Office: light fixtures / provence pot / rug / paint: Behr, Vine Leaf
Why is it that some homes exude character while others seem cookie-cutter and boring? The former home beckons you to grab a book, a cup of coffee, curl up on the couch and stay awhile. The latter, just leaves you feeling, “meh.” While there is no definitive answer, I can almost guarantee the former homes have three key ingredients: (1) charming light fixtures, (2) beautiful artwork, and (3) walls covered in lovely, welcoming colors or interesting wallpaper.
What’s great is these changes are entirely budget-friendly and are usually possible even if you don’t own your home and are just renting. Of course, you’ll want to check with your landlord, but in my experience (and I have a lot — we rented for over a decade before purchasing our first home) most landlords don’t mind if you improve their space with a fresh coat of paint or a new light fixture. And many wallpapers now have a simple peel and stick option that can be easily removed upon move out. And if pounding holes in your walls to hang the artwork makes you nervous, command strips are amazing. Of course they won’t work for very heavy pieces, but for modestly sized art they work wonders!
Kitchen: shop the room here // Guest Bedroom: wall sconces / quilt / comforter / floral shams / wallpaper Master Bedroom & Bath: mirror / chandelier / floral print / floral print frame
As you can see, each of these spaces has a finished, welcoming look rich with character and personality. My husband rolled his eyes when I brought home that amazing George Washington portrait I found at a local antique store, which I found shocking because he’s one of the most patriotic people I’ve ever known (next to myself). But, man, has it grown on him. He’s told me several times how wrong his initial reaction was — I just smile and think to myself, “I told you so.” Side note — when you have two people in an antique store approach you and ask if you plan to get the picture you’re carrying around, you can rest assured, you’ve found a gem. Yes, I had two different women come up and try to steal George right out from under me — they obviously didn’t know much about me 🙂
So, if you’re looking for interesting art pieces, you can never go wrong poking around your local antique store — I’ve found some gorgeous pieces of art this way, and they are truly original! If this is too time consuming, or you want to accelerate the process rather than wait around for the perfect piece, check out a few of my favorite go-to art print stores on Etsy: North Prints (sells gorgeous pre-arranged gallery sets, saving you the stress of figuring out which prints go together and in what order), Seven Hills Vintage Art, Circa Art Collection, Shining Waters Studio, and my two absolute favorites — Krista Kim Studio and Shannon Elle Art. Frames are another fun way to show interest and personality. Most of my frames are antique gold, and give off an 18th-century British vibe, and I’ve found them all over — antique stores, on sale at big box stores, etc. But the cheapest, most reliable ones are from Craig Frames on Amazon — they come in all different colors, sizes, and orientations, and you can get them with or without matting.
For wallpaper, you cannot beat Serena and Lily & Anthropologie. I tend towards florals and classic stripes, but the possibilities are endless! If you opt instead for color rather than wallpaper, there really are no rules, just let your personality guide you. I gravitate towards neutrals and soft, moody colors, but I also painted our small powder room in our previous home a warm, bright, richly pigmented pink!
Finally … light fixtures. Light fixtures are an amazing way to change up a space. My husband likes to joke that he’s changed every single light fixture in each of the two homes we’ve owned. And he’s not wrong 🙂 . . . if you’re looking for the best bang for your buck, light fixtures are it! Again, Serena and Lily & Anthropologie are great places to look, but I’ve also found some beautiful lights just by googling the style I’m after. Shades of Light is another good option with extensive inventory.
Another quick tip — you do not need to hire an electrician to wire wall sconces if it’s outside your budget, or if it’s not permitted in your renter’s contract. You can mount wall sconces on the wall without wiring, and put a puck light inside! Yes, it’s that easy. Hang the sconce as you would normally, but tuck the wires inside the mounting plate (cut off any excess if you cannot fit them all under the plate). Once mounted firmly, take a command strip and stick a puck light inside the lamp shade. These puck lights are remote operated also, so they can turn on and off with the press of a button — no need to press the light itself inside the sconce!
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and I’d love to hear about your own room transformations so drop a comment!
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