Home Decor

Our Faux Finish Wall

1 · Feb 29, 2020 ·

I had a vision for a wall in our dining room. I wanted it to be bold and yet subtle. A statement wall that didn’t speak too loudly. I wanted a burst of color but am natrually drawn to neutrals. It’s a wall of contridictions.

On top of that, I wasn’t sure exactly what the finish was that I imagined. You might say it looks a little concrete-ish or even like plaster. I saw something that mixed with an old world feel and sort of looked like a chalkboard that you’ve just kind of erased – with streaks of white still stretch across it.

I’d been dreaming about this wall for a couple months and then in true Shelby style, 2 days before Thanksgiving I decided that I couldn’t wait any longer and wanted to do a little dining room update before the big feast. As luck would have it, it was an incredibly quick project. And easy, Gretta even hopped on board helping out. I did it, documented it and moved on… then never posted the results. Until now.

So in full disclosure, this project was done nearly a year and a half ago. I’m jogging my memory with old recorded Instagram stories and photos that I had never bothered to download off my SD card. I’m still sure I can talk you through it if you’d like to replicate something like this youself. It would also make a really great finish for a styling board for photography backdrops and flatlays, even if you aren’t interested in committing to adding it into your home.

To Begin:

Figure out what color you want your wall to be. The overall color that was speaking to me was Sherwin Williams Earl Grey. However, I did not purchase that paint. Instead, I found a tone that was 1 shade lighter than it and 1 shade darker and bought a quart of each of those. Combined, they will give me the desired level of darkness.

Other Materials Needed:

2 colors of paint (I used SW Mineral Deposit & Hamburg Grey)
a large sponge
2, 3inch paint brushes
1 smaller paint brush for dry brushing
painters tape if you’re slopping (I myself am daring enough to go without)

My walls were orginally a soft buttery yellow. I figured it was a light enough hue that my paint selection would cover it. If your walls are darker than your selected medium tone, then I would recommed adding a coat of primer to them before you begin your project.

Using your large, 3 inch paintbrush begin adding large swishes of paint to the wall. Add a few dark and then a few light, tackling section of the wall at a time. I mentally dividided my wall into 3×3 foot sections.

Next, prime the sponge with just a quick layer of paint, brushing it one with large brush. You’re actually painting the sponge, not the wall in this step. Don’t completely cover the sponge, but it helps to have a little extra paint on it when you begin blending the paint on the wall. Gently, begin blotting the paint on the wall, using small dabbing motions that will begin to blend the 2 tones of paint together.

Warning, it looks like 90’s sponge painting at this point and is not pretty. Keep going. If you’re seeing too many round sponge holes, being dabbing a little harder in places with will vary the texture.

Now take your dry brush and smear the paint. Use brush strokes in various directions. Keep playing with the texture until you start liking it. Then move onto the next section and repeat.

Once you’ve covered the entire wall, begin dry brushing with longer strokes, blending the sections together. If it seems a little dark in spots, add some of the lighter paint. And visa versa.

If too much paint begins building up on your “dry brush”, wipe it with a paper towel before continuing on.

Once I “finished” in other words I loved the way the overall texture looked, I found there was still just a little more yellow poking through in some areas. Since the wall was still pretty wet and I really didn’t want to add any more paint, I added about a teaspoon of water to my sponge a very lightly dabbed those yellow spot. This essentially made a thinned out paint layer that easily covered those “holes”.

Are you in need of more detailed directions? The entire process is saved on in my Instagram highlights, where I’m talking through the process and showing what I’m doing, as I’m doing it. Click here to instantly link to my Instagram page and watch “Dining Wall”.

I don’t think there’s really a right or wrong way to accomplish this and you sort of just have to play with it a little until you’re happy with the result. I still have a little yellow that shows through here and there, but I like the extra dimension that it gives. I also underestimated the size of my light switch cover and a 1 1/2 years later still need to go back and touch up that area… but we’ll just put that on our someday list!

A Blushing Red, Coral & Mustard Valentine’s Tabletop

0 · Feb 10, 2020 ·

Last month I started something new, a series introducing 5 flowers that I’m loving at this moment – pretty close to real time, in season varieties. It’s intended to be a project to begin cataloging flowers and reminding ourselves that 1. spring will come and 2. there are flowers available even if it is frigid outside and they’re not growing in our own yards. The second step of this was designing an arrangement or tablescape (or both) utilizing these flower, sort of a “see them in action” thought.

We’re in month 2 of that series and I’m already going to switch that up a bit. It seems necessary to show my Valentine’s tabletop this week, instead of after the fact, so next week we’ll talk in more detail about the flowers I’m featuring here. All flowers in shades of pink, red and coral – in honor of this day of love we so fondly celebrate.

These are colors that I don’t naturally gravitate towards. I was putting the recipe and flower order together with this holiday in mind but part of me was actually inwardly cringing. It felt cliché. Too expected. I don’t necessarily like to do the “expected” thing. However, I went on with my order and improvised.

So here we are with warm, vibrant hues of winter flowers. A blue wall in my dining room and a wood table top. I began shopping my house to bring all the elements together.

My first find was these sweet vintage plates my sister bought for me with delicate pink blooms and glimmering gold edges. I’ve used them before in my everyday life, but never really incorporated them into a full pacesetting. I felt they were more appropriate for a feminine tea party rather than a dinner. But Valentine’s Day is one of the holidays where those rules stretch. Plus, I always like to use something that holds a meaning and is special to me beyond just being a trendy piece of décor. This fit the bill.

I knew I wanted this to keep a somewhat modern vibe. Using vintage plates meant that I was going to have to use something with clean lines to offset the romantic florals and again fight against this feeling like a girly tea party. I pulled out my modern gold flatware – which looked great with the gold trim on the plates, layered the smaller plates with sleek stoneware ones underneath and added glassware. The napkin was a struggle. I didn’t want to use a cliché pink or red option but honestly wasn’t sure what else might work. I was thinking about my blue-ish wall and contemplating color densities and unsure of it all together. I pulled out these mustard ones quite my accident and was pleasantly surprised. They worked with the gold and drew attention to some of the warmer, more amber hues in the flowers. They seemed unexpected and modern and I love them.

My last task was making something for the wall. I imagined that I was creating a dinner party with a little bar setup and wanted a heart shaped something. The idea of a wreath was on my mind but I wasn’t sure I could create something that wasn’t tacky. I’m really not a fan of heart shaped objects. They feel a little too girly girl. I’m feminine and love flowers, but heart shaped items take things a little too far for my liking. After a little foraging and picking up some dried flowers and citrus from around my studio, I made a wreath. Fastened some Adorn silk ribbons to it and gave it my final nod of approval. Heart shaped, not totally cheesy.

Ta dah! Date night. Dinner party. Galentine’s. Whatever your occasion this week, here’s some inspiration. And if you happen to be ordering (or receiving) flowers from me this week, they’ll be in this same color palette so incorporating them into your Friday night celebration should be easy.

A Modern Fall Tablescape (that you can put together in less than 5 minutes)

1 · Oct 30, 2019 ·

I’ve been loving a more minimal approach to design lately. Whether it be one element repeated over and over or a really simplified pattern – I just find myself drawn to a cleaners look. However, I don’t always feel that this is an area I excel in, I typically use a little more “fluff” when it comes to making my décor look “just right”. This one, however, nailed it for me.

This idea actually came to me while I was playing with the fern tablescape that I shared last week. I was wandering my yard looking for a little extra texture and noticed the abandoned centers of my black eyed susans. Without the cheery ring of yellow petals, they looked like little black balls bobbing in the air. Kind of modern, a little spooky.

I paired them with simple budvases, these particular ones are ceramic and I love the organic vibe of them all.

The table itself I kept the same – linens, plates, flatware, etc – and created a completely different feel with the changing of the budvases. It took me less than 5 minutes to swap it out, which makes it perfect for those last minute party needs. We’ll start by taking a look at the simplified, just autumn version, appropriate for the entire fall season.

My motto to all the fall décor this year to make it Halloween has been – add a bat to it. They’re clean (not in real life, eek!) and give a modern and less obvious approach to Halloween. A little spooky but not ghosts or ghouls, I have a strong dislike for anything creepy or too wicked, I think it should be kept a little more kid friendly and innocent.

This is probably the eeriest design that I’ve ever created, but I like it. A seriously simple way to add some Halloween flair to a centerpiece that you might already have.

Have a safe and Happy Halloween!

