I admit it.

I don’t really love to bake.  I know, I know.  That isn’t what I’m supposed to say.  What home blogger doesn’t bake?!?!  But it’s the honest truth and I would have a hard time believing that I’m the ONLY one out there who cringes when asked to fix a dessert!

And somehow, I miraculously ended up with a daughter who LOVES to bake!  So when May’s edition of Payton’s Pastries rolls around, you’ll get to enjoy her beautiful AND tasty creation here on the blog.

In the meantime….here’s what happened.

Awhile back, I was asked to bring two desserts to a family dinner.  The day before.  Panic ensued, so it’s probably a good thing I found out only the day before so I didn’t have time to worry too much about it!  I’ve never considered myself good at baking but since I didn’t have much of a choice (other than heading to the grocery store for a store-bought dessert…which isn’t always a bad thing either…), I decided to get busy and figure it out.

A google search landed me with a lot of choices for a dump cake.

No problem.  I have a Master’s degree in Education.  Surely I could dump a few ingredients in a pan with some measure of success!  I made a peach dump cake and a blueberry dump cake, carefully following the instructions.  Being the teacher that I am, I checked several different sites, all of which gave the same instructions, so I felt it must be fool proof.

Magic.  Not only did my two dump cakes taste good, but they actually looked decent as well and I wasn’t embarrassed to take them to the family dinner. 

I got to thinking, later, that the peaches and blueberries would be tasty together.  So I gave it a try the other day and YUM!!!  It’s a great mix of the sweet and tart and looks pretty too!

I also love fruit recipes for the spring and summer.  They just feel a little lighter and in season, versus a really rich, heavy dessert.

Best part, it took me all of four minutes to assemble and pop into the oven!  It’s a fail-proof, win-win situation for this busy wife, mom, and teacher!

Here’s how I did it:

Peachy Blueberry Dump Cake

What you need:

• 9×13 baking dish
• Two cans of peaches
• One bag of frozen blueberries
• ½ Cup of sugar
• One box of yellow cake mix
• One stick of butter

1. 1. Pre-heat oven to 350.
   2. Dump one can of peaches into your baking dish. Drain the second can and add.
   3. Dump one bag of frozen blueberries on top of the peaches.
   4. Dump ½ cup of sugar evenly over the top of the blueberries
   5. Dump one box of yellow cake mix evenly over the top of the fruit mixture.
   6. Slice butter into thin slices and distribute evenly over the top of the cake mix
   7. Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes.
   8. Serve with vanilla ice cream and ENJOY!

Sugar Free or Gluten Free Peachy Blueberry Dump Cake

• 9×13 baking dish
• Two cans of no sugar added or Lite peaches
• One bag of frozen blueberries
• ½ cup of artificial sweetener (Truvia is an option I prefer)
• One box of sugar free or gluten free yellow cake mix
• One stick of a healthy butter substitute of choice

There you have it!  So often, holidays (such as  Mother’s Day) can feel like some extra work for the people who are being celebrated!  If you’re looking to cut down on your time in the kitchen this spring, I hope this helps!  It’s making me think that for the next family dinner, I’ll sign up for the dessert instead of shying away from it!  You really and truly cannot mess this one up!

Our family enjoyed it, had lots leftover for some midnight snacks, and who’s to say it couldn’t be a good breakfast the next day too?  After all…it has fruit!

With all that time and effort you save by making a simple dessert…what will you do?  It’s some poolside relaxation for me!

For some more spring dessert ideas, check out what these blogger friends are sharing also:

These Yummy Treats from Down Shiloh Road

This amazing Strawberry Shortcake from The Tattered Pew

These amazing Iced Coffee Popsicles from She Gave It a Go

There you have it!  Happy Baking!

Blessings,

Robyn

It may sound out of character to those who know me well in real life, but one of my favorite things about decorating is that it truly is experimental, imperfect, and the beauty is up to the beholder.  I tell people all the time…if you love it, then it’s perfect for your home!

At the same time, I totally understand the feeling of looking at someone’s décor or style and thinking “I have no idea how to do that!”

If you’ve ever felt that way too, I’m here with good news. You don’t have to “do it that way.”  You get to decide what you love for your home, how you like it styled, play around with it until you love it, and then just enjoy it!

Then there is the teacher/student part of me that loves to learn. I love to study décor, paying careful attention to details that make me smile, then go about experimenting with my own décor!  That’s what I hope today’s blog post is for you…

A chance to study the décor, gather some ideas, then experiment with your own décor until you love it!

I think we can so often get stuck in a mindset of “big changes” in our homes.  That’s the other good news for today!  It’s fun to have big renovations, build a new home, gut and remodel a room, or even redecorate a whole room.

But the fact of the matter is, most of us are just looking for simple ways to keep loving the home and décor we already have.  I hope today’s blog post gives you some fresh ideas…and I want you to start with the décor you already own!

I always like to link up some styling favorites for you, but before you buy anything, take a look around and shop your own home!  I guarantee you can get a really great start, right at home!

Today, we are looking for simple, easy décor ideas.  I love creating vignettes and sometimes when I’m feeling a little restless in a space, just changing one vignette gives some life and new love to a room!

Here are a few rules of thumb I like to go by when thinking about refreshing a space with a vignette:

Start With a Base

Every.  Single.  Time.  Maybe I get a little too hung up on this, but when I try to build a vignette without something to ground it, something to pull it all together, I literally NEVER end up liking it!

But when thinking about a base to ground your vignette, there are so many creative ways to go about doing that!  Does anyone remember when doilies were all the rage?  Am I totally dating myself here???  I remember that my mom had a stack of them and used them all over the house.  Honestly, they are still a design element of choice for the true, primitive décor styles.

You’ll often find me using an old breadboard (which helps me totally justify how many of those I have!), a dough bowl, flat basket, grain sack, wooden tray, wire basket, architectural salvage, or some kind of a combination of a couple of those!

I recently picked up a large, wire basket at Rehab Vintage Market.  It’s all bent and rusted from time (which is why I love it!) and my new favorite vignette base is to use that with with my Belgian bread board from Dreamy White Lifestyles.  The bread board gives a stable base inside the wire basket, upon which I can add favorite items!

So get creative with your base!  You might set a wooden tray on an old breadboard for an extra layer.  Or lay a vintage linen piece inside a flat basket.  I like to use simple things like this to create an extra layer for my vignette.  Often, it’s that extra little layer that ends up being my favorite thing about the vignette!  It’s all in the details!

You can even refresh a vignette simply by switching the base.  This I why I like to keep a variety of things like bread boards, trays, crates, baskets, and architectural salvage around.  I don’t have many of them “stored away”, but rather switch them around in my vignettes.

Everyone has time for a 5 minute refresh!  Look around and see what vignette you can refresh simply by switching the base!  (It might turn into more than 5 minutes because I think you’ll end up having so much fun that you switch more than one!

If you’re still working to build your collection of bases, you can read about some of my favorite vintage hunting tips HERE.

The Décor Triangle

There is probably some official name for this somewhere in the décor world!  When building a vignette, the décor triangle is a really good place to start.  You want to think of the décor as a set of three items, at three varied heights, with the tall and medium staggered a bit and the shortest item completing the point of the triangle in front.

Let’s practice!  Pause your reading and find three different sizes of jars or drinking glasses from your kitchen.

See how easy that is?  This is why I almost always buy décor in sets of 3.  OR, if I’m using a pair of something, the same size (such as candlesticks), I place one of them on a stack of books so that I get a third height.

Play around with this triangle in your décor.  This is a great spot for all the mathematicians to try and figure out the names of all these triangles, because they are going to be very irregular, very imperfect, and have lots of variety.  In fact, if every vignette throughout your home has the same exact triangle, it’s going to start looking a lot like a staged home and a lot less like well-curated collections of your favorite décor!

But if the décor triangle is new to you, just start with that.  You’ll quickly get accustomed to starting your vignettes in this trio and then you can get more and more creative with it!

Mixed Materials

There is no hard and fast rule for this, so I’m just sharing my personal opinion and preferences here!  This is what I was referring to earlier; the beautiful thing about décor is that it can be just what YOU want, not what a book, blog, or social media world says you have to do!

When building a vignette, I look for ways to mix materials.  This gives more texture and often, more character, to my vignette.  That being said, it’s less likely that you’ll love a group of random things, even if they are in a décor triangle!

