Dear Tara ...

 

 

I received this sweet note in my email from Tara:

 

Dear Kim,

My name is Tara.  I love reading your blog and looking at all the pictures of your cute cottage style.  I was wondering if you had any advice for me on how to get started in decorating a house with your style.  I love vintage things but I don't know how to get started in decorating a whole house that way...  I thought maybe you could give me some inspiration on getting started :)  

Thank you and have a great day,

Tara 

 

 

 

Dear Tara,

 

Thank you so much!

 

Let's see, as far as MY style goes this is how I go about it.  I pick my basic color palette and repeat those colors throughout the home over and over again.  I mainly shop at thrift stores, consignment shops, and yard sales for my home.  I don't get distracted by all of the items as I already know what I love.  THAT is the key. When choosing furniture pieces I tend to buy what I love and worry about WHERE it will go later.  Very rarely do I ever buy a piece for a specific spot.  Remember that furniture can be painted too! Linens make great accessories as do books and I am pretty relaxed in how they are displayed.  I also like to add in a few antique pieces with my painted pieces for an eclectic mix.  I tend to group like things together for a bigger impact.  Dishes can become art and clothing and jewelry can become decorative accessories too!  If you define YOUR style and stick to it you will soon find your home reflecting you.  Let it evolve naturally if you can. Think of your home as a garden - nurture it and watch it bloom.  Try not to get overwhelmed with the idea of completing your whole house.  It wouldn't be fun to be finished anyway, right?  We must always play!  ;-)   Create little vignettes here and there as you go along that please your eye and make your heart sing. Instead of seeing your house as a whole, try to see it in individual spaces... let the nooks and crannies receive your loving attention too.  When you tend to stick to the same style and colors you gain flexibility in using your pieces in other places which helps the pocketbook.  For example, the green desk in the photo above has been in the living room, bedroom, and now it is enjoying being in the kitchen!

 

Try to look at your home as a canvas when it comes to decorating it.  Dab it with the colors that you love and let it tell YOUR story.  You are the artist.

And again if you LOVE your house, it will love YOU back.

 

Does this help?  I hope so! 

 

Love,

Kim

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Dear YOU,

 

Let's all help Tara!  Please share with her how YOU went about decorating YOUR home and any tips you may have that might help her with her decorating adventure.  Pretty please?  I'll brew another pot of coffee!

 

Love,

Kim

 

 

Comments

[Sarah at meandmyyellowhouse]

Kim, that's what I've always loved about you...you are so true to what you love and what you do and it is reflected in your home. You've been very inspring to me since I found your blog years ago.
I would tell Tara DO NOT follow the trends you see in magazines and blogs, hard as that may be. Take the pieces of the trends you like and make them your own. Don't copy because then your home won't be a true reflection of you. Think outside the box when it comes to buying and using things in a different way...just be creative! And yes, paint is your best friend!

[Lisa Conley]

I agree with Kim, find your items at garage sales, thrift stores, antique stores, Craigslist and make them your own. I have started painting my furniture and distressing it somewhat, that way, when the littles bang a toy on it, who cares, it just adds to the character. I love the colors of Kim's home but my husband doesn't so I have to have somewhat less vibrant colors. MEN! Thank you for sharing your knowledge with all of us Kim. You help us learn as we go. xoxoxox

~ Lisa from Indiana ~

[Pattie]

Well let see, First it takes MANY years to finish a home,And then you really are never done... I too shop at Goodwill, Yard Sales and don't forget friends and family's hand-me-downs just ask them.. Then when they get ready purge they will think of you. It's amazing to me what people throw out..Good Luck and have fun decorating you home.

~~Pattie~~
The Shabby Chick

[Angi]

Kim, no wonder I like your blog so much. I LOVE your advice to sweet Tara. That's the way I like to decorate. It made me think of a little scarf I saw the other day in an antique store. The silky scarf had cherries and "Paris" all over it. I kept looking it over and decided not to get it. I imagined it draped as a mini curtain over a small window or even a picture. After reading this I think I'll go back and see if it's there. LOL! Have an awesome day!

