After getting divorced and letting my ex keep the house so that the kids could have a familiar, cozy space when they were with their dad, I moved into a town house and gleefully went about decorating it just the way I wanted. I went deep into my adolescence for inspiration.
I set up eBay searches for Finnish fabric (Marimekko and Tampella) and then had them stretched on frames to hang throughout the house. Now I have dozens of very bright, vibrant stretched fabrics hanging and I love it so much.
I indulge in beautiful bedding. I love the Rifle paper collaboration (especially the Strawberry Fields print) at The Company Store. And J Crew sold Liberty Print sheets for a while and I bought a set of each!
I also love old die cut paper decorations so I hunt for those at thrift stores and antique malls. I put those up for the holidays and feel so deeply comforted because they remind me of a 3rd grade classroom from the 80s. I say that I do it for the kids but honestly it's as much for me as it is for them.
I’m a beginning watercolor painter and I’ve dedicated a wall in my dining room to paintings that shockingly (🤣) turn out well. I just finished a beach scene with tiny cabins in bright colors. I drew everything myself and I’m just so dang happy with it.
Also, I’ve started collecting sun catchers and putting them in every window that I can so that little rainbows dance around my house throughout the day. I have a dangly prism one I found at the farmer’s market and a set of cat shaped decals I got on Etsy.
I pulled the trigger on a magenta velvet couch (from apt2b) and I LOVE IT. I was hesitant to buy new, but I watched the price for about a year and pulled the trigger when I saw the best sale in December. Husband and I separated summer of last year and I am keeling the marital home, so a big statement piece went a long way in making the house feel mine! Decor wise, I'm just listening to myself more than I ever did before and adding bright, fun details. I've Also hung up a lot of my kids art (6 and almost 9) and really love it-framed photos, but also a pizza slice made of that fast drying clay foam, a blue wood circle with rhinestone face, etc. I also bought a couple inexpensive indoor/outdoor rifle paper rugs which I can't recommend bc they've worn terribly, but they are beautiful and I need to find a better quality replacement!
I am loving my flameless candles. Last year, we took our lights off the tree and hung them around the window in our living room to brighten the dark, grey days of winter and I loved it so much I left them up all year. This year I added flameless candles. I was hesitant about them looking too fake but that's not the case at all. They come on automatically and stay on for 5 hours before shutting off automatically. The cozy factor has increased significantly!
Ohhh I've been wanting flameless candles so I can basically have a candle on at all times in this dark season (and I don't just mean literal winter). Ideally I want ones that actually flicker/move (I love the shadow effect on the wall). What brand do you have?
My aunt is downsizing and I got one of her fabulous giant vintage Italian amaro posters. We hung it in our bar area and she will be my inspiration every time we entertain.
My house is full of art. Like I started collecting in my early 20s and I’m 39 now. All of my art is from Etsy or Instagram or TikTok. I decided at one point because I couldn’t make art myself that I wanted more people to keep making it so I own a ton. Mostly prints but some originals.
I’m gonna throw some of the ones I love here or at least ones I could find links to.
For people who want to collect art, but don't have a lot of money, I recommend visionary artists and tracking down high-quality posters. I recently tracked down such a nice Motherwell poster for my ex. And although 1st Dibs strikes me as a little expensive, it has an outstanding algorithm that will show you works by artists you might know, but are similar to what you're shopping.
For a couple of years, I treated myself to nature art calendars from Lianne Pflug (https://www.liannepflug.com) which are designed so that the bottom can be cut off and you’ll have a set of 12 5x7 prints. I got some cheap frames at Michael’s and hung some in my office. I also frame them as gifts for friends.
It’s fun and joyful to look and find things you’d love even if you’ll never buy! I will offer, too, that making can be a deeply fulfilling antidote to buying. Please buy if that is what feels best for you, I love buying something lovely for my home. But I often think that our desire to consume might be a way to fulfill our human need to create. It doesn’t have to be anything big or perfect. Splash some paint colors you like on a canvas, or stick fabric in an embroidery hoop to hang on the wall. Or just scribble on a piece of paper then recycle it. No pressure to ever make anything, just an offering to try a little creativity over consumption.
