May has arrived and it finally feels like spring in Illinois! Today I’m joining a few friends for our monthly “Cozy Living” series that’s published the first Saturday of each month. I thought I’d share how to create a cozy spring family room using my own space as an example. My inspiration was this…
An innocent trip to HomeGoods changed the look of my dining room. I was shopping for a housewarming gift for my daughter, and walked away with an Antiques sign that ended up changing my dining room. A large wooden Antiques sign jumped out at me from the clearance aisle at HomeGoods. I realized the size…
Two weeks ago I shared a walking tour of Aurora, Illinois’ westside historic district. Today is round two of touring this amazing residential area with amazing historic homes. First up on today’s tour is this lovely clapboad Victorian home painted green with creamy trim and accents of red. Note the unique treatment on the windows…
Have you ever found a treasure when shopping but decided not to take it home with you? Such was the case in the story of my rabbit lamp. I first spotted it at The Little Traveler in Geneva and hemmed and hawed over it before finally walking away. The following weekend I decided to go…
The bedrooms in our circa 1875 home have always provided a decorating challenge. The rooms are small and there’s lots of angles to consider. Once furniture arrangement is figured out, you can start to decorate your bedroom for the season – in this case – spring. Since we had a little snow this weekend, I…
Are you a fan of barn doors used inside the home? There’s been a huge upsurge in farmhouse style decorating ever since Fixer Upper became such a popular TV show. In honor of the show ending its series, I’m featuring a collection of barn doors made popular by Joanna Gaines’ popular decorating style. Photo by…
Back in my early twenties I was a huge fan of Asian-influenced decorating. My first rental home was decorated in traditional style with heavy influences of the Orient. Then my older sister showed me an issue of Country Living magazine and everything changed. I fell in love with casual country style and never looked back….
It’s been a while since I’ve published a walking tour of historic homes. As it just so happened, hubby and I went to see Shen Yun in Aurora, Illinois, which has a lot of older homes. We decided to go back on Sunday to snap some photos of the west side Aurora historic district. There…
When you tour today’s featured home by Sims Hilditch of the UK, you might find yourself disbelieving that this was once an old working farm. Outbuildings were pieced together to create an amazingly beautiful countryside retreat! Rustic beams lend architectural appeal in the traditional family room decorated with rich texture and neutral tones. Photo by…
Do you remember putting your child in “time-out” when they needed a break from misbehavior? I decided sometimes we need a break from the stress of life and should have our own cozy time-out corner! The difference however, is that the latter corner is a reward to yourself! Today I’m joining a few blogging…
Just when I thought we were close to being done decorating the dining room, things changed. I felt a strong whim to add board and batten to give the room a bit more architectural appeal. I was also tired of the shelf on this wall and wanted a different look. So hubby and I took…
Some people collect antiques. Others collect shoes. Lately I’ve been collecting houseplants. I’m trying to place a few plants in every room of the house to help filter the air. Here are some of my favorite houseplants. Philodendrons are an easy-to-care-for plant that enjoy bright, indirect sunlight. Allow the soil to dry out slightly before…
Welcome to the spring installment of the Seasonal Simplicity tours! Several bloggers are joining together to provide oodles of inspiration and ideas for decorating your home for spring. You’ll find links to their spaces at the bottom of this blog post, which focuses on adding spring colors to your home. Welcome to those of you…
Lately I’ve been a bit obsessed with kitchens and I don’t really know why. Maybe it’s just the combination of the functionality and aesthetics of a kitchen that draws me in. Or maybe it’s simply because the kitchen is the heart of the home. Today’s farmhouse kitchen is beautifully decorated in gray and white. The…
Remember when I confessed that I spent too much money on faux flowers in a single shopping spree? I’m attempting to turn buyer’s remorse into shopper’s glee by using the flowers as much as possible. So it should come as no surprise that I created a fresh spring look for the kitchen using said flowers….
Do you have a favorite color house? I tend to like colorful exteriors as long as they’re not too bright. Today I’m sharing a collection of 13 blue houses with great curb appeal. Craftsman style homes look good with a darker shade of blue, especially when paired with white. Photo by Convex Development Historic…
