How to Create a Candle Centerpiece for Fall and Winter

Although I am using a lot less seasonal decor in my home these days, I have made some small changes here and there. I have decided I might be a "change things up a couple times a year" person. The candle/centerpiece that sits on my kitchen bar, counterspace needed something different for fall and winter cozy months. I had the rainbow colored vases with candles in them sitting here since the beginning of March when I was craving sunny, bright colors. 

I love this centerpiece and it will probably make a reappearance next spring. But, with the change of seasons I am wanting more natural, warm and cozy tones, Using ONLY thrift store finds, I put together this eclectic, candlestick centerpiece. These finds were all items I already had so I shopped my stash for this centerpiece.

I have different elements and styles working together here. I love the juxtaposition of something traditional and shiny with something rustic. Keep reading to learn about the different components and why they work together. 

I started with using some of the brass candlesticks that I have been curating. I love the warm color of the patinaed, vintage brass. 

I knew I wanted the candlesticks to look cohesive by placing them on a wood or rattan tray. I wanted a dark color and decided on a rectangular basket tray. I like the texture of it and the natural wood handles that help bring an organic feel to the display.

I tried to randomly arrange the candlesticks so they weren't in any kind of a pattern. Candlesticks and candles that are different heights keep the look more casual and not so formal.

I set the basket on a thrifted stitchery piece that is a little bit 70's-80's funky and that has fantastic fall colors. I got this piece with another smaller one that I have in my front entryway (SEE HERE).

The final touch (for now anyway) is a couple good quality, faux stems and pheasant feathers. This adds a bit of nature. I may add a few more, but I am going to sit with the candlestick centerpiece for a few days first. Less is sometimes more. For winter, I will change out the stitchery placemat and add more pine branches and pinecones.

I always love candlelight, but it especially cozy for fall and winter.

HINTS and TIPS to create a cohesive centerpiece with random items:

1.  Gather and collect what you think you might want to use and try different things. I tried two other trays before I decided on the basket tray.

2.  Use varying heights. You can set an item on a stack of books if needed.

3.  Place your centerpiece elements on a tray or basket or piece of wood or large book. This helps it from looking cluttered and makes it easier to move if you need to.

4.  Mix decorating styles, eras to keep it interesting and unique. If you like a lodge look, add something traditional or modern. If farmhouse is your thing, throw in some mid-century modern. If you like a minimalist look, think about adding something fussy like a small floral pattern. 

5.  Texture, texture, texture--use natural materials, slick metals, soft fabrics. If everything is the same texture, say all chippy white paint, nothing stands out and it becomes a yawn-fest.

6. Have fun, be weird, do something unexpected. It's just decor, nothing worth taking too seriously!

Mid Century Mod Stool Makeover

Okay, let me start this by saying READ THE LABEL! Why? because I just did read the label on this 1958 leg lounger stool when writing this post and realize I didn't quite stage it or use it correctly. OOPS! 

What's a leg longer you ask? Thanks to labels I was able to research this recent thrifted find. It was made by the Pearl Wick Company and was patented in 1958.

This $4 thrift store find had been previously recovered with a pillow case. The original one looked a little more like this.

The vinyl on the one I found had a diamond pattern on it. After researching the company, it looks like these came in a variety of fabrics and patterns.

After getting input from Instagram and Facebook users, I chose to recover it in this mod looking, oval, upholstery scrap I bought for $1 at the thrift store.

I removed the legs and the adjustable bar and spray painted them a metallic gold color to tone down the brassiness.

The stool can be flat or adjust to two different slanted heights. It is pretty comfortable and the perfect spot to put your feet up and enjoy a Mad Men cocktail.

And what did I learn from reading the label? That the adjustable part or taller part is supposed to be up against the chair so your legs drape over it and your feet are lower. 

Oh well, it is very comfy either way and was a fun find! 

