So, as much as I wish I could continue to use the excuses "I am too busy, I work too much, there are no good furniture places here, I can't find what I am looking for, I don't have the decorating knack, blah blah blah blah blah, the fact of the matter is, Mike and I have lived in our house since July and there are four things hanging on our wall whose main purpose is organization. Not to mention I have bought two new pieces of furniture solely for concealing cords and housing electronics and we have a modge podge of other furniture pieces, most of which Mike acquired soon after graduating college and none of which I like (minus my couch). To top it off, I have ledge after ledge and nook after nook that are bare, as well as endless wall space and my biggest pet peeve; a gaping hole meant for a TV above my fireplace that I can't figure out what to do with. So, bottom line, I NEED SOME HELP!!!
I know it can be done because I know so many amazing women who have kids or who are pregnant, that work, are as busy as I am and who move into a house and have it decorated to a T in a month. Maybe they have the decorating knack I unfortunately lack but somehow I need to face my fear of decorating and get to it. I am tired of living in a house with no soul. It needs some life, a theme, some infusion of Mike and I, and most importantly some color. You all know me, you know I love black and white and muted colors and my decorating sense is no different. It's not that I dislike color, I just don't know how to work with it, what can go together and what's going to date quickly and if I do venture out of my comfort zone and buy color, it's always the same pallette and pattern. See my dillema?!?
So, I am asking all you brilliant women (and men too) for all of your help. If you would be so inclined, I am looking for tips on:
-Furniture stores you love.
-Knick Knack stores you love.
-Websites you love for either decorating or finding stuff.
-Ideas for what to put above my kitchen cabinets.
-Ideas for my gaping TV hole above my fireplace. (Seriously, whoever came up with that idea is FIRED)
-Ideas for new pillows for my couch
-Bedding ideas and where to get great bedding at an affordable price
-Tips for decorating my bathroom and what will work with a black granite.
-Color ideas and any other tips you would be willing to share to help me in my nesting.
Or an interior decorator who will work for free would work too :)
Thank you all in advance for helping me with my nesting. Ya'll are the best!!! We can work on my wardrobe next :)
6 comments:
I thought your house looked wonderful. You also have a ton of space to fill so that's not your fault, that just takes time to accumulate. I've noticed that it also takes time to get comfortable playing around with new decor. I have gotten more confident but it took me buying loads of stuff and returning a lot of it before I started to realize what I liked and how to place things. I also enjoy looking at websites or catalogs (or even home shows are fun) to get inspiration. A store I love in Utah is The Quilted Bear. Some stuff is over the top to me but most of it I love. I also love to watch design shows on HGTV to learn how to do things on my own for less money or to help me label my style so I can find things that go together. I'll look for a few blogs I used to look at and send you the links if I can track them down. Wish I was there to play around with decorating. My place has to stay too kid friendly to do some of the cool things I want to. :)
I am not a great decorator either, but I love to go to Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel, and walk around and get ideas. They always have cute ideas. You can buy their stuff (can get pricey, but great quality) or I just search for that stuff at TJ Maxx Home Goods or IKEA or other stores and do what I saw.
Good luck!!!
Z Gallerie in the gateway has fabulous HUGE pieces of art that might fit in your space a above your fireplace (and tons of other cool knick knacky stuff)...and I pretty much want to own everything in the furniture store that is in Garner Village-Down to Earth. Tai Pan Trading is also another favorite, most of their stuff is pretty affordable and FaBuLoUs!
Good luck--decorating stresses me out too!!!!
I LOVE to decorate!!! Both Bart and I are people who are very affected by the space we're in, and while challenging, it is soooo satisfying when everything ALL COMES TOGETHER.
Here's my secret- think of you and Mike's FAVORITE hotel that you've ever stayed it, then go online and print out pictures to take with you when you go out shopping. Hotels work well because you've already temporarily lived in them and therefore know how the decor made you FEEL. Kimpton hotels are our favorite and whenever we stay in one I'm always snapping photos for inspiration for our own home.
Here's my answers to your ?'s...
-Furniture stores you love: TJ MAXX/HOME GOODS, (I suggest starting with a rug from here and then draw out colors you like from it as your accents.), DOWN EAST, TARGET, IKEA and WEST ELM (online) are good ones too.
-Knick Knack stores you love: EMILIE JAYNES. It's a used thrift store packed to the brim, but has THE BEST original and unusual stuff (800 e. 800 s.) You should also go to this place called REAL DEAL ANTIQUES here in Logan. They're only open Thurs. and Sat.'s but have REALLY GOOD prices on the EXACT same stuff you'd find at TAI PAN, all new too!
Websites you love for either decorating or finding stuff. I like www.ohdeedoh.com
-Ideas for what to put above my kitchen cabinets: I had a friend who did bunches of wheat and lavender tied with a ribbon in a fan like formation that came out wonderfully (I'll try and send you a picture). Not that you would, but I hate it when people do fake greenery up there...it always gets dusty.
-Ideas for my gaping TV hole above my fireplace: typed in on google and found the following ideas: put an aquarium in it, have it filled in with sheet rock then hang a mirror over it, or add cabinet doors or shelves.
Ideas for new pillows for my couch: Z GALLERIE has amazing pillows!!!
Bedding ideas and where to get great bedding at an affordable price: DOWN EAST is where I found our duvet cover from Pottery Barn!
Tips for decorating my bathroom and what will work with a black granite: Since you guys like NOLA, how about a french quarter look with different sized glass urns and eclectic vases from TAI PAN and EMILIE JAYNES? These can also double as a place for you to put washcloths, cotton balls, etc. Do you have any pics you could frame from your travels there?
Good luck, and be sure to post BEFORE and AFTER pics!!!!
I have the same problem as you. So I am hoping to learn from this post as well. You can come over to my mom's house and see examples of what not to do :).
I'm totally stealing people's ideas from the comments on here! I'm the worst at decorating-but Tai Pan is always awesome for stuff, and it's usually pretty good priced. Good luck!!
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