I like to have a common thread that connects each of the items, which can be through color, material, or pattern.  Since I use a lot of neutrals, this is a little easier, particularly when mixed with my woods and whites

Here are a few examples of items I might mix together for a vignette:

1. Stack of vintage books in neutral tones, white planter with a plant, and a set of two wooden candlesticks.
2. Architectural salvage corbel (chippy white, of course!), vintage books in neutral tones, white planter with a plant
3. Zinc bucket with a tree, white ironstone pitcher, wood pedestal with a white candle
4. White ironstone pitcher with flowers, wooden pedestal with stack of ironstone plates, white planter with fresh plant
5. Wooden pedestal with large white planter/plant sitting on top, small brass planter with plant, white candle

Do you see all of the repeated items used above?

This is why I shop my house and encourage you to do the same!  I also like to invest in décor pieces that I can mix and match with several different things, in varying rooms of my home.  This is also why I say you can easily just switch and item or two, get an entirely fresh look, and be enjoying it in 15 minutes or less!

I love the big decorating projects, but these simple, little resets truly make me feel so happy with our home!

Tell a Story With Your Room

This could really be a whole blog post all on its own (so maybe I’ll work on that soon!), but vignettes are an important way to add to the story of your room.  Make them personal by using some of your favorite things.  You’ll start to see repeated threads that give a visual connection throughout the room.

Have a vignette with a wooden pedestal and ironstone pot sitting on top?  Create another vignette in the room with a wooden bread board and ironstone pitcher, holding flowers.  See the commonality without “matching”?  That kind of detail adds an element of thoughtfulness and intentionality to a space!

For the spring, I love adding a touch of the Audubon style by adding some pages from my Birds of America book to some vintage, gold frames.  You can see more about that gallery wall HERE.  So in my vignettes throughout our living spaces, I looked for ways to tuck in some little vintage, brass swans and a favorite thrifting find with my vintage, brass bird candlesticks.

The space doesn’t scream “BIRD THEME”!!!!!  (At least, I don’t think it does!  Haha!). But there is definitely an intentional nod toward this spring idea of nests, eggs, and birds.

Let’s say you love lemons!  You can tuck in subtle touches of yellow (consider some vintage brass for this!) and lemon-related items.  Every, single décor piece doesn’t have to have lemons.  After all, who really wants to have several storage bins full of lemon décor?  But you could have one, small drawer of these items that you pull out and mix into your standard, every day décor.

Here are some things that are always in rotation in my décor:

• Ironstone (especially pitchers, compotes, and small plate stacks)
• Vintage bread boards
• Vintage dough bowls
• Architectural salvage base and cloche
• Architectural salvage corbels
• Wooden trays
• Large baskets
• Zinc (especially a pitcher or bucket)
• Vintage books

If you really study my décor, you’ll see the same items on repeat, over and over and over, and many of them, I’ve had for a lot of years!  You can see a lot more details of our home over on my Instagram to get an idea of how I rotate these kinds of items through my décor

Get Started!

Chances are, you won’t love every vignette you create.  You might try it several different ways before you find something that clicks.

But you’ll never get that refresh to your room if you don’t try!

Don’t wait for your dream house or home renovation to refresh your spaces.  A little creativity, a little perseverance, and a little shopping (around your own home!) will go a long, long ways!

Just don’t forget the base to your vignette!  It’s a little like life…you need a good foundation!

Blessings,

Robyn

They say kitchens and bathrooms sell houses.  Meaning, we should have run far away from this house and never looked back!!!  We moved from a home that we dearly loved, two streets over, for the opportunity to get a little more interior space and a huge backyard (for South Florida standards, anyway!). While we are so thankful for the decision we made, I have to be honest and say that the whole renovation project felt like a mountain we could never get over.  The entire house required extensive renovation to make it not only livable, but a space that we could ever feel at home in.

The timeline felt monumental.  We lived with my parents for 5 weeks while the bedrooms, playroom, and master bathroom were completed, along with demo in the other spaces (just so we weren’t breathing in all of that!).  We then “moved in” with construction plastic surrounding half of the house and basically walked around with construction-dust feet for another 3 months.

I am not a designer, nor have I taken any classes or even managed extensive renovation projects.  We had always just done primarily cosmetic remodels, and only one room at a time.  So while I felt overwhelmed at most points along the way, I also had a strong sense of the overall look I wanted for our home.

Simple.  Understated.  Timeless elements in the more permanent designs and some fun with things that could be updated down the road.

I knew we wouldn’t be replacing tile or redoing any of these spaces for years to come.  With some of the other spaces we had remodeled, I had found myself already “tired” of the trendier looks I had chosen.  So I knew that for this house, with the major investments we were making, I needed to keep it basic and go with overall design styles that have passed the test of time.

I also had a strong sense of wanting to keep an overall design that ran through our entire home.  Since we had the opportunity to basically do everything at once, we really wanted it to have a seamless style, with each room having design elements that connect to the next room.

You can get a better idea of this from my home tours, found HERE and HERE.

Once the bedrooms, closets, playroom, and master bathrooms were completed so that we could actually move into our home, we moved on to the second tier of the renovation.  The kids’ bathroom was the second priority, though it was being worked on alongside the kitchen.

I had so much fun with the kids’ bathroom design.  But to really appreciate it, you have to see this before:

I mean, I don’t hate the color yellow, but it couldn’t have been more dingy and sad (maybe with the exception of the green toilet that had graced the master bathroom!  Yikes!)

Throughout our home, you’ll find elements like subway tile, penny tile, wood, and concrete.  I really wanted the more permanent elements, such as the tile, to be elements that have withstood the test of time.

Tile Flooring

Penny tile has been around since the early 1900’s and because sickness spread so easily during those days, the bathroom tiles were often white, thought to be a more “clean” look.  I can’t disagree with that!  While penny tiles originated in the black and white color scheme, you can find them now in an array of colors and patterns.  I personally love how black and white tile, especially in a simple pattern, can go well with whatever décor trends come and go over the next 20 years.  And who knows…when it comes time to replace the tile…many years down the road…I may choose the same tile.

It says something about a design style that has been around for over 100 years and is still sought after!  So I felt safe with that choice!

This tile was also a budget-friendly option.  Available in pre-set 12” sheets, it was a fairly quick and easy tile job.  If we had only been doing this one space, we would have tackled this project ourselves.  However, we literally had tile work throughout the entire house, so we had a tile contractor.  Especially since we were paying for labor, we were happy with a moderately-priced tile that allowed for easy installation, thus bringing the labor cost down too.

Tile Backsplash

This is just a personal preference, but also one I recommend when offering advice to others who are doing bathroom renovations.  If you have the opportunity, add a tile backsplash!  I love that I can wash and scrub it clean, and it just feels like you can get it more clean than a regular drywall or wood finish.  Because we were using subway tile in our kitchen, I chose to carry this design element through into the bathroom also.  It makes a great bathroom backsplash, and with its straightforward installation and clean lines, it was also a budget-friendly labor cost.  The subway tile itself is extremely budget-friendly too!

Subway tile is a nostalgic choice, but also one that has been around for a very long time!  It dates back to 1904, when it was originally designed for the New York Subways.  The clean lines and bright, white tile helped to reflect light and brighten up the underground areas and the Victorians were also obsessed with surfaces that were easy to clean.

I’m with the Victorians on this one!

Tile Shower Surround

Another budget-friendly way we renovated this bathroom, while keeping the overall design aesthetic, was to use the 16 inch subway tiles in the shower.  We repeated this same concept in the master bathroom shower.  The larger tiles made for a quicker and less labor-intensive installation.  I am still SO HAPPY that we went with the dark charcoal grout for the tile throughout our home.  With the hard water of our South Florida well, it has been a cleaning life-saver.  I also appreciate the modern nod of the dark grout, but mostly, I chose it because I knew it would be easier to maintain a clean appearance over the white or light grout colors.

Bathroom Vanity

Several factors went into our decision to have all of our bathroom vanities custom built.  First of all, we were able to get the maximum size for the space by choosing a custom build.  The standard sizes would have either been too long for the space or shorter than what we could do as a custom piece.

Secondly, I had really specific ways that I wanted the bathroom vanity to function, knowing it would be a high traffic area, shared by three growing kiddos!  Here are some custom features that help us immensely with organization:

Deep drawers: The center bank appears to be a column of narrow drawers.  However this apothecary-style is faux!  The center actually has three large, deep drawers.  Each child has a drawer that holds pajamas, under garments, and personal effects, such as lotions, hair care, etc.  Everyone has everything already in the bathroom when they go to shower and clean up!

