My Favorite Vignettes

Beth at Stories of A to Z is having a “Ready Set Vignette” party today, and I really wanted to participate. I hoard accessories, but oddly my own vignettes don’t change very often. Hmmm, maybe if I stopped painting for five minutes they would?… :). So rather than boring you with more photos of the same old vignettes in my house, I also hoard photos of accessories, and here are a few of my faves

This Martha Stewart mantel has been in my “dream home” file for a while. I love the soothing colors and interest of the vintage landscape paintings – especially combined with a simple starfish and a tiny vase that picks up with the green in the paintings. For a similar look be on the lookout for vintage paintings at thrift stores and “flea-tique” stores. I see them all the time. And you can paint unsightly or uncoordinated frames in matching colors that you draw from the paintings.

I love this BHG vignette below. I hope you haven’t already seen it too many times. Ahhh…the combo of white/black and warm wood. Lovely. This look could easily be replicated with a couple black and white drawings or photos placed in large black frames with thick white mats. Warm wood accents and rustic baskets complete the look.

This Country Living vignette is a great example of how repeating similar items can add a lot of interest and result in a a big impact. I love how the topiary kind of breaks up the look too.

Oh symmetry…I love symmetry – mostly because it’s fairly foolproof :). In the photo below they’ve created a visual triangle, though by having the birdcage in the center be slightly taller than the lamps on either side (and much taller than the vases). Triangles are good when it comes to creating vignettes. Make your arrangement create some kind of triangle and you’re probably going to be okay.

Finally, I love this photo from Ballard Designs. This vignette shows how you don’t need a lot of stuff to have a nice vignette. In a nutshell…go big. The combination of the large items, as well as the varying colors and textures, creates a really interesting vignette.

His and Hers Style: Contemporary Meets Earthy

I thought I’d take a stab at something different today and look at the dilemma of combining two very different styles into one cohesive look. You married folks know what I’m talking about right? Not so easy when your spouse has a heartfelt love of all things Nascar and you prefer…well, anything but :).

Today, we’re pretending she loves contemporary style with clean lines and not too much fuss. He loves all things earthy. Give him wood grain and leather and he’s a happy man.

Meet the happy couple’s bedroom:

As you can see, Ms. Contemporary and Mr. Earthy have learned the art of compromise. She gets a bed, nightstands, and artwork with stylish and clean contemporary lines, while he gets his manly leather chair and warm earthy colors. They even managed to find a mirror that combines both simple lines and his beloved wood grain. Ahhh, a match made in heaven.

Now, don’t worry. This single gal isn’t going to attempt to give marital advice here, BUT I have a few suggestions when it comes to combining styles.

• Find a Common Thread: What do you both like (I know…duh)? Even if it’s something as simple as a color, or a texture, that’s something you can build on.
• What’s REALLY Important To You?: Our contemporary gal would feel completely suffocated in a a room full of intricate details, raw wood and cowhide, right? What’s really important to her is clean lines that let her feel like she has order and can breathe. And, let’s face it, a pristine white room would make our earthy man break out in hives. He really needs to feel the warmth of earth tones around him in order to relax.
• What Can You Live Without?: In the example above our contemporary gal would probably prefer brighter colors or a nice tone on tone palette, but as long as she has a simple, orderly bedroom she’s content. And our earthy man would rather have a solid oak bed (and he isn’t a big fan of throw pillows), but he feels comforted in his warm hued space.

Feel free to let me know if you want me to do this again, and if so, are any particular styles you want me to try to combine?

Finally, thanks to all of you who entered the Pleated Poppy giveaway! The winner of the set of 3 posy pins is lucky number 81, Stacy from Snow Business.

How I Met My House Party!!!

Alright – are you ready to party?! Today we’re sharing stories of how each of us met our house. Remember, you don’t have to own your home, it can be an apartment, and you don’t even have to particularly like the place. I just think the stories will be interesting. Okie dokie, I’ll go first…seeing as this is my blog and my party :-).

 

 

About two years ago I was going through a horrible divorce (is there any other kind?) and I was trying to focus on building a new life for my son and myself. I desperately wanted a home for us. True, we could have created a home anywhere, but I wanted a house that was near my son's friends and that truly felt like a haven to us. Without a big budget, I knew finding a home in our "desired" neighborhood was going to be a challenge - but I wasn't going to give up.

 

One day while looking online I saw a listing for a cute little 1700 square foot brick home in the right neighborhood for the right price. My heart almost jumped out of my chest. The house spoke to me. I know that sounds ridiculously cheesy, but it's true. It said "Hey, I'm your new home. You and your son will be very happy here." I would have made an offer right then and there, without even seeing the inside. The problem? Our old house hadn't even been listed yet, and I couldn't possibly make an offer while still being responsible for another house.

 

I contacted the realtor, and ended up seeing the inside (which only confirmed my love for the house...despite burgundy bathroom countertops and wallpaper borders) and I told the realtor to keep me posted on any offers. I literally called her twice a week asking if “my house” had sold yet.

Here's the magical part...our old, boring house that was in a so-so neighborhood sold within a week of being listed. My beautiful, wonderful dream cottage sat on the market for more than 2 months until I was able to put in an offer. We were being looked out for, that's for sure. 

Our cottage isn't perfect, but I love it. I love the new life it represents for us; I love its warm embrace after a long day; I love that it's filled with love and laughter. I try to remember everyday how blessed we are and how grateful I am for our beautiful, imperfect little home.

Okay – Now it’s your turn. How did YOU meet your house? Link up your own story below.

Reminder – How I Met My House Party!

First, remember to link up to the “How I Met My House” party I’ll be hosting tomorrow. I’ll actually publish the post at 9:00 p.m. (central) tonight, so hurry and get your story ready! Remember, you don’t have to own your house, and you can live in an apartment, mansion or mud hut. It doesn’t matter. Can’t wait!!! 

 

Hitches are a Witch

So, I showed you my new upholstered headboard yesterday, and alluded to a “blooper reel” I’d be sharing with you. Here’s the thing, I’ve never, not even once, not just one teensy weensy time, been able to get through a project without some unexpected hitch showing its nasty little face. Some hitches are worse than others, and some just seem to multiply within a project, but I’ve come to just expect the little buggers. I now know that at some point whilst working away on a project, a hitch is going to appear.

For example, when I was working on my headboard I originally started using individual upholstery tacks. I traced a straight line in pencil so I would know exactly where to nail each tack. I focused, and squinted my eyes in deep concentration using all of my physical and mental powers to create a straight line with the upholstery tacks. And this is what I got…

Blast! Gaah!!! Flumpity bumpity!!!

I finally gave in and realized that despite my best efforts, the individual upholstery tacks just weren’t gonna happen. So I got online and ordered upholstery tacks in a strip from this Ebay store…and then summoned all of my miniscule stores of patience while I waited for the tacks to arrive.

Yes, they finally arrived and I was able to finish the project, but my point is…expect the hitch and don’t be afraid of it. Wait for it; watch for it; recognize it when its ugly little head pops up. And then be willing to adapt and change directions to finish the project. But whatever you do, don’t get overly frustrated and give up (or GHASP! never attempt a project again). I promise you it will be worth it in the end to adapt and endure.