I’m a big believer in that our home will never be “finished.” We will always be doing little things here and there to improve it, update it, and make it better and better! Zach has done a TON of improving on the outside of our home and is currently hard at work on his next project which is finishing the kids new playroom 😉 Posts on all of that to come, of course!
In the past few months we have done a few smaller things to the inside of our house and I LOVE each of them!!! Sometimes small changes can have a BIG impact!!! When we first moved in we went to Ikea and we just bought this tan rug for our dining room. I never liked it. It was NOT the right size and it always bothered me. Also it was dry clean only and when we got it cleaned it wouldn’t ever flatten out all the way so that made it even more annoying to me. I debated buying a new one because we had talked about eventually getting a larger dining room table. Our dining room table was super cheap cheap (like under $300 for the table and EIGHT chairs…) and it’s all scratched up. I honestly though really like it. I like the height, I like the look, I like the chairs. Why spend a bunch of money on a new table when I’m happy with the one we have? I found something on Pinterest where Zach can make a table top to go on top of this table to allow it to extend to seat more people and that sounds like the perfect solution to me! I’d also like to someday refinish this table with something more scratch resistant! Anyway, since we decided to keep our current table, I finally broke down and went on the hunt for a proper fitting rug.
Old Rug
I did some research on what size would be best for our table and room and did a lot of measuring. Then I went to hunting and found two different options for the space that were both the same price. I really wanted an outdoor rug b/c they are so easy to clean. And I LOVE it. I will NEVER buy a normal rug again. All rugs we will own will be outdoor ones, no matter how fancy the room is that we put them in haha. I got this one on sale for only $80 (from Overstock!) which was less than what I paid for the one from Ikea and this one is WAY nicer!!! It’s gray with a tan design and it creates a great balance in the room and really adds a great touch. I also like how it kinda coordinates with the rug in the kitchen to create a balance with all the space! I’m so pleased with it!
Zach and I have both been very happy with our living room but our only drawback has been not having a clock anywhere in the room. When we’re playing with the kids it’s hard to know when it’s bedtime or naptime or whatever time when we don’t have a clock somewhere to glance at! We decided to do a HUGE oversized clock and to “make it” ourselves. I found the actual clock portion on Amazon and had a seller on Etsy make us the wooden numbers (using multiple fonts to give it an eclectic feel). Zach painted all the numbers white and did all the measuring and hanging. I LOVE how it turned out. Now we can always know the time and it gives that space something rather than just a bunch of blank walls. We both prefer simple, modern designs and since we already have the photo wall and the artwork above the fireplace we didn’t want any pictures there so the clock was the perfect solution!
The last “improvement” wasn’t something I really wanted to change but Zach was super annoyed by our kitchen table centerpiece situation. He felt about it the way I felt about the dining room rug haha. When I originally bought the centerpiece stuff I was so beyond OVER decorating that I just went into Pier 1 and had them pretty much pick it all out for me. No, it’s not really and truly our style. But it works fine and I’ve been okay with it. Since Zach so adamantly despises it I decided to change it out for something more “us”!
Before pictures of our kitchen table
I saw a deal for a Chevron Table Runner on one of those Group Dealz/Sassy Steals type sites and I thought it would really look good on our table. Casey has a table runner at their house and I never had really been a big fan but love the way hers looks! She inspired me 😉 I am a HUGE fan of this big chevron trend but don’t wanna go crazy with it or anything. The runner is the perfect touch of it! Just a little bit without overdoing it or looking too trendy! The one on the deal site wasn’t long enough for our table so I hunted Etsy and got a FABULOUS deal from Fresh Regard. They shipped it quick and it turned out awesome. I LOVE it!!!!
I already had a silver type vase that Little Mama bought me for Christmas a couple years ago. Mrs. Charlotte randomly bought me this awesome aqua vase for $6 from TJMaxx (I went back to get more but they were gone!) and the kids and I ran into Hobby Lobby one afternoon and found a taller vase to complete the look. It blends perfectly because it has grey and aqua and even some designs that look similar to the chevron! Zach is MUCH happier with the new centerpieces…and truly I am too 🙂
Even though they are pretty small changes, I really do love each thing we’ve done around here lately! I’m slowly working on ideas for the kids next bedrooms. Britt will be transitioning to a big girl bed in a matter of months and Kye will eventually be moving to a new bedroom upstairs! I felt SO RUSHED in creating Britt’s nursery and want to have her “big girl” room be a lot cuter and take more time with it. And I ADORE Kye’s current room so I want to come up with something we will love just as much for his upstairs bedroom as well. Plus the new playroom is coming along quick and I’ll get to decorated that space too! Lots of pinning and planning going on for sure 😉
My work has been featured on Love What Matters, Today Parenting and Babywise.Life. I'm also honored to be a member of the Babywise Friendly Blog Network.
You can read more about our family on my About Me page. Also be sure to follow along with me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest!
- Effective Parenting Tips to Discipline a 5 Year Old Child - September 24, 2024
- Happy 9th Birthday to My Daughter – Letter to Tess from Mom - August 26, 2024
- The Best Travel High Chair for Baby and Toddler - July 11, 2024
I agree I love the chevron but feel like some people over do it for something that will no longer be "in" within a year or two. I think the runner looks great though and adds something extra to the table that makes it more inviting.
Love the chevron. Just the right amount! I also love the fixture above your table!
I think the "outdoor" carpet looks fab! I would have never known if I had saw it! Def something to look into!
Super cute runner! And it's a small enough print that it doesn't look too trendy or like you overly love Chevron, you know? It just looks nice. Very fancy schmancy.:)