Rustic Transitions....

The transition to Fall has to be my favorite time of year. The light, the colours, the chill in the air...time to pull out the wool sweaters, cozy blankets, leather boots and the most fun of all....time to change the decor in your/my home!

When it comes to home decor this time of year, the best place to pull your inspiration from is right out your front door....

The rugged bark of a tree in mossy browns and smokey greys, the mustard yellow of golden rod, the burnt oranges and deep burgundy of mums, the muted greens of the trees & corn stalks, the greeny blues of the lake and the sandy beiges of the last walks on the beach.

Take a look around your home....Small changes such as adding knit throw cushions, a wool throw/blanket, add more candles in earthy tones, fill a vase with branches rather than flowers, a simple wooden bowl filled with stones from the beach....All of these will take your home from Summer to Autumn and add warmth, coziness and character.

Just walk out your front door, down the lane and around your neighbourhood or take a weekend roadtrip through the countryside...take lots of pictures and come home with more inspiration then you'll know what to do with!

RR

Around the house....my house...

I'm sitting on the deck this morning, having a latte and planning my day of couch hunting (Urban Barn, Cornerstone etc) and a little part of me actually feels like I'm at the cottage.

There's something about the light at this time of day and how it streams through my front window, the breeze as I sit here on the deck....it even smells a wee bit like being at the lake this morning.

As much as I continue to move towards my goal of one day having my cottage by the lake....I am lucky to have my own little cottage in the city..and even more, a cottage that is reminiscent of me and who I am.

Below are photos of vignettes around my home, some art, a few rooms....just a wee peak into how I've made my house into my home!

The buffet...one of my favorite pieces in my home..I collect crystal candlesticks and I love mixing them with my green glass but also some apothecary jars filled with rustic pieces of drift wood.

These are scattered around the house on my coffee table, side tables...again a mix of pieces I love...green glass, stone, wood, photos...

I also collect black and white photos/pictures of tree scapes and water scenes. Family means everything to me as well so I have put all of these together (again with some green glass) on a glass top console table.

This photo shows the light in the dining room in the morning....and also illustrates that due to size constraints of my cottage (800sq ft), how I use my space in various and multifunctional ways,.... ie. my dining room table turns into a showcase for my Etsy products while I'm organizing them.

This was a birthday gift from my parents last year from a favorite store of mine in Port Elgin called August Skies. Every time I look at that picture, I am reminded of my goal to one day have that cottage with the muskoka chair and all the rustic, yet refined, character I could ask for.

This is the shelf beside my desk in my office...full of fun, whimsy and brightness....I think you need all of those things to ensure ongoing inspiration and motivation....I especially love the card by A Paper Buffet that for me, really sums up life in general...I'm still looking for just the perfect frame to put it in!

Then there's NYC....yes, I grew up on 50 acres and I am a country gal through and through...but if I had the chance, I would move to NYC in a heartbeat...and I can't wait to go back to visit. These are on my refrigerator (yes, I use my fridge as an inspiration board with quotes, photos and memories)...McQueen, Macys (photo by Stephanie Buchy - A Paper Buffet), Central Park (photo by yours truly)....just thinking about it brings a smile to my face...

So.....welcome to my home...at least a few bits and pieces of it. I hope this has maybe given you some inspiration to go around your house, rearrange some pieces, put together some new vignettes....we're always re-creating ourselves which in turn, means re-creating the place in which we dwell...our home!

RR