Interior Design
The Best Fall 2025 Interior Design & Fashion Trends – According to Me
You know that feeling when summer is winding down and you realize you’re this close to trading rosé for red wine, linen for leather, and poolside lounging for pumpkin-spice everything? Yeah, it’s officially Fall’s time to shine. And let me tell you—this season’s color trends are coming in hot (and cool, and moody, and a little mysterious).
The Book is the Look – Decorating with Books in Staging, Styling & Design
Let’s be honest: books aren’t just for reading anymore. In today’s design world, books are pulling double duty—stacked, turned, color-coded, or even hidden in plain sight—and they’re doing it fabulously. Whether you’re staging a home for sale, styling a room for everyday living, or just looking for ways to show off your extensive collection of half-read novels (no judgment), books are one of the easiest, most accessible tools in your decorating arsenal.
36 Things that are Giving me Life Right Now – The Organic Luxury Edition
If you’ve been following along with my Giving Me Life series, you already know the drill. This is where I share the objects, textures, tones, and designs that have me absolutely feral with design lust. And if you’re new here—welcome to the obsession. This is my space to celebrate the visual poetry of home and style. Sometimes it’s oversized cobalt blue abstract swirls (shoutout to the “Primary Play” trend I waxed poetic about recently), and other times… Well, I need to ground myself. Breathe deep. Touch grass. This style of Modern Organic is close to my heart and whether you like to call it Organic Luxury or Modern Organic, it’s what I like to wrap myself up in and in honor of my Birthday month, I’m leaning into my personal style. Shout out to all the Leos!
Ain’t Too Proud to Dumpster Dive: The One with the Bench and the Dog Walk Rescue
Some people walk their dog and come home with sticks. I walk mine and come home with furniture.
Welcome to another riveting installment of “Ain’t Too Proud to Dumpster Dive”—a series where I risk tetanus and mild judgment from neighbors in the name of fabulous design.
Let me set the scene: I was out walking my dog, minding my business, when out of the corner of my eye I spotted her. A long, lonely, tufted bench just sitting on the side of the road. Abandoned. Beige. Slightly dusty. But solid. You know how some people see trash? I see potential with a side of upholstery staples.
A Trip to Ponce City Market in Atlanta, GA
Today I’m taking you on a tour of a place that feels like your coolest friend: full of surprises, effortlessly stylish, and layered with charisma. Let’s wander through Ponce City Market, nestled in the heart of Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward, where history meets modern life. It’s also called PCM if you’re a local.
How to Make a Music Space in Your Home – In Honor of Black Music Month
Let’s talk about music — the universal language, the soul of a house party, and the reason your auntie still has a two-step ready at all times. June is Black Music Month, a time to celebrate the profound impact of Black artists, genres, and rhythms that have shaped the soundtrack of our lives. From gospel to jazz, soul to hip-hop, R&B to reggae, Black music has always been about joy, resistance, expression, and connection.
Ain’t Too Proud to Dumpster Dive – The Great Chair Makeover
You know that saying, “One man’s trash is another woman’s throne”? Well, it should be—because that’s exactly what I found curbside one fine morning: a sad, rickety chair, dumped among the rejects of furniture past. Most people saw junk. I saw potential (and a spray paint opportunity too good to pass up).
The Ferris Street Project and Why Home Staging is Important
What Is Home Staging and Why It Works (a.k.a. Why Your Aunt Karen’s Doilies Need to Go). Let’s start with the basics: Home staging is the art (yes, art) of preparing your home to appeal to the widest pool of potential buyers. Think of it like dressing your house up for its big debut. You wouldn’t show up to a job interview in your pajama pants, right? (Well, not unless you really didn’t want the job.) Same goes for your home.
The Best 27 Mother’s Day Gifts
Let’s talk about Mother’s Day, shall we? That one glorious Sunday when the women who raised us, fed us, wiped our tears, signed our permission slips, and somehow didn’t leave us at a rest stop even once (honestly, a miracle) get the recognition they actually deserve. And by “recognition,” I do not mean a last-minute card from the grocery store and some panic flowers that are already half-wilted.
44 Things That Are Giving Me Life Right Now – Pastels and Pops of Color
If you’re new here (welcome, darling), this is part of my monthly Things That Give Me Life series—a love letter to the aesthetic obsessions currently keeping me afloat in this chaotic world. Think of it as a highlight reel of what’s breathing new energy into my design brain, making me gasp dramatically like I’ve just seen a perfectly styled bar cart.
Leslie Karen is a blog dedicated to women who are forever curious, passionate and don’t believe in limits. I love DIY’ing and trying to figure out how to do things, traveling, designing interiors, finding good restaurants, fashion and reading. Basically just about anything creative and artistic.
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