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1.06.2020

making a happy home

wood, rustic, farmhouse, home decor, diy, diy home decor, repurposed, thrifted, upcycled, winter decor, red accent color, whitewashed, barnwood, plaid
a brand new year is a fresh new start, in so many ways...
every year, i choose a single word to be my intention and focus (rather than resolution).
i like this approach, as it is more about 'be' than 'do'.
THIS year, my word is 'happy' - for many reasons.

Mom and i also select a word that is our shared 'Word of the Year',
something that reflects a purpose or mission or quality that we intend to pursue together.
and this year, that word is 'HOME'.

homewardFOUND decor blog, diy home decor, homeward FOUND, Debi Ward Kennedy
we chose it for a few different reasons...
but the really amazing thing is that as soon as we decided on it,
all KINDS of things started showing up to 'confirm' that it was the right choice:
things like songs, and sentiments in cards from friends, a book that a friend of mine was selling, 
and us noticing little objects we had around here already
that would bring the word 'home' resonance in our home and our daily life.
and when i combined my word with our word, it really came to life...

continue reading to see how our winter decor evokes a 'happy home'!
wood, rustic, farmhouse, home decor, diy, diy home decor, repurposed, thrifted, upcycled, winter decor, red accent color, whitewashed, barnwood, plaid
so here's a view i've never shared before!
i snapped it while standing between our sofa and the wall of windows looking out to the backyard...
it shows the view WE see most often in our living room.
(see more of the plaid details in my last post)

[btw, my Mom has had those shelves since 1980. that's 40 years!
i remember going to Wickes Furniture in Anaheim, CA with her fiance' - my soon-to-be-stepdad -
and picking them out as a gift to her, along with other pieces, for the home they were buying. 
he trusted my judgement - even though i was an 18 year old fledgling decorator. i guess i did pretty well!]
 the electric fireplace is a piece that she found at Costco three years ago, 
and it could not be a more perfect fit in this space. the tv is this years' Christmas present. 

the decor on those shelves changes all the time, and for winter, it's simple
and includes not only visual references to 'home' but also the color RED!
this is the first time we've included that color in our decor, 
and it all started with the book shown in the photo up above, and just below...
wood, rustic, farmhouse, home decor, diy, diy home decor, repurposed, thrifted, upcycled, winter decor, red accent color, whitewashed, barnwood, plaid shelf decor with antique book Happy Homes
here's the story:
my friend Debi Burton owns 'Ormolulu Vintage' in Washington state,
and she shared a photo of this gorgeous vintage 1880's book on her personal fb profile. 
i saw it and my jaw DROPPED... i LOVE old books, so 
i was immediately smitten with the cover engraving, the font, the color, and the NAME!
[i mean, seriously, here i had just chosen 'happy' AND 'home' as Word for the Year
and this book shows up in my life. i had to have it! and i did, just a few days later.
when i opened the book and found the subtitle 'thrifty people and why they thrive'  
i was rendered speechless! if that doesn't fit my decorating philosophy, i don't know what does!] 

that beautiful book joined all of the white ones already on the shelves,
some of which had red lettering - not planned!, 
along with another new large red book that i picked up from the library used book store:
wood, rustic, farmhouse, home decor, diy, diy home decor, repurposed, thrifted, upcycled, winter decor, red accent color, whitewashed, barnwood, plaid old red book, books, old books, home decor, vintage
joining them are some white ceramic houses... which is another 'home' reference.
 they are from Bullseye's Playground at Target (clearance!), 
and i gave a quick coat of white paint to their formerly metallic-painted roofs.

(you can also see the vintage bottle brush trees i made a few years ago - made over with sweaters here!).

wood, rustic, farmhouse, home decor, diy, diy home decor, repurposed, thrifted, upcycled, winter decor, red accent color, whitewashed, barnwood, plaid
more house shapes appear on the top of the fireplace...
wood, rustic, farmhouse, home decor, diy, diy home decor, repurposed, thrifted, upcycled, winter decor, red accent color, whitewashed, barnwood, plaid
... and a closer look shows that some of them are simply wood-printed paper!
(they got a makeover - they appeared as faux wood trees here 
because when i say i use what i have on hand already, i mean it!!)

i've used the house motif in other places, like the entry hall 
and also in a tiny vignette on our kitchen island's industrial scale:
wood, rustic, farmhouse, home decor, diy, diy home decor, repurposed, thrifted, upcycled, winter decor, red accent color, whitewashed, barnwood, plaid wood, rustic, farmhouse, home decor, diy, diy home decor, repurposed, thrifted, upcycled, winter decor, red accent color, whitewashed, barnwood, plaid
my sweet 'grandson numbah one' made that red birdhouse for me ;) 
i bought the tall weathered birdhouses back when i had a shop, 
and the 'find your happy place' house is from Dollar Tree.

on the living room gallery wall, there are a few references to 'home'...
wood, rustic, farmhouse, home decor, diy, diy home decor, repurposed, thrifted, upcycled, winter decor, red accent color, whitewashed, barnwood, plaid
a small 'happy home' sign that we already had,
the giant letter tiles, a birdhouse art collage, an antique house key on a red ribbon,
and a house made from a piece of really old wood and two wood rulers:
wood, rustic, farmhouse, home decor, diy, diy home decor, repurposed, thrifted, upcycled, winter decor, red accent color
this echoes the tall shapes and weathered appearance of the tall birdhouses, too.

wood, rustic, farmhouse, home decor, diy, diy home decor, repurposed, thrifted, upcycled, winter decor, red accent color
these simple elements (along with a few more) created a theme built on our word for the year,
without spending much money at all.

that being said, my decorating is never 'DONE' - because i keep coming up with ideas i want to try.
my home is like a design lab, allowing me to play around with decor ideas each season.
some things work as planned, some end up better than expected - and some don't work at all!
but i always learn something from the process of trying. creativity is a practice.

by the way, i do have some very serious thoughts about 'home',
and it has nothing to do with decorating. 
click here to read about what's important to me


shared online:

funky junk interiors
| diy salvaged junk projects #509


2 comments:

  1. Your entertainment unit/wall unit is just what I am looking for. Do you have any suggestions on where I might look? I have tried Overstock and Ashley. Thanks

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    Replies
    1. Being that the unit shown is over 30 years old, I can't really say where something like it would be found. I suggest that you also check out your local furniture stores like Living Spaces, MOR, Jerome's, Ethan Allen, AtHome, and other regional furniture retailers. Online, try Pottery Barn, Anthropologie, Restoration Hardware, One Kings Lane, West Elm, and IKEA.

      Make sure you search using terms 'etagere' and 'shelf unit' rather than just 'entertainment center'. BTW, the fireplace shown in my photos IS currently available at COSTCO. ;) i hope this info helps!

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