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Showing posts sorted by date for query taj ma tent. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query taj ma tent. Sort by relevance Show all posts

5.26.2023

fave past summer decor projects

summer,outdoors,beach style,decorating,diy decorating,DIY,seasonal,seashells,Sweet Sweater Sandbabies,thrifted,re-purposed,up-cycling,summer decorating, summer home decor,taj ma tent,boho style.
summertime is finally here, 
so let's start the new season with some easy decorating ideas!

i've enjoyed refreshing my homes every season over the years...
 some of those projects have been successful in more than one home
as i re-create them in new versions + colorways...
from bright primary hues when my kids were young,
to a restorative neutral palette with beachy style in an 'empty nest',
to my current enjoyment of bright happy yellow & white
(and the tropical / tiki decor in greens & oranges that you don't see on the blog),
my decor choices always reflect how i want to feel at home.

over the past ten years of blogging here at homeward found decor,
i've shared hundreds of my original diy home decor projects
in 765 published posts since i launched this blog in August 2012.

if you've been reading my blog for the past decade, THANK YOU FRIENDS!
if you're a newer visitor, i hope you enjoy discovering some of my past creations
as i share a look back... 

continue reading for some of my FAVE past summer decor projects!

8.03.2021

boho chic: backyard cabana

white,weekend makeover,summer,re-purposing,outdoors,neutrals,entertaining,DIY,diy decorating,decorating,creative spaces,coastal style,boho style,beach style,somerset life magazine,vintage,bedouin tent,glamping,cabana,bohemian decor,summer decor, summer entertaining,backyard boho,backyard cabana, create a backyard cabana
august always feels to me to be the most relaxed part of summer...
as the light changes to a richer hue with autumn's approach,
i see this month as 'Summer's Golden Hour' and want to lean into the slower pace.

so for the next few weeks, i'll be re-visiting some of my past blog content
featuring some 'boho chic style' that fits current design + decor trends.
(and i've tucked in some NEW versions of those projects, too!)
 i hope you are inspired to try some of them!

continue reading for the biggest, baddest, 'boho-est' project i've ever undertaken...
and learn my tips on how YOU can do it, too!

8.09.2013

Transitional Palette: Driftwood

This time of the year, the waning summer leading into fall, brings a change -
The patriotic hues of midsummer aren't quite right now -
yet it's just not time for the deep oranges and golds of fall.

It's a perfect time to take a fresh look at your home, and let it reflect the changing seasons in a subtle way.

The photo above is one I took on a beach in Washington state several years back,
and it's a perfect example of how nature brings together a perfect color palette:
A gathering of driftwood on an island beach explores the range of tan, gray, and cream tones. 
Behind them, if you look carefully, you'll see deep green trees and tawny gold field grasses
that add contrast and texture.

From warm to cool, light to dark, that's a balanced palette.
Warm:
amber, tan, cream   +   Cool: gray, green
Light:
cream, tan, amber, light gray   + Dark: green, dark gray
Photography of items within the palette like this old wood boat [or the driftwood up above]
extends the color scheme when used as framed art.
Pale sage green walls and light tan carpeting set the stage 
for rooms filled with white, creamy white, and tan accents & furniture. 
Golden / Amber wood and fabric tones are a natural fit.

[note: I actually disliked that green wall color. I wanted tan walls.
But the house - which we leased - was for sale, and I wasn't about to make it look better than it already did so that someone else would buy it before WE could. 
It didn't matter. It sold anyway. They wanted my furniture with the deal :/ 
Apparently I still made it look too good!]
Silver metallics reflect the gray end of the 'driftwood' palette spectrum. 
Sparkling clear glass imitates water, 
and the addition of canvas or sheet music in ivory warms up the combination.
[the canvas-covered dresser from my last post would look perfect in this setting]

The following images are great examples of a transitional neutral palette,
featuring displays that I created for the booths that my former business had at Vintage shows...
RETREAT at BarnHouse Marketplace . Battle Ground, WA . July, 2011
[and if you came here from the HOMEWARDfound facebook page,
the table that I showed a sneak peek of is in that shot...
oh, look, it's ALSO in the photo below!]
RETREAT at Retreat Vintage Market . Camano Island, WA . June, 2011
RETREAT 'Taj Ma Tent' at BarnHouse Marketplace . Battle Ground, WA . July, 2009

The aesthetic of that business was all neutral tones, texture, and seasonal focus
built on re-imagining and re-using salvaged materials in furniture & decor.

Now, I realize that my displays are MUCH more theatrical than the average home decor is...
but they offer some great examples of using a neutral palette and seasonal texture.
You can see the 'driftwood' palette in play in all of them.

And with the addition of more warm colors - golds, browns, oranges - in September,
this look transitions perfectly into fall!

6.08.2013

Glamping with Style!

let me tell you about the time I turned a 20' X 20' party tent into a Glamping Tent!
Inspired by bedouin tents and high-end resort cabanas, I pulled simple elements together
and designed a temporary living space that ended up being a true show-stopper.
My late husband and I actually LIVED in this tent for four days,
at the Battle Ground, Washington BarnHouse vintage marketplace event in 2009!
[The other vendors at the show were the ones who dubbed it 'the Taj Ma Tent']

 The floorplan:
The bedchamber is on the top right.
The kitchen area is on the lower right.
The rest is lounge space!

The elements:
Canvas drop cloths, white netting curtains, and white vinyl tarps became walls and floors.
Lightweight / collapsible furnishings are plastic chairs, blow-up beds, and an old door + some sawhorses as a kitchen counter.
Candle lanterns, tap lights, and one killer chandelier provided light in the evenings.
A small metal Oriental coal heater held sections of a firelog to warm up our toes each morning.
A collapsible gas barbecue allowed us to cook our hosts a pretty nice meal, too!

The design:
[btw, those netting curtains looked really stunning when they were hanging loose... as shown below.
But it was so windy, they had to stay tied or they ended up a tangled mess.]
The BEST and most unexpected detail was the giant chandelier hanging from the apex of the tent!
And yes, it DID light up - thanks to a car battery temporary power supply.
During the two days that the BarnHouse Marketplace vintage event was open to the public, 
the meadows were filled with cars and other campers, and thousands of attendees & shoppers.
Many of them thought that the Taj Ma Tent had been created as a resting area for them!
Since we were off in our booth selling our wares, we didn't mind sharing.


Professional photographer Robin Laws took the preceding three photos of the Taj Ma Tent.
The last one appeared on the title page of her article about the BarnHouse event
in the Winter, 2010 issue of Somerset Life Magazine.

Now, it WAS a lot of work setting that baby up. And tearing her down.
But it was fun!

I'm sharing it with you because I think this idea is something anyone can do.
OK, maybe not as overboard as a 20X20... but what about using a 10X10 popup as your base?
Set up your own cabana in your backyard for summer entertaining and relaxing,
or get brave and actually take it to a campground or beach!

I used a 10X10 popup as the base for our tent for two years, and decorated it in a similar fashion...
The walls were canvas drop cloths, and a few shutter panels to let fresh air in. 
The door was mesh curtains. The floor was vinyl and canvas tarps.
Furnishings were a blow up bed, a few crates to hold stuff, and plastic lounge chairs.
No chandelier.
Much simpler. Much faster. But people still took a lot of photos!

Just goes to show that you can scale an idea up or down and make it work for your needs.
Now go be creative and get Glamping!!!

Find Robin Laws Photography here
Sadly, the BarnHouse Marketplace event is no longer in business.