Isn't it so fun checkin' out other people's houses and getting ideas for your own? I hope you have taken away lots of notes from Meagan and Jenessa's decor dilemmas because, although their mood boards were for specific rooms in their homes, they can be adapted for anyone's space. This week's reader redo is no exception--and get this, we're going international! My gorgeous little sister, Andi, and her husband, Rodrigo (Rory), live in Monterrey, Mexico.
They don't have access to a million and one home decor stores down there like we do in the states, so I won't tease her with a mood board--this dilemma may be best solved by using what she already has and rearranging--at least that's what I am gonna shoot for. Here's what she has to say:
We dont have thrift stores, Target, Ikea, WalMart is such a highclass luxury store here, its hilarious. They dont even have everything we have in the states, and its so overpriced. Rich people go to WalMart. I do have a Pier 1 Imports inside a SEARS. Again, its a section of the floor, super over-priced, but, man its like....where can I get home decor? I took these shots last night and have some questions/comments to go with each: Picture 1: Our Aztec calendar, which was an incredible buy for $8 at DI (purchased in Idaho), dominates our whole living room. I love its presence, but it still manages to make our wall look bare. But how could anything else on the wall compete with that? The 2 frames on the wall, next to the red bookcase is kinda what I'm talking about. I like our red bookcase which Rory practically re-made and painted himself. And I love our matted engagements. But our other wall is like a no-touch zone, with our big aztec calendar! Picture 2: Our TV sits low. Obviously a perfect solution would be to have a flat screen hang right underneath our "Love doesn't need a language" sign. The TV stand is from Target, and it was a bad judgment call. Definitely should have bought the taller entertainment "center" Hardly a center. Picture 3: This is our guestroom/office. The office part with desk and NO 27-incher Mac. It is in ruins right now since our computer is being fixed and the desk has clean laundry all over it. Our house came with a mattress, and our neighbor built a wooden frame for us. I got all the bedding at Bed Bath and Beyond in Texas. The wall needs help, I was thinking like antique frames with my photography, I've always had that kind of vision. Bare bare walls. We painted the walls champagne last spring, it used to be blinding white. AND the owners before us used a flourescent light bulb in there! Wowzas! Picture 4: Our bedroom looks sooo shabby! I had no idea, really. I mean, is our 1 picture frame on that wall hung up crooked? Our little decor pillow looks like a reject, left friendless. And our lamp sits on a stool I covered up with a placemat....in a nutshell. Can't wait!
 |
| Picture 1 |
You know what these spaces are suffering from? Proportion. You have small things on big walls and some big things not being used to their maximum potential. You made some very observant and excellent points, so you definitely know you have some problem areas, let's jump right in and address them.
Picture 1: Your living room. It's adorable really. You have great pieces. That aztec calendar was a steal, you have a gorgeous couch and rug, and Rory did a great job on that bold, red bookcase--let's show it off even more! Are you ready for this? Why not turn it on its side and HANG it above your couch where your aztec calendar is? (!!!) I noticed it was backless, so it would be really easy with some L-brackets. Make sure you find some good studs in the wall and/or use anchors when screwing it in. All of the stuff that is currently in the bookcase can DEFINITELY stay there (if it all fits), rotated of course. Also, I want you to take the small lamp from your bedroom and put it in one of the cubbies of the bookcase (preferably near the right side). Make sure it can still reach an outlet because we want it to still be functional--but that other black and white lamp is going to go in the bedroom (we'll get to that in a sec). It was WAY too small for your living room, (Proportions, proportions!) the table it is sitting on, and the other floor lamp it is competing with. Now, you can move the floor lamp to the LEFT side of the couch, by the chaise. Snag those pictures off the wall by the bookcase (we're gonna need them in the bedroom, too!) and move your tiny TV to that wall, where it isn't getting so much attention. Which brings us to...
Picture 2: Wow. If this isn't a problem with proportions, I don't know what is. Luckily, an extremely easy fix now that we already moved the TV to the wall where the bookcase used to be. Grab that Aztec calendar and mount it on this wall, with the red Hernandez sign that was hanging above your bookcase below it. Done. Gorg. Move on.
Picture 3: Okay, I feel like I could make better decisions if I could see the whole room--but from what I can see, some more rearranging will work wonders. Since the bed doesn't have a headboard or footboard, why not put the side of the bed under the window and arrange the pillows like a daybed up against the wall? Right now, with the bed where it is I feel like all I can see is the AC unit. Seriously, it looks like it is a picture hanging above the bed--not good. I think I also see a white chair in there--let's put that in your bedroom in a corner (if it fits). And then on that bare, bare wall--I would love to see two poster-sized images of your best graphic design work hanging side by side. Stick to something with grays or blues to go with the bedding. Poster frames can be really reasonably priced too, but if you can get your hands on some white foam core, they can make for decent "frames" too. (See how I used foam core to frame a painting
here.)
Picture 4: This is YOUR sanctuary. It shouldn't be shabby. We're going to use the idea of an
art wall like I suggested for Jenessa above your bed. Gather all your frames (excluding the ones that are IN the bookcase) and arrange them in an artistic way. You can get lots of examples of how to do that
here. Above the arrangement, hang your "Love doesn't have a language" sign. When all of these frames are together, they won't look so dinky on the wall. You may have noticed I didn't tell you what to do with that end table that your lamp was on in the living room. Hello, new nightstand!! It would fit nicely on the left side of your bed, with that chic black and white lamp on top. (Remove that stool on the right side of your bed now!) I also would like to see the front and center pillow currently on your bed, in the living room--and the red and beige striped one from the living room--in here.
So, there you have it. If you don't have home decor stores, like Andi and Rodrigo, or you are on a tight budget--rearranging can do wonders and make it feel like you have all new stuff. Can't wait to hear/see how things go you guys! Send us some pictures, we would love to see some after shots. Speaking of afters,
Meagan's master bedroom redo is in full effect. You go, girl!
Psst...if you have a decor dilemma, send questions and pics to jmarcum1127{at}gmail{dot}com. I'd love to help!
Well I just soaked this in. Just took alllll the inspiration in. There's so many follow-up comments I have that I want to send you an email! I totally wnat to run the idea by Rodrigo to put the bookcase on the wall. the only thing is he made the dividers himself, and thats what they are, not partitions. So if we hang it on its side, theres only something for one thing to sit. I want to take a picture of another wall we have right by the door. Some other pieces I have hanging, maybe it could give you an d....(Um, Lauren Johnson just IMed me) OKAY! it could give you an idea of something else. You have a talent Jules, when did you discover this?!
WHEN IS THAT GIVE-AWAY ENDING?? cause I want that vase. LOL just kidding...do the pick randomly...I understand....
Your sis and her hubs are adorable!!!! I still love that my bro-in-law baptized him. And look, a generation of beautiful people for eternity has started!! Wooo!!!