[Reenie]

I agree also with Kim ~ search the Goodwill's, DAV's, Estate and Garage Sales.....also Craigslist. I can't drive by an Estate Sale or Garage Sale sign. Don't be afraid to leave a bid in the bid box (if they have one) at Estate Sales. I recently put in a ridiculously low bid for a corner cabinet that I have been wanting. They called me within an hour and accepted my bid. I was soooo happy. Don't think that you have to get everything right now for a room....when you see something that you like, get it and you'll find where it looks best and in which room. And remember....paint (spray paint too ~ and they have lots of different flavors now) can change the look of anything!

Good Luck ~ and happy decorating.

I LOVE your home and blog Kim!! =)

[Julie Marie]

Hi Kim, I think you said it all... being yourself! I see alot of homes that all look the same, whatever is the latest "trend"... I love your home so much too, like Tara, because it says "welcome" and is cozy and unpretentious, and filled with color!... for me, the biggest thing is decorating with things I love, not what a magazine tell me to do.. I love all of the unique decorating styles out there, but the ones that call out to me really say "hey, this is ME!"... granted, I do not want a velvet Elvis in my living room, but if that says "me" about someone, then go for it!... xoxo Julie Marie

[Cindy]

Good advise, Kim. Hugs, Cindy

[racheld]

Exactly like YOU---by finding something I love, with no idea where it will go, or what with, or sometimes how I'll get it home!

You've condensed a whole idea of HOME into a short post, and I think a LOT of cut and paste is going to be occurring today.

What good advice, and how interesting the quest; Tara, you're started on a wonderful journey, and mostly, the Journey is the best part.

[Sara]

I'm still learning a lot as I go about decorating my home, but what I've picked up out of it so far is: Go slowly (don't just grab the first free, or low priced stuff you find). Choose items you love or have a sentimental connection to (you're never going to regret going with your heart). Learn to look beyond the surface to see the potential underneath (tears, stains, etc...as long as it's just surface damage and not structural you can paint it or slipcover it - and as long as you love the lines of the piece, you will still be happy with it!). Use each piece as a learning experience (learn a new technique, or process every chance you get). And, finally, think outside of what "normal" use is (I use sheets to make slipcovers, have a birdcage with a plant inside, and use plant hooks to hold up my entertainment shelf - just because something is intended to be used one way, doesn't mean it HAS to be used that way).

[Charlene]

This is fun,Kim.Thanks for asking us readers are ideas.I feel that buying something you love makes a home special and personal.If I buy a piece I usually like to have a story behind it.Like a piece of art...furniture is appreciated if it has a history.But if not...I buy it because it is what I love and if I love it I don't mind spending a little extra for it too. also like to find a use for my stuff as well.Most importantly is to have art in your home,too.Something unique and appeals to you.I am excited to see your home as it changes into a reflection of you.

[Adrienne]

I agree with everyone you said, Kim, and with all the comments above. Take it one step at a time - follow your heart and find what you love at garage sales, estate sales, Craigslist. Anywhere you find something you love, add it to your home. You will probably play with things more than once and arrange and rearrange to find exactly how you want to use your new treasures. And then when you think you've got it all figured out, you will rearrange again! That's what is so much fun about our 'finds' - we're never finished!
~Adrienne~

[Cheryl]