Fern Inspired Easy Autumn Table – With or Without Bats

0 · Oct 24, 2019 ·

Oh autumn. We all love you so. The colors of the woods melt our hearts and we all long to bring those golden tones indoors.

I find my decorating style to get simpler each year, relying more on what’s in the worlds around me than trips to the store. Leaves bring that perfect shade of mustard and rust that I crave, dried weeds adding a little warm brown and pumpkins to bring it all home with a perfectly lumpy charm.

This year, I stretched beyond those items. I had a vision growing from the roadside ditches and edge of the forest. Ferns. They’re everywhere in Northern Michigan and boast so many unusual and subtle autumn tones as well as provide a great texture.

Then, as I was roaming my garden, I had another idea too. The dried centers of my black eyed Susan’s were the perfect black and spooky pairing. So instead of one autumn tablescape this year, you get two. The problem is which to share first…

Ferns. Ferns come first.

Let’s just keep this simple. I set my table and then added in some dollar store bread dishes that I spray painted with Design Master Ubermatte spray paint in beach (not sponsered, just really awesome spray paint). I then made a chicken wire grid and taped it in, finally adding water.

For reference, the complete tablescape used about 1/2 of that bucket of ferns.

Next, I just started trimming from my bucket of ferns and placing then into the grid of chicken wire. You could easily use floral foam for this as well, but I prefer chicken wire because it’s more a sustainable option. For my table, which is about 5 feet in length, I used 3 loaf pans which when combined, made this appear almost as though it were one continuous fern garland. I placed candles as needed and tada! A super easy autumn centerpiece.

Now, to take this one step further and add a little Halloween vibe, I cut out a few bats from black construction paper and tucked them in. I added them to the place settings and intermingled there wherever needed one. The ferns have lots of little prawns (I’m not completely sure this is the official terms here) and leaves, so I didn’t need to attach bats to anything, it was as easy as just laying them in place.

I loved the way that the spooky black bats played off the sweetness of tying the napkins with a bow and how the black in both aspect made it unexpected and brought it all together – without being too over the top Halloween-y.

Fun fact, dried ferns curl up and create some amazing textures. So leave it on your table awhile, let them dry out naturally and your tablescape will morph with the season! And next week, I’ll share my minimal and modern Halloween tabletop – another great last minute decorating option!

The Studio Furniture Dilemma

1 · Aug 13, 2019 ·

I fall into this trap when I look at other businesses, the trap of thinking that if they go silent on social media, they aren’t constantly bombarding us with emails and information overload, then they must be stagnant. They must not be doing anything. If my friends aren’t posting status updates that not much must be happening in life. Things are boring.

This is such a ridiculous assumption on my part. Because I first hand know how completely untrue this is. When you’re quiet, that’s often when the greatest leaps are being made. That’s when the busy is happening and so much life is going on around us – we’re soaking in so many sweet moments – that there just isn’t time for a status update. Our position is growing, it’s golden and definitely worth sharing but I have a desire to keep it all to myself. Treasure it in my heart.

Basically that was just two paragraphs worth of jumble to say that I’m still here. I know I have not been active much on Instagram and I haven’t shared a journal update in months but we’re having an amazing summer. And I’ve been spending my spare moments wisely, escaping to the beach or savoring moments with friends on the front porch.

Lots of work has been happening too. We’re in the middle of wedding season. And the studio renovation. Those two things weren’t necessarily supposed to be happening hand in hand, but the timeline got a little messy and here we are. I’m flowering around dust and ladders. This finish line is near though…. So near.

Remember what seemed not so long ago when I shared my last studio space inspiration? I never even completed it to its fullest potential before we moved. I reupholstered furniture, bought new things and organized myself – all to just pack it up again. On a positive note, this studio that I now have is bigger and way better than the last, so upgrading feels good. But it’s also brought on its own set of challenges and workload.

We’re finally to the pretty part though. The part where I’ve picked light figures (they’re installed!) found a massive oversized mirror (we’re supposed to get it next week!) and am now picking out the perfect furnishings (because it would have been way too easy if the furniture from my last place would have fit perfectly into my new space – oh well).

This is where my head turns to mush. I cannot decide what direction to go. I love country French items, I love shabby and chippy antiques and I love ornate, gold gilded and hand carved pieces. But lately, I’ve been really drawn to the some of the cleaner lines of the mid-century inspired pieces. I think maybe I want have something bold that might pop in the space but then I crawl back to safety realizing that I get tired of things easy, so perhaps neutral is better because I can easily add a pop of color with a pillow or funky wall paint. And I’m just not sure that some of the mid-century pieces will stand the test of time in my mind. I really want something that feel subdued, relaxing and organic and won’t clash with every flower order I get in the space. See the dilemma?

Here’s the overall color palette that I have in mind. Mostly soft tones, again because I can’t have colors clashing with flower orders because that just reads confusion in my head when I’m trying to put together a wedding design.

I’ve narrowed it down to basically 3 different options. The rug, lights and mirrors are all purchased, paid for and staying. The cabinets are painted the olive, grey/green color in the swatch (Rare Grey) and the walls will remain white (Rare Grey and Silvermist by Sherwin Williams are the studio cabinet & door accent colors – the two square randomly floating in the pictures). So without further ado, here are my options:

1. Buffalo Check Chairs

Buffalo check always catches my eye. I found a pair of small chairs at Homegoods and envision pairing them with a classic loveseat.

Buffalo Check Chairs | Chesterfield Love Seat | Maia Coffee Table

pieces I already own: Marble side tables | Rug | Chandeliers | there’s not a shopable link for the mirror but it was purchase at HomeWorks Interiors in Traverse City, Mi

2. Modern Cane Back Chairs

I keep coming back to these chairs. They’re been in my cart for over a month. I’m still a little hung up on a chesterfield style sofa with this look, just to balance the moderness of the chairs. Overall I need chairs that don’t take up too large of a footprint and these might just fit that bill.

Cane Back Chairs | Haiden Chesterfield Loveseat | Maia Coffee Table

3. Velvet Settee and French Country Chairs

I’m slightly obsessed with velvet. I’m not totally sure how practical it is for a floral studio – but this is just the client meeting area, so it should kind of stay somewhat clean. These chairs, they are completely French Country and hit the mark. But they’re taller backs than the other so I’m concened they could visually take up too much space. But I do love them.

Huffington Velvet Settee | McKenna Accent Chair | Rustic Oak Coffee Table

4. Modern Velvet Settee

I lied, I have one more idea. This one is ultra modern and a little out of my comfort zone. But I love the color and again, it’s velvet.

Seafoam Velvet Settee | Cane Back Chairs | Maia Coffee Table

If you need more clarification on the exact look I’m going for – check out The Linen Rabbit on Instagram – her entire feed is so dreamy and perfect, the soft and timeless vibe I want for my life. Or DeVOL Kitchens. I know, I’m not decorating a kitchen but I love their use of color without it feeling overwhelming. Plus that European vibe is perfect. So imagine either of those spaces, mixed with a little garden shed and buckets of beautiful blooms. And that my friends is that’s my dream studio space.

Do you have a favorite? Or would you mix something up with the proposed pieces?

Shoppable links are for your benefit but not actually affiliates, just pieces that I’ve found and loved.

An October Tabletop

0 · Oct 26, 2018 ·

Northern Michigan is an area of woodsy log homes and beachside cottages. I’ve been scanning some of the local boutiques and looking at the décor, the colors and functionality and overall design style of it all. Its design that seems to celebrate two entirely different ends of the spectrum. I’m watching the lake houses become winterized and boarded up and the cabins are waiting for the first real snow of the season. The pace is slowing from the busy summer season as anticipation for the deep freeze begins to set in.

Browsing locally, I’m seeing two major décor trends that relate back to those home designs/styles. Not surprisingly, there’s a ton of blue and all of its’ complimentary shades. Cheery tones of aqua, navy, turquoise, indigo, sapphire, royal blue, cobalt, teal, periwinkle, etc are around every corner. You’ll find masses of beach and boat inspired paintings, drawings and various other nick knacks. It’s predominately the way of life up here as the summer tourist season rolls around.

On the flip side, we also need to peak into those woodsy little cabins filled with their stone fireplaces, rustic appeal and log furniture. There’s an abundance of carved bears, red buffalo check and black bear inspired décor that seems to be trending, even more so this time of year. Wildlife is celebrated and abundant.

