Personal home decor style evolves over time, here's a peek at mine.
Spoiler alert, after almost two decades in this cottage, I'm discovering that less is more.
I know, I know, what space?
True, it's a small cottage, but you see, we had just moved ~ literally across the street ~ from an even tinier cottage. That one measured all of 975 total square feet.
My new digs felt palatial.
Of course, what do people do when they have tons of wide open space?
Fill. It. Up.
And I did.
I shopped, thrifted, bartered with family and collected pieces from the side of the road, until I literally did not have one unadorned surface in the house.
I have to say that at first, I loved it.
My friends called me the accessory queen and I can recall some very fun times, loud music on, alone in the house, arranging and rearranging my treasures until everything was just so.
I had so much fun.
Don' t laugh. It was like having my very own dollhouse. Life-sized.
Then one evening, while watching HGTV, I fell in love with a cleaner style and minimalist design. My own house suddenly felt cluttered and overstuffed.
At the very same time, my mother took ill.
She needed to be moved out of her home and it was a daunting job.
She had so much stuff. Stuff that she had shopped for, thrifted, bartered with family for and collected from the side of the road and yet, very few pieces were really important or meaningful.
Sadly, the majority of it ended up in donation bins or the trash.
So. I started to think about simplifying my life in general. I wanted to keep only what I truly valued and with that, I began the great purge.
I donated truckloads of accessories, extra bedding and furniture. In addition, my ideas about design were transformed as well. I wanted cleaner lines, less pattern and a more streamlined cottage look.
I wasn't ready to ditch my signature red or my beloved tchotchkes, but I certainly toned it down a bit.
Please pardon the photos, they are old and scanned.
My patterned couches were sent to live with my niece and her husband. I replaced them with white.
While I adored those plaid sofas, the white ones allowed me to create a whole new look just by swapping out a few pillows that pop.
Couldn't do that before...yikes, I'd get dizzy!
I didn't change the paint or the curtains, just the sofas and the rug. The table is my sister's, it's on (semi-permanent) loan.
The old one is now in the basement family room.
This photo was taken shortly after the room was added. The electrical outlets are still uncovered, but that didn't stop me from decorating.
When we built the kitchen I felt the need to fill every nook with color and texture to add warmth.
After a while, I realized that too much was, well, too much.
The wreath really stands out now, unencumbered by all that other visual noise.
I needed to streamline the elements.
The green countertop was not right anymore. It was too much, too many competing focal points, the red curtain muted the red walls...and that blue tissue box was a point of major contention.
Of course, I still have a lot of work to do. My hall closet and basement remain stuffed, no matter how hard I try to empty them out.
So what's a girl to do?
Well, looks like I'll be visiting the thrift store again this weekend, but not as a shopper, oh no. It will be a drop off only kind of visit.
Really.
I am committed.
But, there is an garage sale in my neighborhood tomorrow....
Oh boy.
How has your style changed over the years?
***P.S. I know that I often say the house has been relatively the same since we moved in and I believe these photos are a testament to that. The before pics were all taken sometime between 2002 and 2004. The afters are from this year or last.
More than a decade later, there have been no major renovations and I still have some of the same accessories and decor pieces.
Check out the pig and the placemats. Yikes.
Maybe I should go shopping! 😉
2024 update: There have actually been a lot of updates in the last 10 years since this post was written. Check out some of them here:
Happy Decorating, Friends!
Trying to let go of more here too, but it's not an easy task. Couldn't resist buying some MacKenzie-Childs Courtly Check pieces at a consignment store yesterday. ;-)
ReplyDeleteThat would be a tough one to pass up, Sarah! :) Besides, everyone needs a little fun!
