While it's easy to be inspired by designers + artists when it comes to home design, why not consider your own life too? We recently decided to do a wall gallery of pictures we had taken over the last few years - family, friends, adventures. As we scrolled through our online photo gallery online, we realized how often one color palette kept coming up and how we had subconsciously been shooting it and also incorporating it into our home design.

[Inspiration...favorite coffee shop in Encinitas, CA.] [Decor...painted stripes in our kitchen '06.] [Inspiration...flowers on the next block over.] [Decor...flowers and framed art in our home.] We clearly have a thing for orange-yellow. To be honest, we didn't really know that since we don't often seek out home decor in this palette but we seem to use this color combo quite a bit in our home design. Our inspiration actually comes from our own neighborhood and adventures. We enjoy snapping pics of nature + architecture + color around town. The building facades, sunsets and flowers in Southern California are interesting and vibrant. In turn, this color combo had made it's way into our home. We've realized that we've done a yellow-orange kitchen, often seem to buy yellow flowers and, most recently, have introduced yellow-orange pillows into our space. Take a look through your own photo albums and see how the colors you have snapped inspired decor decisions in your space. Check out 8 more color combos featured on Apartment Therapy:

• Color Combo: Turquoise and Yellow
• Color Combo: Black + White + Green
• Color Combo: Lilac, Red and White
• Color Combo: Beige, Vanilla, and yes, Chocolate
• Color Combo: Teal, White, and Navy
• Color Combo: Jewel Tones + Soft Grey
• Color Combo: Red, Saffron, Magenta & More...
• Color Combo: Milk Chocolate with Strawberry Pink

Going through today's listings of local Craigslist finds, we noticed a couple of pieces from some of our past house tours, including a 1960s Burke Saarinen Dinette Set from Gidget Gets a Sex Change and the stunning half circle couch from Polly & Ben's Sherman Oaks Shangri-La...

• West Elm - Garvey Dining Armchair (Natural) - Like New - $130 (Los Feliz)
• Vintage 1920's Cigar Case / Store Display - $900 (los angeles)
• Heywood Wakefield RARE Gate Leg Table and 4 Chairs - $1275 (LOS FELIZ)
• Tall teak dresser Eames era - $300 (Orange County will deliver to LA )
• 1960s Burke Saarinen Dinette Set Eames Mid Century Modern Original - $700 (Silverlake-Los Feliz)
• Danish Lounge Chairs - $200 (Westminster)
• Antique White Art Deco Waterfall Dresser with Mirror - $450 (Torrance)
• Hollywood Regency Chinese modern low chest/small credenza (Miracle Mile)
• LEM Piston Stool - $219 (Los Angeles)
• Half Circle Sofa • •• Immaculate!! (sherman oaks)

The Green Life opened last July as a smart design meets earth friendly boutique carrying all kinds of organic bedding, non toxic cleansers, and things for home and garden. This week they launched their online store along with free shipping on Amenity Home Duvet covers:

The Green Life Eco Store carries everything that the shop does plus you can keep up to date with their many sustainable events including The Green Living workshop starting next week. Pictured: Garden in a Pail, Mini Tomato Mrs. Meyers Surface Scrub Little Otsu Weekly Planner Bio Bag Dog Bags Trispa Low Flow Shower head Bambu Nesting Baskets Ecover Dishwashing tablets Recycled Plastic Measuring Cups The Laundress Signature Detergent Twist Natural Sponges See all Amenity Home Products here.

Name: Carrie Brown Location: Burbank, CA Size: 800 sf Years lived in: 4 Carrie, a graphic designer who lists furniture refurbishing as a hobby, sent in a detailed account of her modest sized 1964 Burbank apartment to share: The original family still owns the property, and they also live on the premises. They have maintained the majority of the stuff around here. The water heaters and outdoor lighting are solar powered. They replaced the wall air conditioners with energy efficient ones. The swimming pool is now a garden. Carrie is constantly redecorating, and searching for vintage pieces. Most of my finds are from Craigslist, flea markets, and a couple pieces I have found randomly driving down the street... >>>View Slideshow

>>>View Slideshow Other House Calls From the Archives:

• House Call: Rosa Muerta
• House Call: Buena Terra Way Residence
• House Call: Carter Residence
• House Call: Pasinetti House
• House Call: Julie and Yoffy's Art-Filled Space

For many of us, New Year's Eve is a time when we make plans to change what's not working in our lives. From losing weight to quitting smoking to our own personal demon, tardiness, we vow that this is the year things are going to be different. Here's how we'll use some core principles from AT to help us reach our goal; we've also included tips for reaching some other common goals -- losing weight, saving money and getting fit -- as well...

