Getting Guest Room Ready!

With summer almost here, you might have friends and family coming to visit. Today I’m sharing some ideas to help you create a beautiful guest room without having to do an entire bedroom remodel!

After my daughter left for college in Idaho, I wanted to transition her high school looking bedroom into a classic and timeless guest bedroom. My Texas girl loved her country gray and yellow themed room, but it wasn't quite the sophisticated look I wanted. I didn’t want to repaint her light gray walls or replace the white drapes, so I decided to keep the gray color pallet and swap out the yellow accessories for white ones - like new white pillows.

The first thing we did was sell her old shabby chic distressed bedroom set. Then I shopped for a new bed since that is the focal point of the bedroom. I knew I wanted a tufted headboard and I immediately fell in love with this one from Brookside. 

I also knew I wanted light colored night stands to help brighten up the room. I found a set and they are great quality and even have an outlet built in the back with a USB port for easy phone charging. I keep brand new bright white towels in the nightstand drawers ready for guests when they come visit.

I love neutral decor and bedding, so even though the bed is gray, I decided to go with gray comforter and shams. To brighten the space up and add texture, I chose white faux fur euro shams, gray plaid pillow covers, and an ivory knit blanket from Beddy’s. These pieces are part of the Boujee Bundle. I originally ordered this bundle for my son’s room to go with his gray Beddy’s Boujee Luxe line bedding, but loved these pieces in this room too! White accent pieces are so versatile! (Use code NISSA LYNN for 15% off your entire purchase at Beddy’s.)

The middle pillow in the photos is my favorite because of the design and texture. Can you believe it’s from Walmart? It’s super affordable! 

The next thing I wanted to do to refresh this room was to get a new mattress. My daughter had been sleeping on an old queen mattress for some time, and a new one was definitely needed. When my husband and I upgraded to a king sized bed eight months ago, we chose the Tranquilium mattress from Bed in a Box. This mattress is made up of a 12" multilayer firm, foam construction, which feels so much better than a spring mattress. It also has a memory foam top layer making it super soft! I love it so much, I definitely wanted to get another one for my guest bedroom! (You can save money by using code NISSALYNN25 for $25 off!) #sponsored

Since it is a guest room, I wanted to keep the decor to a minimum. I bought these two wildflower wreaths and placed them on top of two shiplap boards to hang above the headboard. (Use code NISSA LYNN for 10% off your entire purchase Krumpets!)

I attached a ribbon to the top hooks and attached the board to the wall with a nail. I used command strips to attach the wreath to the shiplap boards. 

I found a pair of gray lamps that now I wish were a little taller, but I at the same time, I didn’t want them to tower over the bed and become the focal point of the rooms. I also added a fabric bench at the foot of the bed to make the room feel cozy. Then finished by adding some faux floral arrangements I found at Marshalls.

Hopefully this helps you get some ideas for refreshing a bedroom in your home. Below are the links to products or similar products I used.

New Lighting Changes Everything!

Lighting is a key element in every home! It can create a dramatic feel for any room - especially the kitchen. When we built our home eight years ago, it only came with one can light over the sink. Adding more ceiling electrical boxes over the kitchen island would have required lots of work would have been very costly. So my husband and I decided to remove the can light over the kitchen sink  and replace it with a crystal chandelier which fit that electrical space. It looked great for many years, but over time it began to look dated, and I knew it was time to select new lighting. I discovered a fantastic company  called Lights.com. The selection of lighting was amazing, but even better yet, they had light fixtures that could be attached with one electric input hole, but came with the bar that allowed for three pendent lights! It was perfect, just what I wanted! I now had the look of three pendent lights but only using one ejection socket! #sponsored

(Before and After! Besides new lighting, we also put in a marble subway tile backspace and as well as changed out the barstools. By adding the industrial metal stools, it made the kitchen feel more open and seem larger. use, its defiantly more function with my kids. The large heavy barstools were hard to move and use. You can find the metal barstools here.)

Now going back to lighting, this new three pendent lighting fixture totally changed the feel in my kitchen! It added a modern farmhouse/ industrial look to help make the room feel more modern and chic.

Here is the amazing pendents lights I chose for my kitchen from Lights.com. (And you can use code NISSALYNN 20 for 20% off your order until August 15th!)

