Fall Porch Decorating Ideas

Hi friend! I love the fall season! The changing cooler weather, pumpkin everything, and pulling out my cozy sweaters. My most favorite part about fall is decorating my front porch.

It doesn’t take much to transform your porch. You could use what you already have or find inexpensive decor items to add some warm welcoming vibes to your home.

Front Porch Inspiration

Transform your front porch into a cozy autumn retreat with thoughtful decor ideas that celebrate the season.

Lemile Magazine

Start with a warm welcome by adding a seasonal wreath adorned with vibrant leaves or rustic accents.

Seasonal welcome mats come in an array of shapes, sizes, and wording. I like to layer welcome mats to add dimension and texture.

Incorporate hay bales and pumpkins in various sizes to create an inviting focal point.

Some of the most popular flowers, like mums, roses, dahlias, purple pansies and, yes, even bright yellow sunflowers, all bloom around September and October. Plant these in varying planter pots of different sizes, shapes, colors, and heights to add visual interest.

Use throw pillow cushions on rocking chairs to invite guests to sit and enjoy the crisp air.

Create symmetry by repeating the same planters on both sides of the steps or doorway.

Use muted colors that relate to the home's exterior colors and don’t be afraid to mix in green with shades of orange.

---

I wholeheartedly believe that there's no such thing as too many pumpkins!

With these delightful fall front porch decor ideas, you can craft a lovely space that truly captures the essence of the season!

If you are local the the Charlotte, North Carolina area, I would LOVE to help you transform your front porch! Let’s connect!!

---

Did you know that eDesign can keep you from making costly design mistakes?

-Tiffani Michalenko

HSR Certified Home Stager & Expert eDesigner

Fashion-Inspired Dining Room

In the realm of Interior Design, inspiration can spring from various sources. Recently, I stumbled upon a fashion magazine ad and had the idea to transform the campaign into a room concept for a creative twist.

The Inspiration

The sand, sky, and sea at the beach are the foundation for a style movement that we never tire of - the classic, quintessentially coastal look. It always stays in style because, when done well, it conjures up a luxurious, laid-back lifestyle.

Lemile Magazine

The Louis Vuitton Cruise 2024 Campaign, is an evocative fashion campaign starring English actress Emma Laird set on the captivating Italian island of Isola Bella.

The narrative blends history, elegance, and allure, with models representing the collection's essence.

Jamie Hakesworth's visuals depict the island's rich history and folklore, evoking a timeless and fantastical atmosphere.

---

The Mood Board

Drawing inspiration from the location and model’s ensemble in the advertisement, I concentrated on infusing soft tones and textures into this mood board to reflect the essence of the captivating image.

Visual mood boards are instrumental in sparking ideas and integrating textures from inspiring images. Through carefully selecting and organizing a collection of pictures, I establish the groundwork for designing a room.

---

The Sketch

Sketching a room puts my ideas to paper.

---

The Rendering

After I’ve brainstormed and have a better understanding of the overall feeling of a room’s aesthetic, I put it all together into a 3D rendering.

---

Advertisement Reimagined

Both the advertisement and room design encapsulates a vibrancy, crafting a timeless and enchanting atmosphere.

I can't wait to hear your thoughts on my creative process of turning a fashion design advertisement into a room design.

---

Did you know that eDesign can keep you from making costly design mistakes?

-Tiffani Michalenko

HSR Certified Home Stager & Expert eDesigner

Hallway Refresh

This dark dead-end hallway was boring and needed a refresh. Check out what we did to make this a more appealing and happier space!

The Before

Where to start with this dead-end hallway? The overall darkness, the chair rail, the awkward yet narrow walkway, or the lack of a linen closet…

I’ve always been bothered by the floor plan layout of this hallway. The angled wall to the right creates a very narrow walkway from the landing of the stairs. Since we aren’t changing the walls or layout of this space, I had to decide on what could be changed.

---

What We Did

We opted to remove the unnecessary chair rail. Chair rail has a place in dining rooms to protect walls from chairs being pushed up against the wall. Why the chair rail was installed upstairs in this hallway will always be a mystery to me!

We repaired the walls from the chair rail removal and installed board and batten.

I found this gorgeous Dark Multi Moody June Blooms peel-and-stick wallpaper from WallPops. I loved the blue accent color paired with the different shades of green and tiny bits of orange.

