For years I have been dreaming up products I could create to help others design their own homes. I have waxed poetic many times about how important it is to have a home you enjoy, and that has made me want to take away any barriers to a designed home. Additionally, not everyone wants to hire a designer or has the budget for one.  If you're the type that can handle a project and has an interest in design but just needs some pushes in the right direction, this product is for you.

Personally, I like to learn in a visual way.  I want details and information but not so much that I am bogged down and overwhelmed.  With that in mind, I created the Interior Design Cheat Sheets™, a step-by-step guide for decorating your home.  I am sharing all the tips and tricks I have learned over the years in a fun and useful way. It's the next best thing to having me come into your home.  

Here are just SOME of the things you'll find in the 25 pages of Cheat Sheets.

• A list of the steps you need to take when decorating your home
• A list of common interior design styles with inspiration + styles that mix well together
• A visual guide for creating your own space plan to scale + measuring your space
• A guide for choosing the correct paint colors in your home + a big list of my favorite paint colors
• A guide for how to mix patterns in your home
• A guide to using color in your home
• A list of my favorite online furniture and accessory stores
• 4 sheets with drawings to help you know how to style specific areas in your home

I started this project thinking it would be 6-8 pages but it just kept getting bigger. I continued to think of important things I wanted to pass onto you, then I got a LOT of feedback from my focus group to make it even better.  It ended up being a product I am truly proud of that will help you in so many ways.

It will be available right here on my website starting Monday, November 23rd.  Mark your calendars!

It's no secret that I love removable wallpaper. It's been a lifesaver while renting as it's injected so much personality into our bland rental.  It truly transforms the most boring spaces into some of the most exciting. 

Over the years, I've come across many patterns and have pulled together some of my favorites in a rainbow of colors for you.  MANY of these come in multiple colorways so if it's not right, click through and see what other colors it comes in.  Also, the patterns from Spoonflower can be customized in ANY color if you talk to the designer directly.  

I can personally attest to Wallshoppe (papers 1, 2, 6, 7 and 12) and Spoonflower (4, 8, 11, 13, 17, 18, 19) papers as being very nice and good to work with.  I adore the pre-pasted removable from Spoonflower as it goes on with water and is moveable while applying but still comes off easily!  This is my honest opinion as I get no kickbacks from them.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 

Happy papering and send me photos if you end up putting some in your home!

xo,
Rachel

*some links contain affiliates

I've finally spent the time gathering all the sources for my One Room Challenge space.  If you want to see the finished room in it's entirety, click here. I have linked to items that are shown in the photos.  A lot of the items are vintage or no longer sold in stores.  I will link something similar when I was able to find it.  If you have questions, let me know!

Sofa (similar) // Tassel trim // Upholstery needle // Greek key pillows // Squiggle pillows // Palm lumbar pillow 

Acrylic lamp (similar) //  Blue rug (similar)  //  Dog lamp (similar)  //  Lamp finial  //  White temple jar (similar)
​Greek key jar  //  Floral jar  //  Test tubes (for wall vases) // Tube straps // Credenza: vintage

We simply nailed the test tubes to the walls.  The palm fronds are still going strong three weeks later.

Pagodas //  Removable wallpaper  //  Bamboo shelf: vintage // Bar cart: Homegoods  //  Leopard statue: vintage

A note on the pagoda lanterns.  These specific lanterns were purchased of FB Marketplace. They are not easy to find.  I linked to some of the same style but not the same size as I was unable to find the larger ones like I have. If you search "metal pagoda" on Google you can see what online shops carry them.  Homegoods also gets them in from time to time.

So that's it!  I tried to link to everything I could.  Most of the small decor, I have had for awhile or it's also vintage, but let me know if I forgot something you are interested in!

xoxo,
​Rachel

A lot of these links are affiliate links which just means I get a slight commission if you click on and purchase the item.  This is not an additional charge for you.

Week 1 // Week 2 // Week 3 // Week 4
Week 5 & 6 // Week 7

I am so excited to share my room with you today!!  After 8 weeks of work and a few more months of planning, the day has come!  I don't know if I've ever been more proud of a design.  It was so much more of a challenge than I thought it would be to A) keep everything renter-friendly and B) to design with only blue, white and green.  Take a trip down memory lane by clicking the above links if you want to see my process.

My concept was a preppy and colorful Palm Beach vibe with plenty of pattern.  It's amazing what pattern can do to disguise a basic rental!

