Coastal Christmas

The holidays are finally here! This is by far my favorite time a year. I’ll be listening to Christmas music with a coffee in hand while I decorate our home. Today I will be sharing with you some of my favorite coastal inspired Christmas décor.

These are centerpieces I made for our coffee table and our dining table. I used tree trimmings as well as tree trunks for the candle holders on the coffee table and placed them in a tray.

I decided to dress the dining table up with some sparkly silver votives and silk leaves. To give the centerpiece some height on the table I used crystal candle holders with tall white candles in them.

Decorating our Christmas tree(star is not up yet) is my favorite part. I like to use a color palette of white, red, and silver for our tree. The white and silver give the tree a coastal theme while the red keeps in tradition.

Check out scuba Santa!

Our stockings hang from our garland decorated fireplace.

Boarding the fireplace, décor accessories such as these stick bundles and snowman give the room a rustic feel.

I also love this Christmas themed pillow!

I hope you enjoyed taking a peak at some of our Christmas decorations! 

Happy Holidays! 

Rustic Glam Dining

We are officially less than a week away from Thanksgiving! Here is a little inspiration for those of you still working on getting dining tables for your home in time for turkey day. This dining space is total rustic glam. This table is from Stanley Furniture it is one we found at market a few weeks ago.

The natural wood finish on the table with touches of white give this table a rustic look. It would be perfect in almost any coastal style home and would also work in a more traditional setting.

The tiny detailing on the edge is one of my favorite parts of this piece. Little carefully crafted details that make an impact like this one are what separates a good table from a great table.

The host chairs are what gives this dining space the glam factor. Look at the beautifully designed curves on the chair and upholstery that complement the entire look. The distressed white wash and small detail on the front of the chair’s seat ties in with the rustic table.

This rustic glam dining space makes the perfect setting for a traditional, yet coastal style Thanksgiving. 

Shabby Chic Dining

Hello everyone! With Thanksgiving just a couple weeks away I am going to be talking about some of my favorite dining room looks in the coming weeks. Starting off with this adorable shabby chic dining space look.

I am in love with the distressed edge on these bright white slip cover dining chairs. They are so cozy and cool looking...and the best part is they swivel! Your guests are sure to be comfy at the table in this shabby chic design.

The dining table has a coastal style to it, made with natural wood with a distressed finish. It is big enough to comfortably fit eight people around it using the chairs pictured, which is great with having a big group over.

I also love the lighting used in this space. The pearlescent circle pattern, with the wood accent plays into the shabby chic design of the space, topping the room off with the perfect touch.

This shabby chic dining space sets the mood for a relaxed, coastal-casual Thanksgiving with family and friends. 

Hanging Curtains the Easy Way

If you’ve ever hung curtains before you know how much of a pain they can be. Trying to evenly line everything up is no easy task. I have found that the easiest, fail proof way to hang curtains is by creating a template.

I originally got this idea from Ever After Blueprint and have loved how easy it made hanging curtains in my home I just had to share.

It is so easy! First, take a piece of cardboard and cut it into an “L” shape so that it fits around the corner of the window. Then mark with a pencil where you want to drill the holes for the rods. (I recommend hanging them as high as possible because it makes the room look taller.)Then simply drill through the cardboard to make the holes in the wall.

For the other side of the window you just flip the template over and it makes the holes placed the exact same distance from the window as the other side.

Here is a photo of the finished product!

This tip has saved me so much time and frustration. I hope it helps you too!

Distressed Painted Pumpkins

It is finally feeling like Fall here in Florida and with Halloween this week, I thought it would be fun to paint some pumpkins and give them a distressed look. This is so easy and fun to do.

Step 1: Gather all your supplies. You will need Amy Howard chalk paint (I used Spa White), a small paint brush, a medium paint brush, a sanding wedge and of course pumpkins.

I like choosing pumpkins that are different sizes and ones that have cool stems like these.

Step 2: Clean any dirt off the pumpkins so that it does not get into the paint. I wanted the chalk paint to thicken up so I left the top off after mixing it for about 20 minutes before starting to paint as suggested on the label.

Step 3: Start painting around the pumpkin’s stem by using the smallest paint brush.

Step 4: Once the area around the stem is painted, you can paint the rest of the pumpkin using the bigger brush. Brush the paint on evenly and let dry. You can do two coats if you think it needs it like I did.

