@missmustardseed

Sunday Strolls + Scrolls is a series inspired by the interiors and exterior spaces I fell in love with while scrolling the internet. I particularly enjoy finding spaces and ideas that reflect a sense of sanctuary! I hope this series will feel as relaxing and enjoyable to you as a leisurely walk down a charming street, a peaceful stroll through a garden or finally getting to peek inside a lovely neighborhood home during a Sunday open house. 
Browse all past Sunday Strolls & Scrolls inspiration posts here.
Antique Hutch Decorating
@mollyinmaine
@southernshorevintage
@mycambridgefairytale
@amycwhyte

Vintage Nightstands, Wicker Mirror + More Updates In Our Coastal Cottage Bedroom
My Vintage Blue and White Platters
A Vintage Washstand for a Table in Our Living Room
My Vintage Staffordshire Dogs & Collections That Tell Your Story
Cottage Style Etsy Home Decor Finds (Antiques, Blue + White, Coastal!)
Collections that Add Soul to a Home
Our Vintage Swan + Latest Cottage Etsy Finds
Listen to Your Heart and Decorate with What You Love More

While I love finding style inspiration in the online community, one of my FAVORITE ways to expand and grow more confident in my own style is to study the images of beautiful homes in design books. Holding a book in hand, turning the pages at a leisurely pace is the best! It’s a return to the past, something I learned to enjoy back in the days before we had so much (too much?) inspiration at our fingertips. I love the slower pace of savoring books. I find I appreciate the details so much more than quickly scrolling past thousands of teeny squares.
My daughter Courtney and I recently did a LIVE video going through some of my favorite design books and talking about why we love them (you can watch the replay HERE).
I even like to look at books that I don’t think are necessarily “exactly my style” because they inspire me to think outside of the box! It’s easy to get in a rut or stuck looking only at what is current and trendy online. I find books are wonderful for expanding my point of view, learning about classic design elements and getting inspired by other color palettes, furnishings and architecture around the country and world, too.

Each time I move to a new home I get excited all over again to bring out my books (and add to my book collection) for inspiration! While my general style and sensibilities and things I love tend to go with me, each home offers new opportunities to mix things up and have fun with style. I love to blend my preferences with the home’s unique features and atmosphere to create a new look, one that feels fresh and yet makes me feel at home wherever I am. Beautiful design books are definitely helpful to me in the process!
If you’d like to watch the replay of our LIVE video on “finding your design style” and see some of our favorite coffee table books, you can watch it here.

Here are some questions you could use as a guide to help you learn as you’re studying and getting inspired by design books!

How would you describe this style?
What is the mood of the room? Why does the mood inspire you?
Describe the personality of people who might live in a room like this. Would their lifestyle resonate with you and your family?
What are the main things you see when you first look at the room?
What are some subtle features that you notice when you look more closely? Be sure to notice things like the shapes, the textures, the colors, the proportions, patterns…
What role does the architecture play in this room? Do you have similar architecture or would you be able to add something similar in your home?
Do you like the color palette? What if this same room had a different palette, would you like it better?
Look at the art and accessories. Also notice their placement. What do you like or not like about them?
What are some simple ideas you could take away from this inspiration room?

Click HERE to watch the replay of our live video (how to find your style and favorite design books)!
Scroll and click the arrows below for some of my favorite coffee table books:

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Click here for books by The Inspired Room, including my New York Times bestseller Love the Home You Have.

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Book sources above:
Beautiful
More Beautiful
Coastal Blues
A Place to Call Home
Timeless
One Man’s Folly
Nora Murphy’s Country House Style
Visions of Home
The Inspired Room: Simple Ideas to Love the Home You Have
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I love to play with various textures, shapes and patterns in a room as they add a lot of interest! The scallop has been having a moment in the design world, but of course it’s a classic shape so don’t be hesitant to bring it into your home. The possibilities are endless for how to incorporate them, these days you’ll find scallops on furniture, accessories, dishes, wallpaper, napkins, lampshades, mirror, trim or backsplashes, fabric and linens and more.
Here are some whimsical scalloped design pieces we found online and some inspiration photos below to show you the fun they add to a space!

Sources for above:
Scalloped wall mirror
Scalloped pillow sham (color options and comes as duvet as well)
Rattan scalloped pendant light
Scalloped basket
Scalloped seagrass tapered hand-woven lamp shade
Navy pillow with scallop pattern and tassels
Scalloped teak wood round serving board
Scalloped edge planter
Round scalloped bone picture frame
Scallop woven side table
Scallop wooden plant stand
Brass sconce with scalloped shade (also has a woven shade option, and comes as table lamp)
Wicker weave photo frames with scallop edge (set of 2)
Capiz shell scalloped hurricane
Round marble petal shaped scalloped tray
Framed green artwork with scallop waves
White scalloped bone and wood picture frame
Tall scalloped woven basket (great price!)
Scallop edge jute rug (also has a navy trim color option)
Scallop woven tray
Woven scallop baskets (set of 2)
More inspiration for scallop design:

More scallop decor (click images below for details) More

It’s been awhile since I’ve talked about how to hang plates on the wall. Since I get this question often (and I keep hanging more plates!) I thought I would share an update!

I’ve tried various methods over the many decades I’ve been hanging plates on our walls, but the best way I’ve found to hang most plates and bowls are with these hangers.
They are easy to apply and haven’t failed me yet! It’s important that you apply them according to directions and let the glue dry over night to make sure it’s secure.
Click here for above sources
Some of the reasons I like these hangers (besides how well they hold) are because they are mostly invisible and don’t damage the plates or the walls. I used to use wire plate hangers but they would make the plate stick out from the wall, the metal would often scratch the wall, the wire clamps showed around the perimeter and it would be easy to break a plate trying to make them fit.
The way I apply these plate hangers, you can’t see them at all from the front.
To make sure the plate or bowl lays flat on the wall, I apply the hanger on the disc like this below:
Plate Hangers
Sources: Rattan Cart // Floral Rug (color options) // More Sources
I’ve always thought plates on a wall were so charming. I think of plates as affordable art because you can often find them inexpensively at secondhand or thrift stores. You can mix them with framed art, too. Even if you just have one decorative plate or bowl it will add interest and contrast to rectangular frames.
Mix and match a variety of colors and patterns or even hang a whole set of plates and bowls to create a plate wall. It’s also a fun way to “use what you have” to decorate if you inherited a set of china you don’t need!

Have you tried hanging plates on the wall?
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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):

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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