Neutral Fall Tablescape

Now that everyone is probably sick of fall decorating posts, I decided it was about time to post about my fall tablescape this year. Great timing. I intended to do this earlier, but oh well- it's better late than never!

One of my most popular posts that I have done was my fall tablescape from two years ago. I still love this and wish I could have just kept it in storage to pull out every year- but unfortunately pumpkins don't last so most of it had to be pitched.

   

I did not do any fall decorating last year because I was in the throes of going back to work after a new baby and all my spare time at home was spent ogling over Max-  I couldn't care less about pumpkins. But this year I decided it was time to pull the box back out and add some fall touches. 

I decided to go neutral and green for this one. The only items I bought were the white and green pumpkins. Everything else I pulled from my basement stash or it was leftover from the previous centerpiece. 

   

One of my favorite touches is definitely the sprigs. Gave it some interest, height, and a different kind of texture. Almost all of the sprigs and leaves were cut off a larger piece of fake foliage. One piece of that stuff from Michael's or Hobby Lobby can go a long way when you cut bits and pieces off. 

                   

While I prefer to decorate fall with the traditional colors of oranges and yellow, this was a fun take on the season- and the neutral scheme actually goes much better with my whole house. #Shocking

               

Same box- different take. Which do you prefer? 

 

Check out my other fall decorating post from this year- here. 

-Tricia 

The Trials and Errors of our Entry

Our entry has definitely been through the ringer and evolved over the years. It's taken a LONG time for me to be happy with it, but I think I'm finally there....

 

  

The entry is basically just a long wall to the right of our front door. There is no alcove or anything structurally that helps define the space, so I was really starting from square one. Feast your eyes on this beautiful picture of the long wall for your reference:

 

We are usually on a limited budget, so for a while I had to work with what I had- including a gigantic and not so attractive dresser.

 

A few years ago, I used a skirted DIY approach to lighten up and cover an old dresser that was acting as our entry table. It definitely helped the situation because it finally gave me something to put my keys (and junk) on- but the dresser was too long and I was never in love with the coverup situation. I tried to get on the fabric skirt train, but it was always a source of sore eyes for me.

 

Since the dresser was too long, I had a hard time finding something on the wall to balance it out. I tried so many different things including this Cozamia print above (which I still love) but it didn't work in the space and I felt like it was dictating all of my design decisions in the surrounding rooms. The print is now in the guest room where it is a much better fit (even though that room has been abandoned for quite a while… ,At this point, I'm just holding out until it needs to become Max's big boy room.)

I tried all different kinds of things before deciding on the direction I wanted to go. I got out some of my old art sketches that I did in college, but I only hung four which just never looked right. It didn't occur to me for some time that it was very off balance-  two more prints (a total of 6)  would have worked much better. Duh. I also tried some mirrors and some sort of grid lattice DIY situation- but it wasn't working. Keep in mind this was like 2 years of throwing ideas out there.

 

Here are some of the ideas that DID. NOT. WORK...

 

 

 

Wut?

 

We eventually donated the dresser because I was wanting something different and it gave me the perfect excuse for new furniture. I also gifted Nathan a new saw for  Christmas, so this was obviously going to be the first project. I sketched up some ideas for an entry table and was also inspired by this Ana White console table; however I ended up taking some design liberty and editing. Removing the four end posts made it more stream-lined and simple. Since the table needed to be fairly narrow, I didn’t want it to be bulky and I thought this was the best solution. I also love the classic X shape (like on our mobile island) so I wanted to repeat that pattern within another piece of furnishing.

 

 

 

We decided on the Minwax Special Walnut stain- it's not too red or dark. Dana from HouseTweaking uses this on a lot of her furniture, and I've been keeping that in my mental folder for a while now. I thought about painting it white, but figured it wouldn't hurt to stain first since you can't really go back after painting. Not surprisingly, I really love the stain and doubt I will end up painting it.

 

Now that the table was better proportioned and not crazy long like the dresser, I was able to focus on items to hang on the wall. I eventually found some great and FREE prints that I was able to frame. I found the link off of Apartment Therapy and I love the look. They are a bit more modern than standard botanical prints- but still have the classic look. You will notice that I hung six (instead of four like I did with my art prints a year prior). Hanging six really helped balance everything out- it looked sooo bare now that I look back. Sometimes it just takes a while and lots of trial and error for something to click. I think that can be a big design mistake- by either not hanging enough or by hanging too small of frames. I have obviously done both in my day.

