SOCIAL MEDIA

January 12, 2015

Clean Slate

I have a confession to make.  I enjoy putting away the Christmas decor even more than I enjoy putting it up.  It has taken me a long time to realize this!  Before decorating for Christmas each year, I pack away much of our regular decor clutter because I know if I don't, Christmas stuff will overwhelm us quickly.  So when we finally pack away all of our Christmas things into our seemingly endless assortment of red and green bins and haul them all into our attic (while my kids complain the entire time about this task), I look around our empty house and take a breath.  A deep breath.  I enjoy the emptiness for a day.  And then I get to start fresh with a clean slate to turn our house back into a home.
Ikea stocksund chair in living room with striped drapes, wicker tray on wall and ampersand throw pillow-www.goldenboysandme.com

This corner of our living room used to have a console table repurposed as a  desk.  I decided to re-repurpose it back to a console table.  Which is what I love about re-purposing furniture in the first place.  You can always change it back when you feel like a change.  I have been loving this chair that we bought this past fall at Ikea in this corner.  It is so comfortable and my favorite reading spot.
Ikea stocksund chair in living room with striped drapes, wicker tray on wall and ampersand throw pillow-www.goldenboysandme.com
The console table is back behind the sofa.
White painted sofa table with Target Threshold lamp-www.goldenboysandme.com
Neutral living room with window seat and striped window treatments-www.goldenboysandme.com
ladder style bookshelf in neutral living room with magnetic eye chart perpetual calendar-www.goldenboysandme.com
In an effort to keep things real in 2015 (one of my main goals for the blog this year), this is what is happening on the other side of the sofa.  
This sofa is incredibly comfortable.  But it also looks terribly sloppy most of the time.  When I photograph this room, I spend at least 10 minutes fixing the cushions so it looks presentable.  I didn't want to wake Keeper (our dogs are crazy spoiled), so I thought it was a good opportunity to show you what it would look like if you, say,  stopped by for a cup of coffee.  Also, that pouf from Target last year has somehow lost all of its "pouf"-ness.  It probably has something to do with my 3 boys.  So I need to brave the frigid temperatures one day soon to get some more bean bag filling for it.  
Pottery Barn iron pig dinner bell in country kitchen-www.goldenboysandme.com
Billy gave me an iron dinner bell for Christmas, which was pretty much my favorite gift this year.  He  learned long ago that I wasn't a typical jewelry type of girl.  Things for our house are what really make me happy.  He found the pig dinner bell at Pottery Barn.  And now I can just ring the bell to call all of my guys to dinner, instead of yelling repeatedly.  Perfect!
Pottery Barn iron pig dinner bell in country kitchen-www.goldenboysandme.com
My mom gave me a new salt box from Williams Sonoma.  She had given me one a couple of years ago and I adored it.  Sadly, it broke during our range hood mantel project and I just couldn't bring myself to spend the money to replace it.  So she surprised me by replacing it for me this year (and she also gave me a new professional blow dryer which has been awesome).  The salt box is currently up on the mantel, but it is meant to be hung on a wall near the stove.  I haven't figured out where I want to hang it yet, but I am also considering leaving it up there where it is safe. 
Hand painted salt box from Williams Sonoma in kitchen in DIY mantel hood-www.goldenboysandme.com
I still have lots to do in the rest of the house, but I am happily enjoying our "newly" decorated kitchen/living room.  

17 comments :

  1. Courtney, I love undecorating too (well, when it's all finished, anyway), I love leaving the house more or less empty - shelves & tabletops - until the mood strikes which, so far, things are still pretty bare after two weeks. Yesterday my sister & I finished clearing leftover Christmas from our booth spaces in the antique mall (it won't stay bare for more than two days), and I am so tempted just to drive my boxes to charity instead of hauling one more thing to the basement! Love your home and how you're keeping it real. The pig bell is adorable.
    Rita C at Panoply

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    1. Hi Rita, I am glad to know I am not the only one who enjoys living with a bare house for a time. LOL, I hear you about hauling one more box of Christmas stuff! I am glad to hear you are enjoying the "keeping it real" pictures. Have a great week!

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  2. Love your home and I, too, enjoy the undecorating. Thank you thank you thank you for the "keeping it real" photo. I love looking at blogs and get so many ideas from them but sometimes wonder what it looks like on a normal day. It's nice to see that everything isn't perfect all the time.

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    1. Hi Cindy, Thank you for letting me know you enjoy the "keeping it real" pictures! My house definitely doesn't look like my blog pictures on an average day. Sometimes, I look at pictures of my own house and can't believe it ever looked that neat (especially in the mudroom). Have a great week!

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  3. Ok as a fellow golden owner I can say, I love the Keeping it Real Photos! I too didn't want to disturb my princess Maddie this morning and left the bed unmade so she will be comfy. I always have wondered if so many bloggers just clean their homes all day long cause I just can't keep up. I know we all strive to keep up with our homes and make the appearances beautiful but, it's so nice to know that real life does go on there. Keeper looks so comfy!

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    1. Glad to know you like the "real" pictures. I would go crazy if I tried to keep my home photo ready! I would do that same as you and leave my bed unmade if my dog looked comfy :)

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  4. Courtney,
    I am so like you with the undecorating part. I took it a step further this year and cleared not only the Christmas but also the whole room lol! It was fun to redecorate with things I already had for a whole new look. I have seen your reading chair at Ikea and want to replace mine. I have the Jenny Lund and it is really not comfy to sit for very long. Looks pretty but not comfy. So I may have to look into the one you have from Ikea. Have a great week.
    kris

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    1. Hi Kris,

      We replaced our Jennylund chair with this one and it is so much more comfortable! Great chair for the price and I love that I can just wash the slipcover. Your dining room looks great!

      Courtney

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  5. Your home is so lovely, Courtney...cozy and welcoming! The pig dinner bell is wonderful!

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  6. I love Christmas decor, but after Christmas I always feel 'confused' as to what what where, if I should add new, decorate for winter etc..LOL! I love your home & it always looks fabulous in my book!!

    Paige.Rose

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  7. As much as I love Christmas, I do love that fresh feeling when everything is cleaned up. I just found a few stragglers around my house that need to be put away. Love your pig dinner bell! Such fun to put out the new gifts isn't it? Your sweet doggie looks so content. We have a similar scene around here today. Enjoy the rest of your week!
    Shelley

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  8. Love how cozy your house looks!!! If you don't mind me asking where are the curtains in the kitchen from or if they were made what fabric was used?

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  9. Hi Courtney! I'm a first time visitor to your blog and I love your style! Your home is beautiful. Would you be willing to share the gorgeous paint color in your living room (behind that cute Ikea chair)? It's such a perfect neutral. Thank you!! Now I'm off to check out some of your other posts! :)

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    1. Hi! So glad you stopped by today. The paint color is Behr Castle Path. It is a lovely neutral!

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