Last Thursday was Thanksgiving. It was also my birthday. It was also the day HH hung a bunch of stuff in our house. He knows me all too well. I’ll take home decor projects over traditional birthday gifts anytime.

We finally added curtains to the picture window in the family room. It’s an improvement. What hasn’t improved is my ability to shoot directly into a window.

The curtain panels are from West Elm and you can find them here. I bought them over a year ago when they were on sale with free shipping and I had a stash of gift cards. The rod that West Elm suggests using with the panels doesn’t come long enough to work with our large window. Ideally, I was wanting a plain matte black curtain rod with enough thickness to it to hold its own above the big window. I finally found this less expensive simple rod that fits our window but the diameter doesn’t allow for the curtain rings to slide over.

I resorted to buying two $7 packs of metal shower curtains rings from Meijer to hang the curtains. I actually don’t mind the ring on ring action. It feels casual and undone. If I ever tire of the look, there’s enough length to the panels for me to remove the tabs & rings and sew a rod pocket into the top. By then, maybe our kid/guest bathroom will be complete and I can use the shower curtain rings in there??

One day we’ll add some textured woven blinds to fill the gap between the top of the window and the curtain rod. I’m thinking I’ll probably have to buy two or three narrower blinds to extend the full width of the window as a single blind that size would be crazy expensive and might sag. I’m also going to woo HH into building a window seat bench with open cubbies in it for toy and book storage. Or I might go all Ana White and bust it out myself. I keep asking HH to show me where all his tools are and how to use them but he keeps doing everything for me. I think he’s afraid I’ll mess it up. Which is highly possible. But it wouldn’t be the end of the world, would it? I should totally start wielding some power tools.

The curtain panel on the right is doing one of my favorite curtain tricks: hiding the big a$$ subwoofer on the floor. My feelings towards this piece of home entertainment equipment are similar to my feelings towards the surround sound speakers in/on the wall. As long as HH keeps hanging stuff for me, I’ll keep covering up his ugly speakers. Hehe.

Love the narrow ivory frame around the panels. You could DIY something like this with inexpensive gray curtains from IKEA by hot gluing narrow ribbon along the edges or even painting the narrow frame around the panels. In fact, you should do this. Don’t be lazy like me.

HH assembled and installed this shoe cabinet next to the front door months ago. I don’t speak of it because we don’t use it yet. Our original front door is, well, original and still out of order. Once we start accessing the house through the front door, this slim cabinet is going to be all the rage. Last week, I was feeling brave and ventured up into the attic to rescue the capiz mirror. It’s from a Ballard Designs outlet near Cincy and it used to live in the master bedroom of our previous house. It’s found a new home in our new old home. I love seeing the reflection of the kitchen in it.

Eventually, we’ll hang something on the other side of the window to balance out the mirror on the left. Not necessarily a round mirror though. That would be too matchy.

HH also hung a light over the dining table. Surprise! It’s the Hoyne pendant and it’s pretty much the most amazing light ever. We had purchased a really inexpensive FOTO pendant from IKEA and spray painted it matte black. HH had been trying to install it for months with no success due to a missing bracket part that IKEA was refusing to send us and HH was fuming over the idea of having to go buy one. After the snafu, I realized the solid pendant probably wasn’t a great choice for the room. The dining table needs direct light and the FOTO would have provided that but the rest of the room also needs lit. The ceiling light is the main artificial light source in the mudroom. There is a small can light in the laundry nook but it doesn’t provide enough lighting for the rest of the room.

This pricier pendant is the result of a new collaboration in the works {I can’t divulge all the details yet!} and it was my inspiration light. It’s the light I was dreaming would live in our dining room/mudroom and if I’d have had $350 burning a hole in my pocket I would have snatched it up before now. With the open weave of the Hoyne, the rest of the room recevies light – not just the dining table. The shadows that the light casts onto the ceiling at night are beautiful! And I like how the pendant lets natural light from the window and the french doors pass through.

Did you notice a change in the location of the dining table? When we moved, we thought we’d like to have the table over by the sofa for a casual place to eat. But after living with our mudroom/dining room for a while now, we’ve found that placing the table in the center of the room works better. We toss mail on it when we come in. I fold laundry on it sometimes. It’s multipurpose. Of course, we still need chairs around the table but having the table in the middle of the room makes the room flow so much better and keeps all the big furniture from tilting the visual weight of the room to one side. It reminds me of those fancy entries you see in magazines where there’s a big pedestal table gracing the middle of the foyer.

The sofa is staying put but I’m going to make a slipcover for it. And add pillows. Ahhhhh. Pillows.

So stuff is happening here. Slowly but surely. It’s starting to look and feel more like home with each tweak.

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

*THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.*

Congrats to Melanee who just purchased a new house and needs to lighten it up!

I’ve been on a lighting kick recently. We’ve yet to find ‘the one’ for our master bedroom. But that’s okay. The hunt is half the fun. That’s why when Lamps.com contacted me about a reader giveaway, I was game. Seriously. Does anyone else spend way too much time browsing lighting fixtures online? Be honest. That’s what I thought. Prepare to waste some time being wowed by  inanimate {yet glowing!} objects.

From table lamps to living room ceiling lights to ceiling fans, Lamps.com has a wide variety of styles to choose from. On top of that, the bulb{s} required for your new light are shipped to you FREE along with your purchase. How cool is that?! Could you use some more light in your life? Great! See entry details below.

