Decorology

Category: how to

  • Mix furniture styles like a pro

    Mix furniture styles like a pro

    Fearlessly mix furniture styles!

    Today I am going to reveal some useful tips on how to mix furniture styles like a pro.  I do not go for matchy matchy – it looks too contrived and does not really let the homeowners personality shine through. Even if a room looks “good” if I can tell every piece is from the same catalog, I’m not really impressed. Everyone prefers a space that looks like it came together overtime but also with style, and that allows the character of the people who live their to shine through. This is easier said then done. Furniture is such an important player in a room, so putting together a meaningful collection of furnishings can be daunting to say the least. Below are some useful tips to successfully mix furniture styles:

    An easy place to start might be your walls.  I love the look of traditional furnishings with modern artShop this look –

    (may contain affiliate links)

    Rustic Dining table


    Mid-century Modern Chair
    mixing furniture styles

    Work with the bones of your home.  If your home is a country style abode, work in a few vintage pieces. Make it easy on yourself when you are starting out by choosing styles that pair well together.  Country and Vintage work well.  Victorian, a style that celebrates the ornate, pairs well with French and Asian. Arts and crafts works will with midcentury modern and modern.

     

    Eclectic is undoubtedly a style that lends itself to mixing.  Make it work with surprising details like travel mementos or memorabilia from your past lives. This gives the illusion that every piece has a story behind it or sentimental value.  That way even if the mod couch doesn’t have a story behind it, it will look like it does because many other elements in the room do.

    Here, a mix of antique style furniture is kept fresh with a modern table lamp and modern art.  Also notice that the furnishings all have a similar visual “weight” to them, which helps keep this space look airy.

    Don’t forget your walls.  The abstract painting pairs well with the modern chairs, while the gilt mirror pairs well with the coffee table – but they juxtapose one another.  Creating relationship like this helps the space feel cohesive.

     

    Mix “like” pieces.  By like I mean chairs, or stools, or side tables, etc.  Here two side chairs of very different style really stand out and bring attention to themselves because they are two different styles.

     

    Here, the black and gold baroque wallpaper is an unexpected surprise in a room of modern furnishings.
    Rue Mag

    Shop this look

    Eames style lounge chair

    eames style lounge chair

    Full length leaner floor mirror

    full length leaner floor mirror

    Happy decorating!

     

  • Mix furniture styles like a pro

    Mix furniture styles like a pro

    Fearlessly mix furniture styles!

    Today I am going to reveal some useful tips on how to mix furniture styles like a pro.  I do not go for matchy matchy – it looks too contrived and does not really let the homeowners personality shine through. Even if a room looks “good” if I can tell every piece is from the same catalog, I’m not really impressed. Everyone prefers a space that looks like it came together overtime but also with style, and that allows the character of the people who live their to shine through. This is easier said then done. Furniture is such an important player in a room, so putting together a meaningful collection of furnishings can be daunting to say the least. Below are some useful tips to successfully mix furniture styles:

    Work with the bones of your home.  If your home is a country style abode, work in a few vintage pieces. Make it easy on yourself when you are starting out by choosing styles that pair well together.  Country and Vintage work well.  Victorian, a style that celebrates the ornate, pairs well with French and Asian. Arts and crafts works will with midcentury modern and modern.

    Eclectic is undoubtedly a style that lends itself to mixing.  Make it work with surprising details like travel mementos or memorabilia from your past lives. This gives the illusion that every piece has a story behind it or sentimental value.  That way even if the mod couch doesn’t have a story behind it, it will look like it does because many other elements in the room do.

    Here, a mix of antique style furniture is kept fresh with a modern table lamp and modern art.  Also notice that the furnishings all have a similar visual “weight” to them, which helps keep this space look airy.

    Don’t forget your walls.  The abstract painting pairs well with the modern chairs, while the gilt mirror pairs well with the coffee table – but they juxtapose one another.  Creating relationship like this helps the space feel cohesive.

    Mix “like” pieces.  By like I mean chairs, or stools, or side tables, etc.  Here two side chairs of very different style really stand out and bring attention to themselves because they are two different styles.

