On Saturday my good friend Kelley and I decided to take a trip to the Westport Home Goods. Since our local stores will not open for a couple of more weeks, we thought it would be fun to see what the Connecticut stores had to offer. We made it in right before a line formed (its one in and one out and masks are required). The store was pretty crowded so it was hard to get good photos. I had to snap quickly and I could not arrange the items as nicely as I would have liked but I did find a bunch of things so I hope this gives you some decorating ideas. I cannot wait to do a follow up post when our New York locations open.
This was a great smaller shelving unit…it would be perfect in a home office..
I went looking for a cool rattan outdoor table, no luck but I did find a bunch of rattan planters and candle holders. I wish I brought that one on the right home with me!!! It was so good looking in person.
I also loved the look of this standing planter, it would be great painted a fun color!
I am in desperate need of a small decorative light for the bar cart in my dining room. I fell in love with this but really wanted something taller.
These lamps were a much better option for a bar cart but they looked so good as a pair that I decided to keep looking…
I am really into the blue and white look these days..there were a ton of options…
The mirror selection was out of this world…I fell in love with this mirror…it would look good in so many places….
There were also a bunch of plastic glasses for outdoor entertaining..my friend Betsy would have LOVED those bee glasses but they only had 4..I’m on the lookout for a bigger set for her!!!!! Also, I’m dying to try the silicone stemless wine glasses..they were $8 for a set of 4!!!!!!!!
I don’t know how I passed up this oval lantern..it was fabulous!!!!
How cute is this outdoor love seat!!!???
There was something about this mother of pearl cabinet that stood out for me..it would be so great in a pool house or a beach house…
Of course you know I cannot resist an asian garden stool!!!
They had a large assortment of garden pagodas. These would also look incredible painted fun colors and placed on a patio. They also had solar lights built in…
My friend from Miami posted these cane design glasses and I immediately fell in love…they also had those beautiful pink greek key glasses.
This cane light would look perfect on a porch or covered patio….they are really hard to find so I was surprised to see it there….
There was something about this artwork that caught my eye…the photo really does not do it justice…they are polished rocks framed in a shadow box and really stunning in person…I wish I had a place for these…sooooo cool!!!!
I cannot resist a bamboo mirror either…this one was a great size…
and lastly there are no words to how beautiful this mirror was..I hope someone goes back and buys it…..
While spending a lot of time at home things around the house can start to feel a bit old and tired fast. You may decide that it is time to do some renovations. It’s a great way to add value to your home and make everything feel more welcoming again, but improvements can be expensive. Many people find themselves in a tough situation because they want to improve their home but they don’t want to spend a lot of money. But what if you could make the changes that you want without breaking the bank? As long as you follow these tips, you can save a lot of money on home renovations.
Repair Instead Of Replace
If you are renovating a room like a kitchen, for example, you may decide that you are going to replace all of the appliances in there. But that is going to get expensive very quickly, so you need to find another way. The thing is, those appliances are probably fine and if they do have any small issues, they can easily be fixed by an appliance repair company, which is a lot cheaper. As long as you take care of your appliances properly, there is no need to replace them every time you do work on your home.
Clean Instead Of Paint
In some cases, when paint is peeling off the walls, it’s best to strip it back and give the walls another coat of paint. However, when it comes to the exterior of your home, there may be no need to paint the walls because they may just be dirty. Moss and grime builds up over the years and even though your walls don’t look great, the paint underneath is actually in good condition. If you use a house washing service to clean the walls off, you may find that they look as good as new. This will be a lot cheaper and quicker than stripping back and painting your entire house.
Compromise On Materials
Imagine you’re looking at some new tiles for the bathroom and you find some that you fall in love with right away, then you check the price tag and realize that they are very expensive. If you are not willing to compromise, your renovation budget is going to be stretched. The thing is, you can get budget versions of the most expensive materials that will give the same end result. The only difference that you will be able to notice is the big difference in price, so be willing to compromise. You can also save a lot of money if you use reclaimed materials in your home instead of buying brand new.
Set A Budget And Stick To It
If you start shopping for materials and making plans without a budget in place, your spending will spiral out of control in no time at all. But if you draw up a clear budget so you know exactly what your top limit is, you will find it a lot easier to stay under budget and work out where to spend your money.
