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Setting the Table with Nature

My friends at Bloomist put me up to the challenge of setting the table with natural elements from their beautiful shop. Truth be told, it was kind of tough because I don't usually set the table in any formal manner and I'm not a fan of themes. I am a big fan of Nature though so with Spring and Easter in mind I started with a few basics that nod in their direction. Our own backyard eggs, a few dried botanicals with a beautiful vessel and some moss from Bloomist. From there I gathered things from around the house; our place settings and a throw blanket for a tablecloth. I putzed around until I found two ideas to share with you, both casual; a neutral setting and a setting for those who are fans of spring colors.

Here is look one...

Dried Yarrow | Natural Reindeer Moss | European Recycled Glass Jar

A simple setting with blush, sage, and ochre accents. The dried Yarrow is the real star of this look but personally I love the nod to nature the Natural Reindeer Moss adds. I used it to nest our eggs in those little bowls and in the European Recycled Glass Jar surrounding the candle. It's also a beautiful option for your plants if you want to cover the dirt.

Dinner Plate | Salad Plate | Gray Bowl | Blush Napkin | Silverware Set

In the background you can see our EcoFaux Magnolia Campbellii Branches also from Bloomist which tie in nicely with the blush accents here. We used one of each branch size to create this look.

Look two is all about the neutrals. I kept the light gray base and played off the silvery sage of the dried banksia arrangement. Bloomist carries both the Dried Banksia Foliage in bunches and a set of 3 Dried Natural Banksia flowers which you've seen me use so many times before. I used both in this arrangement. The moss felt right at home in this color palette so it stayed as well.

Wabi Sabi Vessel | Dried Banksia Branches | Dried Natural Banskia

I love this subtle look because food has a chance to be the real star in this scene. We kept the dishes but grounded them with a pop of black bowls. I also added my Tunisian Clay Beads for a little extra texture. When you are playing with neutrals, texture is always a good thing.

Tunisian Clay Beads | Wabi Sabi Vessel | Natural Reindeer Moss | Black Bowl | Linen Napkin

The vase is the Wabi Sabi Vessel. Bloomist carries two sizes, each one is unique. They are crafted from matte white porcelain clay by potter Wiem Ben Azouz. These are sculptural pieces not meant to hold water but perfect to display alone as art pieces or use with your dried or ecofaux botanicals.

Jake likes the colorful option, I like the neutral. Luckily both settings were quick and easy to pull together. I'd love to hear which you prefer!

If you are interested in any of these pieces feel free to use my Bloomist codes. "UNDECORATED15" will save you 15% on your entire purchase, "UNDECORATED25" will save you $25 off of a purchase of $100 or more.

XO,

Meg

Cork Wall Tutorial

I promised you some info on this cork wall after Hazel's room reveal. Let me start with an apology for the lack of photos. We had a few other projects going on the same day and I had no idea you would all be so interested in this one! I'm going to do my best to explain how we put this cork board together. It was an easy project, that only took an hour or so and came in around $85.

PROJECT LIST

Cork Sheet 4' x 8' 6mm thick - $53

Rubber Cement - gallon - $8

Thin plywood or paneling 4' x 8' - $10

Paint Roller - $3

Plastic Paint Tray - .50¢

Razor Knife

Tarp

Rolling Pin

Trim - $10

The first thing we did was determine the size of the cork board that would work best for this wall. Initially I wanted to cover the whole wall but cork is more expensive than I thought. If you want to cover an entire wall you could use this same method and skip the trim.

I found this 4 x 8 roll of cork and the reviews were iffy but the price was right. I took a chance and it worked out great. When it arrived we rolled it out for a few hours and put books on the ends to flatten it out. One end was crumbly as the reviews said it might be but it was also 6" longer than the 8' it was supposed to be so it worked out.

While it was flattening out we measured and marked out the area where we wanted it. I just eyed up a good height and centered it on the wall. Then we marked out all of our studs above and below it's destined place on the wall.

We had previously purchased a 4' x 8' sheet of birch panel which is similar to a thin plywood. (Any thin wood sheeting would work, it's only meant to protect the wall.) Jake held it up and I leveled it and then secured it to the wall with screws along the studs. We probably used 40 screws. We hit every stud on the top and bottom and every other stud on a few rows in between.

The birch panel was a step I almost got lazy on and skipped. It would have been easier to just glue the cork to the wall. I'm glad I didn't though because if we ever want to remove it we can just peel off the cork, remove the panel and fill the screw holes. If I had glued it to the wall it would have ruined the drywall.

