Month: September 2015

Turquoise Table with Wood Top

Written by Jenna on September 28, 2015. Posted in DIY.

Howdy there friends! Happy Monday!!

I was brought many smiles last week from all the praises I received on my Fall front porch. It’s fun to know that so many of you love color too.

Today’s post is going to be short, but good!

As I mentioned during the Fall front porch tour, I introduced a few new elements including the recently painted coral wicker chairs + the turquoise table, both of which were garage sale finds.

It’s amazing what paint can do.

For the wicker chairs, I used my new Homeright hand spray painter but for the table that I turned turquoise, I used good ole’ spray paint in a can.

Here it is on the Fall front porch…

It didn’t always look like that.

This is a quick pic I snapped and shared on Instagram of my finds a few weeks back…

3 items that were desperate for attention.

The table was rusted.

It’s paint was peeling + chipping off.

And it didn’t even have a top.

THE TRANSFORMATION.

I started off by scraping off the chipping paint and sanding some of the edges. To be honest, I didn’t go crazy with that. I knew it would never be perfectly smooth and I was okay with that. After I cleaned it up a bit, I whipped out a new can of turquoise spray paint.

A few coats later, it was complete.

THE WOOD TOP.

A few days later when the paint was completely dry, it was time to add a top.

My neighbor had recently finished a pallet project (per my recommendation – wink, wink) and had a bunch of pallet boards left over. They were already disassembled, cleaned, AND sanded, so all I had to do was cut them to size.

I measured the length of the table and using the powered miter saw (see my recommendation + favorite tools), I cut them to the correct length so the boards would set in to the existing lip around the edge of the table top.

Once cut, I set them into place.

The boards took no time at all to cut and place in the lip – maybe 10 minutes.

And transformed table that was once garbage-bound now sits beautifully on my front porch.

The turquoise hue gives the front porch such a vibrant pop of color, especially along with the coral chairs + the green door.

It’s amazing what spray paint + a bit of TLC can do!

>>> If you haven’t seen it, don’t miss out on taking a tour of this years Fall Front Porch

Fall Front Porch… with COLOR

Written by Jenna on September 23, 2015. Posted in Decorating, Fall.

Welcome!

It’s officially Fall – HAPPY FALL Y’ALL!

This might look more like a Spring porch than an entry decorated for Fall, but you know me…

I love color. When color-opportunity knocks… I quickly answer.

I’ve been wanting to spruce up the front porch for a while with a few new elements, but of course didn’t want to spend a lot of $$$.

With my newly painted coral wicker chairs + a newly spray painted vibrant turquoise table, our front porch has taken on a new life + a whole new look.

Our front porch is certainly not a big space, but it’s cozy & Oh So Inviting; The perfect welcoming into our home.

The front door is the center point of this quaint outdoor space. It took me a while to choose a color for the door, but I went with my tried & true favorite apple green hue, Valspar Crushed Oregano.

When the time came to paint the new front door this past Spring, I knew I wanted to introduce the color of coral, but the door wasn’t the right place – it was quite the dilemma choosing a color. In the end green was the right choice and I have loved it ever since + this door which is 3/4 glass allows so much light to filter into our foyer.

I’m not a big proponent of seasonal decorating (I don’t have a huge amount of extra time + money for it), but I do enjoy adding a few touches by layering in elements amongst my everyday decor. Layers are key!

For this revamped front porch for Fall, the main elements were adorned with simple seasonal favorites.

I added mums to the vertical pallet hanging on the siding.

I tied cornstalks to the face of the pillars.

I adorned my door with a festive wreath.

And I layered in pumpkins & gourds in varying shapes and sizes.

All of which I got at Lowe’s – not only my go to for building items, but seasonal needs.

That is pretty much it for specific decor for the season. But even just those easy + simple touches layered in have a created a festive setting.

Many of the other elements for the porch were either in the same place as before or repurposed from someplace else in my house. I also rotate items in and out throughout the year or season to keep things fresh and interesting. When I find something I love, and especially if it’s affordable, I snag it. I may use it immediately or hold on to it until the time comes when I have the ideal ‘home’.

Lanterns are a favorite to fill with Fall favorites…

Some (keyword is, some) plants I started growing in the Spring are still going strong – surprising, I know. This beauty is great for shaded spots and it actually ‘died’ soon after I got it. I never got around to throwing it away after all the leaves curled up and fell off. But guess what, it came back to life and has been doing great ever since.