My taste runs old world and whimsical, but I live in a house that is more cottage vibe. A few years ago, I was really bored with my bedroom and invested in a full room mural done with peel and stick wallpaper and it is FABULOUS. I love it so much. https://www.etsy.com/listing/1190402870/?ref=share_ios_native_control
It took us almost a month to get it all done. My dad helped for a few days, my ex husband helped for a few days, and I worked on it by myself. It was quite the project and it looks SO GOOD.
I already have so many things I love but have gone as far as I can in terms of designing my space. So I have hired an interior designer to help me add some polish and je-ne-sais-quoi. I’ve been immersing myself in books on modern Britsh design and that style of maximilism and am looking forward to applying those concepts.
Art! Buying beautiful art that I love is this year’s focus. I started with an awkward bird painting from Jacque Price (sells on her own site and also on artful home), some gorgeous pieces (one original, one print) from incomparable Taynee Tinsley, and a commissioned pet portrait from digital artist Gabby Kash. Please look them up.
Also, I’m a quilt maker and I won’t sell myself here but if yall are buying direct from makers and artists who make things with their own two hands, you get the joy of fun shopping and also you’re supporting an artist and making the world a better place (probably). I am loving all these artist links!
I love an instant hot water kettle from Northmas. Unfortunately, it makes a little beep that makes my dog bark every single time. I also seriously splurged in some medieval animal tapestry pillows for my couch and love them so much.
I just painted my bedroom, and with the fresh walls, I'm being really picky about the art that I put up. I found some pretty block prints on Etsy along with a couple of Audubon bird prints that I'm excited about.
I totally understand feeling conflicted about buying new stuff but also wanting your home to be comfortable and look like *you* live there. I used to repurpose furniture and art, moving them around from one room to another, in hopes that they'd look OK in their new spot. Then I realized it makes more sense to just rip off the bandaid and buy the thing that is the correct size/color/style! Then I don't have to think about it anymore, and I feel like I'd probably buy a couple of things in the mean time trying to find a cheap-ish alternative to the big ticket item.
I am loving the comfy leather chairs and couch that we found (used!) to furnish our new house (moved cross country and gave away almost all of our furniture before we left).
But what I am really enjoying is the Stressless recliner and ottoman that I picked up at an estate sale auction for about $600 in near perfect condition (needed one screw to fix a loose arm). It's so comfortable when I want to relax or take a nap. And I found a throw pillow (50% off!) at World Market that has four quadrants with a flower pattern in each quadrant. The colors of the pillow match the rest of the room's colors and one of the colors is a near perfect match for the blue of the recliner itself (which is kind of an oddball muted navy blue). If I'd bought the recliner new (which I wouldn't because spending upwards of $3K for a single chair is just not something I'd do) I might not have chosen blue but it's really growing on me especially now that it has the perfect pillow to tie it into the rest of the room.
After getting divorced and letting my ex keep the house so that the kids could have a familiar, cozy space when they were with their dad, I moved into a town house and gleefully went about decorating it just the way I wanted. I went deep into my adolescence for inspiration.
I set up eBay searches for Finnish fabric (Marimekko and Tampella) and then had them stretched on frames to hang throughout the house. Now I have dozens of very bright, vibrant stretched fabrics hanging and I love it so much.
I indulge in beautiful bedding. I love the Rifle paper collaboration (especially the Strawberry Fields print) at The Company Store. And J Crew sold Liberty Print sheets for a while and I bought a set of each!
I also love old die cut paper decorations so I hunt for those at thrift stores and antique malls. I put those up for the holidays and feel so deeply comforted because they remind me of a 3rd grade classroom from the 80s. I say that I do it for the kids but honestly it's as much for me as it is for them.
I also splurged on two sets of Liberty print sheets and I love them. One is pink floral and the other is dark and purple moody floral.