This was my first time installing peel-and-stick wallpaper and it was fairly easy. I did find it a bit challenging to line up the patterns perfectly. I love it though and the print adds so much life and cheerfulness to this dead-end wall.

After applying primer to the wood, we painted a fresh coat of Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray SW7029 paint on the walls. I opted to paint the board and batten the same as the original paint color as a way to color drench the space. The original white chair rail and trim stood out, and not in a good way!

It took me several days of sanding and fully preparing the walls to be primed and painted.

Once all the painting was complete, we moved our antique pie safe back into place. The blue cabinet which we use for linen storage, was the inspiration behind my selection of wallpaper, area rug runner, and table lamp.

---

HOT TIP: Find an inspirational piece to begin developing your design plan. This can be artwork, a pillow, an area rug, a pretty pattern on a dish… you can draw inspiration from almost anything! Your design plan will have a purpose once you do. You’ll know what colors or patterns you are drawn to and a clear direction of what you would like to try and incorporate into the space.

To help add some light to this hallway, I found this adorable blue glass table lamp on Amazon and the white wall mirror was on clearance at Hobby Lobby. The mirror helps to reflect light and also makes the hallway feel a bit longer than it really is.

The dark wood cabinet in front of the wallpapered wall has a lot of scratches on it. I’m considering stripping the dark stain and giving this old cabinet a facelift.

What do you think?

Paint the cabinet a light green or go with a more natural-looking wood tone. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

---

-Tiffani Michalenko

HSR Certified Home Stager & Expert eDesigner

Painted Cabinets

The overall aesthetic of my kitchen was mismatched and outdated. Since the cabinets and granite countertops are in great condition, we decided to paint the cabinets.

This is how I did it.

What You’ll Need

I used everything listed below plus some additional brushes I had and buckets to clean with.

Preparation

Step One:

I removed all of the doors and drawers from the kitchen. I took off the knobs, hinges, and clear sticker bumpers.

Step Two:

Once the hinges were removed, I used a Sharpie marker to write what number the cabinet was inside one hinge hole cutout. I then also labeled a piece of blue painter’s tape with the same number and stuck it on top of the number marked with Sharpie. I did this because when the paint was sprayed on, it covered up most of the labels on the painter’s tape. I was able to pull it off and see the numbers clearly for the installation.

I also made labels out of blue painter’s tape for each drawer.

Step Three:

I sanded the cabinet boxes, doors, and drawer fronts using 320-grit sandpaper wrapped on a sanding block.

I wiped everything down with a tack cloth and then using a paint rag, wiped with Liquid Sandpaper.

I then mixed the TSP All-Purpose Cleaner with warm water and wiped everything making sure to get any leftover sanding residue.

Be sure to wear heavy-duty protective gloves during this process!

Hot Tip: Use a hair dryer to heat any sticky residue and scrape it off with a palette knife or flathead screwdriver.

Step Four:

Prep your workspace. Place painter’s plastic down on the floors and on top of countertops to protect from paint spills or drops.

Using the Green Frog Tape, tape all areas where the cabinets meet the walls, floors, appliances, countertops… everywhere you don’t want paint. Be sure to tape two layers side by side. Doing so will make it so that the edge of your paint roller goes on the tape and not the wall.

I taped painter’s plastic on the interior of my cabinet boxes to protect them from unwanted paint splatter.

---

Applying Primer

Step Five:

Cabinet Boxes

I painted two coats of Zinser BIN Primer on the cabinet boxes. The primer is very thin and smells awful. Make sure you ventilate your room as much as possible.

For the cabinet boxes, I cut in using the 2” flat brush and rolled on the paint everywhere else.

Door and Drawer Fronts

When I primed the doors and drawer fronts, I used the paint sprayer. It was much faster and only required one coat of Primer. The downside was that the paint sprayer used up a lot of Primer. I ended up going through an entire gallon.

I first painted the backs of the doors and drawers. If I made any mistakes or the paint dripped, it was on the back and less noticeable than on the front.

HOT TIP: Wear a properly fitted face mask, eye covering, and gloves when using primer.

I used the mini cone paint stands to prop the doors and drawers up on as they dried.

Once the backs were dry, I painted the fronts and sides and then let them dry.

