Tuesday, January 24, 2023
Decorating Tips For Beginners
So you have a desire to decorate but you don’t know where to begin, right? Using just a few tricks, you can easily create a room or a home that you love. I've identified seven tips below that I use often whenever I decorate my home. (If you want to see this blog post in a reel/video format, click here to go to my instagram profile.)
1.) Clean your space.
2.) Choose a color palette.
3.) Mix in different textures.
To make a room feel cozy and welcoming, you want to add in different textures. Try using throw pillows, blankets, rugs, window treatments, and wall hangings to add dimension and interest to a room.
4.) Feature walls can make a big impact.
Consider adding a feature wall to a room that you want to decorate. This could mean simply painting the wall a bold color, adding some molding/trim/board and batten, or painting a design on the wall. Adding a feature wall will give your room a focal point for not a lot of effort or money. Feature walls help to give a room a new look and liven it up without redecorating the entire space.
5.) Use plants to bring in color.
If you want to add some extra color to a space but don’t want to make a big purchase, consider adding plants. You can use real or fake plants, whatever you are comfortable with. Plants also help add warmth to a room. Start simple and learn as you go.
6.) Group items in odd numbers.
7.) Use different heights of objects.
Monday, November 21, 2022
Property Tour: Embrey Mill
One of my favorite things to do is tour new model homes. I get so much design and organization inspiration for my own house from visiting. I love to see what new trends are being used and also find ways to enhance my home. I've actually loved visiting model homes for quite some time, even before I was a homeowner myself. The newness is peaceful to me.
Earlier this year, I had the incredible opportunity to visit Embrey Mill in Stafford, VA. Being a former Northern Virginia resident, I was very excited to return to check out this new-home community. Embrey Mill is simply put: a home owners dream! The property is huge; featuring single family home and townhome floor plans. From the moment we entered Embrey Mill, I couldn't stop saying "look at that." Everywhere I looked I saw beautiful homes and scenery.
The Property
Embrey Mill is an 819 acre community located very close to the Quantico Marine Corps Base, with easy access to Washington, D.C. The property includes so many amenities for its residents:
-walking trails (10 miles of paths and wooded trails to be exact)
-15 parks and playgrounds
-fitness center
-285 acres of open space
-a community garden
-doggy stations
-a racetrack park for scooters and tricycles
-a full-service café (that is DELCIOUS)
-luxury pools featuring beach entry shallow ends, lap lanes, water slides and splash zones
The Model Home
I had the opportunity to tour the newest model home at Cascades at Embrey Mill. The gorgeous home was built by Miller & Smith; I was blown away by the design and layout from the moment I set foot inside.To see a video tour of the model home, click here.
The Cascades at Embrey Mill home features three levels: main level with a 2 car garage, upper level and lower level. I loved so much about the model home, every design element was perfectly curated. The tour allowed me the opportunity to discover plenty of features I want to add into our home (or even a future home!).
1.) Wallpaper accent in tray ceiling
I've never seen this done before, but what a beautiful statement it made. I am still looking for the perfect wallpaper to add to our tray ceiling. This project will be happening very soon in our house.
2.) Flooring used on the ceiling
The Great Room in the Cascades at Embrey Mill model home had a vaulted ceiling. The designer made a decision to use the same flooring on the ceiling and it made such a statement. The extra texture on the ceiling really made the space look high end.
3.) Built in seating with storage
Of course a common complaint I hear from all of my friends who are homeowners is that they wish they had more storage. In the lower level, this model home had bench seating with tons of storage underneath and next to it. Adding in bench seating is the perfect way to add additional storage to any home.
4.) HUGE linen closet
Again, storage is something a lot of people want and need in their home. Included in the upper level of the model home was a huge, double door linen closet. This is genius if I do say so myself. In our home we have a pretty good sized linen closet, but we could still use some more storage space. Having a double door linen closet gives a homeowner plenty of storage space. Yes, it is easier to add a closet when building a house, but this is something that can certainly be added later as well.
5.) Slide out spice cabinet
To make really good use of the space in your kitchen, I love the idea to have a slide out spice cabinet. This narrow cabinet can be really long, allowing you plenty of space to store all of your spices and herbs. Plus by having it included in your lower cabinet section, you can easily see everything you have at one glance.
To see all of these designs features in video form, check out the following three posts:
Design Elements for Your Home
Favorite Views while Touring Embrey Mill
Kitchen Features to Add In Your Next Kitchen
(Here come a lot of pictures of this beautiful model home, but keep scrolling at the end for even more good stuff!)
The Events
Embrey Mill hosts several events throughout the year to bring their residents together. They certainly have a focus on health and wellness, which is terrific.Previous events include:
-Halloween 5K and Monster Mile
-Christmas in Stafford
-Embrey Mill Cornhole Tournament
-Star Party
-Summer Blowout
-and so much more!
For the this holiday season, Embrey Mill will host their Frosty 3 Miler and Reindeer Run. The event will be held Saturday, December 10. Participants can run the race in person or virtually - allowing anyone who wants to participate an opportunity. And costumes are encouraged! That just sounds so fun: to be running alongside Santa and perhaps his reindeer?!?! So neat.
Options to run the race include the Frosty 3 Miler, the 1 mile kids Reindeer Run and the Virtual 3 Miler.
If you want to sign up to run in person or virtually, you can do so by clicking this link.
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My visit to Embrey Mill was phenomenal and left me wishing that we had a reason to move back to the Northern Virginia area. The property is beautiful, the houses are stunning and I love their commitment to bringing the residents together.