Pull-Out Step: This genius idea came from a friend and we have been thrilled with it.  The pull-out step has been so convenient for our younger children.  Under each sink, there is a pull-out.  Eventually, when all of our kids are tall enough for the sink and mirror, we can easily convert the pull-outs into drawers for more storage.  By the point, I’m sure the girls will need more space for hair and make-up items!

Large cabinet space: Under each sink is what appears to be more drawers, but actually opens to a large cabinet.  This is the perfect bathroom storage space for pool towels, toilet paper, Lysol wipes, cleaning supplies, etc.

Large hardware for hand towels:  I wanted the hand towels to be easily within reach for even our youngest and also be hung in a way that would be easy for the kids to switch hand towels when needed and keep it tidy.  I find the rings to be tricky for kids (even my husband doesn’t seem to hang the towel straight on the rings!), so we went with these large barn-door handles from Magnolia Market.  These are discontinued, but you can find a similar style HERE and HERE.  We used these same handles on our laundry room doors and on the sliding barn doors in the playroom.  They were a simple way to carry some consistency through the house!

Vanity Counter Top

I always have questions about our countertop!  Our vanity was custom built by a local builder and they also built the countertop to go with it.  There are lots of tutorials out there for DIY concrete countertops.  Speaking from experience, good forms are important!.  While we didn’t install these ourselves, I can say with certainty that I would definitely choose these over and over again.  The natural imperfections of the concrete nod to the overall vintage feel of our home.  The concrete material, itself, is so easy to maintain; you really can’t hurt it.  If you’re on the fence about concrete countertops, our experience with them has been wonderful!

We also installed concrete countertops in our kitchen, yet another way to carry a consistent design style throughout our home!

Other Finishes and Décor

In a bathroom, my preference and recommendation is to not “play around” with tile and permanent fixtures.  Consider keeping those high-quality and basic.  You can change the entire look of your bathroom with less-permanent finishes, like mirrors, lighting, and décor.

With everything so stream-lined in this space, I wanted to make a statement with the mirrors and play around with shape and texture.  We found these mirrors at The Findery in Waco while on vacation there.  (I say vacation…we were really escaping our home for part of the renovation!). I love how the galvanized metal ties in with the gray concrete and the round shape adds some variety.  The mirrors are large enough for all practical needs in this space but also add a fun décor element.

Lighting is a key element and a place where you can have some fun!  However, lighting can get extremely expensive!  I was so very delighted to find these sconces for $30, coordinating with the mirrors and tying into the industrial farmhouse elements throughout our home.  This particular sconce has been discontinued, but you can find a similar one HERE.  Because we had plenty of recessed lighting added to this bathroom, the sconces could be a cosmetic touch rather than providing the lighting for the whole space.  They do add a great addition to the lighting for make-up purposes and also a soft light when the recessed lights are off.

​

Bathroom décor is a topic that I’m kind of passionate about!  LESS IS MORE!!!  When you think about how quickly things get dirty in a bathroom (especially those icky germs that you can’t see), it really puts a limit on how much décor you may want to bring into a bathroom setting.  For myself, I prefer to spend as little time cleaning in a bathroom as possible.

Therefore, I chose to keep all décor very simple and basically only on the walls.  It is up high where it isn’t as prone to be a resting spot for germs.  I used these simple wall vases, also from Magnolia Home, and can change those up seasonally.  I’ve linked some great wall vase options HERE, HERE, and HERE!  Otherwise, we added a cute little Hobby Lobby sign for 50% off and a vintage street sign from the flea market!

Containers and organizers are important in a bathroom setting.  This vintage locker basket works great for holding extra hand towels and wash cloths, while also having a décor element.  I keep a basket for towels and a cute bucket for trash.  And that is it for bathroom décor!

A cute shower curtain and towels serve functional purposes while adding to the aesthetic of a bathroom.  I chose all white, not because my kids are always clean and tidy, but because I can BLEACH THEM!  Remember…I’m with the Victorians.  Haha!

We’ve had this same shower curtain for almost four years now and it stays looking nice because I throw it in a bleach load every now and then.  I replace the kids’ towels about once a year or so, always white, so they can be bleached.  I have found that we don’t need a cabinet stuffed with extra towels.  Keeping things like towels to a minimum forces my hand to keep up with the laundry and cuts down on the amount of storage space I have to keep available!

I picked up this cute bath mat recently and it’s my one departure from all-white.  But for only $12, we will enjoy it while it lasts​!

I hope this answers a lot of your questions about the kids’ bathroom renovation!  I am still as happy with our design choices as I was four years ago, and for someone that likes to switch things up, that says a lot!

Most importantly, our decisions helped us stay on budget, while providing quality that will last us…and three kiddos… for many years to come!

Blessings,

Robyn

​Spring décor can feel a little tricky on those years where Easter falls “early”, as it did this year!  How do you decorate with a spring feeling when you’re ready to put away the bunnies?  Well, first, a little story:

Last year, when we were home allllllllll spring (just like most of you were!), we spent a lot of time outside.  One day, we noticed that a cardinal had made a nest on the old basket-turned-light fixture under our gazebo.  The kids checked it every day and we turned into avid bird watchers!  To be honest, it was incredibly refreshing to be spending so much time at home and be so much less busy that we had time for these moments.  The kids were excited to find the baby birds had hatched and one morning in early May of 2020, we spent a couple of hours just sitting outside, watching as the baby birds got ready to take their first flight.

One baby cardinal seemed to struggle.  I remember getting tears in my eyes, watching both the mommy and daddy cardinal fly in and out, over and over and over, coaxing and encouraging their baby.  All of the other babies had flown away.  Slowly, but surely, the baby cardinal made its way further out to the edge of the wire light fixture, eventually to the edge of the gazebo, and then took off awhile later.

The tears weren’t because I am a bird-lover.  Honestly, I guess I’ve never paid a whole lot of attention.  But that day, that baby cardinal got my attention.  How gently, yet firmly, that mommy and daddy cardinal worked to give the baby the courage to take flight.  How gently, yet firmly, God works with each of us…giving us just what we need, understanding our fears, nudging us toward freedom

Around that same time of being home 24/7, I was redecorating anywhere and everywhere.  I always find peace and enjoyment in being creative and we did a lot of it as a family.  I came across a vintage Birds of America book that I had tucked away.  I wanted to find a picture of the cardinals to show the kids and as I browsed through, I got so much spring decorating inspiration from the beautiful drawings. 

I redecorated our mantel and gallery wall using some of the vintage audobon prints.  It doesn’t take a lot of something like that to make a statement in a room!  I found prints that had warm tones to blend in with my terra cotta pots and brass accents.  I used two gold frames from my décor storage and taped the audobon prints inside.  They had a framed look without any extra expense and without having to cut the prints either!

Fast forward to April of 2021…Easter is past, the bunnies are put away, and I’m breaking out the vintage audobon décor again!  I’ve been enjoying some touches of light blue this spring, so I chose a couple of prints from my Birds of America book that have more of the cool tones.  I love how they still mix beautifully with some brass accents, but I’m replacing the terra cotta with lots of white, light grays, and light blues.

Since the wall in our family room is such a focal point and sets the tone for the rest of our main living spaces, I decided to start with this room.  So, yes, I’m restyling the gallery wall again for spring, but now you understand why!

Here’s what is going on my gallery wall:

French Lavabo

What, exactly, is a French lavabo?  Well, according to a quick google search, these wall-mounted sinks date back to the early 1900s.  They were made out of cast iron and hung on the outside wall of European homes.  They were used for hand washing before coming inside.

I need a lavabo with running water outside my door.  Anyone else relate???  Ha!

French lavabos are so fun to decorate with and I was thrilled to find this one last year from White Flower Farmhouse.  You can find some similar ones HERE, HERE, and HERE!

For my spring décor, I decided to hang this over the mantel and fill it with greenery and flowers!  I started with fresh greenery branches from my yard.  I simply added a little glass of water in the bottom of the lavabo and the fresh branches will stay looking beautiful for weeks!  Since they are in a place where they aren’t touched, they will just turn a deeper green once they begin to dry and I can leave them right where they are!

Next, I added a few white blooms from Flower and Home Marketplace.  These long stems are so perfect for big arrangements and the nice thing about great faux flowers is that you can bend them around until they fit perfectly where you need them!

