Decorating “Dos:” We don’t deal in “Don’ts”!
5 decorating tips that fit any home style
Everyone has their own unique style when it comes to home decor. You are you, and your home reflects your personality. Don’t change that!
Our goal is to offer products and advice suitable for use in any home and for any decor style. For that reason, the word “don’t” isn’t part of our decorating vocabulary. Instead, we’d like to offer 5 tips on decorating that, as Sand and Pine, we agreed we all have in common.
# 1: Let The Sunshine In!
Don’t be afraid to ditch the drapes. Now, if you’re a pilot flying the red eye, a doctor working the midnight ER, or a mom/dad experiencing a tough night with the kiddos, you might need those blackout drapes to get some sleep into the daylight hours. If not, rising with the sun can be a joyous experience. Exposure to sunlight in the morning can help you sleep at night. Light happens to be a cue for your body’s sleep cycle and helps your body know when to wake and when to sleep.
Another benefit of the drape-less window is being able to view beauty found in trim work and sparkling glass. If you have a terrific view, all the better!
Nancy’s Bathroom Window Sill
#2: Rule of 3 (or 5…or 7… you get it!)
In decorating, everything seems to be more pleasing to the eye when staged in groups of odd numbers starting with three. Items will be more memorable, appealing and effective.
Evidently, three is the smallest number of items needed to form a distinguished pattern in the brain, and this rule can be used for any type of decorating from paint colors to furniture to room dimensions.
We challenge you to look around your home and see just how many odd numbered groupings are already present. We’re sure you’ll be just as surprised as we were at the number!
Maddie’s Recycled Glass Wine Bottle Vases
#3: The Coffee Table Book
It should come as no surprise to any of you that the coffee table book is one of our decor priorities. We love books and this is just one more opportunity to have one close at hand.
The idea of the coffee table book started in the 1950’s when people began to entertain and socially engage on a much larger scale than in previous times. The books are generally hardback, with interesting but not extensive prose, and large, high quality pictures.
The purpose of the coffee table book can be many things… a conversation starter, a centerpiece, an expression of oneself or a way for your guests to get to know you a little better. No matter the reason, coffee table books just make us happy!
Sidnie’s Coffee Table Book
#4: Use the Good Dishes!
We doubt there are many who haven’t heard someone say, “DON’T use the good dishes!”. This may go against ingrained behavior, but at Sand and Pine, we say “DO” use them!
The good dishes have always been the ones taken out for special occasions; joyous, happy events from holidays, to birthdays, to unexpected family gatherings. Why can’t we have that same feeling year round?
So many of our households have little ones and you might say that makes using the good dishes a risky venture, but go ahead and take that risk. You never know how many times you will have the ones you love seated around a table, so enjoy the moment with everything you have, and that includes the “Good Dishes”!
Chloe’s Pion Dish Collection
#5: Hide The Chords!
In this age of technology, there are so many things that need to be plugged in. Sure, some may have those modern gadgets that allow for multiple plug-ins, but if you’re like us, you have a chord for everything. Hide them!
There is nothing worse than unsightly chords draped around the base of a nightstand lamp or leg of an end table. We have used baskets, zip ties and even super glue but all were just temporary fixes.
The best way to hide the chords is for them to have their own drawer space. There is furniture that comes ready made with a place for plugging in and hiding chords, but if you don’t need a new piece of furniture, this can be an unnecessary expense. Our advice; pick up something at a yard sale with this built-in feature and refinish or drill a circular hole in the back of the nightstand or end-table drawer (if it has one) and plug in an electric strip. The outlets remain in the drawer and you can plug-in when necessary, close the drawer and forget the chords were ever there.
Nancy’s Refinished Yard Sale Find
Decorating is our passion and tips and ideas are always flowing. Stay tuned for more of the same in future blogs. In the mean time, we hope we have inspired you to make Sand and Pine part of your home decor.