PRIZE: $150 gift card to Lamps.com

RULES: You must be at least 18 years old and have a U.S. shipping address. One entry per email address.

TO ENTER: Leave a comment on this post proclaiming “LIGHTEN UP!”

DEADLINE: Enter before Thursday, September 20th at 9:00 p.m. EST. One random winner will be announced Friday, September 21st.

WHILE YOU’RE AT IT: What/who do you need to lighten up on? Sweet treats? The kids? The impossible task of keeping your house spotless? I’ll go first. I think I need to give my kids a break. Does it really hurt anything if Everett wears five costumes in one day? Or if Layne  takes ten minutes to brush his teeth? No, really it doesn’t.

Don’t forget to follow Lamps.com on Twitter!

images: Lamps.com

Now that the master bathroom is done {from a renovation standpoint}, we’ve made a shopping list of what finishing items are left to purchase. One item on the list is a ceiling light for the master bedroom. I thought it sounded like a fun item to start with. More fun than register covers, that’s for sure.

{view of master bedroom from master bathroom}

Yes, I finally got around to deep cleaning all the bedrooms over the weekend. No more construction dust! We can actually see out the windows now, too. More details on that coming in a separate post. Back to the lighting issue…

So far the rest of the Underdog’s lighting is simple – even industrial. In the bedroom, though, I’m thinking of something a little more dreamy. But still simple. Since we’ve been frugal with our lighting options elsewhere, I’ve set the master bedroom ceiling light budget at $200. Not outrageous but I consider it a splurge for us. {The cost of the boys’ bedroom, nursery and dining lights was less than $80 total.} I’ve just started browsing and put together a roundup of my favorites to date. Of course, I may end up buying a light that’s not even on this list but I thought I’d share my search for those of you who are curious about my thought process.

1 – Dandelion Chandelier {$200} This chandy features thin brushed steel wire wound into a sphere. I like the feathery texture and think it would put off a warm glow when lit.

2 – Star Chandelier {$196} Twinkle, twinkle little star. I imagine the rays of light and shadows this starlight puts off are amazing.

3 – Golden Bronze Criss-Cross Pendant {$200} The mix of bronzed metal, fabric shade and crystals is unique. I especially like the ‘X’ pattern of the metal.

4 – Capiz Pendant {$70} This shimmery chandy may look familiar. I hung it in the master bedroom of our previous home and it stayed there with the sale of the house. It’s the least expensive option I’ve found so far but a lighting kit has to be purchased separately as the chandy doesn’t include one. As much as I dig it, I kinda feel like ‘been there done that.’ It would totally work but I’m itching to switch things up. I don’t want the Underdog’s decor to be a reproduction of our last home. Still, it’s a great piece.

5 – White Cloud Pendant {$150} Sleeping under this cumulus-like pendant would feel like sleeping under the open sky. It has a very organic aesthetic that I’m lovin’ too.

6 – Zig Zag Acrylic Pendant {$177} This is probably the most modern option I like. The frosted acrylic zig zags are arranged in a way that gives the light a woven appearance. This pendant is also one of the smaller options so I’d have to double check measurements before saying ‘yay’ or ‘nay.’

A few other thoughts I have about lighting for the master bedroom…

• The placement of the bed will be beneath the window seen above, directly across from the bathroom. That means the centered ceiling light will hang just above the foot of the bed so a hanging pendant/chandy will work – as opposed to a flush mount light – since there won’t be anybody walking around under the light.

• The wattage of the ceiling light doesn’t have to be super powerful. For one, I like a dimly lit bedroom. Second, I really want to hang two wall sconces bedside for reading. HH and I are both bedtime readers. Between the ceiling light and two wall sconces {not to mention mounted lights in the closet}, I think the lighting will be sufficient for what we need. Ambience.

How does Handy Hubby feel about the possibilities? He likes them all – some more than others. Like with any other decorating decisions, he’s leaving the search up to me. I narrow the options down, show them to him and then we make the final decision together to ensure it’s something we can both live with. Over the years, we’ve found this is the best way for us to make home decor choices together.

Narrowing down the possibilities to a select few is key. HH isn’t good at making decisions when there’s a huge playing field to choose from. {Unless you’re talking about girls, that is. He did make a pretty good choice on that one. Ha!} For example, HH has been looking for a new pair of shoes for months now. Zappos has him corn-fused with their huge selection. He’s easily distracted.

What about you? Any lighting purchases recently? Any in your future? Any thoughts on bedroom lighting? Any other ideas on how to make joint decorating decisions?

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

My latest Ideabook is up over on Houzz today. This month I featured a slew of chandeliers that can be used in various settings. I really believe that switching out seen-better-days fixtures or builder stock lighting can make a world of difference in any house. Here are a few of the lights I featured…

When furnishing a home, I prefer to gather items over time from different sources and let my style evolve naturally. Sure, I could easily drive out to some furniture store and buy everything in one go around {okay, maybe not while I’m on bed rest} but that would only produce a flat room. For example…

Obviously, that room is sourced from one store. The pillows match each other which match the couch which matches the loveseat which matches the rug which matches the art. And the finishes all match too – the coffee table matches the sides tables which match the lamp bases which match the artwork frames. There is little variance in material and texture. This is a prime example of a ‘room to go.’

