The entryway in our new home was a bit of a question mark for me at first.  It’s very long and with the hardwoods, it felt a bit dark, which I knew I needed to offset.  Initially I considered a gallery wall, but decided that it might feel a bit cluttered and wanted it to feel very clean and simple while still filling the very large space.  I’m not used to having such high ceilings and a lot of our old pictures are sizes that would get lost in the space, so I needed to look for larger scale pieces.

During the first few months I ordered this console table from Ballard Designs when it was on mega sale for $200.  The price was right and so was the length! It’s huge and bigger than most I was finding.  But that’s what the space needed! I was debating for quite awhile on what to put above it but finally decided on a mirror because it would bounce the light down the dark hallway and wouldn’t compete with artwork that would hang over the mantel.

After some failed trips to HomeGoods and my other fave home accessory places, I got a new Ballard Designs catalogue in the mail and wouldn’t you know it… the perfect mirror was in it! Once again, huge, but just enough detail to give it interest without being fussy! Check and check! The only problem… price… definitely more than I usually spend on something like this.  But if you sign up for there email list (once again, this is not a sponsored post) you will get emails with sales and I did just that and they finally had a 30% off coupon and I jumped on it.  This won’t be something I will replace for a long time and the quality of it showed when it arrived!

And by quality, I mean it was heavier than I could describe without using a cuss word and tested our marriage to the limit while we hung it lol! But worth it in the end!

And why don’t we just round out my Ballard Designs love fest with the final thing in the entry, my faux fiddle leaf fig tree! I have yet to find one of this quality and size for the price (also waited for a coupon and got it awhile ago).  It looks so real and I just found the pot for it at HomeGoods.  I can’t keep a plant or tree alive to save my life so this is actually saving me money in the long run. 

Added in some of my blue and white pretties and voila! After 4 months we have a pretty, welcoming entryway! Do you like how I say voila and then 4 months later like it was overnight? Yeah… moving is a lot y’all.  Expenses and just figuring out what works in the new spaces takes patience and more patience, otherwise you end up buying a bunch of stuff that doesn’t really work.  Just ask our last house and the accessories that were in it for the first several years;)

If you have been around Windgate Lane for awhile, you know that these two pieces are more than I usually spend.  But with this new house and with 10yrs of design experience under my belt now, I knew where I would feel comfortable spending a bit more and that was on things that would be classic place holders.  The table and mirror will be there for a long time and my little accessory loving heart can decorate around them in all sorts of ways!

Each space is slowly coming together!

xoxo

B

**All photos are property of Windgate Lane.  Prohibited use without written permission.

The post Bright, Blue, and White Entryway appeared first on Windgate Lane.

The stockings where hung, the presents were wrapped… then all hell broke loose and the only safe space was the dining room!

| Similar Shirts | Wrapping Paper |

This year was very special because I got new dishes! I can remember my Mom getting special dishes on Christmas and I’m so excited to have my very own… and you won’t believe it but… they are blue and white! I know, you are shocked.  This Christmas Table Setting is my favorite and will be used for many years to come.

I feel these blue and white dishes were just meant to be in my home.  Just nod your head in agreement.   I might have needed the matching platter as well.  I mean it was all on sale (still is actually)!

The bowls are my favorite and I will keep them on display in my hutch.  They match my thrifted acrylic blue napkin holders perfectly!  I have thrifted most of my silver as well but you can find similar pieces here.   For other room sources, you can find them in the Dining Room Make-Over!

The Holiday Desert Plates, which are currently out of stock but could possibly come back, are another favorite, but these are an amazing second option (and on sale) and it was a hard choice between the two for me!

And how could I forget the bar cart?! It had to get prepped for some holiday entertaining!

The drink shakers were a black friday present to myself.  Stop judging.  I saved so much money on everyone else it just made sense.   And the antique drink stirrers are about my favorite holiday decor ever!

We are ready to have a beautiful dinner and then carry it into a Happy New Year and I wish the same to you all!

** Windgate Lane shares affiliate links so that products mentioned are found easily and does receive a small amount for purchases made through our site.  We appreciate the support!**

xoxo

B

The post Christmas Table Setting appeared first on Windgate Lane.

