Decorating Above the Sofa

 When I changed the paint color in the front room I got a new Ektorp sofa from Ikea and purchased two slip covers. I picked out the charcoal gray slip cover and this one below. 
It is an oatmeal color similar to drop cloth material, with gray stitching and gray buttons. It was on clearance so I decided instead of getting white I would get this color, and I love it! 

It has set the stage for the rest of the décor in the room, but one wall remained a challenge. The wall above the sofa. 
For some reason this wall has been a huge challenge for me!  

For the longest time I could not decide which direction to take this space. I had several difference ideas but none of them came to fruition. In fact, I had purchased a canvas picture of my family, several different pictures, candle holders, etc. and nothing seemed to work so I just gave up. 

Behind the scenes, I found this white basket at a thrift store. It was worn but it had good bones so I bought it thinking I would use it on my coffee table , but I never did so I got frustrated with it and put it in my garage sale pile. 

Then on a trip to a home décor store I found this little stitching that had all the right elements for my space. 

The colors were spot on for my living room, but where would I put it? 

When I got home I walked passed my garage sale bin and the light bulb went off. 

Why don't I use this old basket as a shelf?!?! 

So I hug it up with some command strips and started accessorizing it, and immediately knew it was meant to be!

Then I remembered that I had chalk painted some thrift store baskets and thought I could use them to create a grouping further down the wall. 

I had everything I needed to decorate this space, it just needed to be pulled together!

I love the combination of beige an gray together with pops of black or white. Its classic farmhouse and fits me and my home.

Now this space is warm and inviting and no longer a blank wall! 

All it takes is imagination and resourcefulness sometimes to bring everything together. So before you spend money on new, shop your stash, look around the room and don't be afraid to move things around or repurpose things you already have.

Have a great week!

Jennifer

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Tips for Buying Baskets at the Thrift Store

Because I have a designer style but a dollar store budget, I have learned that some things are great for buying second hand. 

Basket are those things that I almost NEVER buy retail.

 They are just way too expensive most times and I know from experience that I can find nice baskets elsewhere, like thrift stores. 

This is a HUGE basket that I found at one of my favorite thrift stores. I am enrolled in this store's discount program so I was able to get this bad boy for about $9 bucks, which his awesome for a basket like this! 

I bought these baskets back in 2015  and what I love most about them is that they are a pair, AND they are reinforced with a metal frame so they can hold a lot!

See the metal frame?

I ended up putting these on top of my grandma's corner curio cabinet to store miscellaneous home décor. 

And this basket! I absolutely LOVE it! It is my all time favorite basket from a thrift store. 

I love the size, the shape and the fact it has handles. 

What to look for in a thrifted basket:

• Color
• Size
• Shape
• Cleanliness
• Quality material (cheap flimsy woven materials don't hold up and are not worth buying)
• Price (I RARELY ever spend more than $10 dollars)

I bought this large basket a while back. It is very similar to the one I recently bought BUT this one is not as clean. It has all the other elements I look for, but it was a tad more worn so I will probably either paint it and keep it in the living room, or use it outside next summer to hold a large potted plant on my patio. 

It would also make a great base for a Christmas Tree! 

And lets not forget smaller baskets like this. These are SO versatile and can be used on a table as a tray or hung on the wall as wall art. 

How to style your baskets? 
I personally love seeing them displayed in almost all rooms in the house. In a room like the kitchen or bathroom, I will actually put them to use for storage, but in the living room, I am more apt to do something like this where I display the basket empty. 

So don't be afraid to search thrift stores or garage sales for baskets. You'll be amazed at what is out there! 

Jennifer

Linking up to:
http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2018/10/style-showcase-49-your-destination-for.html

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