Simple Cozy Thrift Store Decor for Fall

Happy September! It is probably my favorite month of the year--the days are warm and sunny, the nights are cool, the trees put on a spectacular show and the light and air has a different feel. It is also the time of year to start adding the cozy back into our homes. As I said back at the beginning of March, I am doing less seasonal decorating in my home. I have definitely stuck with that and haven't changed up anything for six months. But, I decided a few small changes to add a touch of autumn was necessary. I started with a few changes in my front entryway, brought to you courtesy of some thrift store shopping.

This space is so much fun to style and it welcomes guests into our home. Here is what it looked like for the past six months.

As you can see I only changed out a few things to bring some fall into the area.

I hear (or see in posts) the word COZY a lot when describing our spaces. I know I have overused the word. I am not sure everything I see described this way is actually cozy. I have a few simple tips to make your home feel unique and inviting and cozy. My first hint to add some fall coziness to your home is add some COLOR. Think of fall colors--yellows, golds, dark or olive green, orange, browns, rust, and dark reds--and find small ways to include these colors in your decor.

I painted this forest trail from a photo of a favorite walk we took several times when we lived in North Idaho. The frame and mat are from the thrift store and cost me a whole dollar. I cut the mat bigger and painted it a deep mustard yellow. Other decor items to use to incorporate fall colors include throw pillows, blankets, faux stems, planters, antique gold or brass objects. You don't have to paint an entire wall, just include small pops of autumn colors.

A thrifted, velvet tapestry with browns and golds and oranges adds more color and TEXTURE, which is my next tip. Use a variety of textures in your home to create visual appeal. Cozy textures include velour (the yellow pillow), velvet, sherpa. wool. Warm leather like with the camera and binocular cases is another lovely texture. I thought about adding mums to the head planter, but decided to stick with the green moss. This planter is weird and quirky and I love it. It gives our home unique personality. Just say no to boring, cookie cutter homes and decor!

I liked the shape of the painting I had here for spring and summer. I didn't have and couldn't find a long, landscape orientation painting to replace the daisy painting. Instead, I used a a groovy, vintage, hand-stitched crewel that I found (along with a larger one) at the thrift store.

It had black metal hangers on the end. I removed those and found a pallet board the same size of the stitchery. I hot glued it to the board. This is a temporary fix as I can peel the glue off easily when I might want to use it in a different way.

The colors were perfect and the needlework adds a different texture. I tucked it behind the baskets. Baskets add another texture layer to the entryway.

A couple 25 cent, faux, thrifted stems replaced the small white flowers.

I don't use many fake flowers or plants in my home preferring real plants to fake. But, in this space the fake works. If you use fake stems PLEASE make sure they are really good looking. Hint--fake ivy is rarely good looking. Here's a secret: I keep the fake stems I am not using, along with other season decor, in the gold suitcase under the entryway bench.

My last tip or hint to style a cohesive and comfortable home that reflects personality and thought is to create layers and repeat colors and textures. The colors in the painting and mat are repeated in the tapestry and pillow. The leather cases and the baskets match in color tones. The stitchery represents all of the colors in the other items. Place objects on top of others--let them touch and connect. Hang two objects on one hook. Keep the eye moving with different heights and groupings. Other than the time it took me to paint the painting, this seasonal change-up took me all of five minutes to create. 

I am not only ready to welcome fall, but also ready to welcome guest into our home. 

Thrift Store Finds for Fall

With my most-loved season almost upon us, my eyes have been drawn to all things fall at the thrift store. I love the show "Capturing Home" on the Magnolia Network. One of my favorite parts, besides their great style and design, is the mood board photos they take. They gather items that are the inspiration for the room and take a flat lay photo of them. 

Here is my version showing off some recent, autumn inspired, thrift store (and garage sale) finds.

My eye definitely was drawn to all things golden--warm mustard colors, brass and gold, rich wood tones.

I also look for textures such as the sherpa blanket and the chenille duvet cover (I am going to use these to recover a loveseat soon), the carved wood box, the brass cricket box.

I love the vintage, MCM, made in Portugal, copper creamer and sugar set I recently found.

Copper, brass, and gold are wonderful metal colors to look for for fall decorating.

