But is it really a dilemma? Gray and chocolate is a color combination seen in nature. Think of the black sand beaches or the trunks of maple trees. If creation has this color combo, then why are we so culturally worried about combining the two? No worries! Thanks to today’s trends and products available, it is quite okay to combine the two colors which we were once forced to choose between. When combining the two, keep the following in mind:

Choose One Dominant Color
It’s a good idea to choose one dominant color, in this case, gray or brown.  Allow the dominant color to be in ⅔ of the room while the secondary color is in the remaining ⅓ of the room.

Photo: Pinterest

Keep a Consistent Undertone
Not all grays have the same undertone.  There may be a brown, olive or purple hue to the gray. It’s important to keep the undertones in your grays consistent as well.

Brown and gray hues from Benjamin Moore

Pull It All Together
Choose 3 to 5 key items to pull the color scheme together. Throw pillows, lamps, rugs, ottomans and small accents are all easy ways to create harmony.

Moxii's Tia Throw in chocolate is a great addition to a couch or chair.

Moxii's Charcoal Vivacious Hook Rug combines both gray and chocolate in its design.

Stick with Your Style
Most of us have settled into a design style we feel represents who we are as a person. Don’t compromise your style when combining gray and brown or any color scheme for that matter. Stick to who you are and the style you appreciate.  Keep in mind you will see the perfect shade of gray accessory, but this doesn’t mean that lamp is the perfect fit for your space.

Use various shades of chocolate accents within your style against a gray backdrop.

Photo: Decor Pad

Structured and striking, each piece works well together.

Photo: Pinterest

by Katherine Bailey

Katherine is a licensed interior designer and co-founder of moxii. Her style tips can be found here on the moxii blog and B Metro magazine blog. She and her team offer their design services all over the Southeast.

Below are pictures of a dorm room at Auburn University. From headboard and pillows to window panels and shower curtain, this space is completely customized.

Custom Rebekah pillows & our Classic Quilt

Custom monogrammed headboard made with the Catalina quilt fabric

Custom linen window panels with a Rebekah ruffle

Monogrammed shower curtain in teal

The living room featuring the Becca Hook Rug and moxii's unique pillows

We no longer carry that particular green. However, three new colors in blue, pink, and green are arriving any day now! For a more simple look, the white one will do the trick. The beautifully detailed, large ruffles provide sophistication, and the various hues are fun!

Take a look at the new colors and a look at Shawna’s bathroom makeover.

Visit StyleberryBlog to view the full makeover.

We asked Brittany, our social media girl, to create an outfit, which reflects her personal style and translate it into her dream bedroom with moxii.

Her Take On “Outfit to Room”

In clothing, I am drawn to feminine styles and vintage floral patterns. I also love anything trendy. Lace is very popular right now. I am not much of an accessory girl, but I do like small earings and a scarf. To me, they serve as the perfect pieces to complete an outfit. I also like solids in an outfit because they are great basics. By mixing and matching scarves and cardigans, you can create different looks and multiple outfits. If you couldn’t tell, I like practicality, too.

If I could live in a dream world, I would have a clean, crisp room with a soft cream or white quilt and pops of color with decorative pillows. However, I have a cute little dog who likes to cuddle in the bed; so for now, I’ll just keep dreaming.

My dream bedroom would have a solid quilt, and I would add my personal style with the pillows. This way, I could easily change the look by adding pillows and throws. Affordable, practical, and fun! What can I say?

Even if I can’t have my white dream bedroom now, I can still have fun with decorative pillows like the Pink Back Bay Pillow.

Hope you enjoyed my take on “Outfit to Room.”

~ Brittany

Collage created on Polyvore. Clothing items from Ruche. (We love their style!)

I’m sure you think that the first thing I’m going to tell you to do is to start chunking or tossing items out the door. But you’re wrong. Organizing is not the act of throwing things away. Organizing is the act of creating a system to effectively and efficiently manage the items you own. On the flip side, de-cluttering is the act of chunking and tossing items. So, with that being said, what are the first steps to getting organized?

1. Determine your organization style. Decide if you like things organized and concealed or organized and set out on display. Do you like things labeled or do you like having a master list to cross-reference where things are located? By identifying your organizational style up front, you reduce the amount of time it takes to plan your organizing project.