HOT TIP: I learned that once dry, the Primer dries flaky on the painter’s plastic and painter’s tape. I had to use a lot of tack cloth to get the flakes off before I could paint with the cabinet paint. I probably should have removed the painter’s plastic and then prepped it again with fresh plastic and tape.

---

Applying the Cabinet Paint

I chose the Nuvo Cabinet Paint because it is easy to work with plus the kit comes with everything you need to get started. Nuvo has several colors to pick from and I really liked that they included very detailed instructions.

I used the Nuvo Cabinet Paint on my bathroom vanities without the top coat that can be purchased separately and the paint has held up very well. I do plan to go back and put a top coat on them just to make sure the paint lasts even longer.

Step Six:

Cabinet Boxes

Using the same method as with the Pimer, I cut in with a 2” brush and rolled the paint on with the cabinet paint roller. I found the Nuvo Titanium White paint to be very thick but applied smoothly.

I didn’t take a picture of this step, but I used the drywall knife to avoid paint bleeding through the painter’s tape onto the flooring. I put the flat edge of the drywall knife on the floor up against the shoe molding and painted on top of the knife instead of painting directly onto the painter’s tape.

It took two coats of cabinet paint to fully cover the Primer. I repeated the painting process with one layer of the Clear Top Coat.

Drawers and Doors

I used one of my daughter’s toy bins that has wheels on the bottom to easily rotate the doors and drawers around while I painted them.

I started with the backs again. I first cut in with a brush and then rolled on the paint with the paint roller.

After the backs were dry, I repeated the process for the fronts.

I let all of the doors and drawers dry overnight and then repeated the process of applying the Clear Top Coat.

HOT TIP: Remove the painter’s tape while the paint is still a little bit wet. This will allow for cleaner edges.

---

Putting It All Together

Step Seven:

Inspect your paint job to see if there is anywhere you need to touchup, then replace the clear bumper stickers on the backs of the doors and drawers.

Step Eight:

I enlisted the help of my husband to help reinstall the doors and drawers. We replaced the hinges with new soft-close hinges and hung the doors back up.

After the drawers were put back, we installed new knobs and then we admired all of the hard work that went into this transformation!

---

I am so glad we decided to paint our cabinets! It was a labor of love and definitely took me longer than I anticipated. I think the most time-consuming part of this project was the prep work, but it was necessary to achieve the results I wanted. All in all, this project took me over two weeks to complete. I worked a little bit every day and did what I could while my kids were at school.

Now we have a fresh bright white kitchen that instantly brightened up the entire space!

---

FREE download! Start planning your next home refresh with this Room Budget Calculator.

---

-Tiffani Michalenko

HSR Certified Home Stager & Expert eDesigner

Out With The Old… In With The Newly Refreshed Kitchen

When we purchased our house in 2020 we knew that the Kitchen would need a facelift. The layout is perfectly functional, but the overall aesthetic was mismatched and outdated.

The Before

The layout of the Kitchen works for us, but the reddish brown cabinet stain and pink beige tile felt outdated and clashed with the black and white granite countertops.

The hanging pot holder served no purpose and was crooked and off-center. When we removed it, we found out the hanging pot holder wasn’t even secured to a ceiling joist! Thankfully we never hung any pots from it.

---

The Flooring

The flooring had to go! The pink beige builder-grade tile was chipped, cracked, and clashed with the black and white granite countertops.

With kids and pets, we ultimately decided to install a wood-look LVP (luxury vinyl plank tile) throughout our first floor due to its durability and water resistance.

When installing this type of wood look flooring, it is important to try and run it continuously throughout. Never try to install the flooring up to another type of wood pattern. It will not ever look right because the wood tones will be different and you could timestamp your house.

BEFORE

Do you see how awful the installation was? The previous owners of our house installed LVP next to the old tile. The tile is much thicker than the LVP so we constantly stepped on the “ledge”. Plus, they didn’t bother removing the tile that created a pointed angle that butted up to the column. It drove me nuts that the point was not centered on the column!

AFTER

---

The Walls and Cabinet Paint

We painted the walls and ceiling with a fresh coat of paint. The walls are Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray SW7029 in a satin finish.

The reddish brown cabinet stain represented the Tuscan trend from when the house was built in 2008. The cabinets themselves were in great condition so we opted to paint the cabinets a fresh bright white. We also replaced the cabinet door hinges with soft-close hinges as well as replaced the knobs.

