It’s important to me that our home feels cozy and inviting, as well as tells the story of the people and personalities who live here. One way I let my personality shine in our home is to bring in a bit of the unexpected to our seasonal decor in subtle ways. I’ve long been a fan of quirky animals in decor, so when I found this darling fox and bunny I couldn’t resist!
You might recall I’ve had bunnies and even a fox or two in the decor of many of our homes, so when I saw these they just felt like they belonged here, too! I adore them for the holidays, but they will also be so charming all year round. I picture their bowls filled with something new in every season — Easter eggs, spring flowers, candles, pine cones, greenery, seashells, Christmas bells, ornaments, the options are endless! They can also be moved from the mantel to be tucked into bookshelves and serve as bookends. I love flexible decor!

This arrangement is what we have now on our mantel as of Thanksgiving weekend. We have a bit of greenery, some candles, a strand of wood beads a few pinecones, a bell and a bit of sparkle in the bowls of the bunny and fox. It’s pretty simple, but it keeps evolving. In the coming days I may add a wreath on my mirror and some garland across the mantel (and maybe swag our beads across it) but even if what we have now is all I do, it’s enough to feel festive and cozy.

That’s what I have always loved about letting our decor evolve slowly through the seasons. We can always add more if we feel inspired, but whatever we did can be enough at any point. Of course, we can even take some away if the holidays start to feel too cluttered or overwhelming! It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. If your home is truly going to reflect your personality and be authentic to you, the feel of your home should evolve with you (and the seasons!) so you always feel at peace, cozy and comfortable in your surroundings.

Sources (scroll and click below):

Turn on your JavaScript to view content

More Christmas Decorating Ideas on The Inspired Room:
Last Year’s Christmas House Tour + Video
Christmas Decorating with Mini Trees
Simple and Beautiful Christmas Decorating Inspiration
Christmas Decor Ideas with Garland Greenery
Effortless Christmas Decorating Ideas
How to Make a Winter Charm Snow Globe
9 Creative Ideas for Extra Festive Christmas Stockings More

This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure Policy here

Blue and White Lamp // Botanical Art // Rug // End Table Cabinet
This post is in partnership with Wayfair
Lamps and lights are my favorite ways to make my home instantly feel more personal, cozy and stylish. I always opt for classic styles and even timeless statement lamps that can set the tone how I want our home to feel. Lamps can bring so much personality to a room, why choose boring styles?
Did you know Wayfair has stylish lighting? I have been updating the lighting around our home and have found so many pretty fixtures and lamps I love.
Today I’ll show you many of my most recent additions! It’s a great time to refresh your home not only for the winter months but for a fresh start to the new year. You can shop for so many home essentials during Wayfair’s End of Year Clearance sale to get big savings, including up to 60% off and fast shipping!
I’ll share some tips throughout along with a round up of the lighting I have in my home and favorite sale items from Wayfair at the end of this post, too.
Source: Semi Flush Mount Light
This little hall had a builder basic ceiling light that we recently replaced with this classic beauty. I love the traditional look! It never fails to amaze me how a lighting change can update the feel of a home.
Checkered Shade Navy Lamp
We needed a table lamp for our puzzle table in this book nook. This darling one has a fun style with a timeless shape.
Lamp
It’s a perfect size and height — it doesn’t get in the way of doing puzzles! Form and function in a room is essential in a personal decorating style and in a cozy home.

This classic blue and white chinoiserie lamp is a beauty! I fell in love with the birds on it. It’s the little things.
Chinoiserie Lamp

I prefer to mix and match timeless pieces in my home for many reasons but I love that it results in an inviting, charming, collected over time feel. That is applicable to our lighting as well!
Lamp
This little cutie fits everywhere, I love it so much I bought three in two different shapes and colors. How many of these lamps would be too many? Asking for a friend.

You really can’t have too many lamps this time of year. Am I right? Lamps are an investment in our personal well-being as well as in our home.

Floor Lamp // Botanical Art
I suggest considering a floor lamp in every seating area. Task lighting has been wonderful for cozy winter nights reading in the snug! Pharmacy lamps are a classic style.
One of the many design principles I teach in my HomeBody community is to use lighting effectively, not only to set the style of the space but to make people comfortable in the room.
It’s my philosophy that our home should be our sanctuary. Everything we choose to include in a room is opportunity to make a difference in how we feel! It’s not about spending a lot of money or following design rules, but choosing elements with intention. If you need help making decisions for your home, join us for the new year in HomeBody Gathering Place and I’d be happy to help answer your questions.
Click here for above sources
New year, new you? Start by making your home your sanctuary. Save up to 60% off and get fast shipping when you shop during Wayfair’s End of Year Clearance event.
Below are some recent decor finds I love from Wayfair, many of which are on sale. Click each image below for details. More

Welcome to The Inspired Room! Before I dive into my secret to decorating tip, I’m SO excited to be a part of this fun How to Decorate summer blog series, hosted by my friend Beth at Home Stories A to Z. I participated the last time this series graced the internet and it’s very fun […] More

