beachy summer color palette

In my mind, all seasonal inspiration begins with nature.

The combinations of color that appear in every natural setting on Earth are flawless... consisting of perfectly coordinated shades and hues, contrasts and compliments.

So when people ask me 'How do you know what colors go together?' or 'How do you pick a color scheme?', I tell them to go outside. Literally! Because it's outside, in nature, every season, that you'll find the 'perfect' color...

Case in Point: the photo shown above, snapped at Newport Beach, California. It contains a perfect summer color scheme inspired by nature...

The palette of varied blues, grays, tans, browns, and whites

is crisp, fresh, and perfectly balanced between cool and warm tones, lights and darks.

This palette can be translated into a sleek modern look or a cozy country style, depending upon your preferences.

Here's one way to create rooms around that palette:

WINTER: create faux 'wrapped' bulbs

A classic trend in winter decor is a nature-focused Nordic vibe, using natural elements that celebrate winter while hinting at spring. I've always love white flowers in winter, as they reflect the idea of snow-blanketed gardens.

This year, I've created some faux versions of wrapped bulbs and nestled them in snowy white ceramic containers. This simple project has brought a winter-y feel into my studio, and will transition perfectly into spring in the coming month.

Continue reading for an easy two-part tutorial...

WINTER: a stylish & easy taper candle tip

I've decided to focus on very simple projects this month, sharing a few tips that will quickly and easily impact your decor as you warm up your winter homes.

Though I use it frequently, this particular tip isn't mine - it originated with a very special shopkeeper, entertaining guru, visual stylist, decorator, and author who has been inspiring me for decades now: Ted Kennedy Watson (no, we're not related!).

Ted owns two stores in Seattle - Watson Kennedy Fine Living on Pine Avenue (across from Pike Place Market), and Watson Kennedy Fine Home on First Avenue. Both stores boast a wealth of beautiful items to enjoy in your decor and entertaining, and the displays Ted creates in the shops and the window displays are absolutely some of the best I've ever seen. I could (and did) spend hours taking in every detail in both shops during the 18 years I lived in Washington.

This particular stylist's 'trick' is SO easy - and by adding just one little detail, it makes a huge difference!

continue reading to see the details...

ease into spring with a faux moss wreath

spring's arrival is just around the corner!
here's an easy way to ease into it...

i'm pairing my white fabric wreath that i created this winter

with a new element for spring - along with a few other items -

and i love how it bridges this 'winter into spring' time of year. 

even the smallest changes can reflect nature

and refresh your home decor in just minutes.

big changes are good - but they don't ALL have to be big.

continue reading for an easy wreath + decor tutorial!

a serene winter wreath

i love a seasonal wreath, don't you?!

this simple winter season wreath
is created from remnants of an old white matlasse' bedspread
and adorned with natural elements from my yard,
reflecting the way winter looks and feels where i live.

a fabric-wrapped wreath can be made with YOUR preferences,

and i hope this one inspires you to create something you love!

continue reading for an easy tutorial...

time for a change... a new 'mantel'!

in November 2020, i created something i had wanted for a long while:

a faux fireplace and mantel, as a photo backdrop.

using some spare lumber and white paint

i cobbled together a simple 'fireplace' and attached it to

the old wood gate that hangs on my studio wall

(my dad built it in the 80's and i swiped it when he built a new one in 2013!)

this backdrop has been in constant use since then, and has worked pretty well.

there have been a few times when it has not worked well -

usually when photographing a wreath or wall art

that was too big in scale to fit in the space above the mantel.
(and those sharp dark shadows from the 'firebox' drove me mad!)

in mid-December of '23, i decided it was time for a change

and tore that faux mantel and firebox enclosure apart!

the result is very satisfying.

continue reading for more details...

cozy yarn winter flowers

it's still winter, and i'm staying warm in my studio

while working on some new spring decor projects for future posts...

but in the meantime,
i'd love to share one last winter project to finish off February!

i'm calling these 'yarn flowers', made by combining winter elements

with a few stems of faux flowers to create this fun bouquet. 

