Here are 10 items from Amazon to inspire you! Fall is one of my favorite times of year to decorate. Once September rolls around, that is my cue to start getting creative with festive decor for the next few months. But lately, I’ve been finding the traditional colors a little…well…stale! I’m not knocking the vibrant orange, red, and yellow color palette, but sometimes you just need to shake things up a little bit. I guess you could say I’m searching for inspiration, a way to expand my horizons. I’ve always wanted to try using blue in my fall and winter decor, and one day—when the budget allows—I will gather the courage and take the plunge! Blue can be an extremely versatile color, fitting into any season of the year, but can feel a little cold. I discovered that if you pair blue with warm creams and gold, the result can be an exciting color scheme! Blue and yellow are complimentary colors on the color wheel and go well together, creating a pleasing contrast that feels light and airy. Exchanging the yellow for gold gives your decor an upscale yet inviting appeal. As I combed through Amazon for inspiration, I found a few interesting items that could be used to create an elegant yet modern look. In my mood board below—titled Autumn Blues—you will see a collection of pieces that include a range of blues paired with gold and cream accents. The selections reflect the vibrant mood of autumn yet feel refreshingly clean and uncluttered. And the best part…All of these items together cost less than $300! Not bad in today’s economy! Images from Amazon.com. Click the links below to view or purchase. Some of the posts in this article contain affiliate links. If you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. I will only recommend products or services I use personally and/or believe will add value to my readers, so there is no conflict of interest. Item 1—Gold Maple Fall Leaf Indoor Battery Operated Micro LED Gold Wire String Lights by Lights4fun, Inc. This fairy light strand with gold fall filigree maple leaves would look so festive on a mantle or a dining room table! The warm LED light complements and warms up the blue and cream decor and works well for both fall and winter decor. The battery-powered strand also has a timer and a remote. Item 2—Mid-Century Modern Abstract Ceramic Sculpture by XMGZQ This Mid-century blue and gold abstract sculpture is a unique accent piece for a table. The abstract form has an organic feel, almost like the shape of dead leaves with holes and leaf veins. Item 3—Mercury Glass Votive Candle Holders by DEVI Mercury votive holders are so on point this year! They give a classy look to just about any decor style, but I particularly love these tea-light votive holders in this blue scheme. This set of mercury glass votive candle holders comes in two different shapes. They can be combined with other decorative elements to create elegant vignettes or tablescapes. Item 4—Vintage Glassware Beaded Drinking Glasses by Irenare I’m so in love with these beaded blue glasses! They are a must-have for my Autumn Blues mood board! These textural glasses would look stunning in fall dining room table settings, especially with the mercury glass votive holders mentioned previously. Item 5—Distressed Foil Metallic Design Cotton Table Runner by SARO LIFESTYLE This distressed foil metallic table runner has such a unique look. The cream and gold pattern looks like an abstract impression of tree bark while having a modern, clean-lined style. Item 6—Sandy Blue Hurricane Candle Holders by ARIAMOTION These hurricane candle holders are a bit on the pricey side, but I could not pass up the frosted glass! It’s simply gorgeous yet elegant. the frosted texture diffuses the candlelight in such a romantic way, making it the perfect candle holder for fall, holiday, or winter decor. Item 7—Faux Fur Blanket by Tuddrom The perfect way to cozy up a space is to add fur—faux fur that is! This textural blanket has shaggy fur on one side and fleece on the underside. Grab this blanket and snuggle in a nice comfy chair. And it’s machine washable! Item 8—6.25 Inch Large Velvet Pumpkins by Your Heart’s Content It wouldn’t be autumn without a pumpkin or two, would it?! This trio of plush pumpkins are velvety soft with gold stems that give them a refined look. Stick these on a table or mantle with other blue and gold accents for a unique vignette or tablescape. Item 9—Cream Decorative Throw Pillow Covers by Sinmore I chose these cream pillow covers to warm up the cool blue hues in the other selections. The fabric on these pillow covers is an inexpensive way to add warmth to the modern style. Item 10—Artificial Eucalyptus Leaves Stems by Tepaler And finally, this mood board needed some floral elements for that added “pop”. These golden faux eucalyptus leaves made from luxurious silk are called Autumn Yellow—perfect for my mood board and so striking! Related blogs you may want to read:
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Floral arrangements uplift our spirits, brighten a room, and create a touch of natural beauty in our interior spaces. Flowers come in a wide range of shapes, sizes, colors, and textures, each with its unique character. Some popular flowers used in arrangements include roses, lilies, tulips, daisies, sunflowers, and orchids, but don't be afraid to play with any of your favorite flowers and greenery. Creating a balanced floral arrangement is all about channeling your creativity while following (more or less) the principles of floral design. In this blog post, we'll explore the art of floral design and share some valuable tips on creating balanced and visually appealing flower arrangements for your home. So let's get started! Choose a Focal Point Every floral arrangement needs a focal point that grabs attention. Select a standout flower or an interesting element like a unique branch or ornamental grass to act as the centerpiece. This will serve as the anchor for your composition. Consider Height and Proportion It's crucial to play with varying heights and proportions to achieve balance. Combine tall flowers or branches with medium-sized and shorter blooms. This creates depth and visual interest within your arrangement. However, the height differences should not overpower or overshadow the other flowers. Balance Colors and Textures When selecting flowers for your arrangement, consider using colors and textures that complement each other. Choose a color palette that harmonizes with the room or environment in which the arrangement will be displayed. Pair delicate, airy flowers with more robust blooms to create a balanced contrast of textures. Embrace Odd Numbers Odd-numbered groupings of flowers tend to create a more aesthetically pleasing arrangement. Create flower groupings of threes or fives for visual appeal and unity. Odd numbers are more captivating to the eye than even numbers, which can sometimes appear too symmetrical and static. Pay Attention to Vessel Selection The vessel you choose for your arrangement is just as essential as the flowers. A tall vase pairs well with long-stemmed flowers, while a shallow dish is perfect for a low and compact arrangement. Use the rule of thirds when selecting your containers to make the overall floral arrangement visually pleasing. This means your flowers should be either one-third or two-thirds the height of your container. (A composition that is too equal in size will not feel natural.) Experiment with various containers like mason jars, vintage pitchers, or elegant glass vases to find the perfect complement to your chosen flowers. Creating a balanced floral arrangement is an art form that allows you to showcase your creativity and infuse spaces with natural beauty. By keeping the principles of floral design in mind, playing with height, proportion, colors, and textures, and embracing odd numbers, you can create stunning arrangements that breathe life into any room. Remember, practice makes perfect, so don't be afraid to experiment and even break the rules if it makes your arrangement look better! In time, you’ll learn to trust your eye and creative instincts, and those floral designs will look gorgeous! So, grab your favorite flowers and get creative! Happy arranging! If you'd like to watch me do an arrangement and learn how to do a simple floral design watch my videos on my new Youtube channel! There is a Part 1 and Part 2 tutorial video for this project! Related blogs you may want to read:
10 non-flowering houseplants that are toxic to cats 8 flowering houseplants that are toxic to cats 6 more flowers that attract fairies to your fairy garden 8 flowers that attract fairies to your fairy garden 7 houseplants you can't kill 7 more houseplants you can't kill 7 ways to kill a succulent How to repot a bonsai ficus How to repot a pothos plant In a previous blog, I introduced you to seven houseplants that can tolerate a bit of neglect. In today’s blog, I will share seven MORE houseplants that can take a little abuse from an absent-minded or inexperienced plant parent. Ready for more? Here we go… Philodendron There is a wide variety of philodendrons, from the large monstera to the cut-leaf philodendron to smaller plants with heart-shaped leaves that grow in vines. Your options depend on the space available for your new plant babies. These easy-to-care-for plants do very well in humid conditions like bathrooms, but they don’t like to sit in wet soil, so don’t overwater. Just water the soil evenly, then let dry out before watering again. Philodendrons don’t love direct sun but will thrive in bright indirect light and tolerate dimly lit spaces. Ponytail Palm (a.k.a. Beaucarnea recurvata) I call this the Dr. Seuss plant. I bought a ponytail palm two years ago and stuck it in my southwestern-facing window, and it has doubled—if not tripled—in size! For me, it was love at first sight! These plants can get very large and heavy over time, so they are not your typical windowsill plant. How fast and large they grow will depend on the size pot, so the larger the pot, the larger the plant will grow! The name implies it’s a palm, but it’s actually a succulent related to the yucca or agave. Ponytail palms store water in the trunk, so they don’t need watering as much as other plants. Don’t overwater this plant. Water it thoroughly and evenly, then let the soil dry out completely before watering again. For a happy plant, use succulent or cactus soil and place in a spot with bright indirect light but not direct sun. Pothos (a.k.a. Epipremnum aureum or Devil’s Ivy or Golden Pothos) Pothos is a vine plant that will thrive under the right conditions. If you want to keep it more bushy, you can trim it back. Or, if you like the long trailing vines, you can place your pothos in a spot where the leaves can dangle. My pothos is currently sitting on the window ledge in my bathroom—where it gets easterly sun, mostly indirect except for first thing in the morning—and it is starting to take over! This vine plant likes humidity but can tolerate dry conditions as well. Give this plant well-draining potting soil some bright indirect light, and don’t overwater it, and you’ll have a happy pothos! It will even tolerate lower light levels if that’s the best you can do. Rubber Plant (a.k.a. Ficus elastica) Like the ponytail palm, this drought-resistant plant can grow tall and heavy, so put your rubber plant in a sturdy pot. This is a good plant for a well-lit corner, as it prefers bright indirect light. Use well-draining soil and keep it slightly moist but never soggy. Snake Plant (a.k.a. Sansevieria, or Mother-in-Law’s Tongue) The snake plant—commonly known as sansevieria or Mother-In-Law’s Tongue—thrives in humid conditions. My snake plant temporarily had its home in my bathroom until my pothos and haworthia crowded it out! The plant now looks quite happy living in my front window with my other plants. The snake plant is another type of succulent that stores water in its leaves, so water thoroughly and then let the soil dry out. Use well-draining soil for best results. Sansevierias will tolerate a range of lighting conditions but thrive in medium to bright light levels, just not direct sun. Spider Plant (a.k.a. Chlorophytum comosum or Airplane Plant. not to be confused with Air Plant) Spider plants are one of the most well-known houseplants and seem to thrive in a variety of conditions. This dangly plant produces tons of plantlets or spiderettes that you can clip and propagate to get new plants! Other than that, spider plants don’t need frequent repotting. As for watering, wet the soil thoroughly and evenly, and don’t water again until the soil is just dry. The plant will wilt to let you know when you need to give it water ASAP. Hang this houseplant in a window with bright indirect sun if you want a happy plant with tons of new babies! ZZ Plant (a.k.a. Zamioculcas Zamiifolia, Zanzibar Gem, or Eternity Plant) And finally, yet another plant that stores water in its leaves! ZZ plants can survive neglect and low light and are drought tolerant. If you want your plant to be its best, put it in bright indirect light, give it decent potting soil, and water only when the soil is dry. Make sure you go back and read “7 Houseplants You Can’t Kill!”