Enjoying the Holidays Outside

Hello readers! It’s been awhile since my last post (2020, right?), but I thank you all for hanging in there with me! Since it’s the holiday season, I decided to showcase an awesome outdoor display. Outdoor displays are a great way to enjoy the holidays in a pubic place while social distancing. A great example is the photo on the left, which was taken at a local city park. The trees were draped in lights, in addition to a stage and other holiday displays. The park has several walking paths, which allow people to enjoy the displays at various points throughout the park. The best part? You can capture this fun adventure with lots of pictures to commemorate your trip. Print them out and display on a shelf to create a sleek look with your night photography. Want something bolder? Pick your favorite photo and blow it up to poster size, then use it as a focal point in a living room. No matter which option you choose, you’ll create a cool vibe that’s perfect for winter.

The First Flower of Spring

Peace lily in garden.

Since I’ve been working from home, I have a front row seat to the goings-on in our garden. Last week we had our first flower of the season: a peace lily! It reminded me that no matter what happens in life, nature goes on (and quite beautifully I might add). The white, yellow, and green color combo is not only classic, but is perfect for Spring. The colors could be combined into a patterned throw, or you could use solid-colored pillows to dress up a couch, chair, or bed. Additionally, you could display a photo featuring a similar flower to tie the whole room together. Being at home gives you the perfect excuse to update your space for the season. Whether it’s repurposing what you have or adding a few new pieces, you can create the perfect space to reflect the season’s colors.

Birds of a Feather

Geese and ducksEveryone’s heard the saying “birds of a feather flock together.” But nature obviously has different ideas. The photo above is the perfect example of birds of all feathers flocking together. While walking along my local estuary, I noticed a small island in the middle of the water. Zooming in with my camera, I saw a combination of geese and ducks enjoying the sunny weather. It reminded me of another post I did, so I just had to take the picture. As Spring is fast approaching, it signals the time to update your decor. Adding several pictures of birds, or other animals in sunny weather is a great way to get started. You could group several framed photos on a desk or shelf, or create a collage on a wall as a focal point. The setting and type of birds are up to your creativity. Whether using images taken at a state park or even your own backyard, you can easily update your space for the season!

A Path to Somewhere

Path to somewhereWelcome to 2020! People often use this time to year to create and (hopefully) accomplish new goals. In other words, we’re likely starting on a new path. While many people use a mood or inspiration board to keep motivated, I think a picture can be a great inspiration for your journey. A picture similar to the one above can be a great reminder to keep moving forward in anticipation of what’s ahead. Try hanging the picture in a place you’ll see daily, like an entryway or bedroom. While my photo was taken at a wildlife refuge, your photo can be a path from anywhere: a garden, beach, sidewalk, or an opening in the clouds. No matter what type of path you choose to use, let it be your inspiration for a new year.

Bringing the Spring into Fall

Looking for a bit of sunshine during this dreary time of year? A floral pop is the perfect solution! This can include a vase with bright flowers, throw pillows with a floral pattern, or a framed picture. The pictures can be small and placed on a table or shelf, or large and used as a focal point on a wall. An example is the photo of the Black-Eyed Susans on the right. This bright yellow pop of color is a great way to bring Spring flowers into Fall and brighten up your space. No matter what type of flower is you favorite, you can keep it on display year-round to add the perfect pop of color to any room.

A Bridge, a Road, and a River

Sometimes the most ordinary things can give us inspiration. While a bridge, road, and river alone aren’t necessarily special, together they can create a unique picture. An example is the photo above that captures just such a scene. The picture includes a curving road beside a river that is capped by a symmetrical metal bridge. The early morning sky, sun filtering in through the trees off-camera, and the green grass and bushes dotting the shoreline create a serene picture that would go with any decor. Enlarging a similar picture and placing it in a den or family room is an easy way to update your decorating theme. Can’t find a place nearby with all three elements? Even having two of the three features (i.e. a bridge and a road, or bridge and a river) would still create a great focal point in a room. No matter which combination you choose, photos are an easy way to bring an architectural look into your home.

The Perfectly Imperfect Staircase

As I was walking during a recent vacation, I came across this staircase that’s no longer in use. I liked how, aside from the few broken rungs, this old staircase is still in tact. The staircase, surrounded by overgrown bushes, can also be a great metaphor: no matter what happens, keep going forward. Because of this, a similar photo would look great as a focal point in a bedroom or living room. In additional, since the colors are all earth tones, they would go with any decor. Remember, when you’re having a bad day or things just don’t seem to be going your way, keep going! Just like the staircase, you may have to stumble over a few obstacles to get there, but with hard work and persistence, you’ll eventually reach your goal.

Decorating with Fashionable Foxglove

With summer in full swing, there are so many different things to draw inspiration from. From florals, to bright hues, ocean beaches, majestic mountains, and lazy rivers, the decorating ideas can be endless. One inspiration often overlooked? The humble garden. Gardens can be full of colorful and unique blooms that will add the perfect pop of color to your space. One flower that ticks all these boxes is Foxglove. The elegant, bell-shaped flowers come in a variety of colors, such as the purple and white Pam’s Choice Foxglove on the right. A similar photo would look great enlarged and hung on a wall as a focal point in a living or dining room. No matter what type of flower you choose, you can easily bring nature’s inspiration into your home.

Bringing Architectural Elements Indoors

Often times we find ourselves living in a place that doesn’t match our architectural style. While costly renovations are one solution, it’s not one that most of us can afford. The solution? Add a photo! No matter if you prefer Victorian, Mediterranean, Gothic, Midcentury, Neo-Classical, or Tutor style, a picture is a perfect way to bring that look inside. You can take a photo of a building that features designs you like, have it enlarged, and use it as a focal point in your main living area. The picture can be of just the building or, as pictured on the right, a scene that includes the building and it’s surroundings. I’d recommend the former, since by zooming out you can capture additional elements that add style to your space (note the modern architecture of the building and classic brick of the walkway). No matter what style is your favorite, you’ll be sure to impress by bringing unique architecture into your space.

Add Depth to Your Space

When decorating, we often find ourselves limited not by imagination, but by the size of our space. Traditionally, the way people added depth to a space was to add a mirror. However, there are other ways to make your space look bigger. How? Add a large hallway photo! Pictures of long hallways add a unique depth and interest to any space. In addition, they can be customized based on a decorating theme or your favorite colors. On the right is a great example of a photo you could use in a living or dining room. The dark, neutral colors, chandeliers, and expansive hallway bring a touch of elegance in addition to enlarging the space. Remember, there are easy ways to make your space look bigger without spending a lot of money. A few photos and a wall are all it takes to update your space.