But right now it’s fall. And I’m here in a new home with my own style but its own color palette. The dining room is a buttery yellow and my furniture and décor is shades of grey and smoky blue. Color is abundant outside and since it’s only been a month since we moved in, I’m still trying to make sense of it all.

I had to play. What do the warm shades of autumn look like against last season’s blues? Someone told me that blue is a color only acceptable in summer décor but I wanted to break that rule. I wanted to see what leftover blush blooms might look like paired with autumn leaves and summer’s melamine dishes. Do we have to bring plaid out in the fall? It’s a pattern I adore but I don’t want to feel outcast if I don’t incorporate it. I wanted to challenge of this and just make something pretty with things I had laying around my house.

And we can’t forget my cute little assistant 😉

All items were sourced from around my house, so I don’t have many shopable links. The tablecloth is actually a throw blanket from HomeGoods (which is a really fun design hack if you can’t find a cool table throw), the china and silverware is vintage and the melamine salad plates were from Meijer (but not listed online).

“Before We Go” Home Tour

3 · Sep 18, 2018 ·

I decorate and rearrange items in our home constantly. While the changing season are always a great excuse for a fresh start, I also find myself updating decor pieces just because. As such, I never feel like I’ve finished a space. There’s always another project to tackle. I like to live in a room before deciding if it needs long sheer curtains, a bold accent wall or any other extra special touches.

I haven’t felt like I’ve finished leaving my mark on this house. I still wanted to update the bathroom and add a little more charm to the guest room, I dreamed of new gold hardware in the kitchen (it looks amazing against the dark chocolate cabinets!), and a vintage armoire to hide our tv. However, we’ve moving on.

Today I’m sharing just a quick tour of what the house looked like when we moved in, and when we put it back on the market this summer. There weren’t any major renovations as the people before us had tackled most of that, but we still added our own personality and made it our own.

Just a refresher on the story of our house, it was a forclosure and the people that we had purchased it from, purchased it with the sole intentions of flipping it. I found this old picture of what it looked like previously and it was scary.

They gave it lots of love and it looked like the picture below when we purchased it.

And now, with all the trees and landscaping she’s pretty cute… not the charming little cottage I’ve always dreamed of but we’re still proud to call her home.

The Living Room & Dining Room

Moving inside, as you walk through the front door you immediately step into our combination living and dining room. We painted the walls, painted the mantel and the tile surrounding the fireplace and swapped out the light fixture over the dining room table.

Before:

After:

The Kitchen

This kitchen isn’t the white painted farmhouse kitchen that I’ve always wanted, but its nice and functional. Eventually I would have added brass hardware and a gold faucet. I was trying to convince my husband that we needed to swap out the standard sink for a big white apron front one, a battle I was loosing.

Before:

After:

The Master Bedroom & Office

This next space is the biggest change. When we purchased this house, there was a long bonus room that ran the entire length of our house. It was fairly awkward and we weren’t sure what to use it for. Then I had an idea, it would be an amazing master bedroom and also give us a 3rd bedroom on our main floor. When we purchased the house, 2 of the bedrooms were in the basement and while I didn’t think that would bother me, it did. I didn’t like having a nursery in the basement and I didn’t want to sleep down there either. So this was the perfect soluation. We added a wall to give some division as well as a place to add a closet. Then one half of the room was utilized as the most amazing master bedroom and the other became an office/sunroom.

Before:

After (the Sunroom/Office Space):

After (the Master Bedroom):

Gretta & Willa June’s Room

The girls’ bedroom was intended to be the house’s master bedroom. But I don’t always like to use things for their intended purposes, so we painted and added some girly touches and made it perfect for them.

Before:

After:

The Basement

In the basement, we replace all of the carpeting with whitewashed, wood-look flooring. We needed it to function as both a living space as well as a work space and carpeting would not allow that to happen. We transformed it into my floral studio, while keeping it a welcoming spot to relax and hang out. I never fully finished my floral studio setup exactly the way I envisioned, but there’s always hope for the next place.

Before:

After:

We’re still waiting on answers in regards to when our actual move will happen, and using paper plates and sitting on boxes. Life is glamorous right now!

Farmhouse Bedroom

1 · Jul 20, 2018 ·

I love our bedroom. It’s hands down my favorite room in our house, although it took quite a bit of convincing to show my husband the potential this room had. If you were following along in my stories earlier this week, I shared a before photo of this space. It was long and narrow and brown. Now it’s cozy and fresh and we spend more time here than any other spot in our home. It’s our little retreat at the end of the day.

Our house was built in the 1950s and doesn’t really have a defined decor style. The only thing orginal left in our home are the hardwood floors in the living room and the fieldstone chimney on the outside. Everything else has been “improved upon” throughout the years.

I love a cottage style and find chippy, farmhouse inspired decor very appealing. However, I never felt I could fully embrace this in our home and the kitchen was very modern, the bathroom is modern traditional, and the overall area that we live in is very rustic in a less purposeful way.

But when it came to our bedroom, I just went for it. The ceilings where when we moved in. We took this long narrow room and devided it in half, creating an office/sunroom on one side and a dreamy master bedroom on the other. We used a lot of what was already in the room, keeping the carpet, window trim and exisisting doors. We added the closet into the wall that we created, but didn’t take it all the way up to the ceiling and left the top open to allow extra light from the skylights to seep in, making it a bit easier to find your clothes.

The chandelier is what really made me fall in love with this space. We lived in it complete and put together for awhile before we made that addition. The ceiling fan that the previous owners had placed there was not doing this room any favors but it was a tricky bargain. Eventually my design eye won and with the help of my mother, my husband bought me the antique chandelier that now hangs above our bed for my birthday. He’s a keeper.

I wanted to help you recreate this look but as I began to really look around this room, I realized my stuff is really old! The only item that is still currently availible is the Pottery Barn Quilt that I have. Everything else was either vintage, thrifted or off our wedding registry (from 8 years ago!)

So I found as similar as I could of items and linked them here, you could create an updated version of this room. Some of the items I really like better than what I actually have. If you like, you can think of this plan as how I’d create this room if I were starting fresh with buying everything today.

1.Kirklands Desert Woodgrain Table Lamp | 2. Jenny Lind Grey Bed from Crate & Barrel | 3. Rosdorf Park 4 Drawer Chest | 4. Antique Brass Chandlier | 5. Floral Thrown Pillow | 6. Simpy Shabby Chic Euro Pillow Shams from Target | 7. Pottery Barn Tencil Quilt in Grey Mist (mine is a king, even though I have a queen bed for the extra drape) | 8. Grey Floral Sheets | 9. Pottery Barn Natural Linen Bed Skirt | 10. Garnet Hill Ticking Stripe Cotton Blanket

These are not affiliate links but most items are from the same stores I purchased mine from (unless of course they’re vintage items), just updated versions. The paint colors in my room are all Sherwin Williams Colors, listed below.

Farmhouse Dreams

0 · Jul 16, 2018 ·

Anyone who knows me knows my love of all things vintage, shabby, cottagy, classic and old. I’ve come to adore living in the country and while I had dreams when we moved to Big Rapids of finding a distressed little old farm house that just needed a little love, that was not in the cards. I never found my diamond in the rough and as antique of a house that I could find (that wasn’t in town or that was within our budget) was a little 1950s ranch. We’ve lived here 2 1/2 years and have made this house our home. We love the property and I’ve gotten over the fact that we have modern espresso cabinets and an electric fireplace, redecorating and making this place our own.

Sometimes we have to wait for the things we pray for. While there are instances where dreams may never come a reality, I’m hoping that this is not one of them. We have purchased a little farmhouse! I could possibly be jinxing all of this by sharing my exciting new before we close but it’s really out of my hands anyway. I’m choosing to have faith that this is where we’re supposed to be and if we truly are headed in the wrong direction, then the doors will be closed to us.

White Farm House | TownLine Journal

Right now I’m basking in the joy of a longtime dream come true. If all goes well, we’ll soon be living in an early 20th century little home, perfectly white with charming little shutters, the orginal wood floors, a darling screened in porch and my very own (seperate!) floral studio right on the property. I cannot wait to share more about this little dream of ours soon. Until then, I need to get back to cleaning our existing house because it will soon be on the market.

Spring Citrus Tabletop

0 · Jun 15, 2018 ·

Springtime citrus. That’s what comes to mind when I see this cheery combination of blooms. I put together this centerpiece composed of a few leftover flowers I had laying around and they just felt like sherbert and sunshine. I wished I had grapefruit to add to the table or some kumquats and a tangerine, but I think these flowers still seemed to shine all on their own.