Adding in a few pumpkins at it’s base has instantly brought it from Summer to Fall.

I love the burst of color that the pumpkins + gourds have brought to the porch. They mix in beautifully with the turquoise lutchens bench & other elements like the orange birdhouse & yellow planted fern.

This side of the porch got a revamp with 2 new chairs & a table. The cedar chairs from before had lived long enough. I wanted to bring in a splash of color to which 2 new chairs, specifically wicker, were the perfect spot.

It’s amazing that these 2 chairs were falling apart & completely different colors. Even though they are differing styles, they are unified by the vibrant coral hue.

Using the HomeRight Finish Max hand sprayer to paint them made my life so much easier (TUTORIAL FOR > PAINTING WICKER)

I adore how the turquoise table with the rustic wood planks that I added looks great with the coral. This table is the same turquoise as the lutchens bench so it’s the perfect extension of color.

Our family are definitely front porch sitters (versus back deck loungers) and we spend a lot of time here. From watching the kids ride bikes to enjoying a cup of coffee + book, many hours are spent enjoying this front porch.

Along with spots for sitting, I also needed a place to rest our drinks or play a card game. Along with the turquoise table, I repurposed the round wire spool as a “coffee table” in front of the chairs.

That wood spool for winding large wire + cable was found on the side of the road years ago. I still love it. What I do for ‘treasures’ would amaze you. Or freak you out…

The wood spool “table” is about 24″ round so it’s the perfect size for a pretty vignette of lanterns + gourds.

An overall view.

SHOP MY SPACE.

Create a front porch like mine by shopping your home or purchasing similar items.

front door color -Valspar Crushed Oregano 6000-6C, semi-gloss finish
wreath – DIY tutorial
white garden stool – Lowe’s
turquoise lutyens bench
vertical pallet garden – DIY tutorial
bird pillow – Lowe’s
blue / turquoise ceramic pot -Lowe’s
two toned blue planter (on step) – Lowe’s
coral chairs – DIY tutorial
chevron rug – Five Below
tall yellow lantern – Homegoods
turquoise lanterns – Target
white lanterns – Lowe’s
pumpkins + gourds + cornstalks + mums – Lowe’s

Lastly, I have to show a before & after of where this front porch started years ago and how it looks now…

The stone base that we added this past Summer has really “dressed” up the foundation of the house so much. Tutorial for > Adding Stone Veneer to a House Foundation

Thanks for stopping by and taking the tour of my Fall front porch! I wish you could stay a while…

DISCLOSURE: THIS IS A SPONSORED POST WITH LOWE’S. ALL WORDS + OPINIONS ARE 100% MY OWN. AFFILIATE LINKS ARE ALSO INCLUDED IN THIS POST.

WOW to Painting Wicker

Written by Jenna on September 21, 2015. Posted in DIY. 1 Comment on WOW to Painting Wicker

I’ve been excited all weekend to share an amazing WOW, Ah-Ha moment!

For the past few weeks, I’ve slowly been transitioning my decor to Fall by adding in seasonal favorites. NO huge updates or changes, but a few touches here and there around the home to welcome the season. One main focus has been the front porch – I even shared a peek at it last week on Instagram when my prop assistant ran away with my gourds. I feel like the entry of the home is a good place to put the most effort since it’s the first area you & your guests see as they enter the home AND a little effort can make a big impact.

I bought mums (some of which died – my black thumb has returned) and I have a few new trash-to-treasure items that I’ve slowly been introducing. You got a peek of them a few weeks back – remember?

One new-to-me item was a wicker chair. I was looking for a sister, and I found “her”. They needed a bit of sprucin’ up, but I wasn’t in the mood to paint them. Who wants to paint wicker? NOT ME! So they sat.

BUT THEN, I decided to finally use my hand paint sprayer that has been sitting in the garage for months and voila, no joke, 20 minutes total THEY. WERE. DONE.

THE RESULT.

And guess what I didn’t do most of the work. WHAT? Why?

Yup, my 9 year old took over the job. Literally we had so much fun spraying these 2 wicker chairs that we were battling who got the sprayer. #hewon

Seriously though, this hand spray painter by HomeRight is amazing. It is incredible. I am just mad at myself that I have not used it sooner.

REWIND.

Before I get ahead of myself with excitement, let’s rewind… A few weeks back I had major success at a garage sale and snagged a bunch of new-to-me ‘trash treasures’.