Step 5: After the paint is completely dry, use the sanding wedge in different areas of the pumpkin to let some of the natural orange color peep through, giving the pumpkin a distressed look.

That’s it! Now you have beautiful distressed white pumpkins, perfect to fit in with your fall coastal décor. 

Market Day 1

This week we are at market on the hunt for new pieces for our store, Jacksonville Patio Home & Garden. This market is one of my favorites because there are so many new and exciting pieces to look at. You just never know what you’ll find.

Today I am going to show you a sneak peek at company called Stanley Furniture we are considering picking up for our store.

Check out this dining set.The details on Stanley’s Coastal Living Resort by the Bay Host Chair in the “morning fog” are simply beautiful. The sloped angel on the arm gives this host chair a relaxed yet elegant look. The reef design on the back of the chair gives it a coastal look.

This is shown paired with the dining chair, also from Stanley’s Coastal Living Resort by the Bay collection. The curves in this chair hug the body in all the right places, making it not only appealing but comfortable to sit in.

The simplicity of the white wash on the top with “morning fog” accents at the bottom of the table is what ties this whole look together. The table comfortable seats 10.

Accent the look with a gorgeous chandelier hanging in the center of the table like this one shown.

Oyster Shell Décor

Oyster shells make a great addition to your coastal home décor. The tasty suckers shells organic shapes and neutral color pallete can accent almost any color scheme in your home. There are so many ways to incorporate oysters into décor. Here are a couple pieces I think are great ways to bring this sea life creature into a space.

Take a glance at these decorative oyster shell balls from Jacksonville Patio Home & Garden. 

I love little accent pieces like these because they add a bit of texture to a space and you can incorporate other accent elements with them, like the ceramic white starfish or the driftwood piece, since they go with just about anything.

Another way to incorporate oyster shells into your home is through lighting. These table lamps from Jacksonville Patio Home & Garden are a perfect accent piece to a room.

The oyster shells texture and shape add to the table lamps design giving them a unique look. 

Cozy Coastal Bedding

Beautiful bedding can bring the wow factor up a few notches in a bedroom. Since beds are typically the focal point in a bedroom it is important for them to not only tie the room together but do so in a way that makes a statement.

Coordinating colors of the headboard with elements of the room into throw pillows is a great way to bring a bedroom together. With a stunning tufted headboard like this one from Jacksonville Patio Home & Garden, consider keeping the duvet simpler and use throw pillows to compliment the design. Add an accent color, such as these various shades of dark blue pillows, to a neutral scheme to give the room a touch of color. 

Make a statement with a fun coastal style duvet pattern like this one also from Jacksonville Patio Home & Garden. I love the vibrant green and blue shades in this bedroom scheme against the white fabric. 

Bring dimension to your bedding by mixing different textures and pillow sizes together. These textured pillows in shades of green, also from Jacksonville Patio Home & Garden, stand out against the textured duvet. The white larger pillows tie in the white duvet that is folded toward the bottom of the bed. The mixture of pillow sizes creates a cozy feel.  

A Cocktail Room with a Coastal Twist

Relax, socialize, and sip your cocktail in a coastal inspired space. Having a designated cocktail room in your home is a fun and creative way to route guest into other areas, keeping the party flowing while entertaining. Check out details of this lovely cocktail room for some inspiration!

Large, over-sized, chairs surround a round ottoman, giving this cocktail room a cozy feel for a sit and sip with friends. The fun pattern on the cushions give this space a festive design, perfect for a party.

The arched windows are dressed with custom made plantation shutters and towering drapes that elongate the walls of the space.

This weathered wood entertainment center makes for a great bar space for guest to mix or pour their drinks. Above the bar hangs a grand mirror, which gives the overall space a larger feel. 

Tall shelving borders both sides of the bar area holding cocktail ingredients and details with a coastal touch.

My favorite part of the space is this shabby chic wall art. This piece is so unique and eye-catching. Plus, it actually holds bottles of wine! Not only does this piece add character to the space but it also incorporates the room’s theme taking this design element to the next level.

This coastal inspired cocktail room leaves no details behind, creating a beautiful space to enjoy with friends. 

Fabric Makeover

Oh the things fabric can do!