Also, the type of light bulbs you use can have a huge impact on the way they lighting fixture looks. Ask your self, do you want a warm cozy, glow, or a bright white light? I prefer the daylight bulbs in my home in the bedrooms, but I love the warm lightbulbs in my lamps and living areas.

3-Light Rectangle Canopy with Alton Pendants and Chic Dome Glass, Satin Nickel

Here are some of my other my top favorite lighting options at Lights.com:

I also love and adore the Arden 8-Light Chandelier with Tapered Opal Shade, in Polished Nickel.

3-Light Rectangle Canopy with Alton Pendants and Schoolhouse Glass, Chrome

Kingston 6-Light Rectangle Chandelier, Polished Nickel

(And you can use code NISSALYNN 20 for 20% off your order until August 15th!)

Remember, lightening is majot focal point in any room. Pick styles and shapes that you will love looking at everyday, and that will help you love the space your in!

Sharing My Home Decor Staples!

I truly believe it’s important to love the space you’re in! (Especially now!) So I want to share my favorite home decor staples. I strongly believe in having a few key items in your home that are timeless and that you don’t have to change out very often.

The first thing to do when considering the which “staples” to have in your home, is take inventory of your surroundings. Decide what things make you feel good and what doesn’t. The easiest way to do this is to ask yourself questions like: do faux flowers uplift my mood? Do I like a lot of things on my tables, or just a few? Am I tired of the throw pillows on my sofa? And do they look worn? When I walk in the a particular room do I cringe at the decor?

Even a few simple, inexpensive purchases can help turn your space around and make you feel totally different! Here are my suggestions.

First, start with the big pieces of furniture - if you are able to change them. If you can’t change them, try moving them around. For example try moving a sofa to a different wall. This simple thing could make a huge difference!

For large pieces, I would recommend having at least one large table in you home. Large storage pieces are wonderful for organizing as well as fun to decorate! This sideboard is one of the best purchases I have ever made because it’s very versatile. It’s great in a dining room to serve food and hold dishes, as well as wonderful in a living room for displaying family photos and storing decor.

Another larger piece I would recommend to have in your home is a nice arm chair. An arm chair adds interest to the room as well as additional seating. I would recommend not buying a patterned chair incase you grow tired of the pattern, or it becomes out dated. Instead opt for a patterned pillow to go with a neutral colored chair. I bought two of these arm chairs for my master bedroom and have loved them. I chose a linen fabric, which lightened up the room and added such a classy feel. (This particular chair com in other colors as well.)

After evaluating the large pieces, move on to the smaller items, like your coffee table. How do you feel about your coffee table decor? When decorating a coffee table, I always start with a large tray. Then I continue decorating by adding and layering other home decor objects.

My favorite white wood farmhouse trays.

Another thing I add to my coffee table are white, silver, or wood candlesticks. (I love these particular wood candlesticks because they pair great with so many different styles and can be used in so many different rooms.) I normally arrange candlesticks in a groups of 3-5. in fact, when arranging any grouping, it’s always best to decorate with odd numbers. It’s more pleasing to the eye and looks more balanced.

Some type faux floral arrangement is a must somewhere in a most rooms. While real flowers are beautiful and fragment, they only last about a week. And to replace them can get very costly. I like to add several small flowers arrangements in glass vases to every room to give pops of happy color. I have several flower arrangements similar to this peony one below!

I also often add decorative books to my coffee table and on my fire place mantle. You can get them in a wide range of sizes and colors, but I tend to stick with neutrals so they can blend with the rest of my decor. I love these grays books!

Pillows are the easiest way to transform any room! By adding different colored and patterned pillows you can change the mood quickly and fairly inexpensively. I have found that pillows are often cheaper on Amazon then in actual stores. Below are my favorite throw pillows.

These pillows come in several differernt styles and colors. Click here to see more!

I hope that helps give you an idea some of key items to have in your home when decorating! Have a beautiful day everyone!

A Quick Office Makeover!

I truly believe your space affects the way you live - especially your productivity! So last month my husband Justin and I did an office refresh! Justin has been doing graphic design freelance work in our home office for the past six years. Thus, the office was decorated to his taste - blue walls and what definitely looked like a man cave! Now that he’s not working from home much, and I am, we agreed it was time turn the office over to me - and give it a makeover!

