My grandparents had a bar located in the basement of their home. I’m not talking about a bar cart nor am I referring to a small wet bar tucked away in the corner of the dining room. This was a fully stocked bar in the family room. There wasn’t a liquor or liqueur they didn’t have. In addition to the alcohol, it had a fridge, a sink, an ice machine and seating for six. Plus, plenty of standing room. I remember it was the gathering place for many pre-holiday drinks. The kids (me, being one of those kids!) enjoyed the bar as much as the adults but not for the beverages – we loved to play games around the bar. So many happy memories associated with the home bar and yet I’ve never thought of incorporating one into our home. Which is surprising because on the one hand, we like to entertain, but on the other hand it isn’t. That’s because unlike previous generations, we aren’t in the habit of mixing a drink at the end of every day. Most nights it’s a glass of wine or two with dinner and that’s it. That being said, the idea of a home bar still holds some allure for me especially after I came across the space.

So many bright and shiny objects mixed with clean, minimalist lines gives this bar glamorous style with a distinctly modern appeal.

No doubt Beth Keim, owner, principle designer of Lucy and Company, had Hollywood Regency in mind when she designed this space.

Hollywood Regency – also known as Hollywood Glam or Regency Moderne – is a design trend based on the opulent glitz and glamour of Hollywood’s classic golden age of film in the 1930s. It is typically characterized by the bold use of color and patterns.

Many of Keim’s choices are a subtle nod to the look, with a modern interpretation.

She used a neutral color scheme but also introduced subtle patterns and textures into this space, making it anything but monochromatic. The wallpaper is a fun update to the palm frond print synonymous with Hollywood Regency thanks to Dororthy Draper, while still inspiring the feeling of luxury, relaxation, and getting away from it all.

Everything about this space, from the light-and-dark color scheme, the patterns, the glass, the chandelier, the metallic accents to the ornate touches, symbolize everything about Hollywood Glam. It’s not hard to imagine this opulent bar as the setting for the happiest hour of the week with friends and family!

So much glamour and tons of inspiration in one spot! Does this inspire you to put a bar in your home?

If so, I’ve rounded up a few bar tools you may need to get you started.

1.Shaker 2. Wine Opener 3. Bar Tool Set 4. Marble Cutting Board 5. Champagne Bucket 6. Zigger + Liquor Pourer 7. Citrus Press 8. Pairing Knife

Images: Photographer, Mekenzie Loli for Lucy and Company

I think I might be a little behind the curve on this one, but are arches having a moment?

They seem to be everywhere — doorways, windows, niches, cabinets, mirrors, ceilings and fireplaces — just to name a few.

As a design enthusiast inspired by clean lines I haven’t been a big fan of arches in the home. The mere mention of arches and my mind goes to a dark place. To be clear, I’m not talking about the spectacular religious or civic buildings throughout the world. And I do understand that arches have been used for centuries to give structural support and strength to the architecture of a building.

No, I’m referring to the arches that appeared in doorways and windows in those cookie-cutter suburban homes built in the 90’s. Whether it was an arched doorway, window or both, they somehow made a room feel darker and smaller.

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But today, arches are much cleaner and softer and they are being used in a more subtle way to give a home more architectural interest without going over the top.

Here a 10 Instaworthy interior arches: 

WOW – there is no denying when arches are thoughtfully placed and simply done the outcome is beautiful and modern. So, I’m finding myself drawn more and more to them.

If you’re interested in adding an arch or two to your home but aren’t renovating anytime in the near future, here are a few home decor items you may wish to consider.

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This may sound kind of funny, but our youngest just forced our hand in getting ready for a new season. At the ripe old age of 6 3/4, he’s determined that he is no longer interested in building and playing with Legos. So, we made the most of a free weekend and started to purge and organize his bedroom.

It’s a little sad to realize that at just shy of seven he’s decided he’s over Legos. For the past three years he was obsessed with them and it was building all day, every day. Which, believe me, I totally get. I myself played with Legos until I was at least 10, or maybe it was 11. Either way, I would build, dismantle and rebuild cool houses for hours. We only had one box of Legos when I was a kid. Nothing like the sets that are available today and that we own now. Yes, I’m pretty sure we own almost every Lego set created. As you can imagine, there were bins full of Legos and bricks scattered throughout his room.

But outgrowing Legos at 6 3/4? Another sign that time is flying by and he’s growing up so fast. On a positive note, it means we will no longer step on Lego pieces in the middle of the night!

It’s amazing how much bigger his bedroom feels now that the Legos and Lego table are gone.

Now that there is a little more space available, we’d like to create a cozy and welcoming reading nook to help encourage reading.

Here are a few spaces that I’m drawing inspiration from.

Drawing from the above images there are 5 essential items needed to create a cozy reading nook:

• • Allocated space – small or large whatever you have to work with
  • Seating – a chair or daybed
  • Pillows
  • Light – natural or artificial, or more specific task lighting
  • Cozy blanket – ok, this might be something I need to help encourage me to read more!

We have two potential spaces in his room that could easily be transformed into a book nook.

The first space is next to the bookshelf. We would only need to add a few items to make the space complete. The other option is the space under his loft bed. This would require more of an investment as I would want to add in a bench, cushion, pillows and task lighting.

Yeah, I would love to go all in and create a cozy space under the loft but that doesn’t make sense for a couple of reason. First and foremost, my son already has plans for under his loft bed – desk and a computer for Minecraft. Secondly, I know at the rate this kiddo is growing we’ll need to buy him a new bed by the time he turns ten.

So, it looks like we are going to go with the less expensive option. Here are a few items I’m looking to add to the space to complete it.

While there isn’t a lot to do to create this space, it will probably take me a few weeks to order everything and get it in working order. In the mean time, I’ve put links below should you want to shop this post!

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