Creating a Cozy Home

by RoxanneK, in category Fall Decorating, Home Decor

Have you ever heard that quote “love grows best in little houses”? As a small home occupant, I would have to agree with that. It’s easier to get along when you can’t put much distance between each other. Another positive aspect to small house living is the cozy factor. Creating a cozy home in a small space doesn’t take much effort.

Obviously, I strive for a beautiful home but I want a comfortable, beautiful home. High-end design is wonderful to look at but who wants a house that makes you feel like you can’t really live in it? Don’t get me wrong, I’m often yelling at my family to please use a coaster. You may also find me repeatedly telling them to not annihilate my sofa cushions (really that last one really gets to me), but that’s more about maintaining what I have than creating a museum-like home.

The easiest way to make your home feel cozy is by adding texture, such as throw blankets. There’s nothing better than curling up with a soft throw, something hot to drink and a good book on a cold night.

I especially like the knitted type of throw blankets like this beautiful blue one. They remind me of the ones my grandmother used to make. She would even sew little tags into the blankets she made that said “made with love”.

I still have some of the blankets she made me, but I don’t put them out in the main areas. I keep those upstairs near the bed.

I also like to cozy up my outside spaces by bringing a bit of the indoors out. I started with a different look out here this year, but after I managed to kill the hydrangeas I changed it entirely. I decided to add fall color out here instead with this plaid throw.

I’m loving that plaid in combination with the mums.

Throw blankets are a great way to mix up your seasonal decor while still being functional!

Both of my blankets are from Wayfair. Here are some more of my favorite throw blankets to cozy up your home with!

Topsham knit throw/Knitted tassle throw/Chevron fringe throw/ Black and white buffalo check throw/Plaid throw/Cable knit throw

Congratulations to Rachel from WI, she was the winner of our essential oils giveaway!

Sep202018Oct 1 2018

Before and After Living Room Makeover With Bassett Furniture

by RoxanneK, in category Before and After, Home Decor, Room Makeovers

We all love a good before and after, don’t we? Although I haven’t mentioned this, I’ve been working on another project over at my niece’s house the last few weeks. You may remember we did a budget-friendly makeover of her kitchen last year, I’ve now moved on to her living room. My niece is not a fan of the farmhouse style at all so my challenge here was to keep all things rustic and chippy out of her living room makeover.

Here is a before photo of the what I was starting with.

Her old sofa was really worn out, and other than the black bench which I really like, this room didn’t have much going for it. Those windows are the only windows in the room, so with the gray furniture and dark blue walls, it was looking very dark.

The first thing we did was lighten it up with paint. I recommended my niece repaint the walls with Sherwin Williams Rhinestone. We used that in her kitchen and I’ve used it in my daughter’s room. It’s a very light gray but still contrasts nicely with white trim. We gave her front door a new coat of shiny white paint as well.

Next up was replacing the furniture, I found the perfect sectional for her space at Bassett furniture. I was hoping she would agree to a slightly off-white color to further brighten the space. When I showed her the Gleason sectional she agreed with me that it would be perfect for her living room. As you can see, it’s quite a dramatic before and after!

That is my niece’s cat, Spanky Jones. He was all too happy to pose for some photos, he loves a good before and after too!

Though I did like the black bench she was using as a coffee table it wasn’t going to work with the sectional. I was envisioning a round cocktail table instead so when I saw the Chelsea Pier round cocktail table I knew that was the one.

We also picked out this Bella Chairside table, I was able to get that approved from my niece even though it has a hint of rustic charm with the slightly distressed finish. It fits the space so perfectly. My only regret on that is that we didn’t get two of them!

It pairs so well with the sectional. I should mention the Gleason sectional can be customized to different configurations & sizes to best fit your space.

I also wanted to cover up some of the old carpets in the room because they were adding to the dark feel of the space before. My first choice was this floral area rug, but my niece is not a fan of florals, she is more into geometric prints. She fell in love with this beautiful Roma area rug. That ended up being the right choice for her living room because it also helps brighten up the room considerably.

