Getting BOLD, with Paint!
Recently I was asked about my ‘bold’ paint colors in my home, and how I choose them. Determining colors for a room has never been a time consuming process for me (I am the person in the greeting card aisle that goes with the second or third one that I pick up), but I know this is not always the case for everyone. I have friends who have been wanting to paint their home for nearly a decade but cannot agree on a color or finish.
Today I am sharing my tips on how I make my (bold) paint choices, and maybe they will provide some inspiration to you as well!
The photo that prompted the bold paint color discussion! Photo credit to Corridor Home Photos
First, choose a high quality paint!
I like the paint and primer combination paints, especially if my project contains existing paint. These styles are a little bit more per gallon, but always have full coverage and eliminate the primer step. Personally, I like the Ovation, HGTV, and Valspar brands at Lowes, but this is just my preference.
Now, It’s time for the color!
I follow a few simple rules…
Never try to match: If there is existing permanent decor (such as cabinets, flooring, trim, etc), never try to match it. I always go with a complimentary color instead.
Work with what you have: Have a difficult color already on the wall? Don’t want to rent an extension ladder to re-do that vaulted ceiling? Pick something that compliments instead (see step 1). My first home came with a single wall that was deep chocolate brown, which was absolutely not my style. Instead of trying to cover that up, I added teal to a neighboring wall to brighten the space (throwback picture below…)
Don’t sweat it: Paint is the most cost effective way to transform your home, and it can always be changed! If you are unsure which color to pick, go with your heart and change it later if you end up not liking it.
My VERY FIRST home, photo from most recent listing. This home has been sold several times since I lived there, and none of the owners have changed a thing! Not even the curtains!
Now, I fully understand that some people prefer neutrals and there is nothing wrong with that! In fact, I really like neutral paint and decor, but it’s just not something I would choose for my own home. In my opinion, all white or neutral colors make for an interesting design challenge so the room does not come across as sterile or cold.
As much as I enjoy a good challenge I also need the decor at my home to be practical. I hate dusting, so arranging 800 pieces of furniture and decor to fill a neutral space is just not realistic. Adding a bold paint color helps decorate the room a bit. Again, just my personal preference!
Here are a few more BOLD paint choices from my current home:
BOLD slate color for the fireplace bump out. Photo credit: Corridor Home Photos
Barn red in the laundry room, and slate blue in the powder room!
Well if you have made it this far you deserve a gold star, as this post somehow became quite lengthy! I guess I am passionate about my paints! Ha! If you have a bold paint choice in your home, I would love to see it! Tag me on Instagram or send me a message!
As always, thank you so much for continuing to support our small business! We will chat soon, big things coming to APS (wink wink).
Stay cool out there in this blazing heat!
-Rachael
Rustic Home Accents
Hello friends!
It’s a hot and humid 1000 degree day here in Iowa, and I am suddenly finding time for all of my indoor tasks, such as updating this website! You will notice quite a few big changes to our site in the coming weeks, but for now most of the layout is remaining the same. I am not very skilled in the tech world, and don’t have a large budget for a website person, so it’s just me figuring things out by trial and error :)
Anyway enough on that, I wanted to pop in and put together a post about the most asked about items of my home, the various rustic home accents. I have several locally sourced items, and they are often the talking points of conversations with visitors. Now you might be wondering why any of this matters, and I will explain…
Adding a unique home accent can be both functional and decorative, all while setting your home apart from the rest…
-Have you ever driven through a neighborhood of similar style homes and had one stand out?
-On the contrary, have you been to several open houses or showings in a row and then been unable to recall what the inside of the home looked like the next day?
Let me show you what I am talking about…
This beam pictured is on my front porch and came from a barn that was taken down several years ago. It serves as a decorative item, and it also functional and holds up the front porch to my house.
Here are a few photos of other rustic home accents I have throughout my house…
An old window frame above my kitchen sink! In an ideal world there would have been a real window here, but since the floor plan of the house didn’t allow for one, this is the next best thing!
Is a home even complete without a giant rusty pig? :)
Floor to ceiling barn wood flag…because, America
Spare bathroom light fixture, and you can see the barn wood mirror beneath!
