Tag Archives: Fun Home Tips

Seasons change….and so does my décor!

When I was growing up, every season my mom would put away décor and bring out fresh, new items to match the next season. She had seasonally appropriate décor, holiday décor, and as the Catholics say, décor for “ordinary time.” Naturally, as I grew older and had my own dorm room, then apartments, then home, I, too, invested in various sets of home goods to match the season. I’m curious, is this something you do in your home? Is this a tradition you grew up experiencing?

Until recently, I just assumed that every home changed décor, you know, six to eight times a year! This fall, I was with a group of women when one of them mentioned how she loves my habit of matching my home furnishings to the season. I was shocked! They revealed that I am the only person they know who has seasonal décor other than Christmas and maybe a few pumpkins in the fall. They love it and wanted to know how they could incorporate seasons into their design, too!

Our last post gave ideas on transitioning to fall with scent, texture and color. This post will focus on components of our home that we can switch out more easily and cost effectively each season.

Bedding

Here is Minnesota, switching out bedding seasonally makes sense functionally with the drastic weather changes, and its also loads of fun! In spring and summer, use light linens, cotton sheets, and throws. In the fall and winter, transition to cozy flannels, feather duvets, and add quilts and throws for extra warmth and comfort! This set from Crate and Barrel, with it’s dark colors and layered linens, is perfect for the transition to fall and winter.

EUROPEAN FLAX ™-Certified Linen Impressionist Floral Midnight Navy Blue Duvet Cover (Open Larger View)

Crate and Barrel

Throw Pillows + Blankets

Throw pillows and blankets are a fantastic way to add pops of color to a room, and have the choice to quickly remove it just as easily! Toss a blanket on the corner of your bed or over the arm of your couch for a new look. West Elm has an beautiful, knit, weighted blanket in fun colors for every season!

Alt image 1 for Bearaby TENCEL™ Napper Weighted Blanket

West Elm

Throw Pillows offer the same magic of an updated color palate as blankets. Layer colorful and textured pillows on beds, benches, furniture, patios and more to switch up the color scheme! Get a little wild, go outside of the neutral zone, this is the perfect place to do it!

World Market

Towels

This one might be a bit corny, and a leftover from my youth in Wisconsin, but I love nothing more than to update my kitchen towels to match the season! Colors, images, seasons galore in my home! Home Goods is a favorite destination for me to find seasonal towels, or specialty stores like Patina or The General Store here in Minnesota.

Geometry 

3pk 18x28 Pine Print Fouta Kitchen Towel Set

Home Goods

Artwork

There are a few places in my home that I switch out large artwork for summer and winter. I have a beautiful, bright, floral canvas in our living room that looks completely out of Christmas place at winter time, so we switch it out for a softer, muted, abstract canvas. I also have a colorful set of abstract canvas in our dining room that I switch out for a wooden framed, painted tree in the winter. I store the extra artwork in a closet and it takes only five minutes twice a year to change out and make a big impact on our home’s seasonal look!

Another option is to switch out family photos to match the season. Our engagement and wedding photos took place with snow on the ground, so I display those in frames throughout the winter. In the summer, I display family photos of our adventures camping, swimming, etc. It’s a fun but simple way to give a nod to the season!

Accessories

Tray fillers, candles, plants, books and coffee mugs are small items that can be easily swapped for the season.

Throw a wooden tray on your bookshelf or coffee table and switch out the display items each season.

Classic Filler Cream - Threshold™, 3 of 11

Target

Get a coffee table book to match each season and set it out for guests to peruse.

Winter Homes - (Hardcover), 1 of 2

Target

Use seasonal mugs or summery glasses when hosting.

Set of 2 White Ceramic Mugs Pottery Handmade Coffee Mugs Set image 1

Etsy

Choose candles that match the scent and look of the season. Bright, light colors and scents for warmer months, and earthy, muted vibes for the fall and winter. Volcano, by Capri Blue, is my favorite summer scent and comes in a variety of jars and colors!

Anthropologie

Invest in neutral vases throughout your home and switch out the plants and stems you use throughout the year. Dried florals and grasses are great for fall, pine branches and berry stems are beautiful in the winter, and fresh flowers perk up your place during the summer months!

Faux Pampas Grass Taupe Stem 39" Set of 3 (Open Larger View)

CB2

How are you decorating this season? What changes and transitions will you make? We’d love to see! Tag us on social media at @AHomeRevival to show us your look!

 

Guest Blogger: Katya Larsen, Stager, A Home Revival

 

Fall Into a Season of Renewal

If your summer ending anything like mine, you too are welcoming earlier sunsets and cooler mornings. The kids back to school, busses on the road, leaves starting to change color — all signs that fall is upon us, and its a wonderful time to refresh your home and renew your routines.

After the busyness of the summer, and the unending pressure to have fun in the sun, I’ve found a few ways to prepare for the new, slower season of fall. Here are a few ways I’ve renewed our home:

COLOR

This fall, instead of traditional reds, oranges and yellows of the season, incorporate more neutral colors. Creams, whites, muted blues, mustard, and sienna have all softened and calmed our home after a summer of bright colors.

