Welcome to Tumbleweed Tidings! Do you have a room in your house that is so familiar you don’t even see it anymore? And then one day you look at the space with new eyes, and all of a sudden it hits you; this room needs a spacelift? That is exactly what happened to my oldest daughter recently. We were visiting she, her husband and their three adorable kids in Happy Valley, Oregon, and she asked me to help her update their family room.

First, a little back story on this room and its décor. When they first got married 14 years ago, they asked me to help decorate their first home. A few years later, they asked me to decorate their next home. And…a couple of years ago, they asked me to decorate their current home. Obviously, they know how to flatter me! Because the second home was larger, we had to purchase more décor and furniture items, and many of those followed to their current home. The accessory colors we “inherited” were mainly earth tones of golds, greens, and browns.

One day, my daughter said she was sitting in the family room and noticed that it was beginning to look dated. She was hoping for something fresher and more current. The main area she didn’t like was above the fireplace, where there was an earth toned picture, a large gold vase containing fall colored greenery and some candlestick holders in gold. When we first installed this vignette in her last home, it looked fantastic against the warm wood tones and sage paint in their craftsman family room.

As I walked around their house, I realized that maybe we could bring a picture from the living room in and place it above the fireplace. This picture is one they had taken in Kauai on the lagoon they were kayaking on when Rick proposed. He presented the photo to her on their wedding day just before the ceremony, so it holds a very special place in their hearts. If this picture would fit in the space above the fireplace, that would be great. So, we tried it, and it was perfect!

After that, we added some fresh accessories from around the house, moved a large wooden Oregon sign from above the entry door to replace some orange and black Eifel Tower pictures, and rearranged wall art in the living room to fill the void where the large photo was. Next, we swapped the blue pillows from the living room with the coral ones in the family room, and changed out the cushion on the wicker chair from orange to cream. Lastly, we got rid of the rust lamp shades and purchased cream and tan ones from Lowe’s that match the ones in the living room. And, voila, we were done!

But why stop with one room when you can do more:) Next, we made a small change in the dining room by removing two large canvases in gold and orange, and replacing them with a word sign that we purchased at Hobby Lobby. The sign says “The best moments are made when gathered around the table” which is just the right message for this room. The dining room table was updated with a new cream runner and a Magnolia candle. Sorry, I don’t have a before of the dining room, but I’m sure you get the idea of the impact these small changes made.

Moving into the kitchen, we removed all of the greenery, wine motif items, and gold plates from above the cabinets. Again, while nice, these decorations were from about two houses ago, and we were looking for a cleaner look. We went on a hunt for items to put up there that she already owned. In the cabinets under their dining room hutch, we hit the jackpot; sterling silver pieces they had inherited from Rick’s parents, including a platter from their 25th wedding anniversary. Perfect!

Many people are choosing to leave the area above kitchen cabinetry empty these days, and that is fine. But if the homeowner wants items up there, my rule lately has been to use something white like a platter or pitcher, something silver (tarnished is great!), and some greenery. These three items in a grouping, used with restraint, make the space feel finished yet not overwhelmed. In this kitchen, the addition of the white, sterling and greenery really turned out nice, as well as bringing some family heirlooms out where they will be appreciated every day.

Lastly, we made a few tweaks to their butler’s pantry by adding some wall signs and other decorative elements. Again, most were things they owned, augmented by a few new purchases at Hobby Lobby.

The whole family was pleased with the updates, and it was mainly done by using items that they already had. Changing the focal point of the family room with some “new” artwork and accessories made all the difference in the world, and changed the entire feel of the room. The kitchen, dining room, and pantry also felt fresher and updated. If you find yourself with a room that feels a little stale or dated, take a stroll around your house and see if doing the old switcheroo will work in your space. Bring out your old silver or dare to move pillows and artwork from another room. It doesn’t always need take a lot of money to update or freshen your home by giving it a little spacelift. You can do it, I promise!

Good tidings,

Diane