DeleteOh wow, mine has totally changed. I am all about a ton less than before. Love your less look.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to be a trend, Marty!! And thanks!! :)
DeleteI think that sentiment is going around. I think it's good. It is on my agenda as well. The problem is I LOVE to shop and hunt. But I'm starting to feel smothered. And should something happen to me my poor husband would have a lot of work ahead of him. So I am on the same mission as you. I will keep what I LOVE and otherwise I will be donating to Bible for Missions. Thanks for the encouragement. Have a super weekend. Sweet home by the way! Diane
ReplyDeletei've been a cosy minimalist all my life. and when you're a teenager... minimalism is a little weird!
ReplyDeletei love simple. in all things really.
it's so much more restful to me. and elegant.
i KNEW i liked it here! and that's before i saw all this!
i call it cosy minimalism at its finest! kudos! XO♥
my wren house is 525 square feet. good thing i AM a minimalist! LOL.
525?? Wow! You are a simplified girl! I am a fledging minimalist, but I am trying to stay the course!
DeleteGood morning Kim! First, let me say I am proud of you for keeping up with the twice a week posts. I still haven't written a new one - since Feb!
ReplyDeleteNow, how has my style changed over the years? For years I would rarely hang anything on the walls. I didn't really have a style. Then I started collecting things to change out the decor (and sometimes even the furniture!) seasonally. Then my parents downsized - and stored a whole basement full of stuff in their old house until they sold it! What a lot of stuff there was to sort through and get rid of! When my uncle died and my cousin had to deal with 2 houses full of stuff I started thinking of what my children might have to deal with when I die... I still have a lot of extra stuff, but I'm slowly giving it away, and putting stuff in my little booth at a flea market. yesterday I gave away a lot of fall decor to a lady who has nothing! It's not that I'm so great for doing that, it's that she was so generous to accept it so I could get rid of it without throwing it away! (Those who know me would understand the great significance behind me getting rid of fall decor. I could decorate my house in "fall" all year and be just content.)
To tell the honest to goodness truth, my quest for less started with your living room. And it continues. But, alas, any flat surface in my house must be decorated or it will be filled with junk! I just try to decorate it with less. Does that count as 'less'??
Thanks Nancy, for all of your sweet words. I am trying to keep up my posting, I do enjoy it...but I didn't write a book. I can only imagine that all the hard work and time you had to put into that process. That is certainly more consuming than two posts per week. Plus it sounds as if you've been moving a lot. That is another time consuming process!! Good luck with your purge. It's a hard dance for a home decor junkie, isn't it??
DeleteHi again! Oh my! As you can see by my fb house page, I haven't done well with "less is more!" I moved twice since the last post, taking only a 6x12 trailer each time. What a lot of stuff I've collected in a year!
DeleteStuff has a way of creeping back in, doesn't it? I think it's a universal problem!
DeleteNow those changes were not huge but made such a difference. I love the living room and the sofa are perfect.
ReplyDeleteThanks Vanessa. I do love them. They are like a blank slate! :)
DeleteI absolutely adore your home. It may be streamlined but it's still very, very warm and cozy.
ReplyDeleteThanks Debbie, that's just what I was going for!! xoxo
DeleteYou have a beautiful and elegant home, Kim. I too have been purging and giving away. I find as each year passes that I just don't want all that stuff to dust. More stuff means more maintenance.
ReplyDeleteBrenda
Thank you, Brenda. It has evolved as my tolerance for dusting has decreased! ;)
DeleteYou have excellent taste Kim. Your house even back then did not look dated or overly cluttered. You should come to my house to see what clutter is. I'm going to take a cue from you and start to subtract as well.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mary, you are very sweet. I still have clutter, but now it's shoved into closets and basement boxes. I have to take care of that!
DeleteI go through phases where I want more decor around my home, then all of a sudden, I want a more streamlined look. Right now I'm in more of a streamlined mode. I think your house looks great! I love your home. That wreath really does pop in the kitchen now. I try to convince myself that less is more...especially when having to dust everything. :) Oh, and thank goodness someone finally agrees with me on the whole Kleenex issue! Of COURSE you can't have certain color boxes in your bathroom. I mean, who doesn't know that? I just bought my grey box today, and if they were sold out, we would be using toilet paper in place of it because I refuse to buy another color box. Lol!
