Remember when I said I was having trouble finding large glass lamps, so I resorted to my DIY glass bottle lamp? Well, HomeGoods surprised me recently and had tons of pretty and large lamps, including these lovely glass lamps I put on my console cabinet! YAY! (Similar Lamp Source, and more options HERE) They aren’t as huge […] More

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Today I wanted to answer a great remodeling question a reader asked me last week!
* Reader Question: What is your favorite design book for getting ideas for a remodel?
I carefully study a variety of design books to find ideas for our remodel. Today I’ll show you a few of my favorites and how I used them to make decisions for my home!

1. Not So Big Remodeling
On this first one I’ll give you a disclaimer, I don’t look at it for design photos as much as I like to read the tips. I have several of her books (she’s an architect) and they are helpful for thinking through what she calls the not-so-big house concept. She covers ways to make a home more livable and inviting as well as adding character without necessarily making it larger. This one is specifically about remodeling.

2. Timeless
This book is a long time favorite. It was well worth the investment for me as I often pour over the photos to pick out details that I love as well as read the text. It often gives me more confidence in choosing what I like, or will spark a new idea or confirm an idea. The homes in this book are so beautiful, they have really amazing architecture! They are also huge compared to my small home haha. Even so, I still feel so inspired by the design elements that I enjoy looking at them for classic ideas that I could incorporate them into my own home.

The author is Patrick Ahearn, I really respect his sensibilities and expertise as an architect.
Another thing I love about studying books is that it is an education! They can help you become discerning so you incorporate good design sensibilities and concepts into your own work or projects at home.

3. A Pattern Language
Speaking of books as an education, this book is totally different from most design books as it has no photos! It has some drawings and sketches and a lot of words. It’s a classic book, it’s been around for a long time! I find it so interesting to read, although in full disclosure I really have to concentrate to understand some of it. 🙂 But that’s a good thing as it stretches my mind!
If you like to consider why certain architectural choices or spaces in a home work, or why some feel right and some don’t, this one might spark your interest! The concepts he shares give you a lot to think about. Reading his ideas help make sense for why I’m drawn to certain homes and spaces and why others just don’t speak to me in the same way.
It also talks about communities and neighborhoods but I particularly enjoy the parts on homes. If you are like to study, or are remodeling, or building a new home, I recommend this one! For some reason it’s expensive on Amazon but maybe you can find it at a library or used!

4. The Great American House
This is a neat one for your coffee table! I think I might get more inspired looking at architecture books than decorating books when I’m remodeling. I just love looking at all the details in classic homes, from woodwork and ceilings to plumbing and floors.

5. A Place to Call Home
Of course, I can’t leave out this one. It is one of my all time faves. Gil Schafer is the architect and author of the previous book and this one. All of the homes/rooms featured aren’t my style, but I drool over so many of them that it’s always a joy to look through.

Do you like studying design books for inspiration? Hope you enjoyed a peek at a few of my favorites!
See more home and garden inspiration books I love HERE. More

New England Home
I love most styles of homes but my heart is drawn to the architecture in a Cape Cod style home. It’s fun to analyze photos of rooms, by paying special attention to design elements I love. It helps me to think more creatively about my own home.
As I study a photo, I always ask myself questions about what I’m drawn to, such as how I could incorporate that architectural detail? What are the colors are represented in that space and would they be pretty in my own? Even if you’re on a tight budget or your home is a different style, there are often ideas you can take away from any home you love. If not, the best the take away tip is that it might be best to just appreciate or admire the look from afar or save it for the future!
I was scrolling through the photos of this lovely Cape Cod style house from New England Home and thought I’d share some of my take away tips with you! Enjoy the house below, then you’ll see my tips at the end of this post.

