Break the Christmas Color Code!

Todays' post comes to us from Lisa Maughmer,
Lifestyle Editor at BROADWAY+THRESHER Magazine.

Lisa is also the proprietor of the vintage boutique Urban FarmHouse in Thornville, Ohio, and has been selected as one of Romantic Homes magazine's 'Romantics' design & style leaders.

Lisa is sharing some fresh 'new country' decor inspiration with us, to show us how unexpected color choices in our Holiday decor can bring BIG results... enjoy!

In my dining room, I let the cupboard choose what "dress" she wanted to put on for the party this year. 

While her main color is a sea foam green, she has many layers. Gray, teal and cream all can be seen peeking out here and there so it was decided: silver, faded blues & greens, tarnished glitter and "dirty" ironstone. 

This fabulous cupboard is dressed quite simply for the season's soirees. 

Plates and bowls are still available for use without being buried (and make your everyday items serve double-duty as decor! ~ Deb) Gather up your collections of ornaments to fill up your bowls and tureens. It's quick and easy. You'll be ready for the shopping, baking and entertaining in no time!

 Pieces of drippy, mica dusted snow add the crowning touch, like the icing on a cake!

Don't pass up those pieces of ironstone at your favorite haunts just because they don't have a lid! 

You can usually pick them up at a pretty fair price, and once they are filled with collections of old ornaments, their beauty will shine through. (Who says ornaments can only go on a tree, anyway? ~Deb)

Rustic and well-loved ironstone bowls are overflowing with heirloom ornaments in shades of blue, cream and green.

Petite ironstone teacups serve up sweet treasures: They are perfect for holding a vintage feather tree glass ball.

Tuck loose ornaments into the of cupboards and shelves. Mismatched shapes and colors add more interest, and even the Christmas Eve mouse is taking a peek! (EEEEEK! ~ Deb)

 

Grouping like colors together makes a collection stand up and get noticed. Even a cast off glass door knob becomes a festive bauble.

 

Garland doesn't always have to hang on the tree. It's perfectly content piled up on this cake stand. (It also looks FABulous heaped into glass candy dishes! ~ Deb)

'One-sies' can add charm to any vignette:

A lone (but stylishly glittered) deer stands guard over a single vintage ornament. 

Below, a charming ornament gets the spotlight

Thank you, Lisa! Such great inspiration for the Holidays!

Remember, Christmas is not all about red and green... it's about making your rooms festive, comfortable, liveable, and memorable for you and your guests. Pull colors from your 'everyday' palette, or bring out a special collection of china, glassware, or linens and let them drive your color choices this year. Just a few touches of a fresh color scheme will make your holiday season bright...

Front Porch Holiday Decor: Raid the Garden Shed AGAIN!

when you drag out the holiday decorations, what area do you decorate FIRST?

i'm a front door / front porch kinda' person. 

i figure if you begin by creating a warm seasonal welcome at the door,

everything else you do looks that much better!

OK, i'll fess up...

i also think that if your front door / porch is decorated the day after Thanksgiving, 

you blow your neighbors away. 

you win the neighborhood 'who gets their lights and wreath up first' contest.

even if the inside of your house looks like a tornado hit, you look like superwoman!

so, let's start at the front door!

in THIS POST back in August,

i shared photos of my fall front porch: 

well, the decor you see in the photos in today's post is based on the SAME elements used back then:
stuff from the garden shed!

 the galvanized buckets, watering can, and plant stand all stayed in place for the Holidays.

after removing the fall grasses, leaves and pumpkins,

i flipped over the bottom bucket, and then filled all of them up with greens

that i cut from our trees.

the details include a little miniature tree [fake],

pinecones, a birdnest, a banner & burlap stocking that i made

 and

one very cool vintage light globe nestled into the top bucket of greens

is lit from within [night light bulb] to add a soft glow at night.

it looked like a glowing white snowball

and regarding those greens....

you're going to want to pay close attention here, 

because this is my NUMBER ONE 'TOP TIP' for Holiday decorating on the cheap!

HOW TO GET FREE GREENERY:

stalk the landscapers in your neighborhood. 

know when they come - not just to do YOUR yardwork,  but the neighbors. and the common areas.

take them a plate of cookies

[why, yes, i AM suggesting that you SCHMOOZE them!]

and then ask them for some cuttings...

evergreens, pine, fir, cedar, boxwood, magnolias, bay laurel, cypress -

no matter where you live, there are always bushes, trees, and hedges being trimmed.

