The Best "Christmas Wreaths" on Etsy

The front door of your house is the first thing that people see when they visit, so it should make a good first impression. And the holidays are a time when your home will have lots of visitors, so its especially important to decorate your front door for Christmas.

Cue the next installment of The Best of Etsy!  Here are some of the best Christmas wreaths for your front door, each one with its own unique twist.

This wreath, sold by MyGardenGate, is a greenery wreath with a light and wispy feel, perfect for the traditionalist.

$74, MyGardenGate

If you're a traditionalist with a twist, this garland and berry square wreath might just do the trick.  You can find it at ThePetunia's Etsy shop.

$30, ThePetunia

You could also set the square wreath at a diagonal to create a diamond shape-- another way to change up the traditional wreath.  This one, sold by NHWoodscreations, is made of boxwood.

$29, NHWoodscreations

This wreath, made of fir, juniper, cedar, and real peacock feathers and sold by solidagowreaths, is perfect for the fashionista homeowner.  This company also sells lots of beautiful greenery and berry wreaths in a variety of colors.

$50, solidagowreaths

This dried hydrangea wreath is great for the shabby-chic decorator.  It can be found at CherubinoCrafts' Etsy site.

$50, CherubinoCrafts

This aptly-named Sugar Cream Pie Berries wreath, from twoinspireyou is a beautiful, wintery wonderland right on your own front door.  

$65, twoinspireyou

This pinecone wreath, made by NHWoodscreations is a rustic take on front door decorations, and I think it would be beautiful in a country home or rustic cabin.

$35, NHWoodscreations

Finally, these mossy green letters could make a unique winter door decoration even after the holidays are over.  They're sold on Etsy by SpottedLeopard.

$150/2, SpottedLeopard

The holidays are the time when your house should have its best foot forward, so consider using one of these beautiful door decorations to turn it into a home.

God Bless,

Julie

This "Deer" Old House

I love the Christmas season, and decorating for Christmas is one of my favorite things to do.  The garland, the trees, the ornaments, the pretty wrapping paper-- it's all beautiful to me!  I especially love the decor that seems wintery but can be used year round, and deer antlers are a great example of this.  There are so many ways to use antlers in your everyday decor, and not all of them look masculine or woodsy.  Here are some great ideas on how to incorporate this natural element into your house:

The antler chandelier on the left is so amazing and, when used in a more modern home. it evokes a cool, chic feeling.

By using a collection of antlers in a wall collage (such as those in the picture below), you can create a cool sculptural design element.

The antler theme in this room has been carried from the walls to the tablescape.  When used with the sunny red and yellow flowers and blue patterned tablecloth, they seem less masculine and harsh.

Antlers mounted above a fireplace as a statement piece create a great focal point for any room.

These antler lamps would be such a funky, cool element in any room.

Winter decor elements can be implemented throughout the year in any home-- you just have to be brave enough to try new things and embrace the potential your house has to become a home.

God Bless,

Julie

The BEST "Throw Pillows" on Etsy

Some of my favorite accessories in a room are pillows-- they make everything look cozier and can add a huge dash of style and pattern to any decor.  One of the best places to find amazing throw pillows is Etsy.  For those of you who haven't heard of it, Etsy is an online marketplace on which people can sell anything from handmade goods to vintage clothing to graphic designs.  Basically, its heaven on the internet!

This will be the first of many posts about Etsy.com-- you can find so many unique items for your home at very affordable prices, which is why I'll be doing a weekly post about "The BEST ______ on Etsy" (fill in the blank with popular design trends and topics). If you have a type of design in mind that you want to see from the popular site, let me know and I'll try to accommodate!

So, as I was saying, here some of my favorite throw pillows from etsy.com:

First, the pillows from seller TheHomeCentric.... I can't even choose just one from her site, they are all amazing!  Definitely check out her website on the link above, she has hundreds of pillows in amazing styles and colors.

This gold mosaic pillow would add a touch of drama to any room.

This Terra Cotta-colored pillow is a beautiful color, and the flower detail is adorable.

This teal damask is such a bright pop of color, and the velvet sheen makes it even more unique.

This peacock detail provides some pattern and color for any decor.

I also love these chic monochromatic pillows from the WordGarden shop.  The Paris theme is subtle but oh so stylish!

These scripted pillows add pattern without being too bright.

Here is another wordsmith pillow, but instead of flowery script, these block letters describe famous sights in Paris.

HomemakerMovement, the third Etsy shop on my list, has a more traditional offering of patterns and colors.

This Suzani pillow adds style and color to any home with an ethnic flair.

This floral cut velvet pillow has texture without being overwhelming.

I hope you all enjoyed this installment of The BEST "Throw Pillows" on Etsy... stay tuned next week for more Etsy fun!

God Bless,

Julie

My Dream Design Destinations

First of all, SO sorry for the huge lapse in blogging-- no excuses, but I've been a little busy lately and I let my blog fall by the wayside! Never again...

Today I'm going to be telling you about two of my dream design destinations.  First, ABC Carpet & Home in NYC.  This store, around since 1897, is 6 floors of amazing furniture, lighting, and home accents and, of course, rugs and carpets.  Located on Broadway in New York City, it is a must see on any home decorating lover's list.  The decorating giant has also recently opened a warehouse outlet in the Bronx where certain items are up to 75% off!  Next time you're in NYC, make sure to check out this amazing store-- I know I will!

The exterior of ABC Carpet & Home

An interior shot-- such amazing chandeliers!

Interior Shot #2-- loads of furniture

Interior Shot #3-- lamps, rugs, and linens galore!