! Let me know in the comments if you have a favorite plant baby that has been super simple to maintain. Do you have a neglected plant that still keeps going? Drop it in the comments below! Related blogs you may want to read: 7 ways to kill a succulent 7 houseplants you can’t kill! Eight tips for assessing natural light in your home How to repot a bonsai ficus How to repot a pothos plant How to propagate bromeliad pups Small houseplants that love bathroom humidity Eight health benefits of decorating with plants Let’s talk about houseplants This article may contain a few items or commercial mentions, but I only used them for demonstration purposes only. I am not endorsing any particular product or receiving any monetary gain for this blog. Sources: https://www.guide-to-houseplants.com/10-house-plants-you-cant-kill.html https://www.bhg.com/gardening/houseplants/projects/houseplants-you-cant-kill/ https://balconygardenweb.com/houseplants-you-cant-kill-even-if-you-want/ https://smartgardenguide.com/hard-to-kill-houseplants/ https://youhadmeatgardening.com/best-hard-to-kill-houseplants/ https://blog.mytastefulspace.com/2021/07/24/impossible-to-kill-houseplant/ https://www.thespruce.com/easy-houseplants-hard-to-kill-4141665 https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/hpgen/hard-to-kill-houseplants.htm https://www.treehugger.com/houseplants-are-almost-impossible-kill-4863173 If you have a black thumb—or are just starting to wrap your head around buying houseplants for the first time—this blog is for you! Houseplants can be tricky, right? There’s a lot to take in—proper light, water needs, soil types, fertilizing, best trimming practices, propagating, pest control—but some plants are less fussy than others. Today, we’ll look at seven plant babies for beginners or people who want easy houseplants. Air Plant (a.k.a. Tillandsia app.) This first plant is as easy as it gets! Air plants are epiphytes or plants that attach to trees and other natural elements in shaded spots and collect necessary nutrients through trichomes in their leaves. No soil is needed, hence the name Air Plant. This biological wonder takes much of what it needs from the air, and its needs are minimal. Many varieties only need to soak in water once a week (15-30 minutes) and maybe occasional misting to keep them from drying out. One piece of advice is to know which variety you have because the furry ones don’t like to be soaked in water. I made that mistake with one of my plants, causing the poor thing to rot and die. Place the air plant in bright light but not directly in the sun to prevent burning of the leaves. And that’s it! Air plants are resilient and self-sufficient with minimal care. Hang them up or stick them in with other plants and let them do their thing! Aloe Vera Aloe vera is a type of succulent, meaning it stores water in its leaves. This ability to store water means that aloe—like many succulents—tends to be drought-resistant, and that’s good news for forgetful plant parents. This plant thrives better when ignored--making it an easy plant for beginners. The one nemesis for aloe, though, is overwatering. Overwatering can lead to rot, which kills the plant, so the best practice is to wet thoroughly and then let the plant dry out in between waterings. As for other care, give your aloe well-draining soil and bright indirect light (direct light may burn the leaves). There’s no need to repot the plant until it gets too crowded in the pot. Cactus Like the aloe, cacti are succulents, which means they are drought tolerant and store water. These adaptable plants need water only when the soil is dry, so if you get a bit forgetful it’s okay! Cacti are incredibly versatile as houseplants. They only need well-draining soil, bright indirect or direct sun (depending on the variety), and occasional watering. Cast Iron Plant (a.k.a. Aspidistra spp.) The hint is in the name! The Cast Iron Plant is very forgiving, even when neglected. Give this plant well-draining soil and bright light, and it will thrive. But this hardy houseplant also manages to live in low-light places as well…Just keep it out of direct light to prevent burned leaves. Chinese Evergreen (a.k.a. Aglaonema sp.) Sometimes called the “Ag” plant, the Chinese Evergreen is a versatile and easy-to-maintain houseplant. I’ve even seen them happily existing in the corners of doctor’s offices with no windows. This slow-growing plant thrives better in bright indirect light, but low-light conditions will suit it just fine if that’s your only option. As for care, keep it out of direct light and drafts and let it dry out between waterings. Jade Plant (a.k.a. Crassula ovata) This plant might be a little tricky because it can get bulky, but having said that, you don’t need to re-pot your jade plant very often unless you want it to grow in size. Like all succulents, this plant stores water in its leaves, which means you can let the soil dry out between waterings. Just use well-draining soil and place the plant in bright, indirect light. Some varieties can withstand a few hours of direct sunlight. This is one of those plants that can tell you what it needs just by looking at its foliage. If the leaves become shriveled, it's time to give the poor thing some water. If the leaves are dropping off, you may need to up the water intake. Peace Lily (a.k.a. Spathiphyllum sp.) The peace lily is an incredibly hardy plant! I know from experience! My peace lilies have been through the wars! I have forgotten to water them for long periods, stuck them in drafty windows or gloomy spots, and over-watered them out of guilt (causing gnats)…And they still live! These hardy plants will survive a lot. Granted the poor things may not look the greatest, but they survive! If you want your peace lily to look its best, water the plant thoroughly and evenly, then leave it until the soil becomes somewhat dry. This plant literally tells you when it needs a drink because you’ll see the leaves begin to droop. The drooping leaves are the plant telling you to grab that watering can and give it a drink! Peace lilies like well-draining soil and bright indirect light (not direct sun) but can tolerate low light conditions. If the plant gets the optimal amount of light it needs, it will reward you with elegant white flowers. Next time you are in a doctor’s office or any office space with little to no natural light, look around and see what plants have made their home there. Chances are you will see one of these plants! Be sure to read part 2--“7 More Houseplants You Can’t Kill!”--for even more easy-to-care-for houseplants! Related blogs you may want to read: 7 ways to kill a succulent 7 more houseplants you can’t kill! Eight tips for assessing natural light in your home How to repot a bonsai ficus How to repot a pothos plant How to propagate bromeliad pups Small houseplants that love bathroom humidity Eight health benefits of decorating with plants Let’s talk about houseplants This article may contain a few items or commercial mentions, but I only used them for demonstration purposes only. I am not endorsing any particular product or receiving any monetary gain for this blog. Sources:
https://www.guide-to-houseplants.com/10-house-plants-you-cant-kill.html https://www.bhg.com/gardening/houseplants/projects/houseplants-you-cant-kill/ https://balconygardenweb.com/houseplants-you-cant-kill-even-if-you-want/ https://smartgardenguide.com/hard-to-kill-houseplants/ https://youhadmeatgardening.com/best-hard-to-kill-houseplants/ https://blog.mytastefulspace.com/2021/07/24/impossible-to-kill-houseplant/ https://www.thespruce.com/easy-houseplants-hard-to-kill-4141665 https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/hpgen/hard-to-kill-houseplants.htm https://www.treehugger.com/houseplants-are-almost-impossible-kill-4863173 Let me ask you a question…What is your favorite room in your home? Why do you love that space so much? Well, okay, that was two questions! But bear with me… Chances are you don’t even realize the effect lighting has on how you react to—and interact with—your favorite room. Is it a warm, cozy room with soft lighting? Is it a light and airy space with banks of windows that let in all that precious life-giving natural light? Light—or lack thereof—creates a mood in a space. It can make you feel content, invigorated, romantic, charged…or depressed. While exploring the natural lighting in my living spaces, I addressed the black hole called my dining room. This space receives so little direct natural light that growing live houseplants is impossible, and it occurred to me that spending time in this room made me feel depressed. A makeover was overdue, and lighting would be pivotal in bringing the space back to life. But that—as I found out—was only part of the equation. So, let me share tips and ideas for bringing dark spaces into the light…literally! Use lighter or brighter colors Bright colors—such as orange or yellow—tend to give a space warmth and a sense of vibrance and energy. A bright color can “lift” the vibration of a room and make it feel lighter and more welcoming. There is a school of thought that if you go loud with your decor—for example, hanging large, colorful art pieces in space—the space will come alive and feel lighter. I guess that depends on the art piece! But, in the end, it’s all about how color makes you feel when in the space. If you are looking for something more tame--and you like the cooler side of the color wheel--you could opt for a light blue or green. This approach would create a serene environment that mimics nature and lifts the spirits. The most popular options right now are neutral light browns, cool grays, warm grays, or white throughout interior spaces. This approach makes it easy to coordinate furniture and accessories to create a light and airy interior. Use lightweight furniture Heavy, bulky furniture and furnishings will always make the room feel heavy, especially if the color scheme and wood are dark. Traditional bulky furniture can make a room feel dark and heavy, but this doesn’t mean you have to go out and buy sleek modern furniture. A traditional-style dark wood chair with slimmer lines, for instance, can go a long way to lightening the overall feel of a space. Even if the chair wood is dark, slender lines lessen the impact, creating more negative space through which light can travel. Of course, if you like sleek modern furniture, I say go for it! Declutter your space When creating a lighter feel to a room, sometimes less is more. The minimalist style aesthetic stresses clean, uncluttered spaces, and those interiors tend to feel airy and light. It’s not necessary, however, to go to that extreme if it’s not your thing. It’s worth noting, though, that having a lot of knick-knacks and furniture in a space will make the room feel heavier and claustrophobic. If the room is full of furnishings and accessories, there is less space for light to travel, so if your goal is to lighten up the room, it's worth getting brutally strategic about how much decor and furnishings are on display. Use reflective surfaces We all know reflective surfaces can make a room feel stylish and glamorous. Shiny surfaces allow light to bounce outward into the room, amplifying the luminance of the space. High gloss or metal furnishings and finishes can brighten up a space in a passive way without having to use more electricity. One of the most effective reflective surfaces to use is mirrors. Mirrors reflect the light and create the illusion of double the space, making the room feel larger. Maximize natural light The best—and cheapest—way to lighten up a room in the daytime is to maximize the natural light entering the space through the windows. Take advantage of the natural light by using sheer curtains and removing window coverings and furnishings in front of the windows. Also, remove anything outside the window that blocks the windows, such as trees or bushes. If you live in a more modern home, add a light shelf. A light shelf is a small shelf installed within a foot of the top of your window that bounces that upper-level light deeper into the room. So instead of the natural light just illuminating the first few feet of the room, you could increase the reach several more feet into the space, decreasing the reliance on electricity. Most of us in more traditional homes probably can’t do that, but it’s worth a mention! Assess artificial lighting There’s no way of getting around the reality that we rely on electricity most of the time. The best way to maximize light in a space—and dispel the shadows in those dark corners—is to create a layered lighting plan. Your lighting plan should utilize overhead or ambient lighting, task lighting, accent lighting (such as wall sconces and table lamps), and mood lighting. The more options you have to light up your room, the lighter the interior space will feel in the evenings or on those cloudy, rainy days. Details mean everything, so examine all the ways light is needed in the space to find ways to maximize the use of your indoor lighting. Anything that requires a lamp shade (such as table lamps, wall sconces, and chandeliers) could benefit from switching to light-colored covers to allow light to pass through better. If you have decorative lighting with crystals, those should be kept clean to maximize the reflective properties. Use uplighting on stairs or other architectural features to highlight artwork or increase the general lighting in the space. And finally, add in strands of LED fairy lights, white Christmas lights, LED candles, or real candles to create a romantic “hygge” mood. So, those are my six tips for creating an interior space that feels lighter and brighter. What do you think? Did I miss anything? Have you tried any of these ideas in your own space? Leave a comment below and let me know! Related blogs you may want to read: Eight tips for assessing natural light in your home Five ways to create light layers in a room Does bringing nature into the home improve your mood? How to reupholster a dining room chair in 9 simple steps Eight tips for creating spring vignettes A spring decor makeover for my small rental bathroom Small houseplants that love bathroom humidity How to care for faux florals Eight health benefits of decorating with plants 11 interior decorating tips that help reduce anxiety and depression Nine hygge decor ideas Winter color palette ideas for your home decor Eight ways to create cozy winter interiors after the holiday decor comes down A little project with jute twine and an old foot stool DIY refurbishment of a dining room cabinet DIY upholstery cleaning methods Creating a kitchen coffee bar Let’s talk about houseplants How to clean a fabric lampshade This article may contain a few items or commercial mentions, but I only used them for demonstration purposes only. I am not endorsing any particular product or receiving any monetary gain for this blog.