Thank you Kim for encouraging all of us to make our homes our own. I am glad that Tara wrote you because I too have struggled with "how" to decorate my home. However, since i've been reading your blog, I am learning and feeling very comfortable about it that it doesn't matter what others think! It's MY home and if it smiles back at me and makes me feel good, then that's whats important ;o) Awhile back I was feeling very overwhelmed by lots of clutter and asked someone to help me hang pictures, etc. That person commented on how a quilt that I had hung in my living room "didn't match and it wasn't my style". Little did she know, that quilt WAS my style. It's just that my other furnishings didn't go with it. That quilt was handmade by my great-grandmother as she sat in her wheelchair many years ago. Every stitch was hand done. I never had the pleasure of meeting her but every time I look at that quilt I feel so blessed to have had it handed down to me. But, what did I do about this quilt that supposedly didn't match my style? I took it down! I didn't want to take it down but I did JUST BECAUSE someone else said it. That's wrong and you know what? After reading this post from Tara and you Kim, I am going to lovingly hang my great-grandmothers quilt back up and as I can, decorate around that quilt. That will make me happy and make my home MINE. God bless you for bringing joy to my heart this morning!
love, Cheryl

[Nancy Shirley]

One thing I have learned is that you don't have to be perfect, and you don't have to please everyone. I lived in a little cottage for most of my married life, it needed a lot of work. I painted most of the rooms a soft creamy color and ignored the carpet I could not change. Since a person's eyes are drawn to color, if you choose a couple of pretty colors, or a theme, (Beach cottage, Country kitchen etc)and concentrate on that,when you go thrifting, you will see that a lot of things jump out at you. And as Kim said- if you group things together they have more impact. Right now on my dining table I have a collection of clear glass picked up at Goodwill- with the light from the window shining through it it looks very special! Good luck!

[Debbie Masters]

Ongoing process year after year.........always moving things around. I too LOVE bright reds, yellows with orange too! Can't have too many flowers....always a pick me up!
ENJOY EVERY ITEM AND DAY!!!
Debbie

[karla walker]

Hi Kim and Tara
My advice for decorating when your not sure how is to start with printed magazines, catalogs, anything with color pictures. Just start tearing out and saving in a file. Thats how I discovered that every kitchen and dining room have a round table, bow back chairs and white dishes in the photo. Thats what I bought and have loved for over 30 years. You will see colors and textures that will be repeated over and over in the photos. Lamp and decorative accessory preferences will become obvious. They became my wish list. I carry a small book with paint chips, window sizes and fabric scraps in it. Not to say that excess is avoided ever or mistakes arent made, but I have managed to aquire things that make me happy. And home is the place I like best on earth. good luck and happy homemaking. Karla

[Debbie from Texas]

My hubby, too, dictates my style somewhat. I try to add my favorite color all through the house. The house needs to flow from one room to the other.....in tone of color. You can have a different theme in each room, too. I, too, shop at antique stores, goodwill, garage sales, etc. You can start with one great picture or shelf and go from there. Don't be afraid to mix patterns and different wood tones. Make the home yours and it won't be like everyone else but unique to you!!! Have fun!!

[Bella StyleBook]

Once you've found your inspiration than you just have to step into the water and get your feet wet. You'll build confidence as you go as long as you stick to the colors and patterns you like. There are lots of rules out there, but if you aren't having fun at decorating...you aren't doing something right. If you coorddinate the colors and patterns throughout your home, you create flexibility. Then when you want to re-decorate you can simply move things to another space.

Enjoy!
Jan @ BellaCasa

[An Enchanted Cottage]

I'm with you, Kim. Buy things you love!!! Even though my decorating style has gone from very dark and primitive to very a white, light cottage/shabby style, I still have all the same big pieces that I've had for 25 years or more. The old dark furniture was painted white and the blue Sturbridge plaid sofa, loveseat, and wing chairs have been covered with inexpensive white slipcovers and bedspreads. All the cotton and/or lace window valances were cream or white and they transitioned beautifully from prim to cottage. And because I loved them 20 years ago, I never felt the need to update them. So you hit the nail on the head - go with what you love and can't go wrong. You can always "update" as your style changes - for a fraction of what it would cost to start over!! Have fun, Tara!... Donna

[Nita@ModVintageLife]

I agree with your advice but the thing is....so many people do not know what they love...they don't even know what colors they like.

Last time I had a big move...a friend was here helping me unpack and she kept saying over and over again...oh I love this...you bought this back right after college - 20 years ago...how come it still looks good in your house? Why do the things I bought after college look terrible and I throw them away?

