When I wrote out the list of Show and Tell prompts last year I had no idea that we would be in a new house. It's crazy how much things can change in under a year! (In our case about 3 months! hahaha)
I'm not quite ready to do an entire house tour yet, but today I"m going to show y'all a bit more than I have and hopefully next week I'll be ready to share the rest.
So... come on it!!! Our porch area is summery and patriotic right now and I love the red, white and blue.
Jack Bauer is ready to give y'all the tour :)
So this isn't taken from the front door, but it gives you an idea of the entry way of the house.
This little utility mat has been a lifesaver this summer (and it's under $5!). Our garage still has extra furniture and other miscellaneous stuff that needs to get organized and such and so we haven't been coming in through the garage much which means shoes constantly gather at the front door. I like that this keeps them contained but still accessible.
To the left of our front door is the dining room...
The table was in our previous house and our first home before that. The buffet was also in our old kitchen and the rug used to be in our family room. We had a lot more red throughout the decor in our previous house and in this house I wanted to keep it a little more contained so using this rug was the perfect way to do just that. The rug is originally from Pottery Barn and I'm eyeing these curtains but am holding out a little bit because I've convinced myself I'll find something amazing at HomeGoods one of these days :)
I've talked about them numerous times, but I have a love affair with Sid Dickens Memory Blocks. I started collecting them when I was pregnant with Luke and since then Dave, my parents, friends and in-laws know that these are my love language and so my collection has grown A LOT.
They're expensive, but so special and I love that when I look at that wall I remember special occasions and milestones in our lives.
Sid puts out a Spring, Fall and small Holiday collection every year and "retires" tiles at the same time. The values of the tiles go up when they're retired and there's a pretty large collectors market for them as well.
I typically buy mine locally at a shop on the McKinney Square called Ambrosia (I worked there part time in college and on the weekends before I had kids... pretty much I worked on Saturdays when Dave was working and I spent my paycheck on Free People and Sid Dickens - hahaha).
They're not as hard to hang as you might think, in our old house I just used a level and large nails. This time around I bought a couple packages of Sid Savers which actually let you adjust the tile a bit in all directions once it's on wall (since they're all handmade there can be variances in the size just a bit) and they're on there really securely.
I LOVE the buffet piece that's up against the Sid Dickens Wall, but since it's a distressed white finish and the table is cherry so I've tried to work in some white pieces to tie it all together.
The plant is actually a preserved herb and yes, those are real Oreos in the jar :) My kids LOVE the Golden Oreos and this is just an easy spot to keep them. The tray is one of three in a set I picked up from HERE.
Here's the room about 6 weeks ago...
... and now! (Again... wish I had the lens that the realty photographer use!)
On the wall opposite the window I put this bookcase (sans a shelf) and I just noticed that 2/3 of my apothecary jars are empty. Ooops! I have big plans for these jars for back to school... but that's still a couple of weeks away for us.
The bottom two shelves house a few serving pieces, placemats and napkins.
And the upper shelves have black and white pictures of the kids, glass jars, etc.
This room gets lots of use... this is where we do puzzles and the boys love to work on Legos down here as well.
The light fixture is pretty formal and I'd love to change it out sometime down the line, but it's pretty and it matches so it's at the bottom of the to-do-list.
Can you spy Mason rigging up a monkey launches on the stairs? hahaha
The double doors on the left go into the kitchen.
This little corner of the front hall has a sign from Vine and Branches, a Homegoods lamp (y'all... this is solid wood and GORGEOUS!!! For sure a favorite find EVER!) and a fiddled fig that I picked up at Home Depot and am attempting to nurse back to health. The basket that it's in I picked up at HomeGoods as well.
I originally got this sign to put out at Thanksgiving, but I love it for every day.
There's a teeny tiny hallway in between the front hall and the family room that houses this little bench and mirror.
The bench I found at HomeGoods (see a theme here?) and it has three removable baskets on the bottom which is PERFECT because each of the kids have one and I throw things in there that need to go to their rooms and at bedtime (or before) they take the baskets up and put their things away.
Mason's basket yesterday...
... and GG's.
There's also a closet under the stairs (the door is opposite the mirror/bench) that is a hot mess right now. hahaha
The bench from our old living room (full of Duplos), GG's dollhouse, pool bags, the vacuum, etc. The kids LOVE playing in here which is weird, but fun :)
The living room is a room that totally intimidated me at first, but that I have ended up loving.
The chairs and side table are from our previous family room and the rug is from our old office (I'm not 100% sold on the rug, but it's great for now).
The window treatments were from the previous owners and the shelf is from Weirs.
I LOVE decorating shelves... it's weird, I know. When I worked retail in High School and college I had a chance to work with some amazing designers and merchandise stylists. I got to help style displays and storefront windows and eventually got to go shop for display materials and create my own displays. I think my experience in visual merchandising carries over into how I decorate... layers, levels, angles and visual interest.
I have some of our favorite pictures on display alongside some special mementos...
... preserved boxwoods, candles and books.
The boxwoods are part of a set I picked up HERE.
The doorknob is from a dear friends grandmother's farmhouse, the little moss bird was a gift and the birds nest was one that Luke and I found years and years ago and it's housed inside a cake stand that I won at a school auction.
These photo books from our pre-children travels are a favorite for all of our kids to flip through. "But why didn't weeeeeee get to go, Mommy???" ;) The drummer statue we picked up in the Dominican Republic...
... and the little red clay pot is a school art project. Can we talk about how PRESH the boys school photos are??? LOVE!