FREE MATERIALS!

just ask them for the greens before they load it all into their chippers or trucks.

 you will be saving them money when they go to the landfill, so they usually always hand over the goods.

if you live in a rural area, always make sure you have permission to be on the property to cut boughs.

and don't steal them from your neighbor's yard at midnight ;0)

i have been known to pillage greenery from abandoned warehouse complex parking lots

but i am not recommending that YOU do that!

ok, back to the porch...

there was also a very long wood bench (made from an old headboard)

that i cozied up with a huge burlap pillow and a bagful of 'gifts' - 

really just simple boxes tied with burlap & ribbon.

between the bench and the door, there's one of my old folding wire shopping carts,

filled with greenery.

an old snowsled leans against the wall behind the cart, 

and an old brown umbrella is a fitting final touch for the Washington winter weather. 

i didn't buy anything to decorate with -

i just combined things i already had to create a mood.

the white, brown, green, and gray color palette

made for a serene setting that coordinated with the beach house,

and it welcomed neighbors, friends, and family well into January, too...

Fall Tablescape: Urban Chic

welcome to all who are arriving via my guest post
over on BROADWAY+THRESHER Magazine's blog!

HOMEWARDfound is all about inspiration for your seasonal decor, 

making use of everyday 'found' items and natural elements

to bring fresh beauty to your rooms each season...
decorate without spending a lot of money!

 my table decor design for B+T 

was created with a cocktail or dessert party in mind -

easy to accomplish in a small space OR on a tight timeline

friends popping in spur of the moment?

grab some of your basic household goods and put them together in a new way
[i call that my trademark 'Fast, Cheap, & Easy' decor!]

this design scheme features a masculine style,

using industrial materials like galvanized metal and wire, 

the roughness of wood, the smoothness of clear glass, 

crisp black dinnerware & linens, and a few whimsical game pieces. 

a few unusual serving ideas make this compact bar or dessert service station

function effectively while looking stylish:

 dessert-size flatware is held in a footed clear glass votive cup, anchored by Scrabble tiles

a dinner plate sits on top of a galvanized watering can,

to elevate and serve aperitif glasses, appetizers, or desserts.

think of every item you own as a possible decorative item, 

and you'll never run out of possibilities for a stunning table, room, and party.

and remember, even though we all love surfing pinterest and blogs and mags for ideas,

don't get hung up on 'what's IN'.... express YOUR OWN STYLE!

________________________________________________________

i would like to express my gratitude and thanks to 

David Gobeli and Andrew Kohn, 

Editors of BROADWAY+THRESHER Magazine,

for asking me to be a contributor to their new publication and blog.

i am honored to be included in their vision,

and look forward to bringing you content that inspires you creatively

and shares the stories of the many creative artisans and businesses in our world. 
________________________________________________________

Fall Tablescape: Urban Style

this fall tablescape inspiration goes to show that sometimes, 

the most UNexpected touches have the biggest impact...

starting with the centerpiece, we see the VERY non-traditional choice of black.

this is, decidedly, NOT your grandma's Thanksgiving table!

stacking serving bowls and plates and platters creates tiered display pedestals,

which are loaded up with vegetables and fruits in a green - brown - black scheme

that would fit an urban setting perfectly...

the star of the composition is a soft sage-green pumpkin with the word 'blessings'.

this one was scratched with a nail during the growing process and healed over

[but you could get a similar effect 

by using a tan or brown paint pen to write your chosen word]

a brown crust of bread and green vegetables add to the color palette

candles are displayed in simple clear glass holders, 

which coordinate with the clear glassware used at each place setting.

why NOT play around with your table settings?!

Scrabble tiles stand in for place markers and in votive candle cups

and giant versions of the tiles serve as coasters and accents in the centerpiece...

[you might even make up games to play during dinner, using the letter tiles!]

I used this candle idea again in this 5 minute fall tablescape 

the use of clear glasses, simple everyday flatware,  and the unusual choice of black dinnerware 

adds chic, contemporary, urbane style to this table.

the green linen napkins reflect the colors in the vegetables, and a wood napkin ring is used in an unexpected way:

the napkin ring holds a green [fig? nut? no idea what these are. 

i found them on the ground at a local park and grabbed them because of their COLOR!] 

and sits on TOP of the napkin, which is folded into a square and placed in a bowl.

a variation on this style would be to use a sage green tablecloth, coordinating with the napkin and pumpkins:

coming up on Wednesday, another variation on this look will appear

 in my guest post over on the BROADWAY+THRESHER magazine blog

it features some great ideas for a cocktail or dessert party!