Whether you are deciding on which types of houseplants to buy, trying to identify artificial light needs, or have concerns about fabric or artwork that may fade in direct sunlight, you will need to understand how the natural light interacts with your interior space. Consider this scenario… A couple of years ago, I got the “plant” bug and bought a bunch of houseplants from my local home improvement store. I loaded them into the back of my Jeep, transported them home, and merrily unloaded them straight into my living room. I plopped them here and there on tables and windowsills, thinking that my living room would get plenty of light. Then reality hit when some of them started dying. As it turns out, there’s not enough direct light in the space to keep some of the more fussy plants alive. That revelation started me on a quest to understand how much natural light each room in my home receives and when. So today, I thought I’d share some tips learned from this experience and my research into daylighting, which refers to using natural sunlight as passive lighting in an interior space. Identify how your home is oriented to the cardinal compass points One of your first tasks is to figure out how your home is laid out according to the cardinal points on a compass. There are mobile compass apps you can download that identify the cardinal direction of each wall. Knowing the orientation of your home will help you understand the natural light (and passive heat, but that’s a subject for another blog article) that you will receive in your interior spaces. It’s well worth getting familiar with the four directions about your home. Note the orientation of your windows Once you have your mobile app, this is a simple process. Align the phone perpendicular to each window wall and note the cardinal direction. Since most homes are not built in specific cardinal directions, you may have windows on a northeast, northwest, southeast, or southwest axis. And that’s ok! You are looking for a general idea of the direction each window faces so that you can start understanding how much light to expect to receive through each opening. Below is a very general overview of this relationship: Windows facing east—The most direct light will be in the morning Windows facing west—The most direct light will occur in the evening Windows facing south—The most direct light in the middle of the day Windows facing north—Mostly indirect light through a good portion of the day Assess the window size & position on the wall Note the size and placement of all windows in a particular space so you can assess how much natural light you will get from all directions. Combinations of window sizes and shapes within a space will create overlapping light values and cross-lighting within your interior space. This cross-lighting can help eradicate those pesky shadows. Understand the sun’s daily trajectory Windows that face south get the most natural light, and windows facing north will get indirect sunlight. As we all know, most homes are not oriented so neatly, so you'll need to identify the cardinal directions for your home’s site and each window in your space. Fortunately, the sun’s daily trajectory is predictable. As the sun rises, it will come up from the east, then gradually travel through the sky towards the west, where it sets later in the day. This means you'll be able to follow the sun's path from your easterly windows to your westerly windows as the day progresses. You could even create a chart with timetables for when direct light enters each window. Understand the seasonal orientation of the sun in the sky During the summer, the sun is higher in the sky, which means the direct light will not penetrate as deeply into the interior. However, the light that does enter will be much more intense, creating glare. Harness the power of this glare by bouncing it off shiny surfaces that reflect the light deep into the room. In the winter, the sun sits lower in the sky, and while it is weaker in strength than summer sunlight, the lower angle means direct light can travel deeper into your interior. Spend some time in your space studying the light Spend some quiet time in the space at different times of day and at various times of year. Observe when sunlight shines into your space. Is it direct sunlight or just bright indirect light? How far into your space does the direct light penetrate? Does it seem like the indirect light is bright enough, or do you observe shadows? Direct light is the sun beating down on the windowsill, as opposed to bright, indirect light that is less direct and more ambient. Indirect light would be a little further away but still getting some light. This may be already in the medium light spectrum for your home. The low light is away from the direct light (probably across the room) but still gets a little light. This changes as the day progresses and according to the seasons. One tip that I learned as an amateur photographer is to use your phone to take snapshots. You will see the difference in lightness and darkness just by how bright or dark your images look on your phone. Ironically, this is how I discovered just how dark my living room is and how quickly the light fades as you move through the space. The eye can lie to you, so it’s great to have a tool to help measure the light levels. Identify the brightest and darkest areas of your space After studying the general light levels, you should be ready to identify the brightest and the darkest areas in your space. This is especially important for live plants, delicate fabrics, or precious artwork. Many houseplants need at least some direct sunlight for proper photosynthesis, but that artwork you paid a pretty penny for has no tolerance for direct sunlight. Also, you wouldn’t want to put a live plant in a dark corner. Certain hardy plants like peace lilies might live, but most houseplants won’t forgive you for putting them in darkness! In other words, know how you intend to use the space for optimal use of light and dark areas. Identify light overlap and indirect light In most larger rooms, there will be multiple windows and light sources. The combination will create an overlap in direct and indirect light, adding to the complexity of light and shadow levels in a space. But you also need to consider the indirect light filtering in from an adjacent space. That filtered light will overlap and enhance the light in a given room, but conversely, there may be times when that extra light will shine at a different angle and create weird shadows within your space. You'll need to assess whether that light helps or hinders your natural light needs. Remember that trick with taking snapshots with your phone? This is where it comes in handy. Your eye can’t always make sense of complex light levels, but your camera lens will show you. Just take a series of shots moving along a line through the space and watch as the images get darker and brighter. It’s a fun and eye-opening experience! And it will help you better understand how to use the natural light in your home! There are a variety of light meters on the market that measure light intensity through foot candles (or lux). These tools can help you precisely measure the amount of light in your space. However, the tips I have chosen work well for the layperson trying to sort out the general natural lighting situation in their space. So those are my eight tips for assessing the natural light in your interior spaces. Whether you are growing plants, protecting furnishings and artwork, looking to save on electric bills, or just love that warm sunlight, taking the time to observe the way natural light enters your home pays off. If you have more tips, drop a line in the comments below!
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Five ways to create light layers in a room Six tips to lighten up a dark room Does bringing nature into the home actually improve your mood? How to reupholster a dining room chair in 9 simple steps Eight tips for creating spring vignettes A spring decor makeover for my small rental bathroom Small houseplants that love bathroom humidity How to care for faux florals Eight health benefits of decorating with plants 11 interior decorating tips that help reduce anxiety and depression Nine hygge decor ideas Winter color palette ideas for your home decor Eight ways to create cozy winter interiors after the holiday decor comes down A little project with jute twine and an old foot stool DIY refurbishment of a dining room cabinet DIY upholstery cleaning methods Creating a kitchen coffee bar Let’s talk about houseplants
Affiliate Disclosure
Some of the posts in this article contain affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. I will only recommend products or services I use personally and/or believe will add value to my readers, so there is no conflict of interest. What do you think of when you think of winter? For most of us, the very mention of winter makes us shiver…but there are positive ways to approach the coldest season of the year. Over the past couple of years, I have researched a curious Danish lifestyle outlook called hygge. Winters up north are long, cold, and dark…and yet the population is said to be one of the happiest in the world! What a bunch of weirdos, right?! But they seem to have learned a trick to cope with the long winters indoors. At the heart of this whole “hygge” thing is the idea that your life is enriched by surrounding yourself with simple things that bring you joy. Embracing hygge in the home means choosing cozy decor that feels safe, warm, and inviting. If you want to learn more about hygge, I recommend the book by Meik Wiking called The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living, which you can purchase on Amazon. This brings me to the topic of lighting… Lighting can be one of those decor elements that we don’t think about as much as we should. Lighting (or lack of it) has a significant effect on mood. The best way to harness the ambiance in your home is to provide several sources of light that can be turned on and adjusted as needed. In the interior design world, this is called layering light. A cozy, user-friendly home utilizes adjustable light levels from various light sources-- such as overhead lighting, task lighting, and mid-level lighting on walls and tables. Before I get into the five ways you can create multiple layers of light in your interior space, let me first make a quick side note about color temperature and lighting. If your goal is to create a cozy space through lighting, stay on the warmer end of the spectrum. Cool lights negatively affect mood (think of the blue light from computers) and disrupt sleep patterns. Light color is measured with the Kelvin scale—2000K-3000K range is the warmer, more yellow range, 3100K-4500K is the white/blue range, and over 4500K is the “daylight range. Keep these ranges in mind as you’re making lighting choices, sticking to the lower end of the Kelvin spectrum for the softer, warmer lighting that will make your interior glow during the cold winter months. Assess natural light & window orientation All good lighting plans start with having a good grasp of how natural light enters your interior, the idea being to utilize as much free natural light as possible before turning on the lights. Electricity is not cheap these days! Do you know your home's orientation to the cardinal's compass points? Well, it’s a good idea to find out! All you need is one of those compass apps on your phone, and you’re all set! You should be familiar with your home’s orientation for a couple of reasons…First, houseplants need light to grow, so their placement is critical to survival. Second—and the subject of this article—you will need to understand how utilize the natural light in your home to minimize dependence on artificial lights and the electric bills associated with their usage. Natural light is free, don’t forget! In the winter, the sun sits lower on the horizon and travels further into the space, depending on the position of the windows. In the summer, the sun is higher in the sky and won’t penetrate as far into the interior, but the light is brighter and warmer than in winter. The sun also travels through the sky as the day progresses. In the mornings, you will have the sun coming through easterly-facing windows, travel across the southern sky, and end up in the west. A home with main windows facing the south is the “perfect” orientation for maximizing passive natural light. (By the way, this also helps with passive heating.) Install general/ambient lighting Every room should have at least one overhead source of lighting. It just makes sense for general functions and traveling through a space. In addition to overhead lighting, lamps and wall sconces can serve as general lighting. This general lighting can be as simple or elaborate as your budget permits and provides light for everyday functions, movement, and wayfinding. Ideally, general lighting should illuminate most of the space as evenly as possible. Assess task lighting needs Task lighting is exactly how it sounds—lighting that allows you to see without straining when trying to complete specific tasks. For instance, this could be a desk lamp in an office or under-the-cabinet strip lighting in the kitchen. Task lighting--used in conjunction with general overhead lighting--will illuminate a small space better, facilitating work that requires attention to detail. Get dramatic with specialty lighting Specialty lighting uses a variety of lighting fixtures to create dramatic visual effects. Use this added layer of lighting to illuminate decor or architectural elements and create visually appealing light pools on walls and floors. Examples of specialty lighting include picture lighting for artwork, track and monorail lighting on ceilings, and up-lighting along walls, steps, and columns. Make your home inviting with mood lighting This is my favorite part of the lighting scheme! And I think this is where “hygge” really shines, especially in the darker winter months. This is where you can bring a little magic into your home. Mood lighting isn’t a specific type of light fixture but a careful combination of ambient and specialty lighting, natural light, lamps, wall sconces, and decorative lighting options. You could even light up or turn on a fireplace for that additional cozy ambiance. Your main lighting (like ceiling pendants) might have dimmer switches to bring the lights down to a moodier, relaxing level. Lamps might have options for lower light settings. Then there are candles (both real and LED), battery-operated fairy strands, and warm white Christmas light strands. You could even incorporate a variety of special LED lighting options or black light. It all depends on what type of mood you are looking to achieve. Returning to the whole hygge theme (this is winter, after all), my way of creating cozy light layering would be to use my warm white accent lamps on a low setting with a few real or LED candles and some fairy strands. I love the soft, warm glow that makes my home feel warm and welcome in the evenings. Sadly, I don’t have a fireplace, but we can’t have everything, can we?! How will you create cozy light layers in your home this winter? Leave a comment below and tell us about it! Related blogs you may want to read: Eight tips for assessing natural light in your home Six tips to lighten up a dark room Does bringing nature into the home actually improve your mood? How to reupholster a dining room chair in 9 simple steps Eight tips for creating spring vignettes A spring decor makeover for my small rental bathroom Small houseplants that love bathroom humidity How to care for faux florals Eight health benefits of decorating with plants 11 interior decorating tips that help reduce anxiety and depression Nine hygge decor ideas Winter color palette ideas for your home decor Eight ways to create cozy winter interiors after the holiday decor comes down A little project with jute twine and an old foot stool DIY refurbishment of a dining room cabinet DIY upholstery cleaning methods Creating a kitchen coffee bar Let’s talk about houseplants Affiliate Disclosure Some of the posts in this article contain affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. I will only recommend products or services I use personally and/or believe will add value to my readers, so there is no conflict of