Have you ever looked around your home and just got the itch to change things up? Maybe it’s a new season (hello fall, I see you coming around the corner!) or maybe things just don’t look right. My house is constantly changing, at all times there is at at least 5 projects going on, and furniture is always being moved from one spot to the next, decor rearranged, items repurposed..you get it. I have a creative brain, which is a blessing & a curse. My friends and family never stop blowing up my phone for design advice too. Personally, this is a huge compliment, and it got me to thinking – if they all have these questions, I bet my readers do too! I’ve compiled a list of the top home styling tips I give out on a regular basis! [ In no particular order; they are as random as the time of days I get texts asking about curtains. haha! ] 1. hang your curtains high. And when you think they are high enough, go a little higher. The worst thing you can do to a window is dwarf it – aka box it in with window treatments. If your curtains are sheer as day, and you’re hanging them one inch above the top of the window – stop now! Luckily for you – this is the easiest and most dramatic change you can make to a space. Remember: higher + wider 2. create vignettes. If you ever look at magazines […]
DIY rattan pendant light
When I told my mom I was making a DIY rattan pendant light, she laughed. Not because she thought it was stupid..but because she grew up in the 70’s and thinks it’s hysterical that I spend my time looking for rattan chairs, macrame and crafting while I blast Fleetwood Mac. What can I say, I was born in the wrong decade, I’ve thrifted and DIY’ed most of my house, other than things I can’t, like bedding and rugs. See..my loom is broken. Just kidding, I just really can’t make things out of fabric, I do not have the patience for that. Bless those who can! So I just assumed lighting was up there with things I could not make. I mean, sure I can spray paint a light fixture and wrap some sisal rope around an existing lamp, but when it comes to pendant lighting, I decided I would just get my check book out (my credit card because it’s 2018 and I never even owned a check book) and just buy a light for my basement. So there I go..Googling my life away like everyone else and these are the results I get when I search for a rattan pendant light. The prices are not horrible, but I also could not find the type I really wanted. Discouraged, I just pushed it out of my head. Later that day, Brian (the boyfriend/handyman/super human) and I went shopping, and I found this at Five Below. All it is is […]
How I save money by drinking coffee!
Since starting this blog, my life has come full circle. I love interior design, I love eco-friendly living, and I love writing. 160 characters on Instagram has never been enough for me, so naturally a blog is my outlet. If you do read to the end of my posts though – you are the true VIP here. I share a lot of DIY tips on home decor and it’s no secret I try to live a green & healthy lifestyle. Which also means I like to keep more green in my wallet. So today I’m sharing with you my favorite and thrifty-life hack on how I save money by making coffee at home! Example A: Me in the city with my pup side kick + iced coffee in hand. First off, I’m that typical girl. I love my Starbucks, I love my $6 coconut milk lattes from the trendy coffee bars in Raleigh. I could rack up my entire credit card on coffee. When I have my large iced coffee in hand I literally feel like I can conquer the world – that’s probably a separate issue haha! When I moved into my older home, I wanted to not only save money [ more for renovation & DIY projects!] but I also wanted to live more consciously. I used to have a normal coffee pot – it would brew 6 cups, and 5 of them would go to waste everyday. Then I used a Keurig with a reusable brew cup […]
How to create a style board for your space
When I moved into my house – it was a blank slate. It was a 1970’s house that had been pretty much untouched since it was built, so when I saw blank slate..I mean wood paneling, white walls, and standard lighting, I was a excited. There wasn’t anything crazy going on, which made my work easier, but blank slates can also be very daunting! Even as a designer, I was perplexed with my family room. It’s so uninspired and just BLAH. I painted the wood paneling a beautiful boho white, and after that, I was stuck. It took about 2 months until it hit me, I needed a vision. I don’t mean I was going to space out and it was going to come to me in a vision what to do in this room…I mean I needed to visually see it instead of thinking about it! So I did what I do for all my clients; I created a style board! This is my style board below. It has all the elements I want to see in my space, the color palette I want to carry throughout, and has some of my existing furniture pieces I’m working with. Now i’m going to break it down for you, so you can learn how to make your own for your space! First I will say, style boards are like dream boards. They are meant to inspire and reference – so when you’re mindlessly walking through Home Goods and you have the […]
Why and How to buy-second hand home goods!
*Disclosure: This post contains some affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you if you click through and make a purchase, I will earn commission. The opinions are completely my own, and I only refer to products that I absolutely love and have tested* Let’s talk second hand goods for a moment. Specifically for the home. Maybe you are thinking “ew” like a lot of people i’ve encountered have, or you are thinking, “yes let’s talk about it!!” Either way, I’m going to tell you why you should be buying them, and how to shop for them like a pro. The funny thing is, many of my interior designer friends who design luxury homes have their own homes filled with thrift-found pieces. It’s no secret among designers how valuable an older piece or second hand piece of furniture is, but it can be challenging to know what to buy second hand, what not to buy, and how to look for them. That’s why I’m going to break it all down for you. I am not the expert in antiquing, but when it comes to filling my home with second hand items, and thrifting my home together, I feel like a queen at it. When I go to an estate sale, thrift store, or flea market I get in a zone that you couldn’t shake me out of. My boyfriend actually prepares when he “assists” me at these, because he knows I will be zipping all around, completely in my element, and […]