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU!! Lisa, no one seems to get that and my husband and I can go ten rounds about that box! ;) Not really, but it does irk me! I am with you when it comes to dusting, too. Nope, too much stuff makes crazy lately. Although, I do add more for the holidays. I enjoy a full look then, but come January, I am craving a clean slate!
DeleteI used to decorate with jewel tones and even had a green plaid couch but, like you, I eventually realized that neutral larger pieces allowed me to change my decor easily. I've always decorated simply and I'm sure that that will never change, but my style seems to change with the wind lately. Love your less is more style. Happy weekend my friend!
ReplyDeleteI’m happier now, too. Although, I guess I was pretty happy about my style back then. Yet, I think about that patchwork chair that I reupholstered recently and wonder what kind of a circus it would look like in here if I still had all that other stuff around!! Ha!
DeleteLove the clean lines and space. Of course the pops of red are a definite favorite! I hand it to you for simplifying I am sure my kids will not be happy with me when I am gone if I don't get rid of some "stuff". LOL!
ReplyDeleteI am a red junkie, that is for sure, Lynn!! ;)
DeleteHi Kim,
ReplyDeleteOh I love the way your kitchen used to look and I like it now!!! I am trying hard to get rid of clutter and things in my house too. It's hard and a lot of work but looks so nice less cluttered.
Hope you have a lovely weekend. Julie xo
I like it all so much better now, less cluttered but it is hard to keep it that way. At least for me! :)
DeleteSame here, Kim. It's a constant battle to get rid of things and not keep accumulating more stuff. I'm trying really hard to only buy something if I really, really love it. I even went to a barn sale this morning and only bought one small item so I'm getting better!
ReplyDeleteI saw the sweetest decoy at the thrift store a few days ago and put it down at the very last minute, JoAnne. I have so many already, I have no right buying another. Of course, I am still thinking about that little sucker, but I am sure he’s long gone. That’s probably a good thing! ;)
DeleteI love how you use red in your rooms. I have been trying to do that too. A few years ago I decided to downsize our decor. I actually just got tired of cleaning so much.
ReplyDeleteThat is really a big motivator, Betty. I just don’t want to spend days cleaning and organizing anymore. You hit the nail on the head!
DeleteHi Kim, It's so much fun to see your changes. Everything was beautiful then and especially now. I have done the same. When I go back and look at past decorated rooms, it looks like so much Over the last several years, I have really scaled back and going less in my style and look. I think decorating does that over time. I've been taking car loads of stuff to Goodwill and then, like you, find a great garage sale!! LOL
ReplyDeleteHave a nice weekend. xo
Those garage sales are tricky business aren't they? ;)
DeleteThat's exactly what I'm doing, ridding myself of unnecessary clutter and keeping my rooms simpler. My rooms now look so much cleaner ( and it is easier to keep clean!!) and the large pieces of furniture are now focal points in the room. Love your redo Kim!
ReplyDeleteGreat minds, Rhonda… ;)
DeleteLove your less is more Kim. Love seeing your pretty home. Very nice.
ReplyDeleteKris
Thank you, Kris!! :))
DeleteWow! Less is more in your kitchen! Looks great and just as cozy and pretty with less decorating. Ever since I have joined in on the blogging world my style has been on a rollercoaster ride! I have every inch decorated but I am loving all the clean lines and white decor I see on others' blogs. But then I love my vintage, rusty, industrial, farmhouse things and I want them all around me! I have color in every room so I am not about to go white but I can definitely purge a little!
ReplyDeleteI have tried to go all white, I see it in other homes, done to perfection and I am in love. Of course, when I do it, it doesn't feel right. I'm like you. I need stuff...just less of it!! :)
DeleteI worked hard at being content while we raised our family. We lived in our house for almost 25 yrs before making any real changes. I decorated with what I had, thrift shopped, used hand-me-downs, ect all those yrs.