interest. I had many trendy ideas for decorating my Christmas tree this year…and until I checked my bank balance! Lol! Jokes aside, this year has been tough financially, and there isn’t enough money left in the pot to handle gifts, food, bills, Christmas dinner, AND expensive holiday decor. So, we scaled things back a little… This year, I have challenged myself to work with what I have on hand for all my holiday decor…and it WAS a challenge. Some areas could use more “stuff”—if I wanted to go out and buy extra decor—but for this year, it has to be what it is. Artificial pre-lit tree So, this project started with a gorgeous pre-lit tree we bought a couple of years ago. This beautiful 7ft tree came with berries and pinecones, which made it easy for me to find faux florals to add to the branches. Assessing materials on hand Besides the artificial tree, I collected all of the faux florals, greenery, ribbon, and ornaments from storage that I thought would work well with this year’s decor scheme. All this potential material somehow ended up on my dining room table and sat there for days until I worked everything out! Anyway, the point is that what you see on the table is pretty much all I had to work with to decorate my dining and living rooms for the holidays. Choosing a style and matching the faux florals The first important task was to decide on color and style. Almost all of my existing Christmas decorations are traditional in style, so since we are using what we already have for this season’s decor, we are sticking with that theme. After carefully assessing how much material was available between all the florals and ornaments, I decided on a color scheme of green, red, gold, and white. All the floral picks for this year’s Christmas tree had to be red, white, or gold. Assessing ornaments on hand There are some cool trends this year for Christmas tree decor, and one of them is using clusters of large ball ornaments. As much as I love that look, it simply wasn’t in my budget to go out and buy a bunch of large ornaments…sigh. Maybe next year. But I made the best of things and used the ornaments I already had in storage…and I think they look so classy on my tree! Choosing ribbon for the tree The ribbon was another sore spot for me this year. I love the thick, voluptuous loops and bows on all the designer trees these days…but the ribbon is not cheap! I did splurge for one new ribbon because I needed a solid ribbon to help the translucent ribbons I already had stand out. I think over the year, I will keep my eyes open for some fancy wide ribbons for next year, but I made the best of what I had and dressed my beautiful tree in my best ribbons for the holidays. Finishing touches And the tree is done! Just a couple of finishing touches…This year, my tree skirt is made with white and gold fabrics from my stash swirled around the bottom. My son then decided he had enough room to set up his train tracks…so he could play with his train and reminisce about his childhood. (He’s 21!) This year's decorations may have been accomplished on a VERY slim budget, but the result was elegant. It was a challenge, but when there’s a will, there’s a way, right?! This tree was only one of several Christmas projects. I made three DIY wreaths, dressed up three rather sad garlands, and used leftover materials (which wasn’t much) to decorate four miniature trees. There are links to a few of these projects below. So, I hope you enjoyed seeing this year’s tree here at Di’s Studio Designs! From my family to yours…Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Related blogs you may want to read: How to make a simple faux floral wreath for the winter How to make a super easy faux ivy vine wreath for Christmas How to make cheap garland look festive for the holidays in just six steps DIY chalk painted tray with chippy effect DIY chalk painted tray with Celtic border Tips for creating a floral spring wreath A spring makeover for my small rental bathroom How to care for faux florals Nine hygge decor ideas Eight ways to create cozy winter interiors after the holiday decor comes down This article may contain a few items or commercial mentions, but I only used them for demonstration purposes only. I am not endorsing any particular product or receiving any monetary gain for this blog. If you’ve read any of my previous blogs—or follow me on social media—chances are you’ve seen this wreath base before. The vine wreath base with the “Welcome” sign has become a decor staple, providing the perfect template for an ever-changing assortment of seasonal faux floral arrangements. This wreath base will be used to create a holiday wreath that will stay up throughout the winter. I also had the added challenge of using only what I had on hand to economize during these trying economic times. Honestly, this arrangement was so easy to do! Here are the steps I took to create this gorgeous but simple holiday/winter wreath… Step 1—Choosing the greenery and floral elements For this design, I chose four greens, large red berry picks for the focal point, and small white accent flowers. Ideally, you want a variety of colors and textures with your greenery but always choose greens that complement each other and the focal florals. Speaking of focal florals, this simple design only requires one main focal element with a couple of contrasting florals to help make the main event stand out. Step 2—Lay out the design In this stage, you will gather your materials to brainstorm and work out the desired look. Planning the design at this stage will make it much easier to make changes and additions before you attach your florals to the wreath base. Step 3—Insert the berries The focal point for this arrangement is a cluster of red berries, with the rest working outwards from there. A helpful tip: Wrap a piece of thin piece around each berry pick so your stems can be easily inserted and secured. Step 4—Insert the greenery Once the berries are nicely arranged and in place, start building up the design with the greenery. I started with the eucalyptus picks, inserting them under and around the berries and securing them within the vine with thin wire. At this point, a couple of sprigs of tiny white berries—one of two of my accent florals—were pushed into place. Next, I inserted the pine branches into the vine base on either side of the berries, balancing each side of the wreath. The branches should more or less follow the curve of the wreath, but it’s ok if a branch or two goes rogue and hangs a little. It will look a bit more natural that way! Step 5—Add in accent florals Finally, a few white flowers can be pushed into place to provide more contrast so that the berries stand out more. And that’s it! This was one of the easiest faux floral arrangements I have ever done with this wreath base, and I love it! This project was limited to only what I had on hand, but you can make your wreath fuller with more greens, accent florals, and even pinecones. So what do you think? I encourage you to be brave--upcycle those old faux floral wreaths and create your own design with fresh faux florals. It’s really not too hard. All it takes is patience and imagination to give new life to an old wreath! There is a second vine base DIY that is also super easy, and I’ll include the link below! Happy Holidays! Related blogs you may want to read: How to make a super easy faux ivy vine wreath for Christmas How I decorated my tree on a budget this year How to make cheap garland look festive for the holidays in just six steps DIY chalk painted tray with chippy effect DIY chalk painted tray with Celtic border Tips for creating a floral spring wreath A spring makeover for my small rental bathroom How to care for faux florals Nine hygge decor ideas Eight ways to create cozy winter interiors after the holiday decor comes down This article may contain a few items or commercial mentions, but I only used them for demonstration purposes only. I am not endorsing any particular product or receiving any monetary gain for this blog. This holiday decorating season has seen a lot of DIY projects, including this super simple ivy vine wreath! As with another recent DIY wreath project (see below), I started with a twisted vine wreath base stripped of all its old faux florals. Why so many DIY decor projects, you may ask? Well, it’s all about being economical this year and working with materials I already have rather than going out and spending money that I need for other things…like gifts! So what you see on this table (plus a box or two of Christmas ornaments) is all I had to work with for this holiday season’s greenery. A lot of thought also went into creating a sense of continuity in design between the different groupings, the dining room table, and the living room decor. Just because you are on a budget doesn’t mean you skimp on design! This faux ivy wreath design was so quick and easy that I had to share it! Here are the four steps to make this simple wreath… Step 1—Wrap the green ivy Wrap the solid green ivy around the wreath and secure it into place by pushing the ends into the twisted vine. Wrap as much ivy as you like to create the desired thickness of the wreath. Step 2—Wrap the variegated ivy The variegated ivy—which provides visual contrast—can be wrapped over the green ivy, filling in the gaps between the vines. As with the green ivy, wrap it as many times as you like to create the desired thickness for your wreath, and push the ends into the wreath base to secure it in place. Keep the spacing even for a more balanced finished look. Step 3—Add in berries This design calls for clusters of red berries to provide contrast and visual interest. When working with wreaths, it is essential to evenly space florals to create a sense of balance. Odd numbers are preferable, so I used five clusters, but this design would also work perfectly well with just four berry clusters. The berry picks are secured into place by pushing the stems into the twisted vine base. If the stems are too short, add thin wire to attach to the wreath. Step 4—Attach gold poinsettias As with the berries, the poinsettias should be evenly spaced around the perimeter of your wreath. Five poinsettias were evenly spaced between the red berries. Since these poinsettia flowers had no stems, I used thin wire to attach each to my wreath. And that’s it! Super simple, and yet very festive! All that’s left is to hang and dress up your wreath with fairy lights. I even had enough ivy left over to create a small wreath with no base—just ivy vines twisted into an oval and topped with a bow! So let me know in the comments whether you have tried anything similar, and don’t forget to check out my other holiday wreath DIY (listed below). Happy Holidays! Related blogs you may want to read: How to make a simple faux floral wreath for the winter How I decorated my Christmas tree on a budget this year How to make cheap garland look festive for the holidays in just six steps DIY chalk painted tray with chippy effect DIY chalk painted tray with Celtic border Tips for creating a floral spring wreath A spring makeover for my small rental bathroom How to care for faux florals Nine hygge decor ideas Eight ways to create cozy winter interiors after the holiday decor comes down This article may contain a few items or commercial mentions, but I only used them for demonstration purposes only. I am not endorsing any particular product or receiving any monetary gain for this blog. This year’s holiday season has been devastated by the current chaotic economy. It’s turning out to be a very lean holiday season indeed! This year—in particular—the festive decorations have become a beacon of light in the darkness, at least for me. But what do you do if you can’t afford to indulge in the latest trends in Christmas decorations? What if all you have to work with is cheap, wiry—and obviously fake—garland? This year, I have three cheap garlands, two hung over the top of my windows and one wrapped around the staircase railing. In this DIY, I'll share how I dressed them up to make them look festive. There were two stipulations for this decorating project: 1) I could only work with materials I had on hand, and 2) The final look had to match the rest of the holiday decor in my dining and living rooms. I picked through all of my faux florals, faux greenery, ribbons, and ornaments to see if I could come up with enough ideas to fill two rooms with holiday spirit while creating a cohesive look to the space. As you can see, I made such a mess of my dining room table! But it was worth it. Laying everything out in front of me allowed me to see what I had, explore what goes together, and assess how much of each material was available. What you see on this table (plus a box of ornaments) is all I had to work with for this year’s holiday floral decorating. That decorating scheme also included creating two faux floral wreaths and filling out the pre-lit Christmas tree (I will leave links to those projects at the end), so everything you see on this table had to be carefully stretched to meet all my decorating needs. What a challenge this turned out to be! So, let’s look at how I made my cheap garland look festive… Step 1—Fluff the garland The first step to making this cheap garland workable is to fluff every branch. As tedious as this sounds, you have to make sure to touch every single branch. Pull the branches apart and outwards in various directions away from the central wire. This creates a workable base for all of the materials you will add. Step 2—Plan out your spacing Take each bundle of greenery and experiment with the desired placement. I like to start with locating the center of the garland so that my end design has a pleasing symmetry. If you have an odd number of miniature floral arrangements, you will start in the center and work out, evenly spacing your greens. If your design calls for an even number of arrangements, you will carefully space out the bundles on either side of the central point. Either way, you will lay out your garland and greens before attaching anything to get the correct spacing. Using symmetry is the simplest way to make a dramatic visual impact! Step 3—Choose your faux greenery Ideally, you want more than one type of faux greenery to create visual interest. You’ll want to use greens that complement each other and the garland yet creates much-needed contrast. I used three or four different greens, including faux pine and variegated leaves. You don’t have to choose “Christmas” greens. You can use whatever works visually, and that’s ok! Just remember to keep in mind that you want a sense of continuity in the space, so try to use at least one type of greenery that appears elsewhere in your room. I used thin wire to attach and arrange my stems on either side of a central spot. This spot will be filled later with flowers. This set the stage for several miniature arrangements to be created along the length of the garland. Step 4—Layer in faux florals The faux florals in this project became individual focal points for the miniature arrangements on the garland. As I mentioned with the greenery, it is important to use repetition of design elements so that the garland blends in with the rest of your holiday decor. One of my garlands was wrapped around the staircase railing in the dining room. As there was quite a lot going on in that space already, I kept the garland simple. The other two garlands also had red berries, with the addition of gold poinsettias. Red berries, pinecones, and gold poinsettias are decorative elements in both my dining and living rooms. My tree, garlands, wreaths, and other decor all have some or all of these elements, making both spaces feel cohesive, even though I could not go out and buy expensive decorations this year. If you have enough materials to work with, continue to add in to further “fluff” the garland. The more florals and greenery you add, the more “expensive” the garland will look. As I worked with only what I had this year, I left the garland simple. If you have them, add ornaments to take your design up a notch! Step 5—Add ribbon Another way to make your garland look stylish and festive is to add ribbon. This year, the goal was to work only with what I had on hand, and unfortunately, I didn’t have enough ribbon left for bows! At some point, I will either have to splurge and buy a bit more ribbon or come up with an idea for how to use