Decorate with Crafts

Make the Host of It

Thu, 16 May 2013 17:03:00 GMT

Patti and Jim Kulpinski’s Palatine, Illinois, home never goes more than a week without a gathering, whether it’s a full-out bash or a quick lunch for friends who stop by. “We have the spiritual gift of hospitality,” Patti says. “Our neighbors call us ‘the party house’ because we always have cars parked out front. Everybody knows it’s easy to drop by or be invited over.”

With six bedrooms, a pool and a lake view, the couple’s French Colonial hosts overnight guests and casual visitors alike—all of whom delight in Patti’s mix-and-match decor that combines vintage, antique and contemporary furnishings featuring a variety of styles. “The biggest compliment is when someone tells me that our home is lovely but welcoming,” she says. “I love that people can see that’s what we were going for.”

Renovated three years ago, the light, bright kitchen performs the most hosting duties. The cook space now sports off-white cabinetry and counters and soft yellow walls, which, Patti notes, lend themselves beautifully to red and blue accents—including a commercial-grade, star-studded navy carpet underfoot. To help Patti play up her patriotic palette, Country Sampler stylists Sally-Jo Enstad, Catherine Parker and Debbie Plantery offered up plenty of clever ideas for summer decorating and entertaining. Read on for 16 creative ways to work warm-weather flair into your kitchen.

Things Are Seating Up
1. End on a high note. To give her large yet cozy kitchen even more stay-awhile charm, Patti set up a seating area at the end of the island. The stylists helped enhance the wicker chair’s summery character by adding a lighthouse pillow that perfectly suits the subtly nautical striped cushion. 2. Make it (fire)work. Tuck some fun accents in with your fresh florals, such as these vibrant metal firecrackers that spark interest in an arrangement of hydrangeas boosted on a footstool.

Fantasy Island

3. Show your true colors. “Patti’s light-colored cabinetry and walls are the perfect neutral backdrop for any accent colors, which she could change by season,” Sally-Jo notes. For summer, red and blue pieces on the counter, such as the flag tray, the enamelware pitcher and the biscuit tin, make a patriotic statement. 4. Runner away. Continuing the pop-of-color strategy on the island, the stylists crafted a picnic cloth-inspired runner by cutting a red-checked rectangle with pinking shears and then layering on some blue place mats. The runner both coordinates with a festive napkin holder and serves as a fun backdrop for a more neutral cutting board used as a cupcake tray. 5. Sand tall. To outfit any area for a summer get-together, layer red, white and blue sand in clear bowls, nestle in candles and place the accents atop pillar holders. 6. Float your boat. “These lemon-wedge boats would be perfect for when you’re serving grilled fish at a dinner party,” Catherine says. “Just attach paper triangles to a dowel or skewer with glue.” 7. Ruffle some feathers. Dress up an ordinary lamp or chandelier shade by gluing ruffled trim onto the bottom edge.

Open and Shutter
8. Break the pattern. “Part of what makes Patti’s home so inviting is her ability to mix different styles seamlessly,” Debbie says. Here, calico and plaid fabrics play nicely with toile furnishings in a shared patriotic palette. 9. Lay the groundwork. Spiff up the area underneath your serveware for five-star style on your dining table. Spread out a strip of star-studded fabric, and then use a weathered shutter as a platform for a festive cake or a plate of gourmet strawberries. (These faux versions won’t melt in the summer heat!) 10. Shear the joy. “If you’re in a hurry or on a budget, buy a pair of pinking shears,” Sally-Jo advises. “For a few dollars’ worth of fabric, you can make runners and napkins in no time.” The stylists also crafted napkin rings by gluing button-dotted starfish onto strips of blue ticking secured with hook-and-loop tape. A glass hurricane nearby hosts coordinating sand and shells as well as a ribbon-tied pillar. 11. Sing the blues. Arranged on dessert pedestals, Patti’s cobalt glassware inspired the stylists to dye the flower arrangement water with blue food coloring. “This is best as a short-term trick for parties because it could dye your flowers,” Debbie advises. 12. Find an opening. Leave an empty frame in place on the wall year-round, but swap out a graphic garden flag inside for each season.

