Tips For Creating Moments & Stories In Your Home

They say that every room tells a story. If that's true, then the story I've been telling lately is that I have a new puppy! Blankets and chewies and toys OH MY! It's pretty obvious something new is in our home and his name is Rascal!

What story does your home tell? Think about your different rooms-- is there a feeling you desire to evoke for your spaces? Perhaps it's bright and happy; subdued and calm; or maybe you like to keep things festive and change your decor with the holidays.

We know a lot of you do this really well--you've shown us pictures, and we love them! Since I can only speak for my own home, I'll tell you how I've created special moments and stories in my favorite rooms. As always, I'd love to hear how you do it!

My guest room is one of my favorite places. I'll go there just to sit and be silent--sometimes the sun is shining through brightly while other times it's dark with only my cute shining chandelier. (I made it!!) I feel calm and at peace here: the bedding is soft; the pictures remind me of travels in Europe; the scent is a relaxing lavender. The colors in the room are an extension of the colors throughout our home--grays and purples. The feeling here is calm and peaceful.

Since our home is on a smaller scale, I've made sure that my colors stay the same for a cohesive look, but I still like to tell different stories in each room.  (Stay tuned for more on that idea in next week's blog!)

My family room has comfy sofas, soft pillows, blankets, and lighting, beckoning you to sit down and have a conversation. That's the feeling, but the story I'm telling is with my collage wall: "Family--The Story of Us."  I tend to be very photo oriented--I love pictures of my family, mountains, and other places we've been.

Are you ready to get started telling stories in your decor? Think of a decor story as a collection of wonderful treasures that come together to produce an overall feeling. Each grouping or vignette in your space is working together to create special moments in your story. You are the author so it is up to you how the story goes.... The possibilities are endless! Here are a few ideas to get you going...

Happy Days & Sunshine

• Shelves styled with brightly colored books arranged like the colors of a rainbow. Put all of your red books together, followed by oranges then yellows, greens, blues, indigos and finish it up with violets.
• Utilize a collection of similar vases filled with bright florals for a happy pop of color.
• Embrace scents like coconut lime, grapefruit mangosteen, or sweet tea.
• Go all in and paint a brightly colored accent wall, or order some fabulous removable wallpaper for an easily changed update.
• Use colored photos (rather than black & white) and mismatched frames that are all painted the same color - think bright white or even a sunny yellow collage wall of frames.

Peaceful Retreat

• A muted, neutral color pallet will go a long way here. Accent with soft, subtle blues, greens and maybe an occasional touch of navy.
• Fill baskets with soft, cozy throws and accent sofas & beds with plush, neutral pillows.
• Keep decor simple & uncluttered so the mind can rest on a single focal point - perhaps a large canvas or a lovely styled tray.
• Have books at the ready, either on a shelf or styled on a table. If your books don't have a neutral colored spine, try taking off the book jacket. Often that will reveal a white or black spine.
• Candle light is perfect to create a calming environment. We recommend scents like peppermint eucalyptus or vanilla santal. Pick one scented candle and use our battery powered candles or unscented tapers to keep the scent calm but still achieve the look of candlelight. 

Festive Family Oasis

• Keep a neutral base pallet so you are free to change things up each season. For instance if your accents are purple, like mine, they won't work as well with the reds for summer, Christmas or Valentine's. If you still go this route of a fun accent color, keep in mind that your seasonal pallet will probably need to stay neutral.
• Look for accents that can carry over from one season to the next. Those fabulous red & white napkins you snagged for Valentine's Day can be repurposed in May when you bring out all the things patriotic.
• Incorporate things that will make everyone want to gather at your house. If you're changing things up every season, you'll want to share it with your friends & family. For this, think a tray filled with playing cards, easy to flip through magazines or books, several light weight throws for movie nights on the couch.
• Plan ahead & keep an inventory of what you have on hand. Take pictures each year so you can catalog what you used. This will help you not buy duplicates when you go shopping.  If you have the same items for a couple of years and don't use them you can donate them to keep your home clutter free. 

We could go on & on, but we'll stop here for today & hope this post has gotten your wheels turning!

WARNING: Don't jump off the deep end just yet and start painting every room a different color to establish your stories. Next week we're going to talk about having a cohesive space AND tying everything together! For now, start thinking about the story you want to tell, the feeling you want in your home, and what elements you could pull together to achieve that story.

Until next time,

Joy