To ground the bold colors, I added these earthy green stoneware plates and a simple ivory textured runner. I pulled out my grandma’s vintage silverware and added some sleek and simple wine glasses. When you want to the flowers to be the focus, keep the other details simple. And I almost always want to focus on the flowers.

I love the delicate springtime blossoms foraged from my yard with the quirky twisting necks of the ranunculus. And real life behind the scenese means that Smelly loved these flowers too and thought she should certainly be the center of attention.

Happy Friday!!

5 Tips for Making Your House a Home

0 · Jun 1, 2018 ·

When we moved into our first house, I all was about the aesthetics. I grew up decorating, I have a design focused career so naturally that just made sense. I wanted our house to be pretty above all else. Fast forward (almost) 8 years into marriage and while my career and love of design haven’t changed, my approach has. When we moved to this house, I still wanted a place that was pleasing to the eye, because for me, that’s home. That’s what comfortable and my normal. However, I wasn’t as eager to push function aside. We now have 2 kids, a dog and a cat, plus my husband and myself sharing a space, and living is the primary function of home.

Throughout my various stages of life (from renting to home ownership and the many places in between) these are the lessons I’ve learned and what I consider to be the best ways to make your house feel like more than just a house, but your home.

Make it comfortable.

Both for you and your guests. But mainly you. You’re going to be there every single day. Make sure it’s someplace that you want to hang out. Everyone’s idea and version of comfortable is a little different, I have borderline OCD friends that can’t handle seeing a pair of shoes in the entryway, because it makes them uncomfortable, so tidy is the word for them. For others, it would be strange to walk into their room and not see a rack full of clothing in the center of their room. It’s whatever makes you comfortable in a space.

Make it cozy.

When I’m at home, I want to sink in and relax, at least in theory. I like lots of texture, softness and inviting nooks. Adding a throw or pillow to a chair might just add the right amount of extra appeal, as its begs your to come and snuggle in. Lighting and ambiance also play into this. Candles and lamps are huge in softening up a space and are more inviting than overhead lighting. I personally don’t like a space to feel sterile, I want my family and guests to feel like they could live in this space – because they do.

Design functionally.

It has to make sense for the way you live. This relates to furniture and décor placement, how you stock your cupboards, what’s sitting on your open shelving, etc. It also pertains to the more permanent parts of the home too. We ripped out the carpet that was in front of our garage door entrance because that simply didn’t work for us. Hardwood floors or tile are great if you have pets and kids. Wood siding is not a smart chose if you live in an area highly populated by wood peckers or if you never want to paint your house again. If you don’t like to dust, don’t fill your house with dark wood cabinets or furniture because the dust WILL show. Steer away from putting furniture in pathways or narrow hallways, even if it looks cute. If it doesn’t function correctly then it’s just clutter.

Infuse personality.

Just because neutrals taking over the design world and Pottery Barn magazines doesn’t mean you should ignore your love of color. There are stylish ways to make the space still feel like YOU live there (and not some stranger from a magazine). Add personal items and things that let your personality shine. If you a bold, expressive and gregarious person, I’d be surprised to walk into your home and find it serene and neutral. You do you, regardless of the trends.

Decorate with things you love.

This is related to the previous point. But I find I have an attachment to certain items, if it doesn’t bring my joy then I don’t display it. I like furniture that shares a story, rather than just something cute that I found at a basic furniture store. Our bed was a wedding gift from my grandparents. Our armoire used to be my grandpa’s. Gretta’s bed was my aunt’s and she gave it to me while I was in college, now its Gretta’s. Our living room chairs were my great uncles. Our dining room table was a Craigslist find that hubby refinished and painted. I have portraits of my grandma, pictures of my girls and other personal mementos throughout our home. The pieces without a story are still nice, but they might not stick around for the long haul.

A house is merely a building. Everyone needs a place to live. But a home is where I want to watch my family grow. It’s a place for laughter and togetherness. This is where we all come together and experience what being a family is all about.

Leelanau Lake House

0 · May 11, 2018 ·

In 1985 my grandparents bought a tiny cottage on lake Leelanau (you can read about their spontaneous adventure here), which coincidentally was the same year I was born. That was the start of my forever ties to Leelanau.

Time as moved forward, as it so often does. They have since left this world, leaving behind a place of nostalgia. A home that has been filled with laughter, joy, uncountable family gatherings, bonfires by the water, unfruitful fishing trips, sandy toes, wet beach towels, winter blizzards, root beer floats, raspberry bushes, and a whole slew of other memories. This list could go on for hours. When my grandparents passed, I thought those memories would leave as well. I thought that summer might just cease to exist. It was more than just a peninsula and region that I loved visiting, it was home. While I could certainly pack my bags and stay at a hotel for a little summer get away, it just wouldn’t be the same.

Photography: Samantha James Photography

Fortunately, my parents were able to keep the dream alive. They are now living in my grandparents dream cottage. But along with it came the outdated burgundy and blue wallpaper, the tacky laminate floors, the original 1970s paneling, years of additions onto the original home which left for an inconsistent flow and a bathroom that was once a closet. Yes, this place is anyone’s dream house. Classy.

It’s become a labor of love. And while I, myself, haven’t exactly been the one laboring, I have been extremely involved in the overall design of the improvements to the space. The master bedroom has been completely redone with hardwood flooring, a walk in closet and a full bathroom with laundry. The guest bath has also received an unrecognizable face lift. The guest room proudly boasts fresh white paint, a gorgeous chandelier and beautiful hardwoods as well. And the icing on the cake is the brand new kitchen, which is about 85% finished and I get to see for the first time this weekend. I haven’t been there since they unveiled the original gold linoleum floors and toile(ish) paneling that were buried beneath piles of ‘improvements” through the years.

I’d love the think that this home will be our family for generations to come, but who really knows what the future really holds? Either way, we’re going to love it while we have it.

PS – I will share some pictures soon and I know it’s annoying that there aren’t any in this post, but I just don’t have them yet. However, you can follow along on Instagram and I just created a highlight in my stories catching you up on all the goodness. Stay tuned!

Window Peeking at Point Oneida

1 · Apr 16, 2018 ·

Old houses make me weak in the knees. One of my biggest dreams is to live in a historic home. I want to fix one up, make it beautiful again and as if time hasn’t touch the place. Modern day houses just don’t get me excited the way old ones do. And when I say old, I really mean anything built in the 1930s and earlier. We cut too many corners now, nothing is made by hand and I don’t believe that newer is better.

Old businesses and buildings, they make me feel the same way. I have an unexplainable fascination and there’s something about the history and wanting to preserve time that gets me all tingly inside.

Last spring, I read an article about one of the old buildings in the Port Oneida historic area. Port Oneida is part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes and while Leelanau is practically my second home, I really didn’t know much about this particular area and all of its history. So naturally I was entranced by this article, especially as it detailed one building in particular that has sat empty since the 1970s and is just looking for someone to come and restore her. The Sleep Bear Inn. Built in 1857 and now it just sits there, completely underappreciated. Project estimates are around $1.4 million, and real costs would probably be even higher to do it right – keeping all the original goodness in place and not destroying to integrity of the space with modern upgrades (which would totally break my heart!)

After reading the article, I had to go snoop around this property for myself. Not that I have $1.4 million or anything but I still have a curious mind and needed to see the building. We started doing a little window peeking. My husband – who is naturally inquisitive and could strike up a conversation with a wall – found a random park ranger and started up a little conversation. One thing lead to another and we were offered a private tour of the building.

I cannot even put into words what it was like entering this space. I have no idea how someone can just leave a magnificent building like this to just sit in despair. It was like taking a step back in time.

The kitchen is breathtaking. There are so many windows with full views of Lake Michigan. Long country style sinks and butcher block countertops. In the 1960s, the health department said they needed have a dishwasher to stay up to code – but it was never actually installed, it was just sitting there in the room so they could say that had one.

Moving on to the dining room, there is grand two sided fireplace that kept diners toasty as the enjoyed their meal, with the other side gracing the front entrance, warming guests as the entered from the cold Lake Michigan air. Layers of peeling wallpaper reveal a rich history.

In the 1920s, the porch was enclosed to create more gathering areas. The original hardwood floors are intact throughout and bead board is abundant.