Sink for a Moment
13. Pile on the style. To enliven the area behind the sink, the stylists constructed a stack of red, white and blue colanders. “Separate the strainers with empty tin cans or wood blocks,” Sally-Jo says. “Or, try floral foam if you need a place to secure more decor.” Trailing ivy and star picks as well as a sunny yellow tray brought in as a backdrop ensure that the display is bursting with color and character. 14. Boost your mood. Not only does propping up this bird-themed lamp on an overturned basket protect it from splashes, but it also helps fill empty space between the counter and the toile valance above. 15. Keep it bottled up. “Don’t toss those colored-glass water and wine bottles,” Catherine says. “Buy lamp oil and wicks with rubber stoppers in the candle section of your craft store, and use those supplies to turn your bottles into candles.”

CRAFTER PRODUCTS
For more information, visit our Craft Fair online

THINGS ARE SEATING UP
Liberty firecrackers and star napkin holder, Home Decor For Your Style
Americana Lighthouse hooked pillow, Williamsburg House, WI

FANTASY ISLAND
Graniteware oval tray and pitcher, Pat’s Again
Mayfaire Biscuits tin, The Hen House Shop
Scalloped-edge cutting board, Randall’s Specialties

OPEN AND SHUTTER
I Love America flag, Flags for Sail, LLC
Artificial lemon supreme cake and gourmet strawberries, The Fake Food Shop

SINK FOR A MOMENT
Cranberry red toile valance, The Carriage House Designs
Fly Away accent lamp, Home Decor For Your Style
America star on spindle, Klages Kollectibles

Written by Elizabeth Preston Morrissey
Photographed by Brian Nightengale
Styled by Sally-Jo Enstad, Catherine Parker & Debbie Plantery
Produced by Dennis Morgan

Room of All Trades

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 15:06:00 GMT

With her three kids’ busy school and sports schedules, it’s no wonder Jamie Adcock requires a one-stop spot in her Willowbrook, Illinois, home to keep all of their gear organized and clean. As a bonus, her mudroom is also a style powerhouse thanks to vividly colored cabinetry that hides clutter and makes a statement. “I had seen blue cabinets in a friend’s house and just loved them,” Jamie recalls. “They’re really beautiful.”

Anything but an ordinary linen closet and laundry room, the large space offers a sink, ample shelving and a row of double-doored lockers: one each for Emma, 17; Jack, 16; and Ava, 8. “There are lockers for all the kids so they can keep their backpacks and everything else in there,” Jamie says. “Each one also has electricity so they can charge their phones.” Whether it’s Emma’s badminton racket—she was the doubles state champion last year—Jack’s baseball glove or Ava’s soccer cleats, all of their equipment and bags stay organized and hidden.

With those unsightly items stashed away, the room calls for decorative touches to complement the arrangement of vintage treasures and framed photos that tops the cabinetry. For some help infusing the room with garden-fresh spring appeal, Jamie turned to inspiration provided by Country Sampler stylists Sally-Jo Enstad, Catherine Parker and Debbie Plantery. “Just because a room is functional doesn’t mean it has to be boring,” Sally-Jo says. “Bringing in decor that makes you happy will make your chores that much easier!”

Written by Elizabeth Preston Morrissey
Photographed by Brian Nightengale
Styled by Sally-Jo Enstad, Catherine Parker & Debbie Plantery
Produced by Dennis Morgan

Yes, You Can
1. Play dress up. If your laundry room doesn’t have a handy surface for folding clothes, use an accent table with a little bit of personality. And, when it’s not covered in socks and towels, let the table host a seasonal vignette. Here, the stylists built a garden-themed grouping by setting small rocks and moss in a large terra-cotta saucer, which provides a base for a distinctive watering can full of greens, a seedling in a canning jar and a cute figurine. 2. Fork it over. Enhance a floral or foliage arrangement with a cute bird and some seed packets woven through fork tines; you can also use this idea in the garden to identify your plantings.