2. Determine where to start your organizing project. To avoid becoming overwhelmed or frustrated early on in a huge project, start with a small room or a small section of a larger room. Some good ideas would be to start with your kitchen pantry, linen closet, or bathroom cabinet. A huge organizing project, like the garage, can be daunting. Opt for taking baby steps towards reaching your goal to become organized.

3. Determine what is required in that space. What items do you use more frequently and what items can be tucked away for infrequent access and retrieval? Obviously, you don’t want to have to dig to find items you use on a regular basis. Make sure you have everything required for the everyday operations of your household. If something is missing, now is the time to add it. For example, if you always have to grab something from the utility room every time you do laundry chances are your laundry room is missing a key requirement to complete the task.

4. Have fun getting organized. Create a system to effectively and efficiently manage the items you have in that space. If some items belong in another space, move them appropriately. But don’t get side tracked. Return back to your current project so that you can finish it before you move on to another. Think about tying an imaginary ribbon around your completed project before you start the next one. One organizing project will probably lead to another, so get ready.

Once you know the first steps to getting started, finishing will become second nature. Getting organized is a lot easier when you know your organization style. Pick a small space in your home and determine what is required. Take a small baby step and start your first organizing project. Before you know it, you will be heading towards a future of having a more organized life.

By Leslie Kate Thornton

Follow Leslie on Twitter and visit Staging Designs website here.

Leslie Kate Thornton is a real estate staging expert and professional organizer, and is the owner of STAGING DESIGNS based in Birmingham, Alabama. Leslie holds a B.S. degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and has extensive consulting and project management experience. Leslie is passionate about transforming properties to make lasting, first impressions. She is the master of clutter and infuses eco-friendly ideas into each property.

Below are the before and after pictures of the bedroom giveaway! Thanks Ann for allowing us to makeover your room. We hope you are enjoying it!

BEFORE

AFTER

For more before and after pictures, visit moxii’s Facebook page here.

Now that we are halfway through, the fun part begins. It’s time to dress up our homes with the season of fall. You may be thinking, “WHY?” Why would I spend an afternoon getting out pumpkins, leaves, and buying mums?

In my opinion, it’s about soaking up the creation we are surrounded by. God has given us this transition season between summer and winter. It’s a season of beauty; just look at the leaves. It’s a time of family gatherings and Thanksgiving. It’s a time to play outside, while it’s not 95 or 30 outside.

Having my mantle, porch, table or door covered with fall is a small reminder to me with each pass by how magnificent our Creator is and how his beauty comes through to us.

A couple of places in the Bailey home that were chosen to display the fall creation:

The Mantle:

I choose to use use pumpkins and gourds of all sizes and shapes plus magnolia from the yard and a few orange boas.  I layered the boas on the very bottom, then the magnolia and then arranged the gourds on top.  If I find them, then I will add a strand of small white Christmas lights under the magnolia.

The orange ceramics are jack-o-lanterns turned around backwards.  I enjoy the height, consistency, and the clean lines of the lanterns mixed with the live greenery and pumpkins.

The Hearth:

The arrangement of the hearth was inspired by these pots I spotted at Hobby Lobby a few days ago.  I love the color, the shape and I am needing to bring in some hints of mod into my living room.

Shepherd and I enjoyed planting these pots. One thing I have learned from my mom about planting/gardening is to always mix plants of different kinds in one pot.

Choose plants of varying heights, shapes and colors.  This adds variety for the eye.  I added a few ornamental gourds to the pots for a little extra fall feeling.

Make it kid-friendly:

Give the kids two buckets, some dirt and a small shovel or and have them scoop dirt from one bucket to another while you work on your pots.  They will probably get a little on their clothes and maybe a eat a little, too, so be sure not to give them potting soil with a fertilizer in it.

by Katherine Bailey

Check out the entire series of “Transition to Fall in 10 Days” on her blog.

One of the best features of the room were the coffee bean bag headboards made for both beds in the dorm room. One bed was positioned like that of a day-bed or couch topped with plush, decorative pillows. The headboards completed the room with moxii style!

Take a look at the end product. For specific step-by-step instructions, click here.

Like this look? Check out moxii’s online boutique.

To purchase the coffee bags, call the store to order -1-888-mymoxii