Re-Arrange Your Furniture.

(Photo: Julea Joseph)

(Photo: Source)

Living less than an hour from the big city of Chicago doesn't stop me from fancying myself a country farm gal. Within a stone's throw of my home are hundreds of acres of forest, wildlife galore and on any given day I can look out my window to see a rider on horseback or a coyote trot by.  Each morning, I slip on my garden shoes and with an old tin bucket of water, let my chickens out of their coop for the day.  Each night, in the distance, or in a nearby tree, I hear the hooting song of the neighborhood owl.  Everyone should experience country living.

I was so excited when Wayfair approached me to be part of their 2019 Holiday Decorating Campaign.  Their vast product choices are fantastic and inspirational; and with a click an order will arrive. Inspiration for this Holiday decorating concept pays homage to the wonderful, magical environment right outside my door - A Chicago Farmhouse Christmas.  

Everyone should be inspired by the place they call home. Enjoy these Holiday decorating ideas and styling tips to deck your own homestead this Holiday Season. 
Cheers: 

The Tree: 

• Any holiday decorating starts with a great tree. Natural looking, not too full, because after all  - you have to adorn it. 
• Add a trendy tree collar to the base. Collars are a great choice because they bring visual weight to the base of the tree. I chose a galvanized metal one for a casual, farmhouse feel.
• No star topper on my tree. Instead, my nod to my night time songster, the owl gets the highest spot on the tree. Tip:  To attach this sort of topper, use floral wire to secure it to the branches.
• To add texture, interest, and volume to the tree, add decorative eucalyptus sprays.  Randomly insert the sprays into the branches of the tree.  Eucalyptus leaves are soft, round and counter the sharper texture of the evergreen needles. Their gray/green leaf color pairs well with the galvanized metal tree collar. Tip: When inserting the sprays, let them protrude from the tree 7-9 inches. This will give your tree a fuller look.
• The ornament collection.  Each ornament has an artisan, handmade or 'maker' look.  All the ornaments were picked with nature or wildlife in mind - owls, raccoon, deer, birds, fox. Oh what fun for family and guests to enjoy these ornaments on the tree.

The Table:

• Create a beautiful centerpiece with a long decorative bowl. The wood and style adds that rustic, folksy feel.  Build the centerpiece by layering frosted eucalyptus garland on the bottom of the bowl.  Tuck in woodsy Birch bark flameless candles , then add a few red ball ornaments for a pop of color. Tip: Make sure candles are unscented for the dining table -you want to smell the food, not the candles.  
• A rustic burlap runner creates a cozy table.  If you want a twist on the traditional, add two runners vertically instead.
• Dig out your Grandma's China, and create an 'opposites attract' look by using simple, yet festive soft red chambray cotton napkins and galvanized metal and wood napkin rings. 

Around the House:

• Adorn your mantle with a statement piece such as this deer wall decor to set the seasonal scene.
• With Holiday guests galore, you'll need extra seating.  A pair of fun and fluffy faux fur poufs will play into your festive farmhouse look. 
• Stockings hung with care on a blanket ladder rather than the fireplace are so much more interesting. The ladder's white dipped bottom will add to the Holiday flair. Tip: Attach stockings with zip ties. 
• For a real farmhouse feel, take down the usual family pictures on the walls. Hang instead this rustic empty window pane art collage. The window panes have a perfect well worn, farm style patina. Print out recent snapshots or vintage photos of your Holiday guests and add them behind the window panes to create some great conversation.
• Roll out the festive Holiday cocktails on this two tiered bar cart. Perfect for an extra service area, this bar cart has a funky, farmhouse style and will roll to wherever the guests are.
• Deck the doors, drape the mantle, and even the buffet with understated, but lovely eucalyptus wreathes (by now you've discovered my eucalyptus thread) and holiday pine garland to finish the festive farmhouse styling.

Room Makeover ( Photo: Reinventing Space)

Change is good - especially when it comes to your home.  I recently met with a new client who was thinking of putting her house on the market. The kids have flown the coop, and she is ready for a new life chapter, which includes, perhaps, a smaller home. All her home decorating had been done when the home was built, years ago.   Her spaces needed a new color palette and major accessory rejuvenation. My goal was to give her place a fresh new look whether she sells or not.

My design motto at Reinventing Space is- let's use as much of what you own first by assessing your furniture, accessories, art and then come up with a plan.  A goal is to compliment what we keep, shop for new pieces and accessories to redesign, and pull it all together.  And if needed, I'll suggest updates such as paint projects, light fixture replacement, floor re-staining/replacement and more.

For this client, her furniture was great, but in dire need of a new paint palette. Change your paint, and your old stuff looks like new stuff.  Home decorating colors change over time, so what was stylish then, may not be stylish now.  We focused in her living room as a template for the rest of the home. The room had been painted a Merlot red - including her built-in cabinets. My goal was a room that was bright and airy with a casual comfort style.  I picked a pale gray (greige)  for the walls, along with an off-white for her built-ins, fireplace and trim.  While she had her painter busy, I was enlisted to shop.

Keep the bones, up-style with new accessories.  My shopping plan was to pull in a new accent color for her - Blue. Trending, but classic; if she decides to move, she can bring these accessories with her, and was we style her other spaces, we have a color to sprinkle about.  The blue shows up in new pillows, a throw, art and rug.  To raise the style level of her existing taupe furniture, I included rattan lantern candle holders tucked into her bookcases,  and the candle sticks on the mantle are oak with a whitewash, so will pull that color over to the bookcases and mantle. The new abstract art over the fireplace adds that POP of color, as well as brings down the formality of the living room.

With the living room styled, we moved onto the family room. That too was painted, but we also whitewashed  the fireplace.  The same off-white trim paint color was used to give the fireplace a fresh new, updated look. While shopping for the living room, I found family room mantle accessories as well.  With the room's focal wall complete, we could move on to the rest of  the space.

Whitewashed Fireplace (Photo: Reinventing Space)