I know fall is the season of orange, and there is nothing like a bright pumpkin in the autumn. But let's be honest, I'm a neutral girl at heart. My very favorite autumn decor is always white pumpkins and naturals to add texture (see a round up of some of my favorite fall decor here). So I found some great options for the neutral-lovers like me out there!
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First of all, this home tour from The Everygirl co-founder Alaina Kaczmarski is just everything. I'm not sure I've been so inspired by a space in a long time. Her use of black, white and neutrals is perfect, and everything is classic and timeless but still feels so fresh. And what she did to her very dated kitchen (it's a rental so she couldn't renovate) just blows me away! I had a hard time not sharing each and every photo. Take the tour and see all the before and afters here.
The Lily Pad Cottage's new butler's pantry are what all of my organization dreams are made of!
I listen to mostly interior-related podcasts (shocker) but a friend recently recommended the Risen Motherhood podcast and I love it. I'm normally not a huge fan of mom-centered things because I think they're often cheesy, but this is a great gospel-centered one that's short but super helpful in realigning my heart with the priorities of God.
I spent the week doing a bit of fall decorating and was so happy our grocery store already had out the unique varieties of pumpkins they carry each year. This little moment I shared on Instagram just made my heart happy. Welcome, fall! (shop the rug here)
Speaking of fall, each year I tend to update my wardrobe just a bit with some basic pieces for the season. I thought I'd share a couple of items I recently purchased and am loving.
This swing top is so flattering and looks great on its own or under a jacket (wearing it in the image above)
I'm pretty much living in neutral d'orsay flats this year. So classy and make a basic outfit look polished.
This bag is the perfect compromise between a small cross-body and a larger bag for fall. And it's under $25!
These jeggings are my new go-to! They are flattering, high cut and sort of a mix between ponte and denim material. I love them!
These cheetah flats are so cute and act as a fun neutral (also wearing in the photo above)
These gray jeans are my other current go-to. They are super soft and feel very of-the-moment.
This striped tunic is the perfect comfy piece to throw over leggings or wear with a vest this fall. I sized up for extra room and length.
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You guys! I was so excited to find this deal! I mentioned in my living room reveal post that I had wanted these beautiful brass Nantucket lanterns from Anthro forever, but didn't want to pay so much (the extra large size is $118). Then, I found a pair of the large size at Home Goods for $20 and couldn't believe my luck! Well, a couple days ago I stumbled on the exact same geometric brass lanterns at Pier 1 for much less than Anthro! While the price isn't quite as low as Home Goods, it's still a great deal if you're wanting this exact piece. The large size is $50 at Pier 1 vs. $78 at Anthro, and you know there will be sales/discounts often. There are other sizes available too, if you're looking for something a bit smaller. At this price you can grab a few!
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With the arrival of September I've been feeling more and more drawn to "cozy the house" as I call it. The temperatures are still fairly high but the light is shifting and I can feel fall softly arriving. I admit decorating for fall used to be one of my favorite things, but has been a bit of a struggle the last few years. I think fall has become a bit of a craze lately, and I often think the "trendy" fall decor sort of looks like Hobby Lobby threw up in your house haha. That's why I think "cozying the house" just feels a bit better. I love pumpkins as much as the next girl, but I think simply adding some warmth and texture go a long way as the months get cooler.
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When we were looking for a house, one thing I really, really didn't want was a completely open floor plan where the kitchen, dining and living were all the same room. And you know what I got? A beautiful house with a completely open floor plan ; )
It was something I had to compromise on, but it's been a fun design challenge for me. And the great room is definitely very grand. It has nine foot ceilings, absolutely gigantic windows that let in tons of natural light, and a huge fireplace with great molding.
One thing the fireplace didn't have, however, were built-ins on either side. Coming from a house with four sets of built-ins, I was a bit disappointed one of my favorite charming features was missing. So I decided I would add my own for both styling purposes and to fill the large nooks on either side of the fireplace.
While I would absolutely love for our TV to be hidden, there wasn't really a way to do it until we have true built-ins installed. Having a chest on each side gives some storage as well as a place to perch the TV.
Then we had the 43" IKEA Lack shelves installed above each cabinet. We started to do these ourselves then remembered just how un-handy we are and ended up paying someone to come and put them up for us haha. It was money well-spent!
(Side note - this coffee table is one of the things I get asked about most often and it's sadly discontinued : ( I think I'll do a post soon with some good alternatives. This one and this one are somewhat similar.)
I intentionally spaced the shelves widely apart both to fill the vertical space and because we had such narrow built-ins at our last house I was tired of trying to style shelves where only small objects would fit. So these are about 18" between each one and I think it works beautifully. It allows for some more substantial pieces to be displayed (like this great brass vase that goes anywhere and is an incredible price!).
Do you see these brass lanterns on the mantel? I have had my eye on them from Anthropologie for about a year but was hesitant about the cost. Then I stumbled on a pair at Home Goods for $20 each! I couldn't believe it!
I think the faux built-ins add so much to the room! And it balances this end of the space with the kitchen on the other side. It also allows for a lot of texture through accessories since most of our furnishings are white.
You guys know one of my favorite things to do in decorating is style shelves, and it was so fun to find the right mix and balance for this new space. Some of my accessories didn't work quite as well since the shelf spacing is taller, but I only ended up having to purchase a few new things to fill in. (Let's be honest...I wasn't too sad about finding a few new pieces ; )
You see that fiddle leaf fig tree in the corner? I had been waiting forever for our Home Goods to have a fiddle leaf, and they finally did right when we moved in! Before the shelves were installed though, I almost took it back because I wasn't sure I had a spot for it. It turned out it fit perfectly in this corner! (For a similar look try this one or this one, or read my post on the best faux fiddle leafs here.)
We are really happy with this space! We spend a lot of time in here in
the mornings making breakfast and watching Elmo (the babe's favorite),
and it's also been so great for entertaining. The only thing I'd like to
still add is a console table behind the couch.
Here I am styling away...or bribing my husband to please take a shot of me casually placing a plant on a shelf ; )
Ultimately we were able to reuse most of our furniture from the last house, but I think it still feels very different in this space. Moving and furnishing new spaces is always expensive, so I was happy all we had to purchase in here were the cabinets and shelving. My beloved white sofa is holding up beautifully being our main seating, and I haven't had to wash the slipcovers yet (we don't eat on it ever, and that's really the key).
Aren't these pillows just so beautiful? They were made by my friend
Rachel of Laurel and Blush and I adore them. The antelope pattern is one
of my favorite things, and the gray pattern is her own artwork!
Amazing.
So, if you've been wishing for built-ins around your fireplace, or just
looking for a way to fill a space, this solution is just so easy and so
much less expensive than custom built-ins. Floating shelves for the win!
S H O P T H E P O S T
SOURCES
(accessories not listed most likely Home Goods/TJ Maxx finds)
Welcome, friend! I'm wife, mama and decorator who loves to share the pretty in life. This is the place I share simple decorating ideas, things I'm loving lately and a bit of life along the way. So glad to have you here!
