My Favorite Home Decorating Tips

Blogland and Pinterest are an amazing resource for decorating ideas and lessons in interior decorating. Every day, with a cup of coffee in hand, I spend some leisure time browsing through my favorite home decor blogs  and pins for the latest in decorating trends, colors, styles, and fresh new ideas.

Sometimes, there's so much eye candy out there it can become overwhelming. So many ideas.....so many tips and tricks....so I've tried to narrow down all that inspirational goodness into a neat package of simple design inspiration. My version of Decorating: 101.

 I've learned some very basic principles from people who are very talented and have shared their expertise on their beautiful websites. Here are favorite decorating tips that apply to any style of home that you have -- traditional, coastal, farmhouse, modern/contemporary, shabby chic, etc....  Everything works! And I've used every one of them.

Enjoy the inspiration!


l. Lessons in Layering - Learning how to layer a room with color, texture, and shapes adds interest and warmth. Yvonne at Stone Gable teaches you it's as easy as 1-2-3.

Stone Gable

2. Accessorizing Your Home - There's an art to selecting and displaying just the right touches in a home. Kristy at Starfish Cottage shows you how.

Starfish Cottage

3.  Coffee Table Styling - A few simple tips will make styling a coffee table fun and easy.

The Inspired Room

4. Light and Bright -  Learning how to choose the right lighting for a room will keep your home light and bright.

Kirkland's Home Decor Blog

5. Creating a Beautiful Bedroom - A bedroom is a place of sanctuary and rest. These beautiful bedrooms will inspire you to make your bedroom inviting and luxurious.

Decoholic Interior Design

6. Styling a Kitchen -  The kitchen is the heart of the home and should be styled with that in mind. Organized, functional, and a place the whole family enjoys together. Again, Stone Gable has some fabulous ideas for a gorgeous and organized kitchen.

Stone Gable

7. Styling Empty Spaces Above Cabinets -  What to do with all that empty space above the kitchen cabinets? These are great style ideas without making the space look cluttered.

Decorating Files

8. The Dreaded Blank Wall - Here are 10 ideas to take an empty wall and make it into a beautiful and functional space.

Ballard Design: How to Decorate

9.  Pillow Styling - I have to admit, pillows make me happy! Here are a few quick tips for arranging pillows on the sofa.

House Beautiful

10. Creating Beautiful Tablescapes - For a complete resource of seasonal, themed, and holiday table decor and entertaining, two places are my go-to websites: Between Naps on the Porch, and The Painted Apron. Check out the colorful and creative ways to add style to your table.

Between Naps on the Porch

For all things party decor and entertaining related, check out the delightful recipes, party ideas, table decor, and all-around fun at The Painted Apron.

The Painted Apron

Whew! That was a LOT of decorating ideas --  I hope you picked up some tips and were inspired to fluff up some pillows and create a coffee table vignette. Happy Decorating!

Going Tropical

This spring, I'm going tropical!

Think swaying palm trees, shady verandas with Old World charm......

And green.......

With lots of textures and neutrals......

Burlap, jute, and pretty prints on pillows.....

And a pineapple pillow for the universal symbol of "welcome."

My neutral pillows (from At Home) are my year-'round pillows, and I switch pillow covers depending on the season. This pretty spring green geometric print pillow cover is from Birch Lane.

And nothing says the tropics better than swaying palm trees. Love these palm tree pillow covers with Old World text from Birch Lane.

I added a tobacco basket to hold some magazines and greenery on the coffee table. I love this lantern which I usually keep on top of the bookcase -- I brought it down to be the center of attraction.

And while we're on the subject of tropicals, I'm interested in adding more greenery to the beach house.  This chart from pinterest is perfect for selecting some pretty greens to add to baskets and bottles.

Now, I'm off to fix a tall glass of iced tea and escape into a good book! Preferably set in the tropics!



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Starfish Cottage: Your Inspired Design
21 Rosemary Lane: Share Your Style
Across the Blvd.: Snickerdoodle Sunday

Tobacco Baskets - Part 2

Welcome, Spring!

We spent a little time down at our beach house recently, and while the weather was pretty it was an unusually chilly week for the first days of spring. It was too cold for my taste to venture out on the beach, so I enjoyed the fresh air by opening up and the doors and windows and getting a few simple projects done inside.

Last week, I wrote about my love of tobacco baskets and some simple ways to use them in home decor. I bought two smaller versions to use in the beach house.

I'm freshening up the look of the den (which is the family hangout) with a tropical look for the spring.....fresh greens, burlap, jute, baskets, botanicals, and lots of neutrals. The small tobacco basket is perfect for a few magazines and a small plant for a touch of spring green.

I've also posted about my vintage post card collection.....the tobacco basket reminded me of a bulletin board, and I thought it would work well as a way to display a few of my favorite post cards.

It was easy to just slip the cards underneath the slats without damaging them.



Hope you are having a wonderful spring, and thanks for stopping by Sea Glass Cottage!



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Coastal Charm: Show and Share (featured!)
Starfish Cottage: Your Inspired Design (featured!)
21 Rosemary Lane: Share Your Style
Across The Blvd.: Snickerdoodle Sunday

Decorating with.......Tobacco Baskets

Hello, friends!

Things have been very busy at Sea Glass Cottage getting some much needed updating and remodeling to the outside of the cottage and the grounds. I am looking forward to showing you the final results, but it will likely be a few months before all is complete and ready to show.

In the meantime, I have turned my obsession -- I mean attention -- to the beautiful and rustic look of tobacco baskets.  Just when I thought I had enough collections going with wicker demijohn bottles and baskets of all sizes and shapes, I discovered I love the look of tobacco baskets in home decor.

 I've already purchased two and know exactly the DIY project I will create with them at the beach house!

Vintage tobacco baskets come from the North Carolina area of the U.S. and as you would expect, were used to hold the cured tobacco leaves when the growers took them to market. You can find newer replicas, but I love the look of the weathered and worn baskets -- even the ones with broken slats. They have a history and a story.

Besides being an interesting piece of wall decor on their own, you can use your creativity and dress them up seasonally or to display them in unique ways that reflect your decorating style. Here are some ideas:

1. Add a Wreath

Of course, the wreath could be changed out seasonally.

                                
                                                                     Pinterest



2. Create a Vignette on a Shelf

                                                                    Pinterest


3. Hang over a Bookcase 
  
       I like the way a framed photo was added to the basket.

                                                         The Endearing Home


4. Hang above a Fireplace

                                                                  Pinterest



5.  Display on a Coffee Table 

           Put plants, books, and other decorative items in the basket.

                                                                 Craftberry Bush


6. Hang above a Bed

                                                                Coastal Living





Do you have tobacco baskets? How do you use or display them?  I'll be going back to the cottage soon to work on my own twist on this awesome piece of decor.

Thanks for visiting Sea Glass Cottage!