A Curated Life: Work in Progress

I think it's easy to look at pretty, styled photos of other people's homes and think- if only I could just get my home to look that good, then I'd be happy. After all, what we see online and in magazines is the best version- not the real life version.

In real life, even in the homes of interior stylists, things are constantly in flux. I'm constantly scheming up better ways to style things, and new projects I want to work on. Things are also not always pretty in real life. There are several areas in our home, now and in the past, that I am always unhappy with because they just don't look right, but sometimes I just don't have the time or energy (or money) to do anything about it. Real life can be messy and is always a work in progress.

Today I thought I'd share some before and after photos of a few areas I've recently refreshed. There are still a million things I want to change- namely I'm itching to paint most of our wood furniture (except the misters pieces) white- but I do like these little changes, and sometimes, it's all about the little things.

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

(Of course, going from a bathroom with no windows and an insanely low ceiling to one with high ceilings and lots of light helps immensely too!)

Before:

After:

(Not as dramatic a change as some of the others, but enough of a change to make me happy).

What changes are you craving around your home? Are there little changes that would make you happy for now?

P.S. This post has really driven home for me how much better my photos look since I started using a 50mm lens. I still have a lot to learn, but I'm kind of blown away by the difference it's made. If you have a Canon DSLR, I definitely recommend getting the 'nifty fifty' lens- it's so affordable and makes a big impact. (Nikon users- a 50mm is still a great investment for you, but will cost you a lot more than the Canon lens- sorry).

A Curated Life

The collection I'm sharing today is one that I don't think anyone has seen before- not even the mister (at least not in it's entirety).

You may remember that I have a jewelry line from the giveaway I did last year. Now Prairie and Pearl never really took off like I hoped it would so I'm considering calling it quits, but in the course of creating this line of jewelry I have amassed quite the collection of trinkets (for lack of a better word). These little bits and baubles normally live in drawers above my work table- hidden away- but today I thought I'd share some of them with you.

Pen knives

Pens and pencils

Tiny achievement badges (anyone know where these would have been displayed?)

Random tags

The whole concept behind Prairie and Pearl was taking unusual vintage bits like these, combining them with modern findings and creating jewelry 'with a vintage past'. I had already gathered a small collection of these types of items, and once I had a reason to buy more, I'd grab up every funny little thing I found at estate sales, flea markets, and even Etsy.

Pocket and stop watches

Mini padlocks

Swivel clips

I ended up with multiples of nearly everything, in hopes that once the jewelry started selling I would need to be able to create multiple versions of each piece (though no one piece was exactly alike). With so many little items collected and put away in drawers I feel a bit like a hoarder now, and may start selling them to people who can put them to use.

Pen nibs

Close up- aren't they cool?

Do you have things you've collected for projects you've never completed? It seems sad to let all of this go, but if I'm not going to use them, it's more sad to have them hidden away- right?

If you're interested in seeing the rest of the Prairie and Pearl line (or what's listed at least), visit my Etsy shop.

A Curated Life

Sometimes, when I'm in need of inspiration, I look to those who have interests or styles that are similar to mine, but more so. A project that's over the top by comparison to how I would do it. Something on a scale I couldn't currently accomplish.

{Via}

This week I've been looking to Hollister and Porter Hovey for that kind of inspiration. You've probably seen their home, or their work, before. They've been featured in The New York Times, on Design Sponge, and even created a line of super amazing wall paper for Anthropologie. Hollister has a popular lifestyle blog, and the sisters started their company, Hovey Design, together. They collect all manner of beautiful curiosities, and have a major talent for styling their collections in dramatic ways. They're master curators.

{R: Via  L: Via}

What's inspiring you lately? What will you do with that inspiration? I think it's time to re-style the cubby-shelf thing in our living room that we also use as our 'entertainment center'. I'm hoping some of the inspiration I've been gathering this week will prove useful to me with that.

Interior Styling Workshop at The Vintage Whites Market

I have some exciting news today! The lovely ladies at The Vintage Whites Market have invited me teach an interior styling workshop at their Salt Lake City market on March 9th.

For this inaugural workshop I'll be sharing how to create curated displays with things you love. We'll cover concepts like layering objects, layering patterns and color, telling a story with objects, and editing your collections so that the best items stand out. There will be lots of time to practice creating displays with an array of fun vintage items that I'll be bringing, or you're welcome to bring things from home (or items you've purchased at the market). You'll go home with a few pieces that will work well in any vintage display, as well as photos of your practice work for reference and new skills to use in curating your own home.

I'm so pleased to be a part of The Vintage Whites Market and I'm really looking forward to meeting all the attendees and doing a little shopping at the market (it'll be my first time and I've heard great things)! There are other workshops being offerred as well, including calligraphy with Melissa Esplin from I Still Love Calligraphy, floral arranging with Studio Stems and chromatography with Bear Cave Studios.

Click here to register. 

If you'll be attending the class, or the market, please leave me a comment to let me know- I'd love to meet you!

If Salt Lake is too far, but you're interested in attending or hosting an interior styling workshop with me, please send me an email (danae{at}gatherandhuntvintage{dot}com) so we can try and make it happen.

A Curated Life

Today I thought I'd share a few peeks at the book I hope to make someday, which I recently mocked up, thanks to a great coupon from Blurb Books sent to all the Alt attendees.

Inspired by the same concept that inspired this feature on the blog, I want this book to be a collection of images to inspire others to curate their own life and create a unique home filled with beautiful and treasured objects.

Want to see your home featured here? I'm always looking for well curated lives to share with all the G&H readers so email me and we can talk details.