Tip 6: Make some mantle magic

 {This is part of the series "Top Ten Tips for Decorating on a Budget"}

A fireplace offers a welcoming focal point in your home. In cool weather, a dazzling fire invites you to share its warmth; in warm weather, candles or flowers in front of the firebox bring a flavor of brightness to the room. But whatever the season, the mantle offers a perfect canvas for your creativity. (If you don’t have a mantle, some of these tips may work well on your piano, sofa table, or console.)

First, choose one to three items that can transition well between seasons. Hurricanes are perfect; they are blank slate pieces that can take on the theme and palette of your choosing. In the first photo, rock salt and twigs set the tone for winter. Tall candleholders frame the setting, and candlelight always adds both welcome and romance. A large, colorful piece of art anchors everything and provides a central focal point. (See personal note below for more information on this mantle.)

Transitioning for spring is easy as can be! A mirror could be used in place of the art, adding light without color. Swap the white candles for a spring color which blends with your room décor, and add fresh (or faux) flowers to the hurricanes.

Have you noticed the trend toward living more in the great outdoors without sacrificing comfort? It’s increasingly popular to have a fireplace on the patio or in the Florida room. Our next mantle combines the organic elements of iron, fire, and greenery that work well outdoors and complement the stone setting. Large wall art provides an earthy focal point without being overbearing, while candles (again) add mystery and romance.

Many builders now install connections for a flatscreen television just above the mantle. This is a mixed blessing, in that it makes furniture arrangement easier, but decorating the mantle more of a challenge. Sconces can be the answer; the Looking Glass Sconce shown mounts almost flush to the wall, provides a light touch with its mirrored surface and can add color with the addition of a taper. Other elements can be added on either end of the mantle to add seasonal color.

Now you know the secret of making mantle magic – and there’s nothing magic about it, as long as you keep it simple!

(Personal note: This mantle was created by Carolyn Mahaney, who – along with her daughters – is one of my favorite bloggers on all things pertaining to biblical womanhood. Stop by girltalk and browse around!)

Note: Would you like to share a fun evening with your friends, staging a mantle makeover of your own? Willow House Makeover Design Workshops are a fun way to make a change in your home, especially when you can earn free and discounted products for hosting! If you’d like to know more, contact me.

Tip 7: Elevate Your Entertaining

 {This is part of the series "Top Ten Tips for Decorating on a Budget"}

When you’re practicing hospitality, whether as an informal get-together with coffee and snacks or as a more formal dinner, one way to simplify things is to let your serving area act as your decorating focus, as well.

Rather than simply lining up your serving pieces on the table or countertop, add beauty, depth, and style using height and texture creatively. The photo at left provides a perfect example of this. A wire tray is inverted and guests’ plates placed on top. The raised tray adds a beauty of its own and is large enough to hold both décor and snacks. Other wire trays are stacked atop a pedestal and a wire plant holder to add varying heights to your serving pieces. The result is a beautiful buffet that invites your guests to help themselves.

Elevating your entertaining is easy when you invest in quality, versatile tools. The French Wire Tiered Stand from Willow House pulls double duty at this birthday party as both the centerpiece and a lovely cupcake holder. Glass hurricanes are also a great team player – today they add to the décor by serving bright candy alongside colorful take-home goodie boxes, tomorrow they may be on your mantle holding flowers or candles (more on that next week). And, by the way, would you have guessed that the cupcake holding French Wire Tiered Stand was also featured in the first photo? Since it comes completely apart, each tier transforms into a separate serving tray, which become the wire trays used in the buffet above.

Even casual get-togethers can benefit from a simple designer’s touch. Does your coffee bar need to be elaborate for many guests or simple just to serve a few? Either way, there’s not need to skimp in your presentation. Adding beauty, depth, and style can be easy when you have versatile pieces on hand. You can enjoy the pieces daily in your home, then pull them together as the occasion arises. What a fun surprise for your next girlfriend get-together!

Just a little extra thought can make a big impact as you prepare for your guests, so take it up a notch and elevate your entertaining!

Note: Would you like to share a fun evening with your friends, learning more about elevating your entertaining? Willow House Makeover Design Workshops are a fun way to make a change in your home, especially when you can earn free and discounted products for hosting! If you’d like to know more, contact me.

More comfort food: Minestrone!

This minestrone recipe is a favorite around our house. Once I add the seasonings, the family wanders into the kitchen like cats hearing a can opener!

We love to eat this with grilled cheese sandwiches -- but not just any grilled cheese sandwiches. We use Italian sandwich bread from the Publix bakery, sliced cheddar from the cheese case, and slather with lots of butter for crispy, crusty goodness!

Let me know what you think...

