Unless you have unlimited time and wealth you probably want to add at least a few elements of classic style to your home—why? I’m so glad you asked…
Why Add Classic Elements to Your Home?
Why would you want to add classic decor elements to your home? To make your home timeless. You may not identify as someone who has or desires classic style; maybe your style is more Boho or Eclectic —that’s fine! Many Eclectic or Bohemian-style homes have several overarching classic elements to them. By adding a few classic elements to your home, you will save yourself the headache of feeling the need to switch everything out every few years. Some classic elements are big things that will save you money in the long run and some are small things you can add today to help tweak your home’s decor.
Light Walls
Deep, saturated, wall colors are in right now but they will come and go. Painting your walls white (the most classic option) or a light gray, cream, or beige are always safe options—just keep it light, and not too yellow if you go the beige route. Light walls also give you a blank canvas to work off of as far as the rest of your decor goes.
White Kitchen
Yes, I know, you think I’m biased because I have a white kitchen, but listen—if you look through magazines from years ago or from today you are going to come across a white kitchen. White kitchens may not be hot, hot, hot at the moment but how do you think the pendulum is going to swing after all these dark, moody kitchens have had their time in the limelight? A white kitchen is a classic. Another option is a wooden kitchen, but use extreme caution when choosing your cabinets. I personally would go with a medium tone, plain front, or very simple door if you are choosing a wooden cabinet option. Trending wood tones change every few years, but a classic wooden finish has some staying power. But I still think white is the safest option. 😉
Your Sofa
Velvet, pattern, stripes—these are fun options! But if you choose a big ticket item like a sofa, choose one in a gray or cream color for maximum staying power. Add color or a fun pattern in throw pillows, blankets, or even an accent chair if you so desire. These are way cheaper to switch out in several years than a couch.
Vintage
You’ve heard me say it before and I will say it again—adding vintage and antique pieces to your home will add classic elements to your home and make it timeless. There is a lot of vintage furniture out there to be had for a song! Go, have fun searching for it! And that console table your great aunt was trying to pawn off on you last week, call her back and tell her you’ll take it. And never underestimate what a coat of paint can do! After all, if someone walks into your home and can’t tell what year it is based on your decor—that is a very good thing!
Plants
Once again look through magazines from times gone by—what do you see in each room? I’ll bet that you see some green! Plants are a great way to add life, and a classic touch to any room. Check out my post, Plants that Even I Have Kept Alive, for some hardy options if you were not born with a green thumb.
Artwork
Are you a collector of art? Do you have lots of paintings and vintage art that you don’t know where to display? Adding art to your home is another great way to add classic style to your home. A gallery wall is a great way to do this, although it can be hard to nail (see what I did there?), to get it just right. If you aren’t quite brave enough to try a gallery wall, try leaning and layering art on your mantel, the top of a china cabinet, a piano, or on a floating shelf.
Candles and Candlesticks
Candles and candlesticks are another classic element, one that you can add quite easily and cheaply to your décor. Add some candle sticks to a vignette, tucked away in your china cabinet, or in the centerpiece of your table. Don’t forget to light a candle, the scent of which you enjoy while you are doing some cooking. Take advantage of mundane tasks to turn them into something special.
Curtains and Window Coverings
If you live in a place where you don’t have close neighbors, don’t feel the need to cover your windows with curtains! Curtains are not actually made to be drawn—maybe a few of the custom-made, heavily lined curtains were, but not the cute ones you bought off of Wayfair or from Home Goods. The purpose of these curtains is merely to add depth and warmth to your home. To actually block out the light, you want shades. There are a variety of options for shades today and you can find some really sleek options that look like part of the wood frame of your window so that when your shades aren’t drawn, you don’t even know that they are there.
As far as curtains go, if you want a genuinely timeless option go with white, or a very, very light neutral. Personally, expensive curtains are not something I would spend a lot on because they are such a fun, easy element to switch up!
I hope if you are struggling to add a touch of classic style to your home, or are debating about how to redo a part of your home, that this helps give you some food for thought and some fresh ideas to start playing and enjoying your home!
He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.
James 1:18 NLT
A while ago my husband and I were enjoying dinner at our house with one of my husband’s friends when he asked a question I didn’t know how to answer. Partway through dinner our friend looked over at our china cabinet and asked about the three different sets of family china I have displayed. I told him the short story. There are three sets of china: one from my paternal grandmother, one from my maternal grandmother, and one from my maternal great grandmother. Since I only ever knew my paternal grandmother, these dishes form a connection between me and the grandmothers I never knew.
