Explore trendy girly apartment decor ideas to transform your space. Discover stylish tips for a cozy and chic atmosphere. Perfect for creating your dream girly haven.
These clever master bedroom ideas & expert tips will help glam up your space, whether it's a small or large one. Modern, rustic, or coastal, pick your favorite!
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Over the weekend, our regiment's very own expert in eighteenth-century foodways led a workshop in hearth cooking at a lovely 1765 house owned by another couple from our group. It was a prodigiously educational day and I learned enough to finally feel like I'll actually be comfortable not only preparing meals during events, but even intelligently conversing with visitors about what I'm doing! Yes, folks, progress has been made with me and cooking! ;-) We began our day with a lesson in how to date 18th-century houses based on the location of their fireplace bakeovens, and in how to heat, test, and use a bakeoven to make a variety of different baked goods. We then turned to how to build and maintain a fire, a skill relevant to both hearth and camp cooking which I have yet to master (one day...!). Then Luisa, our instructor, split us into teams and assigned us each two period receipts that allowed us the opportunity to practice different cooking techniques. There were six total groups, and between the thirteen of us, we prepared quite a feast. In just over five hours, we ended up with three meat dishes (mostly prepared by Luisa, which included chicken, cornish hens, and a pork tenderloin), a host of vegetable sides (green beans in a creamy sauce, carrots with lemon and ginger, corn pudding, and a couple others I'm forgetting now...), an onion pie, spoon bread, and apples and bacon, in addition to a cranberry pudding and a cherry pie for dessert. It looked like way too much food for our modest gathering, but very little was left over when it came time to clear the table afterwards! D feeding the fire to help bring his pot to boil. Because there were so many of us working and we were preparing so many dishes simultaneously, we took full advantage of being in a period house and used two of the three original fireplaces on the ground floor. On the smaller hearth in the front room, we perched the hens and the pork, which both cooked in reflector ovens. Luisa hung a chicken on a string from the crane and demonstrated the proper techniques to manage it as it cooked to ensure it was done evenly and would not become dry. Cooking pork and two types of poultry in the front room's fire. The larger hearth in the house's designated kitchen became the primary cooking area for the rest of our dishes. From the large crane hung a collection of bulge pots and tin pots that kept coming on and off of the fire as their ingredients were perfected and their cooking progress monitored by their respective teams. Dinner cooking...mmmm! My cooking partner C (a newly-inaugurated member of our unit!) and I were assigned the task of preparing an onion pie and a dish of apples and bacon. Despite one minor mishap involving too much eggs and cream, our pie turned out most beautifully, and I can now count the successful managing of a Dutch oven, properly called a bake kettle in the eighteenth century, amongst my period accomplishments. Huzzah! Me tending to the onions, preparing them for the pie. Red-hot coals piled on top of the bake kettle, our onion pie nestled inside. Our beauteous onion pie, perfectly baked in the Dutch oven. Me removing the pie (ever so carefully!) to cool. Our apples and bacon also turned out most heavenly indeed, loaded with cinnamon and maple syrup. They were the perfect complement to the roasted pork and definitely one of my favorite products of the day's efforts. The pork relocated to finish cooking in the kitchen hearth, with our apples and bacon just starting to melt beside it. Slicing the pork out of the reflector oven. I unfortunately didn't manage to get a picture of our finished repast, all laid out on the dining room table, but it was quite a spread indeed and tasted all the better for knowing we'd all just spent five and a half hours hard at work making it! A huge thank you to Luisa for sharing your immeasurable knowledge and skills with us, and to P and D for opening your lovely period home (and hearths!) for the purpose. It was a day spent in true eighteenth-century style with good company and good food, the ideal way to help wish away those chilly New England winter winds.
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TAG. YOU'RE IT. The rules are to state 5 random facts about yourself. Then, go to ten favorite blogs and tell them they are it. :) Awww I am one of your fav. blogs? That is so sweet! Hmmmm...5 facts...
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Spring is a time of renewal and rejuvenation, and what better way to welcome the season than with some fresh spring mantel decorating ideas?
