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This weekend had me with a need to get out of the house and keep busy while waiting for Olivia to decide she’s ready to get this show on the road. I’ve been looking for ways to keep active, walk around, and hopefully get her to continue dropping. So, after dropping off Greyson at school I thought to make a trip to TJ Maxx and Home Goods to wander around and have some me time.

I was impressed with their baby section at TJs and scored a couple of cute outfits for Olivia – then made my way over to Home Goods to browse for her nursery. It had been a minute since I had been to one so I was happy to just wander up and down the aisles to see what all they had (which was a lot of cute stuff!). On a random end-cap I noticed a selection of knobs and were immediately drawn to these marble and gold accent ones. I thought they would be perfect for the dresser we just scored and for $7, why not?

So, when I got home I went to work swapping out the knobs and was so happy with how well they turned out!

Before

Last week my neighborhood FB group put up a thread where residents can list things they’re selling. One of my neighbors was looking to sell her daughter’s old bedroom furniture and I noticed this changing table/dresser combo and had to snag it for Olivia’s nursery. I had been in the market for a dresser, but even Ikea would run me $175-$200+. I’m just not in the place right now to be spending that kind of money, so when I saw this dresser pop up I had to inquire about it. For $40 we were able to bring it home and I couldn’t be happier.

Much like anything that’s second-hand, and especially lived in, you’re going to have little things like scuff marks or minor stains. That’s to be expected. Overall the dresser is in great condition, but I wanted to make it a little more personalized for Olivia. One way to do that is to swap out these original white (boring) knobs for new and exciting ones!

After

I couldn’t be more in love with these marble and gold knobs for her nursery dresser! The quality is great and installing them was a breeze (they came in a set of 6, which was the exact number I needed). I love how something so simple gives so much new life to this dresser – and feels more like us.

Shop Dresser Knobs

Replacing and swapping out those original knobs to any dresser is an easy and affordable way to breathe new life into your furniture – and make it reflect your personal style. Here are a few of my favorite knob finds to help inspire you!

1. Gold Bows | Crate & Kids
2. Brass Geometric Gold (set of 2) | World Market
3. Vintage Mother of Pearl (set of 2) | Anthropology
4. Leather Pulls | Etsy @KeyWayHardware
5. Quartz Stone | Etsy @DecorfunHardware
6. Chambal Knobs (set of 12) | Wayfair

This post is not sponsored – just me sharing my love of home design and the pieces that help make our house a home.

It feels so good to finally be able to check a living space off my to-decorate list as we’ve settled into our new house. It’s been a little more than a week since we first unloaded our boxes and slowly has furniture arrived, been assembled, and arranged. I personally work room by room and this week my focus has been our living room.

Our living room is designed as an intentional gathering space for us as family but also as a space to entertain guests (should we ever be able to have people over…thanks, Covid). I wanted it to feel welcoming and cozy, especially as we head into the Christmas holiday, but keep to our minimalistic aesthetic.

I pinned a number of inspirations for our living room and it was exciting to bring them slowly to life. I had a number of photographs printed via Shutterfly and all I need now are new frames (…in time, I suppose). Even though it comes down to little enhancements like framed photos, I’m so happy to finally share our living room with all of you!

Where to shop these pieces

I’ve had such a lovely response when I first began sharing some of these photos on Instagram and everyone was eager to know where I got them from. I have found 99% of our home’s furniture on Wayfair or their family of brands (i.e. Birch Lane, Joss & Main, etc.) I’ve included direct links to each piece to make it easy to find – although some pieces may be out of stock. No worries, though. Simply add you address to be notified when they’ll have it in stock. I personally have found they restock within a few weeks.

1. Bernardston TV Stand
This was our final piece for our living room and it just brings the whole room together. I love the look of the wood as it is very similar to our coffee table (see link below). The black metal hardware and glass doors bring some texture to the space. I love the hidden storage and the size is perfect for our wall. I do plan to mount our TV eventually, but in the meantime this has been a great way to organize our TV area.

2. Youati Oriental Ivory Area Rug (10×14)
Having dark laminate wood flooring I knew I wanted an area rug that was large, comfortable, and bring warmth to the space. I was a little hesitant to go with an ivory color simply because, well, kids…but when I unrolled it I was so happy I went in this direction.

3. Ermont Console Table
I originally purchased this table for our entryway. It’s narrow and fit, but I just wasn’t in love with the placement (perhaps something more narrow and longer). So, I moved it into the living room under our circle accent mirror (found here) and have since found it to be a great way to hang our stockings and other Christmas decor.

