Then, just for fun, and a punch of color, I added a vibrant red vase with a real flower. Now, when I look out my window, there is a view of spring.
You could use real bulbs (even the dollar store sells them right now). If you're too impatient to wait for them to grow, make paper leaves and glue them onto the bulb. Or substitute speckled blue &/or brown eggs for your view of Spring.
Love this chaise. It's very clean-lined & modern.
This is an unique twist on a standard slipper chair.
Isn't this bed awesome?
How about this boudoir-ish sofa?
And their sturdy construction? 
And then there was the price.
I placed them on each side of my old dresser in the living room. 
They'll come in handy for extra seating. But until then, they look very pretty, each holding a framed fern botanical.
Over the past several weeks I've been lucky enough to pick up a small library of home decor books at the thrift store, one or two at a time. (A girl needs all the inspiration she can find for two to three dollars a book, right?) I enjoy looking through my books and magazines in the comfort of my sun-filled living room, and so I'll often have a stack lying around.
A month or so ago I found this big beautiful metal basket for three dollars at the thrift store. I brought it home and just dropped it off onto the door/coffee table. It looked so beautiful there that that became it's home. One day, in an effort to tidy up, I threw my stack of books into the basket and plopped the one that I had been reading onto the stack. When I walked back into the room, I saw my happy happenstance. The books looked beautiful in the basket, especially with the open one on top.
It was as if I had purposely displayed a photo gallery right on top of my table. In these dreary days of the remnants of winter, it's nice to see beautiful photos of spring displayed in such a random sort of way. It's just a little something that makes me smile.
But there, staring back at me was the answer inquiring minds wanted to know! In my free little Fall '08 paint deck from PB was the color of my table. It's BM jalepeno pepper. . .well, because my table has an added layer of glaze, I suppose the correct answer is actually "aged jalepeno pepper."
Recently a friend of mine told me that her silver collection stays behind closed doors because it's too tarnished. I replied, "I love the look of tarnished silver!" I really do. I often love the character and charm that imperfections give to things. . . and people, for that matter.
My husband came home the other day to report that the business next to his was selling off clothing items that belonged to a man who had recently passed away. He said that there were literally hundreds of items that belonged to this man that still had the price tag on them. It made me wonder why this poor soul kept all of those really nice, expensive things tucked away. I felt so sad that he never took the opportunity to find happiness in actually using the things he owned.
I'm hoping that when my friend sees my display of tarnished silver, she'll be inspired to go home and enjoy hers, polished or not.
Gather a Grouping Groupings and collections are generally gathered over time and because of that, they give a home the feeling of age. They fascinate the eye and tell a story of the people who live in the home. Take a walk around your house and gather up objects that are alike. Group those objects together for more impact. Each framed burlap design certainly looks great on it's own, but when displayed together they have the appeal of a collection and more design impact.
Lighten Things Up When a lamp is turned on, even during the day, it gives warmth to a room. Lamp light is more warm and relaxing than harsh overhead lighting. Scatter lamps throughout your home. Try to add small lamps in unexpected places, like bookshelves, bathrooms, and kitchen counters, for an added touch of coziness.
Nurture Nature Flowers, plants, grasses, even fruits and vegies help to bring LIFE into a room. Next time you browse through a home decor catalog, notice how many pages include an element of nature. If you don't have the time or energy to take care of the real thing, then go for faux. Just make sure that the faux nature looks as good as the real deal.
Book It Every room and display looks more inviting with books or magazines. It's that design element that says, "Slow down, relax, and sit a while." Pile your books and magazines in pretty stacks. Use them to give a display lift and height. You likely already have several books and magazines, so you can incorporate this designer trick into your home without even spending any money. Don't underestimate the impact that a stack of reading material can have in your room.
Repeat That When a design element repeats itself it has more interest and ties the entire look together. Notice how there are several elements that are repeated. The burlap in the frames is repeated around the candles. There is a repetition of frames, candles, and mirrors. Even the letter A is repeated.
