OUR GALLERY WALL + MY FAVORITE PLACES TO SHOP FOR ART

It occured to me that I haven’t done much sharing of the coming together of this gallery wall of ours here on the blog and that is unacceptable. With that in mind, I wanted to share, not only pics of the gallery wall in our living room that is forever evolving and changing, but also share some things I love adding to mine and where I like to source some of my most fave wall art for others or for my own home.

This gallery wall of ours was all the rave throughout the year but as we know, all good things must come to an and.

Right now, our living room is in shambles as we begin work on refacing our fireplace and I am just beside myself with excitement about this project.

We’ve been patient and have waited for the right time as time and finances have allowed and well—it is time!

Anyhow, I wanted to share some of my favorite resources for vintage art as I begin to plan for another refresh in our living room and pulling it all together with the new fireplace facing. I can’t wait to show you the process and, of course, the final product. Stay tuned.

1. Vintage Supply

2. Restoration House Shoppe

3. Etsy

4. Tuesday Made Shop

5. Fabius Grange (Etsy)

6. Chairish

7. Chairish

8. BFF Print Shop

9. Juniper Print Shop

10. Ebay

I hope you have some fun shopping for some art to fill your spaces.

I’d love to see how you’re filling your walls and homes with carefully curated pieces that tell the world more and more about who you are and what you’re passionate about.

Be sure to join us by us by signing up for our newsletter and also joining the RH community on Instagram as well.

Until next time,

MY OUTDOOR PATIO PLANS + SOME INSPIRATION

We’ve been in the house now for almost two years this summer and most of the furniture that we have on the back patio we brought form our old place (where it lived on our front porch as we never used our back patio) and to be honest, it was never furniture that complemented the lifestyle of our family of six very well.

You all know that investing in furniture for your outdoor spaces can get quite pricey which is why I decided to give it some time, shop around and find some really great deals on pieces that would last and that I also love.

When given the opportunity to partner with Amazon Home for a bit of summer refresh, I knew I’d want to put most of my focus on clearing out and cleaning up the back yard and I knew the linchpin to hold it all together would be the replacing of our old seating and adding layers and textures with greenery and plants and other pieces of decor that would help make the space feel a little more cozy and cohesive.

I’m in love with the idea of an English garden. (*screams in “eeeek! “) I admire how much actual planning goes into them but how unfussy they ultimately look. When I consider the English garden there are a few things that this type of outdoor space should have.

FIVE THINGS EVERY ( AND MY ) ENGLISH GARDEN NEEDS

1. VINEY, VERTICAL GROWTH. I planted a bit of white flowering potato vine on the back, left side of our patio but I’m aiming for more. I’m not sure there is such a thing as too much greenery when it comes to the idea of the English garden or ANY garden, in my opinion.

via Hello Lovely Studio

2. AN ARBOR OR ENTRY GATE. Around the side path there is the perfect place for an arbor and entry from the front to the back yard. It’s pretty shaded by mature trees that keep that side of our house pretty cool in the summer so we don’t want to cut them down. We’ll have to find just the right plant to place there that will be able to thrive in the mostly shady spot.

via Rhyme and Reason

3. LIGHTING + SEATING. Traditional seems to be the way but my seating will be a good mix of both modern and traditional, much like the rest of our home. Traditionally, this style of garden would boast gas sconce lighting but in this world and budget, we’re going for the good ol’ party lights.

via Jenna Sue Design

4. HEDGES. Boxwoods and the like, no garden is complete without them. I have yet to determine where mine will go but I love a good boxwood here and there to create symmetry and boundaries.

Via Southern Living

via Southern Living

And last but certainly, not least…

5. Line the path. This space is meant to soak up the relaxation and spend time in. We don’t have acres and acres of property but there is a path that leads from the front to the back of the house and I do plan to use the space. English gardens are meant for walking and communing and who doesn’t love a good view when partaking in those activities?

via Gardenista

photo by Kendra Wilson

I love the idea of a crushed rock of some sort or gravel. My plan is to go with flagstone pavers for the gravel portion on the side of our patio.

I hope some of this has been helpful for you and aspirational as we all likely dive into blowing the dust off of our outdoor spaces and livening them up as summer approaches.