Here’s a photo of what it looked like before:

The first thing we did was pick out the paint color. I wanted a neutral, light and airy gray, so I went my go to gray - Agreeable Gray, by Sherwin Williams. Next we painted the white crown molding that we never finished painted six years ago! (I know that’s terrible!) We went with a basic white by Valspar which is found at Lowes.

After the painting was done, we put up my gallery wall. I opted for silver metal frames for a timeless, elegant look. The photos are 9x11 with a 2.5 inch mat. Then we took the old brown curtain rod that was in there and spray painted it silver. (I always use Rustoleum spray paint from Lowes.)

The rug I had already, I just moved it from my bedroom. Next we took out his antique wood desk and chairs, and replaced them with my french country furniture. I wanted to add touches of glam, so I bought the stacked glass lamps, and a modern sun burst mirror. I also chose simple white faux taffeta drapes because I like how the silky sheen looks in the sunlight.

The office is still a work in progress, as we have more things I want to do to it (a new lighting fixture, new arm chair, end table etc.). But for right now, I’m just grateful to have a space calm and classy to work in!:)

To shop my office, click on the photos below, then click on title- it will you take you to the product.

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Feeling the Love for Valentine’s Day

Hello friends! It’s bit a little while since I blogged but I’m back! I took a little time off after the holidays, but now I can’t wait to share some Valentine’s Day inspiration with you!

The heart sign, tag, pillow and wood tray came from Krumpet’s Home Decor. The roses are from Hobby Lobby.

Let’s talk about the white ceramic pitcher holding the faux roses. This pitcher is from Home Goods, and it’s a staple in my home. I use it everywhere; on the kitchen counter, on my bedroom night stand, to hold fresh florals etc. I would recommend buying a few non-expensive pieces of white dish ware. White plates, platters, and serving bowls all photograph better than any other color dish ware. Have you ever noticed on the cooking shows they almost always display their final culinary product on white dish? That’s because of the contrast of the white dish against the colors in the food - it appeals to the eye!

The mix and matching wood signs, banner and green topiary are from Krumpet’s Home Decor

I’m really into buying festive decor pieces that can be used for several different holidays . For example, the blush buffalo check pillow paired with the pink heart pillow, also doubles as part of my Easter decor. The red and white polka dot pillow is often used for decorating three different holidays: Valentine’s Day, Christmas, and Fourth of July. The same thing happens with the red and white bead garland seen in the tray on the coffee table.

The coffee table tray actually says hot cocoa on the bottom, so I lined it with a couple pieces of red and pink scrapbook paper and added the decor on top. Voila, it’s now a perfect tray for Valentine’s Day!

Let's Talk About Pillows!

Tired of the current color scheme in you home?  

Pillows are one of the easiest and least expensive ways to change the feel of 
an entire room!

Here we have two shots of the same living room. They both have the same
furniture, rug and window treatments, same white tray and white candle sticks. I just changed out the pillows and the florals! Now the room has an entirely different feel!

Mix and Match

Mix and matching fabrics and different textures is a fantastic way to create an interesting look. It also looks more professional and custom - like you had direction from a decorator or designer. Here I have a navy block design pillow from Chloe and Olive a linen fabric paired with pillow from Home Goods in a polyester fabric.

Remember pillows don’t always have to match perfectly. Below is a fuzzy leopard print from Home Goods paired with a chiffon rose patterned pillow from H&M. Totally different styles and fabrics (one heavy, the other light), and yet, they compliment each other perfectly!

Inserts

Most pillows are sold just as pillow covers. So you will need to purchase the inserts for the covers. I have found that inserts at Pottery Barn are a little more expensive then other places, but they do last much longer! You are paying for quality! I've also used cheaper inserts from Ikea. They're great on the budget at around $7.00 an insert. Below are some Ikea pillows and inserts. Pillows from discount stores, such as Home Goods, Ross, Walmart, and Target normally
come with the inserts included.

3-D Elements

Another fun to dress up your pillows is with 3-D elements. Beads, tassels, buttons, rhinestones, and sequence all add texture and visual interest to the pillow - and to the piece of furniture it's being displayed on. See how the broach in the photo below, adds elegance to the gray ribbon. Without it, the the pillow wouldn't look half as fancy!

You can add elements yourself to any existing pillow with by hand sewing the item on. or using a glue gun.

