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Looking back on Easter as a child, I remember how excited I was to dig through my Easter basket. Full of chocolate bunnies, malt ball Easter eggs, Peeps, golden coins, and my favorite Cadbury...
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Lets be honest, salads can be boring. So I’m always trying to think outside of the box to come up with salad recipes that I’ll thoroughly enjoy, but are beyond easy to make. Enter...
I’ve always looked forward to hosting overnight guests. Yes, I’m admittedly a homebody, but I relish the opportunity to have loved ones here with us at home, especially this time of year.
As you may remember, I shared my five steps to get the house “guest ready” a few years ago. It’s one of our most popular posts with its easy entertaining inspiration and hotel-like details to replicate at home. It’s still a favorite of mine as well, but I’d like to say I’ve honed my house guests prep game even more since then. Today’s post is the proof.
The secret to hosting friends and family throughout the holidays (and really any time of year) is in the details and little luxuries that so many people overlook; include things that make them feel like they’re staying at a 5-star hotel. Think of the necessities you need and the extras you would want, but wouldn’t want to ask for! I’ve broken the details down to five separate areas below with none being outlandish or fussy, but instead achieving that warm welcome and feelings that will make guests never want to leave. Truly, MKR
Nothing beats clean sheets and gorgeous bedding…it’s the obvious statement of the room that can always easily be changed. I recently bought a new comforter; I realized I was sort of over duvets in general and how they lay. So being ready for a fresh change, I ordered this punchy comforter and sham set. I’d say it was just the refresh the room needed!
The personalized sheets are a detail I just love too; they’re subtle, crisp and simply timeless.
I always like to prepare a tray or two with the necessities that people never want to ask for. That includes things like Advil, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, razors, and even your wifi password written out on a piece of paper.
These rattan trays are great because they’re easy and functional as they organize and corral all of these necessities. They don’t have huge handles, so they add just the right amount of texture without being overpowering to the overall design.
You want to make your guests feel welcome—almost as good as home—and one of the easiest ways of doing that is by providing cozy details. A huggable throw blanket and sets of pajamas are two of my go-to’s when creating am oasis for guests. But remember: when buying pajamas, you’ll always want to have them bigger than smaller, so size up if you want to offer a standard pair.
One of the reasons being away from home gets wearisome sometimes is the feeling of dependency over the little things. By offering plenty of refreshments in the bedroom, you give your guests the chance to feel more at home…on their own.
To celebrate the season, I knew I wanted to hang a giant boxwood wreath above the bed. Hanging a wreath is nothing new, I know. But unlike other wreaths, boxwood won’t allow trimmings to fall on your guests’ heads in bed. Boxwood and eucalyptus are my preferred greens whenever hanging a wreath like this one. I hung this one with a gorgeous green velvet ribbon; one that was substantial enough to hold the large wreath and had wire to make a nice bow. And to keep things fresh, spritz frequently with a homemade Balsam Fir spray (check out @thewellcode) for more on that.
I also displayed paperwhites I sprouted from the bulbs, along with a basket of white poinsettias. Both are so festive, but a lot less expensive than other flowers this time of year. But you’ll want to be careful with your poinsettias on the ground if you have furry friends around.
Lastly, I like to have a few magazines, newspaper and any other reading material on-hand for guests. I also place a guestbook on the dresser; it’s such a nice tradition to have people share memories, especially at Christmastime!
It’s official; everything Nate Berkus touches turns to gold. Case in point: his amazing new fall/holiday collection at Target.
I’ve been a fan of Nate’s for what seems like forever, and anytime he releases a new Nate Berkus at Target Collection I’ve been known to rush to my nearest Target at all hours of the day or night to get my hands on pieces from the line. So when I got the opportunity to collaborate on the Nate Berkus at Target fall/holiday line I of course jumped at the chance to add a few of his latest and greatest to my home.
If you remember, this isn’t our first collaboration with Nate. Last year I collaborated on a spring living room refresh and you’ll still find all of the pieces scattered throughout my home and office. That collection was all about laid-back California vibes, making it perfect for the freshness and warmth that spring always seems to bring. But this collection is completely different, and completely perfect for switching things up as temps begin to drop and the holidays begin to sneak up on us.
And I must say, this most recent collection may have any collections from the past beat, because this time he’s introduced furniture to the line! That’s right…furniture. And in all of its black and white and gold goodness, it’s really a no-brainer that it’s going to be a hit. The whole collection is so strong, but I think it’s the furniture that is truly the strongest. I was extremely impressed with the construction of the pieces, especially at the wallet-friendly price point.
With the look of the fall line (textured neutrals, elegant metallics and subtle glam details), I knew immediately I wanted to incorporate these pieces into my bedroom sitting room. This time of year, it’s where you’ll find me with a glass of wine, my favorite magazines by the fire. And as you’ll remember, the space doesn’t shy from the drama; the walls are painted a deep, rich grey and includes a cozy spot with a coffee table and two grand statement armchairs. Pretty much perfect for a little black, white and gold, no?
I was quick to grab this gorgeous gold side table. In any part of my home, I like to have little tables like this for drinks, candles, magazines…you name it. They’re easy to move around, and perfect for when you’re cuddled in a corner and have no plans on moving.
I also picked up this great little black and rattan ottoman. As you can see in the photos, it’s intricate construction makes this piece really stand out, and works wonderfully next to the chairs.
Naturally I have a bar cart in the room, so I picked up these cool gold obelisks as accent pieces as well as this white vase to house my collected quail feathers.
On our coffee table, I added this wood studded box (for stashing the not-so-pretty necessities such as remotes!) and this beautiful starburst gold bowl for my collection of matches. And of course no coffee table is complete without a tray, and this striking black and gold hexagon tray, is both a piece of art and also serves a most functional purpose.