Here's the concept I created for the space:

I'm always inspired by colorful, chic, and tropical spaces.  I love a lot of white, but have three kids so I have to be strategic about that.  This is one of my all-time favorite rooms that's always inspired me.  Cornflower blue is my 3rd fav color after kelly green and peach/pink.

Now, here's the space right before we moved in:
​

The images above and below are both of the living room from different angles.  The same window is depicted.
​

Then here is the dining nook before:
​

There are so many details I could share about today but I want to lead with recognizing the real stars of the show, my sponsors and the people who make the ORC possible.  I will be back later this week with a source list and project info.

So without further ado, I want to thank my fabulous sponsors that made this project doable: fabric and home decor mecca, Spoonflower and slipcover extraordinaire, Gina DiGiovanni.  I would not have been able to tackle this right now had they not jumped on board with my vision. 

​Spoonflower gifted me with incredible products that I am so proud to have in my home: the removable pre-pasted wallpaper, striped curtains, ink blot pillows, blue and white squiggle pillows, blue and white palm frond pillow, the green leopard pillow and the green leopard *velvet* fabric I used to recover the bench.  Aside from the curtains, everything I chose was designed by the incredibly talented Danika Herrick. Each item is insanely gorgeous in person and such high-quality.  Even their pillow inserts were better than any others I have had before! I LOVE this company and was so thrilled and honored to be able to work with them!

And then Gina was SO gracious to give of her time to sew up the AH-MAZING blue and white slipcover for our swivel wingback chair.  Isn't she the most talented?!?  What was even crazier, was that she didn't even have the chair with her in order to do the cover-- she came over and made a pattern out of linen to work from.  I can't even fathom that level of skills.  The welting and the skirt were exactly how I envisioned and I am SO SO grateful to her!

Additionally, I want to thank Better Homes and Gardens for sponsoring this event.  It's way more fun with them a part of the process.... plus, I'm always partial to BHG since we are both from the same town in Iowa :)  I've always loved Meredith Corp., (even envisioning myself working there when I was younger!) and have known many friends who have worked for them over the years... they're a great company that I adore!

LAST BUT NOT AT ALL LEAST, I want to thank Linda from Calling it Home, the mastermind behind the ORC.  She has organized this event two times a year for the last decade and I'm so thankful for her hard work.  It allows so many of us to make new friends, get our work recognized, and accomplish beautiful new spaces in our homes.  This year was even trickier with COVID and BLM and she honored these hard times so well with delays, extensions and support.  We love you, Linda!

NOW, get your lovely buns over to the ORC Blog and see the hundreds of other reveals waiting for you today!  Thank you to my followers for supporting me and cheering me on, you guys are truly the best.

xoxo,
Rachel

It's the final week week before the reveal!  I can't wait to get this room totally finished and share it with you!  It's been a fairly enjoyable ORC due to the extra two weeks along with doing a project in a rental where we are just making decorating changes and not doing large construction projects.  Ahhh if only projects were always this easy...

This week, I spray painted a new light I found and Jared hung it over the dining nook table.  We hung art and I potted an orchid for the table centerpiece.  I am DYING to show it to you but you'll have to wait until next week because it would just be revealing too much. 

Here it was from last week before it was finished tho-- just as a refresher ;)

I think you guys are going to LOVE the finishing touches for this space.  It takes it to a whole new level!

Besides finishing this corner, I met with an IG friend, Gina DiGiovanni, that's working on a slipcover for a modern wingback chair.  She's doing a white slipcover with blue piping and I think it's going to be one more element of preppy goodness.  I'M SO EXCITED.  If you're wondering why I'm doing white with three kids, the answer is this: I chose a slipcover instead of recovering the chair because a slipcover is washable.  I'm meeting with Gina tomorrow to see the finished product and I know it's GOING TO BE FAB.  One more thing I will show next week during the BIG REVEAL!

Alright, now for some more eye-candy.  I added some fringe to our IKEA sofa this week.  We have had this sofa 4 years now and I still love it (sadly they no longer sell this color or style).  I had wanted a new one only because Clementine has chewed some small holes in it but that wasn't in the budget so I decided to rejuvenate it a bit.  I'm always brainstorming where I can add fringe but usually it just doesn't feel right.  This time though, fringe felt VERY right. 

I was inspired by sofas like this one from Danielle Rollins, one of my fav designers:

But first, here is our sofa in our house in Iowa, notice the legs:

After the last ORC:

And a little sneak peek from this morning:

It just goes to show you how a sofa can transition and look different in different spaces with just a few styling changes!

