Even though we haven’t hit Thanksgiving yet, this year as soon as November arrived, I couldn’t help but start to think about Christmas. More specifically about Christmas decor to deck my halls – because this year I am ready to make some changes. The past few years I have been in a bit of a holiday decorating rut. I realized my cache of holiday decorations is a potpourri of mismatched items acquired over the years and in various ways that lacked any cohesion. Do I really have to hang every ornament everyone ever gifted me on my tree, even if I find them *ahem* less than palatable? Must the large-royal-blue-unnamed-decoration find a home yet again this year on my sideboard, just because it was expensive and passed on by family? I respectfully say no. It’s time for a Christmas decor do-over. (more…)
As part of a mantel makeover in my living room, I updated a pair of drum shade sconces with leftover fabric from a reupholstery project to create custom fabric lampshades.
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We are into week five of the One Room Challenge, an online design event started by Linda at the blog Calling It Home, that challenges featured designers and guest bloggers to re-imagine one space in the span of six weeks. This week if these walls could talk, they’d say that this week, I didn’t get much done. But that’s OK, because last week Linda announced that for the first time in the history of the ORC, we would be given an extra week to finish the challenge. Due to all of the storms and fires that have hit our country these past couple of months, she found it only fair to tack on a week for those that needed it. And in true procrastinator style, once I heard that, I slacked off a bit. I did, however, address the wall areas of the foyer this week and here’s what happened.
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I am updating my foyer as part of the One Room Challenge and one of the design elements I swapped out was my old botanical rug for something more up-to-date. The reaction to the rug I choose was really positive, so I thought I’d share some of the other contenders for my entryway. Here are 10 foyer rugs that would do well welcoming guests into your home, and won’t break the bank. All of the choices are 4×6 (or very close to those dimensions) and less than $60! (more…)
Do you ever make a decision and then secretly agonize over it? It happened to me with this week’s task for the One Room Challenge. As you know, I decided to paint my handrail in my foyer to transform it from an orange-y oak to a black banister. I have been seeing it on all the design shows, in shelter porn and online – and loving it. But ever since making the decision (and declaring it here on the blog) I have been fretting that (a) the paint won’t stay on or (b) it will look terrible. Mostly I’ve worried about (b). Who can relate? (more…)
