I genuinely consider this post a warning as much as a recommendation. As in, if you’ve saved your pennies and have enough socked away in your “home decor” fund, hop on this ASAP! And if not, stay far, far away from the Target Home aisles for the next few weeks.

Y’all, I almost couldn’t believe my eyeballs when I walked into Target a few days ago. In my humble opinion, their spring collection from the “Threshold” line is AMAZING. Modern and cozy, colorful and clean — it’s like the best interior design blogs tumbled right into their aisles. A few of my favorites:

Yep, already snagged that pillow. It’s almost an exact replica of this one from Caitlin Wilson Textiles (though more of an orange-y coral than a pink coral in person), but for $25 instead of $60 (and in her case, that’s only for the cover!!). I adore her prints and still hope to snag this one one day, but for now, I will happily take the Target version! Unsurprisingly, these pillows (there’s also a B&W version) seem to have been so popular that they are no longer online, but it would definitely be worth checking your local store.

Interestingly, the item I found most covetable is not listed online anywhere. It’s that amazing coral-with-piping x-bench above, priced at — wait for it — $60. YEOW. I was drawn to it like a moth to a flame, but have thus far resisted.

They also haven’t put their cake stands online — super reasonably priced, in awesome colors like coral and taupe, and with the prettiest scalloped edges. If you, like me, are a cake stand -aholic, they’re definitely worth a look.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you :)

It’s still Monday! :) I have a deep love for built-ins, so you can expect to see more Marvelous Mondays posts focused on them in the future. The kitchen is the heart of most homes, so to me it makes sense to incorporate a cozy spot for eating meals, doing homework, or just lounging while the chef does his thing (definitely a “he” in our house). These are all such beautiful examples!

Top to bottom: Better Homes & Gardens | BHG | Southern Living | Canadian House & Home | BHG

Plus, built-ins usually mean extra storage! Which one would you most like to have in your house?

Southern Living

After months and months of scouring Trulia, FMRealty, and Zillow; debating endlessly about where, exactly, in the Triangle we might want to live; and going back and forth on our goals and how much money we want to spend, we have finally found a home that we both like. Like, really like. Maybe love. I am trying to not be under any illusions that this particular house might actually become ours (we haven’t even seen the inside!), but it’s enough to make the whole mortgage and home buying process much more real. We already have a realtor in mind; we’re knee-deep in wading through the sites of different mortgage lenders, and have reached out to a few options. It’s exciting, but also completely nerve-wracking!

Here’s what I would like to know: For those of you who have already gone through the home buying process, what is the ONE piece of advice you’d like to impart at this stage of the game? (If you have more than one piece of advice, I’d love to hear it, but I don’t want to tax you!) It can be super simple and easy, or something very specific and involved. What one thing do you wish you had known at this point in the process? We’re all ears!!

No matter what the color of the rest of the decor, I love black trim on a staircase. Five of my favorites:

Top to bottom: Donna Griffith via Desire to Inspire | via Young House Love | unknown | Southern Living | Joe Schmelzer

For not too much effort (not even as much effort as painting a full room), I think black handrails can make a huge impact, especially if your staircase is open to the room. Have a favorite?