I keep a file on my computer called “clutter” and I’m finding all sorts of goodies in there today. The first two are from an apartment listing I saw online in 2007.  I love the grey in the living room and black in the kitchen (love the light wide wooden floorboards).  All that woodwork in the living room conceals storage. These next two are from Remodalista.

Things I like about this room:  the grey walls, the white trim, the love seat with topiaries and the warm caramel color leather chairs. WNYC is constantly on in the house: on the days when I don’t have a babysitter it keeps me from getting lonely.  Anyway, I listen to the Brian Lerher Show and he often “crowd sources” things — like the identity of Russian mobsters or problems with lead paint or experiences with the public schools in NYC.  So, today, let’s crowd source: I can’t find the dining room chairs above anywhere online. I know I’ve seen them but I can’t seem to find them in that warm color. These look comfortable and that is hard to find in a dining room chair! This lovely room is from a Corcoran.com listing.

This Brooklyn brownstone from this month’s Vogue, of all places, is amazing. Thanks for the tip, Stephanie!  And, yes, my friends are keeping me caught up on the best of the web this month while I spirit to the end of my thesis. (Thank god for friends!)

I’ve been worrying about indoor air quality because we just bought some new shelves from IKEA for the nursery (particle board can offgas).  Houseplants are a great solution because they dramatically improve air quality. So, yesterday I bought a bamboo palm and a boston fern, two plants that have superior air cleaning capabilities, at the Plant Shed on the Upper West Side.  I caught this great image over at Design*Sponge thanks to a tip from Joanna.  The large leafy tree is a fig plant, which require bright light.   PS My thesis is due on the 28th!!!!!!

I hope to have a library like this someday; rumpled and packed with knowledge and evidence of a life well lived.  Jacques Derrida’s library photographed by Andrew Bush, found via I’m Revolting.  Oh, and I love the little fold down desk.

The internet is my best friend when I’m procrastinating.  Look what it just served up?  This awesome over-sized chalkboard paint calendar.  I’m not crazy about chalkboard paint usually — it always looks so nice in magazine homes and when I see it in friends homes it just looks messy (and no one I know has magazine stylist handwriting either).  However, this gives me new inspiration.  From Tea for Joy, found via You Are My Fave Jr.

This zero dollar office re-do from Jenny at Little Green Notebook is lighting up my Friday.