It’s that fun time of year again!! Swap it Like It’s Hot, where a whole bunch of us get together and find thrifty randoms and send them to our friends to transform into whatever they can reimagine and I love it! This year my items came from our fearless leader, Charlotte, from Ciburbanity, and I decided to use them to spruce up our bar cart for fall.

Our antique bar cart got a little make over during the One Room Challenge that you can see here but it was time to change out a few things to try and entice fall to head into Texas;)

Charlotte sent me several fun things but I decided that these two were the stand outs to help in my mini make-over. This little tray and a wooden stand.

I actually liked the pattern on the tray, but the colors just weren’t working for me, which is the beauty of buying things and seeing them in different ways! All this tray needed was some black spray paint to get me started… and yes, this may be one of my children completely wiping out in the background of this photo… no children were harmed in the spray painting of this tray!

I used some glossy, black spray paint and gave it a shiny fresh coat! Then I decided to add my personality into the project… a few white stick on letters accomplished that because I got jokes people! My husband may not think I’m as funny as I do but he’s got the rest of his life to figure that one out.

So a man walks into a bar… and he says… can there ever be enough blue and white in a house? No! and that’s not even a funny question! You know I had to have my blue and white but I love the mix with the black and white and peach… yes, peach! I brought some peach accents with my DIY curtains into the dining room and love the soft contrast it brings.  That peach, velvet pillow cover though, was a recent Target purchase (lots of colors) for under $10- you can find it here and you’re welcome… love! 

The wood base was perfect with an old glass cylinder I had.  I simply filled it with these wood beads that once again, I found at Target, and then added some of my little, Christmas battery powered lights for some fall ambiance! So easy but added great texture and interest! For you locals out there, I am not going to lie… there were two boxes at my Target and I snatched them both up- I’m sure they will restock soon but they are on sale online and it is an unbelievably good deal if you compare prices to the wood beads they sell at Pottery Barn, etc, so I suggest you nab them if you can.

Best advice on decorating I can give… decorate for you… this isn’t going to be everyone’s style and that’s why I love seeing what other’s do with similar things because to some a tray is just a tray but to some it’s way to remind their husband that they are funny every time he sees it

And FYI in case I haven’t encouraged you to spend enough moola at Target already, that is in fact a fake fiddle leaf fig tree… and I couldn’t be more proud of a fake plant if I tried.  I actually had to ask our store manager and these will only be sold at some stores so once again, if you can grab it online I would for sure- they are so real looking and obviously for me the biggest plus is you can’t kill it!

So now I get to send you on your way to my friend Laurie over at Vin’yet Etc. who I sent this little group of thrifted finds- I can’t wait to see what she did with them!

And here are the links to all of the participants for today and I will come back each day and add the new participants as this will go on all week!

Monday

| Ciburbanity | Windgate Lane | Vin’yet Etc. | Casa Watkins Living | One Mile Home Style |

Tuesday

| Reinvented | ConfettiStyle | Confessions of a Serial Do-It-Yourselfer | Addicted 2 DIY

|Restoration Redoux | I Am a Homemaker | Maggie Overby Studios | PMQ For Two |

Wednesday

| Two Thirty-Five Designs | 58 Water Street | Create & Babble |

| Dogs Don’t Eat Pizza | Gourley Girl and Guy | The Charming Farmer |

Thursday

| This is our Bliss | Southern State of Mind |

| Two Purple Couches | My Life From Home |

xoxo

B

**affiliate links are included in this post to both ease in the sourcing of materials and Windgate Lane does make a small stipend off of purchases made through click throughs**

The post Bar Cart Styling | Swap It Like It’s Hot appeared first on Windgate Lane.

This framed, hand stenciled quote was such an easy project! And I am so excited that I got to make it for the sweetest family!

This last fall, I was invited by Charlotte, at Ciburbanity, to be involved in the furnishing of a Habitat for Humanity home.  It has been such a neat experience and I loved working with a special group of ladies and fellow bloggers to make this happen! The primary room I worked on was the master bedroom.  Because all of this was taking place in Connecticut though, I primarily concentrated on what we needed to buy rather than what had to be made.  Charlotte at Ciburbanity and Jilliam at I Am Home Maker were my amazing partners and bless them for the amazing build projects I will link to below!

