Welcome Home - 7 steps to creating a cozy home

'Tis the season for entertaining and keeping warm! There isn't much better than visiting a welcoming home or relaxing in your own. Whether you are hosting for twenty or enjoying a night alone, a cozy home is the perfect place to gather or rest. A home should be a refuge (cause isn't the world crazy enough?)...Everyone has their own ideal. I am constantly striving to make my home more welcoming. 

Today I am sharing a designer's perspective on creating a cozier home. Be safe if you are traveling today. xxx

1. Fresh Flowers
When I can, I purchase fresh flowers for my home. I love displaying them in small vases around the house. This is a great idea if you are entertaining.

Kate Spade

My bedroom

See the tutorial on this arrangement here

 2. Rugs 
Carpets and rugs can make a room. They beautifully warm up the space and are a great way to add color and texture. I love both new and vintage rugs and try to mix in each type on my projects. Always ensure it is the proper size. Postage stamp rugs in a large room don't work nor do rugs that don't fit properly.

3. A fireplace

I have a small house for my kids and on my wish list when I was looking was a fireplace! I light mine as much as I can....A warm fire cozies up a home in an instant. I love to arrange and rearrange the mantel top too.

Aerin Lauder

 4. A well stocked bar 
I love displaying vintage glasses and decanters. It's far from this elaborate but you get the idea!

5. Delicious homemade food (this is for entertaining of course but even when I cook soups on Sundays for just myself my home feels more inviting)

See this story on Waiting on Martha, she also has a cool shop here!!

6. Candles and layered lighting

I am not a fan of overly fragrant candles but something about the warm glow of a candle is both flattering and relaxing. I light them on my kitchen counter, in the bathroom and on my mantel.

A well lit house is the key to a beautiful space. I put as many lights on dimmers as I can and I always, always layer my lighting sources and types!

Who styles a table better than Tory Burch!????? Gah, her tables settings are perfection.
**Tory is having a great sale, Code: Thanks. Take 30% of when you spend $250+

7. Textiles

Blankets, crisp white towels in the bathroom, clean window treatments. The soft goods in your home will work wonders for making it more welcoming!

Thoughts on home....

I'll just apologize in advance for my sporadic blogging. I've been focusing on my business and finding a house!! Which I finally did, I closed on it last week!! Woot woot! 

I'm very excited to share all the details and the revamp with you. It's a perfect little ranch down the street from the beach and across from the marsh for my kids and I. It needs some love! I'll of course be sharing weekly updates with photos of my "budget friendly" design transformation with you all!

Today my thoughts are about the t.v...There's a three season porch that I plan to eventually turn into a den/office but for now I'll need to put my t.v. in the living room. The house has a fireplace, so the question is where do I put the "black box"? For the record, I'm not a huge television watcher so it would never be the focal point of the room. Ideally a having it integrated into a built in unit would be nice but this house doesn't have the wall room and I don't have the budget to do this right now. 

Here are my options! 

I could mount it to my Ikea lack bookshelf but then I'd lose the flexibility to rotate the screen, which with my set up will be key.

I could house it in my vintage armoire, but I think I'd rather use that for storage!

Both my boyfriend and brother in law suggested placing it above the fireplace, but again I don't want it to be the focal point of the room. Plus, it's a smaller space so I think it would be too high!

I think I may just hang it to the left of the mantel above a small dresser that I already own.  What are your thoughts on the television? Do you prefer it tucked away or front and center? This conversation often comes up with clients. I find men and women's opinions often differ. (go figure)

The black and white of it, holiday decor!

There is something so appealing about the graphic tension between black and white! I'm using this color combo this year as the inspiration for my holiday decor! (stay tuned for another photo shoot of my fireplace and front door decor - I will be sharing my images of Thanksgiving asap. - I can't wait to see them from the photographer!) I am also going to use boxwood wreath's inside my home...purchase one here. Black and white ribbon is available on the Internet. Here are a couple sources..here and here

via Erin Gates I love Erin's home, as you know we are friends. This black and white plaid ribbon is adorable!! Her book would be a wonderful gift!!

via Kate Spade

A simple but gorgeous holiday table

Miles on Fire Island......