what I have interestingly. The image below is from last year’s garland…Doesn’t it just look so festive?! Your bows should match the rest of the room decor and be placed in natural corners and focal points along the garland. Space evenly for a cleaner look, and fill in gaps between the bows with smaller bits of ribbon to fill out the look. Step 6—Add lights The last step to making your garland look festive is to light it up! I used fairy lights for the railing garland but traditional LED Christmas lights for the garlands above the windows. (I don’t love seeing the cords, so I’ll have to find a way to hide them.) Whichever lights you use, push them into the garland to light up nooks and crannies and create a more polished look. When I started this decorating project, I was dubious about whether or not I had enough material to create a festive holiday space. While I wish I had more greenery and faux florals to fill out my garlands, I did pull off an economical yet stylish look. My new plan is to collect more materials for NEXT year so my holiday decor will have fuller greens and florals. So, I hope I inspired you to use what you have on hand to create festive garlands. It IS challenging to create a nice look with a limited budget! But it feels so good when you look around and see the holiday decor that YOU created! It is possible to take that cheap-looking garland and give it a makeover! If you have any thoughts or tips about creating beautiful holiday garlands, please share them below! And Happy Holidays! Related blogs you may want to read: How to make a simple faux floral wreath for the winter How to make a super easy faux ivy vine wreath for Christmas How I decorated my Christmas tree on a budget this year DIY chalk painted tray with chippy effect DIY chalk painted tray with Celtic border Tips for creating a floral spring wreath A spring makeover for my small rental bathroom How to care for faux florals Nine hygge decor ideas Eight ways to create cozy winter interiors after the holiday decor comes down This article may contain a few items or commercial mentions, but I only used them for demonstration purposes only. I am not endorsing any particular product or receiving any monetary gain for this blog. Welcome to part two of my DIY chalk-painted tray project! In part one, I chalk-painted a decorative tray using a “chippy” weathered effect. Now, let's go through the steps I took to design and paint a border around the vertical exterior sides of the tray. This will not be a tutorial on creating Celtic knots—that would turn this blog post into a book (which is in the works, by the way)! The goal is to help you create a simple design that can be traced onto the newly painted decorative tray for a bit more pizzazz. I love Celtic art and knotwork! I am always looking for ways to sneak some Celtic knots into my decor, so when I started painting a decorative wood tray for my living room, it was inevitable that it would end up adorned with a Celtic knot border! So here we are at part 2 of this project, where I walk you through how I drew and painted a beautiful knot border onto the sides of my newly painted tray. So let’s dive right in and go through this process step by step… Materials needed: pencil eraser ruler grid paper tracing paper tape scissors craft paint sandpaper (optional) varnish (optional) Step 1—Get measurements The first thing you need to do in a project like this is to get some basic measurements. My tray is 16” x 12” with 2” H sides. The long side of my tray is 16” L x 2” H. The short sides of the tray have holes for handles that split the empty areas into two parts that are 4 1/2” L x 2” H each. Step 2—Plot out measurements on grid paper If you’re creating a freehand design, you won’t need grid paper, but you’ll still need to measure the drawing area on your paper so your template will fit the area to be painted. Using grid paper may help keep your design symmetrical and more accurately aligned. For this project, I plotted out one section measuring 16”x 2” and another measuring 4 1/2” x 2” on my grid paper. Marking the edges, I then plotted out the ‘working” area, meaning I made decisions on how much space to leave between the design and the edges of the tray. I took this opportunity to mark the midpoints for each section on the paper and the tray. This helps tremendously later on when we have to align the template onto the tray to get the design perfectly level…so don’t skip this step! Step 3—Create a simple line design I am in the process of putting together future tutorials on how to create Celtic knots, but for the sake of this project, I will share one of the simplest ways to draw a Celtic knotwork border—starting with drawing a single line. I found a Celtic-style border knot in a linked pattern and then reverse-engineered it to make it work for the dimensions of my tray. To speed up and simplify the process, I decided to work it out with a single line first. (My rough grid includes the “breaks”—I’ll go into more detail on how to do that in a future tutorial.) Step 4—Create the “thread” with “overs” and “unders” Now, it’s time to use the simple line as a guide to create the actual thread. Draw parallel lines on either side of your single line, working your way through your design. Don’t worry about drawing over other lines. All unnecessary lines will get erased when you start marking out the “overs” and “unders” (the weave pattern for your design). Once the “thread” has been established, erase that first single line. It’s done its job, and you don’t need it anymore! Now it is time to work through the “overs” and “unders”… Pick a starting junction and decide which thread will go under and which will go over, creating what some call a “bridge and tunnel” or the beginnings of a weave. Erase the lines accordingly and work through the design by following that thread, alternating over and under. DO NOT JUMP AROUND! Stay with that thread until you come back to your starting point. Work through any additional threads, double-checking that your overs and unders alternate. Once satisfied with your overs and unders, clean up the drawing and add stylistic details. Step 5—Create the template using tracing paper The new design can now be traced onto tracing paper to create the template. There are many techniques for creating templates--I am just sharing one that has worked well for me. Place a sheet of tracing paper over your drawing and securely tape it in place so it doesn’t move or bubble. Carefully trace your design lines with a pencil using fairly hard pressure. Mark the edges of your template (using a straight edge) and indicate the midlines on all four sides. Carefully cut out the templates along the edges. You should now have two templates with your new knotwork borders that perfectly fit your working space on your project. For my project, one template measured 16” x 2” and the other 4 1/2” x 2”. Step 6—Trace the design onto the tray Turn the template pencil side down and securely tape it into a place where you want your design, carefully lining up the edges and midpoints for each of the four sides. Trace the lines with a pencil. Use enough pressure to transfer the pencil marks onto your workspace. If you’re unsure if you’re using enough pressure, remove a bit of tape (carefully) and check to see if you can see the design on the tray. Repeat this step on all four sides of the tray. Step 7—Paint the design Choose a paint color and a small paintbrush with pointy bristles, and start painting your design! This may require two to three coats, depending on the desired look. If you do not have a steady hand--or do not have the patience for hand painting--try using paint pens instead. For this project, I suffered through it and used the paint and brush technique, but I also purchased some gold paint pens from Amazon for another project and found the process much easier. The technique you use for this project is completely up to you. In part one of this project, the tray was painted to look used and battered, and I was satisfied with the results. Once the knotwork was finished, however, I decided the tray still needed more work. So, I took some 220 grit sandpaper and did a bit more sanding to get the final weathered effect. Step 8—Varnish to protect the paint (optional) This step is optional, but it can be a good way of protecting all your hard work! I’ve decided not to varnish my tray, at least for now. Usually, when I do a project like this, I add soft pads to the bottom to protect surfaces, but I may decide to make alterations or additions to this tray, so for now, I will forego the pads and varnish until later. So there you have it! The Celtic border knot was WAY more work than planned for this project, but I’m glad I did it. I love that I now have another decorative piece with beautiful Celtic art on it--Celtic art I drew and painted myself! This tray was a lot of work, but I love the rustic, charming look. I know this was a complex project to throw out there, and the thought occurred to me that people might want to learn how to draw this kind of intricate artwork, so I have decided to start work creating and compiling downloadable ebooks with tutorials on how to construct Celtic knots. I’m unsure when they will be available, but sign up for periodic emails for updates on these ebooks and other projects. Let me know in the comments if you've done anything similar and what you think of this project! Related blogs you may want to read: DIY chalk painted tray with chippy effect A little project with jute twine and an old foot stool DIY refurbishment of a dining room cabinet A fun DIY project with paint and a thrifted mirror part 1 A fun DIY project with paint and a thrifted mirror part 2 Creating a kitchen coffee bar On a mission to recycle this neglected vintage stool The stain stripping stage of rescuing my vintage stool Staining my vintage stool with brewed tea My tattered vintage stool transformed into a beautiful plant stand Homemade candle recipe with a eucalyptus fragrance Homemade candle recipe with a hazelnut fragrance Affiliate Disclosure Some of the posts in this article contain affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. I will only recommend products or services I use personally and/or believe will add value to my readers, so there is no conflict of interest. This month, I tackled a simple DIY project using an unfinished wooden tray, furniture stain, and chalk paint. The tray was one of those items that kept getting moved from cabinet to cabinet…because "someday" I would come up with an idea for a DIY project! Well, the time has finally come. The stars have finally aligned, allowing me the time to take my idea and make it happen! And speaking of time, my time is limited, so any DIY project HAS to be simple…and inexpensive. The inspiration for today’s DIY project came from a technique I found on The Country Cottage that I thought I’d try. I’ll modify the materials to fit my project, and we’ll see how it turns out! This tray project has two parts…The weathered paint technique will be covered in this blog (which I am calling “part 1”), and the second part will be a “part 2” blog on how to create a Celtic border on the sides of the tray. But first, let’s tackle part 1… All that is needed for part one of this project is a dark coat of paint (I used Varathane Cognac wood stain), some candle wax (I used my homemade soy candles), and some light-colored chalk paint (I used Rust-oleum Chiffon Cream Ultra Matte chalk paint). The idea for this project is to create a worn look to this tray as if this was something found in an old dusty attic or picked up from a flea market. I want it to look aged but not too beat up. And not too much like Farmhouse, although the result could work well in a Farmhouse decor scheme. In other words, I want it chippy but not TOO chippy, if that makes any sense! Materials needed: dark base paint or stain paint brushes or sponges candle wax chalk paint chalk paint brushes heat gun duct tape water sandpaper, 220 grit
Step 1—Sand the tray
Prep the bare wood for paint (or stain) with a light sanding. This cleans up any dirt and helps rough up the surface to help with stain or paint absorption. If I’m being honest, I forgot to do this step, but it all worked out okay anyway! Step 2—Apply the dark base coat The tray needed to blend in with my existing decor, so I chose a base color previously used in a DIY project in my dining room. I used the same stain and chalk paint from a dining room cabinet I painted last year. When you apply stain, you usually let it sit for some time (depending on how dark you want the color) and then wipe off the excess. This time--instead of wiping it off--I let it dry at full strength to achieve a rich, dark color. You’ll do whatever works best for your specific project. Make sure everything is dried completely before moving on to the next step. Step 3—Rub the wood with wax Once my stain was fully dry (the next day), I rubbed some of my homemade soy candle wax in areas I’d like to weather. I chose spots that would see wear and tear, like inside the tray and the edges and corners. Step 4—Apply the chalk paint top coats In the next step, I applied two coats of chalk paint over the wax and then the stain. There’s nothing complicated with this step--just slather it on! Step 5—Heat and remove paint Using a heat gun (you can also use a hair dryer), I heated the areas where I wanted the paint chipped. It didn’t take much, just a few seconds. Now, here’s the tricky part…The directions say to take a small piece of duct tape and LIGHTLY apply it to the area, removing it immediately. I cannot stress enough that you must do this quickly and lightly, or you will remove too much top paint! The tape has to lightly stick and remove only small bits of the chalk paint top coat. I did pretty well until I got to the tray bottom, where I took off bit more than planned…but the look grew on me, and now I think it looks like it’s supposed to be that worn. Step 6—Lightly sand So here’s where I diverged from the original technique…I liked the chippy effect that this technique created, but it was just way too much like Farmhouse for my taste. (Sorry Farmhouse lovers!) For this tray to fit in with my decor style, I needed the “chippiness” (I just made up that word!) toned down a bit. I used 220 grit sandpaper to lighten the areas where the paint was chipped away, and that improved the situation somewhat…but it still needed to be lightened up even more. Step 7—Blend with a damp brush To lighten the chipped paint effect even further, I took a slightly wet paintbrush and blended the chalk paint over the areas where the paint had been chipped off. Chalk paint is ideal because you can dampen the paint and rework or blend any trouble spots.) I loved the result! I feel like this tray now has the look of something old and worn without being too chippy. So that’s the end of the painting phase of this project. The technique was simple and quick, taking only two days to complete. What I learned, however, was that—as fun as it was to use wax, heat, and duct tape to create a chippy appearance—you don’t need to do that step. Later in the process (in “part 2”)—while taping border templates onto my tray sides—I accidentally removed more chips of paint from my top coat, which leads me to believe that you could probably skip the wax and use tape to remove areas of the top coat. I don’t know how well this would work if the base coat was also painted (since I used stain), so I don’t know how much paint would be removed, but a little trial and error and a lighter touch might yield good results. All in all, this was a fun project, and I’m pleased with the outcome. But—as always—my sadistic side kicked in, and I had to take things up a notch! So, I had this crazy idea to paint a Celtic knot border around the exterior sides. Part two of this blog will take you through the basic steps needed to create a knotwork design for the sides of this tray. But you can also create any design of your own…vines, flowers, leaves, or any decorative motif you like to spruce up your tray! So what do you think? Have you done any similar projects with chalk paint? Do you have any tips or tricks for weathering paint effects you’d like to share? Feel free to drop a comment below! And don’t forget to read part two here, where I torture myself with a hand-drawn and painted Celtic knot border.