Wanna know the best part?!  This fringe was only $30 and it really goes a long way in the style department!  I had wanted to make this sofa look more traditional and less modern and the fringe helped with that 100%.  The tapered legs were one of the main pieces that gave it a mid-mod look and by covering them with fringe, the legs no longer show and the sofa looks like it goes all the way to the ground, which also helps make it feel more traditional.  

​Plus, who can say no to fringe?!!?

We are almost done with everything and just have a couple things left: Hanging the TV, hanging art on the wall behind the sofa and finishing some more wallpaper I decided to hang last minute.  We plan to get it done this weekend and then I'll photograph early next week. Eeeeeeeiiii!!!

Anyway, I hope you are excited to see everyone's rooms next week.  I am so proud with how this room is coming together and I'm really excited to show it to you.  Meet me back here next Thursday, June 25th for the final reveal!  In the meantime, make sure to hit up the ORC Blog to see all the featured and guest designer's spaces this week! 

xoxo,
​Rachel

It's been two weeks since we've talked about the ORC.  Last week, I , along with most of you, was educating myself on the systemic racism in our country. Linda decided not to require an update for Week 5 of the ORC because of everything going on in our country and I thought that was an awesome move. I honestly didn't do a ton of stuff because my brain was so full but before everything came to a stop for a few days, I was able to set up our new dining table, reupholster a bench and have Jared hang a mirror.

The bench is an inexpensive piece I bought for it's legs-- ha!  I love lucite and it was cheaper to purchase something and recover it than have something custom made.  I covered it in VELVET leopard print from Spoonflower (sponsored) that I ADORE.  I can't believe they can print any of their fabrics on velvet-- truly.  

I hunted high and low for a vintage tulip table on Marketplace in the correct dimensions and after weeks of nothing, I decided to purchase something new. I LOVE IT.  It adds the perfect modern element to the space and I've always wanted a tulip table.

I had planned on using the painted rattan Chippendale chairs in the seating area of the living room originally but decided on some other chairs there instead.  I love these ones so much and the white against the blue is so perfectly Palm Beach.

Want to know a funny story?  I bought two of these amazing black metal pagodas on FB Marketplace for a steal.  Problem was, they were in Jacksonville and I live 4-5 hours from there.  Well, long story short, my Florida BFF has another BFF that lives in Jacksonville and she picked them up and brought them to the Tampa area for me.  Sometimes, you just have to do what you have to do for good design-- even if it means asking someone to run an errand for you that you've never met :D

I'm still trying to decide on the mirror.  I may end up painting another one I have white and hanging it.  I know the rattan looks good but I have a specific vision and want to see how it evolves.  You'll have to wait until the final reveal to see what I decide.

I still have to hang art in this corner, finish styling and have Jared re-wire and hang the most amazing chandelier. I found it yesterday at the shop where I sell my vintage goods.  A good blogger would hold off showing it to you to build suspense but I'm too excited to wait. Here she is when I found her! 

It's so preppy Palm Beach and looks like it came straight out of a Lilly Pulitzer store.  A pineapple and tassels?!  Incredible! I will paint it white and Jared will rewire it, add new "candles" and put in modern round bulbs.  I hope it doesn't become one of those projects that takes more time than I envisioned but it was just too cute and too affordable to pass up.  What do you think?  Can you see it over this table?

Obviously, there is other work in the room and we are getting down to the wire with only two weeks left.  So, wish me luck and that I finish on time.  I'm still waiting for a couple more rolls of wallpaper and am not sure they will get here by the deadline. There's also a couple more things I still have to pull the trigger on-- nothing like the last minute!

Thanks for stopping by and make sure to check out everyone else's blog posts for this week-- the rooms are really starting to take shape and look lovely.

xoxo,
Rachel

*this post contains affiliate links

We are back for another week of ORC updates!  I was hoping this week would be super productive with a long weekend but it just wasn't.  There are too many things I needed to mull around on before pulling the proverbial gun.  It's such a balance to get the right look on a budget and I can't wait around on Facebook Marketplace forever!

Mostly, I have been working on collecting things for decor including some new-to-me blue and white jars.  I've never been into these before but seeing how beautiful they can be when used in a Palm Beach or traditional style room has been really inspiring.  I tend to lean toward everything being more modern and ginger jars bridge the gap.  

