Simplified Gift-Giving: Practical Ideas

Hi Friends! Over the years I’ve called my Christmas home decor ‘simple’, ‘minimalistic’, etc. I don’t like a lot of fuss - not over the holidays or in our every day life. But it got me thinking there’s got to be a way to simplify beyond the decor, too! Celebrating Christmas with little ones can get chaotic and out of control fast. I’ve had this pull on my heart to simplify not just our home, but the way we celebrate, too. Careful not to read that wrong - I don’t want to celebrate Christmas less, just simplify it. More emphasis on less things, if that makes sense. Gifts are a really fun way to celebrate that Jesus was born for what would be the greatest act of love in history, and I love the opportunity to give gifts as an expression of our joy and gratitude. But they don’t need to occupy so much mind and heart space as they have for me in recent years. It can get stressful fast!

When we got together with our small group from church to pack shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, a lightbulb went off! Here is the list that was attached to each box:

I love this outlined structure and it got us thinking about making our own for celebrating Christmas with our kids! Here is what we came up with:

• Wow - One really special item the kids most want. We asked them each to give this some thought and write it down

• Special surprises - A couple of smaller items that have either come up in conversation or we’ve thought of on our own as something they’d really enjoy, (doll clothes, race cars, cozy blanket, special mug, etc)

• Game/Book - This is especially relevant in the dead of winter when outdoor time decreases

• Experience - Matt and I rarely get one-on-one time with our kids, especially not him and I together with each kid, so we want to take each kid out on a date together. Ideas include a movie, ice skating, favorite museum, hike - we’ll give each kid an envelope on Christmas morning with an invitation for a date with Mom and Dad. I think I’m most excited about this one!

• Winter Pjs - I love finding fun pajamas that are relevant to each of their interests/personalities!

• Creativity - Our kids really, really love creating things. They are always in the middle of making something, and this has gone on literally for years. Things like construction paper, markers crayons, tape, and craft scissors always get used up fast! Christmas is a great opportunity to replenish their supply!

Christmas shopping has been a lot less stressful so far, and a whole lot more enjoyable! Oh! And a huge part of preparing our hearts, (and home), for the season is cleaning out and donating old toys! Every November I ask the kids to commit an hour to going through their toys/books and bagging up what they have lost interest in. And when they’re on the fence about something I know they haven’t touched in a while, I try to redirect their focus to the kid that would have the opportunity to enjoy that item next. I don’t think it’s such a bad thing to practice making tough decisions about what to keep and what to part with. I’ve seen the show Hoarding: Buried Alive. LOL!

Maybe you already have your own gift-giving structure, or maybe this is helpful! We’re trying it for the first time this year and I’m already feeling a lot more peace about shopping for gifts than I have before.

However you celebrate I hope you enjoy these next few weeks! There can be so much pressure on creating that perfect Christmas morning that this month between Thanksgiving and Christmas goes by in a blur. Give yourself permission to slow it down. No one but you will notice what you don’t get done, and that’s a truth I need to remind myself of often!

Thank you so much for stopping by today!

@chelsea_stylemutthome

Gray Tallboy Dresser

A while back I flagged a dresser I liked on facebook, buuuuuut was too slow to seal the deal and pick it up.  But sometimes the furniture fairies give me second chances (like here for example) and just a few weeks later, I come to find out that not only was it Chelsea who nabbed it, but she had decided to clear out her private inventory and was looking to unload it!  And this time friends, I was first in line to buy it off her.

Once I got it in the workshop, I realized one of the knobs was bent out of shape (can you spot it?) and there was some small damage to the side.

So I went about conducting repairs and decided to paint and change the hardware completely.

I’ve worked with a lot of mid century modern pieces over the years.  In fact, I now exclusively prefer to restore and refinish them.  I enjoy updating their inherently clean lines with interesting paint techniques and modern hardware.

Although it had tapered legs indicative of a mid century piece, there were a few elements that made it feel more “traditional” than my usual project - the trim on the top drawer fronts, the squared-off base.  So I decided to lean into it’s existing personality and go with a more traditional look - a neutral gray for the body.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love how gold knobs play off a warm gray.  It’s a classic look that can suit clients of all ages and style sensibilities.

I replaced the pulls on the top drawers with some brass whistle knobs and swapped out the double breasted pulls on the bottom with sleek anglular center pulls.

To ground the piece a little, I kept the legs a dark walnut which only needed a little oil to help them shine again.

If you’ve been following along with us for a while, you may have noticed I tend to style my pieces with a little quirk.  Sometimes it’s a strange piece of art or sculptural element.  Sometimes it’s how I hang the art or where I place it.  But with this piece, I just wasn’t feeling my usual oddball accessories.  Eventually, I decided on a classy monochromatic color pallet - the glimpses of gold and touches of nature quietly compliment its traditional flare.

This handsome 5 drawer devil got picked up this weekend so he’s not available in the shop but if you’re interested in a custom order like it, hit me up!

Gray Tallboy Dresser
SOLD
36”W x 18”D x 44.5”H
$495


If you are interested in a custom order like this piece, email me at cate@stylemutthome.com

Design Reveal: Our Kitchen Reno!