When we were planning accessories for the room we were back and forth between using pink and gray or shades of blues. We first picked these 2 pieces of art called Teal Horizon I and Teal Horizon II.

Shortly after we changed our minds and decided pink and gray would be a fun change considering there was so much blue in this room before. We did end up using the blue artwork on a side wall as well because we liked it so much.

The black lamp on the side table is also from Bassett furniture, you can find that here.

Spanky Jones approves, he’s looking forward to our next before and after which will eventually be my niece’s dining room!

If designing a room yourself is something that intimidates you, Bassett furniture has professional designers on hand to help you with that!

Thanks to Bassett furniture for sponsoring this post, all opinions are 100% my own. You can read my full disclosure here.

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Sep172018Sep 17 2018

Stunning Faux Fall Flower Arrangements

by RoxanneK, in category Fall Decorating, Home Decor

The colors of fall are so beautiful, I love bringing a touch of that into my house. This year, I’m looking for beautiful faux fall stems and branches that can be enjoyed year after year. I used to be very against any type of fake flowers in the house. I think that was thanks to Oprah and Nate Berkus. On the Oprah show, they used to talk about how you should never use the fake stuff in your house. These days, I’m finding the faux fall flower arrangements are very realistic looking!

So rather than trying to replace wilted flowers every week, keep it easy this year with these done-for-you fall flower arrangements!

My favorite way to create a stunning display is with fall branches.

This copper vase with wheat is so beautiful!

A classic sunflower arrangement will always be in style, I love the container on this one especially.

Purple pumpkins and cotton stems will take you right through to Thanksgiving.

I love anything in a set of three, and this pretty centerpiece with orange mums is no exception.

A wood vase with stems is a nice transitional piece from summer to fall.

If you prefer non-traditional colors, check out this peony arrangement.

I’ve made floral arrangements in hollowed-out pumpkins in years past, but you can save yourself the trouble with faux succulents in a pumpkin.

When using faux floral arrangements there’s no need to worry about changing the water every few days or the mess real flowers make when they start to wilt. What do you think, are you pro faux floral arrangements or are you still programmed with what Nate and Oprah told us?

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*This post contains affiliate links, you can read my full disclosure here.

Aug202018Aug 19 2018

Hanging Pictures Without Nails -8 Ways

by RoxanneK, in category Home Decor, How-to

My daughter is heading back to school in another week or so and she was asking me about hanging pictures without nails. There are several reasons why you may want to hang pictures without making nail holes. One obvious reason is if you are renting, it’s less to worry about when you decide to move. Another is if you are in a temporary living situation, like a dorm room or military housing. Or maybe you have wallpaper or a beautiful brick wall that you’re not about to drill into.

I’ve lived in my house for a number of years and I find that every time I switch up wall decor, it results in lots of spackling, sanding, and painting. If you switch up wall decor often like I do, you might want to think about hanging pictures without nails in the future.

Command hooks* are obviously the first thing that comes to mind. I’ve used these, and they are a great option. I have, on occasion, had the paint peel off when removing these hooks but it’s rare. But did you know they also offer mounting squares? I’ve not tried these myself yet, but these are a great idea because your art will sit flush with the wall.

Image Via: One Good Thing

Another option is to simply lean your art or mirror against a wall. You can set it on top of a dresser, mantel or a shelf. After our latest living room revamp, I chose to do that with the mirror above the fireplace rather than making holes in our new board and batten.

Image Via: Park & Oak

You can make a big impact with a large scale piece of art of a mirror (as I did in my daughter’s bedroom) by setting it on the floor and leaning against the wall.

Image Via: Wit and Delight

A really fun idea is to use a ladder for display. The ladder itself becomes part of the art. I also love how they used these shelves in a kitchen. I recently bought two of these ladder shelves for my mother’s house and they are really beautiful.

Image Via: Pottery Barn

Get artsy and use an easel to display a favorite piece of art.

Image Via: Lonny

Try using a set of bookshelves to display your art and collectibles. It fills wall space without a single nail hole. The extra storage space is a bonus.