After traveling out and meeting the family last fall with Charlotte, I was struck by the sweet Momma’s quotes all over her home.  All about love and family- and it was crystal clear that those are the most important things in the world to her.  So it occurred to me that I could create a larger version of one of her favorites for her Master!

“The best thing to hold on to in life is each other.”

I lucked into finding a perfect frame at the thrift store!  The family loves a county taste in their decor and the existing wood frame would tie right into that.

It originally had some birds on it so I primed it with Zinsser first to get a clean slate.  After that, I found some 1 inch letter stickers and placed them on, traced around them, peeled them off and took a black sharpie to color them in!

A fresh beginning for such a precious Momma and her family!

(photo cred Ciburbanity.com)

I’m so excited to keep sharing more and more of this project with y’all! There was so much heart in this that the outcomes in each room were just overflowing with love.  We have also been so lucky to have HomeTalk and Wayfair sponsoring this with amazing donations, not to mention RugsUSA with some of my favorite rugs!  If you would like to follow along with all of the projects, hop over to Instagram with the hashtag: #bloggershearthabitat.  And I will be back soon to share more inside looks and sources.

And to see all of the other amazing rooms, you can jump to all of these amazing women!

LIVING ROOM:
| Jaime from That’s My Letter  | Laura from Finding Home Farms

DINING ROOM/ DECK:
| Kris from Driven By Decor | Annie from Most Lovely Things |

MASTER BEDROOM:
| Jillian from I Am a Homemaker | Charlotte from Ciburbanity | Bee from Windgate Lane |

KIDS ROOM:
| Kristin from A Thrifter in Disguise |

GUEST ROOM:
| Evey from Evey’s Creations | Lynn from On Fern Avenue |

FOYER/ MUDROOM/ BATHROOMS:
| Sarah and Nick from Nestrs |

TEEN ROOM:
| Michelle from Weekend Craft | Stephanie from Sandpaper and Glue |

xoxo

B

The post Framed Quotes: Habitat for Humanity Projects appeared first on Windgate Lane.

But it is also a room that has at times overwhelmed me with the memory of my Mom.  She was only able to visit twice after we moved here and once was flying down with me and the baby to move in.  She wasn’t able to help with the unloading, so while my dad, husband, and I worked to bring things in, she set up camp in the dining room and played with 4 month old Jack.  Just sitting on the floor in the empty room loving on my baby boy.  I hid myself in the bathroom and cried for a bit knowing that they would leave soon.  My best friends, my parents, and here I was leaving the nest in a big way with a baby of my own.  These are the moments you look back on and can see so clearly but have no idea that they will be so impactful.  The look on her face, the joy that the baby and she had just sitting there laughing at each other with their identical bright blue eyes.  This room had to be blue.  It had to be all the joy and the beautiful that was in that moment.

I did the paneling a couple of years ago and painted the navy above but it just never felt how it should.   The paint by numbers art has been a love of mine for awhile and all of the colors and landscapes just bring me joy to look at.   This room had to have joy! The biggest aspect that I kept missing was warmth.  How did I forget to add heart and warmth into it?! The curtains and lamps brought the heart right in.

I love to entertain and the silver collection has come from everywhere.  One piece was my Mom’s, friends have given them to me, thrift stores, even Target!  I am forever fighting the battle of no storage in this house so I decided that this was not something I should hide.  Let’s just have it out and ready to go!  I will also never stop mixing metals… you can’t make me.

I kept the table setting simple.  The chargers and plates were wedding presents, the glass bowls are from Ikea and then the little white berry bowls are a set of milk glass bowls I lucked into at an antique store.  I did not expect such a challenge when I wanted to find Peonies for my centerpiece but I apparently wanted the only flower not readily available! I’m no quitter though!