I’m after a ‘room to grow.’ After all, half of the fun is the hunt!

But I’ve got to start somewhere, so today I’m sharing some of my most recent purchases for the Underdog. What items am I looking for first? Glad you asked. I’ve mainly been searching for lighting, window coverings and rugs. Here’s what I’ve acquired so far.

1 – Linen + Cotton Narrow Frame Window Panel I’ve been pining over these airy linen panels for some time so when West Elm put them on sale with free shipping I took it as a sign. I bought two of the 108″ panels to place high and wide above either side of the big picture window in the family room.

With light paint on the walls, my thought was to add contrasting curtains but nothing too dark or heavy. These gray linen panels fit the bill to a T and I wasn’t able to find anything I liked better. I love the thin frame of ivory around the edges.

2 – FOTO Pendant Lamp I found this simple aluminum pendant at IKEA for the dining room.

I was looking for a light with an industrial aesthetic since the dining room will double as a mudroom and triple as a laundry room. Plus, the light will be visible from the family room so I didn’t want to add something too far fetched from what’s going on in the great room. At $30, I was sold.

3 – GODMORGON/ODENSVIK Sink Cabinet Combo I alluded to this floating IKEA vanity a few weeks ago. It will go in the master bathroom.

I wanted a floating vanity and Handy Hubby wanted something with storage so this 2-drawer unit is the perfect compromise. The master bathroom vanity will be seen from our bed, so I was looking for something with clean lines that didn’t exactly scream ‘bathroom!’ but maybe more like ‘dressing room.’ I ended up going with the ODENSVIK sink rather than the TÄLLEVIKEN sink once I saw them in person at the store. I like the sleeker profile of the ODENSVIK {no step-up at the back of the sink} and the fact that it has a little more countertop room for a soap dish, vase, etc.

4 – KULLA Pendant Lamp I found this ceiling light at IKEA when I bought the bathroom vanity and sink. I hadn’t planned on buying a light that particular day but happened to spot this light on sale at a deep discount {it was less than $20!}. Word has it the white version of this light is being discontinued, so that’s why the link only goes to the black version. This beauty is already hanging in the nursery.

Our electrician installed it right at the ceiling {for less of a pendant effect since we don’t want to be bumping our heads on it} on a dimmer and the glow it puts off is divine. Our electrician said he couldn’t believe I got it for less than $20. Score!

5 – Round Majestic Wool Rug You may recognize this rug from my Houzz Ideabook. I caved and bought it on Overstock.com {my fave place to buy rugs} when the price dropped from over $70 to less than $60 with free shipping. It’s going in the nursery. I wanted a soft surface for baby to have tummy time and playtime and also for my older boys to sit on if they choose to play in the nursery while I’m tending to the baby. I like the round shape since the room is nearly a perfect square and the gender-neutral pattern should work well for a girl or boy.

6 – Marble/Gray Sisal Rug Another rug purchase from Overstock.com. At 9′ x 12′, it’s large enough to ground the seating area in the family room portion of the great room – which is exactly what I plan to use it for.

I was shopping for a large rug made of either sisal or seagrass. Those natural materials add such a great textural layer to any room and hold up well to kids and pets. {We had rugs of each in our previous home and loved them.} The gray cotton border will further delineate the family room from the kitchen in our open great room. And with a latex backing, I don’t have to worry about using a separate rug pad to keep it in place. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…rugs are soooo important in open floor plans!

7 – Tabouret Metal Counter Stools Yet another Overstock.com buy! {Did you know that regular customers receive frequent 7% off coupons in the mail? Yep, you bet I used mine to purchase all of my Overstock items and save some cash.} These utilitarian stools are for the 9′ long kitchen island. I bought 4 of them for less than $150. Whaaaaaat?!

I was looking for backless stools to avoid cutting up the flow and sight lines of the great room. The stools will be practical for casual dining at the island and also for extra seating when we entertain. Since the stools are backless, guests can easily turn to face the family room crowd and join in on conversations there without having to turn their stools or break their necks. The metal finish should hold up great to our family circus.

8 – Carved-Circles Window Panel I’ve been stalking these subtly patterned curtains for months. I knew they’d work well in the nursery. Again, they were part of the West Elm window sale {sadly it looks as if they’re sold out!} so with 20% off and free shipping I took it as a sign. I bought three of the 96″ panels: one for either side of the single window in the nursery and one for the nursery closet. {The closet door opens up right behind the bedroom door, so I’m forgoing a closet door all together.} Notice the pattern in the curtains doesn’t match the pattern in the nursery rug {see #5} but complements it.

9 – KRÄMARE Wall Spotlight I bought two of these IKEA plug-in wall sconces for the boys’ shared bedroom.

I plan to use them above the boys’ beds as reading lights. {They LOVE books!} I haven’t decided if the aluminum finish will stay or if I’ll paint it – maybe oil rubbed bronze?? – but at less than $10 a light I figure I can tweak them to my liking. I like the fact that they aren’t hardwired as well because they’ll get moved around. At first the boys’ beds will be on the floor, then at some point HH plans on DIYing built-in bunk beds in that shallow nook you see above. But until Everett settles down a bit {realistically, that could be when he’s 30+} and we trust him in a room with a ladder {I’m cringing just thinking of that now – the kid had a broken leg at 16 months!} we’ll need to keep the lights over the beds on the floor. Later, I can move the sconces to suit the bunk beds.