Wasabi tape comes in so many colors and patterns these days, you can use them to hang photos, pictures from a book or anything that isn’t heavy. This would work great for a dorm room.

Image Via: Design Sponge

I stumbled upon this idea online of art hanging from a grid. If you can’t find a grid, this garden trellis would have the same effect.

Image Via: Flickr

Do you have any other suggestions not mentioned here that would work for hanging pictures without nails? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!

*This post may contain affiliate links, read my full disclosure here.

Aug162018

My $3 Flea Market Find

by RoxanneK, in category DIY, Home Decor

You guys know by now that I really love a good flea market. You just never know what interesting things you will find. A few weeks ago my mother and I stopped at a roadside flea market that didn’t look like much from the outside. It looked more like a small, run-down village than a typical flea market.

I wasn’t expecting much from the looks of it, but it turned out to be really interesting. The vendors were are super friendly and there were some great finds there. One or two things that caught our eye were sold before we got to them, but then I came across this kitchen sign. I wasn’t really in the market for another sign, but I had never seen one with the wording “Confections” before.

I told my mom I was only going to buy it if it was $10 or less. When the man quoted me $3 I was shocked and readily agreed. I knew right where I could use it in my kitchen. By the way, I have so many flea market regrets of things I didn’t buy because I didn’t know where I’d use them. I decided from now on if I see something I really love to grab it, I can always resell it if I can’t use it myself.

While I really liked this confections sign, I wasn’t thrilled with the colors ( I have an aversion to red) so I gave it an update with paint. I used paints I already had in my stash. Everything but the letters got a coat of Pure White chalk paint.

My cat Nelson, approving the design.

The letters were painted black with my DecoArt chalk paint.

I also painted the frame with the black paint. At that point, it all looked a little too stark, so I lightly sanded it all around for just a tiny bit of distressing to soften it a bit.

My mother and I were actually looking for furniture pieces that day. The thing with flea markets is you have to go in with an open mind, and you usually don’t end up with what you set out looking for.

You may also like some of my other flea market finds, check those out below.

Side Table Upcycle

Vintage Mantel

Cane Back Chairs and Vintage Sideboard

Aug62018Aug 5 2018

I Heart Slipcovered Furniture

by RoxanneK, in category Home Decor, home interiors, Interior Design Tips

There’s just something about slipcovered furniture. Its got that casual, inviting feel about it. Sort of like your favorite pair of jeans. But just because it’s comfortable, doesn’t mean it can’t be dressed up.

I spotted a set of slipcovered dining chairs at Ikea last week after attending an event they hosted in NYC. They stopped me right in my tracks as I was passing by, which has got me thinking about how versatile slipcovered furniture is.

Just like your favorite jeans, you can give it a whole new look depending on what you pair it with. I have this sofa* in my family room in the color Parchment but I’m thinking about switching it up to white. (On a side note, those floors!!!)

An added benefit of having slipcovered furniture is you can change the look of your furniture without replacing the furniture itself. Slipcovers are a great way to do all white without the worry because you can throw them right into the washing machine.

The linen texture on this beautiful chair from Ella Claire is perfect, the whole space feels breezy.

You can also play with pattern without a long-term commitment.

Another resource for slipcovered furniture is this company, they offer slipcovers to fit furniture from popular brands like Ikea and Pottery Barn.

If you’re interested in attempting to DIY your own slipcovers, head over to Miss Mustard Seed – she is the go-to resource on that!

Of course, slipcovered furniture is not just for the cottage style look. It can look tailored in a more traditional room as well.

It helps to make a more formal space feel comfortable.

Slipcovers even work in modern spaces.

As well as in your industrial spaces.

My two favorite fabrics for slipcovers are the simple linen slipcovers and the plain white covers.

Slipcovered furniture is the wardrobe staple of the home.

*This post may contain affiliate links, you can read my full disclosure here.