My Minestrone

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ medium onion, chopped

1 chub Jimmy Dean Sausage (I prefer the 12-oz reduced fat version)

2 tbsp dry Italian seasoning

2 32-oz boxes chicken broth

1 tsp kosher salt

½ tsp coarse ground pepper

2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced thinly

1 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into fourths or eighths, then sliced thinly

2 15.5-oz cans great northern beans, drained and rinsed

38-oz can petite diced tomatoes, undrained

3-4 oz fresh baby spinach leaves, cut into strips (remove any long stems)

1 cup dry ditalini pasta

Swirl olive oil into bottom of stockpot, heat to medium. Add garlic, onions, and sausage. Brown on medium to medium-low heat, breaking sausage apart as it cooks. While sausage is browning, prepare carrots and zucchini.

Once sausage is cooked through and broken into small pieces, stir in ¼ cup broth to deglaze pan. Add dry seasoning, salt and pepper, stirring. Allow to simmer a few minutes, then add remainder of chicken broth and bring to a boil over medium to medium-high heat. Add carrots, zucchini, beans, tomatoes, and spinach; reduce heat to low.

Simmer covered for 30-60 minutes; return heat to medium/medium-high and add dry pasta. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring often (to prevent pasta from sticking to bottom of pan).

Note: This is easily adaptable to a crockpot once you've deglazed the pan.

For high quality, Euro-style kitchen tools and accessories at great prices, visit my Kitchen Moderne boutique.

This post was linked on Eat at Home.  

Tip 8: Update your Bathroom

 {This is part of the series "Top Ten Tips for Decorating on a Budget"}

Making some small, but fresh, changes to your bathroom can make a big impact – after all, this is the one room that everyone uses, including your guests!

You might have a powder room (half bath) that serves as your guest bath. This room is fun to decorate because of its small size; little details can really make a big difference. Bold colors carry well here without being overwhelming, so we can unleash our creativity with paint or accents. But the smallness of the room can also lead to a feeling of stuffiness. Candles and flowers are a great antidote, adding an air of freshness to the space. Look for beauty and flexibility, such as the Camille Vases shown. Glass sparkles in any décor, from modern to cottage chic, and these vases can brighten the room with either candles or flowers.

Add a designer’s touch to your guest bath with a beautiful towel ring adorned with a generously-sized hand towel. (Insert Hathaway Towel Ring picture) This simple touch adds an architectural accent that is beautiful as well as functional.

And don’t neglect your own bathroom space. Again, glass can add some pizzazz while corralling your cosmetic accessories. The Amelia Beaded Glass Tray and Trio shown here provide a classic solution to an age old problem.



Note: Would you like to brighten up your bathroom and other spaces in your home? Willow House Makeover Design Workshops are a fun way to make a change in your home, especially when you can earn free and discounted products for hosting! If you’d like to know more, contact me.

Tip 9: Focus on one area of your home for maximum impact

{This is part of the series "Top Ten Tips for Decorating on a Budget"}

For years I collected small pieces that caught my eye. I’d see something at a craft show, a décor store, or an antique shop and think, “This is what I can afford, so this is what I’ll get.” These pieces ended up spread throughout my home, virtually unnoticeable. Down the road, I finally realized that for what I had spent on all those small pieces, pieces that really got lost in the room, I could have purchased a couple of statement pieces that would have much more impact, especially in a smaller space or defined area.  A statement piece is usually BIG on color or BIG on design, and is often on the larger side, making it an anchor and focal point for an area. 

By focusing your resources on one area of your home, you create a cohesive focal point. This may not be THE focal point in your room (for instance, you might be focusing on a bookshelf in a room where your fireplace is the focal point), but you’re creating a unified, pulled-together, pleasing look in that spot.

For example, look at the bookshelves in the photograph. There is a neutral color theme, a sort of greige (gray/beige) with accents of green that flow with the rest of the room. The shelves have a balanced appeal, with each shelf a complete landscape on its own, yet the shelves work together rather than compete against one another. The components of any of these shelves easily transfer to a console table, dresser top or single wall shelf to make a smaller area of focus.

Notice also the statement pieces on top of the shelves. These Bradford Lattice Lanterns, with their whitewashed wood and delicate detailing, make an understated statement in the room. They are beautiful plain, but candles or flowers can be easily inserted through the hinged metal top.

A simple bookshelf or tabletop makeover can make a big difference in the visual appeal of any room, making it feel more like home to you and your family, as well as your guests.

Note: If you’re in need of a bookshelf or tabletop makeover, why not make it a girlfriend project? Willow House Makeover Design Workshops are a fun way to make a change in your home, especially when you can earn free and discounted products for hosting! If you’d like to know more, contact me.