The pantry door is an old trap door to the attic space of a c.1920 carriage house
Our custom kitchen cabinets are new, but they were made to look old by using wood with imperfections
Ok, that’s not even all of them, but y’all get the idea! Unique items really make a home stand out in a crowd, and while some of these items were expensive (hello cabinets!), many of them were thrifted, free, or purchased for very minimal cost. Budget friendly is my way of life :)
That’s all I have for you today! Do you decorate with rustic home accents? Feel free to shoot me a message, I would love to see them!
Until next time-
Rachael
Book Shop Back Open!
You read that correctly!
My hand stamped book shop is back open on Etsy, following an extensive closure due to a shortage of materials related to COVID-19. These vintage-inspired book sets are stamped and personalized by me, and make a great gift for any occasion. Here are a few photos…
I purchase these books from second-hand stores, so they all sit in my garage for 24 hours before I do anything with them, please allow an additional day for processing for this reason. Also, if you are local, shoot me a message or email prior to your purchase so I can set up a pickup and avoid shipping charges.
I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy, and I will chat with you soon!
-Rachael
Farmhouse Bathroom Design
Hello there, friends! It’s certainly been interesting here in Iowa lately, and I have found myself extra busy and unable to update as often as I would prefer, but I am here now!
Since Adam and I are ‘essential’ employees at our real jobs, we have been working consistently through this virus mess and all of our other side projects have taken a backseat. We are very fortunate to both have our regular income during this trying time for our country, and our small business can continue to operate as time allows. During this time of so much uncertainty, I think it is important to maintain some sense of normalcy and that is why I am trying to make as much time for this as possible!
Anyway, the entire purpose of this post is to share some fun bathroom inspiration…because who doesn’t love a relaxing oasis built right into their home!
This space I am sharing today happens to be my own master bathroom, and I realized recently that I had not previously shared it with you all. When we built our house, we started with a design we made on a piece of notebook paper, and we really had no previous design experience with a bathroom.
I remember creating several different layouts and pinning all kinds of ideas on pinterest, but the main design feature that I could not get away from was the idea of a separate vanity/makeup counter without a sink. I don’t know about anyone else, but I am clumsy and will knock everything imaginable into the sink given the opportunity, so I knew that if I wanted non-broken cosmetics to use, I needed to find a way to make this design work. Here is a photo of what I am talking about…
The center counter works great for all activities, including painting my two year old’s nails (often times she sits in the chair and plays at the vanity counter while I am getting ready in the morning). Those barn wood mirrors were made by Adam, and I couldn’t be happier with how they turned out! Here’s a close up…
This second faucet is for our reverse osmosis water system in our home, and I love having access to drinking water in the bathroom in the middle of the night!
Here’s another angle/view of the bathroom vanity and cabinets, which were made by the same cabinet guy who built our custom kitchen cabinets (which we absolutely love). Also, this tile is from Lowe’s, for those wanting to know. The sinks and counter tops are a faux marble, that we picked mostly for it’s grey/concrete look.
Also, not pictured, is a speaker in the ceiling that connects to the sound system for our home. One of my favorite things to do is to turn on some relaxing instrumental music or rainwater sounds, toss some soothing oils in a diffuser, and sit in the steam of a hot shower. Even if I can only spare a few minutes, this routine has helped me flush out the uncertainty and stress of the day.
Well that’s all I have for you today! Feel free to pin your favorite images on Pinterest (just hover over the photo), and I hope I was able to provide you some bathroom design inspiration for any future projects! As always, thank you for stopping by the blog, but especially right now during this time of so much uncertainty. Sometimes we need a break from the chaos of reality to help remind us that things can and will return to normal at some point, myself included! Take care of yourselves, and wash your hands!
Until next time,
Rachael
Simple Spring Dining Room
It’s beginning to warm up here, and that means it’s time to bust out the spring decor! I am trying to follow a more simple style this year (less to dust!) and I am really enjoying it.
Speaking of things I am really enjoying, I found a small tray with little glass bottles on Target’s website lately, for a very affordable price (around $23) and I see it is still available online. I decided to add it to my dining room table, here is how I styled it….
As for the greenery that I used, I have a bin of random floral that I have collected over the years and I just cut some of that up and put it into the glass bottles. I tend to like the looks of faux greenery that isn’t ‘shiny’ or plastic looking, and of course that is always the type that costs the most, so buying off season/clearance and keeping them in a tub is a way to offset the price.