4. Cranmore Trestle Coffee Table
I did notice that recently this coffee table is out of stock, but if you didn’t want to wait a very similar table can be found here. This coffee table has become one of my favorite aspects to our living room. It’s larger than a traditional coffee table and is square – offering more space and is the perfect spot these days for Greyson to play with his Legos.

5. Abaca Tree Collar
Last, but not least, is this tree collar from Crate & Barrel. I started noticing this type of tree collar becoming quite trendy among catalogs like Pottery Barn and the like, so of course I had to grab one myself. I love the texture it brings and hides the plastic base of our fake Christmas tree. I love how something so simple can bring so much sophistication – needless to say, I’m okay with ditching the tree skirt this year!

Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed a little peek into our home and stay tuned for more home tours as I work my way through each space.

Pinspirations

Knowing it’ll take about a year or so to get everything organized and decorated in our home just the way I want, I’ve continued to pin a number of inspirations. Here are a few that will complete our living room!

I love a good gallery wall and these black frames are the perfect size for each room – from living to dining and upstairs.

In our living room, as well as other rooms all over the house, we’re in need of blinds to help cut down on the direct sunlight the back of our house gets all day long. I love the look of these roman shades and would love to install something similar in both our living and bedroom.

Our move to our first home is finally upon us and I couldn’t be more excited to open the doors for the first time. The anticipation of having my husband, dog, and son run through the house, checking out each room, is so real. There’s something special about owning your first home – especially during an economic climate like ours in 2020 – and checking a mental adulting box that we otherwise wouldn’t have been able to do. I recognize how blessed we are, in so many ways, but owning our very own home takes the top spot on that list.

Leading up to this moment has been a lot of thought put into how I’d make our new house feel like our home. Pinterest has been my best friend as I cultivate an aesthetic that fits our growing family and I’m very thankful to all of those home furnishing companies out there who have had aaamazing sales and in the process has taken all of my money.

The goal for our kitchen and dining room is to be a space for gathering and entertaining. I love how open the kitchen is to the dining and living room, making it a wonderful place to have friends and family over and easily move throughout.

Now that my son and I are officially in Texas (the hubs is packing up and driving the truck) and we’re just days away from settling in, I thought to share my inspirations and purchases for our new home – most specifically our kitchen.

1. Espresso Machine
   One of the big purchases we just made (thanks Pre-Black Friday deals!) that wasn’t furniture was this Breville Barista Express espresso machine from Williams-Sonoma. Where it’s normally priced at over $1,000 it’s now on sale for almost half that – at $599! I’ve always wanted to invest in a proper coffee/espresso machine since it’s a staple in our home year-round. Better yet, through Affirm you can pay in installments with 0% APR.
   
2. Bar Stools
   Our new kitchen comes with an island, which will be perfect for food prep and give Greyson (and soon-to-be Olivia) a place to have snacks, sit, do work, etc. There’s enough room on the end of the island for bar stools and I found these at Wayfair during their Way-Day Sale. It’s a set of 2, which is perfect, and I love that it comes highly reviewed and the seat back will be great for use with kids (we love those strap-on high chairs).
   
3. Pantry Organization
   You guys, we’ll officially have a pantry in our house! Having been apartment living for so long I can’t wait to have a space dedicated to those pantry items we always stock up on!
   
   I just love the way this pantry is organized from the neutral accents from the weaved storage bins to the clear food storage containers. Another item I can’t wait to make are these minimalist pantry labels. The have such a classic look and help keep the pantry functioning in top order.
   
4. Wooden Table + Black Chairs
   Another set of great finds from Joss & Main (Wayfair sister-brand) have been our wooden dining table (out of stock, but check out this similar table) and these set of black chairs. The chairs come in a set of 2 and the black is perfect.
   
5. Tableware
   We’ve been using the same mix of dinnerware for ages and with our new home and new kitchen comes new tableware pieces. I’ve always loved the classic look of Crate & Barrel and found myself ordering a few new pieces for our kitchen:
   • Set of 8 Essentials Dinner Plates
   • Essential Coffee Mugs
   • Essential Coupe Bowl
   • Tour White Wine Glasses
   • Tour Red Wine Glasses
   • Tour Champagne Glasses
   • Peak High Ball Glasses (for the husband)

C&B has a wide variety of dinnerware and tableware options to choose from and will always be my go-to place for affordable, but quality, items – especially for the kitchen.

Another favorite of mine are these Natural Rattan chargers for the holiday table setting!

A house into a home

The holidays will soon be upon us and thankfully I’ve been able to pull some things together in the meantime as we begin to unpack and get settled. I know it’ll take us some time before our home gets to the place where it truly feels ours, but this is a wonderful beginning step.

Do you have any advice for this first time homeowner? What could I expect within the first year? What has been your experiences?