The very bottom shelf holds more scrapbooks and a basket of books that are great for reading a chapter or two at a time. Lots of parenting books that I like to flip through on a daily basis :)
The hallway on the far right has a linen closet, bathroom and the office (I'll grab pictures of those spaces soon!).
I'm not quite ready to show the family room, kitchen, master, office and such... but I will as soon as I get a few other things finished.
And if you missed it, I shared about the kids rooms and playroom in these posts...
Hope you enjoyed the partial tour :) Link up below and show and tell us about your home! I can't wait to look through and see everyone's different styles and personality come out in their decor!
Happy Tuesday, Friends!
Your home is beautiful. You have done so much in such a short time in the new house!!
ReplyDeleteYour house is so cozy and inviting. I want to curl up in one of your chairs, drink my coffee and just watch your people. I LOVE your house!
ReplyDeleteAndrea!!! I'm loving this new house! Your Sid Dickens' blocks are gorgeous on the dining room wall and I am crushing on that Weir's shelf. Gorgeous!!
ReplyDeleteIt all looks so great, Andrea, and I have loved following along on snapchat watching the progress! I definitely need you to come give me a lesson on styling shelves and tables! I love how you're able to do it so well!
ReplyDeleteSarah at MeetTheShaneyfelts
Your house looks great. You have made it your own very quickly.
ReplyDeleteWe have a similar space under our stairs. My kids love playing there too. We decorated for them too. Fun times.
You have done SUCH an amazing job in such a short time! It looks so cozy and I love all your personal touches on your new home!
ReplyDeleteYour house looks so good, Andrea!! Beautiful, warm, and inviting! It's hard to believe you've only been there for a few months!!
ReplyDeleteWill you be my personal shopper at HomeGoods? ;) haha I love how you accessorize. You have a beautiful home!!
ReplyDeleteLove your living room! So cozy!!
ReplyDeleteIts funny how you mentioned working in visual merchandising because right before you said that I was thinking, this chick looks like a professional! I just LOVE how you place everything in just the perfect spot. You are so talented! If I lived in your town, I would hire you to decorate my house. You have the touch!! Great job on your BEAUTIFUL home.
ReplyDeleteLove the oreos in the cookie jar and the little touches you put on everything. Beautifully Candid
ReplyDeleteI love your new home! So pretty, want to come decorate mine? I have issues with the stuff that decorates things, like the shelves, etc. I did a partial tour too, mostly because I didn't realize I didn't have the picture I needed when I was putting the post together late last night, lol.
ReplyDeleteLove how you have your shelf units styled! You do such a great job with those. I am so excited that you have all this space to raise your family in. It's fun to see how you decorate and it gives me lots of ideas.
ReplyDeleteSo put together, cozy and classy! Love it all! I was eyeing the SAME curtains from pottery barn and depending on the color your want, I found very similar looking ones at Ikea for a fraction of the price!
ReplyDeleteIt all looks great! And as for curtains, I bought our bedroom curtains at Costco online and they are luxurious but affordable (for real linen at least). I was looking at PB, and so glad I went with he Costco option.
ReplyDeletehttp://m.costco.com/window-coverings-drapes.html
I love your decorating style!
ReplyDeleteI love how open your home is. I also love all of the windows. You have all done so much to it, it looks great! Thank you for hosting the link-up.
ReplyDeleteI just love your house! You have such a talent for decorating - and I feel like your home reflects you so well! And I LOVE all the topiary's and that preserved herb!
ReplyDeleteI love your Sid Dickens blocks - when you decorate with meaningful things, it just makes the room seem even cozier and special!
ReplyDeleteYour house is so pretty and I am always shocked at your amazing ability to style your shelves!! A bird's nest - I am going to go get the one off our porch I have been begging the hubs to get rid of and save it for some decorating!!! Haha
ReplyDeleteI just LOVE your shelf decorating and display! Is there a tip or trick to making it all look so pulled together?!? Beautiful home! Genevieve
ReplyDeletewww.makinamama.com
You are making such progress!! I can't wait to see the rest!
ReplyDeleteI have to say, your house is my favorite home. I was literally taking notes on this post of things I loved that might make my home feel more “homey”. Question: we moved cross country a couple of years ago, into a house with an almost identical entry: windows around the front door and a huge window above. I love the open quality and the light it lets in, but during winter months when it gets dark early I almost feel like we’re on display. We have a two story entry as well, and the stairs and second story walkway open to it. I am constantly reminding my kids not to run from the bathroom to their rooms in their underwear because I’m afraid anybody walking past will see. Is that a concern for you, at all?
ReplyDeleteWe have the same dining room light fixture as well, except in a bright brass finish. Jealous? ;) And I have to say, I love that your boys are just playing away, pretty unconcerned that you’re taking pictures of the house around them!
I totally copied your "flag in plants" thing on the front porch. And I'm now using a cool tray as part of my table centerpiece. Love your decorating style and your house is gorgeous. I need to take a trip to Home Goods! :)
ReplyDeleteYou have a lovely warm and inviting home. I enjoyed the other tours as well. So happy to see "real" home, not staged.
ReplyDeleteI love your decorating skills on your shelves! You should do a post on how to decorate shelves (or a pinterest board would be amazing)!
ReplyDeleteI love it! I knew it would't take long for you to put your special mark on the new house. Whenever I go to Home Goods, I get so overwhelmed with everything that I come home with nothing! Can you please be my personal shopper?:).
ReplyDeleteLove your home! it seems like the perfect balance of classic & fun. I'm starting on my master bed/bath next week and I can't wait to see yours for some inspiration😊. Looking forward to those pics!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful home!
ReplyDelete