ReplyDeleteNow my house looks so different! We've been slowly remodelling for about two yrs now & it's gone from the red & green country of the 80's to white & grays of the farmhouse style of today. Along with that, I am constantly getting rid of things. I'm determined! For every new item that comes into my house at least 2 old things MUST go. I'm also slowly sorting through & discarding things from closets, bookshelves & cupboards. It feels so good to have less to love & less to take care of.
Hi Jenny, I bet your place looks great, I know that you have been working on your updates for a while now. I like your one in, two out rule! I may need to adopt that…and kudos to you. Getting rid of stuff while you are updating and renovating is tough!! I am impressed!! :)
DeleteInteresting . . . You give me things to think about . . .
ReplyDeleteI used to have every "sitty outy" out there for everyone to see. Not a bare place anywhere . . . And then I changed into minimal everywhere. Everything looked neat and clean . . . cold though too, and "the me of me" had vanished!
It was long after I changed into my minimalist period that I began to think back to "the me that used to be!" Now I seem to be more of a combo . . . My decorating style today has more of a relaxed sleek style yet there has been a subtle return warmth of the treasures that speak my name. I see that in your changes from a yesterday to today . . . lots of your "red love" yesterday to "perfect touches" of red today . . . Interesting isn't it in how we change and evolve.
It is interesting how we change. I guess that's part of life, right? Growing? When we were first married, our home was jewel toned, very traditional/ modern. Then we moved to the teeniest cottage and I went for the pastel look, purples, greens and whites. It was like a dollhouse. Then this house is red, cottage style. Lots of red, it's still small, but heavier, it demanded a different look. I guess the house has helped me evolve. Now I want less...
DeleteI love your home!! I have been letting things go too. I have too much stuff. I can't help myself when i see a garage sale sign. My car just stops!! Have fun at the garage sale.
ReplyDeleteKathy
New treasures keep catching my eye, Kathy, but I guess that’s ok as long as I get rid of some of the old ones! ;)
DeleteThat’s what I tell myself anyway!
First let me say your home is gorgeous in every way. I really appreciate that you don't feel the need to change everything all the time because I don't either....so great minds must think alike. :)
ReplyDeleteI've always been kind of a less is more girl. People come to our house and comment that I'm a minimalist. We definitely aren't minimalists just we just aren't into clutter. I do enjoy being at other people's house and who like a lot of stuff because it's fun to look at but there's a very fine line that I don't like to cross. One too many items makes me feel anxious. That sounds crazy but it's true.
I just love that trays are so popular. It's great to gather things in a tray or basket. Looks pretty but feels less cluttered. Your white couches are the perfect backdrop to the pretty things you love.
Thanks Stacey and yes, I agree, no need to always change. I take my time to choose my pieces. I am not in a rush to get rid of them! I also agree with the one too many idea. I used to need one more and one more. Now, I find myself removing things one by one. Too many makes me cringe, too!
DeleteYour home is beautiful, Kim. I too have gradually developed a less is more decorating style over the years we have lived in our home.......first it was all cluttered and cosy Victorian.......and now much lighter and more Scandinavian in feel.
