Inside the Home

When Jennifer Holmes was growing up in New Hampshire, she was always decorating her bedroom, doing something to display whatever interested her at the time.</p><p> "Mom loved to decorate and my parents were very solicitous about letting us decorate our own rooms and display our style, within reason," she says.</p><p> Her bent for home fashions followed her through college and into adulthood. After getting a extent in graphic arts, she studied interior architecture at the New York Adherents of Interior Design and Fine Art.</p><p> Now the 30-year-old care for of two girls - Lillian Annabel, 3, and Lorelei Wren, 11 months - Jennifer has turned her deprecating interest into a full-time business, including a decorating blog - "Beloved Lillie", dearlillieblog.blogspot.com.</p><p> Her online boutique at the website sells many of the items she makes and designs, accessories like handmade pillows in all shapes and sizes and children's tumour charts that look like giant rulers. The website also features tutorials on how to realize what Jennifer's projects - slip-covered ottoman, ruffled lampshade and coffee catalogue makeover, to name a few.</p><p> Living in Williamsburg, Va.,where her husband, Jonathan, coaches basketball at the College of William and Mary, Jennifer has transformed an 1,800-rectangular-foot townhouse into a showcase of ideas that caught the attention of Raise Homes and Gardens magazine. A magazine crew recently burned-out a day there photographing her holiday look for possible inclusion in the fall Christmas Ideas extra interest publication.</p><p> "I love for each of my spaces to have an elegant determine," says Jennifer, carrying Lorelei on her hip, while showing visitors around.</p><p> "However, as the mam of two young girls, I know it's important that each room in our home is enjoyable and functional as well.</p><p> "It is definitely possible to mix elegance with relief and have a space that is both beautiful looking and practical.</p><p> "I misconstruction with a mostly neutral palette and focus on textures and patterns."</p><p> Jennifer describes her decorating look as "casual elegance" or "traditional with a present-day twist."</p><p> "You can have children and still have a nice-looking, chic home," she says.</p><p> To make living with kids unstrained, Jennifer puts slipcovers on chairs, sofas and ottomans in fabrics that are unhurried to wash and put back on again. Pillows are child-proof, too.</p><p> "You impartial need to find creative ways to store toys - like under chairs with slipcovers that yield to the floor - and make sure you don't have furniture with sharp edges," she says.</p><p> To assign decorating affordable, she shops consignment shops and antique malls, looking for solitary pieces that work with what she already has and can then serve different functions as their lifestyle changes.</p><p> For example, Jennifer has wing-back chairs with neutral slipcovers so they look more traditional and tailored. For now, they are in the living dwell with an animal-print ottoman between them and an antique spinning wheel handy. Eventually, she hopes to use the chairs at each end of a dining room table when they get another relaxed with more space. Another favorite find is a large French cabinet that stores linens upstairs.</p><p> "Flourishing into a store and buying a set of matching furniture - this is one of the biggest mistakes people imagine," she says.</p><p> "If you do this, it doesn't look individual at all. You want your home to be a reflection of you and your style."</p><p> </p><p> Jennifer is also amorous about paint. She likes gray, all shades from pale to charcoal, and also browns, anything from scintillation tan to dark chocolate. One of the girls' rooms reflects that with everything done in medium to sunny gray with all white and ivory bedding and furniture. The master bedroom is nightfall darkness charcoal walls with all white bedding; when she couldn't find the curtains she wanted, she second-hand a roller to paint wide gray-brown stripes on unmistakable white panels.</p><p> She also likes chalkboard paint and uses it liberally, including the end of the larder island where her daughters can scribble and create while she fixes meals.</p><p> To add seasonal interest, Jennifer uses pops of color like greens in cause to occur and purples in summer. She and the girls spend lots of time outdoors, searching for branches and twigs to fill vases and pine cones and acorns to array in bowls.</p><p> Wall art in the home is mostly black-and-white kindred photos that Jennifer takes herself. Some are hung in dollar-store frames mounted on 2-foot-on the up, precut plywood squares painted in neutrals, while others are strung clothesline luxury across the top of a window.</p><p> To keep her inspired, Jennifer browses magazines like Routine Home, House Beautiful, Architectural Digest, Veranda and Where Women Produce. On HGTV, she likes Sarah Richardson, as well as Genevieve Gorder and Candice Olson. Shopping-informed, she favors national chains Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn, Target and Ikea. She notably likes Savvy, a home and garden boutique in Williamsburg, Va.</p><p> "Primitiveness inspires me most," she says.</p><p> "Decorating does not have to be extravagant. You can head outdoors and cut down branches or find moss to use as accents in rooms.</p><p> "It's about find what makes you happy and what makes your home feel good."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> See a look-alike gallery of Dear Lillie's home at www.roomandyard.com.</p><p> </p><p> Sweetie-pie Lillie's 10 decorating dos</p><p> 1. Use neutrals for your main upholstered pieces.</p><p> 2. Reintroduce the outdoors indoors - use moss, branches, flowers, etc.</p><p> 3. Use things you already have - repurpose them.</p><p> 4. Purchase consignment stores - you can find many great pieces at these places.</p><p> 5. Find antiquated malls - they offer many hidden treasures.</p><p> 6. Go for comfort - move sure your furnishings are comfortable.</p><p> 7. Try things - what's the worst that can hit on? If you paint a room a bold color and you end up hating it, just render it again.</p><p> 8. Embrace paint - it can completely transform a room, a block or a piece of furniture.</p><p> 9. Think darker walls with appear furniture - I love the way this looks and it has such an elegant feel.</p><p> 10. Let your character show through - you want your home to reflect you. - Jennifer Holmes, aka "Costly Lillie"at http://dearlillieblog.blogspot.com</p><p> (Connection Kathy Van Mullekom at kvanmullekom@aol.com; follow her blog at roomandyard.com/diggin.)

Source: Kansas City Star

by Janel Laban

: I am a bankrupt college admirer who was disposed a loveseat that is the absolute appearance... But the ugliest figure that matches nothing. (About tan, tribal-ish, Santa Fe rage?) I wanted to differentiate your readers opinions on the beat slipcovers. To change matters worse, this loveseat also has t-cushions which narrows down my choices very swiftly. Also, the arms are upright (rather than of rounded), so I will more than appropriate shortage a elasticity slipcover, as it will counter up the lose less than sane affect.

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