So, I am working on redecorating different areas in my home, and this lounge chair is one that needed some love. It is an old chair and something our dogs wrestle, sleep and jump on all the time (as you can tell in the before picture). I decided that if I was going to keep it, it needed to be reupholstered.

With the relaxed, coastal style of our home, I knew when picking out fabric I wanted to do something with a soft blue hue but also with a fun pattern. Aside from the look of the fabric, I needed to have a fabric that could take a beating, (remember, the dogs love this chair).

I knew the best choice for this chair would be a fabric by Sunbrella. If you are not familiar with this type of fabric, you should be. This type of fabric is my absolute favorite. Almost every piece of furniture that has fabric on it at my house has Sunbrella fabric. This fabric is designed to be soft and beautiful yet it can handle just about everything. It gives me peace of mind, because I don’t have to worry about a nice piece of furniture being ruined by a spill, the color fading, or my dogs playing on it.  

After choosing the fabric, I ordered it specifically to use on my lounge chair. I love the way it turned out. It is neat how you can get such a dramatic change by simply changing the fabric. Check out the before and after pictures below.

Before

After

Creating a kitchen that is both appealing and functional: Part 2

Like I mentioned before, the kitchen is my husband and my favorite spot in the house, because of all the meals we enjoy cooking together. This week I am going to give you more details on how to create an appealing yet functional kitchen, that all your friends and family are sure to swoon over.

Adding Small Details

Take a look at our kitchen plate rack cabinet. I love this sweet detail in our kitchen because it is eye catching and functional. The plates we have are a coastal style (of course!) with a light blue color which is the same as our walls. Using accent pieces, the same color of the wall brings color to a room without going overboard. Our plate rack holds 12 plates making it a useful storage area as well.

Another small detail that makes a big impact in our kitchen is these hanging accent lights. We actually got them from a local coffee store that was moving locations. I love the colors because they go great with our two-toned cabinetry.

Two colors are better than one

Here is a picture that shows off our two-toned cabinetry. This is an element I think makes our kitchen stand out. It sets the island apart from the rest of the kitchen. The dark and light mixture gives the kitchen a traditional yet unique look, creating a space with a interesting design.

I hope you all enjoyed my kitchen! 

Creating a kitchen that is both appealing and functional: Part 1

There is no doubt that designing a kitchen can be challenging. It involves a lot of measuring (and re-measuring), design changes, and decision making. The goal is to create a space that is both eye appealing and functional.

My husband and I love to cook together. The kitchen is our favorite spot in our home. We both love the style of our kitchen and for us, it is very functional. Today, I will begin sharing my kitchen with you, starting with the focal point. 

We spend a lot of time creating delicious meals in our kitchen together. But, when you have two people cooking at the same time, it is important that your kitchen is functional. When we have multiple pots and pans out, counter space is crucial. Our kitchen has a ton of counter space. This is especially important during the holidays and when entertaining.

Creating a Focal Point

Our kitchen island is the focal point in our kitchen. It is also one of the most used spots in the space. The island holds our cook top with a vent hood above it. There is also a lot of counter space, which makes it easy to prepare meals on.

We enjoy entertaining, the counter stools at our island make a great spot for our family and friends to sit and hang out while we prepare dinner. I love the nail head details on the stools.

Next week, I will be breaking down more details in my kitchen. 

It’s the little things

When designing a space, sometimes the biggest decisions are also the most difficult like which sofa would look best for the space, what countertops to choose, or what overall style you want to achieve. Although these are important decisions, have you ever noticed how the smallest details make the biggest statements in a room? Today, we are focusing on the little things, the pieces that tie a space together.

Deciding where you need it

I love little details that make a space more interesting. When you are trying to decide where you need something, simply take a walk around the room and look for empty spaces. Perhaps on top of a table, on a wall or mantle. Then brainstorm ideas of what you think would look best there.

How to choose the right details

It is always exciting picking out something for a space. When I am shopping for these pieces, I look for objects that have a similar color scheme, different textures, patterns, and shapes that work together.

If you have an accent color for the space you are decorating, choose details with your accent color. This helps bring out the accent color in a space and tie the room together.  

Before shopping, measure out these spaces so you have a good idea of what will fit where.

Placing them

This is the fun part. Let your creative juices flow while doing this. It usually takes me a few times to get the placement of these details just right. I like to arrange and rearrange them to see which option I like best before deciding.