Pottery Barn Sale This Weekend

You guys know our feelings about Pottery Barn, so it's no surprise we freaked out when we saw they were offering 20% off your entire order from now until Oct. 9th! Click here to shop their website and use promo code friends to receive the discount.

Here are some itmes that have caught our eyes this fall (click on the picture to shop the piece):

Pillows

Accessories

Lamps

Our Fall Front Porch Featuring Pottery Barn

After tackling a fall tablescape last week, we're back with part 2 of our Pottery Barn Fall Collaboration and this time we're focusing our attention on the front door. 

The front door is one of the most important parts of your home because it's the first thing people see when they come over. As they say, first impressions are everything, and that couldn't be more true in this case. We believe your front door should say "Welcome! Come in and stay a while, we're glad you're here." With the holidays coming up, it's even more important to turn your focus to this part of your home, and now that it's officially October, it's the perfect time to begin decorating.

The first step is to add your biggest items first, and branch out from there. In this case, we started with the urns and branches and put them on either side of the door. We're all about symmetry over here, especially when trying to highlight a focal point (the door). Visually, it's a lot more appealing and you can honestly never go wrong with two pots/vases/urns flanking your front door. We then added some faux leaf garland around the door which really ties the whole thing together.

Next we brought it the mums, which are an absolute fall must-have for any front porch. We chose them in orange but we also think yellow or maroon would look amazing too. We then began bringing in the pumpkins which is always so much fun because there are so many different ways you can go with this. Pumpkins come in a lot of different shapes and sizes so this is the part where you can really play around and go crazy.

The faux pumpkins are so beautiful that it's really hard to tell they're not real, even right next to the actual real ones. We also used a few pretty ceramic ones to really get a good mix in there and switch it up a bit. We love how it's kind of a smorgasbord of pumpkins all clustered together to make up one big, colorful entryway #diversity.

One important thing to take into consideration is the height of your objects that you're styling with. It's always best to put your larger items in the back and place your smaller items in the front. This will give you a nice layered, intentional look.

We added lanterns with faux candles (that actually flicker) in them for a sophisticated, classic look that not only looks great against the fun colors of the pumpkins, but also provide really nice ambiance at night. This is when it all started to come together.

The faux beaded spiders are such a fun touch because they're so real looking and will definitely have guests looking twice to make sure they're not. We had them "climbing" up the branches for a spooky, Halloween feel that you can take off once it gets closer to Thanksgiving.

The final touch, for which no fall front door would be complete without, is the wreath. Pottery Barn's harvest pumpkin wreath goes perfectly with the garland around the door and truly completes the fall look. Nothing says "come on in" more than a festive wreath greeting folks walking up to your front door. It's really the icing on the pumpkin spice cake that completes your fall look.

That concludes part 2 of our fall decorating series with Pottery Barn. Stay tuned for part 3 where we will be decorating our fireplace mantle using these same items. Have we mentioned how much we love fall?

-Full list of products used-

• Pumpkins- Faux pumpkins, filigree punched ceramic pumpkins
• Faux Candles- flicker LED candles, premium flicker OD candles
• Garland- fall garland, faux pomegranate and pinecone garland
• Vases- Large yellow Sonoma Vase
• Lanterns- Malta Lanterns-Bronze Finish
• Seasonal decorations- beaded spiders
• Wreath- Harvet Pumpking Wreath

A Fall Tablescape Featuring Pottery Barn

If you've been following us for a while, you know that our favorite season is fall. We love absolutely everything about it: the weather, the food, the clothes, and the overall cozy feeling the season brings. But by far the best thing about fall to us is getting to decorate our house. More specifically, making it feel like an inviting and welcoming home during our favorite time of the year.

We collaborated with Pottery Barn for a three part series to bring you ideas on how to spruce up your fall decor this year, but with a fun little twist. We will be showing you how to decorate three different parts of your home using seven key items so that your money, and your creativity, will go a long way. The three areas we will be focusing on will be the dining room, the front door, and the fireplace mantle. Part 1 of the series is the dining room, so let’s get right to it!

When setting up a tablescape, it’s always best to start with the runner as the foundation, and build upon the rest from there. Once the runner is set, frame out your area by placing the topiaries where you want them on the table, usually about 2-3 feet apart depending on table size (ours is 9 ft). We placed faux fall leaves in the topiaries to make them more seasonal. Then, start placing your larger items on the table like the pumpkins and the seasonal decorations (the candy holder and wine holder). How cute are those "walking dead" condiment holders? We filled ours with candy corn for a fun, tis-the-season treat.

After the larger items are set, next place the garland since it will take up the majority of the space. We weaved ours around the pumpkins in a zigzag pattern so that it looked nice and full. Once you have the garland where you want it, begin filling in the empty spaces with the smaller items, such as candles, gourds, and little pumpkins. For a make-them-look-twice decoration, try adding these fun beaded spiders that are surprisingly life-like at first glance. They also let your guests know you don't take yourself too seriously ;).

After that, you can put the finishing touches on your tablescape by setting the table for guests. We went with a less formal feel by not placing silverware, but made sure that our napkins matched our runner for a custom look. As a fun little something extra, we sprinkled small, faux leaves around the table to give it a pop of color.

Since our dining room table was getting all of the attention, our buffet was looking a little sad and underwhelming, so next we turned our attention to it. We kept it simple, however, by adding lanterns with faux candles, fall garland, and vases flanking either side of it.

We filled the vases with dried branches (we used Sky Pencil Japanese Holly). When styling a room we always like to incorporate hints of nature any way we can, whether it’s live plants, faux plants, or even branches from your own backyard. It’s a simple way to bring the outside in!