Related blogs you may want to read:
DIY chalk painted tray with Celtic border A little project with jute twine and an old foot stool DIY refurbishment of a dining room cabinet A fun DIY project with paint and a thrifted mirror part 1 A fun DIY project with paint and a thrifted mirror part 2 Creating a kitchen coffee bar On a mission to recycle this neglected vintage stool The stain stripping stage of rescuing my vintage stool Staining my vintage stool with brewed tea My tattered vintage stool transformed into a beautiful plant stand Homemade candle recipe with a eucalyptus fragrance Homemade candle recipe with a hazelnut fragrance Affiliate Disclosure Some of the posts in this article contain affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. I will only recommend products or services I use personally and/or believe will add value to my readers, so there is no conflict of interest. As a child, I loved everything related to castles and fairy tales. The irresistible pull of the unseen world wormed its way into my psyche and never let go. The sense of wonder I felt when I imagined worlds full of magical folk like fairies, elves, gnomes, and talking animals was perhaps a way to escape a troubled childhood. But it was something more than that…something hard to describe. There is just something about the world of miniatures that has always held my imagination. What is more fascinating than doll houses with miniature versions of our world, with tiny bits of furniture and interior decor? Or how about model train landscaping with streets, buildings, and train tracks? These are entire worlds where “little people” go about their business, oblivious to us mere mortals staring down at them like giant Cheshire cats. Fairy gardens evoke the same sense of intrigue and fascination, and creating a fairy garden is the perfect invitation to allow your imagination to again enter the realm of magic. Creating a fairy garden is essentially an activity inspired by nature and all that exists in the natural world, with a touch of whimsy that gives us a space tp escape the “rational” world for just a bit. So, what makes a fairy garden? What types of things are “essential” to a fairy garden? Let’s take a moment or two to suspend belief and discuss the ten essential elements that I believe are necessary for a successful fairy garden! Fairy habitats When it comes to creating a fairy habitat, the sky is the limit! Fairies love a habitat that is attractive to birds, bees, and butterflies…but maybe your fairy has other ideas! At its core the fairy garden is a tiny haven full of miniature structures surrounded by all sorts of things that attract the typical garden wildlife. But—again—your fairy might cut against the grain and embrace their inner alien or beach bum! (I’ve seen both…it gets interesting!) In the interest of keeping things simple, though, we’ll just discuss the typical garden or woodland fairy habitat. Fairy gardens are typically part of a larger garden (although they don’t have to be), so think of this space as a garden within a garden…a special little patch of real estate set aside just for your magical fairy resident. And put some thought into it! Put yourself in your fairy’s shoes…Visualize yourself about 3 inches tall and look around. (Maybe put that camera phone down to ground level and take some photos, just to get a more realistic perspective.) Are there trees and tree stumps with hollows to live or hide in? Are there mushrooms for your fairy to sleep on or shelter under during a rainstorm? Is there a patch of flowers with vibrant colors and attractive fragrance that attracts birds and bees? Maybe there is even a hollow woodland log with clumps of ferns clinging to its reclining form on a forest floor. Whatever your choice of habitat, make it something fun, whimsical, and enchanted! Make it a place that will make your fairy feel welcome and want to stay. A comfy fairy home If your fairy does decide to stay in the habitat you’ve so carefully chosen, she’ll need a place to do all the “domestic” stuff, the stuff of daily living. So what type of home will your fairy want? When it comes to fairy homes, this will depend on your chosen habitat, and—of course—your fairy’s preferences! A fairy’s house could be provided by nature, taking the form of a tree hollow, toadstool, or miniature cave made of rocks. Or maybe she’s an environmentalist who embraces the idea of repurposing old pots, wheelbarrows, or planters. Or maybe you are one of those crafty fairy guardians who builds her a birdhouse or fairy house. Whatever type of home you and your fairy choose, it should be attractive and comfy and provide shelter from wicked weather. Shelter & hiding places for fairies Your fairy will not spend ALL day inside her home! She will be out and about, exploring her gardens and surrounding areas, looking for food, and visiting friends. And sometimes—while she is out having too much fun—she gets caught in a rainstorm! Remember those tree stumps, toadstools, and flowers I mentioned before? This is where they come in handy! It is essential to your fairy’s happiness to provide places of shelter, even if it’s a thick bush or large leafy flower under which your fairy can hide from unwanted visitors or shelter from that occasional summer rainstorm. Fairy friends & companions Speaking of friends…We all need friends, and your fairy is no different! The perfect habitat will naturally attract butterflies, frogs, hummingbirds, and ladybugs all of whom will be curious about your resident magical being and easily befriend her. Maybe the neighborhood squirrels and rabbits pop in for a quick visit while on the way to find their morning meal. You could even invite companions from the fairy world, like gnomes and elves. (Don’t worry that they are resin statues…they come alive when you are not looking anyway!) Maybe your cat or dog makes a daily trek outside to pay a visit. (Make sure they are friendly to your fairy, or you may incur her wrath!) And don’t forget that YOU are her friend as well! Visit her now and again to check up on her and catch up! Miniature garden areas for fairies Having a resident fairy comes with responsibilities, and one of those responsibilities is creating a beautiful garden in which your fairy can quietly meander on a cool misty dawn or entertain friends on a sunny summer afternoon. Nestling your fairy’s magical home into existing flower gardens is one of the easiest—and most natural—ways to surround your fairy with her very own garden patch. Or…maybe this is where you have fun doing miniature landscaping! Creating miniature gardens is an art form that goes back decades, but lately, the fairy garden has become all the rage! How can you resist creating all those miniature walkways, garden patios, and landscaping?! If you decide to go this route, you’ll need miniature plants--succulents, miniature roses, or any relatively small plant that won’t get out of control and become overgrown. Maybe some plants are in pots, and maybe some grow from the soil…Just think low maintenance. (That doesn’t mean NO maintenance! You’ll have to visit your fairy friend often to do upkeep.) Whatever you choose to do for your fairy, creating a magical homestead for your fairy will entice her to stay…And that means good luck for you! Flowers in the fairy garden While we’re on the subject of gardens and flowers, let’s talk a little about the type of flowers and plants that will have your fairy swooning… So what types of plants and flowers attract fairies? Fairies are known to have a fondness for aromatic herbs, like thyme and rosemary. Planting herbs in and around your fairy garden attracts bees and other insects which are beneficial to the health of your garden…and the happiness of your fairy. And did I forget to mention the amazing scent that fills the air?! Beautiful flowers—like petunias, tulips, foxglove, pansies, and even wildflowers—can also add to the symphony of fragrances in your fairy’s garden. Flowers that have large petals also provide much needed shade on a sunny day, or even attractive places to hide in or sleep. Fruit trees and bushes make a good food source for your fairy, and having them close to home means she won’t have to risk traveling too far away to find her morning breakfast. Shiny objects and fairies In case you didn’t already know, fairies like shiny things! It is said that fairies are attracted to glittering shiny items, like fairy lights and sparkly gems. They are attracted to the light like moths to a flame, so it is important to use this to your advantage as you try to lure a fairy into your garden and entice them to stay. As you create your fairy garden, think about incorporating things like crystals, gem stones, glass beads, sparkly flocked decor, fairy lights, and even water. Your fairy will be mesmerized! Water sources in the fairy garden Water is the source of all life…and fairies love it! The presence of water provides several benefits. Fairies like it for its shimmering properties, but they also bathe in pools of water and drink from nearby water sources. In ancient myths water had magical properties and represented a portal to another world. Remember, fairies are ethereal magical creatures that belong to another realm of reality, and the presence of water gives them easy access to that world. Ponds, streams, bird baths, or any pool of water—even miniature fountains—make excellent water sources for your fairy garden and any visitors that might arrive. What do you do if you can’t provide a source of actual water? Go “faux”! Even just the illusion of water is beneficial and will make your fairy happy. It can be as simple as blue stones arranged like a pond. Or you can get more decorative with decor filled with resin resembling a waterfall. It’s up to you! As long as the effort is there, your fairy will be grateful. Soothing sounds in the fairy garden We often forget about sound when we are creating gardens, but sound can have a powerful effect on us, for better or for worse. A pleasant sound—like the soft gurgling from a water feature—sets the tone for a calm quiet place to sit and meditate or daydream. All creatures—magical or otherwise—will benefit from such a place! The sound of wind chimes in the garden can also have a spellbinding effect on anyone who happens to be within earshot. The musical tones that keep time with the breeze take us to another level of sublime consciousness. The same sounds that are soothing to us are also loved by fairies, so this is a great opportunity to create relaxing tones that will make your fairy’s homestead more magical, but will also entice YOU to linger a few moments in your miniature garden and revel in your handiwork. Using your imagination And finally…The number one essential element for creating a fairy garden is your own imagination! Use your imagination to come up with a garden that has a story to tell. Create a theme that tells the story of your garden fairy. Don’t be afraid to tap into that inner child and dream! Sit a while and think about little worlds and all the magic folk. Experiment with different setups, plants, decor. There is no right or wrong way to do it…just as long as you do it! Creating a fairy garden is an opportunity to get your hands dirty and play with ideas for miniature landscaping. Even if you don’t believe in fairies, this is a way to be creative and expressive. The process of working in a garden is a fun way to relieve stress and escape—even if for just a few moments—from the craziness of our everyday lives. So go forth and dream…and create a whimsical magical world for your own resident fairy! So those were my top ten essential elements for creating a fairy garden. Now that you are inspired to go create your own magical fairy garden, what kind of garden do you think you will make? Or do you already have a resident fairy happily living in your garden? I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences in the comments! Just an FYI…You can create beautiful decorative indoor fairy gardens as well. It is so much fun putting together indoor fairy gardens with faux florals and miniature decor! Decor can be easily changed out for the seasons or holidays to give you a fresh new vignette or tablescape whenever you like. If you have a moment, go check out my handcrafted fairy houses created specifically for indoor fairy gardens. Related blogs you may want to read: A brief history of the origins of fairy gardens My spring 2022 indoor fairy gardens Spring makeover for my indoor fairy gardens My outdoor fairy garden My fairy house project Sources: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/spaces/attracting-fairies-in-the-garden.htm https://theforestfairy.com/flowers-that-attract-and-welcome-the-fairies-into-your-garden/ https://obsessionwithbutterflies.com/2019/08/miniature-fairy-gardening/ https://fifthseasongardening.com/the-magical-world-of-fairy-gardens https://www.almanac.com/gardening-miniature http://www.buckscountrygardens.com/the-enchanted-garden-miniature-fairy-gardens/ https://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/2080 This article may contain a few items or commercial mentions, but I only used them for demonstration purposes only. I am not endorsing any particular product or receiving any monetary gain for this blog.
So, fairy gardens…Where did this charming gardening trend come from? I asked myself this very question as I worked on my annual spring gardening and faux floral projects. For the past few years, I’ve been experimenting with fairy houses and fairy gardens—both for indoor and outdoor use—but until now, it never occurred to me to consider the origins and the meaning behind the miniature garden trend. So I did a little digging (no pun intended), and here’s what I learned… Late 19th century garden trends The seeds for the fairy garden idea—at least here in the US—seem to have started sometime in the late 1800s as an offshoot of the Japanese garden tradition of bonsai and miniature trees. The Victorians were fascinated with Japanese art, gardens, and culture and began using Japanese-influenced miniature trees in their garden landscapes. These were not yet what we would consider fairy gardens, but the notion of plants in miniature seems to have fascinated people from that time forward. A new garden idea in the mid-20th century Fast forward to the mid-1900s, and a British nursery owner named Anne Ashberry and the fairy garden as we know it today start to take shape. Anne Ashberry’s idea was to create small gardens that could be easily looked after by people who lived in small spaces or by individuals with physical impairments. If you’ve never heard of Ms. Ashberry, read her inspirational story here. She became well known for her miniature gardens and window boxes with tiny landscaped worlds full of carefully researched flowers and soils. I don’t think they were considered fairy gardens just yet. These carefully manicured small-scale versions of our world—filled with miniature houses and formal gardens—were simply magical and sought after by the British royal family. Folkloric influences The current-day fairy theme has cultural ties to Germanic and Celtic (Irish) folklore. The underlying mythical belief is that fairies live in our gardens, and these fairies can either be mischievous or bring good luck, depending on how well they are respected and treated. According to popular belief, if you want to appeal to the fairies in your garden and get into their good graces, you must create an enticing world filled with flowers, comfortable places to live and shelter, and sparkly things. If you do this, fairies will move in, and your garden will thrive. There is also a tradition of placing fairy doors and tiny houses in the woods near trees. This attracts good fairies to the area and creates a sense of magic and wonders for the lucky person who happens to be passing by. Miniature vs fairy We should take a moment to understand the difference between “miniature” and “fairy” gardens. The terms “miniature garden” and “fairy garden” tend to be used interchangeably, and I guess there’s a logic to that, but I believe there is a distinct difference. Fairy gardens—to my way of thinking—are specifically about creating spaces for fairies and have their roots in folklore. Miniature gardens CAN be fairy gardens, but often they are just like model train landscaping—a mirror reflection of our world in miniature, which—in truth—can be just as enchanting! Fairy gardens today Today, miniature gardens (and fairy gardens) are often used to give children a place to stretch their imagination, but adults seem to be equally enthralled with them. (Take a look on Facebook if you don’t believe me!) It’s a fun hobby that some people take to incredible levels, creating miniature worlds full of minute details that capture your attention and make you smile. Creating an outdoor fairy garden is a fun way to “play” in the garden. It’s also a way to have a compact garden in small areas. (Remember Anne Ashberry?). You could even use faux plants for all-year use and less maintenance. I have been experimenting with indoor fairy gardens and faux florals to bring the outdoors inside. (I know...According to folklore, you are not supposed to invite fairies inside, but rules are meant to be broken, right?!) The most important thing when dealing with fairy gardens is creativity and imagination. Everything else is just confetti! I am developing some ideas for new handcrafted wooden fairy houses for indoor fairy gardens. For more on this exciting new project, check out my new page on Di’s Studio Design website… https://disstudiodesigns.com/fairy-houses.html Related blogs you may want to read: My spring 2022 indoor fairy gardens Spring makeover for my indoor fairy gardens My outdoor fairy garden My fairy house project This article may contain a few items or commercial mentions, but I only used them for demonstration purposes only. I am not endorsing any particular product or receiving any monetary gain for this blog. It’s been a year since we bought our dining room set from an upscale