Chunky Cable Knit Fall Throw Blanket Toasted Almond - Hearth & Hand™ with Magnolia, 3 of 5

Target

TEXTURE

Another way to vary design for the season is with texture. Linen curtains, velvet pumpkins, and dried florals have welcomed fall into our home.  Some of my favorite dried florals to incorporate are bunny tails and pampas grasses, and the best part is they’re everlasting! If stored gently, you can even use them year after year for an ecofriendly design element.

Multi-Faceted Ceramic Bud Vase Cream - Hearth & Hand™ with Magnolia, 3 of 11

Target

SCENT

One of my favorite elements of fall is the change in smells that come with the season. Open windows on a crisp, cool day welcomes the scent of crunchy leaves, a refreshening breeze and whatever other magic makes the air of fall smell so fantastic. Decorate and enjoy the season with scented candles or oils in your home. Need a more natural solution? Try a stove simmer recipe!

Glass Figural Pumpkin Woods Candle Green - Threshold™, 2 of 9

Target

RECIPE

On your stovetop, bring a small pot of water to boil.

Add cinnamon sticks, apple chunks, lemon and orange rinds, cinnamon and clove.

Turn water down to a simmer and voila, you have a natural, stovetop, potpourri!

Be sure to monitor the pot and add more water when contents are low.

Simmer pot of apples, lemon, and cinnamon

Apartment Therapy

Along with the changes in our home, I am taking time to reflect on the changes I need this fall, too. Maybe its a refresh in routine, or perhaps a new, simpler, wardrobe you need. Going to bed earlier, or shifting your morning earlier to start your day a bit slower might feel nice. The change of the seasons is a wonderful time to not only refresh our home design, but to adjust our life “design”, too!

Happy fall!

Guest Blogger: Katya Larsen, Stager, A Home Revival

 

April Showers Bring Staging Flowers!

It’s almost May here in Minnesota, and that means we are crossing our fingers and toes hoping that spring, and the beauty it brings, will be arriving soon! There is nothing better than the blooms of a magnolia tree, the bright colors of tulips and daffodils emerging once again, or the sweet smell of lilacs in the breeze. Close your eyes: imagine the scent, the joy, the warmth a fresh bouquet of flowers brings!

When staging a home, or during a staging consult, we suggest using plants and flowers to bring additional color and life to a home. It is a simple, lower cost way to add color, texture and freshness to a home.  Consider these basic methods for sourcing and displaying greenery in your home.

Trader Joe’s is A Home Revival staff favorite for sourcing fresh flowers and house plants. They have a variety of sizes and styles of plants and flowers, and tend to have a reasonable price point! A few ideas for Trader Joe’s greens:

  • Grab some baby blue eucalyptus and baby’s breath, toss them in a simple, neutral vase, and you have yourself a centerpiece that will last for weeks! Center it on the dining table, an entryway credenza, or on the dresser of the primary bedroom.
  • Take home a few succulents to stage bathrooms. Set small succulents in the corner of the vanity along with a candle or soap pump for a fresh, spa-like effect!

Treat Yourself to Fresh Flowers - The Purple Hydrangea

The Purple Hydrangea

  • Toss a mixed bouquet of bright, fresh flowers in your cart and use as a focal point in the kitchen or dining room during your home photo session! A fresh bouquet is also a nice touch for showings, but should be replaced when blooms begin to wilt. Bonus? They smell great without the overpowering effects of fresheners and spray (which we do not recommend using for showings).
  • Use a variety of house plants on coffee tables, nightstands, sunrooms, etc. to add interest and livability to the home. Plants tend to reduce stress and increase creativity, just what a potential homebuyer needs to envision their new life in your property!

Maybe you’re not into live plants, I get it! For vacant staging, we use artificial plants and stems for the sake of maintenance and longevity. A few favorite spots for faux plants:

Ikea – low price point, good variety of plants and stems, and cute pots and baskets to boot!

FEJKA Artificial potted plant, indoor/outdoor/lavender lilac, 4 ¾ "

World Market – great for artificial trees and larger house plants.

Target – wide variety of styles and price points available.

Medium Ribbon Fern Leaf in Pot - Threshold™ designed with Studio McGee, image 2 of 10 slides

Nearly Natural – an online retailer that has mastered the art of the faux plant. At a higher price point, this is a great option for investing in faux greenery you can incorporate into the design of your new home.

spring captions when in doubt add flowers

Good Housekeeping

When deciding whether or not to incorporate greenery in your staging design, just remember, plants are lean, mean, selling machines! They are one of the simplest, low cost ways to freshen and brighten a space. Not up for the effort of purchasing and placing plants? No problem! You can always reach out to us to do the heavy lifting with an occupied or vacant stage of your home.

 

Guest Blogger: Katya Larsen, Stager, A Home Revival