    Here, the black and gold baroque wallpaper is an unexpected surprise in a room of modern furnishings.
    Rue Mag

     

  • Some Fall DIY Favorites

    Some Fall DIY Favorites

    There are so many simple fun DIY’s for fall but here is a preview of some of my favorite!
    DIY Falling Leaves. These are 2 of my favorite things and I'm totes making this happen this fall.:
    via brit
    Fall and leaves go hand in hand but beautiful glitter with lots of great fall colors is definitely a winner!
    DIY Fall Chalkboard. Great for the holidays. Make a large one for the kitchen, and small ones to place around the table for thanksgiving as place cards. Could even use the small ones for labeling food dishes on the buffet table.:

    There’s something so refreshing about have nature in your home. This wood slice sign is such a creative way to bring the outdoors in.
    What is fall without a pumpkin? And I especially love a personalized pumpkin. What a fun way to add a little fall fun to your front porch.
    A wreath is great for any season but to me, fall is one of the best times! They can be simple, natural, and stunning. 
    What are some of your favorite fall DIY’s for your home? I’d love to hear in the comments below.
  • Painting furniture

    Painting furniture

    We have a few pieces of furniture that I am thinking would look great with a quick touch of some paint and would really add some dimension to my decor. Before I get in too deep, I’d love to here some success, and maybe some not so successful stories!
    Have you done, would you do it, how did you do it!? I’d love to hear it all. 

  • First glimpse at my wedding! My bouquet and how I made it

    As some of you know I was married on May 24 of this year. The day was beyond beautiful and I will be sharing photos and how-to’s with you over the coming months, but first I wanted to show off my gorgeous flowers.

    My bouquet!
    ©2014 Mallory Frazier Photography

    Like many aspects of my wedding, I did the flowers myself – from centerpieces to my bouquet to boutonnieres. There are a few surefire ways to make your wedding flowers look gorgeous and be almost effortless. I recommend sticking to a few flowers or types of greenery. I chose Lamb’s Ear from my mothers garden, Foxtail Fern from an existing plant we had (which we happened to receive as a favor from another wedding), and blush peonies from the amazing Fiftyflowers.com.

    Keeping the different types of flowers or greenery in your wedding to a few types will drastically cut your costs. Another mistake I see DIY brides make is having way too many colors going on in her bouquet and centerpieces. Unless you’re a pro, stick to your palette, or stick to tried and true color combos. Another good rule of thumb is to have one main color and two accent colors. The amazing textures of leaves and flowers make it really hard for even a monochrome bouquet to be boring, and it will undoubtedly look more sophisticated then a bouquet sporting a rainbow of flowers.

    My peonies arrived carefully packaged.  Fifty Flowers customer service kept me updated on their arrival time and how to care for them.

    Once I had my flowers and greenery gathered up, I began making my bouquet and my bridesmaid’s bouquets.  Our bouquets were the same except that mine was larger.  I also had ready a few buckets with water and flower food* on hand to store the bouquets until we were ready for them.

    Remove excess leaves from your flowers and greenery.  This will allow moisture in the plant focusing on the buds and blossoms, not on leaves. You will also need a few inches of bare stem for wrapping your bouquet.

    Begin composing your bouquet.  Whenever I arrange flowers, I compose them in my hand first, before I start to trim stems.  Once you have your bouquet or arrangement how you want it, then you can secure the base and trim the stems evenly.

    Once I was happy with a bouquet, I secured the stems in place with floral tape* and snipped the stems even at the bottom.

    For my bouquet, which was thicker, I secured it with wire* before wrapping it in tape.  Next, starting slightly above the tape so it is not visible, begin wrapping your ribbon around the stems. You can use a pin to hold it in place at the top while you wrap.

    Once the tape was completely covered by ribbon*, I secured the ends of the ribbon by making just a small stitch with a needle and thread.

    The finished product!  Keep your bouquets in a cool dark place with fresh water (I added flower food to mine) until you are ready to use them.