For the next step you will definitely need two people. First OPEN ALL THE WINDOWS! The rubber cement smells TERRIBLE so use a mask. Hazel slept in our room the night we did this and I left her windows open and shut her bedroom door for the night and it was cleared out by morning. I ordered two small cans of the rubber cement because of a tutorial I read but I wished I had more because we just barely had enough. If you do this project in this size I would spring for the gallon to make sure you have good contact. It's very sticky so use a tarp to protect your floors!

We trimmed the crumbly bits off of the cork with a razor knife while it was still on the floor. You want to put a layer of rubber cement on the cork and the birch panel. I poured it out in a paint tray and rolled it on the cork and panel with a semi smooth nap roller just like paint. Then Jake and I picked it up together and lined it up at the top and smoothed it down the birch panel. I used a rolling pin to make sure it made good contact everywhere.

Like I mentioned earlier the cork was bigger than the panel. We waited an hour or so and then trimmed off the excess with the razor knife.

Unfortunately I didn't take any photos of us trimming it out. We chose the same trim we used on the baseboards and windows in a 1 1/2" width. We cut the trim to size and used our nail gun to attach it to the wall. You can do this step without fancy tools! If you have a saw and a measuring tape and a hammer, you can do this!!

That's it. So far it's held up great. The only hard part of the project was dealing with the rubber cement smell for a few hours.

I got Hazel a few cute tacks (I'll link you to below) and jammed those right in all over the place to make sure the cork was keeping good contact while it dried.

Here are some easy links to the things I purchased online for this project. The clip push pins are really great because she can hang art and photos without putting holes in them!

Send me photos on Instagram if you make your own cork wall! I would love to see! If you have any source questions about Hazel's room you can probably find them right here.

XO, Meg

How To Layer Rugs Like a Pro

Layering rugs is a great way to change up a space, define an area, and add texture and color. It's easier than you think and it doesn't have to break the bank. Room-sized vintage rugs, like a 9 x 12, can be pretty expensive but often a smaller version of your dream rug can be just as great when layered over an inexpensive base rug. The even less expensive route is opting for a look-a-like version of your dream rug.

My best advice is to start with a good base rug. Pick a neutral base like a jute, sisal, stripe or black and white pattern. This is what I have done in almost every room in our house. All of our base rugs work on their own when we are feeling minimal or want a clean slate but can be totally transformed simply by layering another rug over the top.

Once you have a good foundation rug that you like the sky is the limit. Think of it like mixing pillow patterns or outfits, a neutral and a pattern always compliment each other just as a small pattern and large pattern always work together. A stripe and a pattern work together just as well. Try to pick patterns and colors that compliment each other.

You absolutely can layer a rug over carpet as well. In fact, I recommend it. Rugs are the best way to define an area. Use them over the carpeting in your living room, under your dining table, and at the end of a bed! It will break up the sea of carpet and give you the layered look.

If you have an open concept house a rug is your best friend. Throw a few rugs down where you want to define specific areas and build your room around it.

How you layer them is up to you; there are no rules. You can layer a skinny runner at the sides of a bed, a wide runner at the end of a bed, throw one down in your foyer for a pop of color or pattern, or chose a larger size for the middle of your family room. You can't go wrong.

I have put together some examples below. All of the rugs are linked below the photos and there is a round up at the bottom.

Here are a few examples of layered rugs in our house.

Rug Layering Examples

This would be a beautiful combo anywhere but I see these two in a bedroom or living room. I used a larger size top rug for a living room example but a smaller version would work just as well at the end of a bed for any of the combos below.

bleached jute rug | multi-colored rug

Stripes and patterns play so well together. This combo reminds me of Hazel's room but I can see this in a boy's room or playroom too. Here I've added a smaller rug towards the end of the larger rug to show you what it would look like at the end of the bed. These work together because the colors compliment each other so well.

gray striped rug | rusty rug

Mudroom, foyer, playroom, this combo goes anywhere. The plaid would be great on a smaller pattern like this or a jute. Layer this one over your beige carpet to kick it up a notch!

neutral rug | plaid rug

These two both act as neutrals but the layers make it so much more cozy and inviting. These would be beautiful in a den, master bedroom or family room.

bleached jute | blue black rug

I have to include my old foyer rug which has been a great base for so many vintage rugs. Hazel has the same rug in her room. On it's own it acts as a graphic neutral but pair it with any of the above and they'll be best friends. The rug I chose with it below comes in a ton of color ways and the quality can't be beat especially for the price.