Another really good deal that I found at Target in their spring floral area, are their small faux eucalyptus plants. They are surprisingly ‘dense’ and nice looking for the amazing low price of $5. My target still has them available, and I will be snatching up a few more and putting them all over my house!
Here is a photo of how I used these plants on my table (they come in a nice white planter, and I just set them inside a larger white pot that I already had).
Now for a shot of the whole table, so you can see it all together…
And there you have it, my simple and festive dining room! I hope this post brought you some inspiration for your own home, and as always thank you for stopping by the blog today! We really appreciate it! We will chat again soon!
Cheers!
-Rachael
Sawhorse Table Refresh
Well hello friends!
It’s been a little while since I posted a decor refresh, and there’s no time like the present! February is when I normally dig out some of the faux greenery, mostly just to remind myself that spring is almost here. The temperatures have been steady in the 30’s lately, which might not sound warm depending on where you are located but trust me it’s pretty darn good for winter in Iowa!
The table I am sharing today is in my entryway, it’s a sawhorse table that my husband Adam built several years ago. Here’s a few photos of what I did with it recently.
These magnolia stems were considered holiday decor at Target, so I snagged them at the end of December for 70% off (y’all know I love a bargain!).
Recently, a friend generously gave me this stack of old books and I stacked them in an old birdcage with some wooden beads. Simple! I also wanted to mention that little green plant in the background, they are currently at target for $5! They are quite nice quality for the price!
Here are a couple photos of the whole table put together…
This table came together nicely, minus the crooked frame on the wall but hey, we can’t have it all together ALL the time :)
That’s all I have for you today, thank you for stopping by the blog today and be sure to check back soon for my dining room refresh that I have in the works!
Stay warm out there!
-Rachael
My Farmhouse Christmas Front Porch
I FINALLY finished my front porch this weekend, and it’s a good thing I did because today it’s snowing along with 35mph winds…gross. Iowa always keeps us on our toes! There’s an old saying that if you don’t like the weather here to wait a day and it will change. Well, yesterday it was 50 degrees…
Enough on that, let’s get to the fun stuff.
My front porch came together rather late this year, as you can see, and that was mainly due to me waiting on these two trees I purchased online from Target during their black Friday weekend sales. Personally, I think they were worth the wait! I had my eyes on this pair last year but never ended up getting them, something about the trees being ‘less full’ caught my eye. You can see them below!
These trees came in their own wooden stands, which I did keep, however for this project I wanted them to have more of a vintage vibe so I put them in an old crock and a wooden box. They are pre-lit which made it easy to decide to place them next to the outlet.
For the rest of the items, I simply shopped my house/garage. You might wonder what kind of hoarding situation I have going on if I can simply rummage through my house and find all these things for the porch…well I do have a lot of things, but I use them mostly year round in different capacities each season. I am blessed with a lot of storage options at this house, so I always keep my eyes open for a good deal and constantly add to my collection…y’all know I love a bargain!
For example, this wash tub on the right, it was originally purchased at a flea market several years ago. For this season, I simply snagged it from my front flower bed where it had been on display this fall with a water pump. During summer months I will fill it with flowers or twigs/branches. Currently, it’s holding some over-sized metal ornaments originally from my wedding, over 4 years ago. Reusing decor in different ways drastically reduces the cost of changing things up each season!
Here is a photo after dark, to show the lit trees. I don’t often talk about or recommend products, there are plenty of bloggers out there that do that. I do, however, give my non-sponsored opinion from time to time about certain things that I really like or enjoy, and these trees fall into that category.
Here is another front view of the porch! I posted this image on Instagram today and someone asked if the front of our house had tile on it, which is a good question! It is actually cast stone that is smooth and made to look like tile…each one weighs 130 pounds! We chose this stone for the front door area to give a contrast to the cobblestone look of the rest of the stone on our house.
And while we are on the topic of the front door, this was not our door we had in mind and I cannot wait until we replace it with the permanent door. Until then, white metal door it is!
Hopefully this post has provided you some inspiration to decorate your own house, and as always I love seeing what you come up with so make sure to tag me on Instagram or Facebook or whatever platform you share your pictures.
And if you have made it this far, thank you so much for stopping by the blog today! I can see when y’all visit this little corner of the internet that I call home, and it means the world to both me and Adam knowing that you are sharing this space with us.