PSSSSSTTT...
You can find my tutorial for making Giant Letter Tiles HERE!

Vintage Brown Fall Tablescape

time for part three of  this 'Fast, Cheap, & Easy' TM mini-series!
I'm showing you how to use the same basic elements to create three different tablescape styles for fall.

With a few simple changes, the tablescape shown in my last post will reflect this contemporary, casual style...

Tablescape Inspiration #3: Vintage Brown

What's the same:

glass pedestal, white and cream real and Sweater pumpkins

white ceramic dinnerware, floral motif flatware, white linen napkins

creamy ivory candles in floral-etched glass

What's been changed:

*the addition of the brown/tan colors in the vintage Bingo paper cards, balsa wood baskets

and a wood serving tray makes the white pumpkins pop even more.

*the only silver pieces that remain from the last tablescape are the more contemporary smooth silver ones.

Thank you to all who are visiting this post from Pinterest - I appreciate it!

Vintage Silver Fall Tablescape

 as part of a 'Fast, Cheap, & Easy' TM mini-series,
I'm showing you how to use the same basic elements

to create three different tablescape styles for fall.

With a few simple changes, the tablescape shown in my last post can be changed to reflect

this more formal, elegant style...

Tablescape Inspiration #2: Vintage Silver

What's the same:

glass pedestal, white and cream real and Sweater pumpkins

white ceramic dinnerware, floral motif flatware, white linen napkins

creamy ivory candles in floral-etched glass 

white carnations

What's been changed:

*the white cutwork tablecloth has been removed, and replaced with a simple tan length of fabric

[burlap would work really well for this]

*the sweater-covered vase with paper leaves has been replaced with a silver ice bucket,

filled with more dried eucalyptus leaves and seed pods - in a darker brown color.
[i found these leaves still attached to huge branches, 
which had been cut by a landscaping company and left in the planter at a corporate business park.
i snapped off some smaller branches, and had FREE materials]

*the former cut-glass wine and water glasses are replaced with plain glass,

and matching plain glass stemmed votive holders elevate some of the candles.

*under the glass pedestal, there is one ivory felt leaf placemat 

[available at Bed, Bath & Beyond $1.99]

*on top of the pedestal sits a vintage silver tray.

 several other silver serving pieces are added to the tablescape, 

including silver julep cups and goblets that hold votive candles and the white carnations,

and small silver bowls that hold Sweet Sweater Pumpkins with place tags.

This is a nice way to incorporate family heirlooms into your table decor, 

even if they aren't used for food.

the third and final installment of this mini-series is coming on Saturday,

yes, it's an extra post - because there is SO MUCH to fit in next week!!!

vintage white fall tablescape

over the next several posts, I'm going to show you how to use the same basic elements

to create three different tablescape styles for fall.

today we begin with a style that expresses soft, feminine vintage look in a pale palette:

Tablescape #1: the Vintage White table 

white, ivory, and soft tan colors are represented in the linens, dinnerware, natural materials

and decorative accessories.

branches of dried eucalyptus leaves are used for the centerpiece, 

paired with leaves cut from vintage paper.

in this case, the paper is vintage sheet music - 

you can find my tutorial to make these leaves HERE.

the leaves are placed in a weighted vase, which is covered with a creamy and soft sweater sleeve.

the vase is placed on top of a cake pedestal in the center of the table.

an assortment of both real and handmade pumpkins in white and ivory colors 

gather around the vase and under the pedestal.

a few extra leaves and white carnation blooms are placed throughout the arrangement.

candles in white and soft ivory are placed around the centerpiece

[not too close to the dried leaves and cotton sweater pumpkins!]

another vintage touch is the addition of glass canning jars, with votive & tealight candles on top

you could fill the jars with white beans, seeds, or other natural materials 

to coordinate with the color palette if you wanted to.

the dinnerware for this setting is white ceramic, the vintage flatware has a floral design,

and the linen is a vintage embroidered tablecloth and damask napkins. 

a soft tan napkin would look lovely in this arrangement, as well.

 as shown in my last tablescape, the coffee cup is used as a place marker holder - 

and the take-home gift of a small Sweet Sweater Pumpkin nestles in the cup, as well.

stay tuned for my next post, and watch this tablescape change!