Is Your Home Looking A Little Grannyish?

 

This blog post has been on my mind for quite awhile.  I hesitated to write it because I want to be helpful and not hurtful. You will notice there are no pictures in this post because I wanted to make sure I did not offend someone by putting up a picture of their home, unknowingly. 

This post is full of information!!The information you are about to read is not just from me, but from some ladies that I truly respect their opinions and design aesthetics.

 So right out of the gate let me say this,

 "If you love your home and the way it looks this post is not for you. If you want to update, or refresh your home and think it is looking a bit tired, and  you are open to some new ideas and a way of looking at your home read on!"

I absolutely love being a Grandma aka: Grammy. However I do NOT want my home to look Grannyish. 

I am not talking Granny Chic which has come into vogue with the 20-30 somethings over the past 4-5 years. 

They can get away with it, they are young and cool!! I have a theory, " If you did it the first go around you should probably not do it this go around." This also can apply to wardrobe, but that is a whole different show!!

Design is always going to be subjective and we  won't all agree on, or like the same type of designs. However there are some good guidelines in design that we can all find helpful.

I asked some designers, and some design enthusiast that I truly respect and admire, what do they think makes a room look like a GRANNY room.

Here is what the pros had to say...... 

Michele Ranard of Hello Lovely Studio is a student of life and design, always learning and sharing her experiences in a beautiful almost lyrical manner on her blog. I always try to read her blog post, her insights are always spot on and that is exactly why I asked her the question. Michele had this to say....

Grannies are lovely; Granny style can be tired. When I think "Granny style," I see: gallery walls of colorful family photos in awful frames, under-scaled coffee tables topped with knickknacks, loveseats matched to sofas, and antique/vintage decor without modern pieces or contemporary art worked into the mix for balance and harmony. 

Does any of this sound familiar? Do you recognize any of these elements in your own home. Maybe it is time to rethink your rooms and decor.

Mary Ann Picket of Classic Casual Home blog and Chez Vous design services was very enthusiastic about this subject. She has a very clean, classic design aesthetic and always makes a home look fresh and current and yet timeless at the same time. I love Mary Ann's design aesthetic and find that we are often times in sync.

Mary Ann  said this.....

TOO Granny:  All matching wood furniture sets.  Try breaking them apart and adding painted finishes and/or pieces made from a different material like stone or metal.

Too many tiny photo frames everywhere:  Store them in favor of few, but larger coordinating frames.  

Man...I could go on...

Amy Perdue, who just happens to be a very talented decorating consultant and my DIL. 

Amy has a very keen eye for good design and what works, I always love to get her point of view. She is young, hip, stylish and has a classic way about her. She is always in tune with what is current but never gets too far off from the classics. This is what Amy said.....

Too many trends in one room

Fake Flowers/plants.

Clutter, or collections of little glass figurines

Plastic on couches

Plastic fruit, pretty much anything plastic

dated blinds

dark wood paneling

Even though some of the, "Granny," look is in, you have to do it just right. Afghans and doilies are cool, but  only if used in the right way. 

 Amy even sent a picture of Granny chic done right!!

Beth Woodson and Kristy Woodson Harvey, a mother daughter team that write the beautiful design blog Design Chic.  If you need a daily dose of fabulous design, these two ladies are your source!!Kristy is also a well known author. Her latest book, 'Slightly South Of Simple,' is a MUST read. I had a hard time putting the book down. You can find it here.

I loved what they had to say and a couple of things I had'nt thought of, but totally agreed with.......

1. Victorian paint colors like rose or pea green instantly make us think “Old Lady House!”

2. We may be changing our tune soon because we know florals are in and chintz is making its comeback. Even still, we can’t help but think of Granny when we think of chintz.

 

Before I asked all these talented ladies what they thought, I wrote my own  list of what I think will make a room look Granny and not in a good Granny Chic way......

This is my list.....

CLUTTER! Not every surface and wall need to be addressed with decor.

Artificial floral arrangements of poor quality

Too  many matchy-matchy  furniture pieces or fabrics

Too many dark woods

Inappropriate sizes of furniture pieces, and too many pieces of furniture in a room.

Poor lighting

Too many brown, reds, and golds

Plants on top of kitchen cupboards

Dated furniture of poor quality

Dated  or worn carpeting on floors

Overly dressed windows/heavy treatments

Bowls of potpourri

Too many throws or afghans

Too many collectables or vintage pieces of poor quality. Always try to buy the best quality you can afford.

Bustle back furniture or recliners,

Lace tablecloths and doilies on all the table tops or worse yet on the backs or arms of furniture.

Too many things displayed on fridge

Dated wallpaper with borders

Decorative towels with embellishments

Matching rugs and toilet seat covers

Too many iron grill-works on the walls
Trying to look like a home in Tuscany 

Lots of information to digest. What is a homeowner to do? 

Take a look at  what you have that is dated and tired. Be brutally honest with yourself. Unless it is a true antique and you have had it for the last 20 years it is most likely looking either a little dated or tired and needs to be addressed.

Find images of rooms you love and dissect them piece by piece. Study the picture and figure out exactly what you love about this room and then try to duplicate it in your own interpretation that fits your style, home, and budget.

Remember this post is not to put anyone to shame, but instead to open your mind and eyes to new possibilities. 