Here are 5 Take Away Tips from this Charming Cape Cod Home:
Add character with architecture
Box beam ceilings, wood wall paneling, and substantial molding and trim add a sense of history, warmth and character. Open shelving in the kitchen and living room provide a more laid back, casual feel and allow display space for personal collections such as books, mementoes, accessories and personal touches.
Create a cohesive color palette
This home used a cohesive color palette both inside and out, keeping the look simple and classic with white wall backdrop with neutrals, blues, and warm accents.
Incorporate many types of textures for a warm and cozy feel
Incorporating many different types of textures throughout is what creates a warm and cozy atmosphere. If you were to take away these textures, the feeling in the space would be more cold or sterile. Notice the warm wood floors, woven baskets, cozy throw blankets, woven mirror, fabric roman shades, rattan, glass hurricanes, warm metal lighting, warm woven chairs in the kitchen.
(See my post on texture: The Secret Ingredient Every Home Needs)
Mix patterns
Mixing patterns is a fun way to add unique personality to your home! You can use a combination of patterns in a cohesive color palette (try two colors!) for a more restrained look. I love the mix of larger scale geometrics, small scale pattern, subtle stripes, and solids in this home.
(See my blog post on pattern: The Best Secrets for How to Mix Patterns in Your Home)
Use wall lighting for ambience
Sconces make rooms feel extra cozy and charming! They spread light around the room, making a whole space feel warmer and more inviting. This home utilized wall sconces by the fireplace, and by the built-in bench in the dining area. I’m sure it looks so cozy at night!
(See my blog posts on lighting: Adding Character with Wall Sconces, and The Light-Changing Magic of Rechargeable Bulbs for Sconces + Lamps, and Charming Inexpensive Decorating: Non-Electric Wall Lights with Battery Candles)

More Take Away Tip Posts on The Inspired Room:
6 Take Away Tips from a Beautiful New England Home
5 Take Away Tips from a Charming Home on Martha’s Vineyard
A Memorable Kitchen: 4 Take Away Tips
17 Take Away Tips from an HGTV Dream Home
5 Budget Friendly Take Away Design Tips
3 Take Away Tips: Make Home Your Coziest Place to Be More

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Sources: Similar Ottoman // Blue Glass Lamp // Rattan Daybed // Rug // Plaid Pillow // Similar Turquoise Animal Otomi Pillow
Today let’s talk about 5 Stylish and Practical Reasons To Have Ottomans in Your Home!
Ottomans are Versatile
I love using my ottomans in my home because they are so versatile. An ottoman is used as place to put your feet up, an extra seat, and they are handy in place of a coffee table, too!
We have had a leather ottoman in our home for over twenty years (and have moved it with us to five of our homes now!). I’ve used my teal ottoman in so many types of rooms and several homes as well, it always seems to work somewhere! Right now it’s in our upstairs room we use for guests and my office. Everyone loves it. We can pull it up to the daybed or sofa for the ultimate comfort while relaxing or watching TV, or use a tray on it for serving snacks!
Sources: Similar Leather Ottoman // Wall Candle Sconces // Battery Taper Candles
Ottomans are Classic Furniture Pieces
You may wonder if certain styles of ottomans are in style. If you choose an unusual shape or certain trendy fabrics they can feel dated, so I’d stick to classic shapes and fabrics. Leather (or faux leather) and tufted ottomans are both classic home furnishing staples. They don’t really go out of style!
I think the addition of tufting on an ottoman adds a little more sophistication and flair to a room, but they don’t have to feel fussy or too formal. I certainly use them in casual rooms. That’s what I love about classic pieces, they are a good investment if you want a style that can endure for decades and beyond.

Ottomans Add Softness to the Room
Ottomans come in lots of pretty fabrics and textures. Those fabrics and the padding will add softness that will enhance the coziness of a room. One wonderful thing about ottomans is that they comfy for your legs and feet (and won’t hurt if you or your littles run into them!). The softness of an ottoman means they can easily double as seating, much like a bench but without the discomfort of a hard surface. I also love to tuck small ottomans around a room, too, for these reasons!

Ottomans are Simple to Use as a Coffee Table
Tufting tends to give them a slightly more firm surface than some ottoman styles, but with any ottoman you will still want to have a tray or solid surface you can use on top. That way they are also functional as a coffee table for decor, or serving food or drinks. Of course, there is a risk of spilling on the ottoman if you use them as a coffee table, so take that into consideration.
Some fabrics will easily wipe off or repel spills, but a large tray (perhaps try a tray with sides!) will also help minimize that risk. Like I said, I’ve had my ottomans for a very long time with kids of all ages (my youngest was a year old when we got our leather ottoman!). We’ve also had many dogs (and one who especially loves the ottoman!) and these ottomans have held up well to daily use.