    ©2014 Mallory Frazier Photography

    I couldn’t have been happier with my bouquet.  The peonies from Fifty Flowers lasted so long, I used them to decorate my house and they lived for another whole week.

    *Supplies: Wilton Gum Paste Wire and Tape
                    30 Quart Cut Flower Food
                    May Arts 3/4-Inch Wide Ribbon, Pewter Velvet
                   50 Blush Peonies from fiftyflowers.com
                    Lamb’s Ear from our garden
                    Foxtail Fern from our plant

    A huge thanks to Fiftyflowers.com who provided the peonies for my wedding

  • How to mix furniture styles like a pro

    Today I am going to reveal some useful tips on how to mix furniture styles like a pro.  I do not go for matchy matchy – it looks too contrived and does not really let the homeowners personality shine through. Even if a room looks “good” if I can tell every piece is from the same catalog, I’m not really impressed. Everyone prefers a space that looks like it came together overtime but also with style, and that allows the character of the people who live their to shine through. This is easier said then done. Furniture is such an important player in a room, so putting together a meaningful collection of furnishings can be daunting to say the least. Below are some useful tips to successfully mix furniture styles:

    An easy place to start might be your walls.  I love the look of traditional furnishings with modern art

    Work with the bones of your home.  If your home is a country style abode, work in a few vintage pieces. Make it easy on yourself when you are starting out by choosing styles that pair well together.  Country and Vintage work well.  Victorian, a style that celebrates the ornate, pairs well with French and Asian. Arts and crafts works will with midcentury modern and modern.

    Eclectic is undoubtedly a style that lends itself to mixing.  Make it work with surprising details like travel mementos or memorabilia from your past lives. This gives the illusion that every piece has a story behind it or sentimental value.  That way even if the mod couch doesn’t have a story behind it, it will look like it does because many other elements in the room do.

    Here, a mix of antique style furniture is kept fresh with a modern table lamp and modern art.  Also notice that the furnishings all have a similar visual “weight” to them, which helps keep this space look airy.

    Don’t forget your walls.  The abstract painting pairs well with the modern chairs, while the gilt mirror pairs well with the coffee table – but they juxtapose one another.  Creating relationship like this helps the space feel cohesive.

    Mix “like” pieces.  By like I mean chairs, or stools, or side tables, etc.  Here two side chairs of very different style really stand out and bring attention to themselves because they are two different styles.

    Here, the black and gold baroque wallpaper is an unexpected surprise in a room of modern furnishings.
    Rue Mag

  • Make the most of a snow day with some of these projects

    Make the most of a snow day with some of these projects

    Four great ideas of things you can do to change your decor while your stuck inside (since we are snowed in with over a foot of snow here and it’s still coming down!). Might as well have fun – and if you’re like me I can only watch so much TV before I need to get up and do something!

    1. Rearrange your furniture:

    via BHG

    I get so excited rearranging my furniture.  It is really refreshing and can make old things seem new again. It takes some trial and error to get things just right, and don’t forget that you can “shop” furniture from the rest of your house!
    2. Clean out your drawers:

    Culinary Cleverness.  Small baking pans are just shallow enough to slide inside a desk drawer, and so perfect for avoiding clutter by keeping smaller office necessities from blending together in an useless pile.

    via bhg

    In your kitchen, bathroom, pantry, bedroom, and more! Clean out those drawers by creating three boxes: throw away, give away, keep. Sort your items and when you get to the keep, figure out if you have any good trays, shoe boxes, or containers laying around that would keep the items corralled.  It looks like the drawer above is using small jelly roll pans, which is really clever.

    3. Make that gallery wall you’ve dreaming about

    I like Design Crush‘s tutorial, but there are a lot of great ideas and step by step instructions online i you just search for something like “create your own gallery wall.”  Even i you don’t have all the art you want to use yet, gallery walls can be flexible and expand over time, or you can at least decide where you want it and start composing it in kraft paper.