Before adding the last layer, I took some brown kraft paper and scrunched it around the top of the lavabo.  This gave me a base to add some moss.  Allowing a bit to “spill” over the edges of the lavabo adds a more realistic and whimsical look to the flower arrangement.

When arranging flowers, whether faux or fresh, I like to remember that flowers and plants don’t grow with perfect, symmetrical shapes in nature.  We are drawn to wildflowers in nature because of their natural look.  The same is true for the flowers you assemble in your own home!  A little bit of irregularity and imperfection helps any floral arrangement to feel like you plucked it straight out of nature!

Audobon Prints

You can pay a lot of money for beautifully framed prints and they can be found lots of places, from big-box home décor stores to antique malls.  I found my Birds of America book at the thrift store and I love that it gives me so many choices of prints, plus it’s just a really pretty coffee table book too!

Keep an eye out at flea markets, antique malls, and thrift stores!  Many editions of these books have been printed and they are full of beautiful prints!  I carefully pulled out the prints that tied into my décor and taped them into vintage frames!

You can also find some nice copies of the Birds of America books HERE, HERE, and HERE!

Antique Nets

I love adding unusual items to a gallery wall and even more so when they provide extra texture.  For spring and summer, the light color and style of these nets adds a soft texture.  I got lucky on these and found them at Rehab Vintage Market last spring when they were doing porch pick-up sales!

You could add the same kind of look with baskets or canvases.  Flat and shallow baskets make such great wall décor and you can often find them very inexpensively at thrift stores!  In fact, I think all of my baskets have come from thrift stores!  I’ll link a few online basket wall options for you as well!

Other Items to Use in Gallery Walls

Empty frames, architectural salvage, vintage signs, and vintage mirrors are always my go-to items for gallery walls and mantel décor.  I like to choose one or two general colors and then mix different materials in those colors.  White, wood tones, and antiqued gold are great choices that go with everything!  You can make a neutral color palette interesting and exciting by adding items with great patina and a variety of textures!

I always watch for these kinds of items when I’m out vintage hunting, thrifting, yard sales, and at flea markets!  You can find out more about that over on these posts HERE & HERE.

Whenever I’m out thrifting, I always look for these kinds of items and if I really love them AND the price is right?  I grab them!  Over the years, I’ve collected a nice stash of these “fillers” that I love and enjoy using.  It makes it easy to restyle and refresh without spending any money, just by shopping my own home!

Spring Mantel Décor

Since I have a lot going on with the gallery wall, I kept the mantel décor very simple with a few vintage books in the white, light blue, and gray tones.  I added some vintage brass swans to carry over the audobon theme and a couple of simple, white pots with plants.  My plant babies seem to be loving this mantel spot and thriving, so I decided to leave them right there!

You can find several more spring mantel décor ideas HERE.

I hope this gives you some inspiration to refresh and restyle your home, even in simple ways, during this spring season!

And you’ll be happy to know…the momma cardinal came back, made another nest, the baby cardinals have been born, and we are watching closely to see if we can catch their first flights again this year!

Not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.  So don’t be afraid, You are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.”  Matthew 10:29, 31

Blessings,

Robyn

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Before we can style our mantel, let’s talk about spelling.  I made good grades in school, but I still have to double check with my word-wizard husband every now and then to see if I’m spelling it correctly!  You too?  Oh good!

According to Webster’s Dictionary:

“Keeping mantel and mantle straight is relatively simple.  Mantel in modern English largely does one job: it refers to the shelf above a fireplace.

Mantle, on the other hand, does many jobs.”

Such as:

• “a literal cloak”
• “a figurative cloak symbolizing authority or importance”
• “general covering in literary uses”
• “middle layer of the Earth between the crust and the inner core”

There is a catch, though, says Merriam-Webster:

“Mantle is sometimes used to refer to the shelf above a fireplace as well—that is, as a synonym of mantel.”

So, basically, you can spell it whichever way you like!  And feel smarter in the process!

More importantly, let’s get them styled!!!

My key ingredient for mantel styling is to create layers.  This is a wonderful place to add a lot of texture and character with architectural salvage, vintage mirrors, and artwork.  Accessories such as greenery, candlesticks, and vintage books are always my go-to pieces. 

Mantel styling can be as full or as minimal as you prefer for your own home.  No matter which style you choose, it is a fun place to be creative and think outside the box. 

For a more traditional look, you may consider a center statement piece, such as a large piece of art, salvage, or a mirror, and flank it with matching accessories.  The symmetry definitely gives that inviting look of traditional design.

For a more curated look, both vintage or modern, you may want to consider an asymmetrical design.  This is how I like to style mine and it allows me to use a wider variety of décor pieces too.

The other great thing about mantels is that it is perfectly acceptable to place them almost anywhere in your home!  We live in Florida and don’t have a fireplace.  We actually had one in our old house that we never used…not even once!  But I still love to decorate a vintage mantel and this one works great behind our sectional!  Think of them as really big, really wonderful vintage wall art!

Here are a few favorite looks for spring:

Spring Garden Mantel

I created this spring garden mantel last year and still remember how much I enjoyed it.  I used this piece of modern farmhouse art from @the.little.bird for my base.  You’ll notice that I intentionally off-centered it on the mantel.  I layered an arched salvage frame in a chippy white patina, along with a vintage gold mirror.  The three different sizes of these pieces worked well for layering and connected the different décor elements in the rest of the family room: white, wood, and brass.

For a vintage statement, I added this old water lilies sign.  This is a favorite vintage find from Rehab Vintage Market (a favorite vintage stop in Melbourne, Florida).

Visually, all the white pieces and reflective surface of the mirror felt light and didn’t overpower the room, though it filled the wall.  I love the collected look of these pieces together.

I added accessories of small, old terra cotta pots and plants for that garden vibe.  And of course, a bunny!  The Target Dollar Spot featured these terra cotta colored bunnies last year and I’m glad I grabbed a couple of them for those garden-like vignettes!  I also hung two faux terra cotta arrangements from the ceiling.  Since they are light weight, I was able to use a simple jute twine and thumbtack!

I finished off the accessories, with some faux eucalyptus stems and added height variation to the plants and terra cotta pots with some deconstructed books.

Spring Cottage Mantel

Notice that arched architectural salvage?  I used it again in this spring mantelscape!  If you follow along with me for long, you’ll notice that I use many of the same pieces over and over and over again!  This is the main reason that I love investing in unique, vintage items.  I am able to enjoy them in all seasons, mixed and matched in different ways, and styled with many different looks!

For this cottage-style mantel, I used a fun vintage find.  The “Cottages to Let” sign was an exciting splurge piece at an antiques show a few months ago.  These are exactly the kinds of pieces that I love investing in.  While it’s living on my mantel this spring, I think it would also be perfect in a bedroom, bathroom, or even porch décor!  When you find those pieces that you love so much, don’t be afraid to bring them into your collection!  I’d rather have this one sign that is so unique than 10 pieces of wall décor from a big-box store!

I layered a large rectangle frame with the chippy arch frame and a small white mirror, alongside the cottage sign.  While those are a lot of pieces, I feel like they work well together because they are all white and vary in size.  Perfect for layering!

I accessorized with some simple vintage book stacks, white and brass planters, and some fresh baby plants.

I like to mix the old and new together and these pots are a fun example.  The $10 Walmart pot on the right has fun texture while the vintage McCoy pot on the left adds a collected look.  A simple touch of brass with another plant adds a reflective element and breaks up all the white in a subtle way.

I love mixing old signs together and added this vintage insurance sign over the top.  While it isn’t spring-related, I love how the black and white signs and chippy patinas all work together!

Vintage signs are something that I am always looking for at antique malls, flea markets, thrift stores, vintage markets, and even boutique shops.  I mainly collect them in black and white, which allows me to mix and match them together for different looks.  It is a fun thing to collect and I love how they add some extra character to our home.

Spring Easter Mantel

It is easy to see here that I kept many of the same elements as my spring cottage mantel.  The main difference is that I added a couple of bunnies.

I love that Easter décor really is that simple!  A few well-placed rabbits are really all you “need” for some fun Easter vibes!

I rearranged the mantel somewhat, though.  You’ll notice that the cottage sign is switched to the other side and like I mentioned earlier, is off-centered.  This allows me to layer in some pieces for less-traditional, more collected kind of a look.

I replaced the large white frame with an antique gold one.  It is missing some pieces and is really chippy…just the way I like it!  I recently bought a stack of old frames from a vendor that has all of his items shipped in containers from France.  So while I can’t say for certain that is a French vintage item, there is a really good chance that it is and that just makes me happy!