(and yes, my new favorite loopy white yarn IS in there!)
it's an easy, creative way to add some whimsy to these cold days...

continue reading to see the details...

NEW sweet sweater SNOcakes!

after i posted my gingerbread sweater cake at the end of December,
i began seeing all kinds of 'sweater cakes' online...

this gorgeous image from Lion Brand Yarn came up in my IG feed 
and MANY others are popping up on Pinterest -
utterly gorgeous real cakes that are frosted to look like cable knit sweaters.

i was particularly drawn to the white winter-y ones and knew i could replicate the look.
since i had everything i needed to create a faux cake,
i got busy creating my own 'Sweet Sweater' version.
and since it's still decidedly winter, i thought i'd share it here on the blog...
it's too late for more Valentine's Day decor, anyway!

continue reading to see the details - plus a few surprises!

cozy yarn-wrapped candles

you may have spied these in my last post...

they're a new take on one of my fave early projects:

sweater-wrapped vases. only these are yarn-wrapped vases!

they are a fun way to cozy up your home decor in wintertime.

this material has the effect of fluffy white powder snow that is perfect for the season.

continue reading for the easy how-to AND an important safety tip...

warm new year greetings

happy new year, my friends!
i hope 2023 finds you healthy and happy...
every year, i learn something new. sometimes MANY somethings.
and this past year, i think i could sum up what i learned as:
"sometimes, you just have to do the thing."

this winter i've added a new element to my studio, shown in the photo above -

it's a heater that looks like a wood stove, 

and it works perfectly in tandem with my fake fireplace mantel built in 2020!

i had been thinking about doing this for over a month, but put it off.
(procrastination is my biggest challenge, seriously.)

then in Mid-December the temps dropped waaaaay lower than normal,

and my studio windows frosted over.
sometimes nature gives us a lil' helping hand to get us moving.

continue reading to learn more about my solution...

paint + paper picture frame pumpkins

creating seasonal decor accents with paint and paper is my jam.

i love taking something i already have, combining it with scraps of this and that,

adding some paint, and turning it into something new

without spending a cent.

it's 'green'/eco-friendly, no-cost, easy to do,

keeps stuff from being 'stuffed' into storage boxes until it's that season again,

and it's a great way to ensure that my decor is unique and one of a kind.

i'm able to embrace current trending looks - with my own twist.

like..... yellow. yup. still doin' my yellow thing. alllll year long!

while these photos do indeed have yellow in them,

the project is graphic black and white - which is not just perfect for Halloween,

but easily incorporated into nearly any color scheme.

or, you know, altered to fit any color scheme...

you want orange? great! swap out the black for orange!

maybe you embrace all neutrals? okay! use soft sand instead of black with white.

and if 'cute' isn't your vibe, picture these made from elegant gold frames
filled with vintage book pages or wallpaper, with gold-painted wire 'stems'.
i want to inspire you to make it yours!

continue reading for details...

faux 'kintsugi' pumpkins

i am always amazed by how my creative muses get my attention!

after bumping a vase and having it crash to the floor (ending up in tiny pieces),

an ancient art form came to my mind.

the 15th-Century practice of kintsugi, meaning ' to join with gold ',

is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by re-joining broken parts

with lacquer that has been mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum.

the result is an elegant art form,

making the vessel stronger and more valuable than it was before breaking.

here at homewardFOUND, re-purposing and upcycling old, used, cast-off items 

is my way of embracing the same philosophy - and applying it to home decor.

giving things a second chance, a new purpose, is not only budget-friendly and 'green',

but immensely satisfying from a creative standpoint.

i've applied the kintsugi aesthetic to these pumpkins for fall decorating,

and i love the way an age-old art can look so fresh and contemporary!

continue reading to see how easily you can achieve this look, too...

boho chic: glass globe pumpkins

a decade ago, i created pumpkins using glass lamp globes.

i searched the innerwebs and found that nothing like them existed then,

so they are the 'originals' as far as i can tell...

