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A small lamp for a bookshelf or countertop can add light to a dreary spot. This mini opal glass lamp is a perfect size and solution for a small space. And it’s so pretty, too. Get this color changing dimmable lightbulb for it and you’ll thank me later!
Hello, friends…it’s Courtney here today! I have been slowly but surely getting settled into my new apartment (with my now *husband*)! You may have seen peeks of our July wedding on my Instagram and my mom’s–once we receive the rest of our professional photos I have lots to share here about the wedding day and planning advice. But for today, I’m here to share a great decor find that I hope will help you too!Are you looking for a small lamp for a bookshelf or countertop?
We were on the hunt for a mini lamp for our living room bookshelf. It was a dark and dreary corner that needed some warm lighting in the evenings, but it was surprisingly difficult to find a lamp short enough that it could fit on the shelf without crowding the top.
I finally found this mini opal glass lamp that was the perfect size (only 10 inches tall).
The lamp just arrived today and I loved it so much, I had to show it to you! It’s the prettiest mouth blown glass that looks almost like milk glass. It’s a really solid quality lamp. If you have a little spot in your home that could benefit from a small lamp, I highly recommend trying this one.
Mini opal glass lamp
I had found other mini lamps online that were on the shorter side, but most still would have been too tall once a lampshade was added. I almost gave up in my search until I found a perfect small lamp for a bookshelf or countertop!
You might have seen we have this very similar mini glass lamp (it’s only 8.26 inches tall if you need one even shorter!). We love it but we’re using that one on another bookshelf in the apartment, so I was thrilled to find something similar. You can see that lamp and even more mini lamps and accent lamps in this post.
Color Changing Dimmable LED Light Bulb
Try a Color Changing Lightbulb
Here’s a tip for this lamp that is extra fun! First let me say that I LOVE how it looks when it’s switched off. Such a pretty milk glass look, like a little work of art on the shelf.. But I put in this fun color changing dimmable lightbulb that you can use with a remote so that I can control the brightness and warmth of the light (instead of having it be too cool toned since the shade is white).
You can also use that lightbulb to make the shade appear as a different color, which also adds a pretty glow to the space. I’ll show you a few photos of it in action!
Color Changing Dimmable Lightbulb with Remote
Color Changing Dimmable Lightbulb with RemoteI mean, is that not the neatest thing? There are even settings for the lightbulb like ‘strobe’ or ‘smooth’ that change between colors automatically if you want something extra fun!
Mini Glass Lamp
The shade for the glass lamp is so pretty in white, but it’s really fun to switch the colors to suit your decor or mood at night. I usually set mine to the yellow color–I love the warm orangey glow it gives off.
Mini opal glass lamp
Mini opal glass lamp
Mini opal glass lampI love how well the lamp coordinates with my hand blown glass diffuser on the top shelf, too. An unplanned but happy accident!
Mini opal glass lamp
Hopefully that helps if you too could use a little lamp for your home! 🙂
Want more tips for how to decorate small spaces?
We LOVE sharing ideas for small spaces here on The Inspired Room. You don’t have to have a large home to make it stylish and comfortable. Find lots of inspiration for small homes here.
You can find more of my favorite decorating sources here, and I’ve linked a few of my apartment tours below if you need some inspiration for your rental or small space!
More Small Space Posts and Tours:
5 Clever Ways to Make a Small Space Cozy and Inviting (+ my live video replay sharing tips from my apartment!)
Tour My 500 Square Foot One Bedroom Apartment
Tour My Seattle Studio Apartment
Tour My Basement Apartment
Tour My Tiny Bedroom Tour
Small Apartment Bedroom
Small Space Storage TipsYou can also follow me on Instagram here (@courtneylane1). I love sharing my apartment, life, pretty walks in my neighborhood by the water, details of our wedding, behind the scenes of working with The Inspired Room and more! More
Want inspiration for how to decorate your home for spring? Today’s post has lots of ideas to make your home oh-so-springy with staple spring accessories (that you might already have!). You’ll find lots of helpful tips and advice featuring pretty and practical ideas (many of which I’ve used in my own home over the years), plus a spring mood board!
Spring decor basics (a few ideas!): vessels, blooms, botanicals, throw pillows, spring mugs, light layers, candles, artwork, plants (real or faux), books, trays, baskets
Espresso Machine
1. Adds Sprigs of Spring Flowers in a Vase
Snip some flowers from your yard, or divide a bouquet into smaller bud vases. You can even use dried florals, like lavender. They last a long time so you get a lot of bang for your buck!