ReplyDeleteHelen xox
I love that Scandinavian feel. Open, clean and white! Fabulous! :)
DeleteKim, your home is just gorgeous. Less really is more! I think the country style of the 90s really contributed to the clutter for me personally. Even though I thrift frequently, I have also paired down. My kitchen houses my dish obsession and tends to be a little more cozy--in the rest of the house I am more selective. One of the perks of blogging is that by taking frequent photos, I often "see" through the camera when it is time to make needed changes :)
ReplyDeleteYes, the camera does help! I used to use my phone to snap quick pics before I blogged, to help me see what I liked. I have decorating OCD, I know! ;)
DeleteYour home is beautiful no matter what you do ;)
ReplyDeleteGetting rid of stuff is never easy. Moving into this house I had furniture for a home twice as big and I shed some tears getting rid of the things that wouldn't fit. My mom says it still looks like an antique store LOL
xo,
rue
Thanks! I like the antique store look. That is what I was always going for…a collected look, shop worthy. What I forget is, that in a shop, stuff goes out sometimes!! ;)
DeleteYour home is so pretty but I have to agree with you - less is more! Have you read "The Magic Art of Tidying Up"? It's a bit drastic, but her premise is on-target. The reason we seem to have so much stuff, even after supposedly cleaning things out, is that we're doing it all wrong. She said instead of starting with a room or a closet, to do it by category instead. For example, start with things you're not too attached to - for example, CDs, records, DVDs, board games, health & beauty items. Let's say you decide to start with CDs. Gather ALL CDs from wherever they are in the house - not just the family room. If there's any in the living room, bedrooms, etc - gather them all up. Then go through them and decide what to keep and what to give away. Another example, say you decide to work on shirts. You might have shirts in other places besides your closet. You might have more in dresser drawers or packed away in the basement. Gather up ALL shirts and go through them. The author said that by only cleaning out a closet, for example, you're not weeding out ALL your shirts. Then you wonder why you still have so many of them! Or, if you just clean out the family room and then wonder why you're still stuck with CDs you don't want, it's because there were still CDs in your bedroom or your car. Does that make sense? I've been doing this slowly and it's working. I've already cleaned out shirts, pants, CDs, DVDs and necklaces. Oh - and I've donated, sold, and given away a lot of vintage tchotckes. A friend asked me if this was hard and I told her in all honestly, that in just a few days, I couldn't even tell you what I had gotten rid of.
ReplyDeleteI like this plan, Melanie and no, I have never done it this way. I usually, like you said, go room by room, or closet by closet. I was thinking about it this weekend, while I was gathering items. Great food for thought!
DeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI love your style. Your home is lovely.
As I get older, it seems LESS is MORE for me. I have downsized much of my decorating in the past year.
Carla
Exactly how I feel, Carla! To me, less stuff is more time that I have to spend with my family doing stuff...instead of dusting stuff!!
DeleteHi Kim,
ReplyDeleteI liked seeing your before and after photos, and I agree with others that your before photos were still beautiful and I didn't think your decorating was over the top back then. But I can so see where you are coming from...in the past few weeks I have not gone to the thrift stores because my garage was out of control...it is so easy to succumb to the thrift store and garage sale magic of 'a good deal'...I do redo furniture and bring a lot of it to consign, so I am not piling it all into my home...but I am guilty of bringing some of it in.
I have been dreaming about tiny houses for a couple of years now and really it is the simplicity that speaks to me! Because you are so right, the bigger the space the more we fill it up!
Have a wonderful Sunday! :)
Kimberley
I love the small space, but it definitely requires a more conscious living plan, at least when it comes to clutter. There is just no room for overflow...which can be a blessing or a curse! ;)
DeleteFun seeing the befores and afters. Last week I was in the thrift store and when I was back this week there were a bunch of new (old) stuff that wasn't there before. The new that I noticed were a collection of painted wood craft projects--the kind that were cutouts in 1 inch thick boards that were painted. I am guessing that they all came from the same house and that someone was decluttering.
ReplyDeleteI think there's a lot of that going on right now, Lorri. I went to the store three times last week for drop offs and there was tons of new stuff...and it wasn't all mine! ;)
DeleteWell, we live in just barely 1,000 sq. ft. and I am trying to be more of a minimalist. I am slowly cleaning out cupboards and getting rid of stuff. I try to do 1 day in the attic each month (it's still too hot up there) and eliminate things we just won't use again.
ReplyDeleteOf course, tomorrow I am meeting my sister and cousin at one of my favorite shops and I know that I will want to buy one of everything for Christmas!
Well, Christmas is alway excused from the purging rule, Carol! ;) It's just too much fun!
DeleteI can totally relate with filling up space, its one of my husband and I's biggest differences. He cleans, I clutter. Really, I think I might be allergic to empty space, especially on counter tops. hehe I've been reading several minimalist blog posts for about a year and a half and it has helped tone down the hoarder tendencies. Just like you said, a lot of my collections had little emotional or even practical value. We are enjoying a less cluttered space and improvement still needs to be made. Its a journey. In some ways its like weight, it took time to put on and it'll take time to come off.