Second, Nell Hill's in Atchison/Kansas City.  Since 1981, this store has been the inspiration of Mary Carol Garrity, Atchison, Kansas native. Hundreds of women from all over the country make decorating trips to Mary Carol's Atchison store annually, leaving with truck and Suburban-loads FULL of amazing and unique home accents and accessories.  In fact, Mary Carol recently expanded her reach by opening an even larger location in Briarcliff Village in Kansas City.  Both locations are a must-see on my list of design destinations-- check out a sneak peek below!

Exterior shot of the Atchison store

Interior shot #1-- What amazing monochromatic bookshelves!

Interior shot #2-- love the grass blinds.

 

Interior Shot #3-- great juxtaposition of cream and black.

I hope both of these stores have made your list of must-sees if you're ever in New York City or Kansas City-- they would be well worth the stop!  I'm glad to be back into blogging, and I hope that I've inspired you to take time to turn your house into a home.

God Bless,

Julie

A Good Paint Job

Sometimes installing new cabinets to update your kitchen can be a huge task that is too daunting both physically and financially.  If new kitchen cabinets are not an option for you, another great way to quickly update your kitchen is to paint your cabinets a unique and fun color.  Here are some beautiful painted kitchen cabinet updates that you can try at home:

These teal kitchen cabinets are beautifully paired with white walls and large-scale checkered wooden floors.

Another view (I love the black pendant lights hanging above the island):

Images from Southern Living

This monochromatic gray paint is a very chic option.

This sage green is a very welcoming color, and I think it would look great with white marble or a light-colored granite.

The sage green is paired with wood floors, a beautiful rust-colored hood, and square glass pendant lanterns to create more of a rustic feel.  The walls are even painted the same color to make a beautiful statement.

I love this dark plum color, and while it looks great with the sandy colored walls, I think it would also be beautiful paired with another color, like light blue.

Image From Apartment Therapy

These bright red cabinets are so fresh, bold, and modern.

If the previous option is too much for you, choose a darker red color, and paint only the bottom half of your kitchen cabinetry red to ground your space and provide a pop of color.

Image from Agnes' Kitchen

This buttery yellow color lightens up the room and brings a sunny, cheerful feel to your home.  Notice that the walls are again painted the same color to provide a monochromatic canvas for your design.

I hope these pictures have inspired you to grab a few cans of paint and update your kitchen in a unique and easy way to turn your house into a home.

God Bless,

Julie

Ciao Pucci!

Sometimes when fashion designers attempt to break into the interior design world, their creations are a little too over the top for me, but when I was browsing the Apartment Therapy website today, I discovered this gem-- Pucci-designed decor that is absolutely amazing!

These pillows are fashioned using a Pucci fabric that corresponds with the striped mural on the wall.  Used with a neutral color scheme, they provide a focal point for the room.

This Pucci chair is again used in a neutral color scheme, providing a bold pattern in a monochromatic pattern.

These Pucci pillows are paired with other brightly-colored accessories against a neutral backdrop.  I love the maroon pillows paired with the pink and green Pucci print- such a great contrast!

Here, the canopy drapes with the striped tent shades and pretty silver chandelier are a light and airy accent to the geometric Pucci print desk chair.

Displayed here in a Pucci store, these pillows would be amazing in a living room or even a bedroom.  The bright colors would be such an interesting accent to any home's decor.

Here is the creator himself, Ralph Pucci, with some of his amazing patterns and prints hanging behind him.

Not only can clothing enhance your physical appearance, but you can also use it as inspiration in your life in other ways-- this is evidenced by Ralph Pucci's beautiful home decor collections.  Using Pucci's bright colors in a neutral-colored palette is a great way to introduce a pop of bright color into your house to make it a home.

God Bless,

Julie

It's All Greek to Me!

One of the ways to draw inspiration for your own spaces and design style is through the things that you are passionate about.  My love of traveling and experiencing other cultures has created a lot of inspiration for me in many areas of my life, and design is one of these areas.  The patterns, colors, and textures that I have encountered in other countries are so interesting, and it really broadens your horizons to experience what other cultures use to beautify their surroundings.  The Greek key pattern is one cultural design that appeals to me because it can produce such an interesting contrast to other elements in a space.  Here are some ways that you can integrate Greek key into your designs:

A Pillow or other furniture accent is one of my favorite ways to add Greek key to a room because you can mix it with so many other patterns to create a unique palette.  Here the pumpkin headboard, black and white bedding, and charcoal gray walls create a beautiful backdrop for the Greek key accent pillow.

In another view you can see that Courtney Giles, the designer, mixed the geometric Greek key pattern with a black and white gingham neckroll pillow and chair and a black and white zigzag rug.  I love how the colors are the same in each of these elements, but the patterns are so vastly different that they create depth in the design.

Here the greek key rug adds interest to the flooring of the room- this choice is very bold with the repetitive greek key element, so if the intensity of the geometric pattern makes you feel uneasy, I would stick to something a little smaller with less impact.

If the black and white pattern is too much of a contrast for you, consider implementing Greek key into your design in a more muted color.  This taupe-colored Greek key pattern on the chair and two sofa pillows integrates the geometry of the pattern without too much contrast.

Using a large-scale Greek key pattern on a piece can create quite a statement-- here the valences are patterned after a twist on the traditional Greek key design.

The border of this rug also uses a larger-scale Greek key pattern, and it really works well with the white chairs with woven detail and the white framed cabinet in the background.

These crocodile embossed stools are studded with nail heads in the traditional Greek key pattern along the bottom of the piece, and it is such a subtle and chic way to integrate this exotic and fashionable pattern.

This sideboard has a Greek key detail on the drawers on either side, and it really makes the piece stand out.  What a great way to make an old vintage piece stunningly updated! Plus, the design is multifunctional-- it serves as handles for the drawers as well.

I hope you can all embrace the amazing geometry of the Greek key pattern to turn your house into a home, because it is truly timeless and trendy at the same time.  

God Bless,

Julie