Our friend commented on how china was one of the prized possessions of the previous generations and I agreed. I was thinking about how my grandmother had told me about picking out her china pattern on her 20th wedding anniversary. Our friend asked, “What do you think is the china of our generation?” What is the possession that we toil after, work for, and cherish? What a great question, and a perplexing one…
I have given this matter some thought and I don’t know that my generation has one concrete thing that is our “china.” I think my generation’s prized possession is simply more. We want more. We want more money, more fame, more experiences, bigger houses, new electronics—we have become gluttons for more. If pressed for one item that I would say my generation prizes, I would say electronics—our computers and phones.
I look at the degradation that the past two generations have seen—while it’s true that there is nothing inherently noble about the collection of china, there was still something about my grandmother smiling as she told me about how she waited while they worked and saved for the nice set of china. There is something heartwarming about how she looked forward to passing it down to a younger generation that she hoped would use and enjoy it. What is my generation’s prized possession? Do we plan on passing down anything? We rush for the newest and latest thing and indeed, our electronics only last for a few years before becoming totally obsolete. We have wrapped ourselves up in a frenzy of pursuing things that will hardly bring any lasting joy because they themselves don’t last. Yet many of us rush and work for what? Richard Foster observed, “In contemporary society our Adversary majors in three things: noise, hurry, and crowds. If he can keep us engaged in ‘muchness’, and ‘manyness’ he will rest satisfied.” We aren’t sure but we know we want “more” than this. More than our parents, and more than our grandparents.
What a trap we have fallen into—when more is our pursuit, there will always be more to aspire to. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t aspire to use our gifts well, it is our duty to use the well, but when our focus is always on achieving the bigger thing, we can never be content where we are. And when our focus is on things, we miss the people who really matter. We miss the relationships that really matter, including our relationship with God.
James 1:18 says that we are God’s prized possession—out of all creation He loves us best. How many of us live like that? How many of us love God best, and our fellow humans second best? How many families are torn apart due to the pursuit of more—more credentials, more money, more fun, more happiness when the life we have achieved hasn’t brought with it the “happiness” we thought it would? Patience, kindness, self-control—these are the virtues we would be better off chasing. Finding joy in using our God-given abilities—that would light us up! We would feel more fulfilled if we would pour more time and energy into the people in our lives, taking care of relationships. That is a good use of time. We must keep an eye on what our eventual earthly goals are as we keep Christ in the forefront of our lives, that is what the Bible says comprises a well-lived life, living for Christ and others rather than the pursuits of our flesh.
While I will always cherish my family china, I want it to serve as a reminder, not of the stuff my ancestors amassed while on this earth, but of the values and relationships that have enriched my life thus far. What about you? What possessions do you hold dearest and why?
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This is the story of Albert Einstein’s first wife, Mileva Maric. Mileva was a brilliant physicist in her own rights—she was the only woman studying physics at Zurich’s Polytechnic at a time when it was almost unheard of for women to go to college, let alone one as prestigious as the Polytechnic. While studying there Mileva met Albert and their courtship began. What is the real story of this woman who history has all but forgotten? Did she make her own meaningful contributions to science or did she give up her ambitions to be a wife and mother instead? These are the questions that make up the substance of this book. I found it to be a very captivating read!
Code Name Helen by Ariel Lawhorn
This is a truly fascinating read about Nancy Wake who was known by the Gestapo as the White Mouse. She continuously manages to evade the Gestapo. This “White Mouse” was an amazing lady. Not only did she become an influential leader in the French Resistance but she also completed a number of successful missions smuggling people over the border and to safety. She was known to wear bright red lipstick and curse worse than a sailor. Let me announce here there was tons of swearing in the book. I wasn’t a fan of it, however it is true to her character and I don’t believe in editing out the parts of people we don’t like so I decided to forgive the vulgar language in order to learn more about this brave woman who made such a contribution to the allies in World War II. Some parts of this book where the author, Ms Lawhorn, accurately describes the horrors of war are rough, but so is war—reader be warned! I highly recommend this book, it will keep you on the edge of your seat!
Accidental Empress by Allison Pataki
I didn’t know anything about Empress Elizabeth (SiSi) of Austria. Elizabeth ascended the Austrian throne during a very turbulent time in European history and was known for her outrageous beauty routines and for earning the respect of the people she presided over. There was a lot more to this Empress than just her renowned beauty. We know that the lives of the princesses we dreamt about as children were never as easy as we imagined—such was the case for Elizabeth (Sisi) of Austria. As a child Sisi enjoyed a great deal of freedom growing up as the doted upon daughter of a relatively inconsequential duke. All of that changed for Elizabeth when she accompanied her sister to the Austrian court. Elizabeth’s sister was intended to wed the emperor, Franz Joseph. However, upon arrival it was not her sister, but rather Elizabeth herself, who stole the affection of the Emperor quite without intending to. In less than a year Sisi had to prepare herself for life at court. The story of how she managed, not only to prepare for life at court but also how she managed court life, is told within the pages of this fictionalized account of Elizabeth’s life.
