A Visit from Cottage and Vine

Rene from Cottage and Vine is one of my dear bloggy buddies, so I couldn't wait to have her do a guest post on my blog...and today is that day!  She has an amazing sense of style, is always working on something around her beautiful home, all while keeping things budget friendly!

I know that after Rene takes you on a little tour of her home below you'll understand why she has so many loyal followers, including me!

Happy holiday everybody!  I am Rene visiting from Cottage and Vine.

Thanks so much to Kat for inviting me over! 

To tell you a little about me, I am married to a wonderful man and we have two boys, 11 and 14.  This is the home they have always known and it is ever changing to meet our changing needs.  If my nesting/decor philosophy could be defined in three words, they would be style, comfort, and budget. 

Most of the projects that I do around our home are simple and inexpensive like this focal wall that I created in our entrance using happy tape.

The curtains in the living room are painter's canvas that I painted with horizontal stripes and the topiaries on the mantle are foam balls covered with moss.

This is the room where we snuggle in at night to watch movies or read.  Foot stools, pillows, and throws are all within arms reach.  When a pillow begins to wear out its welcome, I simply recover it with a fresh new fabric.  One of the easiest and least expensive ways to perk up a room in my opinion. 

I love to shop in thrift stores and have found many treasures along the  way.  I always look at art and on one outing I found the pair of  watercolors behind the hydrangeas that are a scene from Paris.

Our dining room is another comfy space that opens up onto the deck and recently with cooler temperatures we have enjoyed having the doors and windows open.  A welcome relief in the south.  Another thing that I like to do is combine old and new, rustic and fine.  It's those unexpected combinations that draw me in.  Even though there is a crystal chandelier in this room, you might find an old mason jar filled with flowers, a thrift store chair,  or an urn filled with seashells.  Of course the co-editor had to make an appearance.

With a growing family, we are always looking for storage.  Several years ago we had this bench made that is chocked full of storage and provides ample seating for those sleepovers where pancake breakfasts are served.  The farm table has been in our family for more than 100 years and was made by my great-great grandfather.  The plate wall is a mix of ironstone and spray painted plates found at Goodwill.

I hope you enjoyed a little peek at our cottage and thanks for inviting me over Kat!




Thanks so much Rene! And to see more of her beautiful home and great design ideas, be sure to visit her wonderful blog, Cottage and Vine, by clicking HERE!!!