I'm a fan of Miles Redd's style. So it was fun to come across his Fire Island vacation home. This 3,000 sq. foot bungalow is perfectly placed between the bay and the beach. It's completely different than his maximalist style we so often see. His laid back abode is simple and has kept with a number of the original details such as the Malm fireplace and natural cedar walls. It looks to be the perfect escape from his hectic career and lifestyle in NYC. “Even though I will always love beautiful things, I’ve relaxed my hold on them,” Redd says. “At this stage in my life I’m starting to love beautiful space even more.” - I couldn't agree more, with age seems to come this longing for more simplicity in life.....See more details and images of Mile's home here. 

Thoughts on home...

Happy Friday!! So my new home is slowly coming together! The walls are painted, the electrician is almost done, the kitchen is a mess (but I hope to finish that in the next six weeks or so). I also haven't had two seconds to arrange any furniture. So please don't look at these photos as a finished product!! I'm thrilled with the grey paint and the warm floors. (they are actually quite a bit darker in person than in this shot) but I didn't go with ebony. I think that would have been too heavy with the walls. 

Today I'm contemplating the fireplace. I like natural brick if it's actually constructed from nice old bricks and is in a historical home. The bricks in my house just aren't working for me. (top photo) So the question is what color do I paint them?? I'm torn between black and white, but I've shared a couple other ideas! If I go with black, I'm planning to choose a matte finish. I'm thinking a large mantel that covered more of the brick is the way to go! I'm also eventually going to incorporate built ins. (love the look below) And of course I'll switch out the screen etc...

Thoughts???

white washed brick is pretty

shelter loves...

I hope you smoothly transitioned into the back to school routine. I've mentioned it before but I am ready for some structure at home and a CALM September. (besides living on a soccer field) I am excited to build fires in my fireplace, finish up my new office space, organize my home and get back to preparing recipes using fresh in-season foods. Here's what I'm loving this week: 

1. Layered dressing. The "puff" sleeve and feminine bows are making a come back this season. Here is a cute puff sleeve top. I find this style very flattering. 
2. I fully appreciate flowers that bloom into the Fall season. Dahlia's are available in a number of varieties, shapes and colors. They make a fantastic cutting garden. 
3. I have a thing for great camel colored boots. Camel matches almost any shade and is a nice break from black. These booties are made in Italy and would surely become a wardrobe staple. 
4. Try matching the trim to the walls for an updated, unique look in a room or two. I love how this room mixes modern and more classic elements. 
5. Eleanor was a wise women. Sometimes we ignore our instincts, I find they are more often than not, spot on. Follow your heart. 
6. I purchased this body wash recently. It's fabulous!! I'm hooked. 

Shelter Loves....

Happy Saturday!! I love how a New Year ushers in the concept of fresh starts and new beginnings.  We are bracing for a 
Nor-Easter in Boston so I am in a cozy down, nesting mode. In fact I nest all winter. Hehe.

Here is what I'm loving this morning! Keep warm and stay safe. xoxo

1. & 5. For those of you lucky enough to be jetting off on a warm vacation this winter, I am adoring
this woven clutch and this fabulous tortoise necklace as take alongs. 
2. Bows + velvet, please.
3. Half the battle is your mindset!
4. One 2017 goal is to start to read more again. I used to read a ton before I had children.
I would love a room with built in bookshelves someday. My books are packed away and
scattered in random places. To house them in the same area would be divine!!
6. Julia always looks so perfect, it kills me. This was a beautiful shoot and home with Lela Rose. 
7. I love the idea of displaying coral in a non-functioning fireplace or during the summer months. 

Cottage Love #16

My goal at Shelter (my blog) is to inspire and get my readers thinking! I aim to do this by sharing ideas for your home, life, and personal style. I'm always thrilled when I come across a home that appears to be accessible, hence today's post. Emily A. Clark is a blogger and mother of five. I'm sharing her adorable home. It is filled with ideas that you can easily accomplish on your own with a bit of imagination and elbow grease. Images via Emily's site and Style Me Pretty.

Side note: My own home design is coming along.....I hope to get lots done this Fall and have it photographed for a reveal this winter! The last image is a peek of my fireplace. I applied one coat of primer to the bricks and plan to apply two coats of a warm white color this week. I can't believe how much the white paint has already brightened up the room!

I think this little bathroom is my favorite aspect of her home.

And a small peek at my mantel, I'm adding a piece of art above the mantel.

Colors used: 

Brick: Don't Touch My Tutu - an amazing white

Walls: Smokey Eyes N-C22

Clark+Kensington paint