Art Nouveau Fireplace
The other day my husband went to our storage unit to pick up a few things for a project (hint- Christmas) and when he was leaving, he drove past a table full of various bits and stacks by the driveway that said ‘FREE’. It is a usual ‘garage’ sale left over kind of thing- they…
Embarking on a kitchen renovation can be a dream, but often, budget constraints make us think it’s out of reach. However, creating a bespoke, tailor-made kitchen doesn’t have to break […]
I like a kitchen that has style. I have seen huge kitchens loaded to the rafters with all the latest counters and appliances and back splashes that contractors will tell you that you must have in today's kitchen. Usually they come off cold and antiseptic....not what a kitchen is suppose to be at all. Plus when you go next door, there it is all over again. I am not a trend driven person, in interiors or fashion. I am impressed by a sense of style not cookie cutter looks, especially in kitchens. The focus of this blog is the rustic country style kitchen....a unique kitchen that reflects it's owners charm and personality. Also there will be some country kitchens that give you a ‘vintage’ feel with their overall style, one that fits with an earlier time. I hope these images will give you ideas on how to make your rustic kitchen as authentic as possible. Always warm and inviting, never without style, these unique kitchens are delightful and will have you falling under their spell in no time. traditionalhome.com Any signs of age only add to the charm of the room. You don't want your tables and chairs to be in pristine condition. The checkerboard painted floor and the sunny yellow trim all add to the warmth of this kitchen. indulgy.com Most rustic kitchens create a feeling of comfort. Exposed beams are one of the quickest ways to set the stage for the rustic kitchen. Stone floors will also add to the look, however I think a rug would warm up a space like this that can tend to look cold. 4himglory.tumblr.c Baskets, buckets and a butcher block all add to the warmth of this country kitchen. atticmag.com The white rustic kitchen is my personal favorite! White exposed beams are a wonderful design element for the rustic kitchen. Look for an unique work table, shelving other than the conventional kind, and metal lighting. Dry some herbs for a delightful accent of scent. home-designing.com Of course rustic kitchens can be colorful! The beauty of the farmhouse kitchen is in the use of furniture for storage instead of modern kitchen cabinets. villalerose.com I suggest tables that can double as work tables instead of islands in a rustic kitchen. countryliving.com Bakers tables are always nice. desiretoinspire.net A kitchen this rustic is for someone who appreciates wood and stone. The more natural stone used in a kitchen, the more rustic the feel. pinterest.com What a wonderful space!!!! It would be so much fun to cook in here. cdn7.buildingmoxie.com www.canyoncabinetry.com This rustic kitchen is softened by the addition of gingham and ruffles. Notice he curtain treatment of the class cabinet doors. Axel Vervoordt Touches of a rough-hewn material such as a wooden pantry door or pine island complement this welcoming, and comfortable environment. The touch of blue and white make this kitchen especially pretty. google.com Consider yourself very luck if you have a fireplace in your kitchen. A long harvest table is a must for the rustic farmhouse kitchen. greigedesign.blogspot.com www.houzz.com This kitchen features an antique baking table, a hood framed with antique beams and a bold stone and hardwood floor. The long wooden trough looks lovely filled with flowers. Also try something different with lighting....like these wire baskets. brabournefarm.blogspot.com A collection of crocks is a great addition to the rustic kitchen. dreamincream.blogspot.com sandykoepkeinteriordesign.co If you like chippy decor, the kitchen is the perfect place for a piece or two. lh6.ggpht.com Who wouldn't like to cook in this wonderful kitchen? acquiredobjects.blogspot.com kellyharmondesigns.com In the farmhouse kitchen you don't want to hide everything behind cabinet doors. persephonesbox.com A rugged and colorful kitchen. Kitchens should be fun.....after-all you spend much of your time there. source unknown veranda.com I love furniture like armoires to be used as kitchen storage. It makes for an interesting and authentic rustic kitchen, sphotos-b-sjc.xx.fbcdn.net sphotos-b-sjc.xx.fbcdn.net The door, exposed beams, stone floor and whitewashed walls all set the stage for this kitchen. Now add in the right accessories.....wrought iron chandelier, pottery bowls, cooking utensils that are exposed instead of hidden away, terracotta flower pots. All this adds the charm to the rustic kitchen. countryliving.com pinterest.com Rustic kitchen come is all styles. This one has a nautical feel. architecturaldigest.com Remember you are not looking for perfection in the rustic kitchen. The paint on these beautiful cupboards is not in pristine condition. This is the charm of the rustic kitchen and you must enjoy the patina of age to be happy with this style of kitchen. To see rustic French kitchens click here French Kitchens....Keep Them Authentic Click here to see the previous post! http://eyefordesignlfd.blogspot.com/2013/11/decorating-your-home-with-pinkgreen.html This blog post was published by Lisa Farmer
