Fall Home Tour

I know it's been 90 degrees this week and still technically summer, but the cooler temps we had last week really got me thinking about Fall!  I think now that it is September, Pumpkin Spice is back at Starbucks (and everywhere else), and football has started, we can officially start talking all things Fall!

 With less than 2 weeks until our due date, every weekend is huge for us because we don't know if it will be our last weekend before we become parents or even the weekend we spend in the hospital having a baby!  We are soaking up and cherishing every last day we have of being just the 2 of us because we know how much our lives are about to change.  This past Labor Day weekend, I slept in on Saturday morning and didn't really want to get out of bed, knowing this could be my last Saturday to sleep in and just lay in bed.  Labor Day weekend for us was a great time to get some home projects done (organized the garage, outdoor projects, gardening) and time to just relax as we didn't have a lot of plans.  But one thing that was on my agenda for the weekend, was getting my home decorated for Fall!

Being so close to my due date, I knew it was now or never.  I didn't want to think about dragging out Fall decor with a brand new baby.  So I decided to take this long weekend as the perfect opportunity to get this completed.  After planting mums for our front porch and front of the house, I was really in the Fall spirit to decorate indoors.  (We always go with yellow mums for Notre Dame football!)

We moved into our new home in April of this year, so it was fun to think of new ways to decorate here.  And this is my first year to have a fireplace mantel to decorate for all of the holidays and seasons as well, which is very exciting!  Here are some ideas you can take from my home and incorporate into your home this Fall season!

The orange plaid pillow is from Joann Fabrics craft store this year and the "Our Nest" pillow was from Tuesday Morning, bought last year.  The fuzzy stool is from World Market.

The gourd on the mantel is actually artificial!  Bought from Michael's craft store.

When we moved into the house, I decided to swap out my old entry way table for this longer one from World Market, called the Everett Table.  It fits so much more decor, which I love! 

We intentionally had the builders paint the walls white and we haven't repainted anything yet (except the nursery) and I am actually really liking the bright white!  So, we will probably keep the walls white for a while.  I have ideas and plans to add wainscoting and shiplap around some places, so it may be smart to paint when we do those projects.

I recently painted this buffet table I had Mindful Gray by Sherwin Williams.  If you remember it used to be bright mustard yellow!

I like to layer things when decorating a long buffet table like this, with lots of different items and different heights.  All of the pumpkins you see here or in my Fall decorating, are all from Michael's craft store.  They have a great selection of artificial heirloom style pumpkins that are great for decorating.

This rather frightening photo to some holds lots of meaning to us.  This is actually a photo from the Chicago Tribune of my husband's great-grandfather who owned and operated a meat packing business in Chicago at the time.  So while it may be a bit disturbing to some, we think it is a really neat photo to have. 

All of the floral arrangements were put together with random stems of flowers, berries, or feathers that I already had.  There is no rule of thumb here, just throw whatever you have together. 

The wood tiered tray is from The Painted Fox Home online. 

I think this makes me officially ready for the baby to arrive.  We have less than 2 weeks until our due date and I think I am driving myself crazy with wondering everyday if today is the day!!!  We are just SO excited to meet him! 

Entry Way {Client Design}

It is not everyday when a client throws their hands up in the air and says, "do whatever you want!"  I mean, talk about a dream client!  Yes, there was a budget, as there always is, but since this client had seen my work and trusted I would do a good job, the entire Entry Way design was basically one huge surprise to them!  Which I loved!

Remember this Dining Room reveal I posted a couple of weeks ago.....

Well, while I was designing their Dining Room, I also designed their entry way.

An entry way or foyer is so important in an home because it is the first thing a guest sees upon entering your home.  It is their first impression of the space, it welcomes them into the home, and really sets the tone to the entire house!

I love designing entry ways because it normally doesn't take a lot of money or materials to make a huge impact in the space.  You just need some key features to get started and then layer in some accessories, and that is it!

5 THINGS YOU NEED FOR AN INVITING ENTRY WAY:

RUG:  this rug from West Elm was perfect for the space because of its graphic pattern and sisal material.  You don't want to buy anything you don't want dirty shoes to touch in the entry way.

TABLE:  I love this table from World Market.  It is one of my favorite go-to pieces that I have used in other client's homes.  It is mutli-functional anywhere in the home and you can't beat the price.

MIRROR:  since we didn't have to buy a lot of pieces for the space, I really wanted something a bit spectacular and grand here.  So I opted for this amazing Parsons mirror from West Elm in gray + white in an octagon shape rather than your traditional round or oval mirror.  

LIGHTING:  I like the symmetry of having two lamps on a table in an entry way if you have enough space for it. 

ACCESSORIES:  keep it simple when it comes to the accessories in the entry way.   I incorporated a small, shallow bowl in case you want a place to throw your keys or empty your pockets.  A (fake) plant for some greenery and a picture frame with an inspiring quote that can changed out seasonally.  

This is how I REALLY design a space...........

Because this family just built this home and recently moved in, I had a blank slate to work with!  Love when that happens!

The Everett Table from World Market is perfect for this space because it looooong!  There was a lot of wall space to fill up here.  And, it is hard to tell, but there are two drawers on this table for a little extra storage.

Can't decide what to hang on the wall in an entry way?!? Hang a mirror!  Mirrors are perfect for an entry way because they reflect the light and make the space feel a little bit bigger, and, as an added bonus, you can check your make-up or put on your lipstick on your way out! :)

When you find two great mirrors you like equally, it is really hard to decide on which to buy.  That's why I like to put together these renderings to give me an idea of what the space will look like with each mirror.  Ultimately, I still couldn't decide even after an Instagram vote that turned into a tie, so I chose the octagon mirror.  Solely because the shape is a little different than what I would normally choose.

"what I love most about my home is who I share it with" because really, that is the most important part!

I am pretty obsessed with this rug!!  I want one for my own house now!

This familly arrived home just as I was finishing the decorating and putting every last thing in its place.  So, I made them close their eyes and I showed them the transformed spaces "HGTV surprise style."  It was so fun!  Their three daughters loved the space and gave me a huge group hug.  The littlest, who is three, thought the two spaces were "just adorable!!"  :)

Rug-West Elm  //  Everett Table-World Market  //  Octagon Parsons Mirror-West Elm  //  Glass Lamps-Target  //  Basket-Home Goods  //  Lanterns-Home Goods  //  Picture Frame-Target  //  Fake Succulent Plant-Tuesday Morning  //  Decorative Bowl-West Elm

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