The bar cart also stayed simple.  Those of you with keen eyes will notice that the caning got another coat of navy spray paint.  I loved the blue I first did but once the room was coming together I decided it needed to be more subtle.   The metal bells hanging above I found at the Elephant’s Flea Market in New York last year and I have just been waiting for the perfect spot for them.  Happy memories ended up making this room perfect for me.  All the planning in the world but it turns out for my own spaces it just comes down to me and being able to look around and see love and memories.

Who knew a room make-over could help me learn so much about myself? I guess my therapy has always been creating and this was no different.  I created a space I love and did it for the person I love so dearly.  I know she is looking down and smiling.

Affiliate and Source List

| Chandelier | Rug | Red Marbled Lamps | Acrylic Chairs | Head Chairs | Source for Paint By Numbers Art here and here | Sources for Silver | Dishes here and here | Peach Curtains |

To start at the beginning of the One Room Challenge Journey jump here and to see the Master Bedroom Reveal Go Here!

Love you Mom.

B

The post |One Room Challenge| Dining Room Reveal and Sources appeared first on Windgate Lane.

We are in week two of the One Room Challenge! You can read all of the details here– but the short version is that I am completing 2 room make-overs in 6 weeks and will be showing updates each week on both the Master Bedroom and the Dining Room! This week I can scratch off two things for the master bedroom: the fabric search is over and the accent chair is done!

I officially decided and ordered the fabric for the bedskirt and can’t wait for it to arrive! I am still undecided on if I will actually break out the sewing machine or use fabric fuse and take the easy way out… time may decide that for me.

The accent chair was fun! One of my thrift store finds, it has gotten a couple of transformations (you can see them here) and if we are being honest, this probably won’t be it’s last, but let’s get to it!

Before:

Navy is always going to be a part of this room, and Velvet Finishes was kind enough to send me some of their beautiful blue, Handsome, paint (shop all of there gorgeous colors here)!

Of course it goes on with no sanding or priming which makes me so happy!

The fabric for the seat was a little more complicated for me.  You see, I have a habit of seeing something and falling in love with it only to find out that it is waaaaaayyyy out of my price range.  Enter me trying to recreate a similar look!  I had some white fabric in my stash so I grabbed it and a black sharpie and got to work.

I wish I could give you some amazing tutorial on how I got what I got, but sometimes that’s the beauty of DIY… you just go for it and sometimes your prayers are answered and sometimes they aren’t! Thankfully this time the heavens shown down on me!

I like that it mimics the bedspread I am considering and it is a nice contrast of a classic looking chair with a modern twist… my fave!

Check back next week to what else I have checked off my to do list and hop over to see what I got done in the Dining Room this week!

And if you are interested in a similar chair, I did find some here and here!

xoxo

B

Sharing with Decor to Adore!

The post |One Room Challenge| Accent Chair appeared first on Windgate Lane.

I see old shutters at thrift stores all the time, but it wasn’t until I was sent some by Jeanie, at Create and Babble, in our Blogger Swap Group, that I realized what a pretty lantern they could make!

Our fearless leader, and organizer, Charlotte, from Ciburbanity, got us all set to swap our $10 or less thrift store items with each other and off we all went! I received a few things but really narrowed in on the shutters and now all I can think is to look for more!

At first I was leaning towards white, but decided a fun green, spring color would be better.  Spray paint was a must for me because of all the nooks and crannies I didn’t want to have to do with a brush.  I knew I would probably spray some touch up once I was all done, but figured it would be easier to get the inside before I attached it all.

I measured and cut a piece of scrap wood to attach to the missing side of the shutters and used L-brackets to hold it in place.  I decided to leave the bottom open knowing that I wouldn’t be moving it around much and placing a flameless candle in it for safety with my little ones.

I wanted to attach some kind of handle but debated on what kind.  I considered wood and metal but finally decided a braided rope would be fun and give it a bit of spring and summer feel! I simply braided three separate strands and then braided the three together to give it a thicker look.

I should caution you though, that if you are going to be using a real candle inside you should not use any materials that would become a fire danger.  I had some string like this on hand that worked out great!

It was an easy project but I couldn’t love it any more! The pop of green with all of my blues looks really pretty and it’s just perfect on our mantel!

and yes, everyone should keep a disco ball in there home, I mean what if you need to dance?!

