"Winterizing" the home ~

Winterizing the home has a different meaning to me than putting faucet covers on the hose bibs or making sure there aren't heavy drafts coming through the windows or doors.  As important as that is, I enjoy changing out the Christmas decor for items that invoke a white, snowy blizzard!

I wanted to add a new winter accent color in my living room this year.  I decided that I'd borrow the turquoise items from the master bedroom (see previous post here).

I added yellow flowers in the bedroom for a splash of color until I return the turquoise accessories.

I love the addition of the turquoise with the green on the walls.  My mom gave me a piece of fabric from when I was a little girl.  It's a turquoise paisley print with a touch of green.  I thought it would be perfect to add to my vignette.

I had a 12" x 12" square canvas in my craft closet.  I wrapped a layer of batting around it and stretched the fabric around the back, securing it with hot glue.  I propped it on an easel to coordinate with my other accessories.

For the mantle, I placed some round glass vases (from Dollar Tree) on top of my candle holders.  With a little faux snow and miniature snow-covered trees, I created little winter scenes.

I also placed one in my lantern on top of a round mirror (again, from Dollar Tree) to give it something to reflect.

I bought some white, glittered letters at Michaels for 99 cents each to spell out "snow".  The little white snowflakes are ornaments from my Christmas decor I strung with fishing line across the mantle.  I added turquoise colored stones across the mantle that were left over from my daughter's wedding in September.

I went "shopping" outside for some branches and gave them a coat of white spray paint.

We may or may not get any snow this year.  Even if we don't, we'll be feeling warm inside our home while we dream of a white winter season!

Happy New Year to you and yours!

Renewing a Living room ~

One of my new clients had a living room that needed an update.  She asked me to use the furniture and accessories she already owned, and gave me free reign of the house to add and subtract to what was in there.

Here's the space before I started.  This room is used as a place to visit with company or a comfortable place to sit and read. 

I began by removing the large hutch.  It overpowered the room and made it unbalanced.   I placed the chair and bench in different rooms where they will be reupholstered to match their new spaces (future project!).

These are the items that were used as inspiration pieces.  The owner had been collecting items with blues and purple to use in this room.

                  

The sofa will most likely get a slipcover but changing the pillows gives it new life.

I "shopped" around the house and found this chair that is a great addition to the sofa and created a conversation grouping.  I tucked the throw into the chair for more complementary colors to go with the new scheme.

The owner has beautiful crystal that I incorporated into the room.  I added some "life" to the room by placing a silk plant on the coffee table.  To unify the look with the other crystal pieces, I put the plant into a crystal bowl.  It needed height so I placed a small decorative bowl, upside down, into the large one.  You can see the reflection of the blue bowl through the crystal.  I placed the plant inside and I fluffed up the leaves for a more realistic look.

Here's a view that shows a piece of art that I found with colors that compliment the room.

This furniture placement allows guests to have a comfortable conversation without being seated too far apart.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - I love my job!  I enjoy creating comfortable, beautiful spaces that function better for family and friends.  It also keeps me from feeling the need to re-arrange my home every other week!  For that, my husband is thankful!

Updating a Church nursery

This past summer I had the opportunity redesign our church nursery.  A couple of my friends with small children asked me to come up with some ideas to update it.  

I had noticed every time I walked into the room how much work it needed.  I don't spend much time there so I  was happy the ladies who do use it were ready for a redesign.  

This is what the room looked like for many years.  The flash on my camera actually made the room look brighter.  In reality, the blue on the walls made the room dark.  That combined with the old florescent light fixtures made it feel dull and dreary.  We wanted bright and cheery.
First up was to choose a paint color.  I've used Sherwin Williams - Shagreen  on my granddaughter's bedroom walls and I love the warm, cheerful atmosphere it gives.

After the room was painted, I created a fun, whimsical tree on the wall instead of buying new artwork.  I enjoy painting on walls.  It makes me feel like an artist (when in fact, I cheat by using an overhead projector to display the picture onto the wall and trace it before I paint).  This is also how I painted the tree in this baby nursery that I showed you here.   We also gave the toy shelf a new coat of white paint.

I exchanged the changing table for a smaller white version that a member donated.  

The new light fixtures provided a softer, more subtle light.  Much better for a nursery!

The curtains needed to be replaced.  We had a blue rocker in the room and no budget for a new one, so I found this at JoAnn fabrics that had soft green and blue to tie the room together.

The only thing left to do was to purchase a rack of hooks for diaper bags and coats, etc.

Once again, this project didn't cost much to complete.  If you can't afford to purchase new furniture or accessories, consider painting and updating light fixtures.  It can make a space go from outdated and tired to bright and cheerful.  Just put your paint clothes on and begin!

Our compact Christmas ~

This year we're celebrating the Christmas season in our small, "cozy" apartment.  Did I already mention small?  Normally I can't wait for the day after Thanksgiving to pull out my MANY boxes of Holiday cheer!  This year I was equally excited but I also realized that it wouldn't take much to make our place cluttered and busy.  That's the last feeling I want to create this season.  I decided to only pull out two of my Christmas bins; one of the ornament boxes and one that holds my pine garlands and other greenery.  I was also determined to not buy anything new because I have plenty of stuff packed neatly away!   In keeping with my theme of renew and reuse, I like to take items that I already have around and embellish them for the season instead of setting out a bunch of new items.
Here are a few of the ways that I made it feel Christmas(y) without overwhelming our small space.

As much as I hated to do it, I put up a small fake tree that we used in our office years ago.  There just isn't enough floor space to put up a larger tree.  I also didn't find my Christmas lights and this little tree was pre-lit.  I set it on a small table behind my sofa where I normally have a silk palm tree.

I love the combination of our green wall with the red and cream of the decorations.  I removed the ugly foil wrapper off of the silk poinsettia above and covered the pot with a square of muslin and twine.  It has a natural element to it that I really like.

A mantle is so much fun at Christmas.  I'd prefer to not have the ugly grey box in the middle, but hey - it's convenient!

The pictures above show again how you can add greenery, berries and pine-cones to create a festive touch.
I've lived in very large homes and very small ones over the years.  This year I can definitely say that it doesn't take much to enjoy the season and create warmth and magic.  So whether you live in a home with lots of square footage or very little, these same concepts apply.
Hope your Holidays are filled with peace and great memories.