Three Key Pieces for a Simple Bedroom Refresh!

I decided my bedroom needed a small refresh, and my goal was to do it with only a couple of new pieces! I needed a new mattress, bed and nightstands. I knew with those three items alone, they could make a huge change to my master bedroom! 

To start this refresh, I began with the essential part of any bedroom - the bed and mattress! I’ve have the same bed and mattress for almost nine years. My old mattress was causing my back to ache, so I knew I wanted a firmer mattress. BedInABox was the answer! I’ve been sleeping on my new BedInABox mattress for about a month now, and I can honestly say that my body feels more rested!

We have the Tranquillium in king size, and I love the 12", multilayer firm, foam construction. It makes such a difference in my sleep! And to save money - use code NISSALYNN20 for an additional $20 off! #ad

My prior bed was a well loved four poster bed that I bought at Goodwill. We brought it home and my husband replaced a couple of the slats and spray painted it in satin white. Then I distressed it with sand paper to make it look shabby chic. I loved it! (It’s so amazing what you can do with spray paint!) But over the last year, the bed has shown significant wear and tear, and the wood frame started to break - so it was time for a new one. 

The traditional four poster bed was so large, that it seemed take over our entire bedroom, plus the poles were the first thing you noticed when you walked into the room. I decided I wanted a French country bed with a large tufted headboard. The Realyn King Panel bed from Living Spaces was the answer! 

I need to tell you about Living Spaces, because it is a furniture store unlike any other! In my local Living Spaces store, in Frisco, Texas, they have four, 2000 sq ft homes built inside the store to showcase their beautiful furniture. This also helps give you decorating and furniture placement ideas. Such a great concept!

After changing up the bed and mattress, new nightstands were next. I wanted to mix styles and add more of a modern looking nightstand to go along with the French bed, so I ordered two night stands from the Presby collection at Living Spaces. The Presby nightstands are great because they have lots of storage and an USB outlet. Plus, I love the pull out piece to hold my lap top. I highly recommend them!

I kept the same bedding and accessories but moved the decorative bench from my office and placed it at the foot of my bed. I also moved my ginger jars from living room to the nightstands. 

Don’t be afraid to move accessories or accent furniture in your home. It can give a space new life and save you money! 

So remember, next time you want to redo a room, you don’t have to change everything, just change a couple pieces and then that room will take on a completely new look!

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!

Simple Ways to Refresh a Child's Bedroom

Hello! How has your summer been? We’ve been keeping busy by going to the pool and doing some small projects around the house. One of these was updating my son Brady’s bedroom. I didn’t want to go with a theme bedroom, but rather a modern farmhouse/coastal look that would last a while. We had a small budget to work with so we didn’t buy any new furniture, instead we decided to repurpose the items we had. To change the look of the room, the first thing we did was paint the dark red cottage style twin beds. I chose a vibrant blue spray paint called Oxford Blue by Krylon in a satin finish finish. It worked so well!

First, I want to let you know, this room is tricky to decorates because of that little white door in the middle of the wall. The door leads to the attic, which we into a hideout for the kids. The majority of the time the night stand table is off to the side of the left bed. But for these photos I moved it to the middle.

After painting the beds, we changed up the bedding. To me, new bedding makes a huge difference in any bedroom. This adorable bedding is from my favorite bedding place - Beddy’s. I chose the Farmhouse Collection because the bedding has a blue/gray stripe against a refreshing white background. The collection also has matching pillows, which coordinate well with the bedding. As a mom, I love Beddy’s because of the soft fabrics and styles, but most importantly because of the functionality of the zip up feature. It helps keep kids’ rooms tidy! Beddy’s are an easy way to make the bed, and we no longer have blankets and sheets dragging on the floor. Plus, the Beddy’s come with a pillow case and matching sham - so you don’t need to buy a separate sheet set! To save you money, you can use code NISSALYNN at Beddy’s check out to save 15% off your entire order! #sponsored

I already had the gray rug, but it’s only a 5x7, so I definitely need an 8x10 for this room.

