Summer 2023 Mood Board

Summertime. What does the word “summer” make you think of? For me, it’s heat. Heat and humidity. It also makes me think of sun-kissed skin, beautiful sunsets later in the evening, and sandy beaches. Last year we went to Greece and this year we went to Tulum so those two locations are heavily influencing my vision of what summer looks like. Check out our three summer mood boards below. I made one general mood board, one Tulum mood board and our team member Lara made one mood board as well. We hope you love it and get that summertime feeling.

Sources: Our Pinterst Page. A Little Bit Southern. Bali Interiors. Ann Lauer. Hotel Panamera. Altar Tulum.

Relaxation. Purity. Natural materials. Connection with nature. These are the things I envisioned while making the neutral Summer mood board above. I love the textural white plaster walls. I love the heavy shadows that a sunset casts on everything. I love a good book. Books literally feed the soul and help us grow as human beings. Relaxing by the water with a book is the epitome of a luxurious relaxing vacation to me. Thick thatched roofs and thatched beach umbrellas is a textural vibe I’m loving. Linen drapery blowing in the ocean breeze with the smell of salt in the air is such a vibe too. Everything in my neutral Summer mood board is about ease, relaxation and connection with nature. Do you dig it?

Sources: Photography by Ryan and Tara Miller

Tulum, Mexico. Have you been? Do you plan to go? It was a MUST see on my bucket list and I’m so glad we were able to go. Not only is it a place with an abundance of natural food, the architecture and interior design is phenomenal. There are a few different styles in Tulum but I was drawn to Hotel Panamera because they seamlessly blended texture, color and nature together in a way that felt balanced and invigorating. The views were amazing, the subtle green color fed my heart, and simplicity made me feel at ease. The pool is over-the-top with tons of color and pattern and I love it! Everything from the tiles to the lounge chairs is vibrant and fun. But that is balanced with the entire rest of the property being laid back and chill. I love that there are different areas depending on what mood you’re in. Wanna relax? They have a space for that. Wanna socialize? There’s a space for that. That is good programming. I love Hotel Panamera, this is not sponsored, but if you’re going to Tulum, I highly recommend you stay there. (They have AC, the staff is super nice, the food is SUPERB, etc etc etc.) Enjoy!

Spring 2022

Here at The Heartland Interior Design, we love spring! We like saying goodbye to the frigid cold of winter and hello to sunnier days. Plus, we love watching the grass turn green and seeing seasonal florals in bloom. We’re ready for back patio hangs and short sleeves. We put together two mood boards that capture the spirit of what we each love about springtime.

“I created this mood board to have a soft feminine feeling.” - Tara Miller

The above mood board was created by Tara Miller, the owner of The Heartland Interior Design. When speaking about the mood board she said, “I was inspired by the exterior paint of this Irish home in Wicklow County. When the sun sets, the paint takes on a pale pink color. So I started with that pale pink color and moved onto other things that inspire me like English Gardens, brass fixtures and stone garden ledges. I also feel like Spring has a sense of delicacy since flowers are so delicate, so I chose a delicate light fixture to play off of that feeling. I like the ‘lived in’ feeling of antique brass and aged marble so I tried to let that shine. I recently saw the custom staircase on Rachel Halvorson’s instagram and I was drawn to the newel post. It’s metal, which is a heavy material, but it’s done in such an intricate and subtle way. I absolutely love it.

“Spring is the transition from old to new. The new growth of spring is so inspiring to me.” – Chelsey Segura

When asked what she enjoys about spring, Chelsey said, “I love to spend time at home and admire the new growth of spring.” She also added “[I] appreciate things that are in the past, old and worn.” She likes the “mixing of old vintage pieces with greenery and natural elements” during this time of year. “The first thing I thought of when creating this mood board was bringing the outdoors in… I focused on using wood tones and shades of green and brown in this mood board. I love this combination of color for the spring because it makes me think of a new budding tree, soil and greenery, and so much more.”

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SOURCES for Tara’s Mood Board

1. Architectural Digest. 2. Pinch London. 3. Pinterest. 4. Pinterest. 5. Sotheby’s International. 6. Rachel Halvorson Interior Design. 7. Inside East Designs. 8. ABC Stone. 9. Pinterest.

SOURCES for Chelsey’s Mood Board

1. Huey Lightshop. 2. Huey Lightshop. 3. Zak & Fox. 4. Pinterest. 5. Pinterest. 6. Studio McGee. 7. Shoppe Amber Interiors Art + Etsy Frame. 8. Studio McGee. 9. Heirloom Art Co. 10. Salt Creek Mercantile. 11. Pinterest.

TRAVEL: Airbnb near Ellsworth Kansas

Some of you were very curious about the Airbnb that my husband and I stayed in over the new year. It’s far away from everything and everyone and was the perfect escape. The remote location gave us time to focus on our relationship and our goals for the upcoming year.

Photo via Airnbnb host Linda.

If you’re anything like me, you want to stay in a good looking Airbnb and not some dive. Being an interior designer I tend to look through hundreds of Airbnbs before I find one I’ll consider staying in. I found this gem a while back and knew we’d stay in it sometime.

This little cozy cabin is listed by the superhost Linda. She has 214 reviews and the space comes highly HIGHLY recommended. If you want to get away and find some peace and quiet, this is the place for you! I love art history and architecture history. They were two of my favorite classes in college. Luckily I’ve been able to travel the world to see incredible wonders, but there is still something nice about the Midwest. Linda’s guests write in a little guest book and it’s fun to read because she has people from ALL around the world stay there. It’s fun to read about people’s experience visiting America and the Midwest in particular.

If you visit the cabin during a cold/ wet month, I highly encourage you to take a vehicle with 4-wheel drive or all wheel drive capabilities because you do have to drive down a dirt road. We went over the new year and the snow had melted which turned the dirt roads into greasy mud roads. It was fun! But messy.

Linda provides the guests with plenty of free snacks and beverages. That was greatly appreciated! The kitchen includes a mini-fridge, a sink, and a microwave. No oven or stove top so pack meals that are easy to prepare.

The bedroom is lofted above the kitchen so guests must be able to climb a staircase. There is also a slight step up to enter the cabin, and a slight step into the shower so mobility is key. The limestone cabin has been on her family’s land for hundreds of years. She recently had it renovated as a guest house and lists it on Airbnb. If you are interested in booking, I encourage you to book early because this oasis is almost always booked.

The historic cabin is tiny and quaint which makes it perfect for someone who is good at entertaining themselves. My husband and I brought board games to play, paper to sketch on, and books to read. We also took a walk around her property and drove into the town of Ellsworth to look around. It was New Year’s Day so nothing was open, but it was still fun to do a little exploring. If you appreciate life’s simple pleasures then this cabin is a must visit for you! I hope you enjoy your stay!