My answer is...I've always loved a certain color pallet....I may accentuate one color over another from time to time...but basically I've always liked the same colors and same sort of stuff. I've always decorated in pink, turquoise and periwinkle and lots of white. I just mix them in different ways. I agree too that I prefer a home where the same color palette is used throughout. You can make one color be dominate in a room but it is still should be a color used in other rooms in your home.

I have pieces of furniture that started out in my dining room...moved to the kitchen, living room and now hall. I've always loved vintage and all my major things are vintage. I love painted furniture and have lots of it.

I have friends that are totally lost as to where to even start. These same friends put together great outfits on their own and I tell them to just do their house like they would dress themselves. Pick colors they love to be around.

I can tell you it makes me happy every time I look at my periwinkle front door and my periwinkle ceiling and my pink ceiling and my sky blue ceiling. All these different ceiling colors work because the walls are neutral and these colors appear all throughout my home.

Also you can always change it. Decorating is not permanent. I know everyone says to stay neutral with your sofa but my sofa is pink. I know I love pink and pink is a neutral for me. In the fall for Halloween I throw sheets over it and make my house look haunted so it works then too. That is the only time of year that I don't feel pinkish and I solve that problem with the spooky sheets.

I think the easiest way to get started if you really don't have a clue is pick a painting or a rug or a pillow that you absolutely adore and have that be your color pallet to build a room or house around. I didn't have to do this...because I've known what colors I adore for a long time and am always drawn to. But I think that is a good starting point for someone who really does not know what they like.

[Nina]

Hello Tara,

I always go to my favourite interior and decorationshops and take a real good look around. I always get new ideas and combine things I have stored at home with new things and second hand things. And because I am a creative person I paint my own paintings and make my own decorations for the season out of wool and felt.
More important: decorate your house the way YOU like it and don't bother too much about what is trendy!!!
Good Luck, Nina.

[Cheryl]

Kim,
Tara's letter could've been me a few years back. That's when I first found Daisy Cottage. All the lovely post and inspiration you provided me was put to good use in creating my colorful, whimsical, eclectic home. Tara, The first thing I learned from Kim, was to paint old things to make them look fresh and new, don't be scared...it's only paint. If you don't like it you can always paint it another color! I believe Kim has a chandelier that has been 4 different colors, black, red, John Deere green and I think it is yellow now! One other thing you should do Tara, is to click on the home and garden tour tab above. The home tours inspire me. Kim has a great eye to help you focus on making even the simplest thing look beautiful. Realizing that there were others who enjoyed having fun decorating with vintage things and repurposing items in a quirky way gave me the courage to try it. Just go for it! Have a good time with it! Think outside the box...Enjoy Tara!
CFields
New Mexico

[A homespun year]

Wonderful advice! I'd agree to let it evolve over time and buy old stuff from wherever you can find it, because the quality's so much better than new. Here in the UK we have car boot sales and charity shops where there are great bargains. I adore old embroidered tablecloths, and I've just bought a handmade quilt for £4...unbelievable bargain! Sewing curtains and cushions for yourself saves loads of money and you can make lovely things out of bits of material...making a home is so lovely and creative...have fun!

[Leslie]

Kim,
Your posts always make me happy. One of my favorite pieces of decorating advice: express yourself with everything you bring into your home (right down to the color of your kitchen sponge, and the scent of soap in the bathroom). Each ilttle thing contributes to the larger impression.
<3 Leslie

[Suzanne]

Buy what you love. That's my advice. If you only feel luke warm about it, don't buy it. I too shop at thrift stores, and yard sales, and also ebay. I agree with what Kim and others have said - if you buy only what you love, dont worry about where it will go. You will find a place, or multiple places to put it. Enjoy moving things around, the way Kim does. It will all "go" no matter where you put it. The important thing is to always buy what you love, I can't stress that enough. And don't feel like you are on a time table to finish your home. The decorating of your home will never be finished.......it will always be a work in progress. And that is what makes it fun!! :)
Suzanne in Boynton

[Laura]

I am in a similar position to Tara and so I too appreciate all of your comments and suggestions. Thanks everyone.

