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Pleated Lampshade // Similar Lamp // Tulips // Find a ‘get the look’ mood board with more sources at the end of this post!
We’ve been working on our bedroom in simple ways since last year (just after we moved in!). We’ll be changing out the carpet for wood floors soon, so that will be a more significant project. But mostly I find it fun to make little changes that start to make a room our own.
So far we’ve added plug-in wall sconces, buffalo check curtains, and art along with our furniture. I’m always evolving spaces and finding new pairings of old and new, but that is how I keep it feeling fresh and personal.
A couple of weeks ago I shared that I had been switching out a few lampshades in my house for patterned shades. I love the cottage look! Recently I updated another lamp with a patterned shade in my bedroom. You might remember that I bought the lamp originally at Walmart. It’s currently unavailable but if you are looking for a similar lamp, I found this floral lamp on Amazon that reminds me of it!
Pleated lampshade // Similar Lamp
The lampshade that came on the lamp was a fun teal color but it was feeling a bit bold for the mood I was after. I love the subtle leaf pattern on this soft blue patterned shade, it makes such a pretty pairing with the botanical bird lamp!
Putting a new lampshade on my original lamp helped it to blend in more with its surroundings, yet it still makes a really fun statement! Style is often just personal preference, if you wanted the lampshade to POP rather than blend in, you certainly could do that!
Most of what is in this room were things we already had, and the wall color was already there as well (Bunny Gray by Benjamin Moore). The accessories we’ve added help to tie the whole look together and make it feel more “finished” even though we’re always updating it in some small way.
Don’t be afraid to use what you have and then add new pieces to freshen things up! If you like an eclectic cottage look as much as I do, nothing really has to match perfectly. The goal isn’t to make everything match, but you can make some things go together even in a less obvious but intentional way.
Buffalo check curtains (chambray color) // Similar Lamp // Pleated Lampshade // Rattan planter basket
Once you know the mood you’re after, you really can tie a room together with just a few elements. Decorating this way will definitely save you money over time (because you aren’t always buying new furniture) and you can update a room for a new look or season with just a few new pairings, changes or additions.
For example in our room the bit of brass on the curtain rods ties in to the brass on the bottom of the lamp and the wall frames as well as the mirror. We have a few brass accessories on the shelves. Does every accessory need to have brass on it? No! But as you repeat some elements or colors around the room, your eye ties them together and the rest of the room feels pulled together and intentional.
It might seem hard to pull random pieces together, but it will become more intuitive as you do it! Decorating is one of the many homey topics that we’d love to talk about in our new HomeBody Gathering Place! We’ll be opening the doors soon for a limited time, I hope you’ll join us (click HERE for information on this new community!).
Hope today’s mood board inspires you to try some new pairings in your home!

Sources:
Gold metal bamboo style wall mirror
Sisal patterned rug
Faux Fern
Pink tulips // Coral tulips
Rattan planter basket
Bird art – I have mine in these gold Amazon frames
Buffalo check curtains (mine are the chambray color)
Floral chinoiserie lamp
Block print pleated lampshade
Gold framed seascape painting
Navy 6 drawer dresser (similar to mine)

Looking for more decorating ideas and advice? Check out these “Style Tip” posts! More

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When I began The Inspired Room in 2007, my “tagline” was Refining Your Home for Authentic Living. While I don’t use that tagline now, it certainly remains true to my philosophy of home. While we certainly have embarked on some bigger renovations over the years, I actually find the most joy in the smaller refinements that can be made to one’s surroundings. I believe it’s the refining process that can make any house your home.

REFINE: improve (something) by making small changes, in particular make (an idea, theory, or method) more subtle and accurate.

When we understand how to refine our surroundings and know how to make the appropriate adjustments, the impact on the room will be significant in all of the ways that truly matter.

Designing a picture perfect space is not the same process as creating a sanctuary. A sanctuary is a place of refuge where you feel at peace.
Even if you create a picture perfect scene in your home, a photo cannot tell the whole story of how you actually feel in your surroundings. You are the one who can write that personal story and feel the impact of it every day.
To create a true sense of sanctuary, you must learn how to refine the details that will make a difference to you and the people who live there. Those details could in time make it picture perfect (when it’s all clean and the lighting is just right!) but more importantly each refinement will begin to make your home a reflection of you and transform how you feel when you’re there.