So, there you go. A little rundown of my recent purchases. That’s 9 items from 3 different sources. If you look at the items all together you might notice repeating elements…the color gray, industrial finishes, subtle pattern, clean lines. I want each room to have its own quirks but still flow with the rest of the house so repeating certain elements is necessary. However, I do plan on adding in other materials, patterns and pops of color to keep things interesting.

But that’s all in good time…which I have a lot of right now. I saw my OB today and the good news is that there’s no change in my cervix {ahhh! Never thought I’d be talking about my cervix on H*T!} since Monday. The bad {or not-so-good} news is that I have to keep doing what I’m doing – NOTHING!! – for at least two more weeks. Anything to keep baby cooking.

Thanks for all your support and non-laborious thoughts!

images: 1) Rooms To Go  2) Polyvore collage linked within by Dana Miller…all the rest) Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

Our EIL {electrician-in-law} completed his work on updating all the original ’50′s wiring this past weekend. It looks great! We can’t believe what a difference the lighting makes and many of the fixtures aren’t even in place yet. Plus, artificial lighting in every room allows Handy Hubby to work well past dusk if he feels like it {i.e. when putting together base kitchen cabinets :)}. Before, we were working off of a few shop lights after daylight hours and having to move them from room to room.

The first image above is looking into the kitchen from the family/living room. Those base cabinets are the kitchen island. More on the island a little further down. Let’s talk lights for now.

The trio of lights above the island are actually these globe pendants {on sale!} from West Elm. The glass globes are intentionally MIA. We don’t want them to get shattered while renovating is still underway. We’ll probably end up switching the bulbs out after renovation is complete. The standard ones we have in there now are a little too blinding for everyday living but great for DIYing at night! We’re leaning towards an Edison-style bulb.

I’m loving the galvanized light over the future sink area. It projects out far enough from the wall to light the sink and countertop but doesn’t steal the show from the trio of pendants over the island. Our EIL said it’s not going anywhere. He’s very impressed with the quality.

That’s the view you get when you’re standing on the kitchen side of the island looking back towards the family room. Without skylights and pendants on the family room side of the great room, it’s noticeably darker. I plan on adding a floor lamp and table lamp to brighten things up over there. I’ve been dying to incorporate a tripod floor lamp into our home’s design and I think the family room just might be the place to do it.

Along the ridge beam, we chose to have track lighting installed to wash the vaulted ceiling with light and provide indirect ambiance over the great room. We bought the track lighting from Menards. They don’t have it listed online or I’d link to it. The brand is Quantum and the price was extremely reasonable.

Looking into the mudroom/dining room there’s a recessed light and what will be a dining pendant {haven’t quite figured that one out yet} where you see a naked bulb.

I knew I wanted a light in the laundry nook {it used to be a closet!} and recessed seemed to be the way to go. Again, we have plans to add overhead storage and a means of disguise to hide the washer/dryer. I see this nook being multipurpose – laundry room and bar area. Can’t wait to get my hands on it!

Back to the other side of the great room…

Could it be that this lit hallway is my favorite lighting element in the house? Yes. Yes, it could. And it is. I think it’s because it started out so dark and dingy. Design and DIY people say it all the time, “Lighting is a key element.” Our lil’ hallway is living proof of that – minus the hanging thermostat, dusty floors and messy closet.

When we first started planning the lighting scheme for the entire house, I’ll be honest, I didn’t really care about this hallway. I was thinking maybe hang a ceiling light and call it a day. After all, it was just a pass-through from the bedrooms to the great room and vice versa. But our EIL was very adamant about installing recessed lighting in the hall in a way that would wash the walls just in the right places. So we told him to go for it because we trusted him.

And I’m so glad we did! He obviously knew what he was talking about. The lighting is staggered so that each can washes a portion of wall. I can just see the walls lined with family photos and artwork! This hall is definitely going to become more than a pass-through.

Just off the main hall is this smaller hall to the kid/guest bathroom. It originally had no lighting but now it does.

The bathroom is lit up too although there’s nothing to see here except for a broken toilet and paint sample.

If you wanted to run the exhaust fan you could. It’s fully functioning! HH and I cannot – AND I MEAN CANNOT – wait to start tiling the bathrooms. They are going to be such unbelievable ‘afters!!!’ I hardly even remember the ’50′s pink tile and mold in the walls.

The nursery light is from IKEA. I’d tell you its name but I don’t remember and it’s not listed online because it’s being discontinued. I bought the very last one at our local IKEA a few weeks ago. It was less than $20. I was at IKEA to pick up the floating vanity and bathroom sink and hadn’t planned on buying any lighting but when I saw this ceiling light and its price tag, I knew it’d be perfect for the nursery.

The boys’ bedroom has a place-holding lightbulb for now. I want an industrial ceiling fixture for them. Something that’s appropriate now {at ages 6 and 3} and ten years down the road. Like the nursery, I’m steering clear of any themes in here. I want the boys’ room to flow with the rest of the house but have a youthful, playful and laid back feel to it. I don’t think I’ve mentioned this before, but this room is going to have to function as a bedroom and playroom.

Another great idea that our EIL had was to light the closets in the two larger bedrooms. {The nursery closet is teeny-tiny and receives enough light from the ceiling light to go commando.}

So in the boys’ bedroom he wired a light inside the closet just above the frame. It comes on with the flip of a switch.