This post probably contains affiliate links. You can read our full disclosure policy here. “Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.” ― Edith Sitwell This is one of the hygge-est quotes I have ever stumbled upon. I want to wrap it around my shoulders and cuddle in it till winter finally steps back. But as I’m a bit more practical, instead of allowing my bookwarmy soul to get the best of me I decided to create an atmosphere at my home that feels like this quote and enjoy hygge with all my senses. But, what is hygge, you ask Well, if you’ve stumbled upon this post you probably already have an idea of what hygge is. But in case you’ve been living in a strange part of the internet and this is the first time you come across this word, let me shine some light on this awesome concept. Hygge (pronounced hue-ga) is the Danish concept of happy living, that took the world by storm several years ago. It is roughly translated as coziness in English but it is so much more. Although it is a huge trend in everything from home décor, to fashion and lifestyle in general, hygge is a feeling above all else – on my opinion, the most wonderful feeling there is. When you come home and leave all the hustle outside – that’s hygge; when you’re surrounded by your friends and you’re laughing, drinking and talking about anything and everything – that’s hygge; when you’re curled up on the couch under a soft blanket and you’re submerged entirely in a good book – that’s hygge; when you taste that first sip of coffee in the morning and you feel the world awakening in you and all the colors coming to life – that’s hygge. Hygge is the feeling of coziness, comfort, togetherness, peace of mind…quiet and warm happiness. And home is where hygge is born and where it thrives. So, if you’re on the lookout for ideas on how to achieve that dreamy cozy atmosphere at your home, without breaking the bank (cause, honestly, whose wallet doesn’t look a bit malnourished after the holidays) look no further, I’ve got you covered. 1. Light When I think of coziness, light is not the first thing my mind goes to, but it should! There are few things that can set the mood as fast and strong as getting the lighting right. If you’re after a soothing feeling that relaxes your senses the moment you enter the room, forget about bright ceiling light and think about a softer, dimmer light coming from a table lamp or a floor lamp of even from a wall lamp. The Danes, being the masters of hygge, have perfected the art of setting the mood through light and typically have various lighting sources in their rooms, which they use strategically depending on what atmosphere they wish to create. My lighting arsenal is still incomplete, but I do love the addition of my gorgeous, natural Himalayan salt lamp – it has the coziest glow, and who knows, it may even have positive effects on my health and mood, as it is said to produce air ions. 2. Candles Well, I think I got too far with this post without mentioning candles, when they are the MAIN hygge essential. Honestly, it’s like they’re made of cozy molecules. The reason I put them at #2 is that they are technically, part of the lighting, but they do deserve a spot on their own. If you’re really serious about cozy-ing up your home, I suggest you stock heavily on candles. I typically have a full package of tealight candles, ready to shine their tiny lights and set the mood for laid back evenings with wine and good talks. But, my secret weapon nobody can resist is my WoodWick candle. Seriousely! It has a real wood wick and it crackles as if I have a fireplace in my tiny city apartment. That is insanely hygge! My favorite is the Warm Woods Trilogy candle. But if you’re hesitant about using (many) candles due to fire hazard I’d recommend these real wax LED candles – they look very believable and are much, much safer than regular candles, especially if you have little kids running around the house. 3. String lights I know, I know…another piece of lighting. But string lights have such potential and are so often disregarded after the holidays that I thought I’d give them the attention they truly deserve. Cause they do, you guys! String lights have the power to bring magic to your home and to create such a soothing, uplifting atmosphere that you’d wonder how you never thought of living them out after Christmas. If you use warm white string lights they want look that Christmasy – just whimsically cozy, trust me on this. There is a tremendous amounts of all sorts of string lights out there, but here are my favorite types: Window curtain string lights – cause they are grand and cozy at the same time; Photos Clips String Lights – cause it looks so romantic to display our happy moments under the soft glow of the little bulbs; Globe String Light – cause they just look so pretty; Flexible Copper Wire String Lights – cause you can fill a glass vase or a jar with them and you’ll have a classy centerpiece in a second; Ordinary string lights – cause they just look stunning, subtly glowing under the window. 4. Soft textures The textures have an incredible big impact on our sense of comfort so adding a few soft items to your winter (and not only) décor will add extra cozy notes to your home. Think of a few nice plush pillow covers that will warmly welcome you to the couch after a long day at work, a soft shaggy rug to rest your feet and a warm throw blanket to cuddle under with a good book. Aahhh, how can you not feel the hygge magic with these. 5. Music Adding some gentle quite music can also contribute significantly to the cozy atmosphere at your home. Music taste is very individual, so play around and figure out what sound best fit into your notion of cozy. For me, that’s definitely gentle classical music and…surprisingly or not – the soundtrack of Gilmore girls 😉 – this Spotify playlist is the most satisfactory soundtrack of the show I’ve found) 6. Essential oils Did you know that smells are directly linked to the center in your brain responsible for emotions. They are practically magical doorways that can transport us years back to a cherished childhood moment or evoke in us emotions and sensations we did not expect. So the easiest way to make yourself feel cozy and happy is to add some cozy and happy smelling essential oils to your home. Here’s a very helpful post about essential oils combos that will make you feel all sorts of happy wintery emotions. There are several ways to diffuse essential oils in your home. You can pop them directly into a diffuser, use an essential oil burner or a reed diffuser, which you can make yourself using a glass bottle, jar or vase and a few rattan diffuser reeds. 