I layered a smaller white frame (with some gold peeking through) and an even smaller blue-gray frame.  While these are not the same colors, they work together with commonalities of shape and style..

One of my favorite accessories for this mantelscape is the small architectural salvage piece.  It is a chippy trim piece and I just love the unique shape and patina on it.  I layered this in front of the cottage sign for a little extra character.

I added two white bunnies for a touch of Easter, along with the same books, plants, and pots from the spring cottage mantel.

For some extra Easter fun, I repurposed an Easter décor item that I’ve had for 10 years or so!  I got these eggs that spell “Happy Easter” from Pottery Barn many years ago and I love using them to decorate each year.  I like to cut bare branches from the yard and fill a vase, then add the eggs to the branches.

Fun fact: I had the perfect branch that we carefully moved…from two different houses…after our final move and renovation, my husband finally convinced me to toss the branch.  All of our items were in storage for several months, and I admit, a branch was kind of a silly thing to be carrying around.

But I still miss that branch.  It was the perfect size and shape!

So this year, I decided to hang the eggs on a piece of twine along the front of the mantel.  I love that the eggs kind of turn and do their own thing, so it’s a subtle “Happy Easter” and makes a simple statement.  I like how they almost just blend right in, but still giving it that Easter touch!

I hope this gives you some ideas and inspiration as you decorate your mantel for spring!  You could use these same ideas and concepts for decorating an entryway table, top of a cabinet, or shelf styling as well!

I am linking some similar items to some of the accessories I love to use, as well as some of my favorite neutral Easter décor, in case you’re on the hunt this weekend!

Happy Spring Decorating this weekend!

Blessings,

Robyn

“There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature.  The assurance that dawn comes after night and spring after winter.” -Rachel Carson

At the heart of it all, I think that is why the change of each passing season brings a sense of refreshment to our homes and hopefully our hearts, as well.  I love decorating for each season and behind all the fun, is a deep desire to make our home a special place.  A place where the five of us feel safe, secure, a sense of belonging, and a desire to just be home.

I am so glad you joined me today for our spring home tour!  I hope it inspires you in your own journey to make home all the wonderful things we wish for!  Whether you are new here or have been following along for awhile, welcome!  I am so glad you’re here and I’m excited to share our tour with you, along with some incredible spring tours from some blogging friends!

If you’re hopping over from Kathryn at Up To Date Interiors, welcome!  Thanks for coming on over.  I absolutely love Kathryn’s tour and her incredible style!

So…come on in!  I’ll bring you through the side door, because that’s where all of our friends and family enter!  And if you are here, you are considered a friend now!

Spring is the perfect time here in Florida for all the outdoor refreshes and we try to get them in before it gets too hot!  Robb earned some brownie points by painting this door frame, touching up the front door, and install our new Eufy Smart Lock and Wifi System.  I added a new wreath and a new doormat too!  This space makes me smile instead of cringe when I pull in the driveway…that’s a good thing for “home”, right?!

We are going to just scoot right through the playroom because, well, I didn’t decorate for spring in there yet!  I am going to set up a little Easter party here for the kids next week, though so stay tuned over on my Instagram!

Family Room

I had so much fun in our family room for spring this year!  My two inspiration pieces for this room are this antique “cottage to let” sign and a chippy, blue, concrete urn.  Isn’t it funny how inspiration can strike with the most unusual things?  Both of these items were finds back in the winter months from an antique market we went to.  While the cottage sign was a splurge item and the concrete urn was a steal of a deal, both add just the touch of whimsy, color, and interest to this room that I was hoping for!

I paired the cottage sign with another black and white vintage sign and some antique French frames to create a gallery wall over our mantel.  I will be sharing all the details of this mantel styling in an upcoming blog post, along with three other mantel styling ideas, so stay tuned for that, coming up this weekend!

Keeping it all light, bright, and neutral allowed me to incorporate different vintage textures, but they all work together with a neutral color palette.   For a touch of Easter, I added some bunnies to the mantel.  Plants are my other staple décor item for spring!  I brought in several new plant babies to sprinkle spring touches throughout our entire home!

The concrete urn makes a statement in this antique wooden trough!  Paired with this H E A V Y coffee table, this whole setting isn’t budging!  Which is a very good thing, considering the nerf wars, wrestling matches, and everyday wear and tear of family life!  I added this gray rabbit to add an Easter touch to the coffee table and pull it altogether.  I love how it blends with the garden touch of the trough and concrete urn!

Kitchen

With each season, I love to add some simple, seasonal touches to our kitchen.  However, I always try to keep any kitchen “décor” functional.  My scale, for example, holds fruit to grab for quick snacks and my little French ironstone is ready with grapes…which I cannot seem to keep for more than 5 minutes these days, so it usually looks messy!  Ha!  My kids love grapes, so I do try to restock those often for their snacks!

I love this little wooden cubby box that I keep on my counter.  It is perfect for holding items that I like to use for quick tablescapes!  For spring, I have some woven trivets, vintage brass chargers, wooden bowls, and some European proofing bowls.  I keep those handy for holding bread or treats!

Other than keeping some fresh plants tucked around the kitchen, I just try to keep it clean and tidy!  That’s enough kitchen décor for me!

Dining Room

I had so much fun styling the dining room for Easter this year with the addition of this apothecary!  I was so inspired a few years ago by Liz Marie Galvan and her huge “Dressed Rabbit” sign!  I love the play on words and just makes for a fun touch.  I hung it on the front of the apothecary and added one more cute clearance bunny from Pottery Barn to the shelf.  The other Easter touch I added was these eggs cups.  Most of them are vintage and then there are a few new ones.  I added paper mache and wooden eggs.

I have a whole blog post with Easter tablescape ideas that you can find here.  I love styling up Easter and spring tables!  This one was really fun and I love the casual, vintage look!  I’ve never used copper for Easter before, but these cups were a fun flea market find and I enjoyed working them into my tablescape!  Stay tuned over on my Instagram for one more Easter tablescape next week!  I’ll be putting together a little more formal one for the holiday!

Music Room

This long apothecary is so fun to style!  We added it to our home last summer and I can’t imagine this space without it now!  Since every person in our family plays the piano and music is such a huge part of our lives, we took our formal living room and turned it into a music room.  This wall was such wasted space before.  Now, it holds this 10’ apothecary, which stores almost all of my “small” home décor pieces.  It is such a blessing to have this space functioning so well now!

To style this room, I added these gorgeous pillows from Hallstrom Home.  The gorgeous linen brightens and lightens up this space and adds such a pretty texture.  I have a coupon code for you too!  Use the code: ROBYNSFRENCHNEST for 10% your entire order.  I promise you’ll love these too.  They have different colors and sizes and I’m obsessed!

I used fresh branches from the trees in our yard to fill this big crock.  Adding these gorgeous floral stems from Flower and Home Marketplace.  They are tall, beautiful, and instantly turned this into a spring style!  The cute little, distressed rabbits are also from Flower and Home Marketplace.  They have some gorgeous seasonal and home décor products at great price points!

Back Dining Room

I know.  It’s a little unusual to have two dining rooms.  The fact is, we have this very, very long room at the back of our house.  We already had this 12’ farmhouse table from our old home and it fit perfectly.  We love eating here with the backyard view and so it has just become our “kitchen” table kind of space!

Harrison helped me make a fun centerpiece here with bare branches and these cute Easter ornaments, also from Flower and Home Marketplace.  In my vintage French trough, we added a large pothos plant and two tall rabbits.  I got this set at a market several years ago and they are so fun to pull out and use every spring!

For our buffet, this architectural salvage piece, with its’ perfectly chippy, blue-gray patina, was my inspiration!  I love this color so much and how it blends in with my gray rabbit, large sign from The Little Bird, French basket, and fiddle leaf plant! 

Special Treat for You Today!

I am so excited to be joining up with some blogging friends to share even more spring inspiration with you!  You won’t want to miss any of these tours.  I love how each home is so special and unique, filled with spring inspiration, and waiting for you to come on in!

I want you to click on over to my friend Jen from Midwest Life and Style.  You’re going to love the traditional style of Jen’s home, simple styling, and vintage elements she uses too!  Make sure to leave a comment and let her know how much she inspired you!  I know you’ll love her home!

Enjoy!  And Happy Spring!

