Bonjour!
Today, I bring you a lighthearted post! I have a desire to write about stuff that I think a lot of people don’t care much to read. So I thought I would shake things up and share some of my fall decor finds and how I have cozied up my home for the coming festivities!
What better way to set the tone of the entire environment of your house than with a custom, cheeky front door mat? When an old friend of mine shared that she was making custom doormats, I jumped on the opportunity to get one of my very own! At first glance they saying might confuse many of you. Certainly if you only know me by my more faith filled blog posts, I am sure you do not understand the pun at all. And no, we don’t have a secret persona of running our mouths. Instead, the mat refers more to my awkward sense of humor and the interior design style that I have sought to bring to life in my home.
Honestly I was resistant to buying this house a year and a half ago. And yet, my husband made an offer on it, sight unseen. Even in the month+ buying process I didn’t love the house. It’s so funny to me now because today I am kinda obsessed with this old house. But the biggest problem I had was that it had a very distinct “country farmhouse” vibe. That, plus it was an old 1908 house that was completely renovated in 2008. So, I felt like my personal design style would have to take a backseat to this new/old farmhouse (it’s not like my very practical husband would understand my desire to rip out a nice new bathroom just because I didn’t like the finishes).
But then something amazing happened; shortly after moving in I got inspired. I started seeing the potential of molding my more modern and clean aesthetic with the farmhouse vibe that the house already possessed. I started searching specifically for interiors of homes in the South of France for my inspiration. What I found was everything I had imagined and more. Crisp clean lines and colors, minimal and modern, mixed with old world charm, some natural textures and Voila! My little house in the country of Oregon could become my own little slice of the French Riviera!
Honestly the most impacting change I made to the interiors was paint. The soft yellowish-white walls screamed “HOME CHURNED BUTTER” so a fresh coat of purely white paint made a world of difference. I have added bold black accents to incorporate a modern vibe while also grounding the rooms. I have incorporated distinctly french furniture choices with other clean lined modern ones, and I have allowed some of the “Farmhouse” elements to find their place in our home as well.
So now you know, upon entering my house you might feel like you have stepped out of Oregon and into Little France. Hahaha. The joke in all of this is that my husband thinks I am crazy. And he really doesn’t like when I say things to him like, “Our house is looking verrr verrr French!” I do it to see his eye roll and sideways smile, telling me that he thinks I am both witty and insane.
Since Fall is all about “Making an Entrance” ie. front porches, my new doormat was a timely purchase. I spruced up the porch with some white mums, a flowering cabbage and of course some pumpkins! We have the greatest little pumpkin patch just down the street from our house. The pumpkins are so affordable that I always leave with a trunk full! I have already been twice this week. Hopefully this will be our final fall with a brown house so that next year I can proudly show you more than just the front door.
Entrez-Vous, Sil Vous Plait.
Those who follow me on Instagram have seen pictures of our family living space before, so I will keep this primarily to the fall decor!
I rarely have anything atop our dining table besides a single vase. We do school at the table, so it has to have room to work. Yet, here I am surprising myself, as I have loved the Eucalyptus branches, pumpkins and candlesticks as an all-the-time centerpiece this season. This was the first surface that was adorned for fall, thus it set the stage for what I put out in the rest of the room.
The only fall decor item I purchased this year were these suede like pumpkins from the Target dollar section. Yes, each $1. I got 5 little pumpkins (each in a different shade) for just $5! I actually went back to Target for more when I discovered how much I love these little guys, but they were long gone! These pretty little pumps actually started atop the dining table, then moved to my new coffee table tray, and lastly found their place here on my new console table.
For a year and a half this hallway has been an awkward design conundrum. I have had the kiddie table here. I have contemplated a thin desk or a shoe cabinet or a bookshelf. This Safevieh console table was the perfect solution! It is very narrow, yet sturdy. It has the metal, wire-style legs, a perfect ode to mid-mod aesthetic with a contrasting rustic wood top. The piece fits in nicely with my other furniture while offering a much needed different texture! In styling the table I wanted to keep it again, SIMPLE! The round mirror is simplistic enough that it doesn’t compete with my ornate french gilded mirror over my sofa, and gives yet another soft, modern element to the space.
Another new find, are the big gorgeous vases from the Hearth and Home line at Target. They are simple and gorgeous. I added my favorite, Eucalyptus branches for some soft greenery that every home needs. The Blue 05 candle is from World Market, by far my favorite place for affordable, beautiful and smell good candles.
The last fall vignette in my home is on the coffee table. I have had an empty, unstyled coffee table for so long, I’ve lost track! I love not having to always tidy up the coffee table as would be inevitable with my children. Yet, I ordered what I thought was a small woven basket online, and when it arrived it was this giant woven tray! I promise it did not appear this big in the listing pictures. Initially I thought I would return it, as I didn’t have an intended use for it. But after having it for a couple days sitting on my coffee table, I decided it was a keeper. I tried putting my plushy little pumpkins in it, but Jacson and Emmy were constantly tossing them around like footballs. I went ahead and put some real, white pumpkins on it instead, luckily they are too heavy to casually throw.
To accomplish the home aesthetic I desire requires a great deal of BALANCE! My sofa is a more traditional, skirted, slip-covered, sloped-arm sofa. My cane side chairs are a more modern and less formal chair. Cane furniture, along with campaign furniture, was originally designed to be light weight, often fold-able and easy to travel with for European colonial settlers moving to far off lands. I have always had a deep love for furniture, understanding the subtleties in their designs and the derivatives of their forms. In a world that is saturated with affordable design and an endless supply of inspiration images to help us create rooms and homes we love, it is hard to be an individual and find a unique aesthetic. I fully admit that I fall into trends and popular design styles regularly. But, in being purposeful with the overall concept and direction of my home decor I am able to make informed design choices and negate the constant, ever changing design trends.
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