Zippers

When choosing a pillow color, you might want to take into consideration the zipper. Most pillows have a dress zipper (right photo below). It does the trick, but if you're constantly switching out pillow covers, or if the pillow is being laid on a lot, the zipper can fall apart pretty easy. However, pillows with a YKK zipper (right photo below,) such as these from 
Chloe and Olive, are much more durable! Some pillows don’t have a zipper at all but an “envelope” closure instead. Where the fabric folds over top of teach other.

Holiday Pillows

Pillows are the especially perfect for decorating for the holidays! In fact, it seems almost every home decor retailer has a line of holiday pillows now! Pier 1, Target, Pottery Barn, and Home Goods, are just a few of my favorite places to buy holiday pillow goodness! Boutiques and specialty home decor stores are other places to get one of a kind pillows that the masses don't have. Krumpet's Home Decor is one of my favorite online home decor stores for holiday goodies.

It's been fun sharing my thoughts and experience on pillows with you, now go out and have some fun some shopping!

Picking Out the Perfect Gray Paint

Everyone year towards the end of summer, I start getting an itch to redecorate, or fix up things in our home. So today my husband and I went to Lowes and picked up some paint for some touch ups around the house. We're touching up walls before we start some new small DIY house projects (Don't worry - I'll share those in the coming weeks as we work on them.)

A great place to start is gathering suggestions from family and friends who have already painted with gray colors. Pinterest and the internet are also other great ways to aid in your search. And, of course there is always the old fashion to pick a paint color - going down to the hardware store and looking at paint cards, then bringing them home and placing samples on the walls.

However, grays paint tends to be a lot trickier than other paint colors. This is because gray paint is not a true "color," but more a "tint." This means it starts with a black color base and is gradually mixed with white to lighten it up. It does not have true primary colors in it like other paint colors. Because it's more of a pigment, gray paint tends to easily look different in different lighting. I had a client who loved Amazing Gray by Sherwin Williams. It looked fantastic in her living room, which had lots of windows, but looks mossy green in her hall way. I've seen gray paints show all sorts of undertones like green, purple, blue or even pink undertones! It all depends on the lighting and windows.

The best was to avoid undertones is to buy a sample can (They run any where from $2.98 to $6.50.) Then paint several LARGE areas in your home in several different places that have different lighting. A small painted area will not give you the true color. This is because a small swatch can be influenced by the existing paint color already on the wall.

(*Also note, never use the rest of the sample paint in the container for more than just the sample. Sample cans, because they're just samples, don't have a finishing protect agent in the paint, and therefore the paint will come off easy.)

Another way to test out gray paint, is to paint it on a medium size paper approximately 12'x18' inches, and hold it up to the wall. This helps to see what the gray will look like with out the existing paint color influencing it.

I hope this information helps on your quest for the perfect gray! I'll be sharing all paint color in my home in my next

Shopping Tips for Finding the Perfect Home Decor!

While out shopping, I saw this lantern and I knew it was exactly what I needed for the table by my stairs. It's always so exciting to find something your looking for!

Shopping for accessories can be overwhelming! Especially when you're pacing through the isles of  stores like Homes Goods or Hobby Lobby. Below are a few tips to help you sort through the hundreds of décor pieces to find your the right home accents for your home!

1. First, comb through Instagram, magazines, Pinterest, and online photos of rooms you like. 

2. Ask yourself: Do you like modern, traditional, or more rustic home décor styles? 

3. Decide what colors and styles you're drawn to. How do those colors and styles make you feel? Is there a certain store you just love and want to your home to look like?

4. Save pictures you love and look closely at how they decorated the details in the room. What did they put on that coffee table? What type of rug did they use on the floor? What kinds of colors did they use in their pillows? 

5. Then before you go to the stores, decide what specific items your going to look for, using your saved pictures as inspiration. It will cut down on time.

6. Know your budget. Decide if you rather spend money on several less expensive items or put all your money towards a piece that you absolutely love!

Happy Shopping!

Budget Friendly Ideas for Refreshing a Room!

Every January, with the start of the new year, I like to make little, budget friendly changes to my home decor! It has to be on the cheap because we’re just coming off of Christmas where I normally over spend. (Oops don't tell the hubby.)

Some of the easiest ways to update any space is by painting an existing piece of furniture, painting decor already have, and buy a few new accessories - like a new rug. 