Patterned throw on back of sofa
2. Layer in Lightweight Throw Blankets
Change up your decor with a lightweight throw blanket! These mudcloth throw blankets are absolutely perfect for tossing over furniture as an added layer of texture, pattern, and color. They’re reversible, lightweight, soft, and machine washable! I shared about these last summer and still really love them, I got them in several patterns (grey/taupe and white Swiss cross, a blue and white geometric, a blue and white Swiss cross blanket, and this floral one. Read more about these blankets and see more photos here.3. Spring Doormat
A fresh spring doormat can lift your spirits as you enter your home. You can even layer in a pretty patterned rug underneath.
Related Sources: Plaid Rug // Homebody doormat is from this shop–I don’t see the homebody design available anymore but here is a similar one! // Amazon Doormats // Amazon Outdoor Rugs4. Display Tulips in a Basket
Treat yourself to a grocery store bouquet but instead of a vase, try setting the vase or a jar in a narrow basket! It adds a fun texture.
Related Sources: Baskets // Kitchen Details5. A Simple Spring Mantel
Style your mantel or a shelf with a few simple spring accessories like birds, flowers and books!
Related Sources: White Faux Tulips (look and feel so realistic!) // Seagrass Vessel // Rattan Mirror
White Slipcovers
6. Spring Clean Furniture
Vacuum or spot clean (according to manufacturer instructions) your upholstered furniture. Dust wood pieces. Wash or dry clean slipcovers. I love furniture with washable slipcovers, so we got these affordable white washable slipcovers for our IKEA Ektorp chairs. We also have this sofa with a slipcover, too. Read more about these slipcovers here.7. Style Your Coffee Table
Set out a book that inspires you (binding color, topic or cover photo!), display spring objects like shells into a pretty bowl, or add any botanical element like a plant or flowers. Use a large rectangular or round basket to corral items or create a firm surface on an ottoman.
Related Sources and Posts: Coffee Table Book – Island Whimsy: Designing a Paradise By the Sea // More Favorite Design Books // Similar Blue and White Centerpiece Bowl // Similar Basket Tray // Rug Source (machine washable) // How to Decorate a Coffee Table in Any Season8. Make A Teacup Garden
Plant violas in wide mouth tea of coffee mugs! Water sparingly to keep moist without making them soggy. Bonus, you can use the flowers as garnish for food, too!
Related Sources: Mugs are from here // Rattan lampshade9. Freshen Your Bedding
Say good-bye to winter layers, drab colors and refresh your bed! Wash all bedding, curtains and vacuum rugs, too! Swap out the bedding fresh patterns, lighter, airier shams and blankets! I love this white waffle weave blanket (seen above).
Related Sources: Similar Block Print Quilt // Blue and White Striped Sheets // Pom Pom Striped Tassel Curtains // Similar Pillow Shams // Wood Bead Chandelier10. Spring Door Basket
Make a spring door basket with branches or other botanical elements. Hang the basket from a hook on the door or a ribbon secured to the top of the door.
Related Sources and Posts: Similar Door Basket // Similar Faux White Spring Flower Stems // See more photos of our spring entry here
Bunny Salad Plates // Blue and White Floral Dinner Plates // Woven Charger // Napkins // Bunny Napkin Rings // Appetizer Plate // Bamboo Detail Flatware // Blue Vintage Etched Goblets (color options) // Linen Round Tablecloth // White Bunny Mini Candy Bowl // Famille Rose Egg (tiered treat dish)
11. Set a Spring Table
Have fun styling a spring table with a mix of dishes, linens and accessories. Find table setting tips and all of the sources here.12. Update a Lampshade
Lampshades can be gently vacuumed to dust them or even covered with fabric or a new look! Or start fresh! See more pleated lampshades in my home, more inspiration photos and sources here.
Related Posts and Sources: Pleated Lampshade // Similar Lamp // Tulips // See more of my bedroom here12. Spring Statement Pillows
Make a spring style statement with color and pattern!