[Kathy (AuntiqueK)]

Tara, My style is Victorian Cottage. and the way I defined my style was simply using magazines. I started cutting out anything in a magazine that "trilled" my heart. Don't try to make sense out of it or make it match at first...Cut out ANYthing. I put all these snippets in an album and before you know it..I had my style.

I found I loved roses and country cottage (not too much country now.more English and French country than country western or cabin), a little bit of shabby chik and lovely vintage items.

But the most important thing is do your surroundings make you happy? That's what counts - Have fun!

[Peg]

Picture frames can always be painted and a lot of greeting cards look beautiful framed. I love white pitchers that can hold greenery for christmas, tulips for spring and brown
eyed susans all look so pretty in a simple white pitcher and they can always be moved. I can understand why you asked Kim - she brings out the best that all of us have to share! Just keep it simple and love it!

[Dena L]

A consignment store has become my best friends, i take a peice or things i am tired of looking at , with the money that i get from it i can buy something from the consignment store or elsewhere. Invest in one great peice, and build around it, the fun is in the hunt, My peice was a sofa, from a little antique store, this lady gets old sofa and chairs , and has them recovered in beautiful, quilted shabby chic fabric. MIne is a greenish , white and little roses, so adorable , then found a wicker chair , added a pink cushion, saw an old time bathroom floor heater, I put it in the corner with candles, I use it as my fireplace , Didn't like the black to much , so i painted it pink, with hot pink trim. Also BOOKS < BOOKS, on Cottages, vintage, flea market finds, etc. i read and look at the pictures, I have bought so many , i had to buy another book shelf to put them on. And i always go back and look at them over and over. Ebay is a good place to find them , I got several from a lady her site is My maine cottage ,she even emails me when she gets one that i will like, and we are long distance friends now. you can find them under shabby chic books.Also ebay under shabby chic, you can find vintage items .So easy shopping for those small items. The books give you so many ideas, to repurpose items ,and decorate. Like using a teapot for a vase. Even if it has a chip on it, Furniture that is a bit beat up and peeling paint gives it character, or there is always paint, that can give the room a pop of color. And Don't forget your MOM's or Grandma's attic, you can find great things there, and will have great sentimental value. Mostly have fun in the journey, and don't plan a completion day , because you will always find another treasure. Even if you have to bring a thing or two to the consignment store, to make room for it. ENJOY

[maria]

kim, i took your advise and love filling up empty spaces some small pieces of art and small furniture i find myself moving them around , i found myself buying glass and using it for all occasions - i do move some furniture around to other rooms and bring it back again after a long while - moving items, changing them around my home, except kitchen items i move around in the kitchen or change them out for the different seasons, just some ~ i also, focus in the garden thru my windows and try to have some pretty pots and flowers to look at thru my windows so, i can enjoy the outside from inside my home ~ because some days can be very hot or very cold and i open my shades and curtains and enjoy from the inside out ~ i hope this helps you tara - just gather items that puts a smile on your face and gives you a happy feeling inside ~ i like cottage feel, shabby chick, vintage, thrift shops, flea market and swap meats - some ross, garage sales, kirklands, boutique shops, going out of business sales, estate sales, painting some, there's so much out there don't get overwhelmed like kim said it wouldn't be fun finishing your home all at once - til this day i haven't finished my home and i'm not cluttered - it's amazing how it all works in harmony ~ i have to say i have bought here and there and have given some items away - but, that just gets me out there hunting things down again and know what i'm looking for ~ enjoy tara ~ thanks kim for your advise it's working for me ~

love ya, maria - cottage feel -
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

love ya,

[Briana from Texas]