Blessings,

Robyn

Good morning!  If you’re hopping over from my friend Kim at Shiplap and Shells, welcome!  Kim’s cottage style and vintage décor are always so inspiring and I am blessed to call her my friend!  I always love to see what vintage pieces she is coming up with and how she styles them in her home.

I’m so glad you clicked over to my blog post today!  I am sharing my biggest home décor passion…VINTAGE!

I can’t really say when my love for vintage and antiques started, but I don’t remember a time when I didn’t love them.  Even as a young girl, I remember styling up some old eyeglasses on my bookshelf and always loved rummaging through my Memaw and Papaw’s MANY antiques.  Memaw could literally tell you who gave her each thing, where she found it, what it was used for, what she paid for it, and more details than you maybe even cared to know!

So my family says I come by it honestly.  Funny how those unique quirks show up in a person many years later!

And I can already tell that our little Harrison is going to take after Memaw too!  He loves to roam around antique shops with me and is always full of questions!  I love having him along.

Sometimes we get really lucky!  I’ve definitely had those random, lucky finds over the years.  But some of my finds have come through patience, taking time to research and do my homework, and watching pro vintage-hunters!

Here are a few things I’ve learned from watching the experts:

5 Things Expert “Junkers” Do

• A vintage pro always has measurements on hand for any pieces they may be hunting for and even general measurements of their home in case they come across “THE PIECE.”
• A vintage pro carries a measuring tape. (This is how I know I haven’t arrived at the pro status.  I literally NEVER remember a measuring tape!  Ha!)
• A vintage pro has a number in their head of general favorite items, what they are willing to spend, and if they are a seller, what they can sell an item for. This helps them to do #4 really well!

• A vintage pro doesn’t overthink and makes quick decisions. (Another reason why I haven’t reached pro status!  Go ask my friend Beth from @oldetymemarketplace, who is a pro.  She learned to move on and stop waiting for me!). I am learning to get better at this though, because I can’t tell you the number of times when I’ve been indecisive and someone swooped in to grab a great deal…leaving me regretting my indecisiveness!
• A vintage pro is able to look past what is and imagine what could be! Dirt, wrong color of paint, a little smelly, broken, or worn out….usually there is a solution if you are willing to put in some time and effort!

5 of My Favorite Vintage Finds

Chippy Concrete Urn

 This was a recent find that I shared recently over on my Instagram for Coffee Table Styling ideas!  On a recent junking trip, we were at the end of the day…out of space and finished off the trip budget.  We were on our way to the truck when I spotted this sweet little urn, half buried under dirt and muddy water. But I could see some of that light blue peeking through and for $20, I couldn’t pass it up!

I am enjoying it so much in my spring styling and I love the hint of spring color that it adds to my coffee table!  I always have a soft spot for a good, chippy patina and this concrete planter definitely has that going for it!

I also love finding versatile pieces like this one.  I could use it on tables, on the floor, outdoors, and in any room of the house…even a bathroom!  To me, those are pieces that area always worth investing in!

Antique Card Catalog

This was one of those pieces that I passed on.  I didn’t want to pay the asking price and I didn’t have a good idea of where it would go.  But back at the hotel, I started regretting my decision!  Once in a blue moon, indecisiveness pays off and I got lucky this particular time!  When we went back the next day, I was so excited to see the card catalog still sitting there and they dropped the price!

But it was smelly and covered in decades of dirt and grime.  As I mentioned, don’t let those things deter you from grabbing a good deal on a piece you love!  I shared how we restored this piece over on this post.

It looks so beautiful as a side table in our back living room and I’m still so happy that we found this piece of history

Antique Apothecary Cabinet

If you’ve followed me for awhile, you have probably caught on to my love for apothecary items!  I shared a lot more details of this incredible piece here (hyperlink to blog post about removing paint) and it’s a great example of not letting the “wrong” paint color keep you from a dream piece!  Some $1 oven cleaner and elbow grease turned this into a statement piece for our home!  It also has a super fun story behind it!

A great tip for finding vintage pieces is to follow store owners, pickers, and vintage vendors on their social media sites!  We found this piece when our friends from Baker & Co. posted it in a picture from their store.  A quick phone call got us some close up pictures and video and all the information we needed!  Spend time getting to know vendors and shop owners in your area.  And let them know what you’re looking for!  They are usually happy to write down your information and wish list items!  I love supporting small businesses and this is a wonderful way to do so, benefitting both the business and yourself too!

This piece is so fun to style and I know it’s one of those “forever” pieces for our home.  It also has amazing storage and works as a wonderful display cabinet in our dining room!

Vintage Signs

I definitely love collecting vintage signs and it something that I am always looking for!  This particular “Hamblen House Bed and Breakfast” sign caught my eye when we were on the World’s Longest Yard Sale!  The price was right and I thought I knew exactly where it could go in our home.

Fast forward to getting home, cleaning it up…and it didn’t fit!  So I took it to our next vendor market and since it didn’t sell, stashed it away in storage.  Not too many weeks later, I woke up in the middle of the night knowing exactly where it could fit!  And now it makes an incredible statement piece in our master bedroom!

This is a great example of grabbing those pieces that speak to you.  If you really love it, you can usually find a way to use it!  (Not talking about massive pieces that don’t fit in your home, of course!)

Vintage signs are a great way to add character and charm to your home.  I love to use them to decorate for different seasons.  Since they are flat, we store them in the attic between two rafters.  It is a fun way to switch out your décor and enjoy your collection!

I find my best vintage signs from vintage shops and antique shows.  While they typically are not cheap, they are great investment pieces that hold their value.  I have never found an amazing vintage sign at a thrift store, but I always look anyway…you never know!

Architectural Salvage

Great architectural salvage is something that is always on my “hunting” list!  I have so many favorites, but a recent find is this gorgeous blue-gray piece that I’m using in my spring décor.  I picked it up on a recent vintage shopping trip from a boutique vendor.  These are nice finds that have already been cleaned and fixed up!  I carried it straight inside and decorated!

I have tiny salvage pieces all the way up to big corbels and columns.  They are always fun to find and add so much character and charm to your home.  I love that architectural salvage fits so many design styles, from farmhouse to rustic, and cottage to traditional.  If you have a new(er) home, architectural salvage pieces are a perfect way to add some instant charm and help your home feel curated over time!

5 Places to Hunt for Vintage Décor

• Boutique Vintage Shops:  These are small-businesses who have curated their store to create a certain look and feel.  I get some much inspiration from browsing shops like this!  In fact, if I’m feeling in a bit of a décor rut, there is nothing that helps me snap out of it like roaming through a favorite shop.  Two of my favorites that I’ve had the privilege of shopping at frequently are Olde Tyme Marketplace in Madison, Indiana and Rehab Vintage Market in Melbourne, FL.  I have soooo many pieces in our home from these two amazing stores!
• Antique Malls:  These are always fun stops because you never know what you’ll find! There is almost always a huge variety, as the malls have lots of different vendors, each with their own style.  We always find some interesting things and there are usually some good laughs too!  You literally never know!  Make sure to look high and low in antique malls.  Crowded vendor booths usually have a hidden treasure or two!

• Thrift Stores:  I make frequent stops at our local thrift store. In fact, most of my vintage books come from thrift stores!  Depending on the part of the country where you live, you can find great ironstone, baskets, dishes, and even furniture!  I often walk out empty-handed, but sometimes I score!  I recently picked up a stack of terra cotta pots for 49 cents each…and they all have that perfectly aged patina for decorating!
• Flea Markets:  Be prepared to get a little dirty, sweaty, and messy, but I almost never leave empty-handed! If you go often enough, you can get to know some of the vendors and let them know what you’re looking for.  They may be delighted to go rummaging through their estate sale stashes back in their storage units and find just what you need!
• Yard Sales:  I’ll admit, I haven’t been to a good one in a long time. But I’ve found fantastic things at yard sales before!  I remember years ago, probably 15 years or so now, buying an old, chippy window for $10 at a yard sale!  Chippy windows weren’t really a “thing” in the décor world then, but I loved it and decorated with it for the next 12 years!  I think I finally got rid of it when we were renovating.  Best $10 investment ever!

One more place to look for vintage items, especially in this world of technology, are from online shops and vendors.  I love how small businesses have gotten so creative over the past year and I’ve scored some amazing pieces!  Here are some places to hunt for vintage items online, along with some of my favorite online vendors:

• • Facebook Marketplace (lots of sellers are shipping these days!)
  • Etsy
  • Dreamy White Lifestyles
  • Olde Tyme Marketplace
  • The Cotton Shed
  • Havenberry Vintage

I hope this gives you some ideas for your next vintage hunting trip, whether from your sofa or out walking the flea market fields!