For some reason I didn’t take any pictures of the upstairs, but it is just as charming. Quaint little rooms welcomed travelers with leaver doors and miniature sinks in each room. The rooms are about half the size of one of our current bedrooms and yet sailors and lumberjacks frequented the “lower class” rooms, often staying 3-4 guests per room. With a literal step up, the north side of the upper level was where the more predominate citizens of the day would stay, with the room size being larger and the accommodations having nicer furnishings. While none of the original fixtures still exist in the space, I still have a hard time imaging staying in such a small area. I find it hard to believe that anything more than a single bed ever fit into any of the rooms, except the owner’s suite, which is more comparable to a modern day bedroom in size.

Since 2013, the National Park Service has been accepting proposals on reuse opportunities. All I know is that as of last summer, none had been accepted and the space is still vacant, just waiting for someone to love it again.

Greenery Wall Garland Tutorial

3 · Apr 10, 2018 ·

I have an empty wall behind our dining table. It’s a big white blank canvas and after 2 years of living here, I still can’t commit to hanging things there. Sometimes I just love the clean slate. However, this spring for the very first time I decided to add just a touch of decor in this space. Spring was calling and I wanted to bring the outdoors in.

This was a project that combined some of my wedding floral techniques with a little interior design flare. It was a really simple project and I only have to tiny nail holes in my walls, easy to patch up or ignore when I decide to take it down and move onto the next project.

Items you’ll need:

Chicken wire
Wire cutters
Nails (or Command hooks) for attaching the chicken wire to the wall
Twigs or Grapevine (I used a mix of grapevine and pussy willows foraged from my yard)
Flowers/Greenery (I used 1 bunch of real wax flower and these faux plants from Hobby Lobby)
Wire for any stubborn stems

Using your wire cutters, cut a thin strip of chicken wire. Mine was about 3 inches wide and 6 feet long.

Next, loosely stretch out the chicken wire and attach it to the wall. Make sure it’s not too tight against the wall or you’ll struggle to weave the twigs and greens through the holes.

Begin tucking the grapevines and twigs into the chicken wire. You may need to wire any stubborn pieces into place but for the most part they should be fairly easy to weave through the holes of the chicken wire.

Once you have a layer of twigs in place, begin adding your greens or flowers. I used wax flower, which was a live plant and let it dry out naturally in the arrangment and then added a few more faux greens. Baby’s breath would be a great alternative if you’re looking for a small white blossom that will dry naturally or you could use all artifical product. These queen anne’s lace are a really beautiful option.

Make it as lush or airy as you like. You could even use a premade garland as a base and then add twigs or grapevine into it, which would make the project even more simple.

I’d love to see your versions of wall garlands (or even table garlands, mantle garlands… the options are endless!)

Our Real Easter

0 · Apr 3, 2018 ·

I’m still soaking in the weekend vibes. It know its Tuesday already, but Gretta doesn’t have school on Mondays which makes it all too easy to make it a weekend bonus day. Today feels like my Monday, but in a really good way. I think it’s so cliché when people say my “heart is so full” but honestly right now I can’t think of another way to put it. Easter has always been a really important holiday in my world, but this year it just hit me differently – the magnitude of what we’re really celebrating, how lucky I am to have the family I have in my life and again back to the fact that if Easter didn’t exist, nothing in this life would really matter. We’d be hopeless.

When talking about missions, I once had a pastor who shared the importance of kindness and serving others, planning mission trips and helping the needy, etc. But he said if we’re not also sharing the word of God, then we’re just sending them to hell with a full stomach.

As much as I love entertaining and decorating my life, if I’m not sharing the mission and heart behind it, perhaps I’m just sending people to hell with a bouquet of pretty blooms in their hands – figuratively speaking of course. Perhaps dramatic, it’s a thought that I circle back to every now and then as his words seem to echo back to me from time to time.

Last week I shared a table inspiration that I put together for the Easter holiday. On Sunday, there were 11 of us gathered in our space. While it was a relatively small gathering, 11 people can’t always sit around one table and I always wonder what other designers “real” life tables really look like. Its easy to stage a space but how does that actually translate into real life? There are kids spilling, jelly bean stains mismatched chairs and extra card tables all around my house. We were frantically trying to get primped and curled Sunday morning, hustling out the door and barely pausing the snap a quick picture. Upon return home, there were dinners to prepare and Easter eggs to hunt for. You can’t possibly make this all glamorous, right?

It may not be glamorous, but it’s real. This is life and it’s the same for all of us. There’s no such thing as perfection, to achive it, one must shift their point of view, making all the perfectly imperfect moments perfection.

You know what’s not pictured around this table? The people. The people and the smiles and the love that sat around this table. I didn’t pull out my camera as we cut into our homemade cinnamon rolls or as my dad ate his 7^th deviled egg because sometimes you just need to live in the moment and soak it all in.

Easter Tablescape

1 · Mar 29, 2018 ·

It’s holy week – the week between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. We’re preparing for a home full of company and I took the opportunity to play with a mock Easter tablescape. This was done a couple weeks ago, in preparation for the real deal – which will undoubtedly be filled with a few less frills (think kids throwing Easter eggs on the floor, dad’s getting grumpy because there are sticks on the table and candles that need to be replaced by platters of food). But it was still designed to bring inspiration and I will use pieces from it when Easter Sunday rolls around.

When I think of Easter, I like to imagine spring colors, seersucker dresses, white hats and daffodils blooming in the yard. Today, there is still snow in the grass. It’s forecasted to be a balmy 29 degrees on Sunday and so the visions are quickly swiped away, welcome to Michigan. However, that’s not going to stop me for sourcing local product for my designs, and if you follow me on Instagram (we can be friends HERE), you’ll remember my adventures of foraging pussy willows and dried grapevine all while dodging the swamp (word to the wise – foraging can be dangerous!). The pussy willow was really my starting point as it was the perfect way to bring the outdoors in, remain seasonally true and bridge the gap between spring and winter. They’re a sign of hope after a long winter and hope is what Easter is all about.

From there, I created some clusters of wax flower, which I love for their delicate white blooms and their foliage almost looks like that of an evergreen, which is the only green outside my window at the moment. This look could easily be created with baby’s breathe, blooming spring branches or even artificial blooms depending upon your location and resources. Simply soak a little wet floral foam in water and pop the blooms in place. Mine are simply sitting on clear plastic plates as I used very few fancy mechanics in this design.

For me, the art of hospitality includes sharing things that you love. Good food, good conversation and surroundings that make your guests feel special. I pulled out my grandma’s vintage silverware and designed with pussy willows, which other’s may not know the significance of but for me there’s a since of nostalgia that these bring from a happy childhood memory. It’s my subtle way of sharing something special with those who grace my home.

Grapevines were strung to the wall, with a few real and artificial blooms wove between their branches. If planning on using real flowers to create something like this, I suggest finding something that dries beautifully over time, like eucalyptus or add a little dash of white with the baby’s breath. I created this from scratch but I also love the idea of purchasing a premade garland and elegantly extending it across the wall (this one from Target would be gorgeous and you could even add in a few twigs and grapevine for extra dimension and texture).

On Sunday, homemade cinnamon rolls will be our dessert of choice. But I’ve been told that a good housewife always keeps dessert in the fridge, just in case unexpected guests should arrive. In my case, I happen to have a lovely white cake in the freezer which I pulled out for this project, but I’m not sure I would actually serve it to any of my guests, as it’s almost a year old, but it sure photographed pretty. My friend Kellie (who took these beautiful pictures for me) laughed as I told her that I just happened to have a cake on hand, but it’s really is just the sort of crazy thing that I might have laying around my house. Perks of being a wedding planner.

These little eggs placed on each napkins, they’d be adorable placecards. I can imagine beautiful gold calligraphy here (however, my skills are lacking).

I wish you all a very happy Easter, I would love to hear about your decorating ideas and how you celebrate this holy holiday!

6 of My Favorite Ceramic Finds

0 · Jan 31, 2018 ·

I used to do nearly all of my shopping in person. I like to touch and feel and I like the experience of actually visiting a store. Places like TJ Maxx, Homegoods and my favorite thrift and antique stores are my most shopped places – all places where online shopping isn’t really a possibility.

However, our recent relocation has changed a lot of that. Amazon Prime is my best friend and I rely so much more on the advice of other shoppers, instagramers and bloggers to find hidden online treasures. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely take advantage of any time I get to make an actual, real life Homegoods or Target run but those trips are few and far between.