A Landing Strip and a Launch Pad: Although we've had a landing strip for ages, this year we'll make a concerted effort to use it more efficiently. We'll sort our mail here and deal with it immediately, including shredding the junk and putting the bills in one place to be paid (money saved by avoiding late fees). We'll also make a renewed effort to spend a few minutes at night prepping for the next day -- putting things on the landing strip that we need to take with us in the morning, figuring out what to wear and prepping breakfast -- so that even if we oversleep we can get out of the house quickly. Outbox: We're clearing out our clothes closet and getting rid of all of the stuff we never wear. With a streamlined closet of clothes we actually love and that look good on us, getting dressed in the morning will be that much faster and simpler. Cook at home: We're planning to cook at home more often and planning it so that the leftovers from tonight's dinner become tomorrow's lunch. Cooking fresh and healthy meals will also help us take off some of the weight that seems to have accumulated around our mid-section. With a great and satisfying lunch, we'll be less likely to snack come mid-afternoon. We'll also be saving money by bringing lunch in instead of ordering it out. At home, we've promised ourselves that our dinners will be eaten in the dining room instead of standing up in the kitchen or in front of the tv. Give more parties and have people over more often: This year we're making it a priority to see friends more often. In order to facilitate that, we'll have them over more frequently (and we won't be shy about asking them to pick up stuff). We'll save money by not eating out and since the festivities are taking place in our own home, we won't be late! Spend more time at home doing what we love: We've definitely spent more time at home since we cured it a few years ago. This year, we're going to cure it again (we definitely know that our pantry, our book collection and our files need some work) and tweak its arrangement and decor to support our changing goals. (For example, since we'd like to try to reach our fitness goal by exercising at home, we'll need to clear some space in our living room). Declutter: With a place for everything, we'll spend less time looking for stuff and be able to get out of the house faster in the morning. Since we'll know where everything is, we'll be less likely to purchase something we already own. What are some ways that the principles you've learned on AT have helped you meet some of your life goals? [image: Kelly's Modern Craftsman]

I live in a terrace house in Sydney, which is old and great, but has really small rooms. The bedroom is tiny, and we somehow managed to get a queen sized bed in there, but this leaves little room for bedside tables. We need somewhere to put our stuff like books, lamps, glasses of water, etc. rather than on the floor, which always ends badly (especially the glasses of water). I was hoping the brilliant minds of the AT community might have some ideas for headboards or side table-y things that might work in this situation?Thanks! Got a good question you'd like answered? Send your queries and a photo or two illustrating your question, and we'll see if the ATLA team or our readers can help you out.

Right now, we're looking at our blank bulletin board. It has one final step (a coat of white spray paint) before its ready to go back in our office. It used to be covered in fabric from IKEA (a busy pattern) but we wanted to go with simpler look for 2009. The previous bits of information on the bulletin board happened to be quite cluttered as well. Everything from inspirational tear-out pages from design magazines to a spare set of car keys were scattered about on our bulletin board. While we run a pretty organized ship, you might say our bulletin board was our unorganized guilty pleasure...

But for these past few weeks we've been staring at our empty bulletin board (during the spray painting process) and we really like the streamlined look. So we decided to seek out a way to organize our new bulletin board. What we found were Erin Doland's tips (from Unclutterer fame) on Real Simple's website. In no time, these 7 tips will have your bulletin board in tip top organized shape for 2009.