Monday, November 14, 2022
Cozy Home Décor Items for Winter
1.) A soft and plush throw blanket.
2.) Wood accented candles.
Bonus cozy décor points: put the candles inside of a lantern.
3.) Pre-lit garland.
4.) Cozy
pillows.
5.) Pinecones.
6.) Wreath.
To make your home a cozier space this winter,
grab a few or more of the items
listed and get to decorating.
Tuesday, May 3, 2022
How To Style An Entryway Table
The entryway to a home is usually the first thing a guest sees when entering the house, so it is always a good idea to give your entryway some extra love. Décor in your entryway sets the tone for the rest of the house and makes the first impression. I like to fill my entryway with items that I love and I encourage you to do the same.
No matter what your decorating style is, there are some items that should be entryway décor "staples." Keep reading to find out what items you should consider adding to an entryway/entryway table.
Mirror
Adding a mirror to your entryway anchors the table and creates a focal point, helping to show your guests where to look.
Lamp
Lamps help add height to a table, working to draw the eye upward. A lamp is also a functional décor piece as it also adds light and warmth.Greenery
You can add additional height and color to an entryway table by adding greenery stems and a tall vase.Stacked Books
Showcase your hobbies by adding stacked books; this also creates visual interest.Small Dish
Adding a small dish to your entryway table is very practical. This is a great place to store keys or other small, loose items.Personal touches
Adding your own personal touches lets your guest get to know you even better. You can add family photos, art pieces you enjoy and more. Your personal touches are also a great opportunity to add more color to a space.Plants
Bring extra warmth and comfort to a space by adding in plants - real or faux, it doesn't matter.
Wednesday, March 30, 2022
Creating A Mood Board
Home decor styling and organization have always been areas that have brought me joy. It is so thrilling to me to take items that I love and put them together with other loved and unique items to create an inviting home. When we built our house a few years ago, my main focus became home design and styling our home just right. Through my instagram channel and posts on this blog, it is my goal to give you advice and tips to help you create a home that you truly love.
So where do you even start when it comes to styling your home? One thing I like to do is create a mood board to see if items I have in mind will look good together in a room. For me, a mood board is great to help me gather ideas and color schemes and to start to see my vision come to life. Seeing different colors and textures all together in one place helps me determine if the look I dreamed up in my head is actually going to work. Mood boards are a source of inspiration! I’m going to walk you through creating a mood board.
Creating a mood board
Let’s pretend that you have asked me for help to create an inviting living room that is also pet-friendly. The first thing I suggest you choose is flooring, since flooring is a pretty nice investment in your home. Start with flooring because a flooring choice can inspire the rest of the room. For a pet-friendly living room, I suggest something that offers waterproof technology. Carpet One Floor & Home has put together a list of the Trending Ten floors and I’ve got my eye on two flooring options from their list. Both of these flooring options would be perfect for creating an inviting and pet-friendly living room in your home. Carpet One sent me some flooring samples to check out and here are the two that I recommend for a pet-friendly living room:
If you prefer soft carpet in your cozy living room, Orchard Stones has great options. The carpet is cozy and soft but also pet-friendly and waterproof! I also love the texture design of the carpet that can help to mask dirt that will inevitably be tracked in by your loving pet. The color Aloe adds some slight color to the room without feeling overpowering since it is still a somewhat muted tone.
If you need a flooring that can stand up to spills, scratches and dents, then Shelby Lane-White Oak flooring is the way to go. The flooring is waterproof and extremely durable. Antique, the color for the hardwood floors, is the perfect neutral tone, allowing you plenty of options when it comes to colors and other design elements.
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Additional elements in the mood board:
Since we have our own sweet dog, I know all too well that a pet-friendly living room needs a couch with removable cushion covers that can easily be washed. A grey couch is a perfect neutral color for a living room. The grey can help the space feel bright and also allows you to add many different colors - depending on your taste - with pillows and other decor. I prefer to have my base pieces (flooring and couch) in neutral colors. Then I can add color and change things out as trends come and go without having to repurchase the large items.Pillows with removable covers are also helpful in a pet-friendly room. I also suggest buying covers that are sturdy and thick, that won’t pill. You can add color and/or texture to a room depending on the pillows that you choose. I again went with neutrals for the pillows, but I like the design and added texture.
I added some blankets in two different colors of green (one teal, one more of a light mint color) to add some pizazz to the room. The blankets have different designs to them which also helps add texture and dimension to the feel of the room.
Curtains are always a great addition to any living room. Since I’m going to use blankets and decor to add pops of color, I went with a neutral curtain with an ikat design. The curtains will go well with the grey couch and the ikat design serves as great decoration for the room.
Hardware on entertainment centers and end tables can be fun to change out to update a piece of furniture. For this room, I suggest using matte black handles and drawer pulls as the black contracts really nicely with the floor colors.
Plants are a great addition to any room. I added an aloe plant to give some more green to the room and to help add color.
And finally, I chose a light mint paint color to tie the whole room together. The color of the paint is extremely muted, just like the color of the carpet. This helps add some color to the room without being too bold. It gives the room some character instead of plain white, but allows you to still go bold with other decor options.
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- Lindsay @ Pursuit of Pink
- Welcome to Pursuit of Pink. I'm Lindsay and I'm so glad you are here. I believe a positive life is a happy life. Join me as I try to walk that out daily - in life, motherhood, style and more.
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