Jul232018Jul 22 2018

13 Pretty Indoor Outdoor Rugs

by RoxanneK, in category Home Decor, Outdoor Spaces

Outdoor rugs have come a long way since the days of the faux-green-grass-style. Do you remember those or am I dating myself? Recently, I was searching for a doormat to put outside of my back door that leads into the yard. I was looking to get something larger than your typical doormat and something a little nicer than the average brown mat. Which led me to indoor-outdoor rugs options. I was really surprised at the selection of rugs for outdoors these days!

Even though they look pretty enough for indoors, most of these can just be hosed down to clean. Whether used on a porch, patio or deck they really make a great compliment to any outdoor space.

Our 13 Favorite Outdoor Rugs

This look-alike jute area rug would be the perfect starting point for creating an outdoor room.

Have fun decorating outdoors with this patterned indoor/outdoor boho style area rug.

The black medallion rug here looks like an indoor rug but is made for outdoor use as well.

Bold color more your style? Check out this red paisley rug.

Stripes are always a classic choice for indoor or outdoor rugs, see this beautiful blue striped rug for example.

You can never go wrong with a subtle patterned natural rug.

Nothing says summer like blue and white stripes. This area rug with summery stripes would be a perfect addition to your coastal style decor.

This patterned rug in champagne and black is gorgeous all on its own.

I love the blue/gray color on this rug from Safavieh. It also comes in a rectangle shape and it’s available in other colors, including natural. The beautiful texture on these outdoor rugs is an added bonus.

More classic stripes in gray .

Or go bold with a black and white striped area rug.

This diamond pattern is another classic design.

Lastly, this pretty quatrefoil rug would make a great starting point for your porch or patio.

The choices are virtually endless when it comes to beautiful outdoor rugs, you can find SO many more options here. They made it easy to bring your indoor style outside. You can check out a pretty selection of patio lights to go with these rugs here!

*This post may contain affiliate links, you can read my full disclosure here.

Jul122018Jul 23 2018

Family Room Ideas for Summer

by RoxanneK, in category Home Decor, home interiors, interior design ideas

Until last week, we have had tools and moldings all over the house since February. It was back in February that we started working on our living room. When you DIY everything and you have day jobs this can take what feels like forever. I don’t mind the waiting so much, I know it’s worth it in the end. The hard part is living with the construction during. When you’re working on a room, it has a way of taking over the whole house. Now that we are just about done in there, it feels great to clean up the rest of the house. It inspired me to refresh my family room especially considering I still had my Valentine’s Day decor up in here! Here are a few quick and easy family room ideas for summer.

I already had most of the decor I used, you may remember it from my summer mantel last year. This year I wanted to add a few pops of blue on the mantel without spending much, if any, money. I found a blue flower pot that I had painted with Fusion Mineral paint in the color Inglenook. As always, I love using books when decorating, but I couldn’t find any books around the house with any blue in them. I had an idea when I was at the craft store to pick up some scrapbook paper to wrap the books in. I found this cute map print paper* and used that for a really quick and inexpensive update.

Here’s a closer look. I also added a decorative moss ball in the flower pot.

On the other side, I did basically the same thing (I like symmetry) but I added this pretty candle. It’s called Sea Air, I wish you could smell it because it’s amazing.

I found the perfect summer throw at Home Goods last week (here is something similar), it’s just what I had in mind.

The other side of the room hasn’t changed much since I shared my Spring decorating this year. I added a small centerpiece of Lisianthus to the table. I tried growing my own this year but the seeds didn’t take. Luckily, I found some at my local grocery store. I was hoping to find them in pink, but they only have the white so far.

That’s about it, just a little decluttering and a few pops of blue is all I needed in here for summer.

Hope you found some inspiration with these quick and easy summer family room ideas. I like keeping it simple in the summer considering most of our time is spent outdoors these days.

You can shop the look below!

I’m sharing this post as part of the second annual summer home tour series with my blogging friends, hosted by My Life From Home. Click the links below for more living and family room ideas and inspiration!

*This post contains affiliate links, you can read my full disclosure here. Linking up with BNOTP.

