Whenever I come across a picture of a room I like in a magazine, or on Instagram, or wherever it may be, I always imagine that whoever decorated that room conjured up a vision in their head and then went to work executing it flawlessly – just the way they had planned out in their mind.
And if that really does happen for those people, I want to know their secret, because I promise you it does not happen for me. Very rarely, anyway.
Instead, I usually stumble my way through, working with things on the fly and making it up as I go. Sometimes, things fall into place nicely. And then sometimes it’s a bit of a struggle.
This time around it was a struggle.
I hauled so many things up from the basement and nothing was working for me.
I think at one point I sat down amidst the pillow covers and candlesticks and vase fillers and said, “I hate decorating”.
True story.
I browsed magazines and Pinterest looking for inspiration – nada.
I went out to a few stores to see if something would spark an idea. But everything that caught my eye just reminded me of stuff I already had – so no point in bringing any of it home.
In an act of desperation I took the giant wall basket hanging over the couch and tried it over the mantel.
And all of a sudden we were in business.
The basket itself is such a statement I didn’t want to distract from it. A group of flameless pillar candles add a nice glow in the evening and subtle detail during the day. While a pair of glass buoys on the other side provide a little summertime coastal detail.
Since the space above the couch was now empty, I needed to fill it – so I grabbed that map that has been hanging over the apothecary cabinet and tried it there.
I still have plans to paint this room and rearrange the furniture at some point, so I didn’t want to be putting new holes all over – luckily all my changes worked with the current nail placement (There is nothing I hate more than patching holes in this old plaster – it’s hard to blend and I’m terrible at it).
I thought I was going to go back to the black and white pillow combo I used a couple summers back (see it here) – but it didn’t feel right this time around, so I settled on neutrals with a pop of gray instead.
Nothing too fancy for the coffee table either. Just my favorite round metal try filled with books, little baby succulents, a simple pillar anchored by some sand, and a strand of wood beads.
I made minor changes to the bookshelves – filling in gaps and adding a few summer accents.
And then because I needed something to hang over the apothecary cabinet, I grabbed the mirror from the dining room.
I love how it reflects both the staircase and the bookshelves. It may have found itself a new permanent home.
If there is one piece of advice I can offer when it comes to decorating your home, I would say to always buy things because you love them and because they speak to you in some way, not just because you need to fill a space. Yes, this takes time (most often years), but that way when you feel the desire to refresh a room, you already have everything you need to make it happen – and you can shop your own home for things you already know you love – instead of a store for things you may just simply like.
The only thing new in this room is a piece of $3 artwork hanging over the chair that I picked up at the flea market on my last visit. It’s just a simple hillside country scene, but it was faded to perfection and the sepia tones were speaking my language – even beneath the 3 inches of dirt and scum I had to clean off when I got it home.
So all tried and true favorites in this room, yet the whole space feels refreshed for summer – but still with the relaxed, casual cozy vibe I crave all year.
Now if I could just transport my entire house lakeside for the next few months, I would be all set!
Sources:
Tie Pillow Cover
Floor Lamp
Flameless Pillar Candles
Hanging Frames
Gray Print Pillow – PureHomeLA
Stripe Pillow – World Market (no longer available)
Fern Stems – Pier 1 (no longer available)
Coffee Table, Apothecary Cabinet, Crate, Side Table, Wood Bowl, Mirror, Crock, Blanket Ladder, Step Ladder – Vintage
Chair, Beige Pillows, Glass Lamp, Curtains, Bookshelf Baskets, Oversized Wood Knobs on Bookshelf – Home Goods
Candlesticks, Driftwood Garland, Button Pillow, Wood Bead Garland, Wall Basket, Fiddle Leaf Basket – Pottery Barn (no longer available)
Vase, Buoys, Pouf – Target (no longer available)
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Love the paint color in the room. What is the color?
Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray
Gorgeous…. perfect choice for the fireplace !!! I had to laugh… kind of refreshing to know that I’m not the only one who gets so frustrated with trying to “Make it look right”!!! But I do love it when you just KNOW … that’s it!!! lolol ….
You are most definitely not alone Terri!!
I love all of your summer touches! I am very much the same way when it comes to changing my decor. I love to do it, but sometimes the ideas come and sometimes it takes a while. I don’t have a great system for storing my decor. So it takes me a while to find things and remember what i have. I love where you put the mirror! What did you put in the dining room? You will have to show that room next.:)
I don’t have a great storage system either – it’s something I want to work on. I’m sure it would be a time saver if I wasn’t digging through piles every time I want to find something new!
Love where you put the mirror! Everything looks calm and freshened up for the warm months. Your comment on buying things that speak to you is so true! It makes it so easy to move things around from room to room. You’re off to a good start!
Thanks Linda! Sticking to what you love is the best way to go!
Beautiful!
Thank you!
It all look is great! How great that the nail placement worked when you moved things around! I make my walls so full of holes🙀
I got lucky this time around – it doesn’t usually happen that way though. 🙂
So glad you’re back. Your home is lovely as usual. Doesn’t look to me that you have any problems figuring out your decor. So happy to hear your “precious Alice” is doing good…..love seeing pictures of her and your home.
Thanks Carol! Sometimes it takes a bit of back and forth to figure it out – but it always gets done!
I love the mirror over the apothecary. I love its shape and how it reflects the stairs from one angle and the bookcases from another. The basket looks quite nicely at home for summer over the fireplace. I’m glad you found your groove because if I walked through your front door and into this room, I’d feel like I had stepped into a beach cottage right here on the Eastern NC coast! Now go make yourself a sweet iced tea and put on some Beach Boys music! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much Sherry!! I WISH my house was a little beach cottage on the NC coast. What a dream that would be!
First off I have to tell you that I love your honesty! Sometimes when I’m looking at other blogs and it sounds like they have put theses rooms together without any effort at all I feel very discouraged. But having you give your insight to the process that you go through make me feel like it’s ok to take my time.Your home looks like a page out of a Pottery Barn catalog. I love it.
Thanks so much Suzanne! I totally get it – I get discouraged too. But it’s totally ok to take your time, to get frustrated and walk away, and to be fine with less than “perfect”. What fun would it be if our house was all done and perfectly finished from the start? No fun at all, if you ask me. 😀
Love the wall basket….looked on Pottery Barn’s website but didn’t see it. Guessing it’s not a current offering.. The room pulled together nicely.
Unfortunately the basket is no longer available – I’ve had it for 7 or 8 years now. They do come out with similar items from time to time though – keep checking!
Beautiful. Such a pretty and inviting room.
Thank you 🙂
Yes! That mirror is just perfect there, I love it!!! Now if only I could transport my house, lakeside, right next to yours, life would be great 😉!
Life would most definitely be great! Hmm…how do we make this happen??
I love the new placement of your beloved things! That mirror’s new spot is awesome! I, too, buy things that truly speak to me and that can be moved from room to room!!
Thanks Carol! Shopping your house is the best, isn’t it?
So pretty, Tonya. Glad you’re back .We’ve missed you. Glad to hear your Alice is doing good.Have a great week! Hugs from steamy South Carolina!
Thanks Karen! Stay cool in SC!