5 Ways to Refresh Your Home After the Holidays

We're back from the break! How was everyone's Christmas?? 

We got the rare opportunity to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in our own home, as our small little family unit. Compared to the normal hustle and bustle and traveling craziness that we usually encounter, making it to all our spread out families, I'll admit it was really nice. We did some traveling, but there's nothing like waking up to your own tree in your own home on Christmas. And our daughter--nearly two--is starting to really get into the whole deal. I love watching her experience all the fun things the season brings for children.

I hope your own circumstances allowed you to enjoy your holiday as well!

Soon enough though (not quite yet for us, even though our hand-chopped tree is beyond crispy at this point), we'll all have to transition back into post-holiday normalcy. Decorations come down, vacation days run out, (in general you avoid the scales for at least two weeks! eek!) and sometimes that can be a little melancholy. My home always feels naked after I take down my Christmas decorations. How about you?

A great way to find enjoyment in packing up all those boxes is to give your home a tiny facelift in the process. Just a little refresher--something else new to look at and look forward to.

Here's 5 easy things you should consider to give your home a little post-holiday refresher:

1. Clean Up and Give Away

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Having a hard time fitting all those new socks in with your old ones? Did you get some new dish towels and now have way more than you need? Or maybe you are considering buying more hangers for your closet? 

Or if you're like me, your living room has turned into the place you always dreaded before you had kids: a toy emporium. 

While you're putting away your new loot, take the time to clean out the things you no longer use. I like to use the "1 year" rule--that is, anything I haven't used or worn in the past year gets put in a bag and given away. With kids, I cut this time down to a few months, since kids grow into new learning stages very quickly and therefore outgrow the enjoyment of certain toys. 

Cleaning and making more usable space in your home never made anyone feel unaccomplished. We do it at least twice a year. It feels sooo good.

2. New Hardware

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I've posted about the benefits of this before, but this year I got to see it in person at my in-laws' home. They removed all the outdated shiny brass hardware in their guest bath and replaced it with contemporary matte oil rubbed bronze hardware. It looks so great! I can't get over what a difference it made. 

Replacing all the hardware in your home can be very overwhelming (and add up more quickly than you'd imagine), so take the opportunity to start small. Do your kitchen knobs and pulls, your door knobs, or a bathroom. 

3. New Throw Pillows

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I am so guilty of keeping throw pillows way past their prime. Picking a few for your sofa or your bed (or both!) will make such a difference. Get in there with some pops of color and texture--pillows are an easy and inexpensive way to get creative. 

Plus, nearly every store (home decor stores included) are having great sales right now. Take advantage of it! 

4. New Linens

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Like I just stated above, take advantage of all the sales going on right now!! 

Get some new hand towels for your guest bath, new sheets for your bed, or a new tablecloth for your dining room table (if you use one). I love getting new sheets. Especially after the first couple of washes when they're crisp but cozy, and fit perfectly on your mattress without wrinkling and bunching, or without having to find that "bad" corner to turn towards the bottom of the bed. 

5. Give Your Front Door a Facelift

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Don't neglect the outside of your home! It's always a little sad to pull up to a non-lit house after Christmas. The kid in me still enjoys a neighborhood full of Christmas lights. So how about giving your front door some attention? 

Spend a weekend picking some new paint colors to try. Or maybe just give it a fresh coat of its current color, or even replacing the hardware. Front door hardware always gets neglected, even if the inside of your home is pretty updated. Most people never enter their own home through the front door so they don't think about it.

Make it a cheery entrance for your guests, just as it was for Christmas.

So what do you think? Those are do-able right?? Personally, I'm going the throw pillow route. As stated above, it's been a long time coming. I'll keep y'all posted on any particularly good deals!

Until next time...

Merry Christmas

4 STEPS TO BEAUTIFUL HOLIDAY WRAPPING

Now that Jessica's given you some ideas on creating beautiful tablescapes, all that's left to do is finish wrapping presents, right?  Well hopefully you're at least that close to be completely done with your holiday gifting. 