This whole week will be filled with fun blogger swap projects which I will come back and be linking here, but for now hop over to Jess at Gourley Girl and Guy and see what she did with this fun stuff I sent her!

Have a great week and don’t forget to check back for more links every day! Oh and pin here for inspiration later! –>

xoxo,

B

Monday Swappers

| Windgate Lane (you are here!) | Gourley Girl and Guy | Dogs Don’t Eat Pizza |

| Hearts and Sharts | 58 Water Street | I Am a Homemaker |

| Prim and Propah | Create and Babble |

The post Old Shutters into New Lantern appeared first on Windgate Lane.

I don’t go big for Valentine’s Day decor, but with littles at home it can’t be ignored.  I try to just add in a few fun things to make it a bit festive! And this year I had some fun mixing my Thrift Store finds with my HomeGoods finds

The silver vase and frame were HomeGoods finds! I love how a lot of their frames come with cute pictures already in them- it’s like buying two for one and this Lots of Love print was perfect for a little Valentine’s Day cheer.  Also if you missed my groundbreaking Dark Truth of HomeGoods post… you better check it out!

I bought the little mister (for watering my fake plants) at Terrain.  They have the most beautiful things! They are also a huge source of inspiration for me, especially with all of there natural decor.  I threw together the little succulents to add some greenery to the mantel and start the transition into spring since we have apparently skipped winter here altogether!

So where are my vintage finds?  Well I could not resist these adorable, classic Valentine’s that I found at the antique store for 10cents each- they even have the little signatures on the back!  And that antique library card holder was the perfect holder for them.

And how could I not have a little love waiting for anyone who entered! This little heart found a home in my HomeGoods lantern and the heart nesting dishes were from Pottery Barn about 8 million years ago but I have seen similar ones in there

So there you have it! My little touches of love in honor of February 14th.  Not a lot but just enough to get us all in the mood… to not tackle and throw things at each other’s heads… cause I have boys… that’s what we do.

xoxo

B

The post Easy Valentine’s Day Decor appeared first on Windgate Lane.

Last week I was so excited to share my family room and dining area all decked out for the holidays! If you missed it, you can find it Here.

This week I’m thrilled to be in a fun tour with some amazing ladies, hosted by the lovely Laura from The Avery Grace.  We will be sharing tons of decorating inspiration and you can find all of the links at the end of the post!  And again… more exclamation points. I can’t help it, I just get excited!

I decided to switch up my holiday decor in the kitchen this year.  I wanted to showcase a few more of my antique finds that I have gathered through out the year and my Painted Hutch was the perfect place to do so.   Can one have to many Christmas vignettes? Don’t answer that.

The Christmas glasses were such an exciting find for me! Not antique in any sense of the word- but exactly like some my parents had when I was a little girl so they give me a big smile.  Notice how emphatic I am that they are not antique since I had them when I was little… not old.  They can’t be more than like 29… ish.  And that little Santa candle just jumped in my bag for less than a dollar!

I love that I was able to get so many antique Christmas bulbs from my trip to New York and the Elephants Trunk Flea Market because they are a fun tie in throughout the downstairs decor.  Such a fun punch of color and whimsy!

And while I love having a spot for my fun finds, it also has to be practical and hold some of my serve wear and such! I love having my extra glasses and plates here.

I love to have pretty vignettes but if I put decor out, it needs to have some meaning for me or at the very least make me smile And if it holds a story for me, I have found that my boys love hearing the story and then retelling it to me later.  So maybe the holiday decor can start to seem frivolous to some, but for me it is one big bundle of magic and memories!

Pin here to find later!

I hope y’all are having a great week and please go visit my friends below for some gorgeous inspiration!

Monday
The Avery Grace | The H is For | Inspire and Instyle | Design Roots | Etcetera Studio
Tuesday
Superfluous Fabulous| Little Branches | Call me Ang
Wednesday
Life as a Rambling Redhead | Cupcakes and Coffee Grounds | Maison de Cinq | Windgate Lane
Thursday
The Everyday Hostess | Oh Deery Floral | Life as a Mrs.
Friday
Happily Hayley | Steel Southern Pretty | ABS Home Styling

xoxo

Bee

The post Christmas Kitchen appeared first on Windgate Lane.