It took years for our apartment home to evolve and it's still evolving. I shop at thrift stores regularly. I am not too proud to lug "treasures" home from the dumpster in our complex. You wouldn't believe the wonderful stuff that people throw away! Sometimes I find brand new things with the price tags still attached! I also frame postcards, greeting cards and beautiful calendar pages in my thrift store frames. I have a box full of paints for painting picture frames and knick-knacks. I buy only what I love and I resolutely ignore everything else no matter how trendy it is. I collect amateur artwork - all floral paintings. They look beautiful grouped together. Also, don't ignore the dollar stores. They are great places to buy silk flowers, inexpensive glassware and dishes, seasonal decorations, etc.

[Barbara F.]

I am more the "go to the furniture store and peruse their merchandise" type unfortunately - and I do have a weakness for custom window treatments. I don't sew and I have no talent to paint or stain. But after moving from 2 homes + an apartment I have to say - "less is more". And before I repaint my bedroom, I will choose the bedspread FIRST - then match the paint! I am having the hardest time finding a bedspread to match my 'lavender ice' walls. Never ever use a decorator, even if they claim their services are "free". You want your own style/taste.

[Cindy]

My livingroom/family room, kitchen, dining room, bedroom are all traditional style. Family room has bookshelves on each side of our huge fireplace with a big huge mantel and brick seating all the way across with plants and pillows. Both my bathrooms are wallpapered and more a cottage style. Grandkids bedroom has shelves against the wall with boys and girls toys, my husbands bedroom suite he had as a child, with a dutch boy/dutch girl quilt on the bed that my grandmother made. The back bedroom has my mother-in law's old bedroom suite she inherited from her sister, 1940's. My mom asked me what I wanted when I graduated from high school, she hadn't been teaching very long, so I knew she didn't have a lot of money, she's an artist too. She painted a big picture of the old church house in the country that I grew up in. It's in that bedroom. Our office where our desk and computer is nascar decor, nascar ceiling fan, race car covered curtain board with a few cars glued to Framed posters on walls from Texas. (My hubby shelves all across one wall with cars etc. He has season tickets each year to the race in Texas. Our home is really made up with what we love, with big front porch and big back porch with porch swings and chairs, eventually want big rockers out there. As you say its things we love. Best thing of all we're in the country, off the road, house right in the middle of our 5 acres. so peaceful. Have deer, rabbits, squirrels and my red birds around all the time. From Okla with love, Cindy

[linda moczan]

isnt it so nice to have compliments on your cozy cottage? that should really make you smile! kim, your buttons shouyld be bursting! :)
ive started with americana decorating 15 years ago and its still my style in the living room. my dad dug out of my grams attic 2 beautiful americana prints that have the antique frames. ive added little flags here and there - a teapot - stars galore - amereicana end tables and star lamps...keeping the tone with burgandy , navy and beige.
i love antique dishes - so that monopolizes the dining room. they also were my grams . bowls help decorate - just keep with the colors that you love and things that you love and your home will love you back - right kim! :)
stars are carried around thru the house - you never know where one will crop up!
and arent we all so fortunate to have kim for our own personal decorating advisor! thanks kim - love ya , linda

[Marianne]

Kim you are so sweet. You take the time to answer people who need help. That is why so many in blogland LOVE you and so do I.
Tara ~ find what you like, if you feel a thrill when you see it then do it. It doesn't have to be expensive. Go to thrift shops, garage sales and consignment shops. There may be a piece of furniture that looks worn and tattered, but open yourself to it and picture it painted whatever colour you fancy. That is the fun of it ~ treasures in the rough. Also don't try to force it ~ don't rush....then it becomes drudgery. Take your time, relax and have fun and the next thing you know ~ you're nesting your home ~ Good luck Tara and have fun ;-) (((Hugs)))

[Trish Rowley]

