We are told from a young age that home is where the heart is. The Inglenook Decor online boutique derives inspiration from old European cottages, specifically the hearth or as the English say “inglenook.” ”This is where everybody gathers around to get warm. I think a home should be the same way — give us that feeling of safety, a refuge, and that we’re surrounded by love and, of course, it should also reflect who we are. Infusing your own unique look in your space is not as daunting as it looks. You just have to dig deeper, your decorating self is there somewhere. And remember, even though in these hard economic times decorating and design may be an afterthought, your home remains to be a place of refuge for you,” says Maureen, owner of The Inglenook Decor.
With pages of countless items to personalize a home, The Inglenook Decor online shop has plenty to offer: one can peruse the latest offering in the ever-growing urban nature trends or satiate a more modern and minimalistic vision. When asked about how to get started on the task of setting a direction for home decor, Maureen gives great advice, “Get inspired. I’m a big fan of making an inspiration board. If you’ve got the time, do it! Tear decor magazine pages, take snapshots of items you love at decor stores, follow design bloggers you admire. There are several websites where you can store your ideas, like Houzz.com, DecorPad and Polyvore. But one thing you must not do, is to follow the inspiration picture to the dot. Otherwise, you’re just recreating other people’s ideas.” The Inglenook Decor website even has a fun quiz that will suggest a customer’s style preferences and tastes. “You have to know what you like or you’ll end up just pretending to like your decorator’s/designer’s style. It’ll be a lose lose situation in the end.”
Maureen also encourages her customers to think about the form and function of a room. “Ask yourself what is the room going to be for – entertaining, a place for the whole family to sit back and relax? How much traffic is it going to get? The flow of traffic pretty much dictates how furniture is going to be placed. Then assess what you have – there’s no need to throw out accent furniture and other pieces collecting dust in the attic, especially if they were given to you by your Great Grandma. You can find a way to incorporate these in your new space and of course, just add new pieces and decorative items.”
Adding personal details around a room can give it that little extra that turns an ordinary space into a warm and comfortable environment.
The Inglenook Decor picks 5 pieces that will transform any room.
1. A vase with gorgeous flowers. I think every room should have one and nothing is more gorgeous than the beauty of nature in a space. White and clear vases are my favorite since they go with any color scheme. As far as flowers, the options abound! I’m quite partial to lime green hydrangeas. Get creative! Vintage Mason Jars are great for displaying wildflowers.
2. Great Lighting. Nothing can be more crucial! Although not all of us have the luxury of having mood or soft lighting in our rooms, this is where lamps & small chandeliers come in. If you have fluorescent light, use it only when you definitely need it (like when you need to see all the little pores in your face). Otherwise, turn on that gorgeous lamp. Bedrooms and home offices can even have candle chandeliers on the side. Create dramatic mood lighting with Antique Mercury Glass Bottle Tealight Holder.
3. Something you made, a memento, a postcard from a faraway travel. Even if you’re not a seasoned do-it-yourselfer, you can make something! Even if it’s as simple as repainting an old frame or decoupaging a tin can (if you know how to paste, you know how to decoupage!). A memento, like those cutesy drawings your kids made, can be turned into a gallery-worthy wall collage and yes, things you gathered from your travels (I’m not talking about magnets or snow globes). Every time you see them, it brings back memories, doesn’t it? Or just a thought that you need another vacation! Create photo stories and hang them on the wall with Alabaster frames.
4. Books. Yes, books are decorative items too! Place them upright in a bookcase and use fancy bookends or just a decorative item to hold it together. Or place them horizontally and put another accessory on top of them. It simply evokes you’re smart yet chic and stylish at the same time. Display old books with Phrenology Head bookends.
5. An area rug. Yes, yes, I’m a maximalist of sorts! I think you should adorn your walls but your floors need some personality, too! With so many options around as far as materials, designs and shapes, I’m sure you’ll find one that pulls everything together. I think a space becomes instantly warmer by using area rugs. Pictured: Black New Leaf Rug by Trina Turk, Caned Yellow Rug and Berkeley in Blue Rug.