Ooh, I just discovered the Rifle Paper prints at The Company Store, too! So pretty!
I have been swooning over the new Rifle peacock-print bedding in that catalog and coming up with excuses for why I need it.
Marimekko! 😍
I’m a beginning watercolor painter and I’ve dedicated a wall in my dining room to paintings that shockingly (🤣) turn out well. I just finished a beach scene with tiny cabins in bright colors. I drew everything myself and I’m just so dang happy with it.
I just started watercolor painting too! Sharing in the joy of hanging our art.
I haven't fully dug into this yet but just a quick note to say thank you for some lightness - I need a break!
Yesssssss
I was thinking the same thing!
Also, I’ve started collecting sun catchers and putting them in every window that I can so that little rainbows dance around my house throughout the day. I have a dangly prism one I found at the farmer’s market and a set of cat shaped decals I got on Etsy.
I pulled the trigger on a magenta velvet couch (from apt2b) and I LOVE IT. I was hesitant to buy new, but I watched the price for about a year and pulled the trigger when I saw the best sale in December. Husband and I separated summer of last year and I am keeling the marital home, so a big statement piece went a long way in making the house feel mine! Decor wise, I'm just listening to myself more than I ever did before and adding bright, fun details. I've Also hung up a lot of my kids art (6 and almost 9) and really love it-framed photos, but also a pizza slice made of that fast drying clay foam, a blue wood circle with rhinestone face, etc. I also bought a couple inexpensive indoor/outdoor rifle paper rugs which I can't recommend bc they've worn terribly, but they are beautiful and I need to find a better quality replacement!
A magenta couch! Yum.
I am loving my flameless candles. Last year, we took our lights off the tree and hung them around the window in our living room to brighten the dark, grey days of winter and I loved it so much I left them up all year. This year I added flameless candles. I was hesitant about them looking too fake but that's not the case at all. They come on automatically and stay on for 5 hours before shutting off automatically. The cozy factor has increased significantly!
Ohhh I've been wanting flameless candles so I can basically have a candle on at all times in this dark season (and I don't just mean literal winter). Ideally I want ones that actually flicker/move (I love the shadow effect on the wall). What brand do you have?
I do that too! I have white lights framing my big dining room window and it's so inviting.
I have a few flameless candles around the house, too, and they produce such a cozy glow. I love them!
My aunt is downsizing and I got one of her fabulous giant vintage Italian amaro posters. We hung it in our bar area and she will be my inspiration every time we entertain.
My house is full of art. Like I started collecting in my early 20s and I’m 39 now. All of my art is from Etsy or Instagram or TikTok. I decided at one point because I couldn’t make art myself that I wanted more people to keep making it so I own a ton. Mostly prints but some originals.
I’m gonna throw some of the ones I love here or at least ones I could find links to.
https://lordcowboy.com/printshop/p/lookiehere?utm_medium=email&utm_source=customer_notification
https://www.katiesmall.net/the-printery/p/vigil-aunties-print?utm_medium=email&utm_source=customer_notification
https://store.anthonyhurd.com/product/feeling-ones-oats-16x20-open-edition
https://www.lindseycherek.com/fineartprints/p/rage-print
Okay in lovely house things not art, I just got this coat rail thing I love and think is beautiful
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1814100869/?ref=share_ios_native_control
For people who want to collect art, but don't have a lot of money, I recommend visionary artists and tracking down high-quality posters. I recently tracked down such a nice Motherwell poster for my ex. And although 1st Dibs strikes me as a little expensive, it has an outstanding algorithm that will show you works by artists you might know, but are similar to what you're shopping.
Ha! I was about to recommend AVAM and then I saw who was making the comment! 💙
For a couple of years, I treated myself to nature art calendars from Lianne Pflug (https://www.liannepflug.com) which are designed so that the bottom can be cut off and you’ll have a set of 12 5x7 prints. I got some cheap frames at Michael’s and hung some in my office. I also frame them as gifts for friends.
So pretty!