I had shared this picture on Instagram…

I transformed the planter with the most gorgeous green hue…

…And now it was time to finally paint the wicker chair (plus another one I found) a fun coral color.

It took a few days to choose a color, but I decided on Sherwin Williams HGTV Home (available @ Lowe’s) Lei Flower – SW6613.

I was ready to GO!

I didn’t want the paint to spray everything in sight, so the Spray Shelter by HomeRight really came in handy. It too was my first time using it, but set-up took about 5 minutes and I had my son helping me a bit. Assembly was just like putting a tent or beach shelter together.

The instructions are attached directly to the bag that the shelter comes in, which is genius!

Right when I was done erecting the shelter, it started to rain. Just my luck, ha. So I moved it to the garage…

NOW, I was ready!

Being totally honest, I was nervous to use this ‘machine’, but there really was no learning curve and there was little set-up / clean-up. I hate reading directions, but HomeRight has made it so easy with a one-page Fast Start Quick Reference Guide. Within 3 minutes of opening the box, I was ready!

With the paint in the canister (read my helpful tips below before starting), I was ready to start. I pushed the trigger and the paint started to flow.

Details on the HomeRight Finish Max Fine Sprayer

VIDEO

I never take videos, but I couldn’t resist. I had to show you how quick + easy the paint covered the chair.

On to the next chair…

In about 10 minutes, both chairs were covered with coat #1. A bit later I sprayed them again with a second coat and they were done.

TIPS + TRICKS

Here are some tips + tricks I learned along the way (plus my friends Jaime & Ashley shared a few tips with me on Instagram) so you too can ditch the nervousness of using this sprayer…

> Get full coverage of all nooks & crannies by moving the piece of furniture to spray at different angles – I especially had to do this with wicker!

> Paints & Stains need to be watered down so they flow through the sprayer properly. With the sprayer comes a handy gadget to determine the appropriate water needed + there is a helpful chart in the instruction booklet.

> The Finish Max can spray horizontal, vertical, or in a cone pattern. You can easily choose the direction by turning the dial on the front of the sprayer.

> There is no need to clean the sprayer between coats. Leave the paint or stain in the container (of course if time between coats is days long, then clean it).

My new coral chairs looks Ah-Mazing on my front porch and it’s almost complete for Fall.

Want a peek?

Enjoy.

More to come later this week…

Want to save this tutorial for a later date – you know you want to try this sprayer 😉

PIN IT!

DISCLOSURE: THIS IS A SPONSORED POST WITH HOMERIGHT. ALL WORDS + OPINIONS ARE 100% MY OWN – I TRULY LOVE THIS PRODUCT. AFFILIATE LINKS ARE ALSO INCLUDED IN THIS POST.

Decorating the Home using Fall Favorites

Written by Jenna on September 15, 2015. Posted in Fall, Seasonal. 2 Comments on Decorating the Home using Fall Favorites

The chill is in the air and I’m wearing a sweater today. I’m actually lovin’ it!

How about in your neck of the woods… Does it feel like Fall yet?

Aside from my favorite Fall things like wearing oversized cable knit sweaters, going apple picking, and Sunday football with the family, I love the changing over of blankets from light linen to heavy wool, and the swapping out of pillows from bright hues of yellow to deeper plums and emerald.

And that was exactly what I did last weekend.

Check out this living room shot I snapped & shared on Instagram…

Even though I am not completely ready to say goodbye to the long, warm days of Summer, Fall has a special place in my heart. Itâ€™s the season when I got married, itâ€™s the time of year when my daughter was born, and itâ€™s when a routine can once be established as the kids head back to school.

Whether you love the look of warm, rich hues (all year round) or simply adore the Fall and want some inspiration for making a few seasonal updates, there are a simple ways to spruce up your home dÃ©cor using Fall Favoritesâ€¦

PUMPKINS, GOURDS, PINECONES, APPLES
Fall is all about nature, and layering in as many seasonal favorites amongst your everyday dÃ©cor can make a simple, but big impact look.

> Pumpkins in a platter.

> Gourds on the mantel.

> Pinecones as a centerpiece.

These are all easy and beautiful ways to decorate for the season. Gathering leaves from the yard (or faux from the craft store) can be the perfect base as seasonal go-toâ€™s are layered atop. Or after your family apple picking adventure, put together an overflowing collection of apples in a low bowl or basket that can adorn the dining table.

All simple ideas that make a big impact!

