I’ve been going back and forth on what color to paint a couple of nightstands for my bedroom.
First I thought black.
Then I thought white.
Then black.
White.
Fall Dining Room and a Not so New Rug
I really love my jute rugs.
Love the texture, love the color, love the simplicity – what’s not to love about a jute rug? They’re very loveable.
Buuut….
I’ve been feeling the pull for something with more pattern lately.
I know, right? Who would have thought.
The dining room seemed like a good place to start, so I decided to give a wool rug I had in the basement a test drive to see how I like it. That way – even though this particular rug isn’t exactly what I had in mind – I can see if something with more color and/or pattern is something I may want to keep around for the long term.
Bookshelves and a Little Wine
“Fill your house with stacks of books, in all the crannies and all the nooks.” – Dr. Seuss
I have never met a bookshelf I didn’t like.
Never ever.
You neither?
There’s a reason we’re all friends. 🙂
So big is my love of bookshelves, that I’ve always dreamed of having my own little library somewhere in my house, but our house is pretty small, so shortly after we moved in Jordan gave me the next best thing and built those amazing wall to wall bookshelves in the living room you always see.
We drew a concept out on paper and then made some adjustments.
And then we taped it all out with blue painters tape on the wall to get a feel for how it would look in the room.
And then we made a few more adjustments.
And then he started building it in sections out in the garage.
And we primed and painted…and painted some more.
And we muscled each section into the house and installed them against the wall.
And then we painted some more.
And then finally I got to fill those shelves! It was a pretty great day. 😀
Casual Summer Living Room
“Be faithful to your own taste because nothing you really like is ever out of style.” – Billy Baldwin
What comes to mind when you think of summer?
My mind usually goes straight to the lake first – I am a Michigan girl after all. Sandy beaches, dark blue water, lush green grass, beautiful sunsets. But even more than that it’s the feeling of long slow days, dinners cooked on the grill, backyard conversations around a bonfire, and not taking anything in life too seriously.
That’s how I wanted my house to feel too. Casual, not overdone, slightly unpolished.
And neutral, neutral, neutral.
Shocking. I know.
I just can’t help myself.
New Curtains for the Dining Room
I really hate shopping for curtains.
There is just simply nothing about it I enjoy.
They’re expensive.
If I find a pattern or color I like, I hate the material.
If I find a material I like, I hate the pattern or color.
They’re expensive.
No matter where I’m shopping, they always seem to be one panel short of however many I need.
Oh, and did I mention they’re expensive?
So yeah. Not my favorite part of outfitting a home.
An Update and a New Paint Color
Hi there!
So I took a little unintended break from things around here. I’m so sorry if you have left me a comment or sent a message and I haven’t yet responded – I didn’t mean to neglect you all on purpose. I started a project, and then things got busy, and then Jordan had his second surgery, and I basically didn’t even open my computer for nearly three weeks.
So what’s new? How have you been? Did you have a nice Easter? I feel like we have so much to catch up on!
Spring Decorating in the Dining Room
How about a little spring decorating, dining-room-style today?
Our dining room is such a small and simple space, I don’t like to add too much or it starts to feel a bit claustrophobic. I like small spaces that are filled just enough to be cozy, but not cluttered. It’s a fine line I find myself crossing just about every time I’m changing things up from season to season, and as soon as I do, I start taking away a little from here and a little from there and suddenly it all just feels right.
Cozy, Neutral Spring Living Room
Cozy.
Neutral.
Simple.
How many times have you heard (or read) me describe a room using one or all of those words?
A lot, right?
I can’t help it – those three little words just to seem to sum up what we have going on around here so well. I apologize for the repetition. 🙂
And so it goes without saying that, regardless of the season, my decorating choices are going to reflect those three little words – and this spring is no different. I simply wanted things around the house to feel fresh, open, and airy – which to me meant lots of white, soft and subtle neutrals, and pops of green.
I shared a little look at a few things last week…
Dabbling with Milk Paint and a Spring Mantel
Last weekend I tried out milk paint for the first time.
Based on what I’ve read, milk paint can sometimes have a mind of its own – chipping and flaking wherever it sees fit. I loved the idea of that. The idea that I would apply the paint and then the piece would kind of get to decide how it wanted to look. However, I was a little intimidated by the fact that it comes in a powder and you mix it with water to turn it into paint. I was afraid it wouldn’t mix well, or that the color wouldn’t be consistent, or that I would be stuck with lumpy bumpy paint.
When a House is a Home
“We lose ourselves in the things we love. We find ourselves there too.” – Kristin Martz
Sometimes I’m struck by the silliness of this blog – or even decorating in general.
I sat down to write a post about balance vs symmetry and tips for creating pretty little vignettes here and there. And then I paused.
I come here and talk about fluffing pillows, and white paint, and things to display on your coffee table. Most days, when I should be working at my 9 to 5, I get lost in imagining new ways to display my favorite treasures or dreaming about the rooms we have yet to tackle. I’ve always been a daydreamer.
And every once in a while, I’ll feel a little silly about it.
With all that is going on around us, should we really care about candlesticks, and cotton stems, and stacking old books, and coordinating pillows for every season? It seems a little superficial…
But maybe it isn’t.