It’s fun and joyful to look and find things you’d love even if you’ll never buy! I will offer, too, that making can be a deeply fulfilling antidote to buying. Please buy if that is what feels best for you, I love buying something lovely for my home. But I often think that our desire to consume might be a way to fulfill our human need to create. It doesn’t have to be anything big or perfect. Splash some paint colors you like on a canvas, or stick fabric in an embroidery hoop to hang on the wall. Or just scribble on a piece of paper then recycle it. No pressure to ever make anything, just an offering to try a little creativity over consumption.
I agree! Making something and hanging it up is so satisfying.
We have very different taste, Virginia! I LOVE the OMG rug you picked, though. And if I were going to spend money on an interesting lamp from there, I’d pick this one: https://lostine.com/products/rto-found-object-table-lamp-46
My taste runs old world and whimsical, but I live in a house that is more cottage vibe. A few years ago, I was really bored with my bedroom and invested in a full room mural done with peel and stick wallpaper and it is FABULOUS. I love it so much. https://www.etsy.com/listing/1190402870/?ref=share_ios_native_control
It took us almost a month to get it all done. My dad helped for a few days, my ex husband helped for a few days, and I worked on it by myself. It was quite the project and it looks SO GOOD.
After that, I decided to do another one, but just ONE wall, in my gym and I did this one by myself in a few hours. https://www.etsy.com/listing/1282218104/?ref=share_ios_native_control It’s the one with the blue night sky.
Now I’m working on getting some things framed that are meaningful. Framing is so freaking expensive!!!
I already have so many things I love but have gone as far as I can in terms of designing my space. So I have hired an interior designer to help me add some polish and je-ne-sais-quoi. I’ve been immersing myself in books on modern Britsh design and that style of maximilism and am looking forward to applying those concepts.
Art! Buying beautiful art that I love is this year’s focus. I started with an awkward bird painting from Jacque Price (sells on her own site and also on artful home), some gorgeous pieces (one original, one print) from incomparable Taynee Tinsley, and a commissioned pet portrait from digital artist Gabby Kash. Please look them up.
Also, I’m a quilt maker and I won’t sell myself here but if yall are buying direct from makers and artists who make things with their own two hands, you get the joy of fun shopping and also you’re supporting an artist and making the world a better place (probably). I am loving all these artist links!
https://www.artfulhome.com/artist/Jacque-Price-Art/9530
https://www.tayneetinsley.com/
https://gabriellekash.com/
I love an instant hot water kettle from Northmas. Unfortunately, it makes a little beep that makes my dog bark every single time. I also seriously splurged in some medieval animal tapestry pillows for my couch and love them so much.
I just painted my bedroom, and with the fresh walls, I'm being really picky about the art that I put up. I found some pretty block prints on Etsy along with a couple of Audubon bird prints that I'm excited about.
I totally understand feeling conflicted about buying new stuff but also wanting your home to be comfortable and look like *you* live there. I used to repurpose furniture and art, moving them around from one room to another, in hopes that they'd look OK in their new spot. Then I realized it makes more sense to just rip off the bandaid and buy the thing that is the correct size/color/style! Then I don't have to think about it anymore, and I feel like I'd probably buy a couple of things in the mean time trying to find a cheap-ish alternative to the big ticket item.
I am loving the comfy leather chairs and couch that we found (used!) to furnish our new house (moved cross country and gave away almost all of our furniture before we left).
But what I am really enjoying is the Stressless recliner and ottoman that I picked up at an estate sale auction for about $600 in near perfect condition (needed one screw to fix a loose arm). It's so comfortable when I want to relax or take a nap. And I found a throw pillow (50% off!) at World Market that has four quadrants with a flower pattern in each quadrant. The colors of the pillow match the rest of the room's colors and one of the colors is a near perfect match for the blue of the recliner itself (which is kind of an oddball muted navy blue). If I'd bought the recliner new (which I wouldn't because spending upwards of $3K for a single chair is just not something I'd do) I might not have chosen blue but it's really growing on me especially now that it has the perfect pillow to tie it into the rest of the room.