Want to find out how I painted my cabinets? See more here.

The appliances were replaced with a matching set and we swapped out the sink faucet for a taller spot resistant brushed stainless steel sink faucet from Moen.

The Result

The Kitchen now feels brighter and makes the entire space feel even more spacious!

---

What do you think about this Kitchen Refresh?

---

FREE download! Start planning your next home refresh with this Room Budget Calculator.

---

-Tiffani Michalenko

HSR Certified Home Stager & Expert eDesigner

Hot Home Trend: Lighter Flooring

Spoiler Alert!

Lighter wood-tone floors are taking center stage

According to a recent poll taken by the National Association of Realtors, 31% of Americans want to undertake replacing their flooring as a home improvement. Source

Softer wood tones are available in more expansive, longer planks to instantly modernize the floors.

Why is this trend happening?

Dark wood has been the popular choice for flooring up until recently. We are seeing lighter tones re-emerging but in wider and longer plank versions. The wider and longer planks achieve a fresher, more updated modern look.

Engineered Hardwood

Laminant

Actual flooring shown in open living space above.

Actual flooring shown in the bathroom above.

Are there advantages to installing lighter wood tones?

Why yes there are!

• Don't show as many scuff marks

• Don't show dust as easily as darker wood tones

• Pet hair is more difficult to see

• Softer colors and wider planks of wood can lighten the overall look of the space making it appear larger

Wood flooring in blonde shades such as a greige (mixture of gray and beige), and whitewashed hardwoods are definitely on-trend right now.

What flooring material is right for me?

Hardwood: Actual hardwood will always be a classic and timeless flooring material. If you have hardwood floors consider sanding them and refinishing the wood with a lighter stain. Hardwood floors are beautiful but, the cost and upkeep of natural hardwood floors can become costly.

Laminate: Laminate floors are durable and made of layers of high-density fiberboard with a photographic image laminated to the surface. Due to a wear-resistant coating, laminate holds up really well. Laminate floors are relatively easy to install and are a great choice for a busy household in areas not exposed to moisture. It should be noted that many people have complained of laminate flooring types feeling cold and hard underfoot and are also noisy.

Engineered Luxury Vinyl Plank: LVP is by far the most durable and easy to maintain flooring option if installed correctly. LVP mimics the look, texture, and warmth of real wood with the added benefit of being 100% waterproof. I would advise having underlayment installed because the flooring will be easier on your feet, almost cushioned-like, and quieter. LVP can be installed on top of virtually any flat surface as it easily clicks into place. I have Luxury Vinyl Plank flooring on my first floor and also on my second-floor bathrooms. I absolutely love it!

---

HOT TIP: When considering which direction to install the planks, avoid installing them in the left and right orientation to avoid an outdated look. Doing so can make a space feel shorter and smaller. Instead, start at your front door and turn the planks so that they go straight towards the opposite side of the house. This will elongate the space and draw the eye from the front door into the rest of the home.

---

Need help choosing a flooring material for your home? I’m here to help!

---

Want in on the secret to great design?

---

Fresh Take Log Cabin

From Cheeky Tropical Beach Decor to Updated Lakefront Comfort 

A fresh take on a log cabin Airbnb.

This 1980s log cabin is nestled in next to Lake Norman in North Carolina. The peaceful surrounding environment invites guests to vacation here and to enjoy all that the lake has to offer. 

Image credit @lighthousevisuals

Redesigning the furnishings for this Airbnb was a huge undertaking because the cabin has so many different wood tones to work around. The other main challenges for this redesign were staying true to the architectural style of the home and working with some of the existing furniture pieces. My client and I wanted to elevate the decor yet keep in mind that everything needed to be affordable, comfortable, and practical for short-term renters. 

Renewed Details

Upon their arrival, guests are welcomed to their vacation home with a whimsical wooden arrow sign pointing vacationers toward the lake. Fresh new pillows and a new doormat greet them before entering.

The Biggest Transformation

I personally feel that the living room has undergone the biggest transformation. We took The Golden Girls vibe out of this house and inserted a polished yet relaxed atmosphere. 