consignment shop in our area. It’s a beautiful set, but the chair upholstery was not looking its best. I tried cleaning it (I even did a blog about it last year), but ultimately, I was unhappy with the fabric. Anyway, the padding is so worn it feels like you’re sitting on a board--time for a reupholstery project! Here’s where I put in a disclaimer--I am a complete upholstery novice! But I did a lot of research on upholstery methods and watched tons of videos on “YouTube University”! It’s not hard to do simple chair seats, but I did learn a few things by actually doing the project, things you can’t learn from simply watching a few videos. There’s nothing like real life to teach you…So today’s blog shows you my process and offers some tips I learned along the way… Tools needed for this project: electric screwdriver upholstery staple remover electric staple gun pliers scissors utility knife glue/adhesive (opt) marker/pencil foam batting duster (opt) fabric Before I get into the steps I took for this project, I'll say a few words about tools. Upholstery takes elbow grease! You will be working for your arms and hands intensely, and if you have any shoulder or back problems (like myself), be aware of that and work accordingly. A couple of tools that will help with this issue are an electric screwdriver and corded stapler. I started this project with all old-fashioned hand tools…and I was laid up for two days with pain in my spine from irritating an issue in my neck. So, be aware that upholstering is quite physical, so use power tools where you can because it is hard work! Step 1…removing the seat Removing the chair seat from the chair frame was easy. I turned the chair upside down and unscrewed the screws in each corner bracket that attaches the seat to the chair frame. Step 2…remove all the existing staples This part can be tedious and a bit tough on the hands. But saying that, it’s not hard to do, depending on how your predecessor went about upholstering the seat. Turn the seat upside down and use a staple remover tool (you can find one cheap on Amazon) to remove as many old upholstery tacks or staples as possible. You will want to start your new project with a clean surface so your new staples go in easily. In my case, the old staples were thin and neatly done, so there wasn’t a huge mess to clean up. And that was a good thing because removing staples from fabric and wood is tedious work and hard on the hands! Just make sure you work in an area where you can easily collect the extracted staples so you or your pets don’t step on tacks or staples. Step 3…measuring and cutting the padding The existing padding for my chairs was worn, thin, and needed to be replaced. The chairs needed more lift, so I chose 2” thick padding for this project. I discarded the old padding, except for the small square piece for the center of the chair board. (There is sometimes a smaller piece of padding in the center to add extra support.) I made sure to cut the new padding just a touch larger on all sides of the board so that the new padding could sink and wrap around the edges of the hard board underneath. Step 4…measuring and cutting the batting The next step is to measure out and cut the batting. My existing chairs didn’t have batting, but the seats needed that extra padding. You could probably skip this step depending on your chair type and preference. Anyway, measure enough batting that the fabric wraps around the entire seat (padding included) and can be easily attached underneath the board. You’ll want to cut it a few inches longer on each side (I think mine was about 4-5 inches because of the two-inch padding) to allow plenty of room for pulling taut and stapling to the underside of the board. Step 5…attaching the batting When you start stapling the batting, place one staple in the center on each of the four sides, making sure to pull it as tight as you can without tearing the batting. Pull and secure it tight, for a properly supported and tailored-looking cushion. Once you have the batting attached with one staple, staple the rest of the fabric on each side, making sure to pull the fabric as taut as you can while you go. Stop a few inches from the corners--they will be dealt with last. Once all the sides are stapled, you can staple the corners. See my images below for how to do that… Trim off all the excess batting to clean up the seat and prep for the upholstery fabric. Step 6…measuring and cutting the fabric For the fabric, use the same steps as the batting. The only difference in this step is to make sure your thread weave (called warp and weft) is straight (horizontally and vertically) across the chair seat. Center any pattern on your chair seat because an off-centered pattern will be very obvious in the finished piece. So, take your time to get this part right! Step 7…attaching the fabric The rest of the stapling process is the same as when we attached the batting, so follow those instructions to attach the new fabric. Trim excess fabric on the bottom of the board. At this point, I discovered a way to cut my stapling process in half. I found that it was possible—if I was careful—to staple both the batting and fabric at the same time. The only issue I had with that technique is that the corners must be done individually, meaning the batting needs to be secured first and then the fabric on top. (If you try to staple both the batting and fabric in the corners at the same time, you'll be fighting with too much material.) So, stapling both the batting and fabric at the same time is a convenient way to cut down time (and work) on a simple seat upholstery project like this one. Step 8…attaching the duster When I started this project, I decided I didn’t need a dust cover since the existing chairs did not have dust covers. That was a bit of a mistake on my part--as it helps cover all the stapled fabric and makes for a cleaner finished look--but it won’t be difficult to fix later. Being a novice at upholstery, the underneath of my chairs didn’t look quite as neat as the original upholstery and a duster would’ve finished it off and made it all look more professional…but I hadn’t purchased that material. Sometime in the future, I will have to unscrew the seats and staple on a dust cover. It’s a simple process of cutting material to just a bit smaller than the bottom of the chair board, using enough material to cover the upholstery edges and stapling. Make sure to fold over the edges—leaving no raw fabric edges showing—and the bottom of your chair will look finished and polished. Step 9…reattach the seat And the last part of the process is to reattach the seat and admire your handiwork! This part of the process is much easier with an electric screwdriver, by the way… Secure the chair frame and new chair seat with screws, making sure there are no gaps. This may take using clamps or another person to help you hold the two chair parts together tightly while you screw them back together. I had an issue with my first attempt; the screws would not hold, and there was a gap, so I needed my husband to help me hold things down while I screwed the seats back together. Other than that, you’re done! So, as I said, this is a relatively straightforward process, but it is very physically demanding, so be aware of that before you start. My advice is to practice on a few simple chair seats first if you have more complicated pieces to upholster (like I do). I have an antique settee that needs upholstering, but I wanted to do these dining room chairs first to get some experience before jumping into the deep end! And I’m glad I did because I now feel more prepared for the big project. But that’s a DIY for another day…so stay tuned! Related blogs you may want to read: Comparing DIY upholstery cleaning methods A little project with jute twine and an old foot stool DIY refurbishment of a dining room cabinet A fun DIY project with paint and a thrifted mirror part 1 A fun DIY project with paint and a thrifted mirror part 2 Creating a kitchen coffee bar How to replace a clock mechanism On a mission to recycle this neglected vintage stool The stain stripping stage of rescuing my vintage stool Staining my vintage stool with brewed tea My tattered vintage stool transformed into a beautiful plant stand Affiliate Disclosure Some of the posts in this article contain affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. I will only recommend products or services I use personally and/or believe will add value to my readers, so there is no conflict of interest. It's springtime! Time to make another faux floral design for my front door wreath. Every season, I re-use a pre-made wreath base, which serves as a template for whatever seasonal floral design I want. I couldn’t tell you where I got this old wreath from—I’ve had it so long now! The twisted vines conveniently allow me to insert stems into gaps between the entangled branches. Most of the time, the stems stay in place, but occasionally, floral wire is needed for extra stability. (Because I change out florals for this wreath, I never use glue.) If you don't have one of these grapevine wreaths, you can find whatever style and size you need on Amazon, Michaels, Hobby Lobby, or most craft stores. This spring season, I'll share my process and offer helpful tips for anyone who wants to create their own wreath design. To be sure, I’m no expert! There are floral designers out there who could run circles around me, but this is meant to be a fun project, and a simple design is something anyone can do. So here goes… Laying out the design So what about this spring’s floral design? Well, I originally intended to use a combination of white and yellow lilies, orchids, and ornamental grass--that is, until I realized that the lilies and orchids were competing. So, I made the decision to use only the orchids. The pros say to lay out your design before starting your project, but--for better or worse--sometimes, I skip this step and go with my gut instincts. Since I do not glue anything permanently into place, it’s easy to make adjustments. I started this project with a vision of an asymmetrical floral design, grass to the one side, and orchids layered on top as a focal flower, so I dug in and went with it. Materials I used The structure I will be using for this design is the pre-made twisted vine wreath base I spoke about earlier, which will be hung (when finished) with a gold metal door hanger. Since I didn’t need floral wire, the only tool used in this project was a pair of wire cutters. (I have an all-purpose tool with a wire cutter attachment.) The decorative bits will be the faux orchids, the ornamental grass, and the sheer white ribbon. So, this will be a simple design project this time around! Inserting the greenery You’ll often see floral designers start their arrangements with greenery first. This helps to establish some structure and texture and helps to make the arrangement fuller. The greens also provide a backdrop that allows the focal flowers to pop. For this design, I wanted the greens to create a sense of dynamic diagonal drama, onto which I could just “lay” my orchids. I worked my way down toward the bottom of the wreath, layering each stem and keeping them evenly spaced with no strange gaps. Inserting the focal florals Finally, it’s time for the focal florals! These are the flowers that make the whole design pop! They should compliment the greenery and filler flowers but still visually jump out, as these are the flowers you want people to notice! They are your showcase flowers and generally should be larger than the fillers, and there should be a nice balance of contrast in color, shape, and size throughout the arrangement. When making your floral designs, experts say to use similar shades and tones or even complementary colors (colors across the color wheel from each other). In my case, I’m sticking with a white, pale yellow, and green palette. The greenery already had some small cream-colored berries mixed in. The focal florals were layered in, starting about mid-way through the greenery, working my way down towards the bottom of the wreath, avoiding unwanted gaps. Wrapping the wreath with ribbon A beautiful sheer ribbon was used to cover the stems at the bottom of the wreath. I visualized a bouquet attached to the wreath with ribbon wrapped around the base of the flowers and gracefully hanging down. You can experiment with different types of bows or even wired-edge ribbons. For my design, however, I just wanted a simple sheer ribbon that does not take anything away from those gorgeous orchids! Hang the finished wreath on your front door! I’ve had these gold metal door hangers for a while—I honestly can’t remember where they were purchased! They were possibly bought at Kohl’s, but it could just as likely have been Michaels. Anyway, you can find inexpensive door hangers in many retail stores. There are a wide variety of styles, so make sure to choose one that suits the style of your home. The style on your front door should reflect what visitors will find inside! Depending on your style of wreath and door hanger, you may need a little wire or even a piece of ribbon to attach the wreath to the hanger. My wreath already has a bit of a wire loop at the top, so I can hook it onto my door hanger and hang the beautiful finished piece on my front door! And the project is done! So have you created a door wreath of your own yet? Do you have any tips you’d like to share? Feel free to drop a comment below! Related blogs you may want to read: Spring indoor fairy gardens Eight tips for creating a spring vignette How to care for faux florals DIY with faux florals, birds, and repurposed thrift store finds Repurposed vintage candy dish and cocktail glasses Affiliate Disclosure
Some of the posts in this article contain affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. I will only recommend products or services I use personally and/or believe will add value to my readers, so there is no conflict of interest. This spring season, I decided to take a different approach to decorating the two spaces in my dining room, where I generally create vignettes. I stripped everything decorative out of the room so I could start with a blank slate and a clear mind. I wanted my dining room decor to reflect my tastes and personality. I placed every item slowly and thoughtfully. As an artist and designer, I love intricate details, but I also like things minimal and streamlined. The two sides of my brain sometimes conflict! But this time, the compromise was sheer perfection! The balance is perfect and illustrates my style while showcasing things that are important to me. So, I thought I’d share my process and a few tips I learned along the way… There are a lot of blogs and vlogs out there demonstrating how to make a vignette. The term is so ubiquitous it’s almost a meme. So, what exactly IS a vignette? According to dictionary.com, a vignette is originally a French word meaning little vine. A vignette has come to mean something like a small design or illustration, sometimes a wood carving. In interior decorating, small areas of thoughtfully placed items create a three-dimensional picture, if you will. Vignettes are a great way to show off your personality…and make your space your own. No matter what trend or style you are following, this is a way to create little spaces that reflect who you are and an opportunity to display sentimental things. Color scheme and continuity in decor When you create your vignettes, think of them as stand-alone pictures and small parts of the rest of the room. While they have their own story, that story should have a sense of continuity with the rest of your space and decor. In my case, I started off thinking I would be using yellow and white tulips and lilies but then decided against the tulips. Firstly, sometimes faux florals look good…and sometimes they don’t! The yellow tulips did not look realistic enough, so I chose only the white tulips…and the whole design plan changed! I reassessed my color scheme and realized I wanted to simplify my spring decor. My plan to use a white/yellow color scheme morphed into a palette of simple creams, whites, greenery, and gold…all of which perfectly complement my dark cherry-ish colored furniture pieces. This allowed me to create a better flow in my home, keeping the same color scheme and floral designs throughout all my spaces. It’s a personal preference, but I do love my continuity! Knowing your style When it comes to personal style, I’m a walking contradiction! I love the traditional style for its ornate details and curvilinear design but dislike clutter. So, I always blend the traditional elements with clean-lined decor to give the space room to breathe. I mix and match curvy ornate pieces with furniture with clean, straight lines. Repetitive colors, textures, shapes, and forms create a sense of balance. This seems to satisfy the two halves of my brain! The resulting space feels comfortable and functional. The moral of the story--take some time to get to know your style so that your vignettes reflect a true sense of personality that fits in well with the rest of your home. Using mirrors in a room Let me tell you, my dining room is the darkest, dingiest room in the house! Very little natural light gets into this space, so I rely heavily on artificial light to create a sense of warmth and light, but sometimes even that is not enough. Placing mirrors on opposite sides of the room creates a way to reflect more light while creating the illusion of a bigger space. (I bought the mirrors with the gold and brown frames from Amazon. The mirror with the white frame with the Celtic knotwork border was a DIY project using a thrifted mirror.) So, if you have a small, dark space, use mirrors and other reflective surfaces to create an illusion of a slightly brighter and larger area. Using faux florals My dining room receives very little natural light, so having real plants in this space—as I have in my living room—was not happening. So, out came the spring faux florals! This year’s spring theme for my dining room