• Decide why you have a bulletin board. Do you have a bulletin board so that you can quickly reference materials you need to see on a regular basis? Do you have a bulletin board to provide you inspiration? Do you have a bulletin board to be a collection of information for one specific project so that you can track your progress? Do different areas of your bulletin board serve different purposes? Do you actually have a need for a bulletin board?
• Clear the clutter. Once you decide the purpose of your bulletin board (or purposes, if you plan to have different sections of your bulletin board serve different purposes), remove all papers and items that don't advance that purpose. Additionally, remove any outdated papers or items that may meet your purpose(s) but are no longer relevant. Also, be sure to remove any materials that contain private information that you wouldn't want a stranger to see. Recycle, shred, or properly store all materials you remove from the bulletin board.
• Completely clear your bulletin board. Now you need to pull everything else off the bulletin board so that you can see the board's full surface. Does the board need to be repaired or replaced? Would covering the surface with a solid color fabric improve the look of your bulletin board? Do you have enough (too many?) thumbtacks or magnets for your needs? Inspect your bulletin board and make sure that it is in its best possible condition for your continued use.
• Hang your items on your bulletin board. This is the part of the process when knowing your purpose(s) is most important. If you have a phone extension list that you like to have easy access to when making calls, then hang that paper where you can immediately see it when dialing. If you use your bulletin board for inspiration, then hang your materials where you can quickly see them, but out of your direct work sight (you don't want to distract yourself when you're already inspired). At work, it is best to not hang anything in your immediate line of vision of your usual work focus. If you need to keep track of your son's soccer practices at home, then hang the schedule so that it's not obstructed and at an eye level that your son also can see it. Whether at home or at work, keep only materials on the bulletin board that fulfill the purpose(s) of the board.
• Label areas of your bulletin board for better identification. If your children will use the bulletin board to hang papers that you need to sign, then print a label for that section titled "To Sign" or "For Mom." Also at home, if multiple people use the board, then be sure to create zones with labels ("Bobby" "Suzy") for each user. If you put an item on your work bulletin board because you don't want to forget about it, then create a sign to hang above it that signals you to not forget about it ("Don't Forget"). Avoid putting sticky notes on your bulletin board because they can fall down.
• Hang most items parallel to the floor. When looking at your bulletin board, you should be able to immediately obtain information from the items on your board. Having to turn your head at an awkward angle or lift multiple sheets of paper to see what you need or remove an item to read it is a waste of your time. If you're sticking a paper to the board simply so you won't lose it, then you can hang it at an angle. All the other items, however, should have an unobstructed, straight-on view.

Check out the full post with Erin's complete notes here. Related Bulletin Board Posts

• How To: Make A Shuttered Bulletin Board
• Charging Bulletin Board From JC Penny
• Look!: DIY Jewelry Organizers

[Image from Satoru Kikuchi]

We've got a fun array of links below that range from Adrienne's Mid-Century primer, to a selection of erotic homewares (yes, those are exactly what you think salt and pepper shakers above), a home catalog from the Soviet republic in 1983, and a light inspired by a carton of eggs...

A Mid-Century Primer: Adrienne, our Austin correspondent, drops some science about the major identifying characteristics of Mid-Century pieces. Erotic Homewares: We think the title says it all. We especially like the Secret Book for "toys" and the Seven Deadly Sins Plate Set. The candles...oh my! The Soviet Lookbook: examples of what Soviet Russian citizens could order by mail from their state in 1983. Fascinating! The Egglight: Looks like a fun DIY project inspiration. Other past fun Slinks:

• Rainy Day Wishes, Seating and Flooring In One, 2D Flowers, and a Whole Lotta Nothing
• Secret Sources, Post-It Note Art, Quantifying the Self, and Breaking a Lease
• Eco-friendly Drywall, the Germ Fighting Properties of Essential Oils, Shepard Fairey and House Industries LA Gallery Show, and a DIY Spray Can Lamp
• Naughty Furniture, Best and Worst Deals at Costco, and a Blinged Out Apartment
• Extreme Ironing, Women's Dirtier Hands, and a Couple Ideas for Extra Paint Chip Samples

2421 Colorado Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91107 http://www.jasonarnoldformodern.com

Over the holiday break, we decided to spend an afternoon checking out antique shops in Burbank. After picking through a number of shops that were crammed with stuff, we stumbled back to Pasadena and found Jason Arnold for Modern. Tucked away on East Colorado Blvd next door to Zephyr's coffee shop, this gem of a furniture shop specializes in authentic, vintage Hollywood Regency and mid-century modern pieces.

Owner Jason Arnold is friendly and personable without being overbearing, and he has a great eye for unique pieces. A few things that stand out to us: • Instead of the usual haphazard displays of goods and musty smell that antique and secondhand shops have, Jason Arnold for Modern is organized more like a high-end furniture showroom where each piece is given its own space and accessorized with vintage art and lifestyle magazines. • All of the inventory is vintage and restored to its original beauty before being displayed in his showroom. One particular standout was a 1950's credenza that used to be a stereo cabinet with gorgeous Asian-inspired brass hardware. Rather than painting the piece a trendy color or replacing any of the hardware, Arnold restored the exterior back to its lacquered gold-green color and rejuvenated the tarnished brass on the ornate pulls and hinges. • In addition to the impeccable furniture selection, Arnold also offers 60s-70s vintage art. Everything from retro graphic prints to huge handcarved wooden owls. Plus, he currently has a great selection of oversized Hollywood Regency lamp pairs and funky 70s mirrors. While price tags are on the high end, Arnold is willing to negotiate and extremely helpful in case you have something specific in mind that he doesn't have in the store. So, if you're going to be in Pasadena for the upcoming Rose Bowl Swap Meet, take some time out to check out Jason's shop. The nearest cross street is Sierra Madre Blvd., next door to Zephyr's coffee shop and close to Hastings Ranch.

