Nanny to Mommy

Decorating a house is not something that everyone is immediately skilled at. A lot of people struggle with it! However, there are ways to keep it creative and beautiful, without stressing about it a ton. Here are some of my best tips when it comes to ways to be creative with home décor:

The best way to style a room or a full home is to keep it stupid simple. You do not have to go overboard, by any means. I believe that a neat, “less is more” home is better. This means that you don’t have to go crazy with the amount of décor items that you have displayed throughout your home. One area to focus on, though, that is simple? A bookshelf! Since messy shelves can make an entire room look disorganized, pretty yours up. The foolproof way: Arrange hardcover books from tallest to shortest on most shelves. Lay a few too-tall books (or any other books) flat to serve as bookends to keep the others in place. Add decorative items such as pottery or framed photos to one or two shelves. You don't want accessories on every shelf or it appears cluttered. Use baskets or boxes to hide unattractive DVDs or paperbacks (or stash these elsewhere). Leave empty space on some shelves here and there so the eye has a place to rest. See - this is SUPER simple, but if you follow those steps, your room automatically looks more stylish and clutter-free. KISS (keep it stupid simple) always works, I promise.

My favorite tip for all things related to decorating? Use meaningful items. This will look different for each person (obviously), but I always opt to get creative with décor that actually means something vs. basic random items that you do not truly love. Add in pictures of your family, souvenirs from trips, or other special items. If you are decorating your own office space, consider adding in a custom nameplate from East Point Foundry. They are custom, high-quality, and absolutely beautiful. If you have someone to celebrate, give them a cast bronze plaque (also from East Point Foundry). This is also meaningful and so beautiful to display in a home!

Who is East Point Foundry? Located in Atlanta, Georgia since 1948, President and Owner, Scott Livingston acquired East Point Foundry in 1997 and has grown the company very much since then, with a focus on exemplary service in mankind and a commitment to excellence. East Point Foundry hand crafts rich, high-quality cast bronze and aluminum plaques for building signs, corporate facilities, donor recognition and memorials for schools, churches, and private organizations. Each item is custom made, so you have the option to choose even the smallest of details such as borders (no border, single line, double line, bevel), textures (leatherette, pebble), size (large, small, round, rectangle, custom), and even the art and layout. Whatever you choose, you will know that East Point Foundry will pay attention to the small details, in order to make your special piece 100% perfect and custom made specifically for you.

Sticking with the seasons isn’t very creative, but you can get creative with the seasonal décor that you put out. You don’t have to go with the typical pumpkin scented candles, or fall wreath. Instead, get creative with the *type* of seasonal décor you use. Have your kids make fall leaf wreaths, make homemade beeswax candles with essential oils, and add in seasonal house plants that not only look amazing, but also boost your air quality. There are a ton of ways to be not-so-creative (or out there) by sticking with the seasons, but also creative with the items you choose to incorporate into your décor.

If you want to be really creative and let your kids have an input in the décor you use, let them choose their own décor. Of course, set your limits based on how comfortable you are with this, but you could let them choose their own seasonal décor (or year-round décor) for their playroom or bedrooms! I bet that through the process of having them choose their own items and decorate, they will learn valuable life lessons that will impress themselves and you!

You don’t have to spend your life savings to decorate your house - trust me! Instead, get creative and work with what you already have. For example, want to turn a stool into a side table? Go for it! Repurpose a chair or stool into a handy stand, perfect for pulling up alongside a sofa or easy chair. Try one on its own, or cluster a few (even varied heights work). And remember what we already talked about - less is more: Allow the rest of the room to be basic - try an unadorned table and sparsely decorated walls, so the quirky chairs stand out.