I did a guest post workshop last week for Miss Mustard Seed, so I thought I would post it to my blog in case some of you missed it. Marian wanted me to do a workshop on how I decorate with whites. I basically explain how I add pops of color to my white living room.
I know some of you have seen it so sorry to those of you who will be viewing it for a second time!
As you know I live in a modular home. First thing I picked out was my lighting. I wanted my home to feel old not new. The lights you choose can have a dramatic effect on how your room or home feels. I think this is one of the most important aspects of a room. I found this chandelier for a great price. They are a bit of an investment though. Their value continues to go up with time. This chandelier would add a lot to any room.
My husband added old ceiling tin to the recessed ceiling. I was so excited how this turned out. I am fortunate enough to have a sister who lives in New Hampshire and she found this at a salvage yard for me! It was an inexpensive way to add a dramatic effect to the ceiling. The chandelier against the ceiling gives a layering effect of different textures. When you are decorating with white I think it is important to keep it interesting with different textures.
I placed a farmhouse table under the chandelier. I really like mixing something simple like this table with a beautiful chandelier. For me it grounds the over all look. The table has its original paint on it. I think it makes things more interesting when you have some things freshly painted & some items looking shabby. I added apple green bistro chairs around the table. Now I have added a bright color to the room. But it is in small doses.
The seltzer bottles I found on ebay for $8.00 a piece. They add a lot of color to this room.
I have white denim slipcovered couches. I love these slipcovers. I can't imagine life without them. I have 5 children and whoever thought of the slipcover is a genius. I keep mine covered with vintage sheets as well. The reason for this is my washing machine is too small so when I do have to launder them I have to run to the laundromat, the sheets I can throw in the wash anytime. However, I do like how the sheets look though. I think they create a more inviting atmosphere and add a layering effect. People aren't as scared to sit on them either.
My slipcovers I only have to wash once a year. I have never had to use bleach. Oxiclean does the trick!
Pillows, I am obsessed with pillows. I am lucky enough to have sisters who will sew for me. All my pillows are made from vintage materials. I wanted the pillows to have different textures. Some of the pillows have embroidery on them.
While others are made from vintage matelasses, like the one above. I think these different patterns are a settle way of adding different textures. I love the pattern on the fabric below.
I found this old mantle at a local antique shop. (I will be featuring this store in the near future!) It had a lot of peeling paint, I don't necessarily like a lot of peeling paint. So I scraped the paint off and painted it wedding veil white from Benjamin Moore. I painted my walls in this living room pearl gray from Lowes. It is a Martha Stewart color. I originally painted the walls a cream color, but everything just blended together. It made a big difference when I painted the walls gray. It really made the white pop.
I was excited when I found this clock. It looks kind of industrial & is a bit unusual.
Here are a few things that I have on my mantle right now
I have some quail eggs, their coloring adds a lot to a mostly white atmosphere.
My kids found an old bird's nest for the eggs.
I love this little lamp. I don't know anything about its origin, I just know I haven't ever found another one like it. Those delicate flowers adds a lot to my mantle.
The color of these mason jars make me feel like I live by the sea.
The little tag you see here is from my talented blogging friend Ness. She made it out of clay & stamped a french love letter design into the clay. It is pretty special. I made a little grouping of all the things that I adore.
This little french basket is under my mantle. I think it is unique & adds a different element to the room. It is filled with twine (a must have) and design books. I love displaying my design books. They always have the prettiest pictures on the covers. They are like art.
Flowers! I love adding color with flowers. It is the easiest way to add some vibrant color to a room. These enamelware jugs came from ebay. They make the best vases!
The bright blue sap buckets add a vibrant color to the room. It is little things like this that I love to use as a pop of color. It livens up the room.
I use sea colored class all around my home. It makes any room seem magical when the sun is shining through them.
This is my coat closet. It was a dark brown stained cabinet when I purchased it. I painted it Benjamin Moore's Decorator's White. My husband added the molding to the top. The bright yellow shutter to the left is an unexpected color. I chose that chandelier knowing it would hang over this simple cabinet. I added the mirror to the right so that it reflects the image of my mantle and chandelier. This is what you face when you walk into my front door.
This is a close up of that mirror. A mirror can be so effective when put in the proper place. I always place mine so that they are going to reflect the images of my favorite things. I also use them to bounce light to where I need it most.
This mirror is put on the wall to the left of that white cabinet. This wall doesn't have any windows & is kind of an awkward wall. Once I decided to put mirrors against this wall it didn't seem so awkward anymore.
Depending on where you are standing it reflects many different views of my living room. If you have an area you love a mirror is a great way to duplicate it. The picture below was shot looking into this same mirror that is in the above photo. As you can see I love doors, it is another way to add settle texture to a room.
The picture below was shot through a mirror as well.
I hope you have enjoyed a quick peak into my living room!
I have been working on something fun this week, it is kind of a little surprise! I have had busy week and unfortunately I haven't been able to get around to a lot of my favorite blogs, I will be spending my evenings getting caught up on all of your blogs. I loved hearing how Sarah has inspired all of you! I found her blog when I first started blogging. I think I had stayed up until 5:00 in the morning and found some amazing blogs, and her blog was one of them!
Have a great week!
Take Care,
Maria
Happy Saint Patrick's Day
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