Make sure to check out these vintage-loving friends listed below, learn their favorite tips and tricks, and how they use vintage items in their own homes! Next up on our vintage tour is Stacy from Bricks ‘N Blooms!  I can’t wait to see her vintage share today and I know you’re going to love her garden-inspired home and décor!

Blessings,

Robyn

So this obsession goes back a ways.

Actually, back a loooooong ways.

I know it’s hard to believe that I ever got in trouble as a child (haha!), but from time to time, it would happen.  And you know what got me in trouble more than anything else?

My nose in a book.

Now it wasn’t that my parents didn’t want me to read.  In fact, they both still love to read and it was a big part of our family.  But reading when I was supposed to be doing my chores…that got me in trouble once or twice…or more.  Who’s counting?

(And you know what’s funny?  This is our current parenting “problem” with one of our children now!  What goes around comes around!!!)

Fast forward to about 4 or 5 years after Robb and I were married.  We had SO MANY BOOKS!  Everything from all the books our parents sent with us to college textbooks and beyond.  Most of our books were on two bookshelves in our bedroom that I had picked up from a yard sale.  I distinctly remember when my patient hubby got home from work on this particularly creative day of mine…

“Robyn!  What in the world????”

I had turned every single book around so that the lovely, neutral-colored pages were showing, rather than the array of colors and styles of ALL THOSE BOOKS!  I don’t really know where I got the idea because it wasn’t a thing in decorating like it is now.  But I was just so tired of all those crazy colors and mis-matched spines.

Did I say he’s patient?  For the most part, yes, and he agreed to give it a try.  Especially since those neutral pages were making me so happy!

Fast forward about 13 years later…and yep!  I’m still facing those pages outward!

(Except the kids books…I’m not that crazy about my neutrals!!!  Ha!  Besides, their books are on the bookshelves in their room, so it’s totally fine.)

If you follow me on Instagram, you are used to seeing me decorate with books all the time!  In fact, they are a staple in almost every room and definitely for every season.

To me, books add so much interest and character to a space.  They help tell the story of a space that is well-loved and well-lived in.  Books bring a sense of a room being curated over time, rather than picked up at a big box furniture store.

There are so many ways to use books in your décor.  Today, we are going to go over five of my favorite ways and see how many of these styling ideas you already use!

Before we launch into styling, let’s talk about where all these books came from!  Every time I go to any thrift store, I always hit up the book section.  Since I am using these books for décor, I am less concerned with the book content as I am the actual color, style, and patina of the book.  If I am working on a particular color palette for a space, like the light blue I did in the girls room, I will browse the shelves for color.  Sometimes, I am looking for books that have a particular size for layering or stacking.  Other times, I am paying attention to the title.  For example, I have vintage books that I like to pull out with my summer décor, each title referring to the sea or ocean.

You may want to browse for décor books by:

• Color
• Size
• Title/words on the spine

Almost all of my décor books have come from thrift stores!  I do have some special ones that I’ve picked up at antique stores or vintage shops, and I have several amazing leather ones from my friend Jamie from @booksbycolor_jaysworld.  I’ll link some amazing vintage options for you at the end of this post!  It is very rare that I pay very much at all for a décor book, though investing in some of the larger ones, like a thick dictionary or French books can be well worth the extra!

So Let’s Get to Styling!

Deconstructed Books

There may be a few book-loving friends that would object to this.  But hear me out…I have taken many a book that would have ended up in the landfill and repurposed it to be fabulous décor!  I have also salvaged discarded paperback books and turned them into works of art that I’ve been decorating with for years!

To deconstruct a book, you will simply work the spine completely off, pulling the covers with it.  Even a newer book has a great look when deconstructed, as you get some of the glue residue remaining, and leaving a texture and patina that makes it look really old…and really loved.  Fun trick, huh?

Sometimes I tie my deconstructed books together with twine to make a cute book bundle.  Some, I leave as individuals.  It is a versatile, nearly fail-proof DIY that literally costs you the price of a cheap paperback at the thrift store!  And it’s also a great way to recycle an old book that is maybe too tattered to read or one that you may end up tossing!

Warning:  It’s Addictive!!!

Use Books to Tell a Story in Your Décor

I did this with my vintage coastal books last year. ( And yes, I even have seasonal books for décor!). With only about 5 or 6 well-chosen old books, I helped set the tone for a casual, vintage coastal look in our family room.  In this case, I left the neutral and light blue spines facing out so that the titles could be easily seen…and help tell the story of a little seaside cottage.  Now we aren’t in an actual cottage and the beach is a couple miles away, but these books helped create that look and tell that story.

I also use old music books to decorate in this way.  At Christmas, for example, I put a couple of vintage copies of Handel’s Messiah on the top of the stack.  Subtle, but I loved that it helped create that look of a vintage Christmas.

I am currently on the hunt for some vintage, neutral-ish books for spring, like a great set of Beatrix Potter books!  We have the children’s ones, but they are more new looking.  (Hint: if anyone comes across a great vintage set, message me!!!)

Use Books to Give Dimension to Your Vignette

Lean them, stack them, open them, close them, stand them up, lay them down!

You get the idea!!!

Anytime I am creating a vignette, I am looking for a variety of height and texture.  A pair of matching lanterns, sitting next to one another, doesn’t really work.  They are the same height, same color, same everything.  BUT, add a few vintage books with great character and patina underneath the lanterns?  All of a sudden, you have an instant vignette that looks like you spent a ton of time on it!

I also like to lean a few books against a pot or cloche to add a little extra texture.  Like we talked about in the cloche styling post, you can even rest a cloche on top of a larger book as a base! 

Do your candlesticks look too short next to your artwork?  Add a book stack underneath!

Does your plant/planter not fill the space adequately?  Lean some books to the side to fill the horizontal space!

Have a console table that is lacking character?  Add some large, vintage books and a set of corbels.  Incredible character and I promise you’ll use them forever!

Use Books in Your Tablescapes

Who said books are only for shelves and coffee tables?  I styled this entire tablescape around a book theme!  I used books to add height and texture to my simple centerpieces.  And I used old pages to create a special look for each place setting.  It was a simple craft to do with an old book, but made a nice statement!

Another time, I used some old music book pages as my placemats.  I think I paid $2 at the flea market for that old music book, and I’ll have placemats for years to come out of that book!  For $2, I was pretty happy for these disposable placemats and a fun table theme!

Use Books to Camouflage An Undesired View or Fill a Desired Space

Say what?

Well, supposed you have a TV cord or entertainment center wires that are hanging down.  A well-positioned stack of books could be the perfect trick to hide those cords!  We have our entertainment cords hidden in the wall in our current home; that was a huge must-do when we were renovating.  But at our old house, I had book stacks everywhere to hid those cords!

Decorating with books is also a great way to fill a desired spot in your home.  A favorite basket, dough bowl, or tray could be on display but need a little filler.  Old books are a perfect way to visually fill your piece without taking away from its charm or “stealing the spotlight”, so to speak!

Basically, you can see that I use books…old, new, tired, tattered, vintage, and antique…everywhere!  While you can spend thousands on a rare antique book, you don’t need to spend more than a dollar at the thrift store to get you started on adding books to your décor.  Or take a look around your home…you might be surprised what books you have around that you could actually use, rather than collecting dust on a top shelf!

I hope this inspires you to try something different in your décor this week.  The exciting thing is that there is no right or wrong.  You aren’t going to waste money or resources to play around with these décor ideas!  Let me know what you decide to do with old books in your décor!

Blessings,

Robyn

There are a few pieces of décor that never get put away in my décor storage.  Cloches and architectural salvage bases are a couple of those things!  No matter the season, you’ll see these glass cloches scattered throughout our home.  I love pairing them with architectural salvage pieces, but there are lots of different ways you can use them.  Let’s get started!

Where Can I Find a Cloche?

My favorite cloches have been found at vintage shops and antique malls.  But keep an eye out at thrift stores too!  My smallest one was a whopping 99 cents at the thrift store.  I think it probably used to be with one of those little clocks like my grandparents had!  They usually aren’t inexpensive, but exactly the kind of piece that I’m happy to invest in.  I use mine year-round, for all seasons, and in almost every part of our home (okay, not the playroom or kids’ rooms!  Ha!)

