Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Making a house a BEAUTIFUL home??

Sure, I can cook and I can keep our home clean, but decorating? I will be the first to admit that I can NOT decorate. I have no idea where to start. Even when it comes to painting the walls someone might tell me "Oh, just pick your favorite color" but I have about 10,000 favorite colors!!

My sister, now SHE can decorate, let me tell ya!! Her house is GORGEOUS and I am pretty sure that Better Homes & Gardens would have NO problem sharing photos of HER house in their magazine!!

It's not like I have dreams of a palace like this one...



No... I like a smaller home. It's easier to clean and SHOULD be easier to decorate. Except, well, like I said, I am clueless about home decorating.

I recently have decided that I NEED to do something to make our home look a little more up-to-date (instead of 1998's finest curtains complete with balloon valance... Yes, I still have that old balloon valance... I told y'all I can't decorate!!!). And to help me, I have found some GREAT blogs with ideas!!! I've been reading, getting ideas, talking to my sister (thank you, Leslie!!!) and I'm going to slowly start making changes. Of course, I'd RATHER have Candice Olsen decorate, but on a pastor's salary, I'm pretty sure we couldn't afford her.

These are the blogs that have encouraged me to do something to make this home a beautiful home:

- Nesting Place (I am LOVING her mistreatments!!!!)

- The Inspired Room

- My Romantic Home (Mr. U would SO not go for this, but it sure is pretty!!!)


Now I would LOVE to hear of more inspiring decorating blogs!!! PLEASE share them! I need all the ideas I can get!! We have a clean home, we have a well fed home, but I would LOVE to have a charming home, too.

11 comments:

Charree said...

I am not at my computer today so I don't have links to many of my favorite websites. I will pass a few on when I get back to my own computer. I hope that your decorating goes well though. Are going to start in a particular room?

Have a blessed day!
~Charree

Grandma Honey said...

Here's one of my new favorites for decorating. Her house is fabulous:
http://ruespeanutbutterandjellylife.blogspot.com

Tori Leslie said...

I'm gonna have to take some time to look over those links, look like good ones. Oh yea and I love Candce Olsen.

Melissa @ The Inspired Room said...

Aw, thank you! I'm glad you enjoy my blog. Please feel free to email me with the kinds of things you'd like to read about! I am always looking for good stuff to share!

Blessings!
Melissa

Thumperdd said...

Hey, Mrs. U!

#1 Why not start browsing through some magazines (new or old) and pull out pictures of things you like. Don't stop at one or two photos, go for about 10 for each room you want to change.

Once you have a nice stack go through and note on a piece of paper which items really draw you to that photo. Put the photo aside for a few days and take another look. Again, note the items that appeal to you. (These normally change, so don't be surprised.) Repeat one final time. Then, combine your notes for each room, starring each item for the number of times you have it on the separate lists.

Start by purchasing things similar to the items that made the list several times.

#2 Take a camera shopping with you and photograph items that you like, maintaining a list of the stores. Develop the photos and make a separate photo board for each room. This can be done on regular poster board.

Follow the tips above to narrow down your choices before purchasing.

#3 Raid the color palette displays at your local hardware store. The larger the selection the better.

Keep the selected color swatches in a plastic baggie and try the colors against your designing choices, above.


You will start to see a definite pattern emerge showing your individual style. AND, you can also share you finds with your hubby before making any major decisions.

Hope this helps!

Danita

Cyndi Lewis said...

My fave is http://likemerchantships.blogspot.com
Meredith is creative and frugal. Oh if I had her eye for detail and the kind of garage sales that are in her area.

My favorite decorating show are the ones that take an outrageously priced decorated room ($100,000 or so- yeah, I know- that's a price of an entire house!)and do something similiar for way less. (Usually $1,000 or so.) Personally I don't really have $100 to spend on decor right now. Classic, clever and catchpenny is my motto!

50s Housewife said...

Oh, I have visited My Romantic Home before. That looks like a good one!

I also LOVE The Inspired Room and the Nesting Place. Some more of my favorites are http://deardaisycottage.typepad.com/daisy_cottage/ (love the music in her sidebar) and http://susieharris.blogspot.com/ and http://queenofmytrailer.wordpress.com/

50s Housewife said...

I meant I haven't visited My Romantic Home. I need to learn to proofread my comments before I post them. :)

Secondhand Blessings said...

I too, am not much of a decorator. I see plenty of good ideas on other people's blogs, in magazines, etc...if only I would apply what I read!
I would also love to decorate like she does at my romantic home but my husband would also not go for it.
I once told him I wanted to go with a pink theme for one of my guest bedrooms and he said ok, just as long as you don't paint the room pink!I guess I can paint it white and accent with pink roses.
Brenda

dtbrents said...

I have enjoyed reading your blog. I have a clean home, well fed and comfortable but not beautifully decorated. I love beautiful homes. My son has one. He and his wife are very good at decorating. I think my problem is no imagination. I keep saying, maybe someday. God bless you, Doylene

Anonymous said...

WHAT?!?! you mean to tell me that balloon valances aren't in any longer?? oh no....I have some work to do!! ;) I still have a couple of those hanging in my home as well!! Thanks for the great links...I really enjoyed them! I don't have any great decorating blog ideas, but I do LOVE Victoria magazine!!! It's my favorite! Have a great day!!

LinkWithin

Blog Widget by LinkWithin