I love anything with stars on it, so I also added these cute star pillows from Krumpets Home Decor. (You can use code NISSALYNN at Krumpetshome.com for 10% off your order.)

To brighten up the room we tried a new thing - peel and stick wall paper. I chose a shiplap wallpaper from Wall Blush and it looks great! But it was pretty tricky to put up, but defintley with it! (You can use code nissalynninteriors15 for 15% off your order.)

I took down the previous decor and replaced it with wooden pennants. The pennants were originally a natural wood color - so we spray painted them white. I also added this darling little wall shelf by the bed for easy access to books for bedtime reading.

The quilts at the foot of the beds, I’ve had for years. I bought them at Target, and they have lasted for a long time. (Here’s a link to a similar quilt that I have.) I love having a quilt or extra duvet at the foot of every bed in my home because it makes the room feel more cozy.

I also changed out the curtains in this room. Before we had navy chevron window treatments, but they didn’t go with the modern farmhouse look I was going for. (Plus, we only have on window in the room, so I wanted somthing light and airy.) The buffalo check curtains were perfect! And they were so inexpensive!

As for the galvanized metal letters above the beds, I purchased them at Hobby Lobby several years ago. I love them so much I decided to keep them in the same place.

I hope this post inspired you in some way! If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a question in the comments and I’d be happy to get back to you.

A Southern Graduation Celebration Part 2

Hello! If you saw my last post, you saw the fun tablescape I did for my daughter’s graduation party. Here’s all the info on the lunch buffet we held to honor our graduate!

For starters, we carried on the same rustic and sunflower theme as we did with the graduation tablescape. (We used sunflowers because it’s her favorite flower.) Kay-Lynn’s school colors are red, navy and white, so I decided to incorporate touches of red throughout the decor by placing red ribbons around vases and making a red fabric garland banner. To make the garland, I took a piece of strong twine and tied it securley to each end of the front of the credenza. Then I cut up strips of the gingham fabric about 15 inches long. I also cut the white ribbon 15 inches long. (I used white ribbon because I couldn’t find a bright white fabric that I liked.) Then I just looped the ribbon over the twine and pulled it through - making sure the knot side was always showing towards me.

My little ones got to the candy before I took the photos! Hence, the half filled candy bowls.

The graduation was in the afternoon so we had a late lunch. We had chicken salad sandwiches with croissants, fresh fruit, and chips. We also had dessert made of delicious custom made sugar cookies, cupcakes and a lemon Nothing Bundt Cake. (It’s Kay-Lynn’s favorite cake.) To save money, and instead of ordering the graduation topper through Nothing Bundt cakes, I decided to decorate the cake myself. I incorporated fresh sunflowers and baby’s breath, topped with a sparkly Class of 2020 cake topper. I also added in a few graduation cap and diploma cut outs that I bought from Hobby Lobby.

We picked up the croissants from Costco. The deal around on lots of croissants.

My husband and I designed the sign together. We made it with inspiration from a logo we made for a North Texas Church Prom we were in charge of a couple years back. We had the sign printed at Office Depot in a 24’x30’ size. We then used spay adhesive and attached it foam core to give it a sturdy backing. The backdrop my husband Justin made from a piece of bead board we had in the garage. We then added a shiplap peel and stick wall paper to give it the look of wood paneling. I added the eucalptus garland to the left side with faux sunflowers popping out. To be honest, I wish I had used more garland as to cover the entire left side of the board to give it a more dramatic look.

Would you believe it? I bought these yummy cupcakes at Walmart! You can find these 2020 toppers here.

We definably had to have Coca-Cola, as it’s Kay-Lynn’s favorite drink! I wanted to use Coke in glass bottles, but everywhere I went they didn’t carry it or they were sold out. It was only after the party I found some vintage bottles of Coke in stock at Costco. They would have looked awesome!

Her’s a photo of my daughter graduation cap. It’s tradidion here in North Texas to decorate your cap. Her hat said:

God made, Jesus saved, Texas raised.