BTW: Please excuse the discrepancy in the size and color of some of the print. Blogger's editor was not working with me today. Ugh!!!

 

 

Pom-Poms, Scallops, Tassels! Oh MY!!!

    

 Are you a scallop or a ruffle girl? How about some fringe or tassels? 

I know all these elements are big this season, especially ruffles. If you see a ruffle on me it will be a very soft one nothing too poofy for me. I am poofy enough on my own.

Now if you are talking fringe or pom poms I have discovered I am all over that trend. Who knew??

Scallops fall in line perfectly with my preppy sensibilities.

I have a few pieces on my radar and a few that I already own that I will share with you in each of the above categories.....

SCALLOPS

I just got this cute navy scalloped skirt from Talbots, it fits like a glove and I love the detail on the bottom of the hem, which hits me just barely at the top of my knee..

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I am going to have fun wearing this for the rest of the summer. I think it can be a dress up,  or dress down piece according to the accessories I put with it. 

Scallops can get a bit sweet and cutesy so I try to be careful when choosing a piece of clothing, but they are so preppy and I love that!

POM-POMS and Tassels

Pom-poms have been on trend for a couple of season and I must say I am totally on board.

 I did not even realize I was missing something in my life until I purchased my first pom pom dress last year for a swimsuit cover up, and I found I actually wore it as a a dress as well, plus it has POCKETS!!!!

I have a couple of pieces on my shopping list that have some pom poms on them as well as tassels. They just say FUN To me.

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If and when I get this dress I will probably have the sleeves shortened a bit. I find for me a little shorter works better. A simple alteration to make it more me.

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This is too cute for words, gingham and tassels, count me in. I would wear this with white denim cut offs or white jeans.

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Blue and white stripes with black is so my style. Sounds very much like my great room in our home!!! Just a fun little top that will be very cool for the summer heat.

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It is knit, blue and comfy PLUS a little fun tassel  detail on the bottom.

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I am not a big fan of off the shoulder for me, but I have found that if there are no embellishments on the top edge and it is plain with elastic it still looks cute up on the shoulder. This little cutie would be for a swimsuit cover up for me. It looks so cool and easy to wear.

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This is a golden yellow color that I love wearing and the little touches of tassels makes it current and fun. I think a really cute pair of patterned slides would look great with this dress.

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Can we all say CUUUUTE!!!

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This is about as Bohemian as I will get and notice it is striped!! Go figure!!

RUFFLES

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I really like the soft ruffle on this chambray skirt. It would be so easy to wear with plain white or a black and white striped tank top and look cute with a pair of black slides or even flip flops.

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Cool and easy breezy to wear in the summer. This would be a fun go-out-to-dinner dress. Good for packing too, it is knit!!

Of course there are shoes, sandals and bags with all of the above elements too. I feel another blog post coming on!!

 

 

Easy To-DO and Inexpensive SUMMER Decor

 

Sometimes it is the simplest of things that can make us happy and I also think simple things can add beauty to our homes. 

We don't necessarily have to go out and buy the most expensive of decor elements to add beauty to our homes. I love to pick up flowers and produce to add color and texture to my home when I am at the grocery store.

Today I am going to show you several pictures of  grocery store bouquets and produce that I used to add some loveliness to our home.

Keep in mind all of these you are about to see usually cost between $9-$12 at our local grocery store, and I know most grocery stores carry flowers now.

A vintage wood bowl and fresh produce added next to a bouquet of flowers always makes me smile.

I like to keep snacks out on my counter so I used soup bowls filled with nuts and cranberries. The white roses and candles add a nice glow.

 Again fun finds from the grocery store and I put them in a colorful pitcher and basket.

I love fresh tomatoes from the fruit stands that we have in our area, they not only look pretty, but they are delicious!

If you have left over flowers find an unusual way to display them. 

You will notice I change out the colors of my bowls, vases and pitchers according to the produce and the flowers I am using.

 Sometimes a grouping of bowls can be more of a statement than one bowl of produce.

Sometimes I will add just a touch of produce by a vase that adds a nice compliment to the flowers I am using. I love the way the limes pull out the greens in the stems of the daffodils.

If I am having overnight guest I like to keep out a tray of goodies for them to snack on anytime they want to. Notice I also have some limes and lemons and cuties to fill in the empty spaces. All full of color and texture.

Fresh yellow tomatoes with balsamic vinegar and red cherry tomatoes.

It doesn't have to be a large bouquet to be pretty.

I like to have a bud vase in my bathrooms for a flower or two, just adds a nice touch.

I often will add "3" flowers in a vase, one for each of my son's! When I look at them I always think of my boys.

Simple daisies in French perfume lab beakers.

When I have guest I will put out what they might need to make a cup of tea or coffee next to the coffee pot for easy access, notice the addition of one simple pansy in a vintage blue bottle.

Little bouquets from our rose bushes waiting to be placed throughout our home.

One sprig of fern in vintage bottles adds a fresh touch on the window sill of the kitchen.

No flowers not to worry add a glass full of colorful straws with your bowl of produce!!

I will leave you all with this weeks simple flowers and produce.

Remember every thing you saw in this post today was purchased at the grocery store or fruit stand. The best part the price point and how easy it all is to do!!

Enjoy your Summer 

fresh fruit and flowers!!!!