7. Fragrant hot drinks There’s something about fragrant hot drinks that screams hygge….or more likely whispers it gently into your ear. You just cannot feel not cozy in a home smelling like hot chocolate….or thyme tea. These aromas just take a blanket and wrap it caringly around your soul. There is something so centering and peaceful about holding a cup of hot deliciousness and feeling its warmth on your fingers. Especially, if you’re holding a mug like this one – it has a little nook where you can tuck your fingers to keep them warm. What a hyggelig design! 8. Books Need I even say anything more? Books are intrinsically hygge – their look, their feel, their smell…everything! And we’re not even talking about all the excitement and satisfaction locked between their covers. An exposed shelves cabinet, filled with books is able to transform a common room into a hygge sanctuary. So don’t hide your books, present them proudly, show them off. And please, please, don’t just let your books stand pretty on the shelf; flip through their pages and wake their soul up…they with repay you with worlds of wanders. (you can tell I’m a bookaholic, right?) 9. Plants One of the most important aspects of hygge is the feeling of connection – to your family, to your loved ones, to your friends and to yourself. But also to nature and the outside world. Having a few house plants will help you make that connection and will almost immediately affect you mood in a positive way. There are numerous researches that say that having plans around the house makes you feel calmer and more relaxed. Plus, they take care of improving the air quality in your home. If you don’t have a green thumb (I know I don’t) and feel a bit self-conscious about taking care of a plant, you can start with something easy like a succulent and see how it goes 🙂 10. Photos of happy times Hygge is all about the feeling. It’s all about those things that set your soul at peace and bring a smile to your face. And what better way to achieve that than displaying some of your happiest moments. Nowadays we take more pictures than previous generations combined, but we often leave them in our digital devices and….forget about them. And it is so hyyge to undigitalize (I don’t know if that’s a word, but you know what I mean), so why don’t you print some of the pictures that remind you of happy, or funny, or glorious moments in your life, arrange them in a multiple pictures frame and make it a part of your wall décor. It will definitely bring a smile to your face more often and will also spark some interesting and cozy conversation 🙂 11. Your own artwork Don’t disregard this if you don’t think of yourself as a creative person. Just hear me out. Having a piece of art that came to life under your fingertips is priceless, it has the power of claiming the space and making it feel more…yours. It doesn’t really matter if it’s a master piece or not, it just has to express you. If you like to try and create your fist piece of art, but feel a bit self-conscious, you can try a DIY kit. I personally love string art and if you take a look at Etsy you’ll find enormous amount of amazing string art DIY kits that are right there waiting to help you dip your toe into the artistic waters. But if you’re really ready for something bold, take a look at this super helpful post by Appartment Therapy that will show you easy ways to make your own abstract art. These are my 11 suggestions on how to bring more coziness to your home and turn it into a happy hygge sanctuary. I’d love for you to try some or all of them and let me know how it turned out for you down in the comments 🙂 XO, Alex
Here's how to turn your fireplace surround into a focal point of your home.
This hand-drawn archive design is representative of Sophie's country garden and the woodland that surrounds her home. An illustrative wallpaper of peony, primrose, and laburnum allude to time spent outdoors and the ever-giving joys of springtime. **Harlequin x Sophie Robinson** When it comes to collaborations, you can’t get a more perfect fit than this. The ‘queen of colour’, Sophie Robinson meets the vibrantly hued Harlequin, in an uplifting, joy-filled range of fabric and wallpaper - a masterclass in joyful pattern mixing.
No material is able to express the coziness and warmth of wooden texture and thanks to it beautiful rustic bedroom interior designs have simply mesmerized the world in various wooden cabins around the world.
Just because Christmas is a holiday filled with traditions doesn't mean your holiday decorations have to be traditional. Yes, people everywhere are finding new creative ways to deck their halls with DIY Christmas trees and we can't get enough.
So you have always wanted to build a rustic dream home, perhaps out in the wilderness somewhere, or you just want a simple home to complement your simple lifestyle. Many homes reflect the region or te
I love spending time in my backyard, especially during the warmer months.
It is a good time to love tile. Beautiful patterns and shapes abound. But unfortunately for those us on a budget, a lot of the most beautiful tiles are just way too expensive to use for a whole wall, a floor, or even a backsplash. So we’ve come up with some creative ways you can incorporate just a little bit of that amazing tile you love, so you can enjoy its loveliness without breaking the bank.
Even if you live in the city, you can make your living room feel like a cozy country cottage. Here are some charming ideas to get you started.