Related Sources: Hydrangea Pillow // Floral Pillow // Faux Hydrangeas (in door basket) // Ceiling Lantern (color options)13. Spring Mugs
Put away your winter mugs and swap for your favorite spring looks! Find some of my favorite mugs here.14. Rearrange A Shelf
Swap out dishes, accessories, books for spring colors and style!15. Change Your Curtains
Take down heavy or winter fabrics and replace with lighter, airier, and fresher colors and patterns
Related Sources: Similar Curtains // Woven Shade on Door // Rug (machine washable) // Similar Tufted Ottomans16. Hang Plates on the Wall
Plates can add style to your walls! See how we hung these plates here.
Related Sources: Blue and White Plates // Striped Banqeutte Bench (fabric options)17. Spring Bunnies
Hippity hoppity! Easter bunnies make adorable spring accessories and centerpieces.
Related Post: Bunny Accessories and Easter Decor18. Swap Your Rug
Fastest way to update your style for spring? Add a pretty rug or runner to the kitchen! These are washable rugs so they’re perfect for messy areas and pets, too.
Related Sources: Rug // Blue Pan // Kitchen Details19. Add Spring Style to Your Brunch Table
Make spring FUN for the whole family by baking something yummy with spring cookie and pie crust cutters! This strawberry crisp was so delicious and simple to make (an so adorable with those Easter shapes!).
Related Post and Sources: Simple Strawberry Crisp Recipe // Bunny, Egg, and Chick Easter Pie Crust Cutters // Alphabet Cookie Cutters20. Faux Tulips
If you love tulips but want them to last longer and to be able to use them all season, invest in some faux! These ones look and feel SO realistic! I have them in light pink, coral, and white.21. Fun Taper Candles
Candles don’t have to be limited to winter decor, look for fun colors and shapes for spring! These twisty taper candles are so fun (they come in multiple colors), and there are even battery operated twisty taper candles like these!
Similar Botanical Framed Art // Similar Floral Botanicals
22. Change Your Art
Hang botanicals, seascapes, landscapes, whatever your favorite spring scenes are!23. Add Charming Vintage Pieces
Spring is for yard sales and antique shopping! Pick up vintage pieces that not only add character to your home but give you simple options for display and creativity, too! I love this fisherman’s basket I found at a thrift shop (here’s a similar one on Etsy).24. Collect Spring Statement Pieces
I don’t have a lot of seasonal specific pieces (I don’t have room to store much) but I do think having a few statement pieces you can bring out (or even use year round) can be so fun to show your personality!
Related Sources: Brass Bunny Candle Holder // Faux tulips in light pink and coral,
Sources: Green Stoneware Vases // Rattan Bar Cart // Cement Bunny Planter (I have this!) // Windowpane Pillow // Sailboat Watercolor Art // Bird Art Print // Green Woven Plaid Pillow with Tassel Zipper // Blue and White Floral Lamp // Faux Ranunculus Flowers
Find more spring decorating inspiration posts on The Inspired Room here! MoreToday I’m going to share four possible mood boards for a little bedroom project I’m going to work on for the winter months, featuring some inspiration pieces I found from Walmart. It’s so nice to find items that are affordable, accessible AND so stylish! Thank you Walmart for sponsoring this post.
As fellow homebodies, it can be so therapeutic to have projects or fun activities we are looking forward around the house in the upcoming months (rather than just dreading winter.) In my last post I introduced you to my favorite feature in my new bedroom (it’s a dream come true!) AND the new project I’m looking forward to!
I’m excited to be making a few simple updates to our new bedroom, not only to pull the space together and make it our own, but so we can enjoy it for the winter months!
Today I want to share with you four possible mood boards we created for the room. Perhaps they will inspire you, too! I wanted to put together some options that could be cozy for winter but also items that would feel right at home or easy to switch out in the spring, too! The items we used in these mood boards were all found at Walmart, so they are easy to find and are affordable, too.
Thankfully Walmart makes decorating or updating a home for the seasons so simple and fun! I love to shop online and Walmart has been doing a great job at not only having stylish items that I want or need for my home or occasion, but getting things shipped in a timely way is so wonderful (and rare!) these days! But if you need something right now or at the spur of the moment, stopping in Walmart to shop is convenient, too.
Take a look at the four mood boards below! Which board is your favorite? Or would you mix and match items in a different way? You can find me on Instagram stories, so I’d love to hear your thoughts on which items YOU like best! You’ll find the sources for each mood board linked below and in the scrolling bars.