ReplyDeleteAnd, when you get rid of stuff Audra, you now have room for more new stuff! Did I just say that out loud? Shhh. ;)
DeleteI adore the way your house looks now, but can so relate to how you felt when you first moved in (it looked great then too, but I'm more of a 'less is more' kinda gal). It is so freeing to declutter and let your house 'breathe'. Somehow I feel houses are grateful when we do that :).
ReplyDeletexxx
Thanks Doreen. I agree, my house so many beautiful architectural elements from the 20’s. I think they are easier to see without all my stuff around! ;)
DeleteI just helped a friend with her mother in laws estate sale and I couldn't wait to get home and start getting rid of things. Of course the reality is never as easy as the dream, I liked all my stuff! I had to tell myself that liking it isn't the same as needing it, so I'm saying goodbye one boxload at a time. I have come to appreciate a "cleaner" look in my home too. I love color, but now it is in minimal accents and reigned in. I find less stuff is so calming and so much better than all the visual clutter. Your home is beautiful, and still warm and cozy. Thanks for sharing this post, it's one we all need!
ReplyDeleteI wrestle too, Kathleen. I put things in the donation pile and then pull them out. Then next year, it's same dance...I am becoming more mercenary in my old age. Now it's out, out, out! Most of the time anyway! ;)
DeleteHaving just moved this summer, my life has amazingly been simplified, by necessity, but I had been going through a less is more process for several years now. I love your clean and simplified look, and having that extra pop of color really brings home the message - less is more! This is a great post showcasing how some simple changes can go a long way in helping simplify your home... and while I have made many trips taking things to the thrift store, I still like to visit them occasionally because you just never know what you might find, lol! So... did you find anything at the yard sale... while on the way to the thrift store?... lol! Have a blessed day my friend, your posts are always a joy to read!
ReplyDeleteI drove right by the yard sale!! I really wanted to stop, but I had a car full of donation treasures…and even more motivating…my husband! He had just helped me load all the bags into the car. He uttered a very perplexed, “What???” when I made mention of the idea. Ha! Clearly, he doesn’t get it! ;)
DeleteI love it all!!! It's so nice to have less stuff because you have less maintenance and you can enjoy it more!
ReplyDeleteXO Ellen from Ask Away
www.askawayblog.com
Exactly, Ellen! Less stuff mean less to manage! Bonus! ;) Thanks for the visit!
DeleteLove your cottage, Kim. It's beautiful and welcoming and cozy. My style hasn't changed too much over the years. I've always been a less is more kind of decorator, perhaps to a fault. I'm sure my home would be more interesting with more stuff. I just feel more comfortable when things are streamlined. Loved this post. xo ~ Nancy
ReplyDeleteI love your style, Nancy. Cottage living certainly requires a less is more mindset, doesn't it? I think that when we first bought this house, I was so excited to have space, I wanted to fill it with whatever I couldn't fit in the other house. I don't know if it's age or just a change in taste, but now, I am looking to streamline. It just feels right! So glad you enjoyed this one!
DeleteI absolutely LOVE the changes, Kim. I am going through the same sort of "revelation" and really getting rid of lots of stuff, too. I emptied a whole garage bay of "furniture" and "finds" this past month. It feels good but I still have lots more to do. The thing I am dreading doing though is my library. I know that I will never read, or look at, some of those books again but I need to go through them and get rid of a bunch of them. I just took a whole haul to a friend to read and they are hers to have and hold from this point forward.
