Beauty in Simplicity

a quick announcement before the main part of my post today:
the homewardFOUND shop makeover is FINALLY happening!
i am so excited to finally get in there to make the changes i've envisioned...

 now... on with todays' post:

this time of year, it seems we all do a bit of cleaning and clearing, 
ready to embrace the simplicity of a blank calendar and clean rooms.

i'd like to share some inspiring 'simple' decor with you, along with a story...
(you're starting to notice that this is a regular thing now, right? ;) ) 

once upon a time, 

there were two incredibly talented men named Joe and Jermonne

who created a look that was all their own...

Barn House style.

when they came on the scene, back in the early 2000's, 
there was no shiplap craze, no galvanized metal repros in every store.
there was no JoJo on HGTV,  no Restoration Hardware as we know it today...
because their designs influenced the market and all who followed.

they hosted a beautiful vintage show on their farm in the Pacific Northwest,

a gathering of great ideas, original style, and a group of fun & talented people
that drove design trends and appeared in magazines everywhere.
i have been inspired by their spirit and their aesthetic for years now, 
and i'm sure you will be as well.

continue reading to see more of their inspiring creativity...

Tutorial: Make New Books Look Old!

 here's a trick i've been using for four decades as a visual display stylist:
i shared a photo on Instagram the other day because i loved the display:

i snapped that at Roger's Gardens in Corona del Mar, California, 

where i have found visual and decor inspiration galore over many years.

this photo is of a cabinet filled with old books - 
only, they aren't old. they just LOOK old. 

and because of my 40+ year background in retail visual merchandising & display,

i know a secret to getting the same look!

so i shared the trick in my IG post... and a few people suggested that i create an actual tutorial.

sure, i can do that! ;) 
here's the quick tutorial in one easy image:

now THAT's what i call 'fast, cheap & easy'TM ;) 

(ps: i posted a quick VIDEO tutorial on the hwF facebook page, too!)

shared online:

funky junk interiors diy salvaged junk projects #412

yesterday on tuesday  project inspired #258 

oh my gracious! i'd like to offer a big thank you to Donna at Funky Junk Interiors
for featuring my project in her recap of junk party #412 - i am honored!

Mannequin Shenanigans!

 i'd like to tell you all a little story...

i posted a gorgeous photo on my Instagram two weeks ago,

one that i saw online and saved and EGREGIOUSLY did not save the source from
(if you know it, tell me and i'll add it here and on IG).
that photo was a gorgeous shot of vintage mannequins:

i know. i drooled, too.

i covet these, i'll admit it. i've spent my life in the visual merchandising field

and i have whispered sweet nothings to forms like this for decades.

(no, they have never come to life like Emmy in the film 'Mannequin' ;) ) 

i've just never been able to afford one. so instead, i made my own 'version' of one:

you can make one, too, with my tutorial: diy mannequin made from a tee shirt 

however, that didn't really 'do it' for me, but i had other things to take care of.
fast-forward to two weeks ago, and the posting of the image, and then...
two days later, i was on facebook and happened to see something in the sidebar:

a marketplace ad listing for a mannequin. in my neighborhood. for thirty dollars!!!

i gulped, clicked the image, and contacted the seller.
"yes it's still available" - even though the ad is four days old.
when can i come pick it up? how about first thing in the morning?! (it was 11 PM)
and that's exactly what happened... i drove five minutes from my house
and picked it up the next morning.

and she is gorgeous! 
she's not vintage, but i added something to her to make her look a little bit vintage... 

continue reading to see what i did!

How a Toolbox Helped Me Get Organized!

 i just purchased this very usable rusty big ol' metal toolbox

from Kara at LuLu Belle's Junk Trunk at Needful Things Addiction - 

the store where my homewardFOUND shop is located.

(hazard of the vintage industry... we buy each other's stuff!)

admittedly, i bought it because of the patina and color. it's my thing!

but i knew that with all the compartments and shelves inside, 

it would come in handy in my studio/office.

so i brought it home, sat it down on the floor, snapped a few photos... and saw THIS:

lord, i need help. i'm so Disney that i see animated faces in everything.