LOOK ONE:SOURCES: Scroll and click the photos and links below for details:
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Stormy Shore Framed Artwork
Nautical and Coastal Framed Ship Artwork
Decorative Throw Pillow with Stripes and Tassels
Cream and Navy Traditional Area Rug
Chunky Knitted Ivory Throw Blanket (multiple color options)
Linen Trim Light Blue Decorative Pillow
Green Ceramic Lamp with Oatmeal Lampshade
Gray Striped Duvet Cover Set
Rustic Pharmacy Floor Lamp Wood and Metal
Ivory Shams / Duvet SetLOOK TWO:
SOURCES: Scroll and click the photos and links below for details:
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Botanical Art
Rustic Cream Lamp with Linen Shade
Round Gold Metal Frame Mirror
Ticking Stripe Shams & Quilt
Sweater Knit Ivory Accent Pillow
Traditional Black Area Rug
Faux Olive Branch Plant in Ceramic Pot
Antique Brass Pharmacy Floor Lamp
Chunky Knitted Gray Throw Blanket
Charcoal Gray Duvet Cover Sham Set
Velvet and Metal Gray Tabletop Frame
White and Brass Leg Tabletop Alarm ClockLOOK THREE:
SOURCES: Scroll and click the photos and links below for details:
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Coastal Canvas Art
Distressed White Porthole Mirror
Navy Blue and White Textured Accent Pillow
Tonal Navy Plaid Flannel Duvet Cover and Sham Set
Navy Tabletop Picture Frame – Velvet and Metal
Antique Gold Brass and Glass Square Picture Frame
Ceramic Gray and Gold Lamp
Aged Brass Pharmacy Floor Reading Lamp
Faux Peperomia Plant in Basket
Gray Herringbone Throw Blanket
Natural Fiber Braided Area RugLOOK FOUR:
SOURCES: Scroll and click the photos and links below for details:
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Botanical Roses Artwork
Rattan Loop Round Wall Mirror
Chenille 3 Piece Duvet Cover and Sham Set (multiple colors)
Gray and White Patterned Sheet Set 100% Cotton (multiple color and pattern options)
Blue and White Woven Throw Blanket
Green Plaid Accent Pillow (multiple color options)
Linen Trim White Decorative Throw Pillow
Ceramic Aqua Lamp
Distressed Vintage Blue Area Rug
Faux Aloe Plant in Stone Planter
Wood Decorative Boxes
Bronze Floor Adjustable Pharmacy Reading LampDid you pick a favorite? What elements spoke to you?
The reason I call these our “mood boards” is because they are more than just “design boards.” To me, designing a room isn’t just about showcasing a particular style (although that’s fun too!), it’s about how the room will feel to be in it. Mood boards help me to visualize the feeling of the room when all of the accessories will come together, which in turn helps me to focus on some practical ways I can uplift my real-life mood in every season!
I like to try out different colors, patterns and accessories or even bring together different styles to see what combinations speak to me. The mood of a space can also be impacted by the features of the room itself as well as what’s going on in my life, so it’s fun to pull all of those elements together!
When you need a new mood in your room (and life, ha), there are several options. You can shop your house to switch things around from room to room, add some new seasonal accessories or elements to give what you have a whole new look, or play around with different furniture or art arrangements and even paint colors.
I’m going to do all the above for my bedroom this winter! Our style is collected, which means we gather pieces over time (whether they are handed down, vintage finds or anything new to us that speaks to us or meets our current needs).
You can make mood boards with items representing things you already have, or just show new items that could help you create a fresh vision for your space! The items on our mood board are new possibilities for our room, which we will mix in with what we already have.
I can’t wait to show you more of our room and the design updates after Christmas.
We often make our room mood boards with Photoshop, but you can also make them with poster boards, bulletin boards or even online options like using Pinterest or Instagram to gather inspiration. Do whatever inspires you! Mood boards and room updates can be a fun winter activity.
By the way, I share more simple ideas for enjoying every day life at home through each season in my new book A Lovely Life, which will come out this spring!
I hope you enjoyed seeing these mood boards as much as we enjoyed creating them! Don’t forget to tell me which board is your favorite! Or how you would you mix and match them in your own way! That’s the fun of a mood board, you can create a look that inspires YOU!
Find more cozy winter finds from Walmart Home here! MoreOne of my favorite decorating accessories for my home is PILLOWS! But how do you get decorative pillows that go together and make them all look pretty in your home? Today I am going to share some of my own “designer secrets” that will not only help you select decorative pillows that will go together and look lovely, but that can also save you money, frustration and space. These tips will also help you simplify decorating and create a more cohesive look in your home in any season.