When you learn how to refine a room in this way, you can go through this design process with what you have and can gather over time. You will know exactly what decisions need to be made each season in order to bring all of your senses into harmony! These refinements are what will finally invite you to exhale and experience a sense of peace in your surroundings.
Would you like to learn how to do this in your own home?
I’m thrilled to invite you to my brand new workshop in HomeBody Gathering Place called Room Recipe where I will teach you the exact ingredients every room needs to feel like a sanctuary!
In this custom workshop, my daughters and I will teach you how to use these ingredients and apply my tried and true design formula to each room in your home.

With our Room Recipe design principles, you will be able to turn any room into the sanctuary you’ve always wanted.
This summer I’m offering this brand new workshop free to members of the HomeBody Gathering Place community. We want to walk with you step by step! We make the adventure to a sanctuary attainable and personal through membership in the HomeBody Gathering Place.
For less than the cost of one design regret (which we can help you avoid!) HGP members get access to all of our custom resources designed for people like YOU, printables that you can use for home planning, art and inspiration, as well as our community support.
Everything we offer in HomeBody Gathering Place is to inspire you and give you support as you’re creating a sanctuary!
However, we are only opening our community for two more days, so I hope you’ll hop in today and join us!

How it works:

We go through one relevant topic and activity at a time together, so you can learn and can make progress real time! The weekly and seasonal format and commitment is simple and doable. You can go at your own pace in any season, so you’re never behind!
Every mini-course or workshop we offer is designed to be adapted and personalized to you and your home. You do not need to have a certain design style, our principles can be (and should be!) applied to what speaks to you.

No matter what type of home you live in, or what season of life you’re in, if you want to create a sanctuary, you belong in HomeBody Gathering Place! More

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

This post is in partnership with Wayfair
It’s the little things that turn a house into a home. Adding a few simple touches can bring warmth and create a cozy, inviting space you’ll love spending time in. Whether you’re refreshing a room or just looking for easy ways to add comfort, these five ideas are simple ways to make any room feel instantly welcoming.
I’ve discovered so many cozy cottage-style treasures at Wayfair that blend effortlessly with the pieces I already love in my home. You’ll find many of my favorite Wayfair finds featured throughout this post, along with some of my latest finds at the end!
Click here for above sources

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5 Simple Touches That Make A Room Feel More Inviting
1. Soft Lighting
Swap harsh overhead lights for warm table lamps, sconces, or even a pretty floor lamp. Layering light makes every corner feel cozier.

In My Home:

2. Layers of Texture
Mix woven baskets, chunky knit throws, and soft linen pillows for a relaxed, collected feel.

In My Home:

I have been loving this woven planter in our home styled with different plants/flowers inside in each season!
This woven rattan trunk is a wonderful storage piece in our bedroom for extra blankets or pillows (but could also be used as a laundry hamper or storage in a living room!).
I’ve used this wicker tray as a tray on our guest bed, and also for entertaining inside and out! It would be cute on a coffee table, too.

3. Stylish Storage Solutions
Adding purposeful storage pieces not only can provide function and organization to your space, but also can help contribute to that warm welcoming feeling!
In My Home:

4. A Cozy Rug
A soft, generously sized rug can make a room feel instantly more grounded and inviting. In a living room, aim for one that’s large enough for at least the front legs of your seating to rest on it—it ties everything together beautifully.
In My Home:

5. Layers of Pretty Details
Layers of decorative accents can make such a difference in how a room feels. These carefully chosen touches add charm and personality, and invite the eye to linger a little longer.
In My Home:

With well-chosen pieces, you can layer in warmth, personality, and charm to any space…transforming it into a sanctuary you love spending time in!
Wayfair Items in My Home:
9 Cozy Pieces in my Home from Wayfair
4 Favorite Rugs from Wayfair
Favorite Mugs from Wayfair
More Wayfair Favorites (click images below for details): More