All in a Row
3. Locker it away. One of the major factors that went into designing Jamie’s mudroom was the need to keep her three children organized. Each of the kids gets a locker for stashing backpacks, shoes and sports equipment out of sight behind the bold blue doors. 4. Count your change. To get a similar look on a more modest budget, line up a series of double-doored stock cabinets from the home improvement store against an empty wall. Ensure that the furniture is in line with your own style by choosing hardware that complements your country decor. 5. Make things personal. Denote whose locker is which with vintage-style metal initials attached to the doors. To give the room more lived-in appeal, hang a rustic frame full of family photos on the wall. 6. Chalk it up. Attach star-framed photographs to chalkboards that can be used to remind everyone of the day’s schedule. For some spring flair, suspend the boards from trowel-shaped hooks secured to the doors with twine or jute. 7. Go above and below. Accessorize your functional area with interesting decor throughout, such as a colorful accent rug on the floor, an array of vintage collectibles atop the cabinetry.

Garden Variety
8. Plant ahead. Have some old clipboards lying around? Turn them into eye-grabbing additions that help you stay organized in style. Mask off the clip with painter’s tape, spray paint the board red (or another vibrant hue), and then hang it on a cabinet front where you can keep schedules or other notes handy. For more seasonal charm, create a smaller version and glue on a vintage garden tool cradling a faux bird’s nest. 9. Packet a punch. In keeping with the clipboards’ stylish organization theme, Debbie advises letting your seed packets serve as decor long after your vegetables have been planted. Use pint-size wood clothespins to attach the graphic envelopes to a springy accent, such as the green birdcage above the sink. 10. Have a sense of humor. “The whole idea behind this makeover was to turn a functional space into a fun place,” Sally-Jo says. “The ‘free weeds’ sign on the wall helps the mood stay lighthearted even when it’s work time.” 11. Roll with it. The stylists filled a wall basket with garden twine and wire and wound burlap ribbon around its rolling pin to turn it from a kitchen keeper into a planting area organizer. “This is a great idea for a potting spot or a craft room,” Catherine says. “As another neat trick, you can also tuck loose twine into a sugar canister with the end coming out of the pourer.” 12. Plates your bets. Relocate a plate rack from the kitchen or dining room, and task it with holding stacks of terra-cotta saucers—they will look nice gathered together and be close at hand when you need to catch a drip. Keep the sink area even cleaner with an enamel bowl specifically for sponges.

Stow and Behold
13. Go into hiding. Jamie is lucky enough to have a linen closet adjacent to her mudroom, but you can employ some of these same tactics on open shelves or in standard cabinetry. To create a similar setup, outfit a wall or a corner with simple shelving that will allow your clever organization tricks to shine. 14. Present your case. Tuck linens inside patterned pillowcases, and tie the tops closed with fabric ribbon. Here, yellow and blue-and-green plaid cases keep spare bath towels and washcloths contained and provide bursts of spring color on shelves below a rainbow of equally vibrant flameless candles. 15. Be a happy hamper. Instead of a typical plastic laundry basket, upgrade to a vintage-inspired wire cart on wheels that can roll anywhere it’s needed in your laundry room. 16. Plant evidence. “Who says that off-duty tools can’t do some work on the side?” Catherine notes. “We heralded spring with napkin rings stacked on the handle of a hoe and a planting caddy holding cloth napkins.” 17. Clear the way. For impact, group like items in clear glass canisters, such as the Hoosier pumpkin jars corralling thread and spare buttons here. 18. Make your message stick. Whether used as a reminder station, a place to showcase family photos or a central spot for keeping a grocery and supply list, a slim magnetic message board is an ideal addition to a narrow bit of wall.

CRAFTER PRODUCTS
For more information, visit our Craft Fair online

YES, YOU CAN
Rustic watering can, Amish Country Decor & More
Velveteen bird, The Unique Black Sheep
Nesting Instincts figurine, Old