Here's me sporting my new collection in front of MY FAVORITE VINTAGE PIECE EVAAAAA.  It's the second credenza I had shipped to Iowa from Palm Beach (only to bring it down in a Penske 18 months later-- lol!) and now proudly hangs out in our ORC space.​

Ok, back to the jars.  I'm wanting to challenge myself and bring in new things I haven't done before and Chinoiserie is just the obvious next right step in my design progression.  I've been inspired over the years by Jennifer and her collections coupled with how fun and un-stuffy her spaces still feel.  See below.  <insert fire emoji here>

Then, more recently, Michele from Crafting Culture has been so fun to come across!  Look at these built-ins!

via Michele at Crafting Culture 

I also purchased this bench to recover in some fabulous VELVET Spoonflower sent me. 

You didn't think I would do a room without leopard, did you ;) ​The bench will go against the wall for a more condensed seating area (like a banquette) and then I'm still deciding on two chairs across from the bench.  I want to inject rattan into this side of the room but I can't decide where.  The chairs, light fixture or mirror?!  I'm just going to see how it evolves and hope and pray I have enough time to finish by the deadline!  I've thought to myself over and over this challenge that I am so thankful for 2 extra weeks this go-around!

On the other side of the room, I am taking a chair that we've had for a long time and partnering with Gina on IG to create a custom slipcover.  She specializes in slipcovers and I'm so excited for her to work her magic.

At first, I thought I would purchase new chairs but let's be real, this thing is getting expensive and I love this chair so a makeover it is!  Here's the chair in it's current state:

And here's an inspiration photo for the slipcover: 

I really felt the room needed a heavy dose of white but thought a slipcover would be best for washing purposes (hello, three kids under 10!).  I struggled with the color and went back and forth (Will it be too much white?  Not enough?  What other options do I have?!).  Ultimately, I said, "Let's do white and MAKE IT WERK!".  With blue welting obvs ;)

So all in all, it hasn't been a super exciting week visually but I have made progress on decisions and that's half the battle, right?!  I'll keep trucking away while you go and visit all the guest and featured designers over on the ORC blog!  Please take the time to encourage/like/comment on their blog and IG posts and have a great week, ya'll!

xo,
​Rachel

How is it already the end of week three?!  Good grief!  I can't even believe it.  I've decided the One Room Challenge is one of my favorite parts of the year.  I love the camaraderie that's built during this time-- it's such a blast!

This week was fairly low-key when it comes to the ORC.  We ended up hanging the incredible curtains Spoonflower gifted and I am yet again amazed at the power of window treatments.  The room feels taller, more polished and just more beautiful in general.

It will be so fun to reveal this corner of the room to you when it's all done but for now, here's a sneak peak:

If you're curious about the quality of these curtains, they rock.  I ordered the "Cypress Cotton Canvas" material and it's thick, structured and deeply saturated in color.  I'm thoroughly impressed, yet again.  I love to hang my curtains high and it's nice Spoonflower offers them in multiple sizes ready to go: 84", 96" and 108".  But remember, if they don't have curtains in the size you need, you can always order the fabric and have them made or make them yourself!!

Did I mention, they have velvet???  Yes, any pattern you see can be printed on velvet.  You better believe I hit that up and I can't wait to show you :D

So here's an updated list of what's been accomplished and what's still waiting to be done:

1. Hang wallpaper (done)
2. Paint green credenza blue (done)
3. Paint accent wall white to match the other walls in the room (done)
4. Hang curtains (done)
5. Hang ceiling fan
6. Recover stools (this weekend)
7. Spray paint mirror (this weekend)
8. Recover armchair or thrift new (this is now going to be a slipcover and I'm so excited!)
9. Thrift dining table, chairs and chandelier
10. Hang chandelier
11. Shop for decor (nearly done)
12. Style and photograph the space
    
    

So, the main thing I am having trouble with is finding a white dining table in the dimensions I need (aka small!).  I'm hoping I can find a 36" tulip table in the near future on Facebook Marketplace or else I will have to buy new-- boo.  I am also looking for a chandelier for over that table (rattan?  lucite?) and a console table for by the front door.  I'm not having the best luck and with thrift stores being mostly closed it's been a bit of a challenge.  Hopefully it all falls into place in the next few weeks!  If you see anything amazing in Central FL, let me know!

Make sure to check out all of this week's guest and featured designers here to see their progress!

xoxo,
Rachel

This week's ORC update has to do with paint but before I get into that, here's a little refresh if you are new: 
I am designing the living area and dining nook in the rental we recently moved into.  I love Palm Beach style and anything "Florida" (we moved here from Iowa last summer!) and you'll definitely see that injected into my designs. 

This is my concept for the space and you can head to last week's blog post for more deets if you'd like.

