I think it’s safe to say that most of us busy ladies dream of a perfect mudroom.  Especially if you’ve got kids.  Oh me oh my, just staring at all the colorful coordinated organization of all this real life stuff makes my heart go Pitter Patter with a capital P. 

House Beautiful

I’ve never shown you our floor plan before, here it is. I dug this up out of some old documents from 6 years ago.  You can see where our rooms all sit in relation to each other. We have a 2 ½ garage, meaning there are two spots for our cars, and a space to the right for extra stuff.  My latest idea is to take over part of our garage to construct  a mudroom.

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I could read shelter magazines all day, admiring all of the bold designs within the glossy pages. Yet I find more and more I am drawn to spaces with neutral palettes, especially ones with multiple layers of texture and pattern.  What’s true is that beige, cream, and taupe don’t have to be boring. Instead, they can be sophisticated, serene, interesting, and inviting when done right.

When I look at what makes a neutral space successful, it’s the combination of several design elements. With a neutral palette, the visual interest comes from the shapes of the decorative objects chosen, the contrast between light and dark, the addition of warm wood tones, the addition of metals or metallic sheens, and the layering of pattern and texture. 

I find a neutral bedroom to be soothing and restful.  Below is one of my most favorite bedrooms where several different patterns are present.  Beyond the linen headboard, you’ll see a matelassé coverlet, herringbone throw, damask drapes and a textured accent pillow combined with classic French style furnishings.  

House Beautiful

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Oh we love our tablescapes during the holidays don’t we?  I know I do.  Most of the year, you’ll find a simple bowl of fruit and some fresh flowers on our dining room table but during the holidays, like many of you, I set it with a pretty centerpiece.  Friends appreciate it, and an attractive centerpiece on a dining room table is a great way to creatively get into the spirit of the season. 

Better Homes & Gardens

Beckie from Washington sent me this email with a great question about what to do with decorative centerpieces when you’re serving guests a meal:

“Hey Kate. This is one of those questions that I think a lot of people (ok me) have always wondered how to do gracefully but seem too afraid to ask. Real life just doesn’t work the way you see it in a magazine, so here goes.

You go to all the trouble and creativity to set a beautiful table for a special occasion, you set up a nice well thought out centerpiece and you bring out your best dishes and set up the place settings and your nice stemware and everything looks perfect . . . You’ve cooked your meal and now everyone is sitting at the table ready and waiting with baited breath, but wait… there is nowhere to put the food as you have filled your table with beautiful things. How do you deal with that?

Do you set up a buffet?  Remove the centerpiece? Fill each plate and serve each person like a waiter? Am I the only one who doesn’t know how to do this right? Awaiting you answer for the holiday season.  ~ Beckie”

Hey Beckie, great question! I don’t believe there is any one way to “do it right”. There are several ways to work around your table decorations during a meal, it just depends on your preferred method of serving guests.

When it comes to how to serve your meal and where to put the food, you have a few options. You can clear your centerpiece and make room for the food on the table, family style. You can set up a location for the food elsewhere such as a sideboard, and serve buffet style. Or you can choose the formality of serving your guests on a plate one by one. 

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I see so many pretty made beds in shelter magazines and on Pinterest.  After concentrating on a few design styles that appealed to me, I feel like I finally got the look of my own master bed just right!  With up to a third of our lives spent snoozing under the covers (hopefully getting a solid 8 hours a night), a great mattress and comfortable linens are a worthy investment, plus how fun is it to dress up our beds in our own personal style? 

What’s the secret to a well dressed bed you might ask?  I thought I’d ask an expert for her best tips.  I’ve been a fan of Annette Tatum’s style for years, and I completely love her line of sophisticated and soft patterns for both adults and kids.  I asked Annette to offer up some suggestions for a well dressed bed, and she was kind enough to share her secrets!  (I added the inspirational images along the way to illustrate.) 

Enjoy! 

Tell us Annette in your expert opinion, what is the secret to a well dressed bed?

1. Think in Layers 

“I am a big fan of layering solids and prints on a bed.  I also like to have a basic white always on hand as well as an assortment of prints that I can mix in depending upon the season.

via Turquoise, Tulips & Bliss

 

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