When Carrie from Lovely Etc invited me to be part of a Spring Home Tour, I had to smile, because of course as the lone Aussie blogger in a sea of American blogs, I’m all out of sync with these seasonal tours. It’s autumn in Australia, and to be honest, autumn is not much different here than spring… or summer (just less unbearably hot.)
What we do share in common is that it’s Easter time, and I’m all up for injecting a bit of fresh Easter decor into my home. Easter is all about the new life Jesus offers to the world, and the traditional “new life” symbols of bunnies and tulips and butterflies and budding flowers kind of sum of spring anyway. So without betraying my true-blue Aussie identity, I offer you a Spring Home Tour… in autumn. (Plus, I figured it’s about time I give you a home update, since it’s been quite a while!)
Oh, AND, we’re offering you the chance to win $400 in PayPal cash, so make sure you get on that! You’ll find the entry details toward the end of this post.
We’ve been living in our beach house rental for a year and a half now. (Where did that time go?!) In that time, I’ve made a few little tweaks and updates in our living area. The room needed some life, and what better way to bring it than through some greenery? I added a potted artificial palm in a woven basket next to my buffet – instant lift! I love the relaxed plantation style it brings to our coastal home.
You may notice another little change with our buffet styling since the beach house reveal I shared after we first moved in. I wanted a change from all the blue vases, so for now I’m keeping it simple and fresh with all-white and clear glass.
We also added an artificial fiddle-leaf fig in the living area, which has really helped bring a sense of the outdoors in. The couch has a new knitted throw in my favourite shade of aqua, and I’ve been working on replacing all my cushion inserts with duck feather for a more luxurious, plump and inviting effect.
Fresh flowers always bring so much life and happiness to a room. I chose a simple palette of white and spring green, with bud chrysanthemums, giant white chrysanthemums and white lilies still in bud.
The next big change has taken place in our entry hallway, where we’ve finally pulled our white painted bookcase out of storage so I have room for my overflow of books. We had three bookcases in the living room of our River House (see my popular Ikea Billy bookcase hack in this post), and they were FULL. Well, all those books are now in storage until we build our next home, but after a year in this new abode, of course I’d collected more books. #hopelessbookaddict
My bedside table drawers were stuffed to overflowing, and there was a tottering pile of novels on my dresser with nowhere to store them – time to do something about it! Apart from solving a storage problem, it’s been lovely having a set of shelves as a feature in our previously bare entryway.
Here’s my “Easter-ified” take on bookshelf styling. I’ve carried across the white and green theme from the buffet with a simple bunch of tulips in a Mason jar, my little ceramic bunny head and a picture that once used to reside on my daughter’s gallery wall.
A shot of teal in the faceted glass vase brings some colour…
The gold terrarium needs a succulent or an air plant – something I can’t kill. I kind of like it bare, too. The lines are pretty.
I also appropriated this sweet butterfly picture that used to live in my daughter’s bedroom. We’re going in a whole new direction for her new big-girl room – the toddler bed has been replaced by a gorgeous big-girl bed, and the room is coming together beautifully – but that’s for another post!
In good news, it took a year, but my wool rug has finally stopped shedding. I wondered how white would go with three small kids, but turns out it’s been a great choice and hasn’t shown any marks at all.
You can see how this open-plan living area flows across to the dining area / study nook.
I created a feature wall for my little study area using a gold paint pen – see the easy how-to in this post.
I’m still loving my compact home office nook and use it every day.
That’s it from me. Make sure you enter our awesome $400 giveaway, and take a few minutes to browse through the other gorgeous homes on this tour – the complete list is below!
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Linked up at these parties this week!
your home is beautiful! i LOVE the sideboard with the sea fan art and the greenery near it- beautiful shot!!! love the eclectic boho beach thing you have going on!
Thank you so much, hon! I love gazing at that little corner also – it’s a favourite spot in our house. 🙂 xo
Gorgeous! I love your style so much, and the colors in it are a great mix. There are so many beautiful details!
Gorgeous! I love your style so much, and the colors in it are a great mix. There are so many beautiful details!
Thanks so much, friend!! ?
Your house is absolutely adorable! I love all the blues and greens. That blue sofa is fantastic!
Thank you sweet lady!! xo
Karen!!!!
I am so in love with all of your art work and decor, I just don’t even know where to start! I love your aesthetic. 🙂 Thank you for all of the gorgeous eye candy. I am coming down to Australia to steal all of your wall decor. haha!
Much love,
Erica- Designing Vibes
LOL, go for it Erica, I’d love a visit from my American bloggy friends! 🙂 Thanks so much for your sweet words, girl! xo
Karen, this is stunning! I love it all! Your blue couch is amazing…and all of the artwork is just beautiful!
Thank you, Brooke! I am a little bit in love with that couch, lol!
Karen, I just love how beautifully and creatively you have decorated your home! So gorgeous and light and airy and loving the blues – my new favorites!
http://www.erinkrobison.com
Thank you Erin for your sweet words, you are so kind! xo
I love how bright and happy your home is! And that blue couch – So fun! Thanks so much for joining the spring tour even though it is autumn down under – it’s a good reminder for me and probably others that not everyone is on our same schedule!
I’m so happy you invited me, Carrie! I love to participate even though I’m a little out of sync! Thanks for having me despite my seasonal quirks, I do appreciate it. xo
Karen, Your home is beautiful!! I love all of the colors you have mixed together and the little details here and there are perfect! Looking at the pictures just makes me want to take a deep breath and relax. Colleen@Life on Kaydeross Creek
Thanks so much for those wonderfully kind words, Colleen! Great to have you here! xo
Wow!!! Your home is SO beautiful, clean and crisp! Love that buffet, your styling is spot on! Happy autumn and Easter! 🙂
Thanks so much, Sara! Happy Easter to you too. *Mwah* xo
So many gorgeous little touches, Karen! I can’t get over that gorgeous sharpie wall!! Love it!!
Thanks Krista, I appreciate it! I am still a little bit in love with my wall. 😉 xo
So many fabulous little happy places in your Spring home tour! Thank you so much for the inspiration!
Thanks so much for sharing your creativity at the The DIY Collective this week! Please come back next week to show off your latest project!
Have an awesome weekend!
~ Ashley
Thanks so much, Ashley! xo
such a lovely home! that mirror above your desk area is so cool I have 3 kids and won’t be blamed for my poor vocabulary this evening. 😉 Truly though- such a fresh and pretty space!
LOL, well I totally get that. I use “cool” way too often and then feel like a teenager from the 80’s… ha! We need a decent substitute that can be used by a grown woman without making us feel silly. There’s nothing – the English language is letting us down. 😉 Thanks for stopping by, Ashlea! xo
I love your home, Karen. It has such personality. You need to come help me with mine!
I would just love that!! Thanks for the sweet words, friend! xo