EASTER TABLESCAPES: FUN AN FABULOUS!

 

It’s that time again……a gathering of family and friends for this momentous occasion called Easter.  For Christians this is the oldest and most important celebration and thanksgiving of Jesus’ resurrection from the grave.  And, this means “breaking bread” with our loved ones to share and honor the meaning of this glorious occasion.

Which brings us to the simpler matter of……the Easter tablescape.  For most of us who are entertaining others for dinner in our homes for Easter it’s important to have a table that reflects the celebration adequately.  One that’s pleasing to the eye, inviting and sets the stage for the Easter theme. 

And, what does eggs and bunnies have to do with Jesus and Easter you ask?  Nothing, actually.      
However, throughout history those things represent spring and new beginnings.  Since birds usually lay their eggs in the spring, eggs are a natural symbol for spring, rebirth, and new life.   And, since rabbits are very fertile animals whose babies scamper about in spring they also became symbols of spring.  And, of course they eat carrots….thus the entrance of carrots, too!

With that in mind and Jesus’ resurrection being celebrated in the spring – these are the things that we generally use for our Easter tablescapes.  Like this one shown above.  Look at how elegant and fun this simple tablescape is.  All white…..eggs and tulips. I love this!

And, this colorful one!  Love the bunnies on sheets of green moss with the infusion of the pink.  So sweet.

If you’re perplexed on what to do with your table just remember – the more flowers…..the better!  And, you can never go wrong with crystal and lace for an Easter table.

I’m a huge fan of blue and white.   Not your typical Easter colors, but what a great Easter table!

How about a cupcake centerpiece?! And, look at those individual birdhouses with treats in them at each place setting.  Fun, fun, fun for kids!

How’s this for a fabulous buffet display!

Pink and white….fail proof Easter colors.  Always “springy” and fun….

And, of course, don’t forget to have fun with the individual place settings, too!

Have a blessed and wonderful Easter celebration!

Happy Decorating!

SUPER COOL DINING ROOMS!!

 

My last blog post was on “fun and fabulous place settings” that create an “experience” rather than just a meal.  Well, that holds true with the dining room itself, too. When it comes to feasting there’s nothing more inviting than a cozy, charming ambiance in the dining area.  I think we all agree that dining is much more pleasant, much more enjoyable…..and becomes more of an experience in a “super cool” space!

A cool dining space creates the proper “mood” or vibe and sets the pace for the evening.  It should make our guests feel warm and welcome, ready for a nice, long evening of good food, good conversation and good fun. This casual space has a warm ambiance with its cobblestone floors, stone wall, chunky wood table, etc.  Doesn’t the thought of a nice dinner here seem appealing?

Or for the more formal – how about this?  Sort of a grandiose, opulent entrance and overall ambiance.  But, warm, intriguing and inviting just the same.  (I’d like a dining room like this and a kitchen like the one above!)

You can see this amazing space sets a different tone….

As does this…..

This….

Or even this.  Unusual, but fun!  Maybe not so comfy for us “older folks”!  I’m afraid my knees might get stuck permanently and I might never get back up!  But, it’s a cool look for the young and flexible just the same.

And, for another kitchen/dining space how fun is this?  What a happy place to sit with a glass of wine, friends, family and great food.

Now that’s an experience!

Happy Decorating!

Fun and Fabulous Place Settings: Create An “Experience”….Not Just A Meal!

 

It’s always fun to come up with a really creative table to help set the stage for a nice dinner party.  Ambiance is everything (well, and good food doesn’t hurt either!) – and aside from lighting and the overall look and feel of the space itself – the place setting is a huge factor in setting the tone for the evening.  Here are some fun ways to bring interest and personality to yours. 

  Notice the layering effect here on this place setting?  And, the fun silverware?  Creates interest right away and welcomes the guest to come, join, sit….Just a way of making them feel a little special……and a way to make dining more of an “experience” than just a meal.

This place setting combines color, pattern and texture.  I love this stripe with the pattern and again with the solid.  And, why not add a covered bowl to the top of the place setting for a bit of intrigue and surprise…..

It’s a little unexpected and fun.

Look closely here and you’ll see several elements that make this table fun.  The layering of colors and textures…..

The whimsical mixing of patterns.  Notice the stemmed water glass, the striped mug and the patterned bowls here.  Nothing boring and stuffy about this!  And, hang a gander at the incredible charger…..love it.  Talk about texture and interest!

Switching gears to the traditional – here you see they’ve also layered different plates and patterns, added a colorful placemat, a vibrant napkin with a fresh and festive napkin ring.   Simple, but refreshing and inviting.

The same holds true in the green….

And again in this yellow.  Great for an Easter spread..right?

You can see this tan and red look wonderful together on this tan cloth with this fun patterned napkin…..

And takes on a whole new personality when using a white placemat and napkin.  See all the different personalities with these three place settings sitting side by side?

Lots of fun!  Create your own unique personality for your table.  Just remember…..bring in layers of color, patterns and textures and you’ll have yourself a warm inviting display for your next dinner party.

Happy Decorating!

Woven Woods For Your Windows – On A Budget!!!

 

I’ve been thinking about adding woven woods to my family room for a couple of years.  Not just because I like the look (which I definitely do), but because we need just a little filtering from the sun for about 15 – 20 minutes in the mornings when the sun blares through. (Of course it’s just at eye level when we sit and read the paper.)