Southwest #23: Tisha's Airy StudioWe spent New Years Eve staying at some amazing accommodation with plenty of features that got us excited. While the huge free standing bath was nice, the shower on the balcony with ocean views was plenty of fun, but it was the amazing charcoal sheer curtains that really floated our boat.

In the past, we’d never been a fan of sheer curtains. Childhood memories of them smelling strange when it rained, never being able to see outside properly and how dusty they get were all reasons that put us off having them in our own home. However, seeing these sheer drapes all sleek, light and complimentary to the modern interior made us throw all those negative thoughts out the window. This weekend, we’re off to every window furnishing store in our local area as well as scanning through the Ikea website for some ideas to dress up our windows. Knowing how far behind we were in appreciating sheer curtains, here’s a quick round up of some of our favorites in action across Apartment Therapy. Look! Flowing Curtain Instead of a Screen Door Refresh the Room: Swapping Curtains House Tour: Camilla’s Victorian Townhouse Maxwell loves them- Linen Sheer Drapes: Damn Good Window Dressing Do you have sheer curtains? Have you always loved them or have you only recently jumped on board the sheer curtain train with us? Where have you found some sheer curtains that you love?

The start of 2009 and a new week. Here's to making both your home and the year a beautiful one! Check out the weekend's most popular AT:Los Angeles post: LA Times Home & Garden Roundup 12.03.09

The start of 2009 and a new week. Here's to making both your home and the year a beautiful one!

Check out the weekend's most popular AT:Los Angeles post: LA Times Home & Garden Roundup 12.03.09

With the long list of imagined home improvement projects we had dreamt up finishing while on vacation, we only completed one major project: emptying and organizing the closet. Hidden in the back of our walk-in closet were shoe boxes filled with financial documents accumulated over years of working as a freelance graphic designer; every receipt, invoice and a miscellaneous amount of "why the heck did I keep this?!" paperwork stored haphazardly and with the obsessive quality of a squirrel storing away nuts for the winter. Above is the greater portion of what was shredded over the span of two days (an additional 2 1/2 bags were thrown into recycling the first day)...

Okay, so you admit you're like us and have a secret cache of papers and documents that is threatening to take over your storage/office but you're unsure what you can shred and what you should keep? Here's some tips from Jenny C. McCune of Bankrate of when to shred and when to store away:

Taxes
• Returns
• Canceled checks/receipts (alimony, charitable contributions, mortgage interest and retirement plan contributions)
• Records for tax deductions taken
• Length of time to keep: Seven years

IRA contribution records
• If you made a nondeductible contribution to an IRA, keep the records indefinitely to prove that you already paid tax on this money when the time comes to withdraw.
• Length of time to keep: Permanently

Retirement/savings plan statements
• Length of time to keep: From one year to permanently

Bank records
• Go through your checks each year and keep those related to your taxes, business expenses, home improvements and mortgage payments.
• Shred those that have no long-term importance.
• Length of time to keep: From one year to permanently

Brokerage statements
• Length of time to keep: Until you sell the securities

Bills
• Go through your bills once a year. In most cases, when the canceled check from a paid bill has been returned, you can shred the bill.
• However, bills for big purchases -- such as jewelry, rugs, appliances, antiques, cars, collectibles, furniture, computers, etc. -- should be kept in an insurance file for proof of their value in the event of loss or damage.
• Length of time to keep: From one year to permanently

Credit card receipts and statements
• Keep your original receipts until you get your monthly statement; shred the receipts if the two match up.
• Keep the statements for seven years if tax-related expenses are documented.
• Length of time to keep: From 45 days to seven years

Paycheck stubs
• When you receive your annual W-2 form from your employer, make sure the information on your stubs matches.
• If it does, shred the stubs. If it doesn't, demand a corrected form, known as a W-2c.
• Length of time to keep: One year

