Winter storm Harper is blowing through our neck of the woods and I’m hunkering down with candles at the ready in case we lose power. I’m also keeping our decor simple while we paint a few rooms and pieces of furniture. In that spirit, I created a transitional mantel to last from winter to spring….
Viewing country style
Stone Cottage on the Lake
A cozy stone cottage on the lake oozes charm and architectural details. The home’s exterior is especially unique with its mix of rustic wood and stone. Photo by Jeffrey Dungan Architects I love the diamond mullion windows throughout the home. They remind me of Dutch windows. My childhood bedroom had diamond mullion windows, although not…
10 Vintage Steamer Trunk Ideas
A few years back I scoured our local flea markets and antique shops for a vintage steamer trunk. My goal was to find the right one to use as a coffee table but I ended up with a new coffee table made of mango wood. I still dream of a vintage steamer trunk in my…
New Rug in My Sitting Room: Cozy Living
Today is the first Saturday of January and that means it’s time for another Cozy Living post with my blogging friends. I cozied up my dining room for the winter with a new area rug in brown, beige, and sage green. Similar to the colors in the landscape painting on the wall. (This post contains…
Holiday Home Tour 2018: Christmas Kitchen
Welcome to the second installment of my Holiday Home! My kitchen is dressed in a bit of Christmas flair, ready for friends and family to drop by! You can enjoy another week of home tours by following the links at the end of this post. Thanks to Krista at The Happy Housie for organizing…
Modern Country Ranch Style Home in Montana
We’re taking a break from all the holiday decor to visit a modern country ranch style home in Bozeman, Montana. The house was expanded and renovated by StoneHorse Design, Inc. and all photos provided by them via Houzz. Step inside to clean, fresh, and uncluttered interiors. The light and bright kitchen creates a…
Mad for Plaid: 11 Decorating Ideas
Plaid patterns and fabric remind me of rich woolens from Pendleton Woolen Mills. Lucky was the lady who owned a pair of classic wool plaid pants from the Oregon company. Why not bring beautiful plaid decor into the home for the fall season? Photo by Robert Brown Interior Design Plaids, first known as tartans,…
Decorating with Farm Animals
It’s no secret I love farm animals. I love animals of any kind – even snakes. I also enjoy decorating with farm animals throughout my home. No, not the real type of animals, regardless of how cute they are. I’m talking about decorating with these types of farm animals – the statuary kind like…
Cozy Kitchen for the Summer Season
No doubt about it – summer is my favorite season. The earth is bursting with life and all its goodness. My favorite room in the house this time of year is my cozy kitchen. Welcome to another installment of our Cozy Living series. My blogging friends and I are sharing how we make life…
Update a Room with New Artwork
An easy and fun way to update a room is with new artwork. Prints and canvas art can be inexpensive and immediately gives your home a new look. Since adding board and batten to our dining room, I’ve been searching for new artwork for the south wall. I found an Antique sign for the…
Is This the Most Beautiful Kitchen Ever?
First let me say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. We all have our unique tastes which is why there’s a wide variety of clothing styles, furniture designs, and so on. I find today’s kitchen to be the most beautiful kitchen ever and understand if some of you disagree. But for me,…
How to Artfully Display Pottery
Most of us have a treasured collection at some point in our lives. Maybe you collected marbles or pretty stones as a kid. And now, you might have a collection of beautiful shoes or pillows for every season. I’ve always been a fan of dishes and pottery and appreciate all the beautiful ways to display…
The Antiques Sign That Changed My Dining Room
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…
The Story of My Rabbit Lamp
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…
How to Decorate Your Bedroom for Spring
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…
8 Ideas for Sliding Barn Doors
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…