Category Archives: DIY – Do It Yourself Projects

Cozying Up During the Post-Holiday Months

Just as the holiday season is here before we know it, in a flash it’s over and a new year is upon us. I often struggle with the balance of wanting a fresh start with my home in January, and being saddened by the storing of our family’s colorful, warm, holiday decor. The months of January through March can be difficult to tolerate, especially in Minnesota, but I’m starting to find beauty in this dark, cold season, and a certain comfort and coziness I can create in my home to cradle me until spring finally arrives.

The idea of hygge has become known and popular over the past eight years or so, and continues to be especially helpful for folks living in winter climates. Hygge is the invoking or fostering of a sense of coziness, contentment and well-being; a Scandinavian state of mind to survive the long, cold, winter. I love this concept and how it can guide us in decorating our homes in a season that is usually forgotten or overlooked. Here are a few, simple ways to create a winter respite for ourselves and our loved ones this season.

When deciding on holiday decor, include accessories that remain relevant throughout the winter season, not just during the holiday months. Winter greens, natural wood, bottle brush pines, dried branches, ceramic houses, and apres ski will act as reminders to embrace the winter season.

Source: Forbes Homes

Source: Crate&Barrel

Cover throw pillows for a quick, inexpensive decor update. Add faux fur, velvet, knit and other soft fabrics to your collection in warm, wintry colors such as midnight blue, forest green and an abundance of creamy neutrals.

Source: Crate&Barrel

Swap out bright colored artwork with a similarly sized piece more suitable for winter. Rustic wood pieces, or nature inspired prints, work well during the winter months.

Source: Urban Outfitters

Source: Kohl’s

Source: Arhaus

Add extra throw blankets to a basket in your living room, and even consider providing slippers to guests when they come to visit!

Source: L’ESSENZIALE Home Design

Source: Anderson and Grant

Keep a special set of linens just for the winter months. Flannel sheets, velvet quilts, and fluffy feather beds will ensure a good night’s sleep.

Source: Pottery Barn

You can never have enough candles or firelight when practicing hygge! Whether using faux candles and fireplaces, or the real thing, fill your home with the natural feel of flames. Practice safety, of course, and never leave a room with burning candles! We especially love our locally made Koselig candles, another Scandinavian idea meaning a feeling of deep contentment, provided by a person, place or atmosphere.

Source: Room for Tuesday

Source: Koselig Candle Co.

Source: Modern-Glam

Winter can be a wonderful time to simplify and organize. What can you live without? Gift to others? This is another wonderful Scandinavian concept, lagom, which is being in perfect balance; just the right amount; not too little, not too much; the state of being, having or doing just enough.

A final encouragement from Scandinavian wisdom is to practice fika throughout this season. Fika is a coffee break with friends, often accompanied with pastries; a moment of quality time to appreciate the good things in life. What better way to practice fika than with locally roasted Fika coffee from the North Shore of Minnesota!

Source: Fika Coffee

Source: Taste of Home

This winter season, I hope you find time to rest, renew and refresh. Take the opportunity to slow down, reconnect with yourself and others, and prepare to bloom in the spring!

Guest Blogger: Katya Larsen, Stager, A Home Revival

Decorating With Coastal Colors

Ahhh……I think it is finally Spring and with that comes an urge to redo a room or two in your home. An easy way to do that is with a paint color change or even changing a few accessories like throw pillows, accent pieces or artwork.

I love Coastal Colors as they are so fresh you can almost smell the salt air. I will say I have some coastal color favorites when it comes to paint.

Let’s start with Drizzle by Sherwin Williams SW 6479. There are so many rooms that I have used this color and have never been disappointed.

In a Family Room:

A guest bath:

And even a Laundry Room:

Another great coastal color is Rainwashed by Sherwin Williams SW 6211. Again I have used this in a laundry room and also a Master Bedroom and Living Area.

Sherwin Williams Comfort Gary SW 6205 and Sea Salt SW 6204 are probably the highest on my list for coastal colors. They are so spa like as well.

If you don’t want to commit to a new painting color (but why not it’s only paint after all), accessorizing in coastal colors is a great option.

You do not have to live at the beach to use Coastal Colors in your home. Pick a room that you would like to add some color and head to the paint store this weekend!

A Great Project to Start Off the New Year – Chalk Painted Furniture!

It’s been very popular for a few years….have you tried it? Chalk Paint? You see so many vintage shops selling old furniture that has been redone in chalk paint; and pop-up weekend shops carry many chalk painted pieces. I have bought a few and love them. Purchasing the finished product always seemed the easiest to me.

BUT……I have a vintage round coffee table with caster feet that I love and when I purchased it almost 20 years ago it was the very popular sage color.

I have been so tired of that color (besides it being a bit dated) but I never wanted to get rid of my favorite coffee table. It is complete with raw wood nicks and dings and I love the imperfection of it.

So I FINALLY decided to do something about it when I saw a dining room table done in chalk paint at a client’s home. It was stunning!

There are many brands of chalk paint and I am not pushing one over the other and will tell you only what I used. I visited a local store that carries vintage finds already re-done but that is also is a leader in teaching people the technique of chalk painting. This store carries the Annie Sloan brand of chalk paints and accessories which is one of the most well known and original chalk paints.

The first decision I had was what my base color would be….that was easy enough. Old World White. Not a bright white but rather a soft white but not cream.

The next decision was a bit tougher, deciding the wax color. All chalk paint needs to be wax protected and sealed and a clear wax will keep your paint color true to the original. I however wanted a worn rustic timber look but in gray rather than brown.

So I selected black wax. SCARY!

The nice thing about chalk paint is that you don’t have to do anything to the surface you are painting. NO SANDING NEEDED! I never paint anything I have to sand down first, that is why I have always been a Spray Paint Queen, just point and press the button.

I must say Chalk Paint is just as easy. Just paint it right on.

The wax was a bit trickier but all in all WAY easier than I expected. The wax goes on a little tougher in that it really is a wax…..like shoe wax. Not like polyurethane which is what I was expecting. The wax needs to be worked into the wood a bit.

HUGE TIP: Don’t over apply the wax. When they say less is more they really mean it. The wax should feel dry almost immediately and I didn’t get that part. Mine was tacky to the touch even an hour after applying it so I had to go back and wipe some off. No big deal but still, you can save yourself some work.

Next was the most challenging part which was applying the black wax over the white to just give it a very soft appearance of a gray wood grain. It went so much better than I expected! It took me a few tries with the brush to get it exactly how I wanted it to look but then it clicked right along.

Tip #2: Buy the brushes, at least the wax brush. I felt like I needed to take out a home equity loan to buy them but they really are worth it.

The nice thing is if you get too much wax on your piece you can wipe it right off and try again. I did end up getting too much on one area and not getting it off as quickly as I should have but it’s where my tray goes anyway so who cares. 🙂

To keep it short and sweet……I LOVE MY TABLE! It turned out better than I imagined and on my first try! I thought I would be repainting it 3 times for sure.

So try Chalk Painting….I think you will like it!