It should come in handy for getting dressed on dark school mornings…and keeping the Boogie Man away.

Another lone lightbulb in the master bedroom waiting to be replaced with something better. Since the light in our bedroom will be over the bed, I’m thinking a chandelier or hanging lantern could work well. I think I’ve talked HH out of a ceiling fan. I have my ways. ;)

We have the same closet light as the boys.

Eventually I see us needing to install a floor-to-ceiling closet organization system and when we do, this light will be well outta the way.

The wall sconce in the petite master {now there’s an oxymoron for ya} bathroom is perfect. It’s simple, industrial and slightly rustic. We love it so much that we’ll be installing another one in the kid/guest bath too. Below the sconce will be a mirror {hint: I already bought one and can’t wait to share it!} and floating vanity.

A recessed light over the tub/shower area should keep our small master bath feeling bright.

And, finally, a view back down my new favorite hallway. Ahhhhh. Sorry for the crooked shot. I was probably waddling.

Oh, and what’s that at the end of the hallway?

The beginning stages of a kitchen cabinet installation. If you’ll take a step back with me for a moment…we discovered that installing base cabinets onto a floating floor {like our engineered hardwood} could pose problems down the road. SO…in order to complete the flooring install, HH is installing the base cabinets in the kitchen then laying the flooring up to them. And that’s why you saw our kitchen island way up at the beginning of this post.

When we planned the kitchen layout eons ago, we knew we wanted a big island for food preparation and casual dining. It required knocking down a wall to get it, but it’s something we don’t regret one bit. In fact, I think we would have regretted not knocking down that wall. The 9′ long island {yes, I said 9′…that’s more than twice as long as the island we had in our previous 2,700 sq ft home!} is totally worth it. What can we say? We like open living spaces and a kitchen that allows us to see everything going on around us while we cook.

Not to mention all the added storage we’ll gain from those island cabinets. For fun, HH assembled the drawers of one cabinet…he just couldn’t wait. {Note: while the cabinet frames are white, all the lower cabinets including the island will be black. The sides of the cabinets and island will be covered with black panels so that everything on the exterior is black. For more specifics on our kitchen design, click here.}

Like everything else in the Underdog, the cabinets are dirty. HH has been working non-stop assembling and installing the base cabinets all last weekend and during the week as time has allowed. He says it’s gone smoothly. I think the hardest part has been just searching through all the IKEA boxes for which cabinet/part he needs next.

Update: HH finished installing all base cabinet frames tonight! That means the rest of the flooring can go in…after I work all weekend and HH gets back from two weeks of business travel. Ugh. But I’ll be sure to get some new pics up of the kitchen layout for you in the meantime.

That should bring you up to speed on the Underdog. Many, many thanks to our EIL, Jared. He sacrificed family time and free weekends to help us out. And he made our future home safe and bright! Still, Everett refuses to stop wearing safety glasses and a head light.

Things are moving along and we’re loving this phase of the renovation…installing the finishes we’ve been carefully selecting over the last several months. I’ve secretly been shopping around and making a few decor purchases too that I’m itching to share with you. It’s really starting to come together although there will still be LOTS to do after we move in. I think we’ll be tweaking this house into our home for years and years to come. And that’s a good thing.

FYI – Two of the light fixtures mentioned above are from one of my sponsors, Barn Light Electric. They also sent us two ceiling fans to be mounted in the great room and once those are installed, I’ll be writing up a review of their sponsored products which will include detailed images. So far, we are beyond pleased with them. All other lighting elements were purchased with our own money. Just being honest, folks!

Congrats to Suzanne T!! She is this week’s random giveaway winner!

images: all Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

I’m working with Apartment Guide to dress up and organize our apartment for the holidays. It’s part of the Holiday Home Organization Blogger Challenge that they’re sponsoring.

I’ve been sprucing things up over the last few days and today I’m sharing my holiday decor with you. That means you also get a mini tour of our apartment. Let the festivities begin…

SPACE SAVING CHRISTMAS TREE

Square footage is precious in our ~900 sq ft apartment, so I picked up a live tabletop tree but chose to use it on the floor flanked by two side chairs.

I placed the petite tree in front of the patio sliders so it can be enjoyed from the inside and outside. A larger tree would have jutted out into the room too much and blocked much needed natural light from the sliders.

Our Christmas decorations are in storage but I did manage to coax Handy Hubby to hunt down one Christmas tote {mainly for the Elf on a Shelf for the kids} and was able to reuse some of our past tree dressings: lights, ribbon, bead strands. The rest of the items I picked up at various craft stores.

As much as I like natural light photos, there’s just something about a glowing Christmas tree at night that makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.

The tree came with a small stand and watering bowl. I propped the stand up on a box inside of a metal bucket that I already had on hand. {It was previously corralling rolls of toilet paper in a closet.} I disguised the base with our traditional tree skirt from storage.

There aren’t any ornaments on the tree. Instead, I bought 10 of the glittery ornamental wands from JoAnn’s {crazy cheap!} and stuck them throughout the tree for some more shimmer.

The topper consists of a few glitter wands zip-tied together with a trio of peacock feathers. {I have plans for gift wrap that will pull the dark teal color from the peacock feathers.}

I fell in love with the feathers at the craft store. When HH saw them, the first thing he sarcastically said was, “Peacock feathers just scream Christmas.” I could have kicked him. I didn’t.