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Jul92018Jul 11 2018

Found: The Perfect Neutral Area Rug

by RoxanneK, in category Home Decor

This post is in partnership with World Market, a brand that I love. All opinions are 100% my own.

I’m back from my little blogging break! I took two weeks off to recharge and catch up on some ongoing projects around here. I painted all of the trim and doors downstairs (some of which hadn’t even been painted since my kitchen makeover!) I also spent a ton of time putting things back in order after finally completing our board and batten project, which I will share soon. I also spent some time shopping around for a new area rug for my living room.

Area rugs are a great way to add color and interest to a space. That is exactly what I was going for when I gave my living room a light makeover last year. That makeover was done using mostly decor only, this time around I wanted to go back and fix the larger details. We really needed new floors and moldings. Now that this project is finally nearing the finish line, I realized that I’m tired of the pink accents in the area rug from last year and it’s time to go more neutral and classic. An area rug is a large element of a room, so finding the perfect neutral was important this time. I don’t want to have to change it in another year and a half.

After searching online for hours and hours I have finally found the perfect neutral solution. (How did we ever shop before the internet? It would’ve taken months to research rugs without it!) It’s called the Ivory Oliver area rug * and it’s from Cost Plus World Market. I couldn’t love it more!

It has a subtle blend of my favorite neutrals; blue, white and gray. I love how it’s faded in some areas for a slightly vintage look.

I will admit that I am concerned about keeping it clean with the white background. Since I’ve gotten it a few weeks ago it’s as if it has a big bulls-eye on it. My dog had an accident in the house (which he never does) on day three of having it here. I will spare you the details, but it was more than your typical accident. Fortunately, after tons of scrubbing, it was as good as new. If you are wondering, this is what I use for carpet stains, nothing else comes close.

Make sure when buying a rug for your space that you go large enough. You might have to spend a little more but you don’t want it to look like a postage stamp in the room. I used an 8 X 10 for my living room. Bigger is better in this case.

Here are a few more of my favorite neutral rugs. Use the arrows to scroll through them and click any picture for more details.

And of course, this little guy is forgiven.

*This post may contain affiliate links, you can read my full disclosure here.

May212018Sep 17 2018

Cheap Wall Decor Online

by RoxanneK, in category cheap decorating ideas, Home Decor

You should know by now, I’m all for budget decorating. Decorating your home really can add up fast, so I’m always on the lookout for ways to do it for less. I also change out my decor often. Home decor is what I do, so I need to keep it interesting. One thing I switch pretty often is my wall art. The constant urge to keep things looking fresh around here forces me to stick to budget-friendly ideas.

Kirkland’s has a large selection of wall decor in a variety of styles. Their prices are reasonable, but I always sign up for store’s emails and texts alerts. Kirkland’s often offers coupons from 20%-30% off so I wait for one of those when I need to freshen things up.

Botanicals are huge right now. I was browsing through a design catalog recently and saw these botanical prints for $75 each! To buy the set of four would cost $300! You can easily find similar prints with a quick search of eBay! You may have noticed one of these in my armoire makeover post, they were under $20 on eBay!

If photography prints are more your style, that’s easy enough to get on a budget. I have some very talented friends and family who have an eye for photography. You can use your own vacation photos and have them printed at Staples or Walgreens!

If you are interested in inspiration style wall decor, you can easily find these available for free! Search Pinterest for “free printables” and you will find dozens!

You can also check out websites that offer free prints. Pexels is one of my favorites, offering free instant downloads!

I wanted to also include some resources to make your digital prints look the best they possibly can. A good printer helps, this one* can print larger sizes (up to 13 X 19″). Also, I highly recommend printing on photo paper, using a piece of regular printer paper will not have the same effect.

As far as framing, Michael’s has the best selection of frames in my opinion. They always have coupons for 40-50% off. You can get a great deal on a good quality frame when they have those sales. I also recommend selecting frames one size up, especially for smaller prints, and using a mat. This will make the prints look more high-end, no one will ever know it’s cheap wall decor!