I wanted to share a few of the home décor items I’ve been crushing on, via the internet and shopping vicariously through other people. While if I had to top choice of décor styles and were to start redecorating my life all over again, I would say that French Country is probably my favorite and at the top of my stylistic list. But that being said, I’m very picky and I believe that it has to be done “right” and I really only like it in the perfect setting – a quaint little French style home in the country. That does not even come close to describing my house.

I also love all of the farmhouse and cottage décor that seems to be all the rage at the moment. But again, sometimes I struggle with seeing farmhouse décor in a non-farmhouse setting. That’s not a blanket statement to say that anyone living in the city cannot pull off that style, but it’s tricky. I like things to feel authentic and as if they belong.

All that being said, we do live in the country and so I feel like I have the right to incorporate some rustic and country inspired finds. I also am loving so much of the minimalistic style choices that I’ve seen lately and love things that are crafted by an artists’ own two hands. My goal in our current home is to combine the items that I love, in a style that fits our home and family, decorating while also keeping thing functional and not overly cluttered but still layered an inviting and cozy. That all makes sense, right?

Continuing on with the purpose of this post was to share a few of my favorite finds lately. And lately my crush has been on pottery and ceramics. I’m trying to get more of my brides to incorporate them into their centerpieces, but without much avail. However, I’m still going to pursue this and at least share the ones that I think you should add to your home. From big box stores to handmade pieces, these are some of my favorite finds – which also go with so many décor styles – farmhouse, modern and minimalistic, boho and even more traditional vibes.

1.The White Hearth

I follow their work on Instagram and I’m so in love with the simplicity and the mark of a true artist. Admittedly, I have not held any of their pieces in my hands but I would absolutely love to. Pottery always reminds my of my grandma, she loved chunky, blue and green pottery and stoneware pieces and often we shopped for it together. So perhaps I love this so much because of the since of nostalgia it brings but somehow I don’t think that it. I mean just look at this butter dish, the perfectly imperfect blue green vase or this adorable gold rimmed ring dish. How can you not love it all??

Image via The White Hearth Instagram

2. Rico Terre

Maybe it’s just because I love flowers and have a little obsession with flower frogs, but I think everyone should have these little bowls in their homes. For some reason, I envision the little worm from Sesame Street (you know, Oscar’s little pet) making a home in one of these little holes and weaving himself through, head and tale popping out opposite sides. I also love their sleek terra cotta taper candle holders, which are each handmade on a potter’s wheel, and would absolutely love to own a set.

Image via Rico Terra

3. Pottery Barn Bowls

Yes, I’m skipping along to a big box store. But who doesn’t love Pottery Barn??? That is one of my centerpieces pictured below in a Pottery Barn bowl, because I will and do think outside of the box and am certainly not opposed to putting flowers in a cereal bowl. I’ve been watching for them to go on sale because I want to buy more and recreate this look again. And as I happen to be writing this post and looking up this particular product, they just happen to be $10 off. Temptation, tempation…

Photography: Samantha James Photography

4. World Market Budvases

They’re lumpy and quirky and I have lots of them which I’ll be using this summer wedding season. I am smitten with these vases. I used them in my personal winter decor with simple sprigs of evergreen or lunaria poking out and cannot wait to use them over and over again. They come in several sizes, pair the mini ones together perfectly or cluster them all together in a larger group.

Image via World Market

5. Crate and Barrel Candle Holders

These caught my attention because of the versitility of use. They hold either a pillar candle or a taper and the tray is also wide enough to accomodate a glass hurricane or super pretty left alone, if you’re comfortable with having an open flame. This have been added to my rental collection and I cannot wait to use them in my first wedding of the season, and I’m sure they’ll make an appearance in my home decor as well.

Image via Crate & Barrel

6. D:Ceramics

I was introduced to these beauties when I was at the Tinge Floral Workshop last spring and they’ve been stuck in my mind ever since. In a word, they’re striking. The color is subtle yet statement worthy and they’re gorgeous in an arrangement or on their own. I loved the silky and luxurious, matte finish. There are so many shapes and sizes to choose from. You should probably check out their website and stocklist so you can add some hand crafted pieces to your collection.

Photography by Ciara Richardson Photography from Color Theory Workshop Park City

What other ceramic pieces are you loving right now? I’m always intersted in finding new art to add into both my home and event decor.

DIY Holiday Garland

0 · Dec 20, 2017 ·

I haven’t had a wedding since the end of September. I didn’t tackle any professional holiday decorating projects this year {did you know that I offer holiday décor services and have several restaurants and other home décor projects on my resume?}. I finished my Christmas shopping before December 1^st. All of this should have added up to loads of free time. I thought I would have the most relaxed December and I would fill my time doing holiday décor tutorials, creating wreaths, making cookies for acquaintances and writing lots of holiday cards.

Honestly, I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I don’t know what I’ve done with my time, but I’ve been busy. My house is very fully decorated and I love it this year, we hosted our first ever holiday party here (which means we’ve finally made a few friends after 1 ½ of living in a new town!) and I really have enjoyed the holidays so far, they just haven’t gone as I originally planned.

But I do have one tutorial to share with you, in case you’re stuck and still preparing your home for the pending holiday this weekend. This is one of my go-to cheats, because even as a professional florist, I hate making garlands. So basically, I like to buy someone else’s flimsy and cheap looking one to use as a base and then beef it up a little, adding my own flare.

For this project you’ll need a base garland. I used a simple white pine one from Sam’s Club (I think they’re on clearance for $4 right now). You could also use an artificial one. I personally though, love fresh greens throughout my house and incorporate as many living and natural elements as possible.

You’ll also need two other types of greenery. I used cedar which I clipped from my yard and eucalyptus which you can purchase often from a grocery store or Trader Joes this time of year, if you don’t have a florist or floral supplier to purchase it from.

I like the overall texture and dimension using a total of 3 different greenery types adds. You certainly could add just one other evergreen variety or multiple as well.

This was my mantel before. It was pretty, but seemed a little boring and I wanted to add a layer of cozy to the space.

Since I wanted to hang the garland on the front of the mantel instead of laying it across the top, I put a couple of nails into the very back of the mantel and attached the garland to fishing line which I secured around the nails. I’m not going to notice those 2 nail holes in the top back of my mantel once winter is gone, but if that bothers you, considering using heavy duty Command hooks or something similar.

Once my nails were in place, I fastened the white pine garland in place. It looked ridiculous, with needles flopping every which way and it was sparse. I had to suffer through it for a few minutes.

Then because it gets dark so early and my living room is one of darkness’ worst victims, I knew I wanted to add in some twinkle lights. I strung them along the same path as the white pine garland, technically they’re in front of the garland, I didn’t really take much care into weaving them in to camouflage the cords as I figured they’d be mostly hidden in the end anyway.

There were just a couple pieces of white pine that were flopping a little too wildly for me, so I did take the time to wire it (or you could use zip ties) to a friendly branch nearby, especially on the side where the pine boughs were facing up and going against gravity.

Once I had the overall shape and drape that I wanted, I started tucking cedar boughs into the pine. In most places, the wiring from the pine garland was tight enough that I could just jab it in and didn’t need to add another method to securing it. But if you have a heavy piece that won’t stick, you might need to secure it with wire or zip ties.

The cedar added a ton of volume and filled in the gaps left by the white pine. At this point I couldn’t see the wires from the Christmas lights either. I did cut my cedar from my yard, but if I were purchasing greens from the grocery store, I would say I used about 2 bunches worth to fill it in. I also focused more on the top since I knew my chairs that sit in front of the mantel would be covering the bottom portion.

Finally, I tucked in the eucalyptus. I used baby blue eucalyptus simply because it’s what I had on hand, but any type dries naturally really pretty and adds another texture and color to the garland. Again, I mainly just tucked it into the existing wiring and only had to secure a couple stubborn pieces. If you’re using artificial garland I highly recommend using this method because it makes pulling the live pieces out at the end of the season so much easier. However, it your garland will be in a high traffic area and runs the risk of being touched a lot, you might want to invest in a few green zip ties to hold everything in place.

Then I added a couple silk ribbons to the corners just to finish it all off and plugged in the lights.

You can also watch the entire story of me making this over on The Day’s Dream Blog’s Instagram page.

Paint Brushes in the Fridge

0 · Oct 11, 2017 ·

Autumn is the time of year for gearing up and slowing down, all at the same time. I find myself unwinding from summer’s busy wedding season and trips to the beach, I finally unpacked our suitcases and feel like I can sit back and take in a deep breath of cool crisp air. But on the other hand, suddenly we’re found on a schedule with school, dance classes, work and my self-imposed ridiculously long to-do list that I put off all summer, plus the holidays are right around the corner.

