Friday Find: "The Nesting Place"

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  I was blessed to be able to spend it at home in Mississippi with my family.  There's nothing like hanging out at home, eating good food, shopping and relaxing.  Love it! 

On the flight home, I intentionally brought with me two new design books I've been waiting to dive into.  There's nothing like the solace found at 30,000 feet to take in a good book.  I couldn't wait to board so I could get started. 

via Nesting Place

The first was the ever popular, "The Nesting Place" by The Nester (a.k.a. Myquillyn Smith).  I had heard great things about it, but had no idea that it would be such a page turner.  I was immediately sucked into Myquillyn's journey, and what a journey it's been.  There are so many parts of the book that resonate with me, but more than any, the section entitled "It's Time to Stop Apologizing" stopped me dead in my tracks.  She outlines an experience where she visited a neighbor's beautiful home and the neighbor proceeds to make a number of apologies for unapparent  "flaws" in her home.  She's shares the fact that she never even noticed the "flaws" until they were pointed out and admitted that it made her feel that if this lovely home wasn't good enough, then her home certainly wasn't either.

She says, "..I realized that when I apologize for my home, I'm declaring to all within earshot that I'm not content.  That I'm silently keeping score. That I put great importance on the appearance of my home and maybe, just maybe, I'm doing that when I visit your home too."

Ouch! I immediately closed the book and began to repent, because I know I've done the exact same thing on more than a few occasions. Certainly not because I'm ungrateful, but more likely because I'm a perfectionist, especially when it comes to design.   Honestly,  I've never given a second thought to how my feelings about my home's current state might make my guests feel.    Isn't it amazing how oblivious we can be?

There were several other concepts in the book that I loved like:

1. Quieting the Room
2. Giving Up on Perfect
3. Embracing the True Purpose of Your Home.

I can't say enough great things about this book.  It's the perfect gift for the design lover's on your list.
 

 

In fact, I'm about to go curl up with a glass of wine and a blanket and finish this one off.

You can purchase it HERE.  Until next time...

"ReStore Holidays"

We are quickly closing in on the upcoming Habitat ReStores event this weekend.  I'm so looking forward to hanging out with my blog sisters Donna Scott (Mod Bettie) and Jennifer Burnham (Pure and Simple Organizing) and sharing tips and ideas for holiday decorating, entertaining and organizing and more!  If you're in town (Charlotte, NC), you don't want to miss this super fun event.

We'll be at the Habitat ReStore in Charlotte on Wendover Avenue at 8:30 a.m. until noon.  We'll begin with a mini-workshop where each blogger will share tips in their areas of expertise.  Then we'll head over to the ReStore to shop with a special discount for our participants.  Tickets are just $10 and it promises to be tons of fun.

I had the opportunity to stop by WBTV-Bounce TV Studios Wednesday night to promote the event.  You can check out the video here....



One of the ideas I shared was incorporating the colors from your home décor into you holiday décor, something that seems much easier given the board selection of décor in many retail locations.  However, the Habitat ReStores are an awesome source for more budget-friendly holiday décor. 

I picked up these gold vintage satin threaded ornaments at the Gaston County ReStore and mixed them with fuchsia ornaments from a big box store.  I've placed them on display in a glass orb I picked up at a ReStore and the combo is the perfect compliment to my sofa's throw pillow. 

We do hope you'll join us on Saturday.  Register HERE.

"Project Earthtones Revealed"

Hey Y'all!  Dropping in today to share the results of my latest client project.  As I mentioned in my last post, this one was really just a refresh. 

 

 

I helped the client select a few key items to get started and then agreed to come back to pull it all together.  We put together this mood board to give a sense of the direction we wanted to go. 

 

 

The space was essentially a blank slate. The furnishings and artwork were great but it just fell flat beyond that.  Here's a look at a few before and afters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It always amazes me how draperies can make a space.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

This project was all about layering on the earthtones and making things more cozy.  The room didn't have a fireplace and the client loved the idea of adding one for it's form and functionality.  The placement was tricky but I think tucked in this corner with a few treasures placed on top to create an eye-appealing vingette is perfect. 

 

 

So, what do you think? 

 

"An Earth Tone Refresh"

Hi there!  I'm dropping in to share with you guys a little client project I've been working on.  This one's actually a little different, in that the client wasn't looking to do an overhaul of the space.  For the most part, the furniture was set and the room just needed those critical finishing touches.  I put together this idea board to give us a general idea of where the space was heading.   

Earth tones were a must so we began with this hand hooked trellis rug in taupe and cream to ground the living space.

 

 

Lucky for us, a chance encounter scored us two of these lovely tufted wingbacks with a nail head trim.  

Joss and Main

 

And of course you know we're warming things up with fabric.  I'm particularly loving this faux bamboo shade with the greek key trim.

 

 The space currently has a few accessories and furniture details in a nickel finish, but I really felt strongly that the warm tones work so much better with brass finishes, so we're doing both.  It's all about mixed metals on this one.  It's a little harder to pull off than you might think. 

 

This was just a sneak peek.  I'm trying not to give it all away.  I'm installing this one this weekend and I can't wait to see how it turns out and to share it with you guys.

Stay tuned...