That’s all for now, make sure to check back soon for more farmhouse renovation updates coming up, or feel free to subscribe to our mailing list if you want them sent directly to your inbox.
Cheers!!
-Rachael
It's a Farmhouse Christmas!
I cannot believe it’s already December, and here we are just a few short weeks from Christmas. Maybe it was the wonky weather, or the fact Thanksgiving was so late this year, but either way I found myself quite unprepared for December’s arrival! I did (finally!) finish getting my house decorated and photographed, minus the front porch, and I am here today to share these with you!
If you are feeling behind in decorating and want some quick inspiration, this post is for you!
Here’s a quick dining room tour!
I love all things budget friendly, and Christmas is no exception! While I do purchase a couple things each year, they are always marked down or on clearance. I mostly just use the decor from previous years in new ways or in new places, and that always makes it seem like a fresh new look. For example, this garland on the table is tucked into my re-purposed chicken feeder that I frequently have on display here, and I added a couple candles and pine cones that I had on hand. Ta-Da!
I made this ‘Merry Christmas’ printable last year and took it to a copy and print shop to have it enlarged and printed on cardstock (for $1). If you would like the file for a quick download, shoot me a message!
Linking our personalized book sets here.
This corner of the dining room is new this year, since I picked up this vintage sewing table super cheap on marketplace. I also grabbed these mint bells from the Target dollar section this year, can’t go wrong with over-sized bells!
On to the kitchen!
I did a whole post on the kitchen that I will link here, but if you just want a couple quick ideas here are some photos from that post!
Next up is the entryway table, and if you have been following along for a while you might remember that I have a terrible time decorating this long table. I strive to keep it uncluttered, but it seems to just collect things on its own!
I am really feeling the ‘woodsy’/tree farm/greens and whites vibe this year, and that is new for me from previous years. I am not entirely sure why I gravitated toward this style this year, but I embraced the challenge to incorporate what I had on hand and decorate this table.
And, the tree
let’s just ignore the un-decorated shelves on the flag wall in the background. This pencil tree was new to us last year (hello Michael’s clearance!) and this nook in the railing is about the only location we can put it at the moment, as we have to tether it with twine to secure it won’t fall over. Our 2 year old has never tried to pull the tree over, but i am sure the moment I didn’t have it secured she would give it a try. Kids just know when you are taking a shortcut!
As you can see, I have a bit of a Starbucks ornament collection going, and soon I will need my own tree just for them. For now, I will just hang them out of reach of little hands.
Also, our tree skirt is just a burlap sack from our local farm store, Theisen’s. They sell them for roughly $1, and while they do shed a bit I like the rustic look they bring to the tree.
Well, that’s all I have for inside decor this year. I have yet to finish my front porch, as I am waiting on something to be delivered that I bought the day after Thanksgiving. Hopefully I will have that post ready sometime before Christmas!
In the mean time, I hope I was able to bring you some decorating inspiration and as always, thank you for stopping by the blog today! All of your support really means a lot to us! I’m going to sign off for now and get back to the farmhouse remodel, big changes happening this week so stay tuned for that!
Cheers!
Rachael
Kitchen Christmas Refresh
It’s that time of year, the most WONDERFUL time of the year! I know some people wait to decorate for Christmas, but I like to get it over with early and enjoy it for a couple of months. Last year I felt like everything got a little too cluttered/cramped around here so I am trying to keep it simple this go around.
I really am feeling the green/white color scheme this year, so you will mostly see that style from me. I started in the kitchen, because that seemed the easiest!
I picked this dough bowl up extremely cheap on a local Facebook site, and it has been sitting in my kitchen ever since. This season I added some faux greens and an amazing candle from my friends over at Antique Candle Co. (I am not an affiliate, I just really like their stuff!). This candle scent is ‘Tree Farm’ which works perfect for giving that real tree smell to a home.
Now on to the sink area, and I struggled with what to put in the ‘window’. Originally, I wanted a wreath, but opted for the copper bells for the sake of simplicity.
It just wouldn’t be the Christmas season without home baked goodies in the company of friends and family. Both of us have close friends we consider family, thus our annual celebration ‘friendsmas’.
Lastly, a simple wreath over the range hood ties it all together! Here are a few additional photos that I took…
Dough bowl close up!