Hail the conquering Graduate!

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my daughter’s graduation celebration! Check out the previous post for all the decorating details about the table decorations. Hope you enjoyed this that it will inspire you and give you ideas!

You can shop the products in this post by clicking on the images below.

A Southern Graduation Celebration Part 1

High school gradation is always an event to celebrate! (Especially this year!) So I definably wanted to honor my senior graduate. My daughter Kay-Lynn is a true Texas girl at heart - she even wore cowboy boots to walk the stage when getting her diploma. I wanted to create a graduation celebration that reflected her southern girl style.

Look at this adorable cookie my friend Jaime made to fit the event decor! Love the sunflowers and wood details. It’s too pretty to eat!

Because of the craziness of this year we did not have a traditional graduation. The school district decided on a ceremony where the graduates and parents would get dropped off in front of the stadium, with a driver staying in the car, then the graduate would quickly walk across the stage and get their diploma. The parents would take photos and return to their vehicle where the driver was waiting. It turned out be be a great alternative! 

My daughter Kay-Lynn isn’t a fancy girl so a rustic celebration was the perfect theme. I decided on having a taller bouquet of flowers in the middle of the table and two smaller bouquets on either side. I also added two eucalyptus garlands as runners down the middle of the table. Kay-Lynn’s favorite flowers are sunflowers, so they were a must have! I picked up two bunches of sunflowers from my local Kroger grocery store, along with some Baby’s Breath and some other filler flowers for the main bouquet. I added red gingham ribbon as an accent color because it’s one of the main colors of her high school, as well as giving the tablescape a pop of color. 

I wanted to stay with natural colors and textures for my place settings. I always begin by layering different pieces starting at the bottom and working my way up to the top. I started with seagrass plate chargers then added white dishes with brown distressed edges. I went with a neutral linen cloth napkin, and topped it off with these silverware pouches with cream bows from Cutlery Couture. The silverware pouches were the perfect focal point of the table and in my opinion, one of the best entertaining inventions ever! The make place settings look perfectly polished. Plus they are super functional! #ad 

These silverware pouches from Cutlery Couture were a hit. Everyone complimented them. I will definiently be using silverware pouches again for future tablescapes and party decor.

To make these fun, super easy decorative centerpieces, I took a mason jars and covered them with burlap and plaid ribbons, then wrapped them with twine. (You can see a tutorial here on my Tik Tok account.) I then added two sunflower stems per glass, the Baby’s Breath and the cute graduation toppers - which I purchased from Hobby Lobby.

I purchased the goblets from the dollar store! I needed eight glasses and it was much cheaper to pay $1.00 per glass then buy a box of glasses from Target or Walmart. (Tip: I get lots of my party decor from Dollar Tree!)

I love these adorable custom made cookies! Class of 2020 will never never be forgotten!

These silverware pouches from Cutlery Couture are my favorite!

Hope you enjoyed this rustic tablescape. Stay tuned for the second part of Kay-Lynn’s graduation celebration, where I share all the details of the buffet table display. Part 2 will to go live Sunday, June 7th!

You can shop the products in this post by clicking on the images below.

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!

Bringing in Blue for this Year's Easter Tablescape

Spring is such a wonderful time of year! Decorating an Easter tablescape is a yearly tradition, and even though life is crazy right now, I still wanted to do it. In fact, I believe now more than ever, it's essential to create a positive environment by surrounding ourselves with things we love and  make us feel good. That’s what this tablescape does for me. So lets discuss the details.

The pieces I chose this year are bright and calming, as I think this is something we all need. I also really wanted to concentrate on adding different textures so I arranged each place setting with multiple layers. I started first with a wood charger with a bead trim, then a navy melamine dinner plate, and topping it off with a white scalloped salad plate.

The bunny ear napkin rings I had from last year, and I used them again. In fact, I think I might use them every year because they’re so festive and fun. For napkins, chose plaid cloth napkins because they add an interesting pattern to the table.