Still one of my favorites EVER… a log centerpiece with leaves + pumpkins.

tutorial for >>> log centerpiece

Fall mantel with feather

Lantern filled with pumpkins

DECORATE WITH NATURE
You may not need to go far or spend any money to adapt your dÃ©cor for the coming season. Be inspired by your surroundings. Head outdoors to collect leaves, branches, and any natural materials that would be ideal to create an eye-catching table centerpiece or wreath. Arrange a bunch of branches with leaves of varying colors in a vase or glass mason jar and display them on a dining table or entry table vignette.

One other idea is to press your leaf findings and display them in a picture frame as I did with these ferns found in my yard.

Fall tablescape {gourds galore}

tutorial for >>> Fern Art

ADORN YOUR DOOR
The front door, often thought of as the â€œmouthâ€ of a home, is the perfect place to make a statement. Have little time or a small budget, focus on the areas of the home that get the most traffic. Adorning your front door with a beautiful seasonal wreath or decorating a front porch with colorful mums will truly create an inviting and welcoming first impression.

Other seasonal favorites to decorate with can be indian corn, hay bales, and varying sizes and colors of pumpkins. Adding in a plaid throw or tweed pillow can truly create the feeling of a textural cornucopia of color for the season as well as the springboard for whatâ€™s to come in the homes interior.

tutorial for >>> Autumn wreath with plum + peacock accents

SEASONAL COLORS + PATTERNS
The unique and range of seasonal hues including reds, oranges, and yellows can lighten up not only your spirits but add warmth and contrast to your everyday interior. Beyond the typical warmer colors of Fall, other favorites include deep plum, emerald, mustard, and winter white â€“ all ideal to layer in for the coming Fall season.

Fall is all about feeling cozy and warm. Swapping your everyday dÃ©cor staples with ones that have more texture (like a new linen lampshade), will give an instant boost for the season. The simplest and least expensive way to update a space for Fall is to swap out those lighter, brighter throw pillows of Summer for a style that is more lush and soft. Try fabrics like velvet, wool, and flannel in hues of chocolate, golds, and warm pastels.

Another big impact look would be to introduce a new rug that will set the tone for the rest of the space. A rug can anchor a room and can instantly change the aesthetic of a space. A rug with warm hues and an interesting pattern could be the perfect change to immediately update a room.

Fall Front Porch

Fall tablescape {gourds galore}

SMELL MATTERS
Home is not only about how it looks, but also how it feels and smells. Making a natural air freshener using cinnamon and apples can truly make for a yummy, cozy, welcoming aroma. Or try a candle that has a wood or spice scent.

3 yummy favs…

Retwined candle / Baies Scented Candle / Woodwick Gingered Pumpkin

Autumn is truly like no other as the days turn crisp and the leaves reflect the hues of colorful candy corn. Seasonal dÃ©cor doesnâ€™t have to be elaborate or time consuming.

A few simple touches go a long way â€“ the simpler, the better.

Creating a Meaningful Home: Duke Manor Farm

Written by Jenna on September 10, 2015. Posted in Creating a Meaningful Home. 2 Comments on Creating a Meaningful Home: Duke Manor Farm

Todayâ€™s guest post for Creating a Meaningful Home blog series: Year 3 is Laura of Duke Manor Farm. Welcome Lauraâ€¦

I am so happy that Jenna asked me to be apart of her Meaningful Home Series. I am Laura Janning and here at Duke Manor Farm, I am all about creating a home that makes sense for everybody…not just me.

If it means swapping rooms and furniture out that will provide more practical use for the family, re-purposing old to make new again or creating special spots in your home that will gift you memories…. I say just do it.

15 years ago my husband and I decided to take a leap of faith and put our perfectly amazing home on the market and buy some property in North East Georgia and build a farm. Overnight, I traded in my corporate suits for some jeans and tee’s and the fancy sports car for a a big ole tractor….which we now call Bubba. Yes, everything has a name around here. My friends and family thought we were nuts giving up our quaint little subdivision, our offices were basically down the road and a grocery store that we could walk to. But we had a dream, and more importantly we had a vision of creating a space and a lifestyle that had meaning and would create life long memories for us, our family and our friends.

dukemanorfront

Fast forward 15 years later and Duke Manor Farm is now surrounded by 3 very active kids, dogs, cats, chickens, donkeys, fish and a slew of wildlife. Our lifestyle on the farm is now the catalysis for my decorating decisions in our home and around the property. Gone are the days where I want perfection in every room, perfectly fluffed pillows and walls that have no imperfections.

a view from the back of the house

These days, it’s more like a scuff on the floor adds character, a hole in a pillow isn’t the end of the world, a scratch on the table top doesn’t mean we won’t enjoy a good meal together and a chicken greeting you on our front porch isn’t totally out of the question.