My favorite way to do finish up gifts is by having a wrapping party with friends!  Have everyone bring their own scissors, tape, paper (gifts of course) and some ribbon and embellishments to share.  You can have snacks, a hot cocoa bar or a signature cocktail to make your spirits bright while you get your creativity on!

HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

1. Solid wrapping paper (or one that isn't overly busy.)
2. Coordinating patterned paper
3. Ribbon, jute, baker's twine and fabric
4. Embellishments likes pinecones, feathers, gingerbread cookies, ornaments 
5. Gift tags
6. Tape
7. Scissors

Now that you have the essentials, let's start wrapping some gifts!  

Your presents are just as much a part of your decor as your tree.
 

Stick with the same color scheme/theme as your tree and other decor for a cohesive look.  Kraft postal paper is one of my favorite papers to use because of its versatility and minimal cost.  You can find it at most big box retailers and office supply chains or find some online here.  

STEP ONE: SELECT SOLID AND PATTERNED PAPER

Once you have your main papers (or "backdrops" as like to think of them) picked out, you can begin.  Remember to use at least one solid and one pattern for contrast.  You can also create your own pattern with stamps.  I love this block print idea from Miss Mustard Seed. 

STEP TWO: ADD RIBBONS AND FABRICS

When you have your gifts all wrapped, start adding on the extras.  Ribbon, jute, fabric strips and leftover strips of your patterned paper make great add-ons for layering.  I love this idea of using old clothing for fabric.

STEP THREE: ADD EMBELLISHMENTS

Next, you want to "dress" your gift with a little something extra.  Here are a few embellishments to consider:

• Pinecones-plain, painted or glittered

• Plant clippings--pine, magnolia leaves, etc. (grab some clippers and head out into your yard to see what you can find)
• Feathers
• Ornaments
• Gingerbread cookies (in any shape)
• Pictures (scenic or portraits)

STEP FOUR: TAG IT

Last but not least--you'll need a gift tag.  The Internet is swarming with free printable tags so there's really no excuse to slack in this last step!  If you don't have the time or ink to print some of those, make your own with come card stock, a whole punch and some scissors (to cut a decorative edge).

And that's a wrap!  Pun intended.  I hope these ideas get you motivated to make your gift wrapping a memorable part of your home's holiday decor!

Christmas Tablescape Inspiration

Eek! Eight more days until Christmas! Are you guys ready? I am just about. Decorations are up though not as elaborate as I had hoped. It has been so busy these days and with a little one who has recently decided she no longer wants to sleep, I was lucky to get the tree up.

As I mentioned in my Thanksgiving post, we host our families’ holiday meals. I have been looking for inspiration for my Christmas tablescape and found a few favorites. Hope you find them inspiring as well.

1. Berry and Bright

I absolutely love this tablescape designed by Camile Simmons. Her palette choice of berry and green is a fresh update to the typical Christmas colors. Set against a dark table, the colors really pop. It reminds me of an Ashley Woodson Bailey print. The pomegranate and artichoke are a nice unexpected touch. Both naturally are beautiful in color and structure. The brown from the magnolia leaves help to tone down the strong pink ornaments. Camile also has some great hosting tips which you can read here.

Abundance by Ashley Woodson Bailey

2. Black, White, and Gold

I have noticed an increasing trend this year of a black, white, and gold Christmas palette. The color combo makes for a classy and crisp look. Not to mention, the theme could ease right into New Year's.

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This DIY Marquee by Homey Oh My could easily be adapted into a table center piece. Instead of hanging the pine cones like she has, they can be bow tied closer to the branches and laid across a table. Click here for the DIY instructions.

This table by Estoria Social is simple and elegant. The gold glasses are hand painted and can be replicated inexpensively by purchasing some glassware from the dollar store and a can of non toxic spray paint. For step by step instructions, follow this DIY.

3. Rustic Black and White

The black and white theme continues but this time swapping out gold for a wooden element. If you have too many guests to have individual table settings, the chargers could instead be used for height in your table centerpiece. If you are not handy with a saw, there are many stores on Etsy that sell wood slice chargers.

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I am not a fan of the pine cone candles but like how the chairs were decorated with some ribbon and spruce clippings.

