Slow Styling and a New and Better Library Railing

In my previous post I talked about leaning into SLOW decorating this year, living in our spaces and not needing perfection to be content and comfortable. Our first home project of the new year is a perfect example of taking time to change our homes. This I know about me and my home--it will never be "finished" and it will always be a work in progress. With that said, I NEVER liked the railing on the lofted library in our great room (and I have lived with it for 10+ years).

Our home had some art deco styling, some Asian style, and some mishmash, idk what kind of design when we moved in. The doors covering the storage space under the lofted library were Soji screens and the railing was white, Victorian house style spindles that never made sense to me. 

Nine years ago I replaced the Soji screens with plywood, painted to look like an old sign for our schoolhouse. It has been fine, but it never looked aged enough and I have never loved it. So, right before Christmas I got a wild hair and decided to paint the plywood a green color from an oops can of paint and I added natural wood paneling. Note from the above photo, we changed out the propane fireplace about seven years ago for a more rustic style and more importantly, for one with a blower that actually helps heat the space.

I really like the warm wood behind the fireplace. I then convinced hubby to finally help me take out the white spindles and to put in an updated, more rustic, industrial railing.

Removing the old railing was probably the toughest part. The baseboards were glued to the flooring and we had to use a chisel to chip and splinter it out. The spindles were bolted in from underneath and they took quite a bit of muscle to remove as well.

We opted for wood posts and horizontal cabling for the new library railing. We used fir and stained it the same as the wood on the sliding doors. Does all of the wood in your home need to match? Gosh, NO! Different wood tones help spaces to look less flat. But, some connection between spaces is unifying. 

This was our first time using cabling like this and I must say, it was easy and I love the clean look. It really opened up the library space and it feels like it has always been here or that it belongs here. I want to change out the flat, office space, blue grey carpeting. For now I am getting rugs to put on the stairs, landing, and up in the loft area.

I moved the blanket ladder, an old school slide ladder, over to this wall rather than in front of the slider doors. I wanted to share the patchwork quilt on the ladder. It was a quilt top that I thrifted. I added a polar fleece back to it and "quilted" it by sewing on the patchwork lines on the top. It is created with vintage fabrics and I love it for winter. I do swap out these blankets seasonally.

A puzzle table that we made takes up most of the space in the library. It is a great space to sit in the afternoon and soak in some sunshine, drink a cup of tea, and read or work on a puzzle.

This project took us a weekend and we spent about $150 total on wood, stain, hardware, and cables. The change is truly amazing in terms of the feel of the space. It warm and matches my style much better than white, farmhouse spindles. 

It is so nice to have this new view during the winter months when we are indoors cocooning more. It was worth the wait and it was OKAY that it was a ten years, just live with what you've got project. Let your spaces be works in progress, make the best of what you have until you can change it, and create a home that is unique and comfortable.

Textural Cozy Curated Home Objects

Happy 2026! I typically like to start the new year out on the blog sharing trends for the new year. BUT, this year I hope to shift our thinking from trends to creating homes that are personal, warm, lived in, layered, curated, and slowly styled to fit our needs. I hope to help you to slowly decorate and to think of your spaces as living, ever-changing places--places that have good and bad days, great and really crappy days. And, for the love of God, I hope to encourage you to NOT design a room that looks like a sterile, commercial space or like aisle 12 of your favorite big box store.

So, with that goal in mind, I wanted to show you some recently sourced objects that will be for sale at my upcoming pop-up shops and share why these items help introduce texture and warmth and personality into a room.

Why do we want texture in our rooms? It keeps a space from looking too flat and boring. Texture is tactile and welcoming. Using earthy, warm colors feels cozy and grounding and connect interiors with nature.

This rust colored, knit, wool blanket is so heavy and warm. On top of it sits a wood trug styled as a mini vignette.

Old books, a wood candlestick, and a handmade metal and wood deer sit in the trug.

The wool, vintage Tree of Life tapestry is a wonderful way to incorporate both nature and texture on a wall. The picnic basket sitting underneath works well as a storage piece and balances the vignette.

I love this carved, wood wall shelf and the handmade, green, ceramic fish candleholder. 

Under the wood shelf above the chair hangs a print entitled The Berlioz House and the Hunting Lodge of Henri IV by French artist Maurice Utrillo. I reframed the print in a "more important" frame. 

These decor objects are unique, but will work with many different styles. What item do you love? How or where could you use it in your home?