Living Room Before

Side note: I had a very difficult time trying to donate this furniture because I was told: “it was too ugly”! LOL

Living Room After

Image credit @lighthousevisuals

Image credit @lighthousevisuals

For the size and shape of the living room, I chose a more proportionately sized sectional that now allows for a better functioning conversational space. Before, the sofa and four chairs were uninviting and made the room feel closed off.

I included a new natural sisal rug layered with an outdoor area rug on top. In a short-term rental scenario, outdoor rugs are more practical in heavy traffic areas. They are easy to maintain and will stay looking nice after many guests have come and gone. It was an added bonus that I could reuse the blue rug found in another room.

Image credit @lighthousevisuals

New accessories, artwork and throw pillows tie together the blue and white color palette that can now be seen throughout the home.

Depending on the time of day, the two-story open living room can be very dark, so adding a table lamp was a necessity. Not only does the lamp add additional lighting, but the overall style of the lamp and the color white also make it stand out and add much-needed contrast to the wooden walls.

Image credit @lighthousevisuals

I added faux plants wherever I could to bring nature inside and liven up the interior. Before, the only plants to be found were the pink and green floral prints on the chair fabric, tropical leaves on the rugs, and the floral prints on the wall decor. Live plants would be ideal, however not practical in a short-term rental space.

Don’t Fight It… Work With It

This kitchen has four different wood tones going on! The walls and floors are two different wood tones and then the island is a different wood tone than the wall cabinets! Ay, ay, ay… It wasn’t in the budget to make any cosmetic changes, so I had to figure out a way to work with what was there.

Kitchen Before

---

Hot Tip:

The log walls in this cabin all have an orange undertone making the walls the bossy main fixed element. By establishing what the bossy fixed elements is, I then determined blue to be the best color to work with this orange tone instead of fighting against it. Orange and Blue are directly opposite each other on the color wheel creating a complementary color scheme. When you choose complementary colors on the wheel, the warm and cool hues play off each other, producing palettes that enjoy the best of both worlds.

---

Kitchen After

Image credit @lighthousevisuals

If you notice we kept the blue and white knobs on the kitchen cabinets and drawers. Since this color palette was established, I ran with it and sprinkled blue and white throughout the house to create cohesion. We could have changed the cabinet hardware for something more modern and sleek, but the knobs are a little quirky just like this house!

Image credit @lighthousevisuals

We did, however, swap outdated light fixtures for these beauties! The elegant glass shape adds a sense of sophistication to the room. I restyled the open shelves and we purchased new industrial-style counter stools to tie in the matte black metal from the light fixtures.

Black and Bold

Before, the dining room was very uninspiring with the outdated dining set. The dining table and chairs were the same wood tone as the walls, which looks washed out and very dated. The dining table almost disappears into the sea of brown.

Dining Room Before

Now making a bold statement, this chic black table paired with matte black metal chairs is more pronounced.  

Dining Room After

Image credit @lighthousevisuals

I love the metal stud detailing on the edges of the tabletop and the table base is so amazing!

Image credit @lighthousevisuals

That View Tho!

The view from this Sitting Room is breathtaking!

Before this space was underwhelming and honestly, I can’t get past the tropical print on this furniture to even appreciate the view of the lake!

Sitting Room Before

Sitting Room After

Image credit @lighthousevisuals

The oversized map of lake Norman was unique so we kept it where it was.

Image credit @lighthousevisuals

Blue accent chairs paired with a leather loveseat offer needed texture and color to this space. A faux fur throw blanket, bright white pillows, a colorful area rug, new sculptural wall art, and small decorative items take this space up to the next level.

Bedroom Styling

This cabin accommodates up to 15 guests. Ensuring guests have everything they need for a comfortable stay is a must when it comes to short-term rentals.

In an effort to save money, we kept and reused much of the furniture that was in the bedrooms. We did, however, update most of the beds with new mattresses and bed linens.

Image credit @lighthousevisuals

Primary Bedroom

Originally this bedroom had a California King-Size bed. The room is large enough to accommodate this bed size, but I wanted to better use the space and create a more comfortable seating area, so we changed the bed to a King-Size.

Primary Bedroom Before

Primary Bedroom After

Image credit @lighthousevisuals

I was able to move two bookcases from the basement up to this room to use as nightstands. I found these sleek leather X-base benches for the foot of the bed which tie in the new black metal headboard.

