I’ve always been a fan of a great at-home bar. I strongly believe it’s a must-learn life skill to mix up classic cocktails, and as an avid host, it’s important to provide an array...
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...
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...
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...
A few weeks ago, I moved across town into an expansive townhouse with two of my best friends as roommates. The kicker though? I went from a modest 1,012-square-feet apartment to a (what I feel is) whopping 2,200. Let’s just say we have some room to fill. But since we’re all on reasonable budgets and keep reminding ourselves that this isn’t our “Forever Home,” we’re not making any drastic plans for the space.
The fun part about all of this though, is the challenge to piece together a stylish home that still has that curated personal touch…without doing too much damage to our budding bank accounts. Luckily I stare at a lot of gorgeous interiors all day to cull five easy home decor ideas to make our home have that designer feel. I’ve also been taking lots of notes on perfecting the art of the shelfie and styling a designer coffee table.
As you’ll see in the slideshow above, it’s very doable to do it all without breaking the bank. By focusing on five easy styling projects, we’ll be well on our way to completing our new abode, and just in time for us to host my birthday dinner! Click on the image above to see my go-to resources for pulling it all together. Cheers, Kat
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CURATE & EDIT THE STACK
IT'S EASY TO RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF A GREAT STACK OF CURATED COFFEE TABLE BOOKS WHEN STYLING A COFFEE TABLE... JUST LOOK AT ANY DESIGNER LIVING ROOM. BUT THE KEY STEP IS THE EDITING. THINK ABOUT HOW YOU CAN GROUP CORRESPONDING COLORS AND THEMES, BUT REMEMBER TO PARE DOWN YOUR COLLECTION OFTEN AND SWAP SELECTIONS OUT FREQUENTLY TO KEEP THE SPACE REFRESHED AND INTERESTING.
I'VE READ TIME AND TIME AGAIN THAT THIS IS ONE OF THOSE DECOR ITEMS NOT TO CHEAP OUT ON...YOU WANT TO HAVE IT FOR AWHILE. LUCKILY, ONE KINGS LANE FEATURES SOME DISCOUNTED GEMS, BUT I ALSO TURN TO WAYFAIR TO SCORE ON MORE AFFORDABLE, BUT STILL SOLID SAFEVIEH RUGS.
BUT IF YOU'RE REALLY LUCKY, YOU CAN PLACE THE WINNING BID ON VINTAGE PERSIAN RUGS FOUND ON THE ONLINE ESTATE SALE SITE, EVERYTHING BUT THE HOUSE. JUST KEEP YOUR SEARCH RELATIVELY CLOSE TO HOME, SHIPPING THOSE GUYS IS PRICEY!
WITH THE RIGHT MIX OF STATEMENT BOOKENDS AND ECLECTIC DECOR, YOUR SHELVES CAN BE JUST AS STYLISH AS THEY ARE FUNCTIONAL. OUR FRIENDS AT ONE KINGS LANE PUT IT PERFECTLY: THINK OF BOOKENDS AS THE SMALL ACCENTS THAT "PACK A BIG PUNCH OF STYLE." THE GOOD NEWS? A LOT OF THEM CAN BE SCORED AT WELL UNDER $100.
THERE'S NO EXCUSE FOR HANGING THAT MASS-PRODUCED GENERIC ART FOUND AT SO MANY HOME DECOR STORES. MY TRICK TO SCORING GREAT (AND AFFORDABLE ART): MINTED AND ONE KINGS LANE. MINTED OFFERS WONDERFUL CUSTOMIZABLE OPTIONS IN SIZE AND FRAMES, WHILE ONE KINGS LANE FEATURES MARKDOWNS ON PRINTS BY A FEW ARTISTS I'VE LOVED FOR YEARS.
NOTHING SEEMS MORE IMPERSONAL TO ME THAN A FLUORESCENT OVERHEAD LIGHT. CONSIDER STUNNING CUSTOMIZED LIGHTING OPTIONS SUCH AS A FLOOR LAMP, PENDANT OR CHANDELIER TO LIGHT UP THE SPACE.
BUT AS YOU'LL QUICKLY NOTE, LIGHT FIXTURES GET EXPENSIVE FAST, SO I LOVED SEEING THIS ROUNDUP OF AMAZING ETSY LIGHTING ON ELEMENTS OF STYLE THIS WEEK...A LITTLE MORE IN MY LEAGUE.
It’s always surprised me that the entryway is all too often overlooked when styling one’s home. Being the first opportunity to impress guests, your entry way is a peek into your personal style and ultimately the place that welcomes you home, it becomes a pivotal space in your home’s design, and should be treated as such.
While I’ve welcomed a myriad of colors, prints and textiles into my entryway, I opted to keep the walls crisp with just a hint of purple/grey by using Behr’s Lilac Mist and bright white trim. By doing so, I can maximize the natural light and let the rest of the vibrant decor shine.
Influences from far away lands— a feather juju hat, framed tribal garments, and ginger jars, and collected over the years and my deep crimson vintage Turkish rug—are bold, yet effortless, accents that work together to extend the personality of the rest of our home throughout the foyer.
An oversized mirror, bamboo chairs and small rattan stool are just as functional as they are stylish; a perfect time to touch up my pink pout, and a helpful place to set my purse. The chandelier and horse lamp serve as the “jewelry” of the space. Lighting is my favorite way to infuse fun and personality into any space. And I can’t talk about my entryway without addressing our leopard stair runner. Leopard has been and always will be a neutral in my mind, so I was never fearful about making such a bold choice as I knew it would blend with everything. And I’m currently obsessing over the idea of an antelope stair runner as well.
I know not every entryway lends itself to large statements and grand decor due to size. But with a carefully-curated collection of prints and designs, even the smallest of entryways can open up the home. Truly, MKR
P.S. Check out our entryway essentials for more inspiration on styling your own iconic entryway. xo
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Sometimes on a shoot with so many moving pieces it’s just easiest to dress yourself and smile for the camera. Or that’s what I at least thought. The dressing myself part was pretty easy. I say pretty easy because if you remember this shoot happened in June and trying to pull for fall in the middle of a Southern summer…well that was a challenge. Luckily my go-to, Bloomingdales at Lenox solved that problem. However, I will never be the “model” in a shoot I’m styling or running again. Talk about craziness. Complete and utter craziness. Though I did get to wear the most gorgeous flower crown my Gertie Mae’sso technically it was worth it. Happy Thursday Loves, I hope you’ve enjoyed my little welcome to fall (Part I, Part II, Video). truly, MKR
P.S. We’re giving away a Zac by Zac Posen bag (up to a $450 retail value)…enter HERE.