THURSDAY THOUGHTS // HOME

Bringing you into my home this fall Thursday morning. Well, the first floor anyway (more to come later). Full disclaimer, I am not an interior designer, decorating expert at all! The reason for these Thursday Thoughts is to bring you into my world a little more, and sometimes it won’t always be about photography or business as there is more to me then all of that.

So, here we are with a little home tour. Sharing my space with you along with some of my favorite shopping sites too.

I have always been drawn to design, well decorated room or a certain aesthetic. I will drive past 7 coffee shops to go to one with a vibe I want to sit down in and stay awhile.  The same has to be for my home. I am here for so many hours of the day and trying to be productive as well. I helped that we recently moved so I was able to really purge and narrow down exactly what I wanted each space to look like. For me my home has to be one that allows for me to feel comfortable and inspired even while Disney channel plays in the background.

My focus, a neutral palette with some warmth for a minimal but cozy look. I try to stay consistent within color tones through the home while still creating “zones”.

First impression, we have a nice entry and pretty long hallway before reaching the living room and kitchen area. I wanted to make sure that when you arrive into the home is doesn’t feel bare and that you have to walk down the long hall to finally arrive.

I found this bench on Amazon it gave me a landing spot in the entry and kept with the feel I was going for. I wish the legs were metal, but since it really won’t be getting a lot of use it was perfect for the price. (Mirror, Pillow, tassel decor and gold figurine Target, Plant and planter from Ikea)

  Both of my Kinfolk Magazines are old editions that I ordered from Amazon. I am a huge fan of their magazines but also I wanted to add color and chose these two to do that. You can find them for around $12 and handpick your own color palette.  

We replaced all the lighting in the kitchen and dining room. The dining light was a splurge from Crate and Barrel. Bar pendants were another find on Amazon.

We have quite a large bar so I knew I wanted ample seating for guests at both the kitchen and dining room, but finding a minimal table was hard to find. I went with one from West Elm that has a leaf to seat 6 while still leaving room for people to get up from table or bar and not be on top of each other. I found the bar stools at Joss and Main and it tied well with the leather from the living room chair again creating a flow from room to room while still holding its own purpose. We have plans for the kitchen to brighten it up and change out some countertops and sink. One thing at a time.

Along with the light fixture, this chair was another splurge but I am so glad we did it. My husband has always wanted his own chair, but a recliner was out of the question. Masculine while still holding to the rest of the relaxed feel in the home. I love this corner.

Plant lady over here. Plants can be such an easy way to decorate your home. Finding unique holders are my favorite part. A simple way to bring character & color in without creating to much of a theme.

• Start by creating a mood board on Pinterest. 
• Post only what you are drawn to and start to see your common color tone and aesthetic theme.
  • Pay attention to the lines and feel as well as the colors you are inspired by. This will help later when you are shopping and filling in the spaces with key pieces and accents.
• Don’t shop all at one place!
  • You want to have variety and personality in your home. If you shop for the whole room from one location is can easily get boring and appear staged.
• Know your foundation decorating elements
  • mine: wood, brass, marble, cement, white, brown, green, black // when I am out shopping or running errands I look for these elements. Even in the candles I buy I want to keep those elements consistent. This also helps in bringing personality and unique pieces into your home. I find items at second hand stores all the time.
• Start building your zones while still keeping in mind a flow. When rooms are connected to each other (great room for instance) then they should feel like the same room in a lot of aspects. I wouldn’t have totally separate colors going in each as it can feel busy and overwhelming. An accent color that still complements is an easy way to separate without completely cutting it off from the rest of the whole space. Even your bathroom should flow with the rest of the home. I have never understood walking into another place in a house and feeling like I left where I have been. For me, just not a fan.
• Purge and only keep things you love and are consistent with your foundation elements.
  • This is big. When you walk into a room every thing your eye sees should be something you truly enjoy. If you don’t then sell it, give it away, and buy something that does.
  • I sell and buy a lot on offerup and craigslist. I want to recycle when I can. Always go there first. For me, my keyword searches  are “wood, black, modern, mid century, brass, bronze, cement” *these sites are also great places to buy plants! 

I shared a few of my shopping places above, but here is a list of some more:

• H&M- Yes, they have a great home section online. Their prices are super affordable and quality is good too!
• Urban Outfitters- love them for little accent pieces, pillows, throws
• Joss and Main- they own Wayfair, All Modern which are all great for furniture
• Ikea – I have a few garbage cans that I have used for plants, yep, black and $3! My couch is also from Ikea and under $700 for a couch that can fit all of us and still be comfortable and not look like a rec room is a win!
• Dania- that last photo of the shelf was purchased here, I got one for our room too and it such a unique piece!
• Amazon- cannot go wrong here! I advise you to read reviews and really do some research but return policy is usually really good and free shipping for Prime members. HELLO!
• TJ Maxx, Marshalls- I stop in at least once a month. I buy all my candles here, and I always find good accent pieces.
• Target – loving their new collections right now. Studio 62 and Hearth and Hand (finally some Christmas decor I like)

As always, thank you for reading. Hope you enjoyed your visit today.