There are plenty of opportunities to make mistakes in life. And yes, many that *could* be made while decorating your home.Maybe you’ve made a few blunders yourself! I know I have.So what is the most regrettable decorating mistake you’ve ever made?Painting a room the wrong color?Ordering a sofa that is too big or too small for your intended room?Buying a free standing cabinet that won’t fit up the stairs?So many possibilities.
I happen to think one of the most regrettable mistakes we can make in our own home is simply not following our heart.
Maybe we aren’t inspired in our home because we:
worry too much about what others will think of our choices.
followed the style or advice of someone else and chose things that didn’t really speak to us.
make choices for our room based on what we think is the safest option
fear making a mistake
don’t know how to pull together what speaks to us.
stay paralyzed or stuck in a rut and don’t make changes at all.

When we make decisions based on peer-pressure, fear or worry, our home probably doesn’t speak to our heart.
Sure, even when we follow our heart it’s possible to make mistakes. And maybe lots of them! Hahah! BUT THAT IS OK! Most design mistakes aren’t fatal. PRAISE HANDS! Having fun with our home and trying things is how we can discover what works for us, what we love and what speaks to us. Mistakes could cost money, so definitely on major purchases, it’s wise to give it some good thought before you place an order. But most mistakes are not impossible to correct, so don’t fear!
Oftentimes misstep turns into a happy accident. Mistakes can give us the opportunity to get creative or try something unexpected that we end up loving even more than our original idea.
Taking a risk or trying something different can lead us to have a home that speaks deeply to us.
When we put our heart and soul into being creative and not worrying so much, it brings us more JOY.
A home you love takes time, but let it be an enjoyable process.
A home that sparks more joy and connection is worth taking a risk on, don’t you think?
A couple of things for you today:Speaking of sparking joy, the beautiful wood and glass diffuser you’ve seen in my home (the ARIA) IS BACK in STOCK for new members. It’s only while supplies last (and won’t return for at least a month due to Covid limitations) so you’ll want to grab it quick if/while it’s still available! I’ve got fall oil samples to send to new members, too!! Get the Aria Diffuser premium starter kit here.

If you’re already my YL member and you didn’t get my fall recipe cards recently, let me know in the comments and I’ll send you some happy mail!
What are some decorating mistakes you’ve made? Did any of them turn into a happy accident? I want to know!
PS. I’ll share a happy decorating story with you in a week or so, it was an unexpected situation but but I LOVE IT!
Photos: House & Home
Related blog posts:
Make Your Home Your Own
How to Decorate: The Slow Process to a Style You’ll Love
Catch up on my 2020 Fall Nesting Series:
Tips to Decorate Your Fall Living Room
Cozy Fall Throw Blankets
My Favorite Fall Decor in My Cozy Fall Shop
14 Ideas for a Cozy Fall Kitchen
Make Your Home the Coziest It Can Be (3 Take Away Tips)
Fall Puttering Playlist
Cozy Self-Care Corner Must-Haves
Four Essential Home Making Practices for Every Season
Fall Nesting and Doormats
How to Dwell Well This Fall
How to Decorate with Faux Fall FoliageTimeless Pieces for Your HomeHospitality and Joy are Not Cancelled (Decorate your Porch)How to Make Your Home Smell Cozy and Inviting
How to Create a Memorable Fall Home + Cozy Diffuser Blends More

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

Today, I’m excited to share some of my favorite realistic faux tulips and compare different stem options. I’ll also show you how various sets look together and share a few tips to help you create lovely arrangements!
First, if you don’t want to sift through the tips in the post to find the links, here are my favorite Amazon tulips and a few others similar options if you are looking for a particular color or price point (and sometimes they have coupons!).
These are the three types I ordered that look the most realistic:

White Tulips
Latex Coral Tulips (some of them on this link are a little different, these are latex, so be sure to double check what you order)
Light Pink Tulips