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But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law but in the new way of living in the spirit.
Romans 7:6
I am a rule follower. Even as early as my childhood daycare, I was the child who would get in trouble for scolding other kids that they were not following the rules. I rather like a list of rules that imply if these things are followed then nothing bad will happen, I need only follow the rules.
Sometimes I think how nice it would be if the world was a series of equations and formulas that if you do X then Y will happen. Of course, this wouldn’t really be all that great because then there would be no room for the surprises of life, which would mean we wouldn’t be taken off guard by any of the bad, but neither would we be surprised with the unexpected good fortune God bestowed upon us.
When the Israelites received the law it was very black and white. There was a (very!) long list of dos and don’ts. The Israelites were bound by this law, they had to follow it, or else they were living in sin. And unlike you and me who only need to repent to Jesus in prayer to be forgiven, they had to sacrifice animals to atone for their sin!
Then along comes Jesus and He changes everything. We are no longer bound by the law in fear and anguish of what will happen if we don’t, but rather we are now bound by love to adhere to the law. Some use this as an excuse to slacken their adherence to the law, stating that if they sin they will just ask for forgiveness—that’s not exactly how this works. While God will always forgive someone who sincerely repents, He knows who is sincere.
Living freed from the law comes with even more responsibility than living bound by the law. We are now bound by our love for Jesus to serve Him even more than we might do if we were simply bound by the law.
If two people marry and they do only what is required of them for the other person, i.e. fidelity, maintaining the house, working to pay bills, etc., they have a household but the marriage may not last. Why? Because there is no expression of love! No simple kindnesses such as pouring coffee for the other person in the morning, no hugs, no phone calls just because—the marriage is simply a glorified business arrangement.
I believe this is exactly the type of relationship Paul is talking about us having with Jesus in Romans 7. We are not bound by the law to do this list of things, rather we are bound by our love. We don’t have to read the Bible—we get to as a way to gain wisdom and learn more of God’s love. We don’t have to obey the commandments but we want to as a way to show our commitment to Jesus. As great as I might think rules are; even I have to admit that love is even greater.
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To me, this is the blah time of year… the time when we’re just kind of holding—especially in the northern states. It’s not quite spring but it’s been winter for a while and, personally, I am over the winter decor! So I have started vignetting around my house as a way to refresh my home. It’s not quite time for spring vignettes but it’s getting close! Here are some transitional vignette ideas to bridge the gap between boring winter and almost spring.
A Few Things to Remember
When creating vignette always remember these guidelines:
Use an odd number of items Vary heights Vary texture Add something organic Add something with clean lines Add something to show your personality Corral all the items If you use an odd number of items of varying sizes and textures grouped together intentionally, whether in a tray or on a large strip of material, then you have the foundation of making a great vignette!
Add Some Color
I took these vintage bobbins down around Christmas because they just didn’t fit in with any of my vignettes. I didn’t miss them at Christmas or during my “winter” decor phase when I still have a few things out that aren’t my standard décor, but as we get into spring I am ready for more pops of color from my color palette (for more about adding color in your home check out my posts on How to Create a Cohesive Color Palette, and How to Use a Cohesive Color Palette in Your Home).
Add Some Flowers (or Branches)
Adding a vase with some cut flowers or branches cut from your trees outside is a great way to add life to a room and too keep it from feeling too sterile.
Add a Postcard or Miniature Piece of Art
You typically only have so much room in a vignette but tucking a little piece of art, an old family photo, or a vintage postcard is a fun way to let your personality come shining through in your décor.
Candles
It’s still chilly out and honestly—who doesn’t love a good candle? Add a little warmth to your vignette by adding a candle. It can be one with a scent you love or a battery-operated pillar candle to add height and light.
Vintage Books
You know I love my vintage books and, especially at this time of year, I think they are just a great thing to add to your décor. You can use them as risers in your vignette to help vary the height of your items.
This Time of Year:
What are some especially great things to add to your vignette this time of year? Here are a few of my favorites:
Branches or cut flowers to add life Vintage books Vintage cookie cutters Vintage postcards or old photos Empty picture frames A beautiful vase—even if it’s empty
Add a Wreath
So a wreath isn’t exactly a vignette but it can do for a door what a vignette does for a room! While wreaths are great on your front door, they can also add a special touch inside. Perhaps you could use a pretty wreath to designate your power room door or to dress up your pantry door—a wreath can be a great way to add a focal point to a bland door!
I hope this gives you some ideas of how to freshen up your home and gets you excited about living in your home again! This time of year can drag but I hope you’ll be able to enjoy playing with vignettes until the season gets nicer. Happy decorating!
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