Browsing Tag

home decor

DIY Projects, Home Decor

Our DIY (Renter-Friendly) Dining Room Chandelier

Hi friends! It’s been a while, I know! I have been busy busy busy, but I missed being here, so I had to hop on! I wanted to share something we did this week to our dining room that was incredibly easy and I am in love with!

As you know, we rent our home, and we recently signed our lease for another year. We’ve been here for almost one full year now and it has been tricky to make this super builder basic home more my style while staying in the confines of our rental agreement. Most of our lighting is the typical low-grade fixtures and haven’t been changed since the house was built fifteen years ago.

Signing that lease for another year made me really think about what I could do to make this house a little bit more me. I came up with this basket chandelier, which is in no way an original idea, but I love it nonetheless.

It was so incredibly easy! We unscrewed the existing hardware which released the old glass dome. Ethan then cut a 2.5in circle in the center of the bottom of the basked using a jigsaw. We then replaced the basket where the glass dome was and re-applied the hardware on the underside of the basket. It took about ten minutes I think!

Seriously, I cannot believe we didn’t do this earlier! It isn’t something I would choose if we owned this home, but it definitely adds a bit of my style within the confines of what we’re allowed to do here. Plus, it was incredibly budget friendly! The only cost was the basket which only cost me a few dollars! It’s a total win-win!

Just because you live in a rental doesn’t mean you can’t make things your own! Sure, there’s a ton you can’t do as a renter, but if you get creative, you can add a bit of your style into your rental home!

So that’s it y’all. I’m in love with this little update and I couldn’t wait to share it with you guys! That’s all for today! Have a fabulous day!

June 21, 2017 by
Room Tours

Tips on Loving a Rental Kitchen

Hello all! Today I’m going to bare my soul a little bit. And by bare my soul, I mean my kitchen. If you haven’t noticed, I’ve never shown my kitchen before. But I thought that in the name of being honest and forthcoming with y’all, I might as well share with you. So here we go. No judgement here friends.

So, just to recap, we live in a rental. It’s a super basic builder grade house that was built in 2003. The paint colors aren’t what we would choose and the house has zero character, but it is miles above our first home, and keeps us safe and dry. I’m good with it. I honestly am. The kitchen though… is very 2003. What I mean by that is that it’s just an almost 15 year old kitchen (2003 was almost 15 years ago?! I feel more than ever now that I am getting old!) that hasn’t been updated. It’s functional, albeit tiny, it’s just not pretty. So I thought I’d share some tips on living in a kitchen that’s either small, or in my case, an ugly rental.

Decorate, decorate, decorate!

For me, the kitchen never really seemed like a place to decorate due to its functionality. The kitchen is a very utilitarian room, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t get some love! When I added décor into my kitchen, it covered up some of the ugly, and made it a bit more bearable. I decorate above my upper cabinets, on the wall, and even a little on the countertops.

Clear the counters!

This may seem counter intuitive to my last statement, but seriously. Toasters are not decoration. Knife blocks, while perfectly functional, are not pretty. Now, to each his own, I totally understand. But in my experience, putting the daily appliances away makes the counter space more refreshing. I keep my toaster in a lower cabinet, and I use it every day. I honestly don’t mind taking it out every day. It keeps my counter from looking cluttered, and leaves room for pretties.

Add some cute textiles.

So the floors aren’t your top choice. Maybe your years away from a kitchen reno, and maybe you can’t touch anything in your rental. I feel ya. A little rug in front of the sink can go a long way. A cute tea towel on the stove (not a ratty old dishrag) can help. These are inexpensive fixes that can distract the eye from what’s really there. Choose something that fits your style, and the good news is that you can change it out whenever you want!

Create vignettes.

Bring in some fresh flowers, or a bowl of fruit and style around it. Do what you have to do. I’d rather have something pretty on my countertops than a jumble of appliances and cords. It just feels thoughtful, even if the bones of the kitchen aren’t.