Up next, we will turn our attention to the outside of your house to show you how to reuse these 7 items to make your front door/entryway feel welcoming and festive. We want to give a huge thank you to Pottery Barn for collaborating with us during our favorite time of the year! Stay tuned for part 2 of this series!

-Full list of products used-

• Pumpkins- Faux pumpkins, mosaic pumpkin, filigree punched ceramic pumpkins, German glitter pumpkins
• Faux Candles- flicker LED candles, premium flicker OD candles
• Garland- faux pomegranate and pinecone garland, fall garland
• Topiaries- preserved potted boxwood ball topiary
• Vases- Large yellow Sonoma Vase
• Lanterns- Malta Lanterns-Bronze Finish
• Seasonal decorations- Walking dead condiment snack bowl & serve bowl and stand, scattered pumpkin napkins, harvest pumpkin runner, beaded spiders, plum bundle

An Early Fall Weekend

This past weekend, while the weather was devastating in other parts of the country, it was absolutely beautiful in Tennessee. We had the windows open and the doors cracked, letting the sunshine and cool breeze pour in. It was a fleeting, early fall weekend, with temperatures rising back up into the 80s in a few days once the rainy and windy weather ceases.

We want to apologize now for all of the fall posts that are coming your way in the next couple of months. We are absolutely obsessed with fall and all the feelings that come with it. Are we #basic? Probably. But we aren't exaggerating when we say our town turns into Salem, MA from Hocus Pocus during the Halloween/fall season. So can you really blame us?

(Trick or Treat Yourself pillow, Jack O Lantern pillow, Silver Beaded pillow, Windsor dining chairs)

Our Guest Bedroom Collaboration with Pottery Barn

Last month, we did a guest bedroom collaboration with Pottery Barn where we showed you 8 quick tips on how to refresh your guest bedroom (or any bedroom, really) by making some subtle, yet effective changes. We've been getting a lot of questions about the items we used, so today, we're sharing those tips on our blog along with what specific products we chose to refresh our upstairs guest bedroom. Here we go!

Tip 1

Mismatched bedside tables and lamps can make a room feel off-balance and visually askew. We love the look of using different pieces of furniture so that the room doesn’t feel too matchy-matchy, but we do believe that matching lamps give the room a cohesive, intentional flow. These Chelsea Bedside Lamps in antique brass were the perfect mix of laid-back, casual, and sophisticated style that this room needed, and they look great beside the black metal of the bed frame and the brass pocket watch clock.

Tip 2

Sometimes simply moving furniture from one room to another can change how you use and see that piece. You may surprise yourself with how much you like it better in a different spot and, it’s totally free!

We brought in some wood and metal shelves from an existing bathroom where it used to hold towels and washcloths, and we repurposed it as a bookshelf between the two chairs to create a guest room reading nook. The bench at the end of the bed with the cute SLEEP IN pillow on it was also in another room not really being used, but it looks like it was made to sit at the foot of the bed.

Tip 3

Having a spot where guests can sit down and unwind or lay their belongings/luggage is ideal. We used to have one chair that looked pretty lonely by itself, so switching it up for two cozy leather chairs not only created symmetry, it also added additional seating. The Greer Striped Pillows add that extra layer of comfort, and they basically beg people to sit down, relax, and maybe even read a book or two.

Tip 4

Blank walls can make a room feel drab, uninviting, or even clinical. Creating a gallery wall of pictures in the space not only adds visual interest to the room, but it can make your guests feel more at-home, and even encourage conversation.

We grouped together old photographs of famous and intriguing people to create a small gallery wall that might make our guests stop to take a second look and discuss the people in the pictures. Plus, everyone loves a good gallery wall now and then!

Tip 5

Make a splash with pops of color! While we designed the room with creams, whites, and shades of ivory, we also brought in pops of red throughout for that fun splash of color. From the striped pillows and the plants in the room, to the thoughtfully-selected books on the shelves, it’s always a good idea to not leave the room too neutral-feeling. Have a little fun every now and then playing around with color!

Tip 6

Anticipating a guest’s needs is one of the most important, impressive, and delightful things you can do as a host. Case in point: Guests don’t always like to keep asking for the Wi-Fi password, so solve that issue before it becomes one by having it displayed in their room in an easy-to-find frame. They’ll thank you for the clever touch, and you’ll get bonus points for (almost) thinking of everything.

Tip 7

When choosing the bedding for our guest room, we wanted it to feel luxurious but not too pretentious. Going with the Harley Stripe Reversible Duvet Cover was the perfect fit for this room because it’s so casual, yet elegant-feeling (no seriously, you guys have to feel the linen/cotton blend because it’s amazing). Did we mention it’s reversible

The sheets we chose, the Belgian Flax Linen Sheet Set in Flagstone, feel every bit as comfortable as they look. When choosing bedding for a guest bedroom, it’s important to go pretty neutral; nothing too feminine and nothing too masculine. It’s all about balance, and with Pottery Barn’s choices of duvet covers and sheets, you pretty much can’t go wrong.

Tip 8

The colors you choose in your guest room — or any space, really — can have a powerful effect on how people feel when they stay overnight. Choosing a comforting, neutral color scheme layered with whites, creams, and browns creates a soothing and calming atmosphere where guests are sure to get a good night’s sleep. The linen curtains, white lamp shades, cream colored duvet cover, and brown leather chairs suggest this room is for one thing and one thing only: to slow down and relax.

So there you have it! We had so much fun putting this together and are happy to finally share it over here. For more inspiration and drool-worthy pictures, head on over to Pottery Barn's blog!