 

 

In the future, I may switch out the prints for a big mirror but I have yet to find a mirror that has been big or interesting enough- and in my price range. I think a mirror will brighten up the space and be practical as I'm heading out the door, but for now I'm really liking the prints. By going with larger frames and hanging them high, I think it makes the walls look taller than what they actually are- and the white mats are a great compliment to the darker wood.

Here's a cheapo solution: If your artwork is not expensive or you are just framing prints- you can easily cut out mats from posterboard with an x-acto knife. I do it ALL THE TIME because I'm not willing to spend money on expensive mats from the framing store. I will only buy an acid free, custom mat if I have something that is more valuable and I want it to keep for a while. Also, these frames are the very inexpensive kind from Hobby Lobby- the ones I would usually pass up in the aisle because they looked dinky and cheap.

Another note: When in doubt- go larger with your frames. It usually never fails.

 

 

 

I finished styling with a black lamp from World Market and baskets from HomeGoods- and of course a tray, a collection of books, and picture frames.

 

 

FYI- This greenery is FAKE. I'm not above it.

 

 

 

This greenery, however, is real- but was clipped out of the brush on the side of my house. Free décor for everyone.

 

  

 

 

This space was a toughie for me (and I'm not even sure if its done). I would love to flank It with two chairs, but I cant justify spending $$ on that at the moment. This just goes to show that you may have to live with a space for a while- and go through some trial and error- before you can achieve the look you want. I wasn't happy with it for YEARS, but I'm now loving that this is the first thing you see when you walk into our home.

 

As Barb Boelscher always says- Patience is a virtue!

 

 

*Linking up on Thrifty Décor Chick

 

 

-Tricia  

  

Stick a Branch In It.... You're Done.

 

After having my wooden box on our wooden table for several months, I've been itching to get something different going on in our dining room. After I decorated it for Christmas (sorry no pics on the blog to prove that ever happened- I swear it did though), I had little desire to do anything else with it.  I wanted something lighter that would give me some sort of hope that Spring is somewhere around the corner.  It's been a rough winter and although my pregnant self has actually enjoyed the colder temps and has been savoring the fresh air before the heat sets in, there's nothing like springtime and the elimination of cabin fever!

 

 

I like to keep my eye open for go-to items anywhere I am- from a flea market in Somerset to even the dollar store. One go-to item is glass of any kind. It just keeps things light and interesting, and if you have a lot of wood tones in your home it may just end up being your favorite accessory.  I've been looking for some glass demijohns and jars for quite a while but have come up empty handed. You can never find the things when you're looking for them! About to give up on my search, I finally ended up finding two nice size jars at a craft store and brought them home.

 

 

Now comes the difficult part…. or not. 

 

No need to spend a wopping $5 for the Kroger greenery special... I went to my backyard and snipped a few branches from some of our bushes and then just threw them in the jars. I then added a little water to the bottom and I finally had my wooden box replacement.

 

 

 

I really needed a third element, so I pulled out a large mason jar and grouped it with the others. It's simple. It's clean. It's light- and I like the look. What more can you ask for?

 

 

 

 

 

Looking forward to switching out the greenery for some flowers in the near future.

 

 

 

 

I like the look of the rope on this particular jar.

 

 

 

One day we will get new dining room chairs.... but today is not the day! In the fall, we actually made a purchase on some chairs via an irresistible deal from Overstock.com... but sadly came to find out (after waiting for the chairs for weeks) that the deal was faulty and our order was cancelled. Probably for the best because they weren't really necessary, but I was disappointed to say the least.

 

If you look in in the lower right hand corner, you may notice a 'somewhat' new chair sticking out. I picked up two $30 Parsons chairs from Habitat Restore and am currently looking for a slipcover to cover up the red leaf motif... or making some if I can find the time! The chairs are great quality but need some freshening up. 



 

 

 

 

I know! Picture overload- but I've been really enjoying photographing the more I do it... and I like blogs with a lot of pictures. So here ya go.

 

 

And FYI- We have some major projects coming up which means more blogging. I was reminded this weekend (by my brother no less) that I have about 4 months til the baby comes and it kind of put me in panic mode. Projects include: Bathroom (we bought the toilet Wednesday night… It's actually happening, folks. It is actually happening), Master Bedroom, and of course the NURSERY which I am getting REALLY excited about.

 

This 'nesting' mode better hit me soon because I have lots to do!

 

-Tricia