How to Make Your Home Have Character With Console Table Vignettes

Hi Everyone!  

I've been thinking about what I could write that would really help give you ideas for your OWN home decor.  I realized that having a nice console table vignette, either in your entry or living room can REALLY add character to your home and is an important investment piece. 

So....I decided to post and talk about some different entry styles and give you some ideas.  You can also check out this furniture website which is one of the most comprehensive furniture website around.

This is shabby chic/farmhouse vignette using old window panes and collected white pottery.  This look is quite simple, but see how sets off the feel of this person's home?

Characteristics:  

weathered wood

chipped rough paint

burlap pillows

wicker baskets

simple not too cluttered.

Farmhouse Porch

In keeping with the shabby chic/farmhouse theme,  don't you just love this old weathered bench used as a focal point for the entry!

Once again you are seeing:
Old woods
Wicker
Burlap
Painted furniture

The next console table vignette is my own.  For those that follow my blog you know that I have a very Northwest style home but I try to bring in the Rustic Tuscan style inside.

Characteristics:

Iron

Any natural elements (clay walls, rock, iron etc)

Greenery (especially topiary plants)

rustic wood (usually not painted) with imperfections or even rough old wood.

And during Christmas I dressed it up a little!

I can't forget using horses as part of a Tuscan theme!

Notice the black iron wall sconces

Old weathered wood

Greenery in weathered pots

wicker and leather (natural elements)

I LOVE how this person disguised their flat screen TV with a bunch of cool hanging photos scattered around it.  This is a great console table vignette -  I would say this style could be titled eclectic .  Eclectic can be a catch - all style that borrows from several other design styles to evoke a sense of imagination with unexpected contrasts.

Characteristics:

mixed modern with traditional

Anything goes!

Old wood, glass, modern frames with some old weathered signs.

This is a pretty traditional yet eclectic look too!  Both of the pictures add fun CLOCKS!

More IDEAS:

One idea that I see used a LOT with console table vignettes is using symmetrical picture frames.  I love this idea, it makes a statement and is easy to use in home decor.

Even if you had a small little table, you could add some symmetrical frames to add a touch of sophistication.

Another really easy way to add character to your console table vignette is to add wicker baskets!  You can collect them whenever you see a good deal and VOILA, look at what it can do to make a statement.  (not to mention the great extra storage they provide!)

Baskets under the table and decorative bowls on the wall!

I hope this post has given you some ideas on how to set up your OWN console table vignette?  It's always fun to try to dissect a photo and figure out what you like (or don't like) about it and begin to narrow down what your own style in home decor is.  If you enjoy the Rustic Tuscan decor style swing by my home tour posts!

For my wonderful blog readers I just wrote about the TOP 5 DESIGN SECRETS that I feel everyone needs to know -  come check it out. 

If you guys ever have any decor/design questions.....feel free to ask me and maybe I'll do a post on it for  you!  Don't miss out on any other posts - I'd love to have you sign up to receive my once a week home decor inspiration :-)

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Kid Craft Ideas During Christmas or Winter Break

I have always been someone who LOVES being crafty.  Even as a kid, play dough was my best friend.

So I wanted to put a post together of some EASY but time filled crafts that either you as a parent or a grandparent could do with the kids for Christmas or even during the winter break.  

One of my FAVORITE craft is making these Stained Glass Cookies 

Along with the specific sugar cookie dough, you just crush up hard candies and create your masterpiece! (note to self: SAVE Halloween hard candies for this craft!)

Another fun experiment to do is make some Rock Candy!

It takes some time for the rock crystals to form, but my kids love making this!

How about a really simple craft (for the younger ones!)  Just grab some yarn and fruit loop cereal and they can make their own edible necklace.  I love crafts that can keep a kid entertained and focused and it doesn't take a lot of work on my part - ha!!!  You could even make this extra special by purchasing some little charms that they could put on the necklace between fruit loops!

Talking about food crafts......do you remember ever doing potato stamp art ?  You simply cut up a potato with a shape on the top, dip it in your paint and CREATE!

When my friend did this, she used all the artwork her kids created as custom wrapping paper! 

And lastly, how about making some fun SMELLY playdough as a Christmas Break craft!

This one is Gingerbread but you could make whatever flavor you wanted!  We added a bunch of gold glitter to this batch to really make it sparkle.

I hope this has given you some fun crafty ideas for Christmas and the break.  

ENJOY and have fun with those kiddos this lovely season.

It's a Kid's Christmas - Decorating and Gift Ideas

Well this year I LET MY KIDS do the decorating.....was this hard for me??  (hee,hee)  Yes :-)

OK OK, just the tree......my husband and I left one night to go Christmas shopping and when we came home.....the tree was fully decorated in all it's glory......I didn't even touch it.  