March 2016, we moved into this house and have now lived here a year and a half. I promised myself that I’d complete projects in a timelier manor than in our last house. I thought we’d live in our last house for at least 10 years or so, which mentally made me feel like I had all the time in the world to make our house a home, and get everything just how I envisioned it being. But I hated constantly feeling like I needed to explain myself when guests walked through the door and saw our kitchen’s mauve wallpaper and the bathroom’s Berber carpets. We had bought the house from an elderly lady that had lived there for 40 plus years, and in many ways, that showed. I never wanted people to think that I was settling with the house the way it was and had zero taste in home décor. I constantly felt judged due to our unfinished projects, and I realize in reality there was probably not a soul out there who thought anything of our less than perfect home but it still seemed that way in my over thinking mind.

So when we moved here, I loved that it already felt fresh. We didn’t purchase with the intensions of having to do extensive renovations and I thought it would be a quicker process of making this house ours. Within a week, I had painted Gretta’s bedroom a soft shade of blush. Within three weeks’ time, we were celebrating Willa June’s first birthday, so naturally I decided to paint the entire living room and kitchen a softened shade of alabaster and finished that at midnight the day before her party.

Every room in our house was painted the exact same shade of khaki and it’s not to my liking. While it all matches the tile and floors and it all flows together really nice, it feels a little too much like a mud hut for my preference. I love a very collected feeling home. I love layers of richness and warmth, lots of texture and I love vintage treasures. So touches like modern espresso cabinets and their sleek hardware have been a little difficult for me to adjust to but I’m coming around and learning how to make it all my own.

My goal, however, is while I understand that design is a constant evolution, I want to feel by the end of the winter that I’m living in a space that truly represents our style and works for our family and not in a house of unfinished “someday projects”. Right now, I’m mentally sorting all of this out and have several paint brushes in the fridge, because I’ve got a couple pots on the stove already. Perhaps I should focus on one at a time, but I go as far as I can on my own until I need my hubby’s expertise with the power tools, and then I move on to the next. And I think the most annoying part of any project is getting the supplies out and then cleaning them up again, hence the paint brushes in the fridge.

For anyone curious, here’s what I’m hoping (fingers crossed!) I will accomplish in our home this winter:

Update Willa June’s Bedroom

We haven’t done anything to it since moving in, and she’s about ready to switch from a crib to a big girl bed, so we’re going to do a little shuffling of the girls’ bedroom and make them sweet spaces that they will love to sleep and play in with a little woodland creature and floral theme – I can’t wait!

Finish Our Bedroom

Last winter we turned an extra living space into a master bedroom (You can read more about that here). It’s a really awesome room and it’s almost there but it’s just needed a little something extra to really bringing it home which has taken some living in it to really recognize what’s missing. I did do a little extra painting in there last night so we’ll see how that brings the progress along in the daylight hours.

Finish My Studio/Basement

I started describing this project here. This one has been tricky, we thought it would be finished months ago but halfway through we had to stop and focus on our master bedroom and progress has just been slow and hindered. However, I can happily say that I’ve seen much improvement in the last couple weeks. I have fully painted the back half, floors are finished and I’m ready for shelving and so much organization. I’ve almost made decisions on finishing touches for the front half of the space and I’m giving myself a Christmas deadline to have this completed, wish me luck.

There are more ideas floating in my mind, but for now, that’s where my focus lies. For those of you who haven’t yet caught on, I did start another Instagram account for more of these home décor type projects and more of the lifestyle behind being a work from home mom and entrepreneur. Follow along those updates here.

Fall Tabletop | The Day's Design

Here’s a little glimpse into our home and a table scape I designed last fall. Happy October!

The Day’s Design Flower Studio :: We Have Floors

0 · Aug 9, 2017 ·

An embarrassingly long time ago, I started to share a vision of what my home studio space would look like (you can reminisce with me here). We had ordered flooring, done lots of dreaming and scheming and I thought that I would begin to see the fruition of the vision. The reality of the situation is remodeling takes time. Lots of time. The floors were started back in October, and then we just hit a huge pause button. It seemed like every day we (and by we, I mean my husband) had set aside to work on laying the floors – which are the foundation of the entire project – something more pressing came up. That’s certainly not a knock against my hubby, it’s just how life works.

I’ve felt very eager and frustrated throughout this entire project. Thankfully, the partially finished project is in our basement, so for the most part I could just ignore the space and mentally pretend it didn’t exist. However, this only lasted until anther flower order came in and I was once again reminded that I don’t have a workspace.

This is not our first remodel project. We remodeled just about every touchable space in our last house, for the most part without any hired help. So one might think that I’ve come to terms with the reality of what it’s like living in an area that’s under construction. But for some reason, every time I’m able to convince myself that this project will be different. This one will be faster, go smoother, cost less, etc etc.

On top of it all, I don’t think it helps when I watch my beloved home improvements shows and they remodel and entire home in a single episode. Those expectations are so ridiculous. My biggest piece of advice as you’re redoing an area of your home, stop watching HGTV and turn off social media so you don’t have to see other people’s perfectly styled homes (even if they too are currently “under construction”. I never see ugly shop vacs and orange hammers and saw horses in other people’s posts).

Now onto the positive news, we have floors! I suppose the title might have spoiled that surprise but it’s still really exciting! My next four weeks are the busiest of my wedding season but I’m still going to try to sneak a little work on the space in as I can’t stop dreaming of the possibilities for this room. At least I can get fabric ordered for my sofa and pick a paint color, because the current shade of tan has to go.

There’s a peak at the flooring and a little color inspiration for you. Fingers crossed, it won’t be another 6 months before I can share another update.

Our Master Bedroom Retreat

0 · Jan 31, 2017 ·

The onset of slightly slower winter months means we’re finally getting around to a few home projects that have been pushed to the backburner since we moved in. While the list will inevitably go on forever and ever, I’m glad to say that we’re finally seeing signs of progress in our master bedroom.

I shared a couple quick behind the scenes in my Instagram stories over the weekend but I think I should probably explain exactly what this project entails – it goes a bit beyond a new comforter and a little paint. We moved into a three bedroom house, which is seemingly pretty perfect for a family our size. However, one of the bedrooms is in our basement, which I’m not totally thrilled about. Now it’s a really nice, finished basement and not a concrete, creepy space like so many others I’ve toured. But just the same, it separates our family and functionally just doesn’t work for us.

Sometime during our home’s 70 years of life, an addition was added to the backside. It’s sort of a sunroom/bonus room, with tons of windows and great light. It overlooks our beautiful back yard and has a ton of potential. But the long of the short is, it’s a really long long awkward room that I’ve never really found a purpose for. Until now.

We moved our bed into this gigantic room last spring, just to test out my hypothesis – which was that it would make an amazing bedroom. I finally got my husband on board and all we need to do was add in a wall to give the space some definition and that would also provide a place for a closet. After nine months of throwing my clothing on the floor, I am excited to say that I finally have a framed closet and a bedroom with a door.

And as another bonus, my husband also finally gave into my pleas to hang a chandelier over the bed, he bought me the most amazing gold and crystal chandelier for my birthday earlier this month and it just got installed this weekend as well. I can’t wait to roll up my sleeves, add a little paint to the dismal brown shade and have the most perfectly serene master bedroom that I’ve always dreamed of.

Antique Chandelier | Master Bedroom Makeover | The Day's Design

Fingers crossed I’ll have final results to share soon, but until then, here’s a glimpse at my Pinterest board which is full of my bedroom inspirations.

My Holiday Living Room Tour

0 · Dec 28, 2016 ·

I know many of you are moving full steam ahead into the new year. But I’m not there yet. I’m holding onto Christmas for a bit longer. I don’t like the idea of rushing to tear my decorations down and discard my beautiful tree. I like Christmas to linger on as long as possible.

I also find this time between Christmas and New Year incredibly peaceful. The frantic search for the perfect present and the never ending battle of wrapping is behind us. I can just sit and relax, finish up a few winter tasks and watch the girls play with their new treasures.

Decorating this year for Christmas was fun. I had a new living room which gave me a new blank canvas to create in. I have a back yard filled with an unending supply of evergreens. And finally I had a mantle of my very own, which is something I’ve been dreaming about for a long time.