I totally agree with you Kim and everyone else, Surround yourself with the things you Love and things that mean something to you, things that have memories attached and don't worry what people say or what the trend is, trends fade and die. Your house is your soul it reflects you, for instance in my lounge room I have two concrete statues of angels I agree this may not be for everyone and that's ok but I Love them they make me smile. I get a great fuzzy feeling when I enter a home that has a heart and soul poured into it I instantly sense, come in welcome this is my home it's a cosy beautiful nurtured feeling that I love, it's a good place to be. Have fun Tara you can't go wrong with Kim's advise. Have a great day Trish xox ;)

[Darlene]

Kim,

Thank you for sharing Tara's letter. I too have no idea after having our 2nd home in 29 years how to decorate. I cannot get to garage sales as I do not drive and hubby works a lot, so it makes it hard. I lost my passion for things but your blog brought it back. As I have said, you live in my dream home, yellow and beautiful. I love your home inside, but would not say I would do the same, but would love to shop with someone to get the help. I thought of contacting Dear Genevieve on HGTV and seeing if there was a chance to get help that way. My house does not feel like a home to me after 10 years. I hope some day I will get answers and find those things that are reasonable and rare as my sister will inherit from my Mom the things I would have loved to have had in my home, so I continue on my search when bits of time permit. I look forward to seeing how your home comes along, Tara.

[Karen]

I agree with all of these comments! There are no rules and the key is to decorate with the things you love. I've learned that when it comes to family heirlooms, don't box them up if they are things that you enjoy. And if you have things that don't make you happy, pack them away or pass them on.

Great post, as always, Kim!

[JolieAnne]

Great advice Kim,
You can also get great decorating ideas from magazines!
I sometimes need to "escape" since I have 3 (teen) sons and run off to the library to check out the magazines...and decorating books, too! I go to thrift stores for vintage and unusual things. Yard sales are
great if you get there early enough and have exact cash
for an item or items. I have not been as lucky at these sales, don't know why?
I would also say to Tara go to a paint store to find the free color swatches to take back home and look at with fabric and accessories. I look at blogs all the time to see how other people decorate and I still like my style for my home! We are near the beach in Florida so my colors are lighter than most-I use colors from the beach but not shells or the like to decorate with. I have added some handed down from our parents antiques and painted furniure, as well as landscapes on the walls, pillows, plants, books and candles. Enjoy your home and as Kim said you don't want to be finished so keep hunting and you will find all the things that you like to look at and enjoy in your home, it is always fun for me to find a treasure!
I don't have anything trendy in my house but it is very comfortable and soothing to the eyes! Just like I have always wanted, welcoming to all who enter.

[Gail]

Wow!
I don't think I could have given any added advice to your's Kim. We tend to spot great deals and sometimes roadside freebies and bring the pieces home and give them love. It's amazing what beauties are out there that other's just don't want and we acquire them at such a low cost. For example, we inherited an antique wing-back chair, for $20.00 we acquired a vintage dutch cabinet where my vintages dishes are stored, and along the road someone discarded a hardwood cabinet that I repainted and it works wonderfully for my office. I love yellow and red and green and everything in autumn colors. Our living room are ambers and grey and green with a mixture antique and vintage and new. My office is lovely yellow with my favorite ruby red earrings sitting on my desk.....It's what makes me feel good and feeds my soul.

[sweet cottage dreams]

Tara, like Kim said, let your home reflect the things YOU love. It is so easy to get caught up in the "what's in style" in all of the decorating magazines - and blogs - but I think that if you have a specific style that is YOU, then go with it. I have been married for 30 years now and am still changing up our home. Over the years, my tastes have changed - but I have found that old things never go out of style. Maybe even start with a few pieces - like furniture or art - and go from there. Pick a room to start in and let the house evolve. It takes time to decorate if you are a collector. Sure, you can go out and buy a room in a decorator showcase at a store, but then what fun is that? I believe the fun part of making our house unique - and with our personal stamp - is the thrill of finding things. Like Kim, I shop at antique stores, flea markets, thrift stores and garage sales. There you can get more bang for you buck.

