DIRECTORY
I’d like to say that we’ve put the finishing touches on our living room, but the spaces in our home are never really “finished”. Instead, I always find myself wanting to update little things here and there or will come across a piece I hadn’t been looking for but now need to find a way to incorporate into our home, so our home is “ever evolving”. Or growing with us. There is also currently the case of the ivory cabinet which has been sitting empty against the wall to the right of the closet that I need to decide on plans for, but that is a project that I am planning to tackle in the coming weeks.
Over the holidays we watched a series of movies, including The Holiday – you know, the one where Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet trade their perfectly decorated houses for two weeks and find themselves and fall in love in the process? I am always struck by how timeless the home decor feels in Nancy Meyers’ films. I want to live in these houses. And then after 90 minutes I am ready to redo my living room. Maybe it is the pregnancy nesting instincts kicking in, but after watching The Holiday this year I felt inspired to replace all of the pillow covers on our couch, something I have been meaning to do for a while, but couldn’t quite nail down the direction I wanted to go in. I am also looking for an interesting table lamp for the side table that goes next to the book case. We’ve been referring to that spot as the holiday corner because we have set up all of our seasonal decor there the last few months (a mini pumpkin patch followed by the Christmas tree) and now it will sit empty for a bit.
Same as with my personal style, I strive for my home decor to stand the test of time. I want to love the pieces I am collecting for many years to come, even though I may rotate them out here and there. I think that is especially important if you are going to invest in big ticket items or special pieces. This can also be challenging when you are renting/living in a temporary space because it can be hard to tell what future spaces may look like. For example, a lot of our furniture is on the smaller side due to NYC apartment living and the general lack of space. In our current apartment, I finally had the room to reupholster and bring in my Grandmother’s settees. I have a lot of things in storage, waiting, but again, different story.
I jokingly describe my approach to home decor as a long forgotten about Parisian apartment that has just been uncovered with modern touches. Over the years we have collected and incorporated vintage pieces, both inherited and long searched for, and new to round out our home. While the time periods may vary, one thing that has remained consistent is my desire to create an overall look that feels cohesive and lived in. I never want my guests (what are those?) to feel like they can’t sit on a chair, which is a comment I get often about the light colored couch. The seat cushion covers are machine washable, and due to having a pup, get washed too often sometimes.
For 2021 and fresh off my Nancy Meyers inspiration kick I am gravitating towards fresh neutrals with a more modern feel. Three areas I am currently focusing on updating are pillow covers for the couch, finding a table lamp for the corner near the bookcase, and adding some interesting glassware to replace a few pieces in the kitchen.
Sharing some of my recent finds and pieces I am eyeing for each category below.
Pillow covers:
Our couch is a very light gray so I have been looking to add white and off-white pillow covers in varying textures to create a little dimension and interest.
Table lamps:
Our apartment has a vintage feel so I would love to find a vintage or vintage inspired lamp to go in this space and pair it with a more modern shade. But, lately I have been thinking a more modern lamp might be a fun addition.
Glassware & coffee cups:
A lot of our tumblers and coffee mugs have broken or chipped over the years (the dishwasher in our last apartment was very old – from the 1960s – and did a number on them before we realized) so what we have left are in need of replacing. I am all about adding some texture lately when it comes to glassware and recently purchased this set. They are small but can hold hot or cold liquid so they can double as coffee cups. Not surprisingly I discovered these while having a snack date with JD at La Mercerie at RW Guild in Soho back in the days when we could venture inside of restaurants without wanting to scrub all of our skin off.
Are you planning any home updates this year?