Image credit @lighthousevisuals

I built my color palette around the existing rocking chair fabric which was in great condition. I purchased a new area rug, throw pillows, blankets, artwork, and accessories. The lamps came from another bedroom and I think they work great in this space. 

Secondary Bedrooms

There are three guest rooms on the second floor and one more located in the basement.

In this first bedroom, I updated the bedding and used large Euro-size pillows to make up for the lack of a headboard. I incorporated nautical elements through the rope detailing on the lamps, oval mirror, clock, and coral throw pillow. 

Bright white bedding freshens and brightens up the otherwise dark room. 

The smallest out of all the bedrooms is also the darkest. I selected soft light blue bedding that has a slight sheen to it to help reflect light. Details like the embroidered “Welcome” pillows and plush area rug soften the space and create a more inviting atmosphere. Light-colored artwork also helps to break up all of the dark wood on the walls. 

Bunkbed Rooms

We decided to keep all of the bunkbed frames. They were in great shape and only needed a little updating. 

I liked the colorful nautical decor that was already in this room. I thought it was playful and perfect for younger kids. I added bright yellow clamp on reading lights and fleece blankets to each bed. 

Image credit @lighthousevisuals

This white coffee table was originally in the living room serving only as a place for the internet and cable electronic boxes to sit. By moving the table to this bunkbed room and adding adorable poufs, young guests now have a play table area.

Creating a more sophisticated yet cool hangout space was a must. Updating the bedding in the basement bunkbed room allowed me to design a space better suited for teens.

I liked the leather settee that was there. To update the look though, I added textural faux fur throw pillows, a rug with a trendy boho pattern, and an interesting coffee table. Each bed now has updated more mature bed linens, a soft fleece blanket, and a reading light.

Image credit @lighthousevisuals

Game On!

The garage space already had so many games and activities in it, but it felt cluttered and incomplete.

Game Room Before

We added two arcade games and for an added pop of color on the walls, I chose four adventure-themed movie posters from the 1980 era to speak to the time when this house was built.

Game Room After

Image credit @lighthousevisuals

The garage space is ready for guests to spend some quality time together!

All the Amenities

Enjoying the lake is only one of the great outdoor activities to do in Lake Norman.

I liked how this house has a fire-pit, built-it horseshoe game, basketball hoop, and of course the dock with a paddle boat.

Image credit @lighthousevisuals

Jump in and make a splash!

This Airbnb has it all.

---

Plan Before You Plunge

To show my client design concepts, I used my eDesign platform to create renderings so they could see my vision.

Every design should have a vision or mood board. It isn’t possible to fully put together a cohesive look without planning ahead and seeing everything put together.

---

Interested in staying in this cabin for your next vacation?

---

Planning for your own Short-Term Rental?

Download a FREE copy of our Short-Term Rental Checklist for all of the necessary guest accommodations.

---

Tiffani Michalenko

HSR Certified Home Stager & Expert eDesigner

Pantry Refresh

Pantry Goes From Dysfunctional to Completely Organized

Holy pantry space! This oversized pantry recently got a facelift and I’m here to share with you how we did it. 

The Before

Disorganized and cluttered, things fell through the wire shelving. A very frustrating space that made me feel overwhelmed every time I walked in.

When my husband I bought our house we were shocked at the size of our new pantry. We’ve only ever had a small closet space to use. This pantry could easily fit bunk beds LOL! 

The drab basic builder-grade white wire shelving was over twelve years old, dirty, stained, and not functional for adequate food storage. The vertical posts made it challenging to organize food and the open shelving caused things to fall through the cracks all the time.

---

What We Did

First, the wire shelving was torn out and the many, many holes left in the walls were patched. 

We painted a fresh coat of Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray SW7029 paint to the walls and I worked on the staining and adding a coat of Polyurethane to the wood shelves my husband cut and sanded. I used the Dark Walnut #2176 stain finish by Minwax.

The shelves vary in length according to the wall-length but are all right at 11” deep.

One by one we spaced out the brackets determining how much height we wanted between shelf levels and the shelving space came to life. We maximized every square inch in this space!

Once all the shelves were up, the room overall felt more open and spacious, but the dark wood tone absorbed much of the light so we decided to also update the semi-flush mount light.

Voila, instantly more light! 

The fun part began with a shopping trip to IKEA where I was able to source most of the storage bins. I found the clear bins on Amazon. You can download a free copy of all the products I used here.