We are a very active family and spend a lot of time outside and when we designed and built our home a lot of emphasis was placed on our outdoor spaces. It’s not to say that we don’t love hanging together in our family room . Which by the way use to be a screened in porch but made more sense to be the family room after a few years of living here.

family room

or in the den….which use to be a playroom which has evolved over the years to know what finally feels right for the space…and the occupants who take it over with books, devices and the tv.

den

or sitting around our breakfast table that use to be the family room because we didn’t want to give up the big farmhouse table and it was close to the kitchen.

breakfastarea

But our favorite spot as a family and with friends, is probably sitting right here on our front porch laughing, talking and creating memories.

frontporch

Besides, it’s where everyone, including the chickens are welcomed!<

If you would like to see more of my real life funny farm, I would love for you to stop by Duke Manor Farm anytime and to see more of my home tour click here.

laura_black

How fabulous is Laura’s story? I adore that Laura & her husband followed their dream, turned their lives upside down, and are now LIVING the way THEY want + how they desire! Hands down, Laura has a great sense of style, but her home is comfortable and filled with what is most meaningful to her family.

With Fall just around the corner, I thought I would share a favorite seasonal setting and that has to be Laura’s Southern Fall Porch. I love the warm hues & charming seasonal touches.

Head on over to Duke Manor Farm, and give Laura a BIG HELLO!

Check out all the Bloggers that have contributed to this series on
Creating a Meaningful Home

Plus donâ€™t miss out on all the previous Bloggers who contributed to this series in 2013 and 2014!

Ode to Summer: Capturing Memories

Written by Jenna on September 9, 2015. Posted in Decorating. 12 Comments on Ode to Summer: Capturing Memories

Is Summer really over?

In my eyes, the last 3 months went way too fast. I blinked and it was over.

As another Summer comes to an end and a new school year begins (for some of you school started weeks ago, but my kiddos headed back this morning – sniff, sniff), I want to hold on to every moment that this glorious season of fun unfolded. I’m pretty excited to share that I have figured out THE BEST WAY to capture the precious moments from the past, and how we can look back, smile, and remember all the incredible memories that were made.

A photo book.

I take a lot of pictures – for work + of my family. Every day, every moment, every occasion, I try to snap a shot and most are simply taken using my phone. It’s convenient and easy + it really takes good pictures.

Sadly though, I rarely print my pictures due to lack of time uploading, sorting, editing, ordering, etc… I’m sure you know the drill. Typically about once a year I will place a huge order of pictures when Snapfish is having their penny print sale. Often or not though, the pictures just sit in the envelope they arrived in because again due to lack of time, I don’t get them into the empty photo albums that are collecting dust on the shelves.

But, But, But… This Summer is different because after taking ALL THOSE PHOTOS, I acted.

I made this…

Instead of the typical waiting-for-a-penny-print-sale, I decided to compile our Summer snapshots in a photo book.

Best Decision Ever.

Snapfish has a great selection of photobooks to choose from. I chose the 12 x 12 hardcover photobook, that lays flat when it opens, to hold our special Summer moments.

From classic to travel to rustic chic, Snapfish has a nice selection of themes to choose from for the base of book.

Once a theme is chosen, it’s time to create!

Snapfish recently launched a new site that is very user -friendly and easy to navigate. I’m a long-time Snapfish user, so I was a bit opposed to the new site, but after using it a bit, I really came around and am now loving it.

Once I was ready to make my photobook, I chose the pictures that I wanted to incorporate from the various albums, and started creating my pages.

There is an option to auto-fill the book (to make it easy + fast), but with my Type A personality, I specified where I wanted each picture (not so fast, but 100% customizable). I also added cute captions.

From start to finish our memory book of Summer took me about 4 hours to make. Yes it was long, but in the end it was completely worth the time spent.

This is something we will forever treasure!

As much as I love it, so do my kiddos.

Like this moment, when I snapped a photo while the kids were reminiscing about our daily adventures…

FYI – we are a real family. A moment like this is rare…

All 5 of us (yes the baby loves it too – check out the picture below) have not put our new photo book treasure down. There are fingerprints, some small tears, and even a few jelly marks all over this book and I LOVE IT!

