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    How to Fall in Love with Your Room (+ Our New Living Room Arrangement Using What We Have)

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    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

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      How to Turn Your Home into A Sanctuary

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

      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

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      in Style Tips

      My Secret Decorating Tip (and my blue glass lamp is in a new spot!)

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

      Shopping for new things in a store or online can definitely be fun (especially when you’re excited about fall decorating or making your home cozier for winter!) but I think rearranging what you already have can be just as (if not more) rewarding! Do you agree?
      If you’re new to decorating, I’m glad you are here to learn. Today I’ll let you in on my favorite decorating tip…a secret decor strategy you may have always wondered about (and I’ll talk a bit about why I moved my blue lamp to this room!)
      Of course, if you’re a seasoned decorator, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. And if you’ve been following me for years, you have watched me decorate this way over and over AND OVER AGAIN! It works and it’s fun, too. You’ve seen me decorate this way over time, through makeovers in a variety of rooms, homes, in all of the seasons.

      When you are new to decorating, you might wonder (like I did years ago) if you have to buy things all the time in order to love your home. Have you wondered how some people’s styles can look so eclectic and unique, while some look almost identical to a few others you’ve seen?
      Or maybe you’ve wondered if people have to redecorate to keep up with certain trends. Perhaps you have noticed how some people seem to pull together in room in a hurry without buying anything new. Maybe you (like I did!) wonder how others were able to afford all of that new furniture or decor!
      It might seem like it’s all a mystery, or maybe just an endless cycle of spending a fortune is required to decorate or stay in style.
      Sometimes people are able to spend a fortune on all new furniture or seasonal decor. It’s true. That’s one way to do it! But those of you who’ve been collecting their furniture or accessories over time know my style secret. Once you go this direction, it not only saves money but gives you a more unique and collected look that can stand the test of time. This secret offers you the opportunity to refresh your home every season without spending a fortune.

      My secret decorating tip is to collect pieces you love over time. When you decorate this way, it’s fun to update a room even without buying new things because YOU LOVE WHAT YOU HAVE. When you chose wisely to begin with, your look doesn’t go out of style. You get to go shopping in your own home and quite often you’ll find just the right piece to complete a space or decorate for the new season.
      And when you don’t have what you need but you have the funds to add to your collection or you find something special enough to buy, you can do that, too! Every time you add a new piece (or several) to what you’ve have collected over the years, you get a fresh updated new look and can quickly pull your home together in any season.
      This is precisely what I’ve been doing in our new home, just like I have repeatedly in every home we’ve lived in. Sure, I might buy a new accessory, a rug, or even furniture if the budget allows and right item is discovered. But I also love when I do NOT have to buy something new. I enjoy mixing and matching and rearranging what I have until the room feels right to me.
      If I stumble upon something somewhere that I love (or if what I have just does not work well in a new space), then hooray, I thoroughly enjoy adding the new item.
      Source: Reversible Blanket on Back of Sofa
      As you can see, I moved my blue glass lamp here from my upstairs office. I loved it upstairs (I love it in every room to be honest!), but I wanted a round lamp in this corner. I felt l like it needed a larger round lamp as a statement piece, but something that wouldn’t block the light from the window.
      For a week or two I had a beautiful tiffany style lamp sitting there that we’ve had for several decades (and is apparently back in vogue!). We love it, but after living with it in that spot for awhile, I decided I’d like it better in the other corner. (Even if you’re a seasoned decorator, a lot of times decorating involves moving items around until you love them where they are!) So off I went to shop for something in my home that would work.
      Turns out, the blue glass lamp was just right! It’s weighty enough to fill some of the space there, but airy enough to allow light and color from the outside window flows through the glass. I do miss this lamp upstairs, but I only have one so this spot took priority!
      I bought that lamp on sale a few years ago for my last living room because it just felt like ME. Remember the blue glass lamp I made myself? I feel like blue glass lamps will always work somewhere in my home. Around the same time as the blue lamp was added, I bought this blue rug and now here they are, paired together again.
      Buying new things over time expands your options and updates your current look. Pairing things you have collected over time, or with any new item you choose to get, is what creates your unique STYLE!
      Do you like to decorate this way, too?
      More Inspiration:
      How to Decorate a Fall Mantel (Using What You Have)
      Favorite Design Books + Video on Finding Your Style
      How to Decorate: The Slow Process to a Style You’ll Love
      Traditional and Collected Coastal Style: Get the Look
      One Essential Decor Element You Probably Need More of In Your Home
      The Secret to Finding Your Style and Feeling More at Home Where You Live
      4 Important First Steps to Take When Designing a Room
      My Decorating and Homemaking Books