Have fun and enjoy the process!

xoxo
Becky

[Josephine]

I love this post and your answers. If you ever have the time I'd love you to do a post on when you don't love your home... I know you've been there before Daisy Cottage. For those of us who are living in less than perfect dream houses, do you have any tips? I've used my favourite colours, vintage wallpapers and chandeliers throughout our house but it's so tiny, it drives me mad! We don't even have the space for a proper dining table and so it's very small. I've made it as lovely as I can and people always say how gorgeous it is but it's a very uncomfortable house to live in size wise. I now you spent time before Daisy Cottage in less than perfect situations so would be very interested to read your thoughts on this one. xx

[Daisy Cottage]

Josephine....

You got it girlfriend.

I WILL do this.

Stay tuned....

xo,
Me

[Dena Palmer]

Tara, I'm with you on loving Daisy Cottage style. I always liked the vintage style but thought my home was not right for it, I was afraid to mix the old with the new. Then I started blogging and was sooo inspired. I started treasure hunting and I haven't quit. I'm replacing alot of my nick knacks with unique one of a kind finds. I love that no one else has the same. I too have the same color pallete throughout my home and do alot of rearranging from room to room. I love change. Good luck and have fun.

[Tara]

Thanks Kim and everyone for the ideas and advice! Everyone's thoughts are an inspiration and I appreciate all of them :) Another thought....did anyone ever have a hard time trying to decide between decorating in a "traditional style" and a "cottage/shabby style" and how did you choose?

[elaine vermette]

Dear Tara...start with a daisy. <3

[Mrs.B]

Love the advice, how nice of you to take the time to answer her Tara's email. Daisy COttage is beautiful!

[connie]

Hang all of your favorite pictures at eye level so everyone can enjoy them!

[sarita]

i hope that i'm not too late in giving my two cents worth to tara. i've spent the last one and half years making my home my own. I have done it a little at a time. I don't seem to find so many good things at thrift stores - YET i did find my little chair that i painted and is in the front of my house. so - i have had to buy things from the stores. As i said - a little at a time. first a pretty ruffley chifonny shower curtain, then a new bed spread with lovely shams! At Christmas i bought a few things that i can add to next Christmas. In the spring i bought four new placemats for my dining room table. I painted all of my picture frames white. put a candle in the main bathroom. I just finished buying my kitchen some pretty new dish towels, because i do deserve pretty towels. I also like to buy the flower bouquets from the grocery store for the center of my dining room table because, again, i deserve fresh flowers! so - tara - my little advice is to do buy a few things at a time - and as you do this maybe you will come to find your style and yourself..i have. thank YOU Kim for your lovely blog.

[Michele]

The biggest and best advice Kim gave was to take your time- it is a bummer when it is all kinda done.......ask Kim, that's when she got that dollhouse to design, haha!

Enjoy the layering process, it is savory!

Kim, we love your blog, thanks - always inspiring, always helping, always wonderful....YOU.

Good luck, Tara!!!! Have FUN!

[Sandy Guderyon]

Hi Tara, I am excited for you and your journey with your own sweet home! With Daisy Cottage as your guide, you can't go wrong. My home is called Geranium Cottage and I buy red geraniums at the dollar store to add to the porch and inside. In the evening, I light little tea lights in lots of little glass cups (some clear, some colored). Another great display idea (got it from a magazine) is to hang a rectangular gold mirror vertically and surround it on the top and sides with various decorative plates (some I had, some I got at Goodwill). Also, the craft stores sell flat mirrors the size of dinner plates and you can add some jewelry to them, along with a perfume bottle. If you have quilts or pretty blankets they can be rolled up and put in a shelf in a bookcase. Use what you have and show it off with pride. Color is your friend and your creative side will blossom daily as you arrange your items to please yourself.You will know that it looks right when your heart sings and it makes you feel happy. You get to design your home, and as you do that, you're designing your life.
Sandy in California

[Bonnie]

Kim, that's what I love about you, your true indivilualism!