A couple more to consider:
Tulips I don’t have yet but look similar to mine (and may come in other colors and bouquet sizes)
Bigger set
These white tulips (most realistic) mixed with these cream tulips (original set I bought years ago)
I will begin by saying there is no comparison between real flowers and faux. Whenever it’s possible to have real, they will always be infinitely more beautiful. Real plants and flowers bring more joy and health benefits, too. :). But I do think there are reasons you may want consider having faux!
We live in Washington state which is the tulip capital of the United States, so I feel a little guilty talking about faux when the tulip farms all around us are about to burst into bloom. 🙂 But, let’s talk about them anyway!
Over the past few years I’ve been growing in my appreciation for having some seasonal faux stems and blooms around the house for a few reasons (not to mention faux blooms are getting so much more realistic!).
Above: Light Pink Tulips // Latex Coral Tulips (some of them on this link are a little different, these are latex, so be sure to double check what you order)
Here are a few of the reasons I have come to appreciate having faux blooms:
They are available for a bouquet whenever I want them.I can have more than one bouquet at a time all year round.Buying real flowers often can get expensive.I don’t always have flowers in my yard and we’re just getting started with landscaping.I can put a seasonal bouquet anywhere in the house and don’t have to worry that our puppy Finnegan will sneak off to eat them.It’s nice to invest once and be able to keep them for a long time.I enjoy seeing pretty bouquets around the house more often.and best of all, I like that they are EASY CARE!
I will share more about my definition of an easy care house sometime 🙂 but today let me show you some of my faux tulips!
Tulips on the left // Tulips on the right
I don’t know if you’ve looked for faux tulips lately, but they don’t all look the same.
You can see the tulips on the left in the photo above look so much more realistic than the ones on the right–look at the difference in the leaves and stems (even though both of these tulips sets are very pretty).
There are several distinctions that make the ones on the left look more realistic (and tips for what to look for when selecting faux tulips):

The tulips are made of different materials that make them even feel like real tulips!
The leaves and stems look more realistic
The coloring on each bloom is more unique
Some of the tulips in the set are closed and some are opening up — which I think is more like a real bouquet

The more realistic blooms can be more expensive per stem, but it’s nice that you can find bouquets with fewer stems if you want to keep the cost down.
Of course you can always collect more over time, or mix several types together!
One way to stretch the budget is to mix new and old, or more expensive and less expensive, together.
TIP: if you’re mixing more realistic stems with less realistic, try putting the more realistic leaves on the outer part of the bouquet.
Let me show you a couple of tulip combinations I’ve used for my bouquets:

Here is what this realistic bouquet of 10 tulips looks like in my pitcher.
I love how simple, airy and natural just ten tulips look with a few flopping over the side of the pitcher.
This is another set I considered as well — they look to be very similar. Be sure to check what they are made of when you shop if that matters to you, as well as compare what the leaves and stems look like (and the length of the stems).
Sometimes one set is more expensive because it’s better quality or because of how many blooms are included (and that often makes the price per stem less, something to consider!).
You can mix different types of tulips to stretch your budget but also the variation can give it a more realistic look. Or mix real with faux, no one needs to know :).

Here is is what my pitcher looks like with 20 mixed stems —this has 10 stems that have the more realistic leaves (two bundles of five come in this one set — and you can get different colors) plus I added 10 stems of the less realistic leaves in a champagne color.

This is what the champagne color tulips look like up close.

Here’s a little bouquet of several colors with the more realistic tulips, wouldn’t these make a pretty bouquet? They come in different colors as well.
Light pink
Latex coral
White

These are the three types I ordered that look the most realistic:
White
Latex coral (some of them are a little different, these are latex, so be sure to double check what you order)
Light pink
I almost ordered these, they look very similar (they have more stems, but the cost per stem was less).

And here is my original set of light pink tulips, my original set of coral tulips, mixed with a few of the newer realistic ones! I love coral so the pop of color on these is a joy-bringer….and they are holding me over until I can get to the tulip farms and buy the real deal!
Want to watch videos where I compare these tulips and share tips on how to arrange them? Here are 3 you can check out:

A comparison of my new coral tulips mixed with my original pink and coral sets.
A close-up video of the realistic white tulip bundle.
A comparison of my new white tulips with my original set, plus tips on how to arrange them together in a vase.

Other sources in this post:
Yellow cafe curtains and bunny mug — both temporarily out of stock sadly, but you can join the waitlist to be notified when they are back!
Scalloped shade lamp in top kitchen photo More