Isn’t my littlest lady the cutest?! She flips through the book, which sits on the coffee table, at least 10x a day…

I also had each of us share a ‘best moment of the Summer’ in the back of the book…

FAVORITE MEMORY.

My favorite Summer memory was when we visited friends on their working farm in Central New York. Maplestone Farm, home of the Winums, are a family of 8 and they harvest naturally-grown vegetables and pastured meats. The ‘husbands’ have been friends since grade school and it’s been years – about 9 – since we’ve seen each other. It was a trip long overdue.

The Winum family, who live in the heart of the beautiful Finger Lake region in New York, not only has a CSA program but they also have a Farm Stay where you can stay with them (check out their listing on AirBNB), visit the local wineries + shops, and/or enjoy a ‘follow the farmer’ experience. Ever dream of what it would be like to live & work on a farm? We had the opportunity to experience it firsthand and it was not only educational but eye-opening (plus a whole lotta hard, but rewarding work).

>>> If you want some amazing recipes, check out the Maplestone Farm blog

Their homestead in Stanley, New York is truly picturesque (the cover shot of our photobook is from their home) and I took SO MANY PICTURES.

Our visit to the farm made 4 pages in our Summer memory Photo Book…

What a Summer! It’s a bittersweet day for me as the kids head off to school, but I am ecstatic that I have something to hold on to to remember the special days we had together.

>>> Here’s one for you!

GIVEAWAY.

Now to the best part, I want YOU to remember your Summer or special occasion just like me, so I am giving away 2 Snapfish photo books!

To enter to win an 11Ã—14 Premium Hardcover Snapfish Photo Book, simply leave a comment below sharing what you would do with a Snapfish Photo Book. Two winners will be chosen at random and notified by email, so please be sure to include an email address! Giveaway ends on Sunday, September 13 @ Midnight EST.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS OVER.

The winners are: Dorothea & Swati.

Thank you ALL for entering!

Want to share content and have more chances to win prizes and rewards? Join Snapfish Superfans!

THIS POST WAS CREATED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SNAPFISH, BUT ALL OPINIONS ARE 100% MY OWN!

Creating a Meaningful Home: Krystine Edwards

Written by Jenna on September 7, 2015. Posted in Creating a Meaningful Home.

Todayâ€™s guest post for Creating a Meaningful Home blog series: Year 3 is Krystine of Living Pretty Styled. Welcome Krystineâ€¦

Hi everyone I’m Krystine Edwards, blogger behind Living Pretty Styled! I love decorating, talking about and started a design business over a year ago to go hand in hand with my real estate career. So, to say I love homes would be an understatement. When Jenna asked me to be a part of her series, I was honored and excited to join and share my home and thoughts.

My husband and I, pre-children had flipped several homes. We would find a fixer upper, renovate it and sell every two years. This is the first time in almost 12 years that we have stayed longer in our current home. And, the main reason are the memories and happiness this home brings us.

Our door is always open, literally. Our friends and neighbors barely knock before coming in and I wouldn’t have it any other way. This home has a feeling of family. There is a lot of love and happiness in our home. Dance parties in our den with our children and afterwards when they’re asleep.

At the end of the day decor isn’t what makes my home meaningful. It’s the people, memories and love that is in your home. It’s the smile it puts on my face when I drive up to it. It’s the way sunlight shine through my kitchen window and warms the space. It’s the way my children laugh running through halls and room to room chasing one another.

Thanks y’all for joining me and Jenna today and hearing about what a meaningful home means to me.

As a designer + a real estate agent, Krystine is quite the busy gal! I was drawn to her style upon finding her on Instagram over a year ago. She’s been a favorite to follow ever since. Her home evokes color & beauty, but also warmth & welcoming. Check out this space she recently shared…

Follow along with ME on Instagram too, to see other fabulous designers + creators I feature.

Head on over to Living Pretty Styled, and give Krystine a BIG HELLO!

Check out all the Bloggers that have contributed to this series on
Creating a Meaningful Home

Plus donâ€™t miss out on all the previous Bloggers who contributed to this series in 2013 and 2014!

