Filtering Life

Good morrow sweet readers. We are still recovering at Casa De Portnoy, you know the residual nose running all day long and the emphysema-like cough that rattles up from your toes. So both Chloe and I sound like we have been smoking since the beginning of time…but still we are in a MUCH better place than 12 days ago. AMEN.

So I am going to talk about something that makes me happy happy happy. Decorating! Many of you have asked me where I buy things or how I pick colors for my house. I am going to start out by saying…DECORATING IS SUBJECTIVE!!!! It is a form of art. Just like some can find beauty in a Picasso while others think it is a big ol’ mess…..so is decorating. I usually get two reactions to my color choices: “That is SOOOOO Kelly” or “I love it!” The first comment translates to: “WHAT WERE YOU THINKING…I would never do that.”

I am in no way an authority nor do I have “rules” to live by. I can only say how I make choices. If I have the means to own 5 homes I would decorate them in COMPLETELY different manners. I appreciate so many styles and color is seriously an aphrodisiac to me. Love it! I happen to have a husband who would love a 60’s mod home with all super sterile, streamlined furniture….screw comfort, give him funky style and architecture. I can totally appreciate his taste and try to incorporate some retro taste into my style.

I just walked around my house and snapped some pictures of either fabrics or nooks that I personally enjoy looking at. I do feel like a home should be practical, especially if you have kids…but I don’t feel like you need to sacrifice taste for comfort. I come by the philosophy of buying neutral furniture rather than trendy colors or patterns because furniture is MUCH more expensive to replace than decorations. I happen to get extremely bored with my house every 6 months and like to switch up my color pallets. Some people want to decorate once in their lives and NEVER decorate again. Tisk, tisk, tisk…live a little will ya!!!

Wait, I take it back… I have a rule: NO WHITE WALLS!!!!! Hospitals, school, work….all white walls. Are those your favorite places to be? HECK NO!!!! I don’t care if you pick linen white for your walls, show some stinking contrast with your moldings. People are SOOOO scared of color, but let me tell you….NOTHING will more dramatically change the look of your home and furniture for CHEAP, than a gallon of paint. You can ALWAYS paint over it if you hate it. I have picked some doozies in my time..but live and learn. IF you go out on a limb…live with it for three days in all sorts of lighting before you decide to change it.

I tend to use fabric to inspire my wall colors.

This is our evolving kitchen. I love this fabric and the green in the flower was my inspiration for the wall color:

Not everyone’s cup of tea..but I love it. I love all my red appliances and dishes contrasting it.

Better yet, frame some fabric and use it as art. Super cheap way to put punches of color up and tie in your pallet.

Pick a punch color and run it through all your main rooms. I happen to LURVE orange. It is fresh, funky and plays off of the earth tones of my furniture and wall colors throughout my house.

Fun pillow

New bathroom pallet

kitchen window, My Chloe bird that my very talented friend, Candace, made.

Don’t be afraid to mix unlikely patterns together.

Fill a space. Nothing irks me more than a person who has a huge wall and they put a tiny little frame on it. The proportions are all off and it looks silly. Also you are not suppose to hang anything on your wall higher than eye level. So take it down a notch! Don’t be afraid to group different height items.

Be careful of clutter. If it is a space you use often….skip the decorations. Clean spaces open up a room.

Use real plants, skip the fake flowers. I do have a couple of fake flower arrangements in my house, but they are more like “sticks” rather than flowers.

It’s a slippery slope in the fake flower world. I am a huge fan of sticks and curly willow ( see two photos above)

So let’s review a few points:

1- USE COLOR….don’t be afraid to paint your walls or pick a punch color and weave it throughout your house.

2- Stay away from themes: palm trees, asian, animals, etc….not timeless and borderline tacky.

3- Use fabric as art, in layers against each other, or to inspire a color pallet. Fabric is what set’s you apart and puts a unique twist on your house.

4- Fill your wall space in the correct proportions. Mess around with arranging your furniture to maximize your space.

5- Have a consistent style in your house. If shabby chic is your thing, don’t have the adjacent room decorated in modern decor. It is confusing to the eye.

Have fun with decorating. So many people are intimidated by decorating or don’t feel like they can do it. Lot’s of people have some great things laying around their house that just need to be rearranged. You don’t have to spend a million dollars on decorations and furniture. Most of my furniture is from Big Lots or dent and scratch stores, but I shoot for all real wood in the same stain so I can mix and match in my rooms. I am a HUGE bargain/clearance shopper for accessories. I know sewing does help because you can custom make pillows and curtains in fabrics of your choosing, but you can still get some great and affordable decorations at Target, even Walmart is seriously stepping it up.

I still stand by painting. If you can’t decorate, you CAN paint and that will transform your space!

That is my two cents. Take it to the bank and cash it in for all it’s worth.