The table is actually a kitchen island that does not fit in the kitchen. I like it as an entry table, but I want it to be cuter and less utilitarian looking. I don't want people to be eye-level with my grocery bags when they walk into the house, but yet it is handy to have them here to grab on my way out the door. Any tips on making this cute and functional all at the same time? I think we need more pictures on the wall (the one that is currently residing there is only temporary until we find places to hang all of our pictures) and maybe some small pictures in frames on the table? I got struck with a bit of inspiration when I found this cute runner at Target for $5, but that has been the end of it.
Oh, and while I have you here, this is in our front yard:
What would you do with this area around the tree? I mean, I think we are going to need to pull out all the ground cover, shore up the beams and start from scratch, but what would you put in? I am landscaping dumb, so any details and diagrams would be helpful. It's rather late in the year to start anything now, but I'd like to have a plan of attack for this Spring!
3 comments:
my cheapo answer would be to paint the table black, then distress it and put new hardware on it.. something unique. Then, put a big wide basket on the middle shelf to hold things, or two baskets.... Put a curtain along the bottom, could be a tailored look, could be a little fuller, depending on the style of your home. you can use velcro to attach it and I'm sure you could find a tutorial on line if you don't know how. Buy a mirror from CL, a big one and put it above the table with one or two lamps (lean towards tall, not too bulky.. Ikea has some really cute brushed silver ones with an easy pull chain) and a cute wide (or oblong) colorful bowl to catch mail, keys, paci's... maybe take an accent color out of your runner (like the bright green) for the bowl and a more subtle color for the curtain. You can always spray paint baskets to make them blend with the whole look.
for the garden: use the design that is there, but fix it. Get rid of the logs and put in stacked paver-type border. Make the curve of the garden soft and appealing to the eye. Use a little fill dirt if you need to fill it in up to the pavers and the correct fill (sand and such) under the pavers to make them nice and level. Go to lowes and find 3 mid size plants that are easy care and appropriate for the amount of sun (hostas are good for shade, grasses for hot sun) and then put bark around the plants, so the whole look will be part lush shrubs/plants and part clean crisp bark. Then put a colorful bird bath nestled in somewhere as a focal point.
Just my two cents :) Love you Jodi. Hope you're settling in good!
Hi Jodi,
I would measure the table up for some square/rectangular seagrass baskets, maybe in a dark colour?
K
I like baskets of natural things on tables- I have baskets of seashells, interesting rocks, balls woven from wild vines from my yard, and I've had pine cones and dried plant pods.
A spider plant might be nice too (I like plants), and spider plants don't need that much direct light.
For your space around the tree, hostas and impatiens do very well in shade, and both are easy to care for.
SOrry, btw, about the premature Sunday post at my blog!
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