NancyC

Food, Home & Faith

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Stylish, Thrifty Decorating Tips from Simple Sustainable Style

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If you’re wanting to do some redecorating in your home, check out Simple Sustainable Style, a Country Living Book by designer Randy Florke. It’s filled with lots of wonderful ideas and tips. The author shows you how to “decorate with style and thrift, transforming the ordinary room into into a place of extraordinary personal charm.” Florke mixes in fabulous finds from flea markets and thrift stores in his decorating. The book is wonderfully written and filled with beautiful full-color photos as well. It’s a book you’ll really want to sit down with!

Here are just some of Florke’s many helpful tips found throughout the book:

For the Kitchen:

  • Liberate cabinets of doors to expose china collections.
  • Display humble foodstuffs…if they have colorful or retro labels.
  • Choose an accent color for a white kitchen and display it in seat cushions, throw rugs, pottery, or flowers.

For the Living Room:

  • Resist buying pieces from all one period or the room will appear either “store bought” or fussy. Mixing pieces you love, of varying periods, will put a stamp of originality–YOURS– on the room.
  • Use furniture where you need it, not where it’s “supposed” to be. Place a hutch, sideboard, or dresser in the living room if the look works for you.
  • Splurge, if you can, on one truly great piece for the living room. It might be that dreamed-of sofa or amazing pedestal table; live with special things.
  • Look for interesting lamp bases at thrift stores and flea markets, where many are for sale. Take the base along with you to purchase its shade, which should cover the hardware but not the decorative base.

For the Dining Room:

  • Even if you don’t have a room relegated to dining, create a dining niche in the living room corner or in an entryway alcove.
  • Home Comforts for a Dining Room: The biggest table possible. comfortable chairs aplenty, loads of fresh flowers, a sideboard (of any make) to display crystal and silver, candles and flattering light,  pale walls and important art, some aromatic, homemade dish, lovingly served.
  • Resist the urge to place flowers in an ordinary vase. Think enameled coffeepots, colorfully labeled cans, old milk bottles, or even olive oil tins. Place glass jars inside tin or metal containers to keep the rust away.
  • Chandeliers were made for dining rooms. Don’t be afraid to mix ornate fixtures with simple surroundings or vice versa.

For the Bedroom:

  • Home Comforts for a Bedroom: A comfortable bed, fresh bedclothes of natural fibers, calm, restful art, good reading light, handy bedside table, ample storage.
  • One of the little things that make a room memorable is a bed lavished in wonderful linens. Layers of color and texture, and natural fibers create a beautiful, luxurious bed.
  • Mix lightly used fabrics with contemporary purchases and layer interesting textures of chenille, linen, wool, felt, and lace.
  • A decorative bedstead anchors a room and imparts a sense of timelessness and stability.
  • The accompanying (bedside) table should be almost as tall as the top of the mattress.

For the Porch:

  • Choose wrought-iron tables with glass surfaces, three-legged side tables, and plenty of Adirondack-style chairs. A porch is not a porch without a rocking chair…
  • Metal furnishings work well on a porch, be they 1940s lawn chairs, more industrial-type stools, or even medical cabinets acting as storage or side tables.
  • Try not to crowd too many pieces on the porch…
  • Line up cast–concrete flower boxes along the perimeter of the porch and fill them seasonally with peonies, daisies, or swaths of evergreen.

There are also decorating ideas for the bathroom, entry way, staircase, and other transitional spaces, along with tips on decorating the exterior of the home and making smart flea market purchases.

Hope you find these tips helpful! Are you decorating any rooms in your home now?

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35 responses to “Stylish, Thrifty Decorating Tips from Simple Sustainable Style”

  4. My favorite room is my house is probably my daughter’s room. It’s still not complete but I have put a lot of love into it and think it is a wonderful little space.

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  5. I follow by email updates and love getting them… They don’t come too often that they overwhelm me but are a treasure when they do!

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  6. I do not think my first post went through so will comment again (hope I am not disqualified) because this book is something I could really use. My favorite room is my bedroom.

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  13. I love my bedroom the best…my furniture was bought when we got married 34 years ago and the pillows and comforter are big and fluffy

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  17. I love my dining/music room the best. We spend most of our time in that room. It is getting a face lift this spring and this book would be great inspiration!

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  21. We are currently adding a section onto our beachside home and all ideas are welcome, it’s so amazing when you come across something you didn’t think of and have that lovely AHA! moment where you feel like you created something wonderful. Hope I win this book! Always enjoy your post, Carol

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  22. My favorite room in my house is the living room. It is where our family gathers and it is full of love. (Most of the time).

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  26. Hi Nancy…I receive your posts through my email and also have you listed on my blog friend list, so your posts also come up there.
    This is my second entry…thank you!

    Deborah 😉

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  29. I follow your blog via my email and enjoy your many delicious recipes. I guess my favorite room in the house is my loft where I do most of my craft work, otherwise my kitchen where there is always something goin’ on!

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  34. I love to decorate!!! I have a mobile home in Florida that I’ve done all beachy and a mobile home at the Jersey shore that I’ve done Beachy-Shabby chic. Our everyday house in New Jersey is under renovation but I love my bedroom. I follow you on
    e-mail and I appreciate your sharing all of your great ideas. The first time I went onto your blog was when I was looking for recipes for chalk and milk paint. Thank you for a treasure of information!!

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