House/condominium records
• Keep all records documenting the purchase price and the cost of all permanent improvements -- such as remodeling, additions and installations.
• Keep records of expenses incurred in selling and buying the property, such as legal fees and your real estate agent's commission, for six years after you sell your home.
Length of time to keep: From six years to permanently

With the long list of imagined home improvement projects we had dreamt up finishing while on vacation, we only completed one major project: emptying and organizing the closet. Hidden in the back of ou

We've already made the switch to nontoxic cleansers and laundry soap to keep our home free from weird chemicals and things that are harmful to our sensitive skin and environment. Now we're looking at our sheets and pillows to see if we can make some small changes in the name of health and well being. The good news is that there are a lot more affordable options for organic bedding these days:

A lot of high end places have been turning out some incredibly luxurious organic linens for a while. We'd love to invest in some of those, but are glad to know that more and more places like Overstock and Target offer affordable bed linens, pillows and blankets that are free from toxins and dyes that are harmful to us and to the planet. Our top picks: Overstock Organic 300 thread count sheets $39.99 Green and Greener Organic White Sheet Set $40 Amenity Home Organic Shams (Made in LA) $65 Pottery Barn Natural Pillow $69-99 West Elm Organic Matellase duvet and shams in stone white $24-$169 Pottery Barn Grid Print Organic Sheet Set on sale for $59 Gaiam Organic Sateen Bedding $41-$62 Target Nurture Organic Bedding Collection $79-$109 Do you have a great affordable resource for organic mattress pads, sheets or blankets? Related: How TO Make Homemade Laundry Detergent How To Make Fabric Softening Sheets

We've already made the switch to nontoxic cleansers and laundry soap to keep our home free from weird chemicals and things that are harmful to our sensitive skin and environment. Now we're looking at

Hi LA Apartment Therapy, I was hoping you would be able to help me. I found this Velvet Tufted Border Queen Headboard in the beautiful chocolate velvet...it was love at first site. I went to purchase the headboard and that week, the company warehouse was flooded, causing all merchandise to be lost. The other websites I found it on soon disappeared only to later reappear not carrying the headboard anymore. Can anyone help in my search for my dream headboard?!?! Thanks, Rachel Got a good question you'd like answered? Send your queries and a photo or two illustrating your question, and we'll see if the ATLA team or our readers can help you out.

Rachel, this looks a lot like the Concierge Collection Tufted Headboard form Home Shoppign Network, but we're unable to hunt down the chocolate option. Anyone out there know where to find a brown version or similar style to end Rachel's quest for the perfect headboard? Other tufted headboard questions and posts:

• Do You Think This Headboard Is A Reasonable DIY?
• LA Good Questions: Printed Fabrics On Tufted Sofas?
• "Capitons" Stickers Add Tufting to Just About Anything
• Look! DIY Tufted Closet Doors

Hi LA Apartment Therapy,
I was hoping you would be able to help me. I found this Velvet Tufted Border Queen Headboard in the beautiful chocolate velvet...it was love at first site. I went to purchas

We decided to rearrange our bedroom over the holidays and our bed ended up in front of the window (no pics yet because we need new drapes). We always heard that it was bad feng shui and basically not the best idea to put your bed in front of/underneath a window--but we kinda like it. We found a few pictures of this idea working quite well in a bedroom space after the jump. And we'd love to know if you have experience with your bed placed in front of a window in the comments.

We've had this image saved in our inspiration file for a while now. We love this floating bed (more than a few feet away from the window) with a storage headboard piece sectioning off the room which creates a cozy, private bedroom space. House Tour: Dave's New Place In this AT House Tour, Dave took his bed (headboard and all) and floated it a few feet in front of his window. The sheer curtains work nicely with the headboard here (a darker color might make the bed frame blend in too much). We found this image on Stephanie's flickr page and again, love the use of light colored curtains that opens up the small space. Most of the time, if a bedroom is small, the bed has no other option but going in front of the window. A functional, swing-arm lamp and colorful pillows make this space one to admire. Look!: Using A Curtain As A Headboard In this bedroom, the bed is placed in front of darker curtains, acting more like a headboard than window covering. Placing your bed in front of a window is a great idea when you don't have a headboard (the curtains become the focal point and function as the headboard). Related Inspirational Posts

• 14 Ways To Spruce Up The Bedroom Before Buying Anything New
• Best Bedroom Makeover
• Roundup: Romantic Bedroom Week

[Image on first page from Domino Magazine]

We decided to rearrange our bedroom over the holidays and our bed ended up in front of the window (no pics yet because we need new drapes). We always heard that it was bad feng shui and basically not