Category: Decorating

August 26, 2013

On Moving

For those of us who love decorating, moving homes can be exciting. A new space to transform. The challenge of arranging what you have in new ways. I’m trying to remember that excitement. It has been a tough few weeks. Without going into details, my current landlord has caused me a lot of unnecessary stress. Enough to make me want to leave the vintage gem of an apartment I found two years ago when I first came to Kansas City. I love this slightly rough-around-the-edges duplex with its old school radiators, teeny rooms and brick fireplace. You’ve seen this apartment all over my blog from the beginning, but it’s time to get moving. And, I’m moving to a house! In a few days, I’ll be telling you all about my new place. Get excited to move with me. Keep Up With Red Leaf Style! Follow Red Leaf Style author Kirsten Hudson on Twitter @kirsten_hudson, Google+ and Pinterest....

On Moving

For those of us who love decorating, moving homes can be exciting. A new space to transform. The challenge of arranging what you have in new ways. I’m trying to remember that excitement. It has been a tough few weeks. Without going into details, my current landlord has caused me a lot of unnecessary stress. Enough to make me want to leave the vintage gem of an apartment I found two years ago when I first came to Kansas City. I love this slightly rough-around-the-edges duplex with its old school radiators, teeny rooms and brick fireplace. You’ve seen this apartment all over my blog from the beginning, but it’s time to get moving. And, I’m moving to a house! In a few days, I’ll be telling you all about my new place. Get excited to move with me. Keep Up With Red Leaf Style! Follow Red Leaf Style author Kirsten Hudson on Twitter @kirsten_hudson, Google+ and Pinterest....

June 21, 2013

Vintage Dresser Display

The slightly quirky display above my dresser evolved slowly. It started with just the mirror. I wanted to a hang a mirror above my dresser to make the area somewhat resemble a vanity. I imagined a pretty place to get ready in the morning. From there, I added the plate, miniature mannequin and white compote dish to hold my jewelry. I like using unexpected items to hold jewelry and all of these also fit the simple, pretty feel I wanted. The lamp base I picked up at a thrift store and repainted white. It was brass. I was excited when I found it because I had been looking for a tall lamp base to fit that gigantic lamp shade I already owned. My favorite part of this display is the jewelry hanger made from a tree branch. (You can read all about it here.) I love the whimsical look of my necklaces draped across the branches and my metal owl hanging beside it. And, you can’t beat something made for free. I’m all about bargains. Here’s a breakdown of where I found each item on my dresser: Tree branch: Outside (Free) Metal owl: Antique mall ($30 for two) Mirror:...

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June 7, 2013

Today’s Mantle Display is…Rustic

As you can see from my mantle display today, I’m in the rustic kind of mood. Springtime makes me dream about country cottages, gardens with hedge mazes and weathered statues, and lazy outdoor dinners with  fresh food. My reality (an urban apartment) is thousands of acres away from that dream. Still, I can at least make my mantle look all “rustic garden”. That’s something, right? I’m digging the combination of flowers, mason jars, wooden elements and potted plants in terracotta containers on my mantle display. What do you think? Let me know in the comments… Keep Up With Red Leaf Style! Follow Red Leaf Style author Kirsten Hudson on Twitter @kirsten_hudson, Google+ and Pinterest....

April 19, 2013

A Little Bit of Spring

The other day my sister and I received these happy postcards from a friend. (Thanks Caitlin!) Notice how the yellow one with the tree is extremely similar to the print hanging on the wall to the far left. This girl knows my style well! I just wanted to share them because they make me smile. I’m definitely ready for some actual springtime here in the chilly Midwest. These postcards make me think about all of the things I want to accomplish around my home this spring. Here’s my list: To Do This Spring: 1. Be super planty. Start more seeds in eggshells. Plant flowers from seeds in containers. Make my porch basically a container garden oasis. Maybe create a raised garden bed in my teeny backyard. 2. Repaint living room furniture. So many of the pieces in my living room are painted black. They all need a revamp. I’ve been all about the light and bright lately, so the black furniture is bringing me down. (Look for a future blog post on this.) 3. More do-it-yourself. I’m loving DIY home projects. I have a few in the works, but I want to come up with some on my own, instead...

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April 12, 2013

Colorful Mantle Display

If you’ve read my blog before, you might have been wondering why I never show pictures of my mantle. When I do include pictures of my fireplace, they’re always of the hearth, not the mantle. (See…) Well, I’ve been hiding it from you, but the reason for that is because up until now the T.V. sat on the mantle. It was not cute. I loathed it. Serious loathing. I hated all of the awful cords hanging down the sides of the fireplace that I tried to cover up (impossible). I hated that I finally had a home with a built-in vintage fireplace and it couldn’t even look cute because an electronic monstrosity was taking over the focal point of the living room. I tried to convince my twin sister (and roommate) that we didn’t need a T.V.  I tried to convince myself. (I currently have an addiction to Netflix that needs to stop.) I tried to think of other places to put the T.V. At the time it seemed like there were no other options. The cable line was right by the fireplace. How would I move it? Every wall in my living room either has a door or a...

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April 10, 2013

3 Tips to Accessorize Your Home

Choosing items to decorate your home seems easy enough. Pick furniture, lamps and accessories you like. Aaannnd…done. While it’s true that you should pick items you like, you also don’t want your home to be filled with stuff just for the sake of having stuff either. So, how do you know what stuff to choose and what to pass on? With these three accessorizing tips, you can never go wrong. Choose comfort When it comes to accessorizing your home, don’t overlook comfort. (This is one I have to remind myself of a lot when shopping.) The prettiest pillows will just annoy you if they’re not snuggle-able when watching a movie. And, who wants a couch that you can’t lounge on? Or, a scratchy blanket? Pick comfortable accessories and you’ll be happy every time. Also, don’t forget about good light. Light affects your mood, and therefore your comfort! If you don’t get a lot of natural light in your home, use sheer curtains on your windows and keep your color scheme light and bright. I also can’t talk enough about the greatness of lamps. Lamplight is far better than overhead light. Fill your home with lamps to create cozy light...

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