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8.03.2012

Sing a Song of Seasons...

 
Autumn Fires

In the other gardens
And all up the vale,
From the autumn bonfires
See the smoke trail!

Pleasant summer over
And all the summer flowers,
The red fire blazes,
The grey smoke towers.

Sing a song of seasons!
Something bright in all!
Flowers in the summer,
Fires in the fall!

Robert Louis Stevenson

i have always loved this poem.
if allowed, i would add a few of my own lines to the last stanza
and make it appropriate for use all year:

Sing a song of seasons!
Something bright in all:
Flowers in the summer,

Harvest in the fall

Snowflakes in the winter,
Raindrops in the spring...
 Nature offers such delights
that only she can bring.

[fast, cheap & easy] seasonal changes

here's the thing.... your rooms should reflect the way you want to feel
 
me? i adore the comfy, cozy feeling of being wrapped up in a soft ivory cashmere sweater...
and i want my rooms to make me feel that way in fall!
so i focused on using warm neutral colors, brown golden woods and leathers,
lots of texture, natural elements, and an aged look
i called the result 'tattered n' torn'

some of the 'fast cheap & easy'TM things i did in this room:

the OTTOMAN
is covered with a thick but soft woven cloth remnant 
that feels like a cross between linen and burlap. 
[i think it's called 'osnaburg', actually....]
i had this remnant for years and did NOT want to cut it up.
so I literally just threw it over the ottoman.  to keep it on there, 
i grabbed a bunch of leather belts from the closets (his, mine) and laced them all together.
wrapped it around the sides of the ottoman and cinched it tight. DONE. 
[find old leather belts at thrift shops for about a buck each]

a SIDE TABLE by the sofa is made from stacked suitcases.
[you can find these pretty leather ones at vintage shows, 
BUT you can always get UGLY blue and green vinyl ones cheeeeep at thrift stores,
and PAINT them brown or cream, then swipe some antique stain on them 
to make them look like leather!]
the MANTEL and several tabletops are populated by  an assortment of clear glass bottles and vases 
[i get mine at thrift stores for about $2 each. when i need a big one, Ross or TJ Maxx have reasonable prices and selection]

i filled those jars with all kinds of things in my pale neutral palette:
game pieces: scrabble tiles and letter holders, jenga tiles, bingo cards, dice, dominoes
natural elements: rocks, seeds, acorns, faux white pumpkins, bleached leaves, small pine cones

the EASIEST thing about this look?
it's just a meandering collection of 'finds' that are given importance.
nothing is made to 'go together'
it's just similarly-toned EVERYDAY MATERIALS, gathered and displayed.
i simply pulled it all together in a way that was fresh and inspired for fall.

are you with me? 
is it looking totally DO-able now? YOU CAN DO THIS!

[simple solutions] spray it!

Here's a simple solution for your old seasonal decor items...

a few years ago, I found jack, a charming orange ceramic pumpkin, at a thrift store.
I jumped up and down with excitement when I saw him, ran over, grabbed him off the shelf,
and wouldn't even put him in the cart - I just carried him through the store!

You see, my mom had one JUST LIKE HIM when I was a kid 
and I used it as a nightlight in my tiny little hall closet 'art studio'. 
Somehow, somewhere along the way, that pumpkin got lost.
And I've been looking for over 40 years to replace him.

 
I was honestly prepared to fork over any amount of money for him.
He was mine, and he wasn't going anywhere but home with me.

FAB FIND alert:  jack was just $5.99!
 but then when i brought jack home, he didn't fit in with the other 'kids':
[you can see a little discrepancy in the photo above...
'one of these things is not like the other', right?!]

well, it took me all of five minutes to fix that.
grabbed a spray can of Krylon gloss white appliance paint and jack orange became jack white:
now he looks for all the world like he came from some chic shop or pottery barn
but he's from goodwill. i love that! [and he ROCKS, so i guess the name fits!]

white ceramic accents are really  hot in decorating, 
and can add a very current, stylish look to your home no matter what your style is
for just the cost of a can of spray paint [and that Krylon stuff is MAGIC, I tell you...]

simply white-out your own ceramic pumpkins,
or OWLS or SQUIRRELS or BRANCHES and LEAVES,
and you've got the makings of some swanky-chic fall decor!
[and yes, BLACK works, too!]

welcome fall!

FALL is just around the corner!
it's already august, and while we are all enjoying lazy summer days poolside, 
 the stores are putting up Halloween displays and Pinterest is rampant with inspiration for fall decorating! 
(check out my 'september decor: fall harvest' Pinterest board here)

so get ready for a lineup of inspiring FALL content that will help you create some AMAZING fall decor...
no matter what your style is, you'll find ideas to make your OWN!

7.31.2012

did you just call me fast, cheap and easy?!




what seasonal decorating is to me....
it's recognizing and celebrating and enjoying 
the changes of the world around us each season
and reflecting those changes in our rooms.

in fall, it's turning the sofa toward the fireplace and putting down rugs,
capitalizing on that golden light that pours through the windows,
surrounding ourselves with coziness in knit blankets and pillows, 
and bringing the beauty of the season inside.

in summer, it's baring the floors and windows,
lightening up the color scheme, and 
bringing in touches of the beach or the garden (wherever you love to vacation)
so that you bring that relaxing 'getaway' feeling HOME to enjoy every. single. day.

i'm not advocating a whole-room paint job here, just a little detail work.
[all husbands can breathe easier now!]
there are so many things you can do to change, update, and freshen up your rooms
so that they reflect seasonal changes... really simple, affordable, and easy things...
using materials you already have (stuffed in the attic and garage and cabinets)
or can pick up inexpensively at thrift shops and garage sales.
or for free on the side of the road.
yes, really!

i call this my trademark 'fast cheap & easy'TM decorating theory
(which i have shared in my seminars at retail trade shows and published articles for over a decade)
i don't mind being called that, either, as long as it pertains to DECORATING. ;0)

and here on HOMEWARDfound Decor,
i'm going to be sharing all of my tips & tricks with you
all year 'round, 
to inspire your own Seasonal Style at Home !

thanks for joining me! 

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