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Creating a Meaningful Home: Jennifer Rizzo

CREATING A MEANINGFUL HOME blog series featuring Bloggers sharing the story of their home: FEATURED is Jennifer Rizzo - a MUST READ story!

Today’s guest post for Creating a Meaningful Home blog series: Year 3 is Jen of Jenniferrizzo.com.

Welcome Jen…

I want to thank Jenna so much for having me as a part of this amazing series. My name is Jennifer Rizzo and I blog at Jenniferrizzo.com. I am an artist, home decor designer, and author of the book Creatively Christmas.  I’ve been blogging for over 8 years and it has been fascinating to look back and see how my home has been created over time. That’s the thing that I think is the hardest about a home… I am very impatient, want everything done at once, and to look like it comes from a magazine. The truth is, creating a home you truly love takes time, and should evolve for the needs of your family. It’s not a static thing. Your home should be forever changing in a dynamic way and filling it with what you love and what means the most to you.

When my kids were little, our eating area was more of a breakfast nook style, which was perfect in keeping them corralled during meal times. As they grew, we realized that the confines of a bench seat just didn’t work anymore and we ended up pulling the table into the center of the room to make space for growing arms and legs.

Pretty and bright breakfast nook by Jennifer Rizzo

It was liberating and a little sad at the same time. I loved our little nook, and while it was nice to change, it also made me realize how much the kids were changing and how flexible I needed to be with how our home changed.

Dining space with Target tablecloth by Jennifer Rizzo

When we had the opportunity to gut and redo our living room in the sub-level, I wanted to use it as an opportunity to make it feel less like a cave and more like a real living room. Basement rooms and sub-level rooms share their own lighting challenges and it can be hard to make it feel like an above-ground level room. In fact here’s a peek of how it looked in 2009, very cave-like.

I took the opportunity to add layer after layer of family photos. I think there is nothing more meaningful than to be surrounded by family, even if it’s only the memories.

Fun use of old family pictures for decorating

And I keep adding photos as I go. I am grateful I have family photos from when my grandparents were little.

For us, our home has meant changing the kids rooms as their tastes changed.  It was easy when they were little to make the decisions for them, but now, I want them to have their own say in the space they live in and fill it with what they love, so when they have their own homes, they will be able to do the same.

Girls bedroom makeover by Jennifer Rizzo

Thank you so much for having me here today. You can see more before and after images of our home here, and please feel free to stop over and visit my blog here for home decorating and inspiring craft ideas.

Jen signature

Thank you for sharing your eclectically styled + meaningful home Jen!  “The truth is, creating a home you truly love takes time, and should evolve for the needs of your family. It’s not a static thing.” Perfectly stated.

I adore the many furniture makeovers that Jen tackles.  For a recent entry makeover, she transformed this thrift store vintage dresser with a quick coat of light gray paint and then used a wet paper towel to wipe off the excess for a distressed look.  What a great trash t treasure project…

painted side dresser with gray paint by Jennifer Rizzo

Head on over to Jenniferrizzo.com, and give Jen a BIG HELLO!

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

Plus don’t miss out on all the previous Bloggers who contributed to this series in 2013 and 2014!