I was hoping to have this post up earlier for you guys, but holy Dinah, I was hit with the flu. Literally hit, knocked down, had to crawl to the bathroom hit. It was beyond brutal and I’m so thankful it only lasted the day. I don’t think my frail old body could take more than a day haha!
I’ve been slowly unearthing our Spring decor. I feel as though I may jinx our nice weather if I bring it out all at once. This year I’ve totally kiboshed the St. Patty’s decor and the Easter stuff is still sitting in its bin downstairs. Here’s to hoping some of it makes it’s way out this weekend!
I guess you could describe my home style as modern/farmhouse chic? I like clean lines and modern touches but also love the farmhouse charm and coziness. We manage to make it work though out our home, so that’s always a good thing! We found this old frame at a garage sale for $2 a couple of summers ago, I distressed it and added a shelf and it’s now a staple in the decor in our living room. I popped out one of the windows in order to put some chicken wire in, this allows me hang pictures or cute sayings whenever.
The walls in our entry are painted Rockport Gray by Benjamin Moore and the walls in the living room are painted in an off white called Dishware from Home Hardware’s Beauti•Tone paint line. With neutral colours on the walls it allows me to introduce different pops of color at any time. Although I do tend to lean towards blue’s & grey’s it’s nice to infuse some yellow & coral in the spring or some rustic red and greens for Christmas. If you are looking to update your home, the walls are a great space to start. If you don’t want to commit to painting a whole wall, you could look at getting some Photo Wall Art Prints to spruce up the look of a room.
When it comes to decorating I don’t try to follow too many rules. Some of the things I think about are is it welcoming? Leave you feeling happy? Does it make your guest want to see more?
I dig through my (massive) collection of tchotchkes and pick out a few faves that I feel will fit the look I’m going for, then I just start playing around. A grouping here, a grouping there. What do I want to be the central focal point? In the case of our sideboard the sugar skull picture acts as the focal point. Smaller items layered and stacked around it help tie it all together. The white ceramic owls tie in with the matte in the frame, the yellow works with the blues in the canisters. Nothing completely matches per se, but it all works together. Sometimes the piece I want as my focal point doesn’t make the cut at all; and that’s fine. It’s all about moving items around until YOU like what you see. Sometimes this means groupings of 3’s or 4’s. At times I don’t feel inspired at all and spaces stay empty and blank. That’s ok too. If you aren’t feeling it then don’t force it. Decorating shouldn’t have to be stressful, it should be fun and should make you feel good about the space you’re in.
One of the fun things about decorating is that you can make anything decorative. I found this bamboo recipe holder at WalMart and loved it as soon as I seen it. I don’t really need a recipe holder because the majority of my recipes are on my phone or computer, but I knew I could incorporate it elsewhere in the house. Simply by adding this 4×6 card from Heidi Swapp’s Project Life kit, I made it into a decorative piece. Just because an items states it’s purpose does not mean it needs to be solely used for that purpose.
I found these owl canisters at a local kitchen store and have yet to fill them with anything. They work great as stands for my owls though! Don’t be scared to think outside the box.
Plants are another great way to add some spring to your home. I don’t have the greenest of thumbs which is why I tend to lean more towards succulents and cacti. You can neglect them and they don’t go all mad on you. They thrive off of being ignored! I honestly thought I killed this poor baby jade off when I left it outside to freeze in the fall. But lo & behold, when I went to toss it I saw the tiniest of sprouts coming up from the root. I transplanted it to this minty green pot and nurtured the crap out of it throughout the winter. I’m predicting that once summer hits us, it will end up looking better than it ever did. And yes, I realise it’s not an Herb, I just loved the pot color so much! If you struggle to keep plants alive, maybe you live somewhere with not enough natural light, it may be worth having a look at the best low light houseplants. I’m sure we can all agree that dead plants is not a good look. One of the other items you’ll find scattered through our home are sheds. Not the ones you store items in, the ones from deer, moose, elk, etc. Once I realised I couldn’t get away from them I figured I might as well embrace them!
Decorate with what you love and what leaves you feeling happy. Don’t be afraid to switch things up and try new things. It’s easy to get caught up in trends. They can be costly because they are ever changing, find the style that fits you and then you will be able to add trendy pieces here and there without breaking the bank and having to give your a decor a complete overhaul every year. Remember that at the end of the day you have to live in your home, so make it one you love!