As part of your budget, you could consider asking for help from at least one professional in your home renovation journey. You don’t want to get the construction team in to do it all for you, and we get that/ however, there are some jobs that you shouldn’t do yourself around the home, and it’s these that you should budget for a professional. For example, you could clean out your gutter yourself, but replacing the gutter systems? That should probably be left to a team of experts who know exactly what they’re doing. This is the time you should budget that little extra so that you can afford to have someone who knows how to work a ladder check out your gutters and give you some feedback. Home renovations don’t have to be mega expensive: you just have to know when to ask for help!
Follow these simple tips and you can cut the cost of home renovations in a big way.
Most of my house has a chinoiserie look to it. While I have been sheltering in place, I started thinking that maybe I should carry that look out to the patio. It is work in progress, as is everything around here, but I am going to show you what I used as my inspiration and will hopefully have a finished product of my Chinoiserie Chic patio soon!!!
I hope everyone is having a relaxing Memorial Day weekend. As we toast all of the Heroes who have served our country, here are some very festive tables for us to celebrate. I am also giving you a jump start on your Fourth of July decor. I love Red White and Blue but I am also loving just the blue and white theme this year!!!! Enjoy!!!!..Happy Memorial Day and Stay Safe!!!!
Today was supposed to be my son’s graduation from Providence College. Like everything else, so much was planned and then canceled. Overall we are so grateful for an amazing school that he loved and had the best 4 year experience. So instead of dressing up and heading to the graduation ceremony, I thought I would do a Weekend Real Estate Staking to lighten the mood around here…I have loved Amanda Lindroth’s Island style (she is based in Lyford Cay) for a while now. Her WEBSITE is nothing short of fabulous. The hurricanes, tabletop items, wicker furniture are so beautiful. I finally caved and treated myself to a gorgeous Pagoda. HERE, Amanda gives us a tour of her beautiful home “Hope Hill” in the Bahamas. I hope you enjoy her gorgeous aesthetic as much as I do!!! Happy Sunday!!!
These days, we’re all trying to save money. When you’re trying to fix up your home or you are figuring out the best ways to keep your finances in check you have to look at your immediate surroundings. When it comes to your appliances you must remember that these are one of the biggest expenses in the home. As such, we have to remember how important it is to look after our appliances. Many people believe that appliances are only built to last so long. But the important thing to bear in mind is to make sure that your appliances last longer, not just for the benefit of your wallet, but for the environment as well. What are the best approaches to take?
Read The Instruction Manual
When you need to fix your brand name appliances, do you ever refer to the instruction manual? We’re all guilty of throwing the instruction manual away but as boring as this sounds, the user manual will help us to make sure that we are using our appliance properly. Also, user manuals give plenty of pointers on the appliance maintenance. When we start to care for our appliances properly they will last longer, but also remember that there is plenty of customer support for your appliances available from the manufacturer.
The Importance Of Ventilation
Whether it’s your washer dryer or your refrigerator/freezer, it’s important to remember that these appliances need adequate ventilation to do their job properly. When the coils on your fridge gather dust and you do not routinely clean it, it can cause issues over time with the power supply. As dust collects, the fridge has to work harder to pump the electricity around. Leave 2 cm of extra space behind and above the appliance, allowing for ventilation but also to give you the opportunity to clean these items properly.
Keeping Your Appliances Clean
Many people think that they only need to clean the appliance when they start to see aesthetic issues. But when it comes to something like your washer-dryer, the amount of mold and bacteria that can build up without you being able to see it can mean that your appliance is corroding from the inside. It’s important for you to run your washer-dryer without any clothes in it once a month without any detergent. The vast majority of your appliances will work much better when the residue is clear. I use THIS washing machine cleaner and it works wonders!
Inspect the Items Around Your Home
It takes a couple of seconds to look at your toaster or kettle before you use it and once you get into this mindset of having a quick glance to see if there are any problems you’ll be able to keep on top of these issues. It’s a good idea to get into a maintenance mindset because you will be able to spot any problems before they get worse. The same thing applies to your appliances like your washer-dryer. When you check the filter and empty it on a regular basis, you will get rid of the debris and other bits that have accumulated inside there over time.
It’s very easy to make your appliances last a long time, but so many people don’t think that they can’t do anything about it apart from purchasing a new one. If you really want to save money and save the environment, follow these four practices, and extend the life of your household appliances.