    4. Style Your Bookshelves

    2 images via DesignSponge

    You will be surprised how many compliments you get when you thoughtfully arrange your shelves.  Thinking of a bookcase or set of shelves as a composition really lets you show off your favorite accessories and books while also serving a purpose. I’m not going to lie, it’s not always easy to strike that perfect balance, and you’ll likely always be making little tweaks.  I would start by pulling a few images that I really like to use as a guide.  Next, collect the items that will be on the shelves.  You may have to omit some items or add some along the way.  You will want items with a variety of heights and widths.  Other than that, a lot of the process is just “feel.”  Step back from the shelves from time to time to make sure you are happy with how your “composition” is taking shape.

  • No time like the beginning of a new year for a fresh start!

    No time like the beginning of a new year for a fresh start!

    First off, I hope everyone had an amazing holiday, and happy New Year!  Usually, I don’t get caught up in the New Year’s traditions like setting resolutions.  This year however, I am determined to get really, really, organized.  I’m usually an organized person, but the last half of 2011 I started to really fall behind on a lot of my filing, exercise routine, and many other things.  So, it sort of seemed like fate when, just a couple of weeks before New Years, I received three books from organizing guru Jennifer Ford Berry.  The books are “Organize Now!,” “Organize Now! Your Money, Business, & Career,” and “Organize Now! 12 Month Home & Activity Planner.”

    There’s nothing quite as inspiring and exciting as a new organizing book that really speaks to you, and I think these definitely will.  The “Organize Now!”  and “Organize Now! Your Money, Business, & Career”  books literally break down the year into weeks, and assigns you tasks for each week that ultimately get your entire space in order.  I also like that, not only does she focus on the tangible things – like organizing your cupboards, entryway, social profiles, and email contact, but she also goes into a lot of depth and care to express the importance of taking time out for yourself, and streamlining your lifestyle to increase efficiency (therefore creating more time for yourself).

    Table of contents in “Organize Now!”

    I’ve already started the “Organize Now!” book.  The beginning is dedicated to the psychology of clutter, how it impacts us mentally and physically, and all the rewards one can reap by eradicating clutter.  Weeks 1- 4 are titled “Organize Yourself,” with week 1 being broken down further to “Organize your Mind & Life Vision.    Each week has a checklist of weekly goals (which helps keeps the ultimate goal of complete organization from being overwhelming), and a “Stay Organized” checklist that gives you tips to maintain your newly achieved organization goal of the week.  The “Stay Organized” checklist is broken down into what you should do once a month, every 3-6 months, and once a year.

    Several pages are dedicated to the psychology of clutter.

    Week 1’s “This Week’s Goal’s” checklist

    I’ve also already filled out my first week of the “Organize Now! 12 Month Home & Activity Planner.”  It give ample room to jot down to-dos for each day.  The beginning of each month features a list for holidays, bill due dates, and monthly events.  Each month also starts out with a monthly “focus,” tips, and a space to list goals for the month.

    The beginning of each month starts out with space to list the month’s events, due dates, and holidays.

    Lots of space for jotting your to-do’s!

    I haven’t started the “Organize Now! Your Money, Business, & Career,” book yet, but I hope to dive into it a bit tonight, as it undoubtedly covers the aspects of my life that need the most organizing.

    “Organize Now! Your Money, Business, & Career” table of contents

    The books can all be purchased on Amazon.
    Organize Now!
    Organize Now! Your Money, Business, and Career
    Organize Now! 12 Month Home and Activity Planner
    You can check out Jennifer Ford Berry’s website and blog here
    Do you usually feel inspired to start new projects or regimens on New Years?  What are your goals and wishes for 2012? Can’t wait to hear about them!

    *disclosure:  I received Organize Now!, Organize Now! Your Money, Business, and Career, and Organize Now! 12 Month Home and Activity Planner as a sample

  • If you want to try your hand at decorating, update your methods, or become a better designer – you must check out this book!

    If you want to try your hand at decorating, update your methods, or become a better designer – you must check out this book!

    There are a lot of great how-to decorating books out there, but the one I’m about to introduce is truly different, and I really think it could make anyone a better designer. It’s titled “The Meghan Method,” and is written by Meghan Carter, who got her start in the design world by traveling across the country interviewing industry experts about interior design.

