Hey, friend, hey!
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The other day my daughter and I were playing with a ball in the house. Now if you're from where I'm from, playing with ANYTHING in the house would more than likely warrant: A) an earful of why you shouldn't play with ANYTHING in the house, B) 1-week punishment because you should've known better and C) going to bed without dinner because like B, you should've known better. And in that moment, it hit me! My daughter and I could play in our home with a ball because I had built, created and furnished an environment for her to do so without breaking the bank or a vase, for that matter. If I can buy 10 minutes of her time away from her beloved Baby Shark to play indoors (primarily in the winter), I'll let her play with ANYTHING in the house. We threw the ball. We kicked the ball. We rolled the ball. We tossed the ball. And we even laid on the ball, yes I know, not the most comfortable thing but she literally had a ball (all the puns).
So why am I telling you this story? Should you finally give your kids toys to play with in the house that are meant for outdoors? Absolutely not. The point I am making is that as an interior decorator, I'm a mommy first, so I'm always looking for ways to create a space that is kid-friendly and mommy approved. I'v been invited to some homes where you could barely get a foot in without stumbling over some blocks because they have over-clutterized (is that a word?) their space with every gadget, wall art and clock they found at a Homegoods. You find yourself rubbing shoulders with picture frames, hitting the matrix from side to side to avoid knocking a vase off an inconveniently placed accent table. It is in that very second that if you see me talking to myself, I'm having a staff meeting questioning all of the decor no-nos.
And hey, some people like their stuff- I get it. But I am a firm believer that every piece of 'stuff' has a place and should only make a debut every so often. For example, when a friend comes to visit and you want to show them your Star Wars collection. Go ahead and pull those babies out, but the moment your friend decides to leave; Luke, Chewbacca, R2D2 and Princess Leia have to exit the force and make their way back to the dark side, not the fireplace mantle.
And you're thinking to yourself, but Jeannelly, I want to display my Stormtroopers so all my guests can see! And that's where I say, but friend, let's get you a nice etagere so you can display the troops but more so that it can be purposeful for other things in your home. An etagere is a great piece of furniture that is functional and space-saving and allows you to show off your collection in a stylish and trendy way. And then we all win because it's like a Jedi mind trick, ya know?
So, if you're looking around your house and you're clueless on how to organize all of your stuff or how to buy practical, on trend, kid-friendly pieces, that's where Ivyleaf Interior Decor comes in. For years, I have made over living-rooms transforming spaces from blah to HGTV aaahhh without breaking the bank. I know some of us can spend an entire Saturday watching HGTV thinking those houses just looks too pretty to live in, but that's it right there! They are too pretty to live in for any regular family. The houses that some of these shows renovate and stage are not really ideal for today's household. Decorating a wall with 16 different decor items can get expensive! Filling up a vase with fake lemons to display in the kitchen is not conducive for someone who uses their kitchen often and understand that counter space is prime real estate. There are ways to decorate your space, whether it's the kitchen or the powder bathroom with items that are essential, practical and functional. Who wants to live in a house that looks like a model home all the time? Yea, it's lovely for when your guests walk in but it would be impossible to keep those appearances for an everyday, working, hustling family.
To give you some perspective, in my home, I have a couch in the office that also converts into a queen-size bed for our out-of-town guests, thank you Ikea. It comes with an built-in-storage ottoman where we store all of the blankets, sheets, throws and sleeping pillows for our guests.
And here is that same couch extended as a queen-size bed/futon (I will show the full office on another post)
I have an old, faded sectional that we were going to throw away when we bought our new home simply because we wanted a new sitting area (how naive were we?). But it fits so well in the formal living room, that I was able to salvage the couch with some fresh, new pillows. I bought curtains to match the faded-ness of the couch and now those curtains are all throughout the house.
My husband bought a bar about 10 years ago, during his wild, bachelor era that I just knew I was going to get rid of, buuuuuuuuuuut (don't tell him I'm saying this) it's actually a great piece of furniture that matches the espresso hardwoods throughout the first floor. That bar has inspired other decorative ideas like sitting an eiffel tower wine rack on top of it, placing a mirror right above it and a cigar box for hubby. Did I fail to mention that family and friends love coming over because, can you spy with your little eyes what's behind the opaque sliding doors? It stores all of our adult-beverages, candles (because I'm a candle hoarder but that's another post for another day) and a lot of miscellaneous items.
I didn't see the beauty in preserving the old, but with a few decorating tips, you can really change up the vibes in your house. I'll leave you with this, in the great words of our Auntie Oprah, if folks just knew better, they would do better.
Have a space you need help recreating? Click Services and choose an option that is the most fitting and let me help you.
Happy Decorating,
Jeannelly Jay
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