So this year we have a candy cane "infested", school ornament decorated tree.  :-)

It's  actually pretty.....just not how I would have decorated it :-)  Their FAVORITE part is the candy canes that they weaved throughout the branches.  (Why is candy so fun for kids?) :-)

Every year, we go to our friend's house for a Christmas party and the she gives each of my kids a special ornament that they can add to their collection for when they have their own family.  (My mother in law does this too.)  They have some of the funniest ornaments ever!  They LOVE collecting them!

This is my friends Christmas tree (the one who hosts the party!)  

Isn't it amazing!! She decorates it with all kinds of Christmas birds.  I LOVE that!

I had fun putting up my reindeer and greenery on the mantel again.

That GIANT 3' wide wreath I got from Michaels craft store for 12 bucks!  (with the store coupon of course) I just hot glued little glittery ball ornaments and put lights in it.

My husband and I put up Christmas lights again......we haven't been thrilled with the icicle lights though.  When a wind storm hits, half the lights go up on the roof!!  He even put fishing weights on most the hanging lights and they STILL don't stay hanging down!  (Anyone know how to solve this problem?)

I wrote a post about good tips and tricks on how to take a great photo of your Christmas lights if you want to read it, just click on over :-)

And lastly.....how's that Christmas shopping going!?!  I posted this last year, but thought I would link to it again.....I wrote out my OWN kids top 5 (NON Electronic) gifts that they have received and enjoyed over the past years.  I am up for ANY good ideas from you wonderful readers too.....my kids are ages 12, 10 and 6.  :-)

ENJOY the season my friends!!!

Oh For the LOVE of MAPS - Home Decor Ideas

Hi Friends!  Sorry about the laps in postings.....we were gone 5 days for Thanksgiving and now just getting back into everything :-)  I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and now getting ready for Christmas - WOW!  It is coming FAST this year - I'll have to post all the fun Christmas decor soon!

The most popular post I've ever written is  how to turn an old paper map into canvas art.  I simply cut up the map, applied mod podge to the map and pressed it on the canvases. (You can see the full tutorial by clicking the link above)

I always enjoy it when a reader will send me their version of a project I did. (So send me any projects you have tried!)

This one by Nicolle has such a great color scheme !  You can see more photos of this antiqued world map on canvas by clicking the link.

Or how about this "It's a Small World" nursery theme map on canvas that  Paul and Karissa made!

  They had fun using the map to represent Disneyland's It's a small world theme ride along with a reminder of their extensive traveling before they had their baby.

Maps.com had a TON of great maps to choose from.  These are a few examples of what they have to offer.

They also have a huge selection of globes......I've starting collecting a few globes myself.  You can bunch them all together and really create a fun and dramatic vignette.

Here are some more fun MAP home decor eye candy :-)

I am in love with the rust tones of the map below.....so beautiful with the natural wood color.

Making a collage of your map collections is a great way to make a statement and add interest in your home.

Lucas Studio Inc

What would you think of doing an entire wall in a map? It sure makes a statement - doesn't it!  You could have fun doing a kids safari/travel themed room with a giant map mural.

I am a huge fan of symmetry......I love the way these three map posters mimic the three round mirrors on top.  

If that was MY office, I might actually work a little harder - ha!! (or at least spend more time looking around and enjoying my office!)

I hope you collected some good ideas!  The next few posts will be CHRISTMAS decor!  

Enjoy my friends!

Sponsored by Maps.com - please see my full disclosure policy

Decorating With Real or Painted Birch Trees.

There is something so beautiful about a tree bark that is white, orange and peeling!  

Enter, the BIRCH TREE.

If you remember, last year I had a landscape friend that collected birch wood for me while he was cleaning up a site.  I ended up stacking it by my fireplace and by the front door.  What an easy way to add a rustic, warm and woodsy feel to a home.

Here it is just stacked by my front door.  EASY!

I also have stacked it in a basket......it's a fun different look.

When I ran across this birch bed, I knew I'd have to do another birch post!  I love the natural monochromatic feel of this bedroom.  (and then a pretty little dash of pink in the flowers!)

I have also thought, painting birch trees as an accent would be a very nice addition to any home.  Here are a few examples:

www.younghouselove.com

I know this is more a cherry tree than a birch, but I still loved it :-)

House and Home


Or how about stenciling on some birch trees to the front of a dresser?

What do you think of this birch coffee table? I think I would have stained the bottom wood piece a nice deep mahogany color but it's a pretty fun item of furniture.  Better Homes and Garden has a full tutorial on how to make one yourself - it even didn't look too hard!

There you have it!  Lots of great birch ideas.  

Next time you talk to your landscape friend, ask them to save you a few logs!