My kitchen is dark, and while in a perfect world, I would replace the black appliances, paint the cabinets, and concrete the countertops, that’s just not our reality right now. I have learned to love this little kitchen though. It is small, which means it’s easy to clean. It is open, which means light flows in during the day. It is miles above the kitchen from the 1950s we had in our previous rent house. I’m grateful for this little kitchen, even if it’s not a magazine worthy kitchen by any means.

What about you? Do you have a kitchen like mine? Do you love it or hate it? I’d love to hear about it! Well, that’s all for today, friends! Have a fabulous day!

April 21, 2017 by
Personal

Five Things I’ve Learned Running a Vintage Booth

Hey y’all! I am just coming out of a great weekend, and while it’s fresh on my mind, I wanted to share with you everything! This weekend I had a show with Vintage Market Days, which is my favorite event, both as a shopper and as a vendor. This was my second show with VMD, and I have continued to learn so much now that I have two shows under my booth. I still would consider myself a novice by all means, but I’d love to share the top five things I’ve learned, should you ever consider running a booth yourself!

Style the booth like a room. 

The first thing you want to do is think about your booth as a room. You don’t want to just randomly place furniture around a room in your house and call it a day. You think carefully about walkways, flow, and how you decorate. Think carefully about how to piece things together. I added walls to the back of my booth, a portable faux shiplap backdrop that I could hang things on. This created not only the feeling of being in a defined space, but also gave me vertical space to display things on. That is huge! Your house has walls where you hang things, so should your booth! You may be placed up to a wall, but chances are, you’ll be backed up against another booth or an ugly wall. Put something up so you can make your booth look homey! The shiplap walls were a big hit, and I am so impressed with how Ethan made these!

Think big! (But also small.) I would consider myself to run a redesigned furniture booth. However, not everyone who walks into a market is going to be in the market for (or have money for) a large furniture piece. I don’t know how many times people walked by my booth to admire my farmhouse table but walked away saying but I don’t need a table. People won’t usually spontaneously purchase a large furniture piece, but they will buy something small. Have items at all price points! I had pieces ranging from three to five hundred dollars. Make your items mass appeal. This doesn’t mean you have to offer things that aren’t true to your style, but bring things in that can match anyone’s price point. Even though I have furniture in my booth, I made most of my sales on small items.

Constantly rearrange. 

Things will sell. Even if you have your booth perfectly styled before the market starts, things will sell and leave gaping holes in your booth. You have to be quick on your feet and be able to move things around to constantly make the booth presentable. Another vendor gave me some great advice this weekend and told me not to be afraid to rearrange during the show. It will make shoppers less intimidated to come in and check things out, plus it brings different items to the attention of shoppers if they walk by more than once. Someone may think they’ve seen everything, but when you rearrange, they may notice something they haven’t seen the first time around. They’re much more likely to stop and shop!

Make friends with other vendors! 

Other vendors are a wealth of knowledge. Everyone has different experiences and expertise, and they all have something to offer. And the best part is that if you’re warm and friendly, they’ll be warm and friendly in return! As someone just starting out, this is huge! They are so generous with advice and tips, especially those who have been doing things for a while. You never know who you’re going to be set up next to, so make sure you learn everything you can from those around you!

Be mindful of logistics. 

Lastly, don’t forget about the logistics. Bring canvas dropcloths if you’re on a dirt floor. Bring change for cash buyers. Be prepared for shoppers to pay with card. Bring tools, because something will invariably go wrong. Bring chairs for sitting during the show. Have a plan for load in and load out, whether that means a truck, trailer, or strong muscles. Make a list and check it more than once, because you’ll always forget something.

These are just some of the things I’ve learned, but I feel like I’m way more experienced than I was before! Each show is a learning experience, and I am so thankful to have the opportunity to continue to grow this little side business I have. It’s exhausting, exhilarating, and exciting at the same time. Creating the pieces for these shows and seeing my ideas come to life is an indescribable feeling. Have you ever thought about becoming a vendor at a craft fair or antique market? I hope these tips help you out!

Well, that’s all for today friends! Have a fabulous day!

April 4, 2017 by