colonial Archives - Emily A. Clark

Our Fall Front Porch and Planters

Oct252018

Much to my kids’ dismay, there are no Halloween inflatables in our front yard, but I did add a mix of real and faux pumpkins and some Fall color in the form of planters on our porch.

I also added a new welcome mat. If you’re looking for something thick and substantial in a simple design, this one from Target is a great option. My faux topiaries are also going strong. I have them weighted with a couple of bricks and pea gravel. I just sat a few pansies down inside the planters.

Instead of mums, I layered shades of green with cabbages and a trailing vine. I also used Cool Wave pansies (like wave petunias) for the first time this year.

A High/Low Mix in Our Kitchen Dining Area

Jul252018

Although our kitchen renovation was officially finished almost two years ago, I’m still making tweaks in the dining area. Like most of our house, it’s becoming a high/low mix of a good statement piece or two and some really lucky Craigslist or thrift store finds. (My favorite way to decorate!)

Since moving into this house, I’d been using an inexpensive light fixture that I had bought for our last home. It was intended to a be a placeholder until I found the one. And nearly three years later, I found the perfect replacement.

I always felt like the fixture needed to feel lighter against the wallpaper, and the arms and white linen shades on the Dillon chandelier from Hudson Valley Lighting do the trick. It also gives off plenty of light, with the shades making it feel very cozy at night. I’m using 40 watt bulbs (although you can do up to 60).

The Dillon chandelier is traditional without being stuffy. I anticipate that it will be here for a very long time. . . I also think it’s a better blend with the brass pendants over our island and the wall sconces I used over the gallery wall.

In the market for statement lighting? Hudson Valley Lighting (#hudsonvalleylighting) has some great options. Shop them all here.

Lighting isn’t the only way I’m changing up this spot. I took away the heavier wood chairs and, for now, I’m using a mix of slipcovered end chairs and a pair of Chippendale style chairs I found on Amazon a couple of years ago that have since sold out. (I also found a similar set for another room here.)

The dining bench was a budget compromise when we did our renovation. I found a bench that fit the wall perfectly and decided to put my money into other things (like wallpaper) instead of doing a built-in window seat, changing out the windows, etc. Finding a good high/low decorating mix is like figuring out a puzzle, right?

For a full list of sources, see the bottom of my kitchen renovation post.

This post was sponsored by Hudson Valley Lighting.

Follow #hudsonvalleylighting on Instagram for more lighting ideas.

Quick Change: Faux Bamboo Dining Chairs

Jul182018

Today, I’m sharing one of my best Facebook Marketplace finds to date and some very kid-friendly fabric you might be interested in checking out. I wasn’t even looking for dining chairs when I found this faux bamboo set listed for a steal. (And, six hours later, they were in my in my garage. . .)

See more of my entryway here.

The only kicker was that they didn’t come with cushions and definitely had to have them.

I wanted something with no maintenance so I started looking at vinyl. After ordering–and returning–an inexpensive embossed ostrich vinyl that looked way too shiny, I decided it was worth shopping around and paying a little more per yard. I ended up going with this light blue linen-lookalike:

For reference, I needed three yards for this project and my upholsterer charged me $60 per chair in labor.

By the way, I guess this room has given up the title of being called my office. I’m forever working in a comfortable chair or on the porch with my laptop so for now, we’re calling it the dining room again. . . .