Time to Redecorate

Yippee! I'm doing a happy dance as the construction on the family room walls and ceiling is complete! It took a couple tries to get the touch up paint to match, but as of Tuesday afternoon I no longer have construction workers in my house. Now I can give it a thorough cleaning and think through how I want to re-decorate. My blogger friend Teri over at teri-gonewalkabout2.blogspot.com shared some links on her site for assessing your decorating style. Here are my results from the quizzes:

1.  From houzz.com:
Your style is:  Coastal!
Coastal: If you don’t already, you prefer to live at the beach. You like things light and breezy and use things you found washed up from the tide as decor. You like lots of light and sunshine, and wonder what season there is besides sunny and warm. You’re laid back, and you never worry about someone or something messing up your furniture.

This makes sense to me. My late husband loved nautical antiques so there are pictures, antiques, and ocean themed objects sprinkled through the room. I always figured I was more of a Country French kind of girl, but since I had to take everything out of the family room during the construction and pasteurization, I realize how much I miss those coastal touches! So the nautical will return to my room when I redecorate, but perhaps with a slightly more feminine twist.

2.  From bhg.com:
Your style is:  Country Cottage

The pretty, practical look and feel of country cottage style suits your casual attitude perfectly. You are drawn to colors, fabrics, and window treatments that are light and airy. Heavy, dark colors and textures are simply not your style.

Whether you're decorating a seaside retreat or your primary residence in the city or suburbs, your country cottage style calls for elements that are feminine but not overly fussy. Florals are an important motif and are likely to turn up in window fabrics, slipcovers, or wallpaper.

When it comes to furniture, you're a big fan of painted pieces that add warmth and character. In the kitchen, a farmhouse sink, bead board, and white or light-colored cabinetry are classic cottage features that appeal to you.

One of your favorite activities: Scouring flea markets for vintage fabrics and other special finds to add just the right touch of romance to your space.

I was actually 70% country cottage, 20% eclectic country, and 10% modern country. I'll stick with the country cottage, as it seems to fit better.

3.  From hgtv.com:

Your style is:  Crafted Simplicity

Simple shapes and strong lines. Fine craftsmanship mixes with natural materials. Arts & Crafts, Mission and Shaker work for me.

I do have an appreciation for Arts & Crafts styling, but don't see this as a true style for me.  

So decorating wise I'm all over the place, but plan to settle on a mix of Country French Cottage (which I already have going on) with coastal.  

Christmas at the White House

 

Magic is in the air at Christmas time, and the decorations have much to do with setting that mood.  A friend of mine and her husband were among the fortunate ones who were selected to travel to Washington D.C. this year and help decorate the White House for Christmas!  She said it was one of the most marvelous experiences of her life.  These photos are from HGTV's website -- there are many more there, if you want to take a look!

 

 

The secret of decorating effectively is in the details!  

As you know, I've been on a kick to clear out the clutter, having read "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up."  Once I complete the rounds of getting rid of my excess stuff, I will be doing what is called "The Realtor Walk-Through." My goal is to go through my home room by room, repairing anything that needs repaired, touching up paint, and so forth.  Of course, the 4'x4' hole in my family room ceiling is a good place to start!  Hopefully that work will be done next week.  In the meantime, one of my medium sized trees in the side yard keeled over in the wind, roots and all, Christmas Day.  Not exactly the Christmas tree we were looking for! My gardener is coming today to finish removing that. 

I don't have any big redecorating or remodeling projects in mind, but do plan to freshen things up and create little vignettes to honor the collections, flowers, and objects that bring me joy.  Here is a nice beginner's article about creating vignettes from Home and Garden TV:  Tips for Making Beautiful Vignettes.

Are you inspired, too?  I hope you had a wonderful Christmas!  I certainly did.  My girls were home, we attended the church Candlelight Service, moved by the beauty of singing "Silent Night" as we held candles aloft.  Then it was home to cook favorite foods and open gifts.

Don't you love this large, beautiful Christmas box?  

My sister Chris sent it to me, and look what is inside:

 

Steel blue Egyptian Cotton sheets!  It's hard to capture the true color here, but they match the leaf color in my bedroom's vintage wallpaper perfectly.  Now I'm really eager to get started!