I organized all the food and made my own vinyl labels with my Silhouette cutting machine.

You could certainly download free printable labels and print them on sticker paper or use a marker and handwrite them!

All Done

Everything now has a place and I couldn’t be happier channeling my inner KonMari!  

---

What do you think about this Pantry Refresh?

---

FREE download! Shop my favorite organizational products used to accomplish this Pantry Refresh.

---

-Tiffani Michalenko

HSR Certified Home Stager & Expert eDesigner

Farmhouse Bedroom Designed Four Ways

Farmhouse Style. Is it here to stay?

I recently went shopping at The Depot at Gibson Mill which is an Antique Mall located here in Concord, North Carolina. It is a fabulous place to visit with oodles of vintage and antique booths. One of my happy places! 😊 I am a sucker for unique vintage finds!

During this trip, I was inspired by the aged furniture, all the patina you could ever imagine, and mostly the surplus of farmhouse decor.

Source: @thedepotatgibsonmill

As we perused the aisles, I was so inspired that I found myself placing pieces of furniture together in my mind and imagined a farmhouse-style bedroom situated in a cozy old home somewhere deep in the country. 

That leads me to question if the Farmhouse Design Style is here to stay? 

---

After I got home I dug deeper into this thought and realized that the term ‘farmhouse’ is loosely used to describe a design trend that is so much larger than its name. 

“Defined as an interior design style, farmhouse is a style that draws inspiration from the look of an actual farmhouse and uses decorative elements that you’d find in rural or agricultural areas. Farmhouse interiors are warm, cozy, relaxing and full of charm and character.” -Modsy 

The style takes me back to “simpler” times. It is easy though to veer the look into too much “country kitsch”, so it’s important to maintain a stylish balance of old and new, focusing more on a natural look. In other words, farmhouse design isn’t code for going overboard with the mason jars, shiplap, cotton stems, and collections of rooster statues!

I further discovered that there are many variations of farmhouse design and how each has its own distinct characteristics.

The farmhouse interior design style can be seen all over HGTV shows, Pinterest, Houzz, and Instagram feeds. The most popular forms of farmhouse style are Classic Farmhouse, Rustic Farmhouse, Modern Farmhouse, and Victorian Farmhouse.

After reading more about each individual style, I categorized my antique mall findings as Classic Farmhouse. 

I developed a bedroom mood board based on my shopping adventure. 

Classic Farmhouse

A more traditional style with “French provincial” aesthetic influences, Classic Farmhouse is a softer, more feminine approach to farmhouse style and creates that classic cottage chic vibe.

After creating this concept board, I decided I needed to challenge myself to create more versions of the bedroom in each of the most popular farmhouse styles. 

---

Rustic Farmhouse

This style is a less mid-century and more rustic/industrial take on farmhouse design. It has a heavy focus on rugged materials—like rough-hewn and natural woods, wrought iron, and leather with a rich patina—along with more vintage and antique pieces.

---

Modern Farmhouse

Modern Farmhouse effortlessly blends the best parts of some of the most popular trends from the past several years—you’ve got a smidge of Rustic, a dusting of Industrial, and just the right amount of Mid-Century Modern design. It instantly adds a casual-but-pulled-together character to any interior. While this style is a bit more dramatic than your typical rustic or classic farmhouse look, it still manages to be effortlessly livable. It embodies that perfect mix of modern and relaxed, for a look that’s both on-trend and approachable.

---

Victorian Farmhouse

Victorian Farmhouse style is warm, cozy, and a relaxing style that’s full of charm and character, but also mixes in the elements and principles foundational to Victorian style. Victorian Farmhouse maintains a definite farmhouse aesthetic. It takes all of the comfortable, cozy, and approachable parts of farmhouse design, then pulls in some of those antique and classic vibes, with a bit of a collector approach. It’s an elevated country style, with a bit of French country decorating mixed in.

---

When it comes to decor trends, Farmhouse style has it all—think texture, contrast, and coziness all rolled into one perfect space. This trend is here to stay and is already becoming a classic design style.

What’s your favorite variation of farmhouse design? 

---

FREE download! Start your design project the right way with the Principles of Design.

---

Want to see your space before you commit to a new design?

Try eDesign.

Work directly with me on your design project. Let’s set a plan in motion so you avoid costly design mistakes. Click here to learn more about my eDesign services.

