Life In Dawleywood

Hi everyone! I hope y'all are all having a fabulous week and not working too hard. My name is Andrea from Life In Dawleywood. Julia had been very busy lately with her new sweet baby and needed a few guest bloggers to help her keep up with her blog during this amazing and busy time for her... so here I am!

I have a confession: I am a decor-a-holic. MAJORLY. It's become a problem because I am running out of room to put all my crap each time I redecorate a room. A little over a year ago, I talked E into adding on to the house just so I could have more rooms to decorate. Ridiculous, I know... but I can't help myself!!

Hi. My call is Andrea... And I have a trouble.

Of course I didn't tell E it was just because I wanted to decorate more rooms, that would have been silly and he would have said no. I "fluffed" it up a bit and told him we would need more room when the little Dawley babies come (one of these days) and there's no time like the present. Seize the moment, if you will. Blah blah blah, whatever. He went for it and that's all that matters. He is so good to me =)

If you are bored with your current house, redecorating is also a great way to get a "new" feeling rather than buying or building an entire new house. I'm going to show you a few things you can do to spruce up your look and make you fall in love all over again with your house.

1. Paint

I can't even begin to tell you what a difference paint can make to the overall look of a room. When we moved in, our living room was yellow. We always toured the house in the evening, so it was a nice dull yellow. Well... I have HUGE windows in my living room and was taken back by the cheerio box color that creeped onto my walls in the sunlight. It had to go, no discussion about it. And so it went... to a nice neutral. I always always always go with neutral colors on the wall of a large room. Before you start calling me names like "boring", keep in mind that neutral doesn't have to mean beige. It can be tan, white, yellow, green, blue, grey... whatever.. But there are always a few neutral colors in every color family that blend nicely with almost everything.

2. Wise Furniture Buys:

Furniture style and placement does matter when updating a room. You want to give a room plenty of seating without making it look cluttered. Also, keep texture in mind. Certain fabric can make a room feel more cozy and welcoming than others. Shape also plays an important role. For example, an oval table can break up the rectangular lines of a house and fill the space generously. Don't be discouraged by a dining set that looks a little bland. It's super easy to add color by adding removable cushions, pillows, or slipcovers

3. Accessories Matter

A room without accessories is like a woman in a beautiful dress without shoes or make-up. It's incomplete. Accessories give a room interest and tell guests about your tastes and interests. If you collect lots of small things, try grouping them together on a tray or a table, rather than spreading them around the whole room. If your collection is vast, you don't need to display it all at once. Pack some away and change it with the seasons to stay away from the cluttered look.

Family pictures in pretty frames can be grouped together on a console table or a wall. Many decorators find it's much to personal to put out family photos and believe they should be kept in the bedroom, but I think using family photos is great. Anything that is personal makes a great accessory.