Creating a Meaningful Home: Bliss at Home

Written by Jenna on September 3, 2015. Posted in Creating a Meaningful Home. 1 Comment on Creating a Meaningful Home: Bliss at Home

Todayâ€™s guest post for Creating a Meaningful Home blog series: Year 3 is Kristin of Bliss at Home. Welcome Kristinâ€¦

I am so thrilled to be here today as part of Jenna’s Creating a Meaningful Home series. This topic is something so near and dear to my heart because it is the essence of why I do what I do. I started my blog, Bliss at Home, when we decided to buy my childhood home and take on the task of remodeling it to suit our style and needs.

CREATING A MEANINGFUL HOME IS…designing for how you live.

Creating a meaningful home is a fundamental idea in design. You are creating spaces that reflect the style of the people who live there and designing for how they use those spaces. Being able to do this for my family has been and continues to be such a labor of love!

In our home, I really focus on this as we tackle each room. Our living room is the hub of the house. I not only wanted it to set the tone for the rest of the house, but I wanted to make the best use of the space. This room is the place we sit and chat in, listen to music, enjoy the fireplace, read books, and watch the occasional movie in. It had to be set up to handle all those needs.

CREATING A MEANINGFUL HOME IS…incorporating thoughtful details in the overall home design.

The fireplace incorporates our unifying material into the home. I selected Carrara marble to set the tone as you transition from room to room. Having it throughout the house is an intentional detail that makes a huge impact. You can see our before & after fireplace makeover here. Thinking through the overall design of our home is all part of creating this meaningful space.

CREATING A MEANINGFUL HOME IS…thinking outside the box.

My husband and I also wanted to create a place to conceal our stereo system and have a place to showcase books and memories so we created our DIY library wall with Ikea bookcases. Working with the space we had we really had to think outside the box to come up with a solution that would also enhance the space. We gave the bookcases a built-in look and added library lights for ambiance at night. It adds a major dose of style and function without taking away from the room. It is one of our favorite things we’ve created in our home and it is meaningful to us because it holds pictures of our kids, memories, meaningful objects, and our favorite books.

Photo credit: Tara Melissa Photographie

CREATING A MEANINGFUL HOME IS…making even the utilitarian spaces have charm.

An example of the importance of unifying spaces in your home can be seen here in our bathroom remodel too. The same Carrara marble is used in the design. This space did not function for a family of four before, but now with the addition of double sinks and smart storage in the vanity it suits our needs. Little touches even in this space have meaning like the marble canister that was my Grandma’s and the shoe photography that is my husband and I on our 10th anniversary.

You can see our bathroom before and after remodel here.

CREATING A MEANINGFUL HOME IS…a constant process.

The truth of it is, creating a meaningful home takes TIME. It doesn’t happen overnight. Our home is proof of that, since there are still spaces to work on. Even the somewhat finished spaces, are always evolving and changing as the needs of our family change.

Photo credit: Tara Melissa Photographie

CREATING A MEANINGFUL HOME IS…LOVE.

It’s the people who really make the space. Creating a meaningful home really is about sharing it and showing hospitality. It’s not picture perfect…even though it may look that way through the lens! Trust me, my home is far from perfect, but it is intentional.

My love and thanks to Jenna for having me share our home on her inspiring blog today! You can visit me at Bliss at Home and keep up with our renovation and design projects. We just started our kitchen and second level and I can’t wait to share what we’re cooking up!

I love everything Kristin creates. Her spaces are sophisticated but welcoming and her thoughts on what makes a home meaningful is spot on! Every project is a favorite, but one that truly stands out is the Mid Century modern + bright Ikea Rast hack… It’s bold. Its unexpected. And it’s Kristin. Amazing transformation!

Head on over to Bliss at Home, and give Kristin a BIG HELLO!

Check out all the Bloggers that have contributed to this series on
Creating a Meaningful Home

Plus donâ€™t miss out on all the previous Bloggers who contributed to this series in 2013 and 2014!

World Market NYC + Shop My Dining Space

Written by Jenna on September 2, 2015. Posted in Decorating.

Sad to say but I wasn’t able to attend the World Market event 2 weeks ago as planned. Real life came knocking on the door and unfortunately my son came down with a stomach bug + 103 temp at THE. WORST. TIME. Yup, can you believe it?!

World Market Party VS. caring for my sick child? Hands down, my family comes first. Not attending was hard to swallow as I was super excited for this amazing opportunity because I truly adore the company + I was so looking forward to seeing friends that I haven’t been with in ages. But life throws you curveballs once in a while AND I chose what was most important.