Artwork is always a favorite find. The vintage paint by number with an autumn theme, the forest painting and the trio of fruit prints with the faded red velvet framing are perfect for the season, as are the vintage crewel and embroidery pieces. The ginger jar lamp with a shade that gives a lovely glow sits on my kitchen counter.

I plan on adding antique gold Rub-n-Buff to the gold frames on the fruit prints.

The very old, brown pottery bowl was a $1 garage sale find. I will probably use it to hold walnuts in the shell.

The wood box and the wood crate are fantastic for storage. I will share in a future post how I end up using them.

When you are on the hunt for autumnal decor, be sure to check out your local thrift stores. LOOK for warm colors, different textures, warm metals, fall artwork, and other items that will help bring a fall feel to your home. Happy hunting!

How to Frame Art on a Budget & Choosing Colors

I always check the art and frame section at the thrift stores.  Not only am I looking for art, but also for great frames to use for prints, photos, or personal artwork. There are typically plenty of frames and artwork to look through and choose from. For two to three dollars you can find wood frames with mats that are easy to change up to fit your needs and home decor. A recent $3 frame got a makeover to frame a fall acrylic piece I painted.

Keep reading for tips on picking mat and frame colors. 

I didn't take any before pictures of the frame, but it is a nice oak frame with a grey mat. It didn't have any picture in it. I am taking some online art classes to learn a loose, modern impressionistic style of painting and this was a piece I painted during the class. 

Matting and framing is used to not only protect art, but also to accentuate and to FRAME the art or draw the eye to the art. When choosing a mat you want to look at the art and notice which colors stand out. You don't want to pick the most prominent color, but the color that is third or fourth in dominance. Also, decide if you want to pull a color out of the art and choose that color. Art with a dark or colored background works better with a lighter mat and art with a white or lighter background works with a darker mat. 

I chose to paint the grey mat a golden, mustard yellow. I used craft acrylic paint.

Black and white mats almost always work. Again, you typically don't want to frame something with a white background with a white mat or dark with a black mat. Brightly colored art works well with white or black mats. You want to draw the eye to the artwork, not the mat.

The frame color should contrast the mat. You rarely will go wrong with a black or wood frame. White or metal frames can add a more modern feel. I chose to paint the frame black to bring out some of the blacks in the painting. I very lightly sanded the edges to bring a bit of the warm wood color, but not so much to give it a shabby chic feel. 

Here are some examples of some of the art from my home that has been professionally matted and framed.

Greens are the predominant color in this painting. The framer chose a brown mat to pull some of the browns out of the art. In the upper right corner of this photo you can see a painting with a green colored background. It was framed with a cream mat, which is a color in the artwork, but not the main color.

This poster with a white background was matted and framed with a dark mat.

Here is another watercolor painting with a light background and a dark mat.

This piece's colorful background is enhanced with a cream colored mat.

The white mat around this modern painting helps bring out its bright colors. 

A mat and frame help elevate even inexpensive and amateur art and help to 

draw the eye to the artwork. Buying frames at the thrift store and painting them is a great way to frame your pieces on a budget.  Choose colors that will make your art shine.

Three Ways to Use a Vintage Wood Folding Chair

Wood folding chairs often show up for sale at thrift stores and garage sales. I love to grab them if the price is right because there are lots of ways to use them in your home. This vintage cutie came home with me recently.

I did power wash it, vut left the paint splatters on it to show its age and previous life. I then used Wise Owl Furniture Salve (get it HERE from my friend Tina) to freshen up the dry wood.

A vintage wood chair works perfectly as a plant stand.

The warm wood and the green plant are beautiful together.

A folding chair works as a nightstand in a tight or small space.

I wouldn't want to use it as an every day nightstand because it is a little low. But, next to a guest bed, it is a great solution. It will hold a book, a phone, and other items needed next to a bed.

Another way to use a vintage, folding, wood chair is to hang it on a wall (or door in this case) to add texture and warmth. Hang a picture or mirror on it and it acts as a unique "frame".

A bonus is it gives you an extra seat when you need one. Be sure to pick these folding chairs up when you see them and think out of the box and have fun using them in your home!