But, I didn’t really want to go the route of custom treatments if I could help it, because the windows were already completely dressed out in a custom drapery treatment.  So spending more money on custom treatments we really only needed for 20 minutes a day just didn’t feel quite right to me.  (And, I have plenty of other things I can spend my money on. )  Besides, as you can see above there are some retail shades that look pretty good.

So I started keeping my eye out for some inexpensive retail shades I could use.  The problem with retail verses custom – aside from a quality issue in many cases – is the sizes.  It’s not an easy task to find retail shades to fit the inside of your window which is what I needed.  So whenever I was out running around I would check the sizes and styles of stores such as Bed, Bath and Beyond, Lowes or Home Depot.  They actually all had some nice looking products, but nothing in my window size that I could find.  Until recently that is when I found these at Home Depot!  Just the right size, just the right color, and at $50.00 per shade….just the right price, too.

So I quickly snatched them up and on Saturday my hubby humored me and spent the morning hanging them for me.

I’m not gonna lie……he’d have rather been doing just about anything else in the whole world.

But, he was a good little hubby and took the time to untangle all the strings and unhook strings that had gotten tangled up in the gliders.  (Yes, one glitch to retail – there are a few challenges to overcome!)

But, in the end…..he got ‘em hung and they look great!

They lower and raise like they should…..

Add a nice little touch to the space….

And, filter the sun just enough.

And, the best part is….they were only $50.00 apiece!

I love the way they add a cozy, casual touch to my somewhat formal family room.

Just what the space needed!

Happy Decorating!!!

COLOR IN THE KITCHEN SERIES: SINGING THE BLUES…BLUE KITCHENS THAT IS!

 

Over the next couple months I’m going to be posting a series called “Color In The Kitchen” to highlight various colors that can snazz up your space and create a kitchen unique to your own personal style. 

This week I’m focusing on blue.  Primarily royal navy and navy blue. 

Navy blue is and has been one of my favorite decorating colors for the last thirty years.  (My bedroom has been navy blue for twenty years.  You can see it at the bottom of this previous blog post here.)

I admit I don’t actually have a blue kitchen myself, but wow – just look at these.  Inspiring to say the least!

It’s one of those basic, timeless colors that seems to stand the test of time no matter what colors of the year come and go.  Navy always looks great when paired with white.  Again, timeless and stately.

Royal navy and white….

How exquisite……..not to mention fun and charming!

And, as you can see it is striking in a contemporary space as well.

This midnight blue……so rich and warm…

This happy royal blue…..so fun and cheerful…..

And, this distressed blue…..so, so charming.

So don’t think you have to stick with the typical wood grain stains, black or white (which are all beautiful, of course).  Remember there are other colors out there so think a little outside the norm and bring in something fun like a deep, rich blue.

Happy Decorating!

Decorating with Beige: It Doesn’t Have To Be Boring:

 

For many people when they think of beige they think “boring!”.  But, beige doesn’t have to be boring at all.  In fact it creates a very soothing, warm ambiance when done correctly.

The key to a monochromatic color scheme is using different textures and introducing other interesting items to create interest and keep the eye moving.  Take a look at this space above.  Notice everything is a version of beige, but you’d never say it was boring.  The woven woods, the addition of wood, rattan and other textures in the space hold your interest and please the eye – creating warmth and welcoming you in.

Here you see, again, the combination of textures and varying shades of beige.  The addition of the sleek espresso table adds a new texture and breaks up the beige upholstery tones just enough.

Look closely here….beige, beige and more beige.  But, lots of texture to break it up and maintain interest and charm.

You’ll notice the same thing here….

And, here……

But, if you really wanted to you could bring in that fun pop of color. 

You see……beige is not boring at all!

Happy Decorating!

COOL AND COZY INTERIOR STONE WALLS!

 

Ever thought about putting stone walls inside your house?  And, I mean other than your fireplace.  It creates a really fun, cool, cozy atmosphere you really don’t see a lot.

A stone wall like this completely changes this space from the vibe you’d get from a regular textured and painted wall.  Isn’t it interesting and fun?

Here they’ve combined brick with the stone for this pass thru wall.  Gives it such dimension and personality.

I put a stone wall very similar to this one in a model home master bedroom years ago when I worked at a design center.   (Not this one, but very similar) ….I just can’t for the life of me find the pictures.   Grrrrrr!!!!

Wouldn’t this be a fun wall to have in your home somewhere?

I’d feel like I was eating at an upscale restaurant with a dining room wall like this….

It’s a great texture to add to a space….large or small.

It contributes such charm and character…..

And, the beauty of it is that it works with every style décor.

There are a great many beautiful, very natural looking faux stone selections you can choose from. 

They’re an exact replica of the real thing and they’re impact proof and weather resistant.

If you’re a talented do-it-yourselfer you can even do it yourself.

Check here for a great website that will explain it to you in depth.  There’s even a video to show you the application as well as explain the product.

Below are a few stone and faux stone walls I’ve done in model’s and client’s homes over the years.  They are also featured on my website here.

So if you’re looking to update and “wow up” your house –

consider the addition of interior stone!

Happy Decorating!!!