No worries, I have pictures from the event to share + I had the chance to do a little shopping and chose to give my dining space a freshening up. Perfect timing as we are transitioning into Fall!

THE EVENT.

Even though I was absent from the sneak peek shin-dig, I was following along with my friend Kelly of Eclectically Vintage + Diane of In My Own Style. They schmoozed, mingled, and shopped!

The new World Market in Chelsea evokes a chic industrial rustic aesthetic with bold color + engaging texture. The store is located at 18TH & 6TH, 620 6TH AVENUE in the heart NYC amongst many top design stores.

The sneak peek opening 2 weeks ago was filled with editors + designers + bloggers. Also the fun & fabulous Kelly Osborne was in attendance to kick off the festivities.

If you’re in the New York area, drop everything and get to this store! Well maybe not everything, but seriously this new space is not to be missed. The store is more furniture based (whereas their other stores have a mix of decor, jewelry, food, furniture, and more), but has lots of take & go items – pillows, dishes, lighting, etc. The rest of what you love can easily be ordered and shipped to your home!

For me, I LOVE a great lighting fixture, so when I saw their new lighting vignette, I almost went to heaven. They have really great hanging fixtures + lamps. So stylish AND affordable!

With all this goodness, I couldn’t hold myself back from bringing some World Market beauty into my home. Check out my spruced up dining space for Fall…

When decorating a table, it’s all about mixing the intense with the calm.

For this Fall dining table, I started with a bold, mixed-print tablecloth (there are lots of tablecloths to choose from at World Market) that has a detailed paisley pattern + a geometric, modern border. Atop I added a large mirror with a weathered edge as a base for the centerpiece and layered on a minimal amount of simpler elements – vase, small cutting board, oil bottle, cloth napkins.

A simpler centerpiece is perfect too for when the food comes… the main course + sides can easily be added amongst the surrounding decor.

Any opportunity I get, I decorate with natural elements. From the mantel to the tabletop, I love incorporating bits of nature through plants, flowers, and greenery. For this table, I chose two natural beauties. In the large, high vase (you always need varying heights when creating a table vignette), I clipped a few branches from a tree in my yard. So simple AND free! The branches remind me of a fig tree and since I don’t have one (insert big ole’ pout), the beautiful limbs from this tree will do.

Honestly though, the tall vase filled with branches makes the table!

Here is another view of the centerpiece looking at my raspberry colored china cabinet (still one of my favorite projects ever). I adore the fluidity and simplicity of the oversized vase looks against the striking + bold cabinet. A space comes together when their is a balance of bold and calm, pattern and solid.

Simple woven chargers are the perfect separation between the strong tablecloth and the pretty patterned plates. The simple cloth napkins atop the plates are the perfect organic layer.

Sometimes pattern + pattern just makes sense. And on this dining table there is no lack of pattern! From the pillows on the chairs to the tablecloth adorning the table to the plates the food will rest on, the eye will certainly not get board…

… Yet, there is an overall calmness and inviting nature that this Fall table evokes.

I’m so happy + content at how this seasonal table resulted. I wish it could stay like this all Fall. I have kiddos and the reality of it looking like this tomorrow is slim… “Mom, what’s all this stuff on the table”.

In the meantime, for the few dinner parties + occasions we will host over the coming months, I have a go-to set up. It’s easy + simple + sophisticated and is perfect for the Fall!

A step back view of the overall space from the kitchen, looking into the dining space, and the living room beyond…

Want to know all the details that went into this revamp for Fall?

SHOP MY SPACE.

Details for you to enjoy & shop.

[1] Dining Table (similar)
[2] Side Chairs (similar)
[3] Bench (similar)
[4] Mirror
[5] Dinner Plates
[6] Cloth Napkins (similar)
[7] Appetizer Plates
[8] Flatware
[9] Glasses
[10] Vase
[11] Oil Bottle
[12] Cutting Board / Cheese Cutting Board
[13] Throw Pillows

If you live or plan on visiting NYC, be sure to check out the new World Market in Chelsea.

Thanks for checking out my dining space revamp for Fall! Are you ready for the season change? I don’t blame you… Not so sure myself.

THIS IS A SPONSORED POST BY COST PLUS WORLD MARKET. THEY HAVE REQUESTED I SHARE INFORMATION ON THIS STORE OPENING AND RETURN HAVE BEEN COMPENSATED FOR MY TIME. ALL THOUGHTS + WORDS ARE 100% MY OWN.