ReplyDeleteYour kitchen is where I really notice the difference. It looks BIGGER to me now. I LOVE it and you have done a great job purging. Now....on to the BASEMENT, INFINITY and BEYOND. xo Diana
Thanks so much, Diana. It feels bigger and better now, too. I still have a ton of work to do, and like you, a bookshelf I am dreading. The basement and the attic are calling my name, but shhhh...I’m still hiding from them! ;)
DeleteI love how all your rooms look now versus the before. We downsized two years ago and we literally don't have room for things that will just clutter up our new place.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Carol! I totally understand your situation. I've just watched both of my sisters downsize. The process is daunting!
DeleteCan you please share who made the cabinets in the kitchen and the white sofa? Love them! Thanks
ReplyDeleteHi! Thanks for asking. The kitchen cabinets are Kraftmaid from Home Depot. They were purchased over a decade ago so I am sure that the styles and finishes have changed, but they were Northwood in a Frost Glaze. The couches are more recent purchase. Just a few years old, they are from Klaussner. Hope that helps!
DeleteThank you so much. I cannot believe your kitchen is 10 years old! That's why I love white cabinets..they never go out of style.
DeleteI agree, they're classics. Thanks for visiting! :)
DeleteYes!
ReplyDeleteI've been trying to do that too!!
But, somehow, not succeeding as well as you!
It started for us when my hubby's Dad passed away and he had stuff! We started right then and there keeping very little of what was in his house, most everything went to a consignment store (furniture) or hundreds of trips to thrift stores!!
You are doing a great job!! Keep being inspirational to the rest of us!
Nancy
wildoakdesigns.blogspot.com
Thanks so much, Nancy, I am still working on it myself. As I type this comment, I am sitting amongst two bins of craft supplies. I am trying to part with some of it. Not easy! Thanks for the visit and good luck to you, too!! :)
DeleteOh yes! Definitely pairing down. As I get older, the less stuff I want around. I started a couple of years ago and held 2 yard sales and then had another this past summer and the boxes are filling up again! I ask myself, if I was going to move, would I want to pack it up? Most of it is a no! Thanks for letting me know I am not alone!
ReplyDeleteThat is a great thought, Pam and one I have often, would I want to move this?? The answer is usually no, so it goes!!
DeleteKim,
ReplyDeleteI love what you have done in your home, it looks outstanding! I will be featured at my party on Monday. Thank you for sharing it at Show and Share.
Blessings,
Linda
Linda, that is so exciting! I am thrilled! :)
DeleteI love the clean uncluttered simple look. I also want to do that with my small ranch home. We moved last yr from a big house to this small one. Hard to part with all of my 'items'. There is just NO room for all the stuff! Do you have any suggestions on how and where to start to pare down? Do you decorate and then remove things? I have no idea. Help!
ReplyDeleteHi Janice. I am so glad you enjoyed this post. You are not the first person to ask about the how. I am going to do a detailed post on it in January, but essentially, I clear the room or all accessories, then I pull them back in one by one, using only what I really love. The rest of the pile gets evaluated...is it a family treasure, an heirloom, something sentimental that I love? If not, and it no longer has a place, it goes. It seems simple, but I know it's not...my emotions get in the way all the time!! ;) Thanks for the visit!!
DeleteI enjoyed this look back at your house and the changes you've made. I continually look around to see what I can get rid of. Just this week I've decided to get rid of a plant that was sent to Mom's funeral (5 years ago in March). I potted it in a planter that had always been in their house. AND, last weekend I finally finished going through her family pictures and mailed some to my cousins yesterday. It was so freeing, plus I think my cousins will enjoy seeing them. Instead of sending them to my first cousins who probably have their parents' pictures, I sent them to THEIR kids.
ReplyDeleteI think about you when I think about my mom (daily). I hope each day is getting a little better for you.
Thank you so much for your kind words. They really do mean a lot. I am such a lucky person to be held in so many people’s thoughts. I am so grateful, it really does lift me up. It’s funny that you mention the pictures. We dug out the boxes last weekend and oh boy, there are a lot. They were my mom’s as well and I need to sort them and give them away! Then I need to organize what I am keeping. It’s a job that’s a little beyond me right now, so the boxes are in my living room…I have a feeling they’re going to be there a while!!
Delete