I can’t wait to show you the progress for our space. You’ll be able to track all the behind the scenes shares over on Instagram and I’ll also share the final reveal here.

Until then, friends…

XO,

Kennesha

SHOP THE STORY

Are you following RH on Instagram?

A CORNER REFRESH + HOW TO QUICKLY CREATE SPACES THAT REVIVE IN YOUR HOME

Hey friends!

If you’re popping over from Instagram thank you and if you just landed here from other places I’d love for you to have you join me and the rest of the community there as you’ll get daily interactions either in my feed or stories. I absolutely love connecting with you all in that way!

So, let’s talk about the elephant in the room here, shall we? I know. The popcorn viburnum has seen better days but we’re not here to talk about that.

Today, we’re here to chat about this corner in our living room that stood still and empty and boring for far too long.

I think we’ve definitely given it a bit more personality with this local vintage find of a table and I’m just so thrilled to be able to continue displaying some of my favorite found pieces and decor that I love in this little corner.

Can you spot the cat scratches?

When I bought it from a local antique shop, the lady at the checkout wanted to be sure I still wanted it as the vendor’s note read “cat scratches on two legs”. Honestly, those “details” only made me love it all the more.

Do I care for cats? No. But I do love a good story and I enjoyed imagining all the good ones this piece could tell.

You all already know how I feel about looking for pieces in our home that have character and a bit of a story so when I realized this wasn’t just wear and were actual cat scratches I felt more connected to the piece.

You’re may also be wondering if I measured the corner or knew the scale would work for the space. If you’ve followed here long enough, you know that I did not. I fell in love with the piece, gave it a good eyeball and said a million prayers.

I wanted to use it in this corner but I knew that if it didn’t work there, I’d absolutely figure out how to use it SOMEWHERE in our house.

PHOTOGRAPHY | Anna Peters

Image originally posted as part of an article on Rip + Tan. You can read more of my interview with Jenni Kayne for Rip + Tan here.

I didn’t have a great pic of the corner before so here’s a photo of me posing for the ‘gram while I dream about ways to make this corner a little more “happy”. This is actually an image I snagged from my interview with Jenni Kaye for Rip + Tan.

THREE WAYS YOU CAN REVIVE YOUR TINY SPACES

(and continue to tell your home story)

1. CREATE A BASE LAYER. What’s your foundation? Here, I added a table. Even though I eyeballed for this space, remember that scale matters. You don’t want to have a small piece of furniture in a massive space and vice versa. As a general rule, if you’re creating a cozy spot with seating and a side table, you’ll want to be sure the side table to extend no less than 2 inches below the arm of your chair or sofa. This means if your chair or sofa is 22”H then your side table should reach no higher than 20”H. Of course, this is the standard. I’m obviously all for breaking rules and ultimately, I’m always an advocate for doing what feels right and good for you. For this corner, this was the perfect scale and shape. Other things to consider: color/tone and texture (type of material)

2. ADD SOMETHING PERSONAL. This is the fun part where you get to really extend the story. If we’re talking storytelling, this is “where the plot thickens”. If this space is going to serve as more than a spot to highlight more of your personality and soul of your home and act as a functional space for you, you’ll want to consider what you need for in order to make it work for YOU. Is it a reading corner? Add your favorite books. Do you like having cough drops or ginger chews when you read? Grab that old silver container or that basket you picked up in Mexico that’s likely sat on and collected dust and put it to good use in that space. Think of ways that you can make it both functional and personal and don’t be afraid to step out of your box or comfort zone when doing so.

3. DON’T FORGET THE LIGHT. Regardless of whether you’re using this special spot for its functionality or to add a bit of character to something empty, light is an important addition in any room. Our living room is one of the brightest in the house and this corner is the source of our natural light. It’s is one of my FAVORITE spots in our house as it offers a full view of our split rail fence and all the green that coats the backyard throughout the year (hello, evergreens of the Pacific Northwest)

I really do love the way this corner is shaping up and can’t wait to continue sharing with you how it will transform but even more, I wanna see yours. Be sure to tag me on IG if you take some of these tips and use them in your own home to create spaces that you love and that help in restoring and reviving YOUR soul.

xo,

Kennesha