (myscandinavianhome.blogspot.fr)

5- (White) Wine & Blue: Nautical-inspired decor is a classic that never goes out of style. Matching navy and white will never go wrong and there are so many options for prints: stripes (love of my life), chevrons, Aztec prints, dots... Dive in bed and float on...

 (minted.com)

6- Vintage style forever: This is my own personal taste, but I've always been in love with older apartments and vintage prints. This may not suit people with more modern tastes but I think elements from another era complement well wooden floors and wall cracks. Vintage frames and prints makes the whole "old apartment" thing look more legit.  

 (witanddelight.com)

My favorite accessories for a white flat are:

Colorful printed cushions:

 (elce stockholm)

Ethnic carpets

(esalerugs.com)

 Rough, natural wooden furniture. It goes so well with white walls and makes everything look pure and natural. 

(archilovers.com)

So what do you think? Could you stand not painting your walls in a single room of your place?