started with white artificial flowers, faux greenery, and decorative glass jars. The glass jars were purchased on Amazon, and the florals and greenery were all purchased at varying times from Michaels or Factory Direct Craft. The white candlesticks (which hold the green moss balls) were bought from Ross or Marshalls last year. This year, I wanted to create a simple tulip arrangement in a glass vase for my dining room. The glass jar (which I have had for years) was filled with small stones and water to give the illusion that the tulips were real. For the rest of the faux florals, I created visual variety with multiple layers of varying shapes, sizes, coloration, and texture, making sure to make a statement but keep things as simple as possible. (Since I have a clutter issue!) Displaying seasonal holiday decor As I was decorating, I purposefully carved out a dedicated spot for an Easter statement. Now, I’m not one for cliche holiday decor. Outside of Christmas—and maybe Halloween—it’s not my thing. I prefer instead to mainly create a seasonal statement, with hints of “holiday” thrown in. I bought a lovely cream-colored rabbit, pastel-colored green eggs from Ross, and a ceramic leaf dish. A thrifted gold candleholder finished the grouping. And it works amazingly well with the rest of the decor! Make it meaningful One of the things I love about vignettes is that it is an opportunity to display meaningful items. For this season, I chose a book, a gold dragonfly (purchased from Ross or Marshalls last year), and a frame that will eventually hold a photo of a family member (I still need to dig through my photos to find the picture I want). The dragonfly represents transition and transformation, which perfectly describes my current journey. The book is by authors Barbara Purchia and Ashley Rooney called Fairy Homes & Gardens. This book inspired me to create new designs for my fairy houses and indoor fairy gardens. My current fairy houses will be featured in their next book, which will be out in Spring 2024! But I digress...Vignettes are a fun way to display meaningful items, items you find uplifting and positive. Decorating with thrifted items A popular trend this year is thrifting. This is nothing new to me--I've been thrifting for several years! This year’s spring vignettes include thrifted gold candlesticks and two thrifted lamps (the gold lamp and the French Country candlestick lamp with gold highlights). In addition, I did a couple of DIY projects using a frame from a thrifted mirror (the white with gold border design) and a grape-themed DIY candle I made several years ago using a thrifted urn and plate. So, yes, I LOVE thrifting and decorating with thrifted decor! Thrifted items have a history and fascinating stories to tell. And previously owned decor has an element of “wabi-sabi”—perfect imperfection--creating a lived-in feel. Personalize with DIY decor A creative way to personalize your vignettes is to incorporate DIY projects. Not everyone is into DIY decor, but if you are one of those who are, try showcasing your handiwork! One of the things I like doing with thrifted decor is giving them my personality with creative DIY projects. The white picture frame with the gold Celtic knotwork border was originally a wood-framed mirror I got from Goodwill. The ordinary-looking wood frame was painted for a distressed look. Next, I hand-painted a hand-drawn Celtic knot pattern around the border. The white and cherry wood cabinet the mirror sits on is also a DIY project, the cabinet being a hand-built piece of furniture I purchased for $40 from someone trying to get rid of it. It now has a new base, top, and legs, all painted and stained to create this gorgeous piece of furniture displayed in my dining room! On the other side of the room sits a candlestick inside a crate I bought at Michaels and stained a cherry color to match my decor. Alongside it sits a DIY candle I made years ago from a metal plate and urn, some faux grapes, and a homemade candle. So, if DIY is your thing, here’s your chance to show off those skills! So, I hope you liked my little walk through my process of creating spring vignettes this year. Share your thoughts or additional tips for making spring vignettes in the comments below! Related blogs you may want to read: A spring decor makeover for my small rental bathroom How to care for faux florals DIY refurbishment of a dining room cabinet A fun DIY project with paint and a thrifted mirror part 1 A fun DIY project with paint and a thrifted mirror part 2 How to rewire thrift buy lamps Design Trends for 2022 Decorating for anxiety and depression Hygge decor ideas My dining room redesigned as a multi-function space Affiliate Disclosure Some of the posts in this article contain affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. I will only recommend products or services I use personally and/or believe will add value to my readers, so there is no conflict of interest. I’m officially obsessed with handcrafted fairy houses and indoor fairy gardens! They are now staples for my seasonal decor! I take advantage of every opportunity to switch out the miniature decor and faux florals to reflect the seasons and—sometimes—holidays. So far, I have two styles, but I have a few ideas for some new designs (finally), which I plan to work on in the next month or so, so stay tuned! Last spring, my indoor fairy gardens were decked out in ivy and enchanting miniature pink roses. I love how the roses swaddle the English Cottage and nestle against the stone walls. My decor last year was a bit more colorful and luscious with more fabrics. This year, my decor is more streamlined but no less elegant. But I am still fighting the urge to bring out those roses again! Post-Christmas, my winter fairy gardens had a more toned-down, subdued look. I started experimenting with a lighter color palette and a less "busy" indoor garden design. I’m not a big fan of clutter, so this new seasonal decor was refreshing and calming after seeing nothing but the holiday decor for several months. This spring, I wanted to continue with a simple color palette and fairy garden design, mirroring the decor scheme from the rest of my spaces. I didn’t want these fairy houses and gardens to be something I plunked down on a table, but I wanted them to be thoughtfully integrated into the overall living room space. The faux white florals and greenery are also used in my living and dining rooms. This allows for more continuity in my decor and makes my interior feel harmonious! The English Cottage (lined with small stones and topped with a “thatched” roof made with twine) sits inside a terra cotta plate sprayed with cream stone textured paint. The house looks like it’s nestled into the large moss-covered boulders on either side. A rustic path of tiny stones leads away from the house, flowing under a resin arbor flanked on both sides with small white flowers. The lawn consists of patches of moss with a tiny embedded fairy circle made up of river rocks. Greenery and white flowers surround the house, with sporadic appearances of variegated English ivy. The Fairy Cottage roof received a much-needed refresh of green Spanish moss, as the old stuff had turned a withered brown. Some variegated English ivy also creeps its way down the side of the roof. The garden itself is bursting with faux white flowers and ivy. A miniature gazebo I picked up from somewhere forgotten is nestled right on the edge of the flower garden at the end of a pebble-lined path. I can see my little fairy sitting in that gazebo, enjoying the sight and smell of that garden, can’t you? And, of course, I can’t forget the fairy lights! Two strands of fairy lights tangle their way around each house and garden, allowing occasional glimpses of the floral decor in the evenings when the lights are low…and even lighting up the interior of the fairy houses themselves, so my dear fairies don’t have to live in the dark! I am brainstorming ideas for two new designs and binge-watching travel videos on YouTube for inspiration. So far, I’ve considered a half-timber style hut, a cream stone covered house to resemble the buildings in the medieval villages in southern France or even a whimsical storybook A-frame cottage. I’ll also make more elaborate fairy gardens for indoor decorative use, experimenting with different types of bases large enough for use in a tablescape. The next several months should be interesting, and I will have new fairy houses and gardens to show you soon! Related blogs you may want to read: My fairy house project My outdoor fairy garden Spring makeover for my indoor fairy gardens Affiliate Disclosure
Some of the posts in this article contain affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. I will only recommend products or services I use personally and/or believe will add value to my readers, so there is no conflict of interest. This month, I decided to give our master bathroom a spring makeover. To say it needed a “refresh” is an understatement. Truthfully, there wasn’t much there to “refresh”! I didn’t take “before” pictures because it was too embarrassing to share, but here’s a quick overview of the design issues I had to address… So this is a small room—5’8” W x 9’9” L—shared by a family of five (four of whom are grown men), plus two cats. The storage consists of one under-sink cabinet with a few drawers and a standard medicine cabinet above the sink. The sink area is only 31” long, most of which is taken up by the sink bowl. So, as you can imagine, this space does not work as-is for our family in terms of storage and workable space for self-care rituals. But it gets worse…Our cats have a litter box in that room, which results in litter all over the floor. The dysfunction and uninspiring look of the room made it difficult for me to have a proper self-care routine. Let’s just say I avoided using that bathroom as much as possible unless I needed to shower or do something where I could be in and out quickly. The design concept for the new look: create a bathroom space with a comfortable, earthy feel with some spa-influenced decorative elements. I wanted the space to be functional, uncluttered, easy to clean, and relaxing. That was my design brief to myself. Oh, and it had to have plants…real plants. The house we live in is a rental, which means no fancy renovations. The walls, sink, towel racks, toilet, tub/shower, medicine cabinet, and lights remain unchanged. Additional design challenges: create more storage in this small space; keep it uncluttered, organized, and easy to clean; incorporate a spa-influenced decor plan; and do not exceed the $250 budget. The first big purchase was a litter box nightstand enclosure. It took me FOREVER to find something that would fit in that space (21” L x 19” D) that would look like it belonged in the existing room. I needed something to fulfill four functions: it had to blend in, cover the cat box, serve as an extension to my almost non-existent bathroom counter, AND provide a surface for storage or display. This furniture piece also helps minimize the litter stuck to the bottom of our feet... a bonus function! The next big step was to find something that served as extra storage but didn’t take up more than 14” x 14” space as you walked into the room. I had a few options lined up for this piece, but as luck would have it, there was the perfect cabinet (which we got secondhand) just sitting in our basement! All it needed was a good clean…Even the wood color almost perfectly matches the built-in bathroom cabinetry. And I love the florals painted on the panels! This small cabinet provides much-needed out-of-sight storage and just enough horizontal space for something a little decorative to make the bathroom feel inviting. There were two visual elements that I decided to keep—the shower curtain and a quaint picture with birds and flowers. I searched high and low for a shower curtain I liked (that didn't cost $50), but, in the end, I decided to keep the one I had. I like the textural qualities of the fabric, and the color green is perfect for a relaxing, nature-inspired bathroom. The only things it needed were a new liner and curtain rings. The towels are still a work in progress…I had mint green rags on hand, and they may look nice displayed, but they do not match the shower curtain, which is more olive green. I did buy taupe rags and hand towels, and they look okay, but I think I would rather have a shade of green. So, at some future point, I will invest in new rags, hand towels, and bath towels. (I think I may want luxurious Egyptian towels). It’s a work in progress! The bath mats are another work in progress. I don't love the taupe, but I’ll revisit that situation when I buy new towels. In the meantime, these rugs are microfiber and feel great underfoot! Not only are they plush and soft, but they are also machine washable. My previous mats got moldy quickly, and the rubber underneath fell apart. That’s what you get when you buy cheap bathroom mats! So the new rugs are a vast improvement, but I think I would like bamboo mats instead. Bronze metal baskets, a soap dish, shower curtain rings, and apothecary jars were included in my final purchase. These would be used for toothbrushes, hand soap, and other miscellaneous bathroom organizational needs. I wanted a way to store and display bath towels, body scrubbers, bath poufs, body wash, or whatever else I felt would look decorative on the counter to give that “spa” feel. I know this bronze metal decorative decor is more of a Farmhouse style (a style I’m not fond of), but the bronze metal works so well with the rest of the decor. It’s dark enough to provide contrast yet does not have a heavy feel that takes up visual space. Using pieces around the room creates a sense of repetition that pulls the room together as a cohesive whole. I also have dark metal accents throughout the rest of my home, so there is a sense of unity and fluidity. Am I forgetting anything? Oh yeah, how could I forget my plants! From the beginning, I said I wanted plants in this space. This room gets a decent amount of bright indirect light for much of the day, and with five people taking showers, any plant would be happy soaking up all that humidity! There’s nothing more organic than actual living plants, right? So, my windowsill and counter have become the new home for a few (hopefully) happy green plant babies. (The ones in the photo are a snake plant, a pothos, and a bromeliad.) And the finishing touches…River rocks were poured into a tray with two glass apothecary jars. A homemade candle nearby. Across the room, the small cabinet by the door became the perfect place to create a vignette with faux cherry blossoms, a stack of rags, and a homemade candle. Nothing says “spa” like river rocks and candles, right? These little touches added a bit of ambiance to make this space enjoyable. I did not have a high-end budget for this project. From the get-go, I knew this would be a work in progress. I had only $250 and needed everything, so I knew this would be a tall order. Much of the budget went towards key items, like the cat box cover, bronze baskets and bathroom accessories, rugs, and towels. Unfortunately, I am not totally in love with the color of the rugs and towels. I don’t hate them--and the room still feels lovely to me--but it’s not exactly what I want. So, how did I do with the budget? Well…I spent about $260.00 and didn’t get everything I wanted for the space. Money doesn’t go very far these days, but that’s okay. This is a work in progress! Despite the tight budget--and the fact that I missed the mark with the rugs and towels--the transformation was incredibly positive! The space is very functional now, with plenty of storage for our self-care and personal hygiene needs. There is space for displaying functional and decorative design elements without the room feeling claustrophobic and cluttered. Everything is organized and easy to maintain. I even managed to incorporate a few small touches—like candles, faux florals, river rocks, and stacks of towels—that give the space a sense of being cozy and welcoming with a spa-like vibe. And there are plants! Three new plants have made their way into the space, with more to come! Now I find myself looking for reasons to go in there! I love the vibe and the fact that I can do anything I need to do for self-care in that space. Everything is at my fingertips and well organized. What a difference! The emotional benefits of creating spaces you love—even on a tight budget—cannot be underestimated. This is what I love about interior design and interior decorating. A beautifully and thoughtfully designed space can have a profound effect on those who use the space, and I think many people take this for granted. As women, we often like to “nest” to make a space a home, which is so important. But it is also important to make sure the space is uniquely your own, and that means carefully assessing what is done in the space and how to accommodate everyone’s needs while making the room look good. That can be challenging, but when you get it right, you just know! When you feel joy and ease in your space, you have nailed it! I’m sure I’ll be revising the space at some point in the future, so stay tuned for updates! Do you have a bathroom redecorating project you’d like to tackle? Or maybe you’ve done one recently? Drop a comment below and share your experiences, questions, or tips! Related blogs you may want to read: Small houseplants that love bathroom humidity How to propagate bromeliad pups How to care for faux florals Homemade candle recipe with a eucalyptus fragrance Homemade candle recipe with a hazelnut fragrance How I created a kitchen coffee bar A dining room redesigned as a multi-function space Affiliate Disclosure
Some of the posts in this article contain affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. I will only recommend products or services I use personally and/or believe will add value to my readers, so there is no conflict of interest. |
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