Fabulous Country Decor

Start your country decor collection with these 10 fabulous items. As you'll see from the images, you can use them decoratively or for storage. The add such a warm, comfortable touch. If you're handy, you can buy new items and distress them to make them look rustic and well worn. Swing by the showroom, our Etsy Shop, or Ebay to see what we're featuring.

Pewter trays. You can gather collectibles on a cocktail table, use them in a tablescape, gather toiletries together in your bath, and so much more.

Natural elements like these balls, are great to fill a basket, bowl, glass apothecary canister or just position on a shelf or table. The texture and neutral colors are ideal for county and coastal decor.

Ladders can be used as decor on walls, and as shelves in nearly any room. Find the oldest most paint encrusted that you can, and enjoy the patina. Create one from a new wooden ladder if you have time!  Vinegar and steel wool mixed in a ball jar and then wiped onto bare wood, creates a gorgeous blue-gray hue.

Wooden spoons are practical and pretty in the kitchen. These are stunning, handmade spoons and look fabulous mounted on a kitchen wall.

Wicker baskets go with everything!  There are so many styles, materials and shapes, that you're sure to find one that you adore.

As a shelf, decor, for storage or display, Wooden crates are the perfect country element!

Wire accessories are for every room. Collect natural elements in a few for your family room, use one for laundry, tuck one under a desk as a trash can, and gather your cooking utensils ans fruits in a wire basket or cannister in the kitchen.

I love wooden cutting boards. You can find them in nearly every wood species, fabulous shapes, and stand them upright to display, or leave flat on the counter for cooking.

My go-to planters are terra-cotta pots. They're classic indoors or out.  An aged pot with a stencil, makes a beautiful herb pot on a dining room or kitchen windowsill.

White Ironstone is a favorite collectible and graces the shelves of many country dining room curios, and kitchen displays.

Enter here!

Does your entry say what you want about the rest of your home?  This is one space, indoors and out, that sets the tone for the rest of your home. These are my top quick fixes for the inside space.

1) Flooring.  It often creates nice separation, not to mention a practical way to keep the entry clean, to have a different floor surface in the entry.  If your entry merges with the living area this is a perfect time to create separation.   Even a small area rug, provides delineation from the rest of your home. Be sure to secure area rugs with pads or tape. 

2) Stash space.  It's smart to keep your entry neat. I recommend using a console, bench or other area where you can drop mail, keys and more.  Affixing a small board to the wall and adding front legs, creates a perfect stash space in an apartment or condo where there is no obvious entry area. Using a small wall-hung shelf or a bookshelf to divide the entry from the rest of the space, work well for organization and separation.   Once you've got the surface, you can add baskets, containers and bowls to collect what you drop, making a design statement as well as containing clutter.

3) Mirrors. Reflect light into the space by adding a mirror.  A unique, framed mirror can make an artistic statement. It also serves as a place for guests to check themselves before entering, and you to take a last look before you go out!  

4) Lighting. The best way to change the apparent space is with lighting. Brighten a narrow space with wall sconces, hang a chandelier to dramatize a grand space, bring a dark corner into play with up-lights, and if you can,  hang picture lights over your art. 

5) Artwork.  Personalize your entry to reflects you and the style of your home. Whether that translates to a sculpture, a mobile, pottery, or wall art, an item you love can be worked into your entryway. This is a ideal time to use travel collectibles, your favorite ceramics, a fabric you love (framed or as a bench cover) to add color, texture, pattern and personalization.

6) Color. Bold or neutral, soft or dramatic, color sets the stage. In an entry, you can often find a space for a unique wall treatment. In this tiny apartment entry, a bold vase, stair runner and scarf hanging on a grand hook, say enough!

De-clutter now for a more organized 2012.

We all have 'things' that we need on a weekly - often daily - basis. They're functional but oh so unattractive.  How to hide them is always a creative challenge. Try these tips.

1. Charging station:  Charging phones, I-pods and the like is a must! If you can hide the cords and chargers,  it will neaten your space. Many console tables and nightstands have power outlets behind them. If they have a drawer, drill a small hole in the back and mount a power strip inside the drawer. Run the power cord through the hole to the outlet. Plug in your devices, close the drawer and everything's out of sight. Some devices produce heat, so don't leave them in too long - most need 2 hours to fully charge.  If that's not an option, use a basket on a shelf and tuck them away! 

2. Mail storage: Whether it's in an office or left in another room, this 'clutter' element is much-needed. Out of sight can often lead to forgetfulness.  Create a permanent space with an attractive letter sorter, decorative box, or even a pretty folder. The simple habit of always placing it in the same location 

3. Keys, wallets and change:  Your partner come home from work, their pocket is full...after unloading keys, change, a money clip and other paraphernalia, there is a pile of stuff in the kitchen, entry...somewhere. Hiding in a drawer is a reasonable idea, but a more practical solution is a small box or flat canister that works with your decor and is easy to access; on the kitchen table, on the counter, in the entry, or by the bedside.

4. Toilet paper:  One of the simplest and aesthetically pleasing storage solutions, for those small baths without room for a cabinet, is a lidded box sitting on the toilet tank. Where possible, a great wall-mounted cabinet will hide many rolls, cleaning supplies and hand towels. If you don't have a tank, add a small glass shelf and then your pretty storage box or basket.

5. Laundry:  Some homes have a laundry room that hides baskets and sorting. If you don't have a dedicated space, try something other than a wicker hamper...how about making an old dresser into a laundry hamper by  joining the drawers together and creating ONE deep one?  Can you hinge it out as well?  This takes a bit of doing, but if you can update and re-purpose that old dresser it can serve as a great hallway piece...add a lamp and art...voila.

6. Toys:  A great idea for toys is a dual function ottoman/storage cube. They are inexpensive ($50-100), come in squares and rectangles, the cover is light enough for most 5 year olds to lift, and they can be used as seating.