Home decor on the brain

I've been feeling inspired lately to change around some things in our house. There are so many little areas that just don't look finished, and that's because, quite frankly, house styling is not my strong suit. I can definitely appreciate the hard work that other people put into their homes and most of the time I'm left wondering "why didn't I think of that?". It takes a real artistic flair I think, the rest of us have Pinterest.

One area I would like to change up is the computer area just off the kitchen. It's just an ugly little corner and since I spend so much time there it really should be prettied up, made to look tidy and inspiring.

I quite like this idea I found while perusing Pinterest. The wainscotting looks lovely and that sign is a good reminder. My corner and desk etc is bigger but this is a very good start.

This pin was the original inspiration for our bedroom and it turned out beautifully. I love the grey colour, I find it very cozy and peaceful. I do think we need some pretty throw pillows on our bed though, and the robin's egg blue one shown here is perfect.

And one of the biggest eyesores for me is our very dated kitchen. It's big and open, functional and user friendly, those are the things I like about it, but like the rest of the house when we bought it, it has this old southwestern/country feel that is just not my style. 

Ideally I would like this.... 

But in a more realistic world I'm drawing inspiration from this picture...

My house is quite dark and I think the kitchen would benefit greatly from a white/cream makeover. It would brighten everything up as well as bring it up to date.

While a full on kitchen reno is out of the cards for us at the moment, what I would like to do is sand and paint the cupboards, switch out the hardware and change the light fixtures. The rest will have to come in pieces and parts. I think just doing those three things will make for a very dramatic change though. Perhaps a good project to tackle while the kiddies are away with Grandpa and Grandma during spring break?