Decorating Secrets: Guest Post

I'm sharing some of the best kept decorating secrets over at HowDoesShe today!

Click HERE to check them out!

St. George, Utah Parade of Homes 2013

What do you think of this preview of some of my favorite things from this year's Parade of Homes?

There was a good variety of different styles this year, including: craftsman, adobe, traditional, contemporary, transitional, trendy, vintage, tuscan, and rustic. I appreciate many elements of each style, but it's safe to say that I love light and bright spaces: white moldings, traditional tiles, vintage touches, craftsman moldings, rich splashes of colors, a few rustic elements, and transitional clean spaces. 

It was also a much needed vacation from northern Utah's dreary, snowy weather. I'm pretty sure I could live in St. George for the rest of my life and be happy about it. :)

>> What are your favorite details from above? What home is your favorite? Are there any new elements that surprise you? If you were given any of these for free, what one would it be?

My Living Room & Kitchen - Before & After

As I promised, here are some before and afters of our home. It belongs to my grandmother and is currently on the market. We have had dozens of showings and there might even be an offer coming in soon! 

It honestly might be difficult for me to say goodbye to this little charmer. My grandparents bought it and moved in the day of their wedding. I was babysat in this house for years when I was young. We came here for family dinners with all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins. Christmas parties and nativity plays were hosted here. We came to watch sports and spent many hours visiting my grandfather in his last few years of life. And now, my husband and I have been able to make our own memories in this home on Porter Avenue. I'm so glad I've been able to be apart of it's history.

Anyway, we've been here for a few months now. I've spent many hours cleaning, painting, and accessorizing. I tried to only use what I had, only added a few candle sticks and trays to my collection. I think it turned out pretty good for not spending much at all. Most of the furniture are hand-me-downs, but their vintage vibe is fun in this older home (except that huge, black, coffee table...it needs to go! Any takers?)  ;)

The Living Room

BEFORE: my grandparents had their entertainment center in the corner

AFTER: I love sitting in all that beautiful sunlight!

BEFORE: their love-seat sat against the paneled wall with a deer head w/ antlers above it {us grandkids called him Rudolph because they always put a red light on his nose at Christmas.} Their piano was on the right wall and their other sofa on the left wall.

AFTER: before we moved in, my aunt and uncle took down the paneling and painted a dark caramel accent wall. I love how my white armoir pops off of it! 

And yes, I know it's missing a few knobs, it was free and needs some tender loving care {it's my next project}.

The Kitchen

BEFORE: boxes from my grandma moving out and on to her new beautiful house

AFTER: we cleaned, scrubbed, painted, and added a few accessories. My favorites are the wainscot and built-ins. I wanted to keep it simple so we painted the walls a light bluish/gray and painted the moldings and trims white. The doorway on the right is the arched one from this post...it leads to the hallway.

I had been searching for the perfect thing to go over the table. It couldn't be too tall because the wainscot is higher and it had to be long and skinny to fill up the space. I was excited to find this bulletin board from my aunt's Vintage Market. I can't wait to fill it up with photos and trinkets!

See my inspiration for the paint colors HERE and the process HERE. Stay tuned for the bedrooms and other little details that make this house so adorable!

How to Dress those Tall Walls

Tall walls can be intimidating. While they are beautiful and spacious, they can make the scale of the room, furniture, decor, accents, and even people seem a little off. 

Here's the tip. Don't worry about it so much.

I'm serious. 

Decorate your walls at the scale of your furniture below. 

Not only will this enhance your furniture because they will appear to be at a normal scale, but they will bring the eye at an easy resting height allowing the the details above to be their own statement pieces. 

Notice the dropped fan in the above photo. Believe it or not, it's filling in part of that negative space. 

Notice the ledge next to the landing on the stairs? Another place for decor. 

If we were to decorate to the scale of the wall above the sofa, it would compete with the items on the ledge. By decorating to the room below, it allows that ledge to be another focal point, instead of competition. 

And we don't want competition...we want beauty, right? ;)

Stay tuned to see how we address the ledge and fireplace walls...

Pinterest Inspiration Round-Up!

Here's a preview of just a few of my favorite things I've been pinning on Pinterest! 

1. Beautiful DIY Dresser that I want to recreate one day. See before photo at Better After. 

2. I love this two-toned paint job with the high ceilings and beautiful crown molding. (Design Sponge)

3. Who wouldn't love to have large doors open up and double the living space?  (Birch + Bird)

4. One day I will fill my child's room with balloons while they sleep in celebration of their birthday! (Home Sweet Style)

5. Turquoise + Chevron? Instant Love! (Everything Turquoise) 

6. I love this take on a gallery wall! The dimension that the layered frames give is breath-taking! (Dress, Design, and Decor)

Are you on Pinterest? Let's be friends!

Click HERE to see all my finds! 

It runs in the family...

My aunt and her good friend have recently opened a little boutique called Vintage Market in Hoystville UT. They are very talented at giving new life to old pieces of furniture and accessories. Here is a peek at just a few pieces...

Visit VINTAGE MARKET to see more pieces, dates, hours, and information about the market!