Most people struggle with pillows! Too many? They don’t look right? Not enough? Storage, style, sizes, pairings, mix and match, inserts, there is so much to think about and learn. But I’m here to share a few of my secrets today. I hope they’ll encourage you!
Sources: Wildflower Pillow // Striped Pillow // Rug // Gold Floor Lamp
The right pillows and pairings don’t have to be perfectly styled to look pretty.
This is one of my best discoveries. This might ruffle the feathered inserts of some designers, but I will share my tips so that your pillows do not have to be perfectly styled to look pretty. They are known by many as “throw pillows” for a reason. My dogs throw my pillows on the floor. Every day. All day. Perhaps your spouse or children do, too. Ha!
If I expected pillows to stay perfectly arranged, fluffed and styled at all times I would be forever frustrated. Pillow perfection is not reality at our home. But that does not stop me from wanting pretty pillows.
I want to enjoy my home, laugh at my dogs and have pretty pillows. It’s a fact, they will likely be smooshed (the pillows, not the dogs). The pillows will not always be set up in the right order (according to designer rules). They probably will be tipped over or on the floor much of the day. But they can still look pretty if you incorporate a few of my secret tips which I will share today.A different approach to decorating for a lived in home
There are many people who offer advice on home decorating. Even if they are considered an expert, that doesn’t mean what they say a space should look like is going to inspire you or even be right for you or your home. For my personal taste, I prefer a more casual “we actually live here” look.
A more laid back style feels the most inviting to me. So with that said, some decorating rules I read online or in books don’t inspire me. I don’t want my home to feel so stiff or overly styled, so I have to take a different approach to decorating.
I offer my own decorating tips simply to be of help to those who feel as I do. If you feel your home is meant to be a haven in the world, and want it to be a pretty and inspiring place where people and pets are comfortable, you are probably in the right place. Your style might be different than mine, but I hope the encouragement you find here will inspire you in your own lived in and loved home.
Whether I follow known decorating rules or break them, make decorating mistakes or inspire an idea, my lived in home has always felt pretty, welcoming and cozy to our family. That’s who you are designing your home for, the people (and any pets) who live there. Perfection isn’t necessary and in fact, it can be a hindrance in so many ways.
Source: Wildflower Pillow
A signature style that is pretty and practical
If you’re like me and have home that is comfy and lived in, you’ll see my tips for creating your own signature style with pillows that still look pretty when they are smooshed, not fluffed to perfection, or even when they are on the floor, too. 🙂
Recently I bought a fresh new collection of pillow covers to add to our home. I thought it would be fun to show you what I got and how they look together in different pairings. You don’t have to have these exact pillows to learn from this post. I’ll share my tips to make your pillows look pretty together and in your room, regardless of your style of sofa or pillows.
For inspiration I’m mostly showing them on our leather sofa. Many people are flustered if they have a leather sofa because they don’t think pretty pillows work as well on them. I hope you’ll find through my tips why that doesn’t have to be the case! I’m a big fan of using what you have and pulling together a look that is both pretty and practical for your family.
Sources: Fall floral pillow cover // Windowpane pattern pillow cover // Navy plaid pillow cover // Blue hand blocked floral pillow cover
Here are my tips for choosing decorative pillows that go together, saving money, avoiding mistakes and finding your signature style for your spaces.
1) Choose your signature color palette for your home (or a room).
I think my home decorating secret for a signature palette is a good one for so many reasons, if you can make it work. Let me explain why it’s helpful when it comes to pillows (I’ll share more on this topic in an upcoming resource, if you’d like to be notified when it’s available, make sure to sign up for my newsletter to be updated when it’s available HERE).
When you have one base palette for your home, you will be able to swap, mix and match many of your pillows and accessories any room all year round.
Sources: Fall floral pillow cover // Windowpane pattern pillow cover
Your investment in pillows will go further and your need for seasonal storage goes down! If you have a cohesive palette you can then more easily shop your home for a fresh combination of pillows to update the look of any room (rather than having a full set of pillows that only work in one room or one season).
A signature base color palette can feel fresh in any season by simple swapping textures of some of the pillows, or adding in a few pillows in your palette that you’ve chosen for a specific season. You can also play up one color or combination of colors in your palette more prominently in different rooms or seasons.
Your home might naturally look best with a certain color palette, so go with what makes sense for your home! A signature palette doesn’t have to feel boring or redundant at all. There are so many ways to keep your spaces feeling fresh and up-to-date without redecorating everything all the time.
