How To Change A Rooms Function and Feel

Hello my friends!!!!

How is everyone? Doing really well and getting in the mood for fall I hope!

I am. It’s a slow process (because I drag my feet…) but I’m making the shift.

Last time you visited I was selling-off furniture and I have since been busy making changes in how our home functions & feels.

It was hard to part with our farm table but I had to be honest with myself and face the fact that it was simply too big for our small home, it never fit properly… not really. This was the third house we brought it along too, it made it ten years here at the cottage…. and it was time to let it go. Anyway, it went to a new family and I feel really good knowing they will create new memories with it. In fact, the new owner messaged me a few days after taking it home to tell me just how much they love it. That was incredibly kind and so comforting!!

With the farm table gone our home is now looking like this…

And we love it!!

Not only because I love changing things up (which everyone knows about me) but it feels airy, open and so much more inviting. The boys love that it’s easier to navigate as well!

You no longer walk into a large dining table upon entry to our house. We can actually greet guests and welcome them into our home.

We have an “entry” area now and it’s exactly what I was aiming for!

Jimmy and I are both crazy about the antique table we found. I had a friend suggest it might be called a “Butterfly Table”? Whatever it’s called, we consider it the star of the show. It’s so beautifully detailed…

It’s worn, broken and beaten… and yet still it shines in our eyes. It’s not centered on the front door because the room is just not large enough to mimic a formal entry. It would impede the traffic flow into the house and I’m not going down that road again.

This pretty gem has helped me immensely to transition into fall. It also gave me the push to make the changes I wanted to in this room. The vibe has now crept towards fall. It’s darker…. and moodier…. with lots of candles and books… and it speaks to me of paneled walls, dark studies, libraries and lots of lounging and getting lost in a good book.

Everything fall indoors has to offer, that I love.

I’m finally getting to use one of the vintage grain sacks I got on my trip to the South. I can only imagine the stories this little piece of fabric holds.

If you are a follower on Periscope you’ll recall I was toying with the idea of getting draperies to dress-up each of the windows that flank the front door. I’m still crazy about our plantation shutters but thought some fabric might finish things off nicely.

Boy did they.

The windows are the eyes of your house right? So draperies are the brows? Or eye shadow? Either way, ma girl needed some makeup! She definitely looks more polished & finished now!

I’ve never been a big drapery person. Mainly because I like to change things sooo frequently that I have a hard time committing to a pattern… or even a solid color!

Well at this price, I didn’t have to sweat it!

The color is fantastic too. Sort of a muted khaki/putty/greige. Very versatile!

The tone is just right. I went with the curtain clips but they can be hung rod-pocket style as well. I’ve always liked draperies with a little puddle at the bottom, so the clips gave me some extra length to achieve that.

Ya’ll are so smart!

I see you noticed something else changed along with the removal of the farm table. Yep, my “kitchen island” is no longer in the kitchen.

DIY White Wood Cottage Kitchen Island Details [click here]

Getting rid of the farm table meant we needed to go back to an eat-in kitchen. I’ll show you that soon, but for now, this chunky bad-boy is residing in the living room and working hard!

When I talk about a mood or a vibe in the room, this is where mentally, what I display and include in my decor plays into that. I tried to think and feel “fall” and not just in a pretty way, but to serve functionally as well. I’m always trying to find a nice balance of both! We LIVE in our home, it’s not a magazine. The changes in the season for us mean storms & high winds, and that brings power outages.

I thought to myself, how smart would it be to get all the lanterns out, and the candles, candle sticks, etc… ?

Pretty smart! (and a bonus if they are cute)

I added some battery operated candles to the mix. Because not worrying about a fire hazard is smart too! Plus, these smell like Vanilla and have a remote control. So not only do I feel smart, but I’m totally getting spoiled too! hahaha

I can just click the “on” button and snuggle-up in my big chair, indulge in my favorite show or a book and have some relaxing “me” time!

I am so, so happy with the changes we are making. They fit us, our home, our needs, our budget and our little cottage is just feeling really good!

Here are some tips on how to change the function & feel of a room:

• Decide what you want/need your room to function as. A guest room, office, mudroom, sitting room, etc…

• Make a plan on how to get the functionality you need from the space. Like particular furnishings, less clutter, more storage, harder working or just more open (like we did) etc… 

• Delete what doesn’t work. Give it away to family, friends or donate to a church sale or favorite charity. I love to give to our local Hospice Thrift Store.

• Sell what doesn’t work. If you need funds to purchase replacement items to get the functionality or look you desire, try a yard sale, Craig’s List, selling through your Facebook page or in a local Facebook buy & sell group. I’ve had exceptional luck with the Facebook selling groups.

• Clear it out. If you can. I don’t know about you but I love starting fresh. I cleared everything out and then brought the new furniture pieces into the space. Then I started layering in the extras.

• Bring in your large, key pieces like furnishings.

• Next, bring in the items that will make the room function as intended. This will vary from room-to-room.

• Layer in the details and decor.

• Lastly, finish with art and personal effects.

Never be afraid to try something new or different. Don’t be tied to a set-up or furnishings that aren’t functional for you anymore. I let the guilt-go when I let our farm table go… it was not a family heirloom… and letting it go doesn’t mean the memories we made around it are any less sweet or vivid. I sold a thing, not my memories.

I hope sharing my thoughts on this might make it easier for someone else to make a change that’ll make your home function & feel better too!

I’ll be sharing the rest of the living area, the kitchen (including the new table & chairs) and the sun room this coming week! I’m looking forward to sharing it all with you, and maybe getting some opinions. Watch for me on Periscope, maybe the new table and chairs will make a sneak appearance!

~Shannon

Disclosure: This post was written on behalf of Better Homes and Gardnes at Walmart – I love getting the quality I expect from BH&G paired with the affordability of Walmart and I’m proud to be an ambassador for the brand. As with any other article I share, all opinions are my very own!!

If you live in a small town like I do, like the convenience of online shopping or can’t find something in the store, you can shop Better Homes & Gardens at Walmart online [here]

You can follow the Better Homes & Gardens Live Better Network on:

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SOURCES – Below you’ll find clickable links for all the Better Homes and Gardens at Walmart items shared here today:

• Better Homes & Gardens Marissa Curtain Panel

• Better Homes and Gardens Clip Rings, 7 pk

• Better Homes and Gardens Flameless LED Pillar Candles, 3pk, Vanilla

• Better Homes and Gardens Owl Candle Holder (in store only)

• Better Homes and Gardens Pedestal Pillar 7.5 & 10 inch

For a mini fall home tour and before photos

of the space you just saw, [click here].

Click [here] for more FALL project.

Additional Sources:

• All White Wood Lanterns – HomeGoods
• Baskets – HomeGoods
• Nautical Rope Doorstop – HomeGoods
• White Leaf Dish – HomeGoods
• Lamp – Birch Lane
• Sisal Rug – HomeGoods
• Dark Wood Table – Thrifted
• Wood Tray – Barn Sale

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