Natural Decor – The Elegant Home

Let’s start at the very beginning…of my home renovation, that is.

Giving the holly bushes a second chance

Reigning in the front yard holly bushes was the first project I ever tackled the week I bought my own fixer upper.

They were covering the windows, not elegant at all.

Tackling them was not going to be a simple feat though. As a child, I had watched both of my grandmothers spend their summers battling the hollies next to the pool. They would try anything, bleach, burning, anything they could dream up, but these hardy shrubs would grow back just the same, and sometimes with more of a vengeance, popping up through sidewalks and stairs.

So I was clearly a little daunted.

I had originally hoped to remove the holly bushes altogether. I thought they were hopeless and just ugly.

However, the only true way to remove these plants is to remove all of the root system, which means using a vehicle wench is about the only effective choice if you don’t want to dig basically forever. So my dad drove his 1976 Bronco over to lever them out

…just before I made the decision to give the plants a chance.

It was starting to seem very challenging to remove them, even with the wench, and on top of that, I wasn’t sure how expensive it would be to replace the existing shrubs.

After reevaluating the situation, I chose to give them a VERY aggressive trim (note the massive debris pile on the curb), all the way to their stumps because they are almost impossible to kill.

Paired with a Power Washing

Pruning the holly bushes revealed that they had grown so close to the house there was a green stain (ignore the cracking concrete that’s a different project).

But a quick power wash brightened up the whole house!

What a difference just trimming the front hedges and power washing made!

And more importantly, this was a free project!

I’ve been amazed by the impact that even absolutely free, elbow grease projects have made as I’ve worked to bring out the classic appeal of my home.

Clearly, there was a lot left to go with the front porch, but this was a rewarding start!

And I am so glad I gave the holly bushes a second chance!

These are the same bushes today!

I hope this inspires you to take a second look at your next home project and to imagine what can be achieved without a big price tag!

Your hostess,

Erica

Confession, I still sit at the kids’ table.

I mean, the “kids” are all over 21 now, two of my cousins are married, and there is an abundance of wine…but we still always break out a craft or coloring page, and all of our parents and grandparents still sit at another table in the formal dining room.

I’m also in charge of decor for both tables. To differentiate, I like to keep my “kids'” table a little more fun and informal, while the “grown ups” get a more formal dining experience.

Typically, though, I like to tie both tables together with an emphasis on natural decor by bringing the outdoors in (literally). It’s nice to inspire a seasonal ambiance by focusing the decor on what is naturally beautiful at this time of year.

At the kids’ table

Last year, I created a flurry of leaves by preserving maple leaves and suspending them from the chandelier with various lengths of fishing wire.

It’s pretty easy to create this effect. Just soak any leaf in glycerin and water soon after picking, and the leaves will stay more vibrant and less crispy. A simple Google search will help with the exact amount of glycerin necessary.

1008131058 — Leaves drying after their glycerin treatment in the nearby pan

I added to this rustic table setting with homemade napkin rings (ribbons hot glued to acorns collected in my yard) and little pumpkins I kept from Halloween. All of these natural elements played well with my mother’s colorful serving dish as a centerpiece and some bright placemats.

Meanwhile at the grownups’ table

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I actually had a few tables to work with. On one table, a little round pumpkin became a carved planter for a burgundy pansy. 1128131148b

On the buffet, there was space for homemade beeswax candles since all of the casseroles were being served from the kitchen next door. Each of these little candles were made from a mail order kit, and cored apples in serving dishes and teacups served as perfect candle holders.

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To add height and keep the formal feel, a seasonal flower bouquet took center stage my mom’s prized vase. 401720_859908748999_18812124_38841154_1935915328_n

Overall, most of the decorations were inexpensive or were found outside or among family heirlooms. The best part was that the day was warm and personal. The decor at both tables helped set the stage for a wonderful dinner and memories with family.

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Tag: Natural Decor

Elegantly Inexpensive: Second Chance Shrubs (an absolutely free transformation)!