Sources: Fall floral pillow cover // Blue hand blocked floral pillow cover // Wildflower Pillow
2) Find a base set of decorative pillow covers that all go together.
Let’s start with the basics. You’ll want to find pillow covers. I’m talking about decorative covers that usually have zippers and are used over the inserts (which we’ll talk about in another step). You can buy a large set for your home all at once, get a few to start with, or one and have a plan to add to your base set over time!
I am sharing examples of some I have, and you can find more ideas and inspiration for pillow covers that might look good together here in this post!
Have fun with your mix of colors and patterns, as long as you like how they look together and in your home. Ideally don’t mix very modern with very traditional patterns, it will feel better to go in one direction. Here’s a helpful guideline: I prefer to stick to mostly classic patterns like stripes, plaids, and traditional florals or fun botanicals.
Sources: Wildflower Pillow // Similar blue stripe pillow cover // Similar Tufted Ottomans // Leather sofa is out of stock but here is the chair version
I also like to mix in a couple of unique pillow covers such as a star pattern, polka dots, a traditional geometric or even a seasonal specific one, just to keep the style fresh. Vary the sizes of the patterns and don’t use too many. Make sure some patterns are bigger and some smaller so they aren’t in competition with each other.
Here’s another tip, consider buying a set of two or even three matching pillow covers to make a cohesive style statement. Place them on the ends of a sofa, on a bed, or a bench. They can make your space feel more cohesive! Or even use them around the room, on two or three chairs to bring the room together. But sometimes I decide to use mismatched pillows and various sizes everywhere. This is up to you and just a personal or style preference, in my opinion.
If you have a patterned or colored sofa, of course you’ll want to select pillows in complementary patterns and colors.
Sources: Blue hand blocked floral pillow cover // Similar blue stripe pillow cover
3) Choose the right sizes and shapes for your pillows.
I suggest you pick at least a couple different sizes you can pair together or use in different ways.
Bigger square pillows look better on a larger sofa (22 x 22 to 24 x 24 inches, or larger) or a deeper bench seat or beds. Smaller (19 or 20 inches) work better on smaller scaled chairs or when paired with larger pillows. Longer rectangles look nice in the middle of a bed or even a sofa. Shorter rectangles are handy for chairs (especially those that already have a puffy back cushion), or they can can be paired in the middle of two squares on a sofa. I use small rectangle pillows, 12 x 20, for my smaller scale chairs and sofas. You can also get round pillows to add to the mix!
Source: Windowpane pattern pillow cover // Wildflower Pillow
4) Consider your signature pillow cover fabrics, textures and details!
Ideally your base set of pillow covers will be in textures that work for your home and style in most seasons. Maybe your home shines in the fall or feels best in the summer. Or maybe you like a cozier heavier feel or a lighter airier vibe! But no matter the mood of your home, you can also consider having some in additional textures (linens, cotton, denim, cozy woven, velvet, knit, flannels, chenille or wool) to allow you to have a fresh mix for various seasons. Whichever fabrics you prefer, if you can find a few with tassels or fringe it can make the whole mix more fun.5. Invest in good quality inserts and buy what you need for each room / piece of furniture.
You can do this step over time, or get them all at once. Make a list of what sizes you want if you plan to add to the collection as you’re able. Keep a list of what you have or still need (put it in your phone or small notebook you carry with you) in case you see inserts or covers anywhere at a good deal. If you stick to your chosen sizes for your standard collection of pillows, you will feel free to buy new covers without having to invest in new inserts or find storage for the extras.
It’s important to keep in mind for the best look, the general rule of thumb buy inserts one or two sizes bigger than the cover. So if you have a 20 inch cover, you’ll want a 22 inch insert. That will give it a fuller, higher quality look.Pillow insert quality is important because if they are are flimsy and lightweight, or not firm or fluffy, full and heavy enough your pillows will look lifeless! Plus if you have a leather sofa the lightweight cheap ones will also just slide right down or fall off. They need enough weight!
You can decide if you prefer a fluffier pillow, like down or hypoallergenic down, or firmer style. I often choose mine based on what I think I’ll use them for the most. I like firmer pillows for the back of a bed to lean on. My favorites for sofas are the squish-able soft chubby fluffy ones, they just look so relaxed, cozy and casual, like you can grab them to take a nap! That’s the look I prefer for my home and suits my style, but you can choose what you like the best.Sometimes you can find inserts affordably but with a cover you don’t like. Watch for those, you can give away the cover and keep the insert, or if they don’t have zippers some of your pillow covers may be heavy enough that you can use them over the original pillow.