I will also link some cloches below that I found online.  My favorites are the vintage terrarium style, but over the years, I’ve enjoyed collecting a variety of styles and using them together!

Let’s Get to Styling!

Style a Cloche with a Candle

This is always my go to.  If I feel stumped, I just add a battery-operated pillar candle and call it a day!  It’s a no-fail option!  You can quickly take it to the next level by adding some seasonal greenery.  I often just use little stems, but a candle ring or mini wreath works perfectly too!  Candles add a soft glow, no matter the season, and I love having mine flicker on at dusk and go off at bedtime! 

This is a fun way to add a super quick and easy seasonal touch with flowers or seasonal greenery.  If I don’t have a specific seasonal flower, faux eucalyptus is my go-to!

Style a Cloche with Vintage Books

If you’ve been following me for longer than a minute, you’re not surprised by this one!  I keep an eye out for small, vintage books, specifically for adding to cloches and vignettes.  I found a stack of these miniature orchestral scores at the thrift store.  Being a musician family, I love that connection.  But I also love how the old, worn paper adds so much texture!  If you don’t have any vintage books with the right colors or patina that you want, consider a quick DIY and deconstruct them!  The cheapest little paperbacks in the discard pile can become the perfect décor for your cloche.  Rip those covers off and style away!

If you have special books, such as a family Bible, or antique collectible books, styling them in a cloche is a great way to get them off the bookshelf and placed in a prominent spot!

Style a Cloche with Vintage Objects

You may remember in my winter décor and the vintage brass deer that I used under a cloche.  To take out those winter décor vibes and replace with a hint of spring, I swapped out the vintage brass deer for two super cute vintage brass swans!  Cloches are a great spot to highlight a few seasonal collections.  Here are a few ideas:

• Grouping of milk glass vases with faux tulips
• Grouping of brass candlesticks (don’t worry, they don’t have to have the candles to still look amazing!)
• Vintage brass birds
• Vintage brass swans
• Vintage brass bunnies
• Nest with wooden or hand-painted eggs
• Old apothecary bottles
• Mini terracotta pots
• Vintage gardening tools

Style a Cloche with a Faux Plant

Now of course, you couldn’t keep a real plant under the glass cloche for very long, but little faux plants are the perfect way to add some life and texture!  I especially love these little mini ones from the Hearth and Hand collection.  Once we get more into spring, I may leave the terracotta pot showing, but for now, I still want to incorporate some vintage brass, so I added my little faux plant to the vintage brass pot.  I love how it makes the plant look more real and also more substantial!  I’ll link up some different faux plants here that I currently have or have seen and love!  I’m really picky about my faux greenery and flowers, but these are good ones and mix nicely with real plants too!

What Do I Set My Cloche On?

I mentioned that I love to pair my cloches with architectural salvage pieces, such as column capitals.  However, if you have a great cloche and no salvage base that fits it, there are other great ways to style up your cloche with a vintage look!

I decided to put a live plant in my large, super chippy capital column from Olde Tyme Marketplace.  That left me with an extra cloche…and those don’t typically get put in storage!  I absolutely love how it looks paired with my faux newspaper binder.  The spine & cover are a great neutral color and it lays flat to make a great base for my cloche.

You could also pair a cloche with a large book or a vintage breadboard.  A large dough bowl, basket tray, wooden tray, or cake stand also make great options, depending on the size of your cloche and how you want to style it!

While your cloche doesn’t have to set on anything in particular, creating a base of some kind for it does ground the vignette.  It can also help your entire décor look to be more cohesive.  Practically speaking, it’s also much easier to dust when you can just slide the base over!!!

I hope this gives you some fun ideas or sparks some creativity for you, as you style up your cloche for a spring vignette!  I love using mine and can’t wait to hear what you put under your cloche this spring!

Blessings,

Robyn

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Most of us probably rely heavily on the seasons for our décor inspiration and if decorating is a hobby for you (like it is for me!), we enjoy any excuse to switch things out, refresh, and restyle!  There are times through the year, however, there isn’t a specific season or holiday to decorate for and you just need that “in-between” look. 

For me, this week starts a few weeks of “in-between” décor.  Even though Easter is arriving a little earlier this year, I’m just not quite ready  for all the décor bunnies to hop in, but I am ready for a little brighter and fresher look!  And while I am ready for the heavy winter greens to come down and be stored away until next November, I’m not quite ready to give up all the cozy vibes of my winter décor!

So, here are some décor tips I fall back on for those transitional times in décor.

Prepare spaces for deep cleaning and refreshing

We could call this the continuance of the scale back of Christmas décor!  Here are a few things I am doing this week:

• Put away the heavier, winter-specific greenery (garlands and trees).
• Clear off decorated table surfaces and put everything away. (Don’t worry, we are going to get a few things back out!)
• Deep clean the spaces that I clear. January was the month for reorganizing drawers and closets (except my closets still aren’t done!).  I consider February a month to do this same kind of cleaning and purging with my decorated spaces!  It’s so easy to clean an undecorated space, so take your chance now!

Thoughtfully bring in simple, fresh décor

I want to keep that cozy, winter vibe, so I’ll keep my chunky knit throw pillows, extra blankets, and layers throughout our home.  Here’s the kinds of décor I will bring back into my clean spaces:

• Neutral pillows and blankets
• Scatter my fresh plants throughout the house
• Some fresh flowers here and there in neutral tones
• Texture: mixing metal, glass, and wood
• Key pieces to add character: vintage signs, salvage, and objects of interest

All of these are things that I always try to incorporate, no matter the season, but for this transitional time, I’ll work to style them in ways that are more simple and less fluff!

Unique Decorating Stories for Transitional Seasons

If you’ve followed me for very long, you have probably heard me talk about creating a “story” in the rooms I decorate.  Not so much a thematic style, but rather a flow to the décor that makes it all feel like it belongs together, while not being too matchy-matchy.  These off-season times are a great chance to tell some of those stories while you’re not incorporating pumpkins, flags, bunnies, or Christmas trees!  Much as a designer would develop a color story, you can do the same with your décor items!

My winter family room is a fun example of using a vintage décor story!  I used my vintage library sign along with groupings of neutral, vintage books scattered throughout the room.  Combined with some rich tones through the leather book covers and warm woods, I felt like it all worked together to help it feel like a space where you would just want to get cozy with a favorite blanket and good book!  It seemed to work, because I found the kids reading in the space quite a bit through that month and a half!

Another space that I created a décor story for this transitional décor season is our farmhouse dining room.  I gathered favorite apothecary-style items for our dining room during this off-season.  While they aren’t all exactly apothecary related, they work together to give that feeling!  It is a great way to incorporate some of my favorite décor items to tell a story! 

I extended that look into the adjoining music room by simply adding some small apothecary drawers and vintage books.  Where the space may have had a cedar tree for winter, I replaced with branches cut from our driveway in a large white crock.

To help you narrow down and decide on your décor story, here are a few tips:

• Gather your favorite collections.  For me, my collections of mortar and pestles and vintage books created a natural story!  Everything in the room doesn’t have to work around the theme, just a few key pieces!  This is a great time to feature a favorite collection: milk glass, vintage art, old signs, vintage alarm clocks, crocks….anything!
• Think of how you want to use the space and what feels like a natural fit. The vintage book theme worked in our family room because it is organically a place where our family gathers in to get cozy!
• Consider the display space you have available. These are some great spots to display collections and create a décor story:
• • Mantel
  • Console table
  • Bookshelf
  • Hutch or open shelves

• Add greenery! Anytime I’m styling a grouping of items, I want something to soften the edges and give some contrast of texture and height.  Plants, whether fresh or faux, are a great way to do that.  For this time of year, I also love to add branches from the yard.  They add a little whimsy and I love the natural look!
• Consider the adjoining rooms. How can you create a common thread to your décor story?  It could be through the use of a particular design style, such as French Farmhouse or Boho.  It could be with a common color, sprinkled throughout the rooms, or even texture, such as chunky knit throws and pillows!  The plants and flowers you choose can also help tie rooms together.  The attention to detail really connects spaces and makes your home feel curated and thoughtful!

I love this quote from Morgan Harper Nichols:

“You are allowed to hope for what’s to come, while making the most of where you already are.”

As we wait for spring, let’s do so patiently, slowly, and enjoying the beauty that remains in the winter season…but do pick up a fresh plant at the store and maybe a bouquet of tulips!  You’ll feel so much better!

Blessings,

Robyn

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