I use the same Christmas ornaments for my tree every year. I love pulling each bobble out and thinking of the memory that it represents. Some belonged to relatives that have left us years ago. Some are a reminder of fun shopping trips with my mom. I have those that symbolize the years that my girls were born. And a couple that date back to a time when my husband didn’t realize what he was getting himself into and bought me a couple ornaments back when we were dating. The tree is always the center of my holiday décor.

This year I resurrected a few pieces from my Snow Village. I used to setup up an entire scene complete with mountains of snow. I’m not ready to recreate the entire Department 56 in my house like I used to, but many of this pieces were gifted to me by my grandma and it’s fun to get them out.

And when it comes to greenery, I’m always a fan. I love how adding a couple sprigs can add just the slightest touch of holiday charm to your existing décor.

I’m more than happy to share sources for anything shown in this post however there are too many items collected throughout the years to list them all here, comment below or email me at hello@eventsbythedaysdesign.com if you have any questions.

Hope your Christmas was fabulous!

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My Mantle Makeover

25 · Nov 30, 2016 ·

The previous owners of our house did an amazing job of making sure that everything flowed from room to room. This included matching the travertine tile on our fireplace with that on the kitchen backsplash. They used the same tile in two different shapes. However, there were two flaws with that plan. First off, even though they were the same stone the colors were different. I saw a sample of each tile and side by side they look identical color-wise, but they must have come from two different dye lot batches in the end and some strong amber undertones were very present in the fireplace tile. This might have been well enough, except that when we moved in, of course, I had to disrupt that color flow by adding a few of my own spins and style into the space which created the second problem. I really wanted the living room to have a brighter, more airy feel but in doing so, the travertine tile in that room suddenly became an eyesore. I really thought I could live with it but the spicy brown tones were entirely too rusty and soon enough my mind only registered orange every time I walked into the room.

Without completely tearing apart my fireplace (which I would absolutely love to convert back to it’s original fieldstone and wood burning glory), paint seemed like the best option. I was tempted to paint the entire thing stark white. I thought an opaque look would be modern and edgy. But I’m much more comfortable with the imperfections of the whitewashing process so I decided to start there, since I could always add more paint and make it completely opaque but I could never reverse it the other way if I didn’t’ like it.

I was also really cheap on this project and used paint that I simply had laying around the house. The entire venture only cost me $9, and it would have been $6 if I had liked the paint color I originally bought for the black mantle (more on that later).

Items needed for this project:

Paint brush
Water
Paint (I used Annie Sloan’s French Linen, Sherwin Williams’ Alabaster and Sherwin Williams’ Greek Villa for the tile and Sherwin Williams’ Agreeable Grey and Sherwin William’s Wintersweet Grey for the actual mantle
Containers for mixing the paint

Here’s the before photo (and I’ll apologize in advance for the shotty photography throughout the entire post).

Step 1

The first thing I wanted to do was whitewash my tile. However, I did my first coat in grey. I wanted to add some depth and texture and layer the colors like you would naturally find in brick or stone. So I used Annie Sloan’s French Linen paint. You wouldn’t have to use chalk paint, but I did because I had leftovers and I really like the warm grey of this color. I thinned it down by adding water. The paint because ever so slightly transparent in my dish, I still wanted to keep lots of grey pigments. I didn’t measure exactly but it was pretty close to 2 parts paint, one part water. If you do thin it too much, just add more paint to the mix or you may just have to do more coats of paint.

You could hardly see any difference when I finished this step. The change was very very subtle because travertine is such a porous stone, it soaked up a lot of paint. This will remain true in all of the following steps as well. I let it dry for a couple hours, or until it was dry to the touch.

Step 2

I repeated step one again. I saw very little grey on my tiles and I really wanted it to cover the orange more than it was so I added another coat. These coats were all slopped on really quickly with a two inch paint brush, I didn’t worry about perfection since I wasn’t trying to attachive a perfect look.

Step 3

This is where I started playing with white paint. I used Sherwin Williams Alabaster paint in an eggshell finish. This is the same color paint that is one my living room walls and a great way to use up some leftovers. I thinned it down to the same consistency as the grey and slapped a coat on. The tile was still absorbing a ton of paint but I could see a few specks of white when I finished with this layer.

Step 4

Another layer of white was added when this one dried. I was tempted to leave it at this point, but something just didn’t feel right. It seemed really stark and cool against the rest of the room, which was strange since I used the same paint color that is on my walls but all the warm tones in that paint completely disappeared. So onto step 5.

Step 5

I actually had to go to the paint store. Thank goodness for those $3 little samples since that’s all the paint I needed. I picked up Sherwin William’s Greek Villa – a color that seemed way too creamy yellow to ever be considered on my walls, but I felt the extra warmth with be perfect on the fireplace. I was correct. I thinned this color down also and placed a generous layer on the tile. I only added one layer of this color and walked away.

Step 6

I lived with this for a few days but realized how badly I really want to paint to actual mantle white to match my trim. My husband, on the other hand, was having none of it. I couldn’t leave the idea alone. I like the contrast of black trim and the boldness it has to offer, but it’s not for me – I am light, bright and neutral in my décor choices. So we struck a compromise and painted it grey.

Back for another $3 sample. We chose Sherwin Williams’ Agreeable Grey – seemed like the perfect color to settle our dispute. The sample was a satin finish, which I always use on my trim pieces, and was enough paint to do an entire first coat on the mantle.

Step 7

A couple more days went by and I determined that this grey wasn’t really all that agreeable in my room. I had left the floor tiles in front of the fireplace their natural, beigy brown color since they didn’t have those rusty undertones. But the grey felt too cool against their warm tones. So for the second coat, I used Sherwin Williams’ Wintersweet Grey. It has the teeniest, tiniest tinge of brown in the grey and complimented the tile perfectly.

And I’ve lived with the finished project for about a month now and I think I’m really happy with it and finally ready to share the results.

Here are a couple other notes and helpful tips:

I used Sherwin Williams paint but they don’t sell the small $3 samples. However, Lowe’s now carries Sherwin Williams colors and they do offer these little sample that I simply cannot live without.
Make sure you step back and check your work often. The paint looks so different from across the room verses up close where you’re working.
I always use satin finish paints for all of my trim work. It’s durable and can be wiped without appearing shiny.
And I’m sorry, but I don’t have any notes to share about how durable this is or the longivity of paint on the tile.

Enjoy!

A Thanksgiving Tabletop :: The 2016 Edition

0 · Nov 23, 2016 ·

I really wanted to host Thanksgiving this year. There’s something about welcoming guests into your home that really calls to me. I love to decorate, light all my favorite holiday scented candles and then eat a fancy meal, all while never having to put on socks or shoes.

But alas, that was not in the stars for this year. However, that didn’t stop me from scheming about what my holiday tabletop would have looked like. I had a few garden roses spending the last moments of their life in my cooler, I dusted off my autumn tableware and collected a few random items that I had laying around.

Growing up, we used to start our Christmas decorating on Thanksgiving morning. Each year, I would help my dad string the lights on the house. I would unpack and set up my snow village while my sister’s watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade and then we would all sit down to dinner during half time of the Lion’s game.

Now that I’ve grown, I still have this mindset that Thanksgiving should be decorated with pumpkins and various shades of candy corn, however reality reminds me that half the world has already started decorating for Christmas and I channel back to our partially decorated home from my youth. It’s for this reason that I like to incorporate a little from both seasons into my designs. This year I used a couple white pumpkins and a few sprigs of cedar (both in my centerpiece arrangement and in the napkin decor) – it just seems to balance everything out and make November end on a perfect note of harmony.

Thanksgiving Centerpiece | The Day's Design

Have a very happy Thanksgiving!!

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Home Decor

1. Buffalo Check Chairs

2. Modern Cane Back Chairs

3. Velvet Settee and French Country Chairs

4. Modern Velvet Settee

The Living Room & Dining Room

Before:

After:

The Kitchen

Before:

After:

The Master Bedroom & Office

Before:

After (the Sunroom/Office Space):

After (the Master Bedroom):

Gretta & Willa June’s Room

Before:

After:

The Basement

Before:

After:

Make it comfortable.

Make it cozy.

Design functionally.

Infuse personality.

Decorate with things you love.

1.The White Hearth

2. Rico Terre

3. Pottery Barn Bowls

4. World Market Budvases

5. Crate and Barrel Candle Holders

6. D:Ceramics

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Step 7

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