Hi, Friends! As it turns out, I’m a terrible updater - generally speaking, AND especially during a renovation. So to catch you up in one sentence - We renovated our kitchen this past fall and it’s done. Welcome to the reveal of the project! LOL

To be honest, as detail oriented as I am during a design project, I find the thought process of managing so many details to be tiring! I love it but I don’t feel like I have much energy left to talk about it. I know. I really really have no business being on a blog. Good bloggers share step-by-steps and pictures along the way. Mediocre bloggers share Before and Afters. Bad bloggers just share the After. It’s taking everything I’ve got to be mediocre today and scrounge up some Before and Progress shots I got during the reno. Worlds Okayest Blogger, right here, folks! Hah!

So let’s get down to it! The biggest change we made was taking down the ‘L’ shaped wall on the right:

Then

Process

Now

We have lived in this house for 8 years so we didn’t come to the decision to knock that wall down flippantly. Over time as our babes got older we realized how much happens around the kitchen. And the more life that was happening outside of that ‘L’ shaped wall, (think homework, test studying, recapping the day, dancing, playing), the most closed off the kitchen was starting to feel. I think living here for so long before diving into this project really helped us make big decisions about what would make the most sense for us and our family and most especially, this house.

And by this house, I mean a 1982 generic build. I adore this house but since it’s a basic spec home, (one of 5 different models to choose from in our neighborhood), it just doesn’t have a strong personality. There are no architectural details driving the style of the house - arched openings, thick window casings, stuff like that. As a designer I tend to pick up on these details in my clients homes and play them up in regards to the client’s personal taste. But having a house with no particular personality is a double-edge sword. In one sense, you’re not beholden to any particular style of design. But on the other, adding any strong style elements stands out like a sore thumb. In looking at kitchen ideas I was really drawn to some modern wood kitchens ive seen - no hardware, just a simple lip. This style I was drawn to would have required renovating the entire rest of the home in order to maintain some sort of consistency. As it stands now, we still have work to do around the rest of our home so the kitchen doesn’t look like the ONLY updated area. But we’ll knock things out over time and as we have funds.

We went with Allen + Roth shaker style cabinets from Lowes, and Q Quartz counters from Granite Center, a local counter warehouse in Sterling, VA that we would highly recommend to any locals in the market!

With so much white going on I was particualrly excited for some dramatic contrast! After scouring the great world wide web for the sleekest black pulls I could find within budget, I landed on these pretties I found on Etsy, (they came all the way from Bulgaria)! There are various sizes to choose from and we went with the 5 5/8. For this particular kitchen I wanted to use one consistent pull for every cabinet and drawer, and this size was the most versatile across the board.

The island color is Salamander by Benjamin Moore, and is amaaaaaaazing in person! I wanted a dark teal color and this was the perfect green-blue that I was imagining! Although our kitchen remodel is ‘safe’ and basic white, I always think an island is a great opportunity to add a big ol’ ‘POW’ for just the cost of paint. And I love the color with these rust and marigold mums that some dear friends gifted us.

Lighting was hard for me when designing this space! We were pulling a lot of track lighting out, but trying to fit new lighting in, and all in a shared open space! I wanted the kitchen sink light, island pendants, and dining table fixture to all be different but flow well together. For me that was a challenge! I was constantly comparing sizes and scale and photoshopping lights together so I could see them side by side.

After sending out an SOS on Instagram for some lighting source suggestions, I was introduced to Sazerac Stitches! I absolutely loved their style - it was EXACTLY what I was looking for! This is the Drew 6-Light fixture and it’s the perfect blend between industrial and modern that I was looking for.

The island pendants are from Poly + Bark, and the stools are AllModern.

Designing a kitchen was an absolutely amazing experience, but I am SO grateful my first time could be on our own home! Throughout the process I just kept saying, “You don’t know what you don’t know.” I asked a ton of questions and really stuck around during the process so I could understand it all. One thing I am beyond grateful for is that our contractor is a trusted neighbor and friend. He talked through every little decision with me and when I asked for his honest opinion he gave it. I honestly learned so much from him as he was willing to teach me as he worked.

The image below is my first attempt at a 3D kitchen rendering. DON’T zoom in, I beg of you. LOL! It’s laughable, but it really helped me visualize the main pieces in the space.

While you’re here why don’t we take a gander at the living room! That is, afterall, one of the main reasons we took down that ‘L’ shaped wall to open things up in the first place! So much life happens in this space and now we can share in it from the kitchen, too. Don’t get too cozy with this set-up. Christmas is just up ahead so things will be shifting here and there to make room for a tree soon!

Nothing much changed in here from our pre-reno layout, but we did incorporated a new rug that pulls from the color of the island! It’s so fun and vibrant and happy - a perfect backdrop for this space. A huge thank you to Loloi rugs for working with us! This piece is from their Loren Collection.

It still feels surreal that this is our home - that we get to live here! We just absolutely love it. There are still small things to wrap up and touch up but for now we are excited to lay down the brushes and nails and just hang out and rest together. Our hearts are spilling over with gratitude for all that we have - each other, our family, friends that are like family, this home…it’s all so much more than we deserve or could have ever hoped for.

We wish you the very happiest Thanksgiving tomorrow! You friends are on my list of things I am incredibly grateful for. Thank you for making StyleMutt Home such a fun place to share this work.