 Burning a homemade candle with hazelnut fragrance. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022. It’s cold outside…and I’m on a mission to make the inside of my home feel cozy. If you’ve read any of my recent blogs, you’ll know by now that I am currently embracing a common theme—hygge. Hygge is a Danish concept of finding joy and coziness in your everyday life, and candles are a core part of that life view, especially in winter.
And as it turns out…I know how to make my candles!
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 Cup of tea on a cold day. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022. Maybe it’s the time of year—cold, dark, uninspiring—but I’ve been thinking a lot about creating warmth and healing in my interior spaces. My studies in interior design have made me aware of the effects your spaces can have on your mood and sense of self. There is an art to designing spaces, and I love how interior design can help the people who inhabit the space. As someone who has had to deal with lifelong depression and anxiety, I am also acutely aware of the need to have personal spaces that can make me feel more at ease and calm.
What is hygge? There is no direct translation for hygge. Hygge (or the Swedish equivalent "mys") is a feeling or state of mind, a way of thinking about life. The term is Danish, but according to Visit Denmark, the term is originally Norwegian, referring to living with a sense of well-being and togetherness—what could be called the simple life. Hygge (pronounced hoo-guh) means celebrating joy and pleasure in simple things.  Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022. It’s January. It’s cold and dreary…and I’ve discovered the concept of hygge, of making my life more meaningful, of creating a deliberate sense of coziness and joy. So what else to do but cook some comfort food? There’s no better way to cozy up on a wintry day than to fill your belly with warm, delicious comfort food.
It’s frigid outside…cold wind whipping around you, your nose feeling like an ice cube, frosty white snow covering every surface. You open the front door to your home, feel the warm air on your face, and eagerly glance at a warm blanket on the other side of the room. We all want a space like this to come home to during these dark winter months. It’s a universal need to find refuge and healing in our homes during the colder, bleaker months of the year. Now that we’ve set the stage, let’s explore ways you can achieve a warmer, more inviting space to ward off the winter blues…  Cream heated blanket. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022. Well, 2021 is over, and good riddance! It’s time to think about a new year and a fresh start for decorating our interior spaces. I did some digging to find out the word on the street for design trends to keep an eye on for 2022, so here goes!  Throw pillow and knit blanket. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022.  My new winter throw pillow and blanket. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022. So it’s January…and you’re staring at an empty room devoid of all the cheery decor that’s been up for--what seems like--months. It happens every year, and the feeling can be depressing and cold. That’s one way to look at it…But a more positive approach is to use this experience to be creative, as a chance to redecorate with a clean slate. A fresh new start…Isn’t that what January is about? I’m all about using design and decor to boost my mood and creativity, and this year’s challenge is to try to incorporate some of the winter home decor ideas I’ve discovered into my own space.  Corner closeup of finished stool. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021. A few years back I bought a beat up second hand vintage foot stool with the idea that I would reupholster it and give it a new lease on life. Once it was taken apart, however, I came up with another idea…
 Finished and decorated dining room cabinet. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021. Overview: Back in mid-Summer I found myself itching to do another DIY project. I had just finished a few other projects and my dining room was beautifully styled—except for this one miserable looking smaller cabinet. This sad looking piece of furniture had been sitting in my dining room for a few years waiting for me to find the time to give it a face lift and some style. We bought it several years ago from someone who must’ve been using it in their garage. It had no feet, no base, and the body was made of plywood with a pine wood top. Despite the haphazard materials, the piece was well constructed with classy looking door pulls and hinges. I knew I could make this cabinet look beautiful for my dining room. Besides, it was only $40 and I desperately needed storage! Fast-forward to this past summer, and I finally got around to giving this cabinet some much needed attention.  Living room side chair closeup. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021. Today I decided to tackle a project that’s been on my mind for a couple of months now—cleaning the upholstery on my dining room chairs and two living room side chairs. I’ve never done this before (disclaimer!) so I did a quick search of Youtube to see if I could find any tutorials that would help me gain some insight into a couple of techniques that can be used at home. My budget cannot accommodate a bill for a professional cleaner, but I do own a shampooer that can be used as a backup. What I will be sharing with you below are upholstery cleaning techniques that I wanted to try for each set of chairs. So let’s get into it!