I'm going to share with you what I did to get it to look like the photo below. 

 I bought a new sofa about a year ago from Rooms to Go, but never really updated the room to go along with the new sofa. So, the first change I made was to update my coffee table. I sanded it down a bit, filled in the nicks with wood putty, and then spray painted it from black to white! I used a spray paint with a satin finish called Rustoleum - which I bought at Lowe’s. Because of the table's classic design and solid wood construction, there was no reason to buy new even if I had money in the budget. I purchased it from World Market over twelve years ago and it's been a staple in our home ever since. And now it has a clean, crisp, fresh feel! 

Next I dusted off an old black pair of wood candlesticks from my decorator closet - that I bought  Hobby Lobby a few years back. Then I spray painted the candlesticks white and will probably  distress them in the future for a more farmhouse look. (The wood ones replaced the silver ones - the silver ones were from Home Goods.)

Another change I added was to replace the rug under my coffee table. I've had the old aqua rug for the past five years and I wanted to switch to a neutral color. 

Rugs USA was kind enough to send me this gorgeous gray 5'x8' Tallahassee Floral Jewel Medallion Rug in grey.  It has the look of a stylish expensive rug - but so easy on the budget! A win-win! Plus, I love how it lightens up my entire room, and goes perfect with my newly painted coffee table and candlesticks. 

 I also placed fresh flowers in a mirrored vase for a pop of color. When the flowers die- I will replace them with silk flowers of a similar color, to maintain the fun color.

For low cost pillows, I went to my local Home Goods and picked up a few new ones with patterns. 

(I love mixing and matching patterns in my pillows because it creates dimension and interest.) I incorporated the new with the old and still created an entire new look!

I hope you find these decorating tips helpful as you update the space your in!

Check out the "Before and After" photo!

Santa Clause is Coming to Town!

I'm super excited to share with you what I call my winter white living room! I received so many wonderful compliments about my living room, as well as lots of positive questions about how I decorated this space. But the best compliment of all was having this photo featured on several of Better Homes and Gardens social media sites! Thank you for the love!

I'm to happy to share all the details with y'all!

The darling Santa Clause Decor came from http://www.krumpetshome.com Their Santa Clause collection is so magical!

Design Tip:  It's important to get some classic decor pieces that you love and fit your personal style.  This will save you money because you could refinish or repurpose those pieces in the future for an  to updated look - instead of buying new. My coffee table of 12 years is a great example. It's solid wood with a classic design. I've painted it several times to update it - instead of buying new!

Christmas Tree Detail
This year I had the privilege of receiving a 9 foot Flocked Christmas tree from King of Christmas. It gave me a whole new direction for decorating my living room! Since my flocked tree is such a natural beauty I chose to keep the decor simple and stately. I opted for larger round ornaments rather than many small ones. 

When decorating my tree the first thing I do is put on the ribbon. I cut about 5-6 foot strips, a little longer than the length of the tree. Then I start from the top and tuck about ever 3-6 inches it into the center of the tree - making it "bubble out." I repeat these streps until I reach the bottom of the tree. Then I cut 12 inch strips of another patterned ribbons and place those around the tree to fill in empty spaces.  I add sprigs of frosted sticks and silver was stems throughout. For a tree skirt I just added white fabric and an old white curtain I had in my decorator closet! Crazy huh? 

The Santa Claus boxes under the tree were a new addition this year! They were sent to me by a darling home decor shop called Krumpets Home Decor. The white candle sticks on the hearth I've had forever! I bought them from Hobby Lobby 8 years ago when they were black. I painted them white to give them a fresh new look.

Garland and Wreath

I purchased the garland on my fireplace about five years ago from Hobby Lobby. (I also have the same garland on my stairs.) The garland was originally just green. I added flocked pieces or stems, to brighten it up and give it an updated snowy look. 

Mantle Decor

The mecury glass vases and candles sticks, and cathedral mirror, are part of my everyday decor and are up on my mantle year round. Most times I like to mix holiday decor with my everyday decor. I also change out my Christmas signs as find new ones.

Here are the references to where my decor is from:

Silver trees - Home Goods.

Large Decorative Truck Figurine came from Target.   

Decorative white deer - ZGallerie. 

Believe Sign- Kirklands

Mercury Glass- At Home