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An update to my garland post. My nursery was out of fresh garland so I grabbed an armful of free clippings out of their bin and purchased a couple artificial garlands from Target. I hung the garland with 3M hooks onto my mantel-less fireplace and then tucked the clippings into to the artificial garland. By the way, 3M hooks are awesome!

I still have to play with it but as you can see it filled out my garland nicely.

We would love to see your Christmas decorations. Share with us on our Facebook page or Instagram.

A Luxe Christmas

Christmas is my favorite time of year.  Hands down.  Gingerbread house making, Christmas carol singing, Prancer (or Little Women) watching, twinkle lights glowing, cinnamon and cloves smelling, present wrapping, candlelight service attending...it's the best time of year.

I'm hoping to pass on many of my childhood Christmas traditions as well as make new ones with my little family.  I want Auden to love this time of year just as much as her momma.  Right now, it's not looking so hot---at least on the Santa front.

Is that not the cutest/most pitiful thing you've ever seen?  Poor girl.  And poor Santa.

Even though Santa isn't a favorite of hers, I'm hoping decorating for the holidays will be one day.  When I was little, we used to go pick out our own tree at a tree farm, cut it down, get it home, crank up the Christmas music (Little Drummer Boy, anyone?) and decorate it as a family.  It was magical.

Every year, I get Jon to pull down all of my Christmas boxes from the attic and my brain gets to work on how I will decorate our own house and tree.  I like to change it up a bit every year, but I don't like buying anything new--that's when your creativity gets to work.  

My mind went into overdrive this year, and I began to imagine what I would do if I could wipe the slate clean and start over with decor. I decided I'd want a luxe, warm, classic look for our home.  I didn't get to make this dream a reality, but I did make it a design board for all of you!  Maybe you'll get inspired and want to spruce up your own home for the holidays (or at least catch some of these on sale to put up next year :)).  Here is my luxe Christmas wish list...

“Luxe-
n. The condition of being elegantly sumptuous.”

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one // two // three // four // five (Target in-store) // six // seven // eight // nine // ten

I think I would never tire of that look...at least not for a long time.  Maybe next year I can make it happen!  Have a great weekend everyone!  And remember to contact us at the top of the page if we can help you with your own decor!

Pantone of 2015 - Marsala

The announcement has been made! 

Rich and beautiful Marsala! 

I read a few design blogs upon the approaching announcement, and most people expected something in the cooler color families. Which I would have been totally fine with (I wasn't a huge fan of Radiant Orchid, being the non-girly girl that I am, so I was looking forward to whatever was new). But surpriiiise! Warm and bold! 

Love. It.

Now as much as I do love it, I have to admit we haven't designed any rooms with this color or anything in it's family very recently (in fact I am hard-pressed to remember any where it was more than just a small accent). It's not exactly trendy. YET! 

{And with the pace of the South, I know it may take everyone a while to warm up to it. Maybe even years....Hey, I'm still waiting for everyone to become as tired and over chevron--no, excuse me, ZIG ZAG-- as I am. Herringbone--don't worry, I still love you.)

So in my inspired, Marsala-loving state, I turned to one of my favorite color palette inspiration sites, Design Seeds. You've probably seen some of their colors around Pinterest if you have any design-inspired pages. Well they have a whole site, on which I could spend hours of my life dreaming. Here are a few good color palettes I found that incorporate Marsala and/or it's color family:

One style that incorporates a good bit of this new Pantone is the bohemian chic look: minimal and clean design scheme with pops of vintage, rustic, and old world hues. Often you will find a great kilim rug thrown in, giving a great sense of warmth when mixed with woods and whites. 

Check out a few of these:

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You get the idea. I have to say this is one of my favorite design styles right now, so maybe that's why I'm so excited about Marsala being Pantone of the year. 

What about you? Do you have any Marsala floating around your home? Is it a color you've been eyeing and itching to use? 

When the hustle and bustle of the holidays are over and you're looking for a new space...maybe a way to spend those cash gifts...E-Design is a great option! We'll be more than happy to squeeze in some Marsala, if you so choose. And check out our growing Portfolio of E-Design that we've done for other happy and satisfied clients. 

Until next time!