i've made a few more of them over the last ten years,

and many other people have made their own versions, too! 

last month when i stumbled upon four matching white glass lamp globes at ReStore,

i decided to re-visit this project...

then paid a crazy-cheap price of just 2.00 each and brought them home.

as i looked around my studio for  various objects to become stems,

i also found a few more elements that became 'toppers' for a chic finishing touch.

all in all, i came up with five different styles of pumpkins - using the same glass globes!

continue reading to see how truly easy this diy fall decor project is!

boho chic: lace-embellished pumpkins

these stylish pumpkins are a combination of TWO of my past projects:
i've adorned my faux terra cotta painted pumpkins with lace,
one of them exactly as i did when i made my crochet & lace pumpkins.

[links to those below this post]

this project actually started out as a completely different idea:
i was going to PAINT white mehndi-inspired lace motifs on my faux terra cotta pumpkins.

then the heat index went haywire, deb got headaches, and it just didn't happen.
the idea to use real lace on them came to me one night - and i love the result!
it's a REALLY easy way to embellish pumpkins for a look that's trending right now.

continue reading to see how easy it is to get these effects...

boho chic: crochet + lace pumpkins

i love coming up with new 'takes' on my own Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkins,
and the two i'm sharing in this post were a fun way to give a whole new vibe to them.

a crochet textile from the thrift store and some lace curtain panels
are the perfect way to get a boho look for your fall decorating...

continue reading to see how easy these versions are to make!

boho chic: floral wreath

boho style is everywhere, and as pretty as it is, it can be PRICEY!
i much prefer to create something using what i have on hand already - 
which isn't just budget-friendly. it's earth-conscious, too.

this easy wreath project is a perfect accent for August... the 'golden hour' of summer.

continue reading for details on the construction + the re-purposed materials i used!

boho chic: lace vases

it's easy to take inexpensive materials and turn them into a luxe look.
this pretty bohemian vase and floral arrangement are a great example...

made from two thrifted vintage cotton lace doilies and tassels,
a glass vase and two bunches of fake flowers from Dollar Tree,
arranged with wood beads and rattan wreaths that i had on hand here at home,
it gives a relaxed late-summer vibe to my office
 and also subtly fits my current yellow obsession ;) 

continue reading to see how easy it is to transform a cheap glass vase...

boho chic: lace dreamcatcher

macrame' and i have a history. and it ain't good.
about... oh, forty one years ago... i made a macrame' plant holder for my daughter's nursery.
i remember sitting (pregnantly) in my rocking chair, surrounded by yards of white yarn,

doing my best to keep the three parts even and getting very frustrated. 
i was miserable.
i finished it, and it wasn't awful, but i never attempted to macrame' anything ever again.

but i found a 'cheater' way to get a similar effect!
i just used it to create this boho style dreamcatcher, 

so i thought i'd share it for those of you who don't relish making a million little knots in a row. ;) 

continue reading for my easy tutorial...

boho chic: crochet lace umbrellas

you know i love using things in ways they were never intended to be used,
so is it any surprise that i use lacy cotton crochet tablecloths on canopies & umbrellas?
probably not!

 ten years ago at a vintage show, i created a fancy 'valance' on a simple IKEA net bed canopy
by draping a cotton crochet lace tablecloth over the hanging hoop at the top.

this look fits right in with the 70's aesthetic so popular right now,

and a perfect addition to any backyard or event decor this summer & early fall.
i'm sharing the ways i've used lace to update decor elements overhead
 as part of my august 'look back' at past projects... 

continue reading to see more ways to use crochet & lace for a boho vibe!

boho chic: embellished hats

i know, i know... a fashion accessory isn't exactly within my purview here at homewardFOUND.
but if you hang it on a wall or a door, it's decor. wink.

i recently dolled up one of my straw hats to wear to a party at the beach,
and it was so easy and so much fun that i decided to share it here on the blog.
i have a feeling you'll be inspired to make your own -
for your head, or as a perfect summer home accent!

continue reading to see how easy it is to embellish a straw hat for summer...