ANYWAY....

as i was sitting at my desk on the computer, i needed something.

and when i went to get it, i couldn't find it. frustrating, right?
well, it was office supplies. and my office supplies are all over the place - 

as in, not in one place but in many drawers and buckets and shelves.

talk about an AHA moment!
continue reading to see what i did:

Covered in Canvas

 while homewardFOUND is generally all about seasonal decor ideas,
sometimes I like to pop in ideas for furniture, too...
all totally do-able projects for you to try out!

this dresser was found on the curb. free.
With lines like the ones on those drawers, I couldn't pass her up!

the case was solid, but the veneer on top and on the drawers was just wrecked.
no amount of putty and paint was going to make her presentable...

she went beyond needing mere 'makeup' into the realm of 'plastic surgery'!

while I was sanding her down, I had a brainstorm...

the dropcloth that she was sitting on in the prep room had some great texture.

i looked at the drawers, and then at the dropcloth, and that light bulb went on:
 cover the entire dresser with a new canvas dropcloth!

dropcloths are a great way to get a LOT of fabric for a ridiculously low price

and they come in many sizes and weights. 

i used the heaviest weight for this project, which covered up all of the 'blemishes' in her complexion.

continue reading to see what i did!

Ready to ReDecorate!

it's a new year, and new things are soon to be 'in store'!

this new year has me filled with new energy... how about you?!
i've had a bit of recalculation in my head about what i want / need hwF to be,

and much of that is coming from the responses that the shop and merchandise in it

have been getting from you - my readers and customers (my HOMEees!)

* i watch what you click 'like' or ♥ and comment on, both here and on social media.

* i take into account what posts are getting views, and from where.

*i notice what you've been pinning and re-pinning from the blog and my boards.

* i keep an eye on what is selling in the shop - and what isn't -

and i have been asking myself one very simple question:

 "if this thing doesn't sell, would i put it in MY home?"

sometimes, the answer is a resounding 'nope'. and i'm not okay with that.

i loved my initial concept for the homewardFOUND blog AND shop - 

but it doesn't fit anymore. it's not where i am going personally, or as a designer.

so, i'm gonna' change it all up!

<< click 'continue reading' to see what's coming!

Simple Winter Table

winter, for me, is all about sparkle and texture.

rough with smooth, crystal with wood, tarnished silver with crisp white.

mixing it up wherever i can brings a warmth and comfort to the 'bareness' of rooms

after the holiday overload is gone...

my winter color / texture palette this year is
white, crystal, rough wood, and glowing copper.

the simple tablesetting here shows yet ANOTHER way that i use an everyday item:

my standard white ceramic dishes.
you've seen them oh, about a million times here on the blog - 

i do that purposefully, to show you how

a very BASIC item can be re-imagined and presented in fresh ways each season.

continue reading for more details!

Welcome 2018 with a Junk Wreath!

2018: project one!
i took down the holiday decor in our entryway and needed to replace it...

admittedly, i've been too busy to even PLAN anything for that area.
but a quick look at what wreaths were on hand turned up two bare reed circles,

and that was all the inspiration that i needed!

tied together with a length of twine, the two reed wreaths are more substantial
(because in art and design, repetition adds strength).

i rummaged through a box of 'odds and ends' and found a slew of things to use

to add personality and interest to the wreath...

what's on there?
there are two tarnished silver cups, some galvanized construction tape, spring, and gift tag. 

an old outdoor faucet, a wire light bulb cage, a tiny shovel, a coffee measuring spoon,

a rusty letter O, a bling-y shower curtain ring, and a champagne cork with cage.

an odd assortment, they hail from miscellaneous sources 

(my old home, my Dad's workbench, gifts from friends, flea markets)

but they all have a connection to my story - and to each other,

which shows up when they are mounted together on the wreath using more twine.

i think they look a lot like a floral arrangement, 

but that might be just my weird sense of design talking ;)

 in any case, they reflect what I think of as a 'winter palette' - 

greys, blacks, charcoals, and varying shades of brown mixed with sparkling glass.

it may not be cold here where i live, but this combination evokes a 'winter-y' mood for me!

continue reading to see where it ended up!