I hope you found my ideas on pillow pairings and a pretty and practical signature style helpful! This is a preview of an upcoming home decorating resource, would you like to be the first to know when it is available? Sign up for my free newsletter here to be in the loop!
Where to get decorative pillows and my pillow sources
I got a set of my favorite pillow inserts at PB here and also have bought pillow inserts on Amazon, too. See some of my favorite pillow inserts here in my Amazon storefront.
Here are the links to the pillow inserts I bought if you want the same sizes: 20 inch square insert // 22 inch square insert
Here is a big round-up of decorative pillows and pairing ideas to inspire!
Below are the pillow covers I bought more recently for our home, so feel free to buy the same ones as long as they’re available. But you can even just use this collection as inspiration for finding your own pillow covers over time!
Sources: 1 /// 2 /// 3 /// 4 /// 5 /// (6 is sadly now out of stock, here is a similar one)) … You can also get 3 as a set (click here)Turn on your JavaScript to view content
Pin this post for later so you can look for similar patterns and styles. We also keep our Amazon storefront stocked with current and seasonal styles we like (see our Amazon pillow shop HERE), so be sure to bookmark it for easy reference and you can always watch the blog for fresh ideas.
Here is a post on lots of pretty fallish pillow collections!
^ Pin this for later! ^ MorePhotos in this post: New England Home
Before I begin to decorate or remodel a home, I first try to picture how I want it to feel to be there in every season. Now that we have our new home, I’ve been spending lots of time daydreaming about our life here (as I’m packing up our old house to move our belongings in, that is haha)…
For fall and winter, I visualize our home feeling like the most inviting charming bed and breakfast hotel in a seaside town. A place where you’d come in from a day of adventuring to get warm by the fire. You’d be able to curl up in a comfy spot to spend the evening in a cozy chair reading a book, listening to music or having lively conversations over hot spiced cider and hors d’oeuvres.
I already love calling our new house our home, and I know I’ll have so much fun making it our own. As I’ve been looking for inspiration, I found this amazing guest house on Martha’s Vineyard in New England Home (where all the photos in this post are from) and it got my creative wheels turning for cozy ideas. This home also gives me lots of fall feelings and ideas…hope you are inspired by it, too!
I’ve shared many times here on The Inspired Room that I like to observe interior design from many different sources and styles. This practice helps me to begin to think of my own style in fresh ways and inspires me to create more interesting spaces.
Enjoy the photos in this post! Below each photo I share a few design elements that stood out to me. I call this the observation game (I’ve been sharing posts like this from the beginning of The Inspired Room back in 2007!). If you observe and study good classic design, it will inspire you for years to come!Observations: Grasscloth wallpaper, green painted doors, substantial statement lighting that also adds contrast, an interesting pattern mix, a cozy sisal rug, botanical artwork, lots of texture, paneled ceiling and wood beam
Observations: inviting wood dining table, mint green vase, candle-style lantern for mood lighting, rustic tray
Observations: soft blue/green painted paneled ceilings, fun teal chairs, nautical stripes, cozy lamp in corner, black lights, walls of windows/doors
Observations: simple mantel styling, cozy fireplace, texture and pattern combinations
Observations: island paint color in a soft minty blue, warm wood floors, green Dutch oven on display, casual woven baskets, interesting architecture, covered range hood, covered dishwasher, mostly clear counters, dramatic greenery
Observations: rich wood furniture, simple linen window treatments, cozy conversation area, simple coffee table styling with stacked books
Observations: matching navy twin beds, footed nightstand, simple greenery, fun blue and white patterned bedding, botanicals throughout home, coastal striped rug
Observations: interesting wallpaper, unique but simple black light, cute reading chair with side table and brass pharmacy lamp, plaid rug, four poster bed, blue and white bedding, little round mirror, substantial lamp, wood secretary desk, simple curtains with black rods
Observations: charming rocking chairs on the porch, shingled exterior, beautiful glass French doors, black pendant light
See more of this lovely guest home here: New England Home
Do you dream about how you want your home to feel before you start decorating? 🥰 Tell me about your home over in our free community Facebook group or in my Instagram comments! What do you envision your home feeling like? I’d love to know! More