It’s that time of year when we all want our living spaces to be cozy, welcoming and comfortable. We want to love our homes. But as you look around your room, do you ever have a nagging feeling that something is “off” but you don’t know exactly what it is? I definitely have! Perhaps you’ve considered getting rid of everything you have so you can start over with new things you love. I’ll admit that thought has crossed my mind a time or two.
Sources: Plaid Arm Chair // Waffle Weave Blanket on back // Jute + Cotton Rug // Round Black Art (my art is birds which is sold out, but this is the same style with butterflies!)
I’m a fan of using what you have when possible and not always buying new things.
But sometimes it’s hard to figure out where to put the furniture you have, or how to combine what you have in a new way or a new room. And how to determine when you just need something new!
Did you know years ago I wrote a book called But Where Do I Put the Couch? with KariAnne Wood from Thistlewood Farms? Seems like I should be an expert on answering that age old question of where a couch should go in a room, but as is often the case with design, the best answer is often found through trial, error and experimentation rather than in a universal set of rules to to follow.
I think we need to give ourselves freedom to try new things, to break the rules and just arrange furniture in a way that is best for the room! This way your room will be better designed for you and make more sense.
Source: Brown Gingham Pillow on Wingback Chair // Jute + Cotton Rug with this rug pad // Blue and White Floral Ginger Jar // Clam Shell (similar) and other sources // No link for those toys on the floor, ha!
I am happy to say I stand by my advice in the book (which is not just about where to put the couch, by the way! It’s so much more than that! It answers 101 actual decorating questions from readers like you! Read all about it here).
But even if we know the rules, break the rules or both, we can still feel stuck. I get stuck, too.
Case in point.
I was so excited when our renovation was nearly complete because I finally got to arrange furniture and get settled. But my enthusiasm soon turned to a slump. I just wasn’t feeling like the living room was coming together.
It wasn’t the backdrops at all. I was grateful for this newly refreshed space and love our paint colors and new flooring. Love the new feel and layout of our main floor. I still planned to get blinds in the living room, and I knew we’d get those soon.
Sources: Wicker Trunk // Jute + Cotton Rug // Leather Sofa Armchair Version (loveseat no longer sold) // Pleated Lampshade // Blue and White Stamped Pillow on Sofa // Dining Room Details
While I was stumped at how to solve the furniture arrangement, a little voice in my head told me to STOP DROP AND ROLL.
Catchy, yes? You’re welcome. A little lesson we all learned in kindergarten.
This time though, there was no fire to put out.
Just a little crisis in my head, but nothing STOP DROP AND ROLL can’t handle!
STOP scrolling for more ideas that just overwhelm or confuse you.
DROP the idea that shopping is the only way to solve problems.
Get out of your head so you can get ROLLING!
Sources: Blue and White Flower Pot // Plaid Arm Chair // Waffle Weave Blanket on back // Jute + Cotton Rug // Lidded Rattan Basket Under Table // Lidded Basket on Right // Round Black Art // Blue and White Geometric Blanket (reversible)
Even though I felt stumped — like I already tried every combination or arrangement, I told myself I needed to get up and try again. If I didn’t like it, no problem, I could just move it all right back. If nothing else, it could give me clarity on what it was I needed so I could make a better decision.
It was time to STOP DROP AND ROLL!
I turned on my Fall Puttering Playlist, got my comfy tennies on, and started moving the furniture all around the room. I tried every possibility, even the ones I was pretty sure I wouldn’t love. But you never know until you try!
Several arrangements later…it suddenly clicked! This felt right. Cozy, inviting, and pleasant for conversation. Funny enough, this is the arrangement I tried FIRST! I promptly dismissed it previously because when I tried it before, the dining room was still under construction.
Sources: Wicker Trunk // Jute + Cotton Rug
Here’s another handy tip. Don’t judge a room when it is under construction (or in a mess as the case might be). I can often look past a mess but this time, I made a quick judgement that was incorrect. I thought it was too crowded, but I am so glad I gave the arrangement another chance once the mess was picked up.
There is plenty of room to get around, and the couch there gives each room a cozier feeling! It works! Best of all, I was so happy I was able to use what I already had! All I had to do was try and try again.
Stop drop and roll.
Sources: Blue and White Geometric Blanket (reversible)
Once I fell in love with how the room felt with the furniture this way, it gave me ideas of things I had in other rooms that could serve a new purpose in this space. Our ottomans seemed too big and there were just too many legs in the room with four more on an ottoman (although I might try again, or maybe just get a new one someday). But I brought down a basket trunk I had up in the Snug and much to my surprise, it worked just fine in front of the couch!
We love how the room feels now. I’m so glad I didn’t give up!
If you’ve followed along here for awhile, you’ll recognize that many of these pieces are ones I’ve had for years and years and have used in many different ways in several homes!
If you’re not feeling the love for your home, maybe it’s not your home or your furniture!
Maybe you just need to STOP DROP AND ROLL!
Source: Jute + Cotton Rug
Hope this inspires you today! If you try a new arrangement in your home, I’d love to see! Tag me on Instagram @theinspiredroom. In my HomeBody Gathering Place membership group I share in depth on decorating and creating a sanctuary through custom mini-courses and workshops.
Join the waitlist HERE (homebodygatheringplace.com) to join us when we open HomeBody Gathering Place again!
Find more inspiration and encouragement for your home in my books, including Love the Home You Have, The Inspired Room, and Simply Home. Find all my books here.

Jute + Cotton Rug – with this rug pad
Plaid Arm Chair
Blue and White Geometric Blanket (reversible)
Waffle Weave Blanket on back of chair
Round Black Art (my art is birds which is sold out, but this is the same style with butterflies)
Blue and White Flower Pot
Lidded Rattan Basket Under Table
Lidded Woven Basket by fireplace
Wicker Trunk
Leather Sofa Armchair Version (loveseat no longer sold)
Pleated Lampshade
Blue and White Stamped Pillow on Sofa
Brown Gingham Pillow
Wingback Chair
Blue and White Floral Ginger Jar
Clam Shell (similar) and other sources
Dining Room Details
My Battery Operated Candles
Blue paint color: Beach Glass Benjamin Moore
White paint color: Classic Light Buff Sherwin Williams
Find more sources from my home and more decor I love in my shops! More

This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure Policy here More