Lastly, throw pillows. I’m one of those people that change out my throw pillows every season, so I was quick at the draw with this faux sheepskin one(it feels very wintery), as well as this fun geo pillow with tassels and denim studded pillow. Those along with his striped tassel throw will help make it hard to leave once settled in.
Obsessed much? Yes, yes I am. But my excitement over the finds doubled (tripled really) at the chance to chat with Nate about the collection. I loved hearing that he really does travel to Target’s HQ in Minnesota, to do a little quality control on every product. That means touching and testing every single sample. And if something doesn’t feel right? In his own words “it’s either fixed or pitched.” Knowing that he signs off on everything that makes it to the shelves makes me love, and trust everything that much more.
I also asked him if it was hard to design within Target’s friendly price point? To my surprise he quickly responded that it wasn’t. Explaining that Target is super open-minded when it comes to his ideas on materials and designs and trying to make what he’s envisioning come to life.
Finally, we of course talked about inspiration. Nate said he’s the most inspired by his globe trotting ways; and is constantly bringing back samples, pieces, and textures from all over the world that he tries to work into his designs. And as if he could get any cuter, he mentioned how much he loves seeing how everyone styles the pieces in their own homes. So get to Instagramming, because NB is watching what you share!
P.S. I’ll be sharinga few more great finds from the collection as part of the big ORC reveal (wait till you see the bathroom rugs), so stay tuned! xo
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Photography, Rustic White for Waiting on Martha | This post is in collaboration with Target and Nate Berkus, both brands we love and adore. All opinions are 100% our own.
Two years ago when our house was being built, we could only pick from a certain range of options for cabinetry, countertops and flooring. As you can somewhat see here, the countertops are a mixed neutral, and the original cabinetry a cream with all bronze fixtures. I did my best to stay true to my personal design aesthetic, but the result has never felt quite right. If I had free reign, I would have picked white marble for the countertops and white cabinets with silver or gold fixtures. And if this was our “Forever Home”, I would consider ripping it all out and doing just that, but it’s not.
So what does one do when they don’t want to spend the money or time to demo it all and start from scratch? You go bold to make a big impact and you change what can be changed, specifically four different things: paint, lighting, fixtures and accessories.
Beginning first with paint, since color always set the tone for the space. I took to Snapchat, username WAITINGONMARTHA, and asked everyone to vote on the color theme they liked best. As you can probably deduce from the photos, green defeated purple and deep burgundy by a landslide. Once we had color chosen, the next logical step was to swatch numerous shades of green on the walls and trim before I settled on the winning three. I chose three different greens because I’m a big proponent in painting with various shades within the same color family. This way, you add dimension and can instantly accent specific details.
Then I used three different shades of green from BEHR Paint. Longmeadow S430-5 in eggshell on the walls,Brook Green N410-2 in eggshell on the ceiling and Forest Edge S430-6 in a satin on the trim, doors and cabinetry. A semi- or high-gloss would have looked fantastic as well on the cabinets, trim, and doors, but because I have so many doors in the space, four to be exact, I was worried the high-gloss might be just a tad too much. And don’t be afraid to paint doors; I didn’t even take the doors off to paint them. Going bold with the doors was a move I think definitely paid off in the space.
Second, to carry a big impact through the entire space, I switched out the bronze faucets for silver ones. The new faucets were easy to install, and inexpensive finds at The Home Depot. I then changed out all the bronze cabinet knobs to these beauties. Now, I definitely splurged on these gorgeous knobs. But to me, these additions were the jewelry on the space, making the Forest Edge green pop bringing it all together. I did, however, keep the original bronze hardware so that I can replace them when I move…shhh don’t tell whoever buys this house…and take the fancy knobs with me.
On a side note, I initially wanted to go gold; brass and acrylic knobs are something dreams are made of and would look insane on the green. But I also wanted to keep expenses down. I knew that if I went gold, I would have had to invest in some pricier faucets, and again, it’s not worth the investment in a home we don’t plan to be in too much longer. And honestly, it was fortuitous as now that I’m looking at the silver fixtures, gold wouldn’t have looked as good with the countertops!
Next up, lighting; an easy and significant way to change up any space. I removed my very sad looking bronze wall mount lighting and opted for these fresh, clean and striking 3-arm fixtures. The bright white and polished nickel gives the space a more elevated and modern feel; I couldn’t be happier with my choice. And because my ceilings are quite high and because you know I always like a big statement, this decopauged chandelier from Stray Dog Designs seems to have been built specifically for this space! It’s SO beautiful, and would look equally as good in a breakfast nook or nursery. This piece will definitely be coming with me to the next house, for sure!.
Lastly, accents and accessories. When I settled on green as the color theme, I immediately called my friend Dorothy Shain to commission a few pieces. I’d been lusting after her itsy bitsy bikinis and knew that together with the green, they would be jaw dropping…especially this particular duo in matching floating frames. Don’t you just love how you can see the Longmeadow green through the floating frames?!?! Other than art, I zhushed up the space with a new shower curtain whose stripes happen to be almost the exact same Brook Green color I painted on the ceiling, a vintage turkish runner, and a caddy complete with all of my favorite soaps and scents.
All big statements, all relatively easy updates, and it all started with a little green paint from BEHR. I know it can be scary to go bold when painting, but it really will pay off in the end when you see your totally transformed space. And if you’re thinking about tackling a project like this on your own, and are still a little uneasy about painting cabinets, and an entire space with such a bold color, tune in tomorrow when I’m sharing a few quick DIY tips to help you master it all. Truly, MKR
Photography, Rustic White for Waiting on Martha | This post is in collaboration with BEHR Paint, a brand we love and adore. All opinions are 100% our own.
