Author: Staci

Staci blogs about travel at TheVoyageer.com.

Rain & Records

So the song goes, “it never rains in Southern California.” Not true! This winter has been much rainier than usual for San Diego–at least it seems that way compared to what I am used to. I am thankful for it because I love having lush, green plants outside year-round.

A rainy day like this one is the perfect opportunity to stay in pajamas as long as possible, drink many cups of hot coffee and listen to records. Oh, and practice a little bit of low-light, moody photography.

Listening to Records

We were lucky enough to receive a turntable from Doug’s parents for Christmas. It has been so great to listen to records again–our other players (Crosley) both went kaput last winter! It took a little rearranging, but we hooked it up to my stereo (that I got when I turned sixteen??!) and the whole system has a spot in the heart of our living/dining area. In case you were curious–both units, as well as our TV and PS3 are all Sony. What can I say? We haven’t been disappointed (knock on wood) so we stick with a brand we trust.

Listening to Records

We have a small but well-selected collection of old and new records–lots of U2 and most of Led Zeppelin’s albums! We scaled down our collection a lot when we moved–parting with some gems to a local thrift store–because records are heavy!!

For us, it is “Monday” (Doug’s days off are Wednesday and Thursday) so I plan on getting some cleaning done and shooting more of the apartment this weekend. It won’t be long until you can see some whole room shots. I’ve been cropping the mess and unfinished bits out ever since moving in, but I think I’m finally ready to reveal our main living space!

I hope everyone has a great weekend. What are some of your favorite albums? I could listen to the one pictured, Attack and Release, over and over all day long!

The Mission (Mission Beach)

Brunch: a magical word that makes all right with the world. There’s something special about sleeping in late and going out for a delicious meal prepared by an expert chef–and dishes all whisked away to be cleaned by somebody else. It truly is one of life’s simple luxuries. If there’s one thing to be said for Doug’s zany Friday through Tuesday work schedule, it’s that “the weekend” is Wednesday and Thursday and we never have to wait in line for brunch.

The Mission restaurant

One of my favorite San Diego eateries has been, for years, The Mission. My visits have been split between their locations in North Park and in Mission Beach. Both offer the same delectable menu and the same high quality service.

It was at The Mission that I discovered what rosemary potatoes are. If I could eat a heaping plateful of their rosemary potatoes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I would say that it was a good day. Unfortunately, last time I brunched I decided to branch out and didn’t order the rosemary potatoes, so I don’t have the appropriate photo evidence. Everything on the menu is simply terrific though! I could go on, but I’ll let the photos of my Mission French Toast and Doug’s Power Plato Breakfast speak for themselves.

Power Plato Breakfast

Mission French Toast

Yummmmm. Care to join us?

Barney Stinson’s Apartment

Over a year ago, I posted about creating a cohesive color scheme for our last house. I lamented the dark gray walls, gray quilt and dark brown wardrobe as looking too masculine, and I name dropped “Barney Stinson’s Apartment” from How I Met Your Mother–in all it’s gray-on-gray-on-gray glory. Surprisingly enough, in the past year I kept seeing “Barney Stinson” apartment-related terms show up under search terms that bring people to my site…. 197 times in total, to be precise.

So, it is official–I must please the masses and come up with an inspiration board based on Barney’s bachelor pad. To be honest, this was a really fun exercise for me, because as I’m sure you know, my friends, this is not my style. Sure, I have a dark gray mid-century modern couch, but I am pretty sure the similarities end there.

I started by looking at screen grabs from the show, which included his living room, bedroom, and kitchen. The color scheme is obvious: grays, metals, and a bit of brown here and there. The set designers on this show really got into the mind of the suit-wearing confirmed bachelor and committed to the motif. There are very few decorative pieces (especially when contrasted with Lily and Marshall’s eclectic abode). Let’s be honest–if his apartment was an outfit, it would be a designer three-piece suit. Here is where I ended up:

Barney Stinson's Apartment

The Paint: Unfortunately, I do not know what color the set designers chose. I do know that Farrow and Ball’s “Down Pipe” is the deep-gray of the moment around the blogosphere, and it seems fitting for this room. Benjamin Moore’s “Dark Pewter” qualifies as runner-up. Design Star Emily Henderson has a list of her favorite gray paints (with a healthy dose of Ryan Gosling) which may also be helpful.

The Couch: While the couch on TV is dark gray (choose “smoke” as color option–pictured), I would have selected a deep brown leather (amaretto) to break up the all-gray party!

The Tables: Barney’s side tables and coffee table feature the same look–metal straight lines with a wood or glass top. Cubes or rectangular box shapes are the key here. Men–you are in luck. This design is everywhere right now. The ones I chose are from CB2–console and side table. IKEA also has some similar options.

The TV: Sure, it’s not a 300-inch screen, taking up an entire wall, but at 90 inches–yes, that’s 7.5 feet–diagonal, this Sharp Aquos LED TV is one of the biggest on the market.

The Extras: Man-cave decor like Samurai swords or tribal masks make the man seem adventurous, while the few art pieces that hang on the wall are reminiscent of quirky movie posters or book covers. The Voyage and Lord Vader Prints from Society6. Duo table lamp from Room & Board.

Extra Credit: If you are in the market for Stinson-approved bedding, you are in luck. If you want your tabletop to reflect the motif, these are the dishes for you.

This was fun–I may make a series of inspiration boards inspired my my favorite TV sets. For more of my inspiration boards, click here.