Rooms to Live In

As I prepare to begin shooting all the inventory photos for the new shop, and in turn prepare for our home to become a bit of a disaster for a few days, I wanted to share another new feature- Rooms to Live In. 

Generally, I like our home, but I definitely have moments where I see a room in someone else's home and think 'I could live there'. This is especially true when things are chaotic around here- getting away from the everyday messes and into a lovely space that's perfectly styled and properly lit is such an appealing thought sometime. 

{Via}

Today I want to live in Paula Mills' living room. Every time I come across this photo it immediately soothes me, and brings me some joy. I love all the texture, balanced by the white walls and airy light. I love the mantel styling with the pops of color and all the mirrors in interesting shapes. I even love the little washi tape star on the wall. 

Do you have days when you want to live in someone else's space? What room do you want to live in? 

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).

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.