      Catch up on more posts in our Fall Nesting Series! More

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      in Style Tips

      The Secret to Finding Your Style and Feeling More at Home Where You Live

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      Source (20% off EVERYTHING with code! Click HERE to shop!)
      What’s your decorating style? Do you feel at home where you live? If you ever feel conflicted about your style or the next decisions to make in making your house your home, you’re not alone! Maybe you’re just feeling stuck, or your current style isn’t working for you. Perhaps you’re living in a home that wasn’t custom designed for you or even close to your style to begin with. Maybe you’re wrestling with how to update it. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all of the options, especially with the abundance of ideas and inspiration online!
      So how can you find your style when there are so many directions you could go? What if you feel limited by the current style of your home or your budget?
      Here’s the secret: finding your style takes patience and experimentation. It takes time. You don’t have to have a perfectly designed home to love where you live. You just have to find ways to feel more at home! I don’t think most of us can make the best decisions until we’ve had a chance to get to know the home we live in over several seasons. You need time to learn the quirks and personality of your home so you can play up what you love about it and learn to minimize, downplay or fix what you don’t.
      It takes time to gather style or remodeling inspiration specifically for your home over a few seasons. Once you’ve collected ideas you can start to narrow down the options that not only consistently speak to you, but also make the most sense for your budget, lifestyle and your house.

      It’s easy to lose our focus when we get swept up by a new idea, or if we are looking only at current trends or just following along with what everyone else is doing right now! Impulse decisions or following the trends might bring some immediate joy through a those indecisive seasons, but it’s a wonderful feeling when you are finally able to settle into your own style with confidence.
      Your style is not just the one you like the most online, but it’s what makes you feel the most at home where you actually live. That’s how you’ll know you’ve found your authentic style.
      When I’m struggling with my own style, it can be helpful to collect inspiration photos of rooms or features that I really love, such as the images I share in my posts (these photos in my post today are from one of my favorite shops for furnishings and style inspiration for my home, Serena & Lily. I’ve written about it before in this post).
      But I don’t want to rush permanent or expensive decisions or make a lot of changes based on an inspiration photo until I’m certain that look or item will feel right in my own home. I like to take a bit of inspiration from dozens of rooms and ideas I’ve collected over time so my style won’t be an exact replica of anyone else’s style.

      It can be a slow process to figure it all out, but it’s worth it to me to be as authentic and comfortable in my home as possible.
      Sometimes to move forward you just need to make ONE design decision you know you feel good about. That decision will lead to the next. We remodeled our kitchen four years ago and the decisions we made during that project continue to inspire me to make our little house all she can be 🙂 I’ve often said the old house I live in was ready for a new spring in her step. She may have been born in the 1950s but she doesn’t have to stay there.
      You don’t have to stay stuck with what you have! I’m so glad I didn’t let myself be discouraged or swayed early on by voices that told me this house had to stay in a certain era or style. I didn’t want to feel limited in what I could or could not do to make it my own. It’s certainly helpful to ask for opinions from trusted sources when you’re in doubt (or if you’re dealing with an historic home that needs to be preserved), but often creating a home you’ll truly love means you have to be brave enough to listen to your own voice so you can design a home that will feel right to you. After all, it’s your home and you’ll be the one living there!
      Lastly, it’s OK to make mistakes along the way. Rarely is a decorating mistake fatal! In fact, in some cases what might appear to be a “mistake” can actually give your home and style more character and personality. Other times it confirms for you what your style ISN’T. But even if it is a big mistake you need to correct, just learn from it and move on.
      You’ll never feel truly at home with your style until you get to know yourself and your home better. That process takes time, but it is all a part of the journey to making a house truly feel like home.
      Speaking of Serena & Lily, they have an amazing sale on right now, but it ends today!
      Scroll down for inspiration, sources and ideas for this fresh breezy look!
      20% off EVERYTHING with code! Click HERE to shop!

      How cute is this bench! You can customize the fabric–there are so many cute options! I love this toile.
      Nautical Round Rope Mirror Source // Toile Wallpaper

      Everything at Serena & Lily is 20% off! Click HERE to shop the entire sale with discount code!
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      Everything at Serena & Lily is 20% off! Click HERE to shop the entire sale with discount code! More