You can create a beautiful dining room center piece simply by using three jars or vases that you already have around your home, and filling them with faux flowers. It is more attractive if the largest vase is in the middle and the two other vases are placed on either side.

To save money I wanted to reuse a lot of the same pieces that I’ve used in prior tabelscapes. The gray diamond patterned table runner I got about a year ago. I’ve used it a few times because the neutral color goes with so many looks. I would recommend buying a couple neutral colored table runners that you can use in multiple settings. I would suggest a white, a gray, and an ivory one. Those colors will pretty much work with any tablescape.

Another item I reuse a lot are my glass goblets. If you switch up the decor on the tablescape, but reuse the same glasses, the tablescape as a whole will still look like new.

I hope y’all have the best Easter making it magical with your loved ones!

*For more information on the items in this post, you can shop them by clicking on the photos below.

*If you’re interested in the wood eggs, birdhouses, or wood bead garland, you can use code NISSALYNN for 10% off your order on the product’s website.

Celebrating Our Graduating Senior

I love spring! I love decorating my home for spring! I love everything about spring! It’s a season full of activities and celebrating joyous occasions. However, as we all know, this spring is different. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic my daughter’s high school graduation ceremony and all of her senior activities are more than likely cancelled. But that doesn't mean we're not going to honor her! You bet we are! One of the best ways I have found to celebrate my daughter was to go ahead order her graduation announcements and the stationery for saying thank you for the graduation gifts.  

I discovered a wonderful company called Basic Invite. They offer so many different styles and colors for all occasions. I love that you can order printed samples of the actual invitation before placing the final order. We received her sample announcements and they look beautiful! It was great to be able to see the paper and printing quality in person and not just on the computer screen. But most importantly, my daughter loves them, and it made her so happy!

Basic Invite is also one of the few websites that allows customers almost unlimited color options with instant previews online. Once you select a design, you can change the color of each element on the card. With over 180 colors to choose from, you can make sure the card is exactly how you want it. #AD And right now Basic Invite is offering 15% off with coupon code:15FF51 I love coupon codes! 

Here’s a look at the front and back of this style card.

Since the actual graduation ceremony probably won’t take place, I'm already planning on having our own graduation here at home. I'm going to decorate the house like crazy! I’m going to decorate the front door with ribbons in her school colors, and have balloons everywhere! We’re also going to have her favorite meal at home. I’ve already ordered her cap and gown and we are going to take pictures of her in the cap and gown. We are also going to go to the outside of the convention center (where graduation was supposed to take place) and take photos in front of the building in her wearing her cap and gown. 

I’m so grateful we can still send out graduation announcements as a way to celebrate our seniors! They deserve so much praise for their accomplishments - especially now!

Here’s a look at the front and back of this style card.

I’d love to know, do you have a senior? Are you still planning to celebrate graduation, if so what are your ideas? #classof2020

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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Why I Decorate for Valentine's Day

It’s no secret, I’m obsessed with holidays. I love holidays. I love them because it helps bring a light to my life amidst all the normalcy of the day to day routine. Do I love decorating for them - yes. Is it work and tiring - yes. But the biggest reason that I decorate for holidays is for my family. My mother did the same thing, and her mother decorated as well. (My Aunt used to send me holiday wall clings in the mail for my younger kids. My mom and I would buy 35 mylar heart balloons from Party City and deliver them to friends and neighbors. I also still send Valentines in the mail to ladies I’ve know for years So maybe call it a family thing, in my case it is. Decorating for holidays has become a tradition passed down through the generations - and why? Because it makes people happy. It makes me happy. So here’s my Valentine’s Day decor for this year.

Decor Tip: When decorating, buy things that you can use multiple times a year. The red and white napkins and bowls in this pic I also use for Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Fourth of July!

This year I used more red and orange tones. It was fun to branch out with brighter colors.

These beautiful flowers are from Milena Bouquet. You can use code: nissalynninteriors for 10% off your order.