This year I was thrilled to be invited to join the Home for the Holidays Tour, hosted by the amazing Sondra Lyn from Sondra Lyn at Home! It’s 5 Days – 30 Blogs, sharing everything Christmas for one whole week! I will try to limit my exclamation marks but it’s hard…

I’m going to primarily let the pictures do the talking in this post and I will elaborate on a few DIY’s that I did this year later in the week!

Let’s start in the dining room.  I recently made this live edge table for under $80 and it has been so fun decorating this holiday season! (details here)

I used my favorite blanket scarf as a table runner and re-used the DIY faux fur placemats from my Thanksgiving Table Scape.  The mixed metals and small plates (all thrift score finds) just keep the eclectic feeling going- while the large striped vases add a modern element that I love!

The hanging branch was an easy DIY that I will share soon but adds a touch of whimsy.   It is similar to all of the branches I used last year in our Christmas Decor.  The bar cart is a recent addition that I found on Craigslist that I still need to do a little work on but I decided it should be dressed up for the holidays regardless!

Again I mixed my silvers and golds and then for a fun pop of color, I put antique Christmas Bulbs that I scored when I was in Connecticut at the Elephants Trunk Flea Market, in an antique silver bowl.  I feel like it’s those touches that make a room feel festive!

I can’t wait to serve our Christmas Dinner in here! 

Decorating in our Family Room was all about my kiddos.  We spend most of our time in the house there and I wanted it to be fun and cozy for us all!  The mantel is always my favorite place to decorate while also my nemesis.  I decided to create a town out of cardboard or foam board to bring in some more warmth and lights.  DIY Tutorial for Houses HERE.

I cut out some windows so that I could tape some battery powered string lights behind the houses and light up our little village!

The accents around the houses are almost all from The Container Store! The little trees, boxes, and red pom pom string can all be found there at great prices!

The rest of the room I just added other small touches to what is usually there.  And more Antique Bulbs of course!

The bookshelves got some punches of color too!

I am thrilled to be all decorated and able to really enjoy these spaces for the next month!

And one more of my view at night… So cozy!

I am so excited to see all of the inspiration this week and hope you will click back to follow along as each day will bring more!  Pin here to find later…  xoxo

Welcome to the 2nd annual Home for the Holidays Blog Tour hosted by Sondra Lyn at Home. Wow, do we ever have a great week of holiday celebration ideas lined up for you!

Join us each day for inspiration from nearly 30 of the today’s finest blogs!

You’ll see everything from gorgeous decor to yummy holiday recipes… and everything in between! Here’s a look at what’s coming up this week:

Monday – Holiday Decor

featuring…

Just a Girl and Her Blog | Lilacs & Longhorns | What Meegan Makes

Windgate Lane | Worthing Court

Tuesday – Holiday Recipes

featuring…

Duke Manor Farm | Graceful Order | Rhubarb and Honey

Snappy Gourmet | The Happier Homemaker | Two Thirty-Five Designs

Wednesday – Mantles and Tablescapes

featuring…

Dandelion Patina | {Home-ology} modern vintage | Organize and Decorate Everything

Sondra Lyn at Home | StoneGable | The Everyday Home

Thursday – Holiday Crafts

featuring…

An Extraordinary Day | Cottage at the Crossroads | Making it in the Mountains

Our Southern Home | 2 Bees in a Pod | Two Purple Couches

Friday – Gifts and Wrapping

featuring…

Addison Meadows Lane | DIY180 | Domestically Speaking

My Creative Days | Southern State of Mind | unOriginal Mom

Be sure to check back every day this week to enjoy all the goodies we’ll be sharing with you! Each day’s links will be posted that day and will go live at 7am EST/6am CST, so don’t miss a single day!

Cause we all know…

there’s no place like…

Home for the Holidays!

Monday – Holiday Decor

Tuesday – Holiday Recipes

Wednesday – Holiday Mantels and Tablescapes

Thursday – Holiday Crafts

Friday – Holiday Gifts and Wrapping

The post Home for the Holidays on Windgate Lane appeared first on Windgate Lane.