10 Things I Can’t Live Without: Bryn Alexandra Interiors

The wonderfully sweet and talented, Bryn Dunn of Bryn Alexandra Interiors will be sharing her “10 Things” list with us today. Bryn works as an interior designer and also writes an inspiring blog filled with fabulous ideas, great DIY projects, and amazing bargains for infusing style into one’s home without emptying out the bank account. I find her outlook to be so refreshing and charming and I am pretty sure that you will agree!

1. My Husband
I know husbands have graced the 10 Things list a lot so I'll keep this one short and sweet. He's my lifeline, my best friend, my everything. He makes me coffee every morning, makes me laugh, and is my biggest fan. He's completely opposite of me which works perfectly. I love him so much!

2. Blogging
Where would I be without blogging? I'd be unhappily working a job I hated in a career that wasn't for me. Blogging has opened opportunities to allow me to live my dream. Not to mention - it's a source for never ending inspiration.

3. Charlotte - The Dog
I can't describe how much I love this dog. I rescued her in college and she's been with me through everything. Last year she broke her back and my husband and I were given two options - a very expensive surgery or death. We chose the surgery even though we could barely afford it. But for us there was not a second option - she's everything to us!

4. Charlotte - The City
We just moved to Charlotte, North Carolina. Although I've only been here 3 months, it already feels like home. We are closing on a house this Friday, so we definitely plan to stay here a while. It's such a great city - small yet has everything you need (along with a really awesome downtown area), and clean and beautiful.

5. Fabric
I looove fabric. It's what I use as the starting off point when designing a room. I like to use at least three different patterns in each room I design. It's not really a rule of thumb, but when I look at my finished rooms, there is almost always three. I love everything about fabric - the patterns, the texture, the colors. I'm big on texture. Mixing silk with linen, burlap with velvet. This picture is a stack of fabric currently on my dining room table. In my new home office, I plan on having bins and bins of fabric, coordinated by color, on a bookshelf. Preferably in acrylic bins so I can see all the beautiful patterns :)

6. Comfort Food & Desserts
I'm such a sucker for comfort food and sweets. I'm either picking at my dinner just to get to dessert or eating a huge bowl of macaroni and cheese while others go for the salad. I'll always be 5-10 lbs away from my goal weight because of this, but I'm totally A-OK with that!

7. Upcycling Furniture
I love finding furniture at thrift stores and Craigslist and then upgrading them with paint and fabric. It's one of my favorite things to do!  Pictured is a $75 Salvation Army chair that got gold leafed and reupholstered. It's really thrilling when I step back and see the transformation that has occurred.

8. Old Stuff
Old Stuff - it's pretty broad, but yes, I love old stuff. I love going to flea markets and just looking at old stuff. I love collecting old stuff. Pictured is one of my many collections of old stuff.

9. Home Goods
If my accessories are not "old stuff" found at flea markets and antique shops, then they are most likely from Home Goods. I LOVE Home Goods. It's one of my go to places for both myself and my clients. Pictured is a mirror I recently saw at Home Goods.

10. My Laptop
I really can't write this list without including my 5th appendage, I mean my laptop. I've been told that an intervention may be needed for my laptop usage. As a side note, I've been a loyal Mac user for 10 years and will never go back.