    It’s hard to really give the book justice in a short explanation, but here is an idea as seen on the Meghan Method site page:

    “This revolutionary guide demystifies decorating, breaking it down into a fill-in-the-blank, simple, step-by-step process — with worksheets — that enables ANYONE, on any budget, to create the home of his or her dreams. You’ll discover:

    How to find your true style.
    How to pick the perfect colors.
    How to mix patterns.
    How to arrange furniture.
    How to choose lighting.
    Where to score the best deals.
    Where to find the coolest items.
    And much, much more.”

    Below I’ve scanned a few of her amazing worksheets which show you how to translate your needs and likes into the perfect room:

    The book walks you through several example rooms.  I’m sharing some of her “home office” worksheets.  First is your aspirations for the room.

    Second, your functional needs for the room.

    Third, and probably where most people get stumped, or overlook, your emotional needs for the room.

    Meghan also breaks down how to translate your muses into decor, accessories, and furnishings.

    The author also lists a couple of pages worth of inspirational blogs, sites, and magazines. Decorology is so honored to be mentioned among such great company!
    Thanks Meghan for the shout out!

    Finally, you will complete a room evaluation to make sure your room and the accessories you buy will accommodate everything you need.

    Create a to-do list and the order in which items should be completed.

    She also reviews methods on how to physically plan your space.  One example is the one above – the taping method.  I’ve never heard of this, but it seems really great if you tend to get really nervous about arranging furniture, hanging pictures, etc.

    The final result: your dream space.

    I definitely recommend checking this book out.  It’s a thick one – almost 400 pages.  And it’s not just a book of pretty pictures – it’s more like the text book for decorating you always wished you had.

    You can buy the book here.

    You can download the worksheets here.

  • Gorgeous Autumn and holiday decor and how to make it!

    Gorgeous Autumn and holiday decor and how to make it!

    I am ashamed I’m not posting this DIY earlier. I’ve always though that gilt gourds is were so pretty, I just needed a good excuse to try it out! It makes gorgeous autumn decor – so I should have posted this in plenty of time for anyone interested to make it before the holidays. Regardless, I still thought it’d make a good post. My original inspiration was this gallery from Country Living.

    I looked up a couple of step-by-step instructions, but the best instructions I found in the Mona Lisa Gold Leaf Kit, which I picked up at Michaels. This is what I recommend for beginners as it includes everything you need – primer, adhesive, gold leaf, sealer, and antiquing glaze.



    My parents grew many gourds so I had my pick. You can get gourds online or from supermarkets if they’re in season. Make sure they are dry, and have no punctures.


    Here are a few supplies you may want to have on hand – gesso (which I used as a primer on the gourds that I only painted, not leafed). Paint (some of the gourds I just painted metallic gold to ad variety alongside the gilded ones). Brushes, paint stirrer, paint tray, palette knife for mixing small amounts of paint, a pencil and masking tape for creating designs on the gourds, and a leafing kit or supplies.

    After picking the gourds I wanted to paint, I primed them with gesso, applying it only where I planned on painting them or applying the leaf.

    This gourd I painted the top a metallic gold, and applied leaf on the bottom half. (Notice the red leaf primer on the bottom.) A dark color primer makes the gold leaf “pop” a little more.

    Once the primer dries, apply adhesive as instructed on the label. I found applying the gold leaf was easy it I placed a piece of waxed paper over it, warmed the wax paper a little just by rubbing my hand over it, and then applying the leaf to the gourd. Try and touch the leaf with your fingers as little as possible. You only have to press the leaf to the gourd very lightly.

    Brush off any excess flakes with a soft, dry, brush. A light touch will do. After that, coat it with the sealer well. After the sealer dries, apply the antiquing glaze as instructed on the label. This project does require a good amount of surface space, and can be messy so make sure you’ve allotted space and cover any surfaces. Also various amounts of drying time will be needed between steps.

    So…without further ado…here are my results!



    I lined a wood bowl with dried rye and than arranged the gourds to create a centerpiece.


    What do you think?