When we moved into this rental it came with all white walls and one dusty blue accent wall.  I actually liked the way it was and worked with it at first but once I delved into my One Room Challenge design plan-- I decided the wall color had to change in order to bring the room together.  Plus, it just wasn't the right blue!

This past weekend for my Mother's Day present, the hubs painted the blue wall white for me and I painted the credenza-turned-media-cabinet cornflower blue.  The vintage Century credenza is a special piece.  Two years ago, I had it shipped from Palm Beach, FL to Des Moines, IA where we lived because I wanted a slice of Palm Beach in my Iowa house.  It's not easy to find vintage faux bamboo furniture up there so I paid the hefty price to send it up (along with another credenza I love that's also going in this space!).  It was an odd yellow-y beige when I got her and I painted it SW Shamrock green right away.  Here she is in our Iowa house before we moved south:

And here she is in this rental right after we moved in, along with said blue wall:

Also, if you are new here, that is our giant pet house bunny Clementine on the sofa.  She's litter trained and we love her to pieces.  Except when she peed all over this rug and dug holes in it like a maniac.  That rug is now in the garbage, and she may be next-- LOL. #kidding #maybe

I LOVED the credenza in green and still do.  However, the layout of this space meant I needed a pop of blue where the green credenza was and since changing paint colors is affordable-- I bit the bullet and painted her blue.  Cornflower Blue by Behr, specifically.

And I have to say, she was beautiful before but now she is FLIPPING STUNNING!  ​

Admittedly, I am teasing you a bit by not showing the whole thing until the final reveal. But I think you can catch her fabulous drift even from one small angle.  

Our TV sits on this credenza and I SO wish it was a little snazzier than a big black rectangle.  I would LOVE to own a Frame TV-- the kind that look like art and mount flat to the wall.  It's not in the budget to splurge on that right now but if you happen to find one on the side of the road-- please call me at 867-5309.  Thank you.  

Additionally, if it was in the budget, I would have paid to have her lacquered.  That said, then I would be dead from her beautiful glowing reflection so maybe that's a bad idea. Instead of death, I chose latex wall paint in semi-gloss which did the trick ;)

I'm loving how the white wall and blue credenza immediately tie this side of the room into the wallpapered side. Have you seen our wallpaper? It's incredible.

Spoonflower graciously gifted it and I can't wait to show you how fab it looks on the wall.  It's called "fronds" by Danika Herrick and comes in several colorways, here's a link to mine.  Also, you can reach out to Danika through Spoonflower if you need to arrange a custom color for printing-- how cool is that?!  FYI, I ordered the prepasted smooth because peel-and-stick is SO hard to put up and this stuff is still removable. WIN/WIN!

I am often looking for the perfect patterns for clients and myself and Spoonflower ALWAYS has a million options I absolutely love because they work with so many designers. I could hardly narrow down all the prints I loved. Besides fabric and wallpaper, they have tons of high quality products to finish off a space: curtains, pillows, bedding, cloth napkins and more. 

P.S. they are offering ORC followers 20% off right now with the code ORCS2020.
​

Alright lovely friends, I am off to drink a glass of wine, watch Netflix and caress this lovely blue babe.  While I am caressing, be sure to check out the blog posts from all the other Featured and Guest designers.  And as always, thank you Linda and Better Homes and Gardens for this amazing event.  Our homes would be hideous without you.

xoxo,
Rachel

Nothing can make a backyard patio space sing more than a 1950s or 1960s inspired umbrella with fringe, scallops or poms.  I searched HIGH and LOW for the perfect umbrella for our stock tank area (#12!!) but while I was at it, I figured I was amassing quite the list of amazing (yet, affordable!) patio umbrellas and wanted to share them here with you. 

I'm also including another special round-up of gorgeous splurge-worthy designer umbrellas that are NOT budget friendly but are definitely INCREDIBLE.  So if you have the funds-- spring for an extra special jaw-dropping patio accessory.

​Most of them tend to be 7-9' but make sure to check the measurements for what you want in your space!  

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5* // 6 // 7* // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12 // 13 // 14 // 15

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12 // 13 // 14 // 15

Don't forget your umbrella stand! Here are three I like: a black square one, a bronze square with trellis pattern and this white one that we purchased (it didn't fit the peach umbrella perfectly like I was hoping but I was able to make it work.  FYI, the peach umbrella has a white pole unlike the brown one shown!

What one is your favorite?  And if you purchase one, make sure to send me a photo of it in your space-- I would love to see!

xo,
Rachel