Your vision before you buy.

-Tiffani Michalenko

HSR Certified Home Stager & Expert eDesigner

Powder Room Makeover

Shabby Chic Meets Rustic

When we moved into our new home just north of Charlotte, North Carolina, I knew one of our renovation projects was going to be our powder room. This half bath was filled with boring builder-grade fixtures. The Designer in me just couldn’t handle all this blah…

Powder Room Before Photo

In my home, you would find decor that has a mix of antiques passed down through our family, modern transitional furniture, a little bit of farmhouse, and a mix of rustic charm. I call it Shabby Chic meets Rustic!

Shabby Chic consists of feminine decor, while Rustic style often appears masculine. Both are casual styles with an antique look and feel, making it easy to blend the two.

Blanket used for wall color inspiration.

My husband and I both agreed on using blue as an accent color throughout our home. We chose Sherwin Williams Granite Peak SW6250, which I color matched to one of our living room throw blankets. We used this paint color for an accent wall in our living room as well as the interior side of our front door. It’s gorgeous and works well with our Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray SW7029 walls and mixed wood-tone LVT flooring. 

Interior side of our front door painted SW6250.

Powder rooms are areas where you can go BOLD and make a statement. We decided on painting the walls the Granite Peak Blue and update the boring builder-grade fixtures. 

Below are my 2D Vision Boards for our bathroom. I put this together as a way to visualize our bathroom fixtures before we committed to purchasing items. This also allowed me to explain my overall concept to my husband and make sure he was on board with my ideas.

Click here to find out more information about our eDesign services

The Plan

When I first started planning out this bathroom design I came across a farmhouse sink furniture style vanity with a beautiful marble top. The white cabinetry contrasts the dark blue walls and fills the awkward space much better than the original pedestal sink. The farmhouse sink set the stage for the overall concept of blending two styles together. 

The widest wall in our bathroom to the right of the toilet needed something amazing to fill that space. We originally found reclaimed wood that we considered installing, but after researching the heck out of this process and calculating the costs, we felt that the wood accent wall would be too time-consuming and expensive for a space that is not a main living area in our home.

Side note, it’s important to coordinate your fixed fixtures in any bathroom to create cohesion and show thoughtful intention while designing. “One thing that’s true about ‘matchy-matchy’ decorating is that the fixed finishes in your bathroom – in other words, anything that you can’t just pick up and take out of the room – should in actual fact, match.” - source Maria Killiam

Plumbing

We coordinated the new Moen Halle faucet with the Moen Halle towel ring and toilet paper holder all in brushed nickel. 

Light Fixtures 

I chose two different styles of light fixtures to further blend Shabby Chic and Rustic together. The vanity light has a rustic Edison bulb mason jar feeling about it while the orb mini pendant light is elegant and feminine. Both fixtures are brushed nickel driving home the juxtaposition of the two different styles. 

Powder Room After Photos

Accents 

Mirror: The vanity mirror is elegant with curvy lines contrasting the straight lines of the farmhouse vanity. I could have kept the original oval mirror and it would have worked out fine, but I really wanted to have a showstopper mirror! 

Artwork: The flower canvas painting was the very first item I purchased from the Going Out of Business sale at Pier 1. I liked the colors and knew that I wanted to use a shade of blue in the bathroom, so this painting really served as my inspiration piece. 

Wall Shelf: The wall shelf has a natural-colored wood tone top with distressed white metal corbels. I thought this shelf worked well because it of its overall size, it adds a natural wood element to the room, and could be used in either a Shabby Chic or a Rustic setting.

Shutters: The two white primitive shutters were locally sourced at an antique mall. I instantly fell in love with them and knew they were the perfect solution for the widest wall in our awkwardly shaped powder room. I think the bright white chippy paint accentuates the vanity cabinet nicely. The straight lines found in the diamond shapes are interesting and contrast nicely against the curvy lines of the vanity mirror and orb pendant light. 

So what do you think about Shabby Chic and Rustic design styles working together in this Powder Room?

---

Ready to get started with a room in your home?

Schedule a FREE 30-minute video chat with me!

---

Like our styling tips? Signup for your FREE design cheat sheet to set yourself up for Design Success!

---

Tiffani Michalenko

HSR Certified Home Stager & Expert eDesigner