Ottomans can be fun to style, too!
If you’re hesitant to try an ottoman in place of a coffee table because you feel it would limited your decor options, I don’t think that has to be a deterrent. You can use blankets, trays, baskets, books and other decor elements to style them for every season. I’ll show some simple ways to style ottomans for fall in an upcoming post (so stay tuned for that along with my simple decorating formula!).
Related Post:10 Tufted Ottomans You Could Use in Place of a Coffee Table!
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A small lamp for a bookshelf or countertop can add light to a dreary spot. This mini opal glass lamp is a perfect size and solution for a small space. And it’s so pretty, too. Get this color changing dimmable lightbulb for it and you’ll thank me later!
Hello, friends…it’s Courtney here today! I have been slowly but surely getting settled into my new apartment (with my now *husband*)! You may have seen peeks of our July wedding on my Instagram and my mom’s–once we receive the rest of our professional photos I have lots to share here about the wedding day and planning advice. But for today, I’m here to share a great decor find that I hope will help you too!

Are you looking for a small lamp for a bookshelf or countertop?
We were on the hunt for a mini lamp for our living room bookshelf. It was a dark and dreary corner that needed some warm lighting in the evenings, but it was surprisingly difficult to find a lamp short enough that it could fit on the shelf without crowding the top.
I finally found this mini opal glass lamp that was the perfect size (only 10 inches tall).
The lamp just arrived today and I loved it so much, I had to show it to you! It’s the prettiest mouth blown glass that looks almost like milk glass. It’s a really solid quality lamp. If you have a little spot in your home that could benefit from a small lamp, I highly recommend trying this one.
Mini opal glass lamp
I had found other mini lamps online that were on the shorter side, but most still would have been too tall once a lampshade was added. I almost gave up in my search until I found a perfect small lamp for a bookshelf or countertop!
You might have seen we have this very similar mini glass lamp (it’s only 8.26 inches tall if you need one even shorter!). We love it but we’re using that one on another bookshelf in the apartment, so I was thrilled to find something similar. You can see that lamp and even more mini lamps and accent lamps in this post.
Color Changing Dimmable LED Light Bulb
Try a Color Changing Lightbulb
Here’s a tip for this lamp that is extra fun! First let me say that I LOVE how it looks when it’s switched off. Such a pretty milk glass look, like a little work of art on the shelf.. But I put in this fun color changing dimmable lightbulb that you can use with a remote so that I can control the brightness and warmth of the light (instead of having it be too cool toned since the shade is white).
You can also use that lightbulb to make the shade appear as a different color, which also adds a pretty glow to the space. I’ll show you a few photos of it in action!
Color Changing Dimmable Lightbulb with Remote
Color Changing Dimmable Lightbulb with Remote

I mean, is that not the neatest thing? There are even settings for the lightbulb like ‘strobe’ or ‘smooth’ that change between colors automatically if you want something extra fun!
Mini Glass Lamp
The shade for the glass lamp is so pretty in white, but it’s really fun to switch the colors to suit your decor or mood at night. I usually set mine to the yellow color–I love the warm orangey glow it gives off.
Mini opal glass lamp
Mini opal glass lamp
Mini opal glass lamp

I love how well the lamp coordinates with my hand blown glass diffuser on the top shelf, too. An unplanned but happy accident!
Mini opal glass lamp
Hopefully that helps if you too could use a little lamp for your home! 🙂
Want more tips for how to decorate small spaces?
We LOVE sharing ideas for small spaces here on The Inspired Room. You don’t have to have a large home to make it stylish and comfortable. Find lots of inspiration for small homes here.
You can find more of my favorite decorating sources here, and I’ve linked a few of my apartment tours below if you need some inspiration for your rental or small space!
More Small Space Posts and Tours:
5 Clever Ways to Make a Small Space Cozy and Inviting (+ my live video replay sharing tips from my apartment!)
Tour My 500 Square Foot One Bedroom Apartment
Tour My Seattle Studio Apartment
Tour My Basement Apartment
Tour My Tiny Bedroom Tour
Small Apartment Bedroom
Small Space Storage Tips

You can also follow me on Instagram here (@courtneylane1). I love sharing my apartment, life, pretty walks in my neighborhood by the water, details of our wedding, behind the scenes of working with The Inspired Room and more! More