In Part 1 of this project blog I repainted a frame from a mirror I bought at a local thrift shop for dirt cheap. My original intention was to paint a base coat for the reddish undertones I wanted to show through a crackled gold top coat. The end result looked ok…for a different room. The almost solid gold color just looked gaudy in my dining room, even though I have a lot of decorative things with gold accents. This mirror, unfortunately, was just too over-the-top gold. The end result was me painting over it with a new layer of crackle and white craft paint.  Painted frame from the previous DIY project. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021.  Finished painted mirror in dining room vignette. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021. During a recent trip to my local Goodwill, I found this really sturdy second hand mirror with a nice wood frame. The mirror was marked 9.99, but I think I only paid 4.99 for it, which is quite a steal because mirrors this size (26” x 18”) go for close to $100 or more brand new. There was just one issue—it was the wrong color for my dining room! But no worries…That’s what paint is for! I love my coffee. It is the nectar of the Gods! You know what I don’t love? The mess! So I decided to jump on the proverbial bandwagon and create a proper coffee bar for my kitchen counter…  DIY kitchen counter coffee bar. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021. Bringing houseplants into your home can be a daunting process, especially if you are inexperienced or think you have a “black” thumb. I have found that a little bit of thought beforehand and a little research can go a long way towards helping you make a choice about what plants to bring home, if any at all. Below are five things you should consider before buying and rehoming real plants.  My vibrant colored bromeliad guzmania. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021.  A few of my "found" decor pieces...Photos by Diane M. Lilly, 2021. I love shopping at thrift and consignment stores. I always find such interesting pieces with which to decorate. Using pre-owned pieces brings an element of surprise and interest to a space. A space filled with all brand new stuff lacks a sense of character, of past stories waiting to be told. And buying pre-owned, antique, or vintage pieces saves a whole lot of money! Sometimes it takes a bit of elbow grease to bring things back to life (as I found out with my thrift store lamps), but when you resurrect an old piece you give it a new lease on life and a chance to tell a new story. And did I mention it saves money?! So far this year I have collected soooo many decor items from my local consignment and thrift shops, and I am just dying to share them with you! I’ll break them down by room, to make it easier for me to keep them straight… Have you ever come across a really amazing old clock that you had to take home with you, but it wasn’t exactly in working condition? I’m not talking about the ones with all the complex gears, but a simple modern battery operated clock that you can sit on your counter or hang on a wall. As it turns out, the mechanisms on these types of clocks are ridiculously easy to replace! So let’s back up a little bit and let me give you the back story on the beautiful clock (seen below) that I found at a local thrift store…  My new kitchen vignette. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021.  My indoor herb pots on the windowsill. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021. This year was the year I decided to take the leap and grow some of my herbs indoors. In the past I planted a few herbs (like chives, mint, sage, chamomile, parsley, cilantro, and rosemary) outside in the garden, but having some herb plants indoors would be so much more convenient when cooking and would provide the opportunity to appreciate the beauty of the plants as they grow throughout the year.  Celtic Motherhood Knot. Artwork done by Diane M. Lilly, 2021. So I Googled Celtic Mother’s Knot…thinking I would find THE Celtic symbol, break it down into its components, and do a quick sketch or two and explain my process…Not so easy! Turns out there are many variations of mother’s knots, some more modern than others. Some knots are more artistic expression than actual Celtic symbolism, but symbolism can be in the eye of the beholder anyway. So long as the symbol expresses the appropriate feeling and meaning, it’s all good.
 New gold frame for my son's artwork. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021. My teenage son is a budding artist who likes to paint in the Bob Ross style with oil paints. He has had these two 8 x 10 finished oil paintings just sitting in a cabinet for quite a while, so I thought, why not pull them out and display them in frames on my dining room wall? But there was just one problem—I had absolutely no idea how to frame and hang art! I did a little research, and it turns out it’s not difficult at all. So let me take you through the steps I took to frame and hang canvas art…
 "New" thrift lamp, rehabbed and staged. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021. While casually strolling through a local thrift shop, I happened to spy these two gorgeous lamp bases. I knew they were just perfect for my dining room vignettes, but they needed a little work first. One was missing the lamp shade and harp components, while the other just needed some TLC. Both lamps needed to be completely rewired to replace the cords that were older than grandma. Don’t need any electrical fires here! So today’s project will be to replace the lamp cord for each lamp. |
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