I like the way the feathers resemble the plume of tall ornamental grasses used in landscaping. Maybe it’s just me. Layne and Everett told me feathers don’t belong on a tree.

The budget {assume anything not included was available on hand}:

• tree & stand – $15 {Lowe’s}
• peacock feathers – $3 {Hobby Lobby}
• 10 glitter ornament wands – $4 {JoAnn’s}
• pack of 100 zip ties – $4 {Home Depot}

TOTAL: $26

I had big plans to create some sort of hanging tree out of wire, fabric and lights to hang from the blinds’ rod above the patio sliders. But once I realized that the wire I bought wasn’t sturdy enough to support my creation without being all lopsided and my boys frowned at me saying, “It doesn’t even look like a Christmas tree”, I returned everything and resorted to the petite live tree. Sometimes my ideas stay that way…as ideas…for a reason.

LIGHTED BREAKFAST BAR SKIRT

Previously, the breakfast bar in the apartment was just one big mess of chaos. I brought two counter stools from our old house to put at the bar but they were far too low to use for eating at the bar. In the last 3 months, we used them once. More often than not they became a dumping ground for coats, backpacks and bags, and they took up precious traffic flow space. I don’t plan on using them at the Underdog, so I donated them to Goodwill {made sure to get a tax receipt!} and got to work redefining the area.

I placed a wing chair and side table in the nook as a place to sit and put on/take off shoes. I put the kids’ school stuff on the chair the nights before school days to make mornings run a little more smoothly.

I sewed a custom skirt/tablecloth for the bar and attached it to the kitchen side of the bar with removable velcro. It serves as a dressy holiday backdrop for the seating area.

For added ambiance, I hung a string of white icicle lights behind the skirt.

I simply tapped a few nails into the underside of the breakfast countertop {making sure not to tap them in too deep to the other side!} and attached the lights with zip ties. The white lights look like little stars at night and give off a warm glow.

But the skirt is not only decorative, it’s useful too. The shorter side of the breakfast bar looks unassuming enough…

…but pull back the fabric to reveal storage.

I relocated this shoe rack from the coat closet to free up closet space for hidden holiday gifts and any guests that may come visit over the holidays. Originally, I had wanted to create a wrapping station here but I came up with a no paper/no tape gift wrap idea that I plan on using for Christmas this year instead. Hence, no glamorous wrapping station is necessary. Still, this space behind the skirt has so many possibilities: wrapping station with hanging wire baskets, boot tray, hanging storage with Command hooks, mail collecting station with hanging organizers, etc. I added a removable hook behind the wing chair and skirt to store gifts until they are wrapped. No peeking!

The budget: {assume anything not included was available on hand}

• striped fabric – $14 {JoAnn’s}
• paisley fabric – $18 {JoAnn’s with coupon}
• gold ribbon – $3 {JoAnn’s}
• velcro – $2 {JoAnn’s with coupon}
• icicle lights – $9 {Home Depot}
• trio of 3M Command hooks – $6 {Home Depot}

TOTAL: $52

My favorite part about this project is that we actually use the space but it looks less cluttered now. The kids love the glowing lights at night.

GLITTER WREATHS

Nothing says ‘Happy Holidays’ like a wreath. I found two of these gold glitter wreaths at a local craft store on sale. I suspended one wreath by green ribbon in front of canvas artwork.

The sparkle is a shimmery contrast to the matte painting. At night it looks warmer…

I hung the second wreath from a standing shelf in the living room.

I like the circular shape of the wreath against all the straight lines of the bookshelf and bins.

I suspended the wreath by a green ribbon tied directly to the top shelf of the bookcase.

It’s just the hint of Christmas cheer that the corner of the room needed. It glitters at night beneath artificial light.

The budget: {assume anything not included was available on hand}

• gold glitter wreaths – $18 each {Michael’s on sale}

TOTAL: $36

My wreaths are store bought but you could easily DIY something similar with a plain stick wreath and gold spray paint.

HOOP PENDANT SHADE

Remember the gold chandelier that hung too close to the ceiling? I hated it. Wanting a cozier, more intimate and warmer feel for the holidays, I finally did something about that chandy.

I DIYed a 24″ high fabric shade and hung it over the existing chandelier.

The new shade diffuses the light from the chandelier in a lovely way.

The oversize scale of the pendant helps connect the once too-high chandy to the dining table.

I can’t keep the light off at nighttime now.

Due to lack of time and energy, I didn’t add fabric to the bottom side of the shade.

I hung the shade from the existing chandelier’s chain with fishing line…it’s strong but virtually invisible.

The budget: {assume anything not included was available on hand}

• large embroidery hoop – $6 {Hobby Lobby}
• fishing line – $6 {Target}

TOTAL: $12

Could it be that my favorite holiday decor project is the one the cost the least? Yes! I plan to post the DIY specifics in a future post.

Keep in mind that all of these projects are completely temporary and easily removable – great for our temporary living situation. Thanks to Apartment Guide for sponsoring my holiday projects. I probably wouldn’t have put too much effort or thought into our apartment’s holiday decor otherwise. But now that it’s all done, I’m feeling pretty good about our warm and cozy interim housing. It was definitely worth all the time and effort put into it. My hope is that someone is inspired to make their home {whether permanent or temporary} an organized and inviting place for the holidays.

FYI – Apartment Guide is owned by Consumer Source, Inc. Apartment Guide partnered with bloggers such as me to participate in its “Holiday Home Organization” Blogger Challenge.  As part of that program, I received compensation.  They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about the products used for the “Holiday Home Organization” Blogger Challenge. Apartment Guide and Consumer Source believe that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Consumer Source’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.

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images:  1) Apartment Guide  all the rest) Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

First of all, WE HAVE INTERNET ACCESS!  Yay!  Okay, carry on…

This is the ‘in progress’ view of our kitchen from the living area of our future great room.  The oven and hood will be in the middle of the two windows.  {For more details on the kitchen layout, look here.}  If you look at the ceiling, you’ll notice three blue electrical boxes for light fixtures.  Specifically, they are the electrical boxes for our kitchen island pendants.  As you can see, there will be a trio of pendants centered above the kitchen island.  I thought about one big pendant over the island but since the island is going to be over 8′ long, I think 3 smaller pendants will balance the length of the island better.  I thought I’d share with you what pendant lights *I think* I’ve officially decided will go there.  Not just for your benefit but for mine too. Handy Hubby says I have to start making some design element decisions and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a tad overwhelmed.  So, I’m taking it one step at a time {while still trying to keep an overall aesthetic in mind} and starting with something relatively easy first.  The kitchen island pendants seemed like a good place to start.

I’ve been stalking this minimal, industrial-like West Elm globe pendant for months now.  {Maybe that’s why I’m somewhat fond of the globe lights in our apartment‘s kitchen.} I think a trio of them will work great above the island.  I want something see-through so that, when you’re in the living area of the great room looking into the kitchen, your eye travels past the pendants to the wall that will eventually house a streamlined hood.  A more solid pendant would stop your eye short at the island’s location and cut up the space taking away from that open, airy feel we love so much and are trying to achieve.  But the pendants still have enough presence to define the island.

Like I said, I’ve been eyeing these globe lights for months.  Mostly with the hope that they’ll go on sale and I can snag them up.  {Currently, you can get one of these lights for $99 and a trio for $269.}  But, alas, no price reduction has occurred and we’re getting down to the wire {bad pun} on picking ceiling fixtures for the Underdog.  At least, that’s what HH is telling me.  So, with thriftiness in mind, I bought $300 worth of West Elm gift cards from our local Kroger store while their quadruple fuel points special was running.  That means I got $1/gallon off my last fill-up at the gas pump! {For those of you who don’t shop/have Kroger stores, they offer point rewards for gift card purchases. The points can be used to deduct money from your fuel purchases at Kroger fuel centers or participating Shell stations.} I plan to use the gift cards to purchase the pendants.  Not exactly the clearance-priced globe lights I was hoping for but at least I got some savings elsewhere.  It all adds up.

What do you think?  Do you like the idea of minimal, non-view impending globe lights over the future kitchen island?  I think they’ll look like fabulous little fish bowls lit up in the evening hours.

images: 1) Dana Miller for House*Tweaking  2&3) West Elm

Hopefully, this week’s series about creating a stylish open space has inspired you to get crackin’ on your own place.  If not, well, at least you got to look at some pretty amazing rooms.  Let’s review the tips for decorating an open floor plan one last time {in case you missed ‘em earlier, you can click on each for details}:

• COHESIVE COLOR SCHEME
• SENSIBLE FURNITURE PLACEMENT
• MULTITASKING AREA RUGS
• LOTS OF LIGHT

To reiterate everything you’ve read here this week, I’d like to dissect one last open floor plan. {Anatomy lab always was my favorite course in college.}  This comfortable and colorful living space is part of Coastal Living’s 2009 Idea House.  You’ll quickly find that is has all the right moves in all the right places.  {Name that song.}  Here’s the big picture…

It includes a kitchen, living room and dining area.  Notice the color scheme of tan, coral, eggplant and white.  Each zone is arranged around its own focal point: the kitchen’s hood/tiled wall, the living room’s fireplace and the dining area’s artwork.  Furniture is set out into the space but allows for adequate traffic flow.  Also, notice the low profile of all the furniture.  It doesn’t obstruct the view from one end of the space to the other and allows conversation to drift easily across the different zones.

Pendants above the kitchen island?  Check.  Backless stools give sitters the option to face the cook or the living room.

The living room benefits from the texture and grounding effects of a shag rug.  To help traffic flow and to break up all the rectangular shapes in the space, round coffee and side tables are used. Color and pattern is brought in on the throw pillows.  The coral stairwell/entry at the far end of the room serves as a warm backdrop.  A ceiling fan {as seen in the first image} and a buffet table lamp {not shown} are the only artificial light sources.

In the dining area, a simple table is highlighted by 2 large pendants.  Large scale artwork {made from bottlecaps!} is the undeniable focal point of this zone.  To further define this area, a patterned rug in eggplant is placed beneath the table and chairs.  2 tall, skinny buffet lamps round out the lighting.  It may be worthy to note that the gold finishes {dining buffet lamps, dining pendants, kitchen pendants, kitchen faucet, etc} scattered throughout this entire open floor plan bring even more cohesion to the overall scheme.

To me, it’s fun to pick apart rooms like this and figure out why they work.  While you’re building up your inspiration folder, you can do the same thing.  Decorating an open concept can be overwhelming because you must focus on the space as a whole and as zones.  But don’t get discouraged.  Just keep those key points in mind as you make your space a happy place.

Have a wonderful weekend!

images: all Angie Hranowsky design, Lindsey Ellis Beatty styling and Tria Giovan photography for Coastal Living

To keep an open floor plan {especially longer, narrower spaces} from resembling a dark and dingy bowling alley, natural and artificial light sources are necessary.  As with any room, lighting can make or break the deal.

LOTS OF LIGHTING

To let in as much natural light as possible, try curtains that can be drawn open during the day to drench your interiors in sunlight.  Maybe shades are more your style?  Make sure they’re retractable.  I tend to steer clear of sheers as I feel they filter natural light too much.  Here’s a great example of an open space benefiting from all that natural light has to offer.

While all the window treatments in an open space need not be the same in each zone, they should be cohesive.  Consider how the window coverings look from different zones.  {This kind of goes back to selecting a cohesive color scheme.}  In spots that receive unwanted direct sunlight, come up with a way to temporarily block it out when desired.

When the sun goes down or when natural light alone isn’t cutting it, artificial light sources may be used.  This includes recessed lighting, track lighting, table lamps, pendants, ceiling fans with lights, floor lamps, chandeliers and sconces.  For open floor plans, I particularly like recessed lighting, pendants, chandeliers and a few lamps.  Just like an area rug, lighting can define a zone within an open space.  Kitchens and family/living rooms are great places for recessed lighting as it reduces the need for furniture or floor space required to house lamps.  Pendants and chandeliers are wonderful choices for open kitchens and dining areas. Placed just above an island or dining table, they automatically give the space below presence and make floating furniture look like it ought to be there.  When used in combination with a dimmer switch, pendants or chandeliers can add tons of ambience.  {Handy Hubby installed a dimmer switch on our dining chandy.  We dim it at night and it puts off a lovely, soft glow…almost like candlelight.}  As far as lamps go, 1 or 2 – maybe 3 in a larger room – scattered around a family/living room is plenty.  {If you need more light, try recessed lighting or a ceiling fan with a light on it overhead.}  The problem comes when trying to figure out where to place lamps in an open space.  Corners are good as long as there is a chair/sofa to anchor the lamp.  Obviously, you don’t want a lone floor lamp standing by itself in a corner.  And by “corners are good” I don’t mean stuck back deep into a corner.  Any furniture/lamp should sit out a bit from the corner…remember you’re bringing the furniture into the room if possible.  Floating sofas, sectionals and chairs in need of a task lamp can pose a problem. Under some circumstances, an outlet may not be easily accessible.  You may be able to plug the lamp into an extension cord and run it under the furniture or rug to a nearby outlet.  Please be sure it’s not a tripping/child safety issue though!  {I have the 2 floor lamps in our living room plugged into an extension cord that runs under the sofa to an outlet just behind a curtain.  It’s out of traffic’s way and nearly invisible.} Another option is to install a floor outlet.  This is easy to do if a basement or crawl space exists under the proposed spot for the new floor outlet. {I would love to install a floor outlet in our family room beneath our sectional.  Maybe a future DIY project?}  I think some people would be very turned off {pun intended} by this solution thinking, “What if I ever move my furniture?”  Proper placement of the outlet would be key but very doable.

Enough talk.  Let’s walk the walk.  Here are a few pendants being used to establish open dining areas.  Notice the shapes of the pendants…they don’t always match the shape of the dining table. Also pay attention to the different types of window treatments used to let in natural light.

In this kitchen/dining combo, a trio of shiny metal pendants hangs above the island while a lighter, softer pendant lights the dining area.

This is one of my favorite open dining areas.  1 large pendant + flowing curtains hung high and wide + textural light filtering shades = an airy place to chow down.  Mmmmm.

How about some recessed lighting?  Check out this open living space.  With ample recessed lighting in the living area, the designer chose to forgo lamps.  A chandelier defines the dining area. Sometimes just a pendant or chandy above a dining table is enough to ground the area, negating the need for a rug.

Here’s a look at a long, narrow space nicely divided up into zones.  {See the dining area beyond the sofa?}  I think the placement of the floor lamp is perfect.  It provides task lighting for sofa sitters but isn’t too far out into the room that it requires an extension cord or floor outlet.  If you look closely, there is also track lighting above the quad of black and white photos in the dining area.

Arc lamps can be a practical choice in an open living space.  The base can sit over to the side of the room {in reach of a wall outlet} while the light source hangs out and over the seating area.

Finally, a few rooms that have a mix of light sources employed to make for an open and bright space.  See if you can pick out all the light sources.

I hope this sheds some light {sorry, I couldn’t help myself} on how to keep open spaces feeling bright and airy.  Tomorrow I’ll be back with this series’ final post that will focus on one living space that uses all of the tips I’ve mentioned this week.

images:  1) Jennifer Worts via DecorPad 2) Traci Kearns for Southern Living 3) Lynn Morgan via Cococozy 4) Sarah Dorio photography via DecorPad 5) Candice Olson via Hooked on Houses 6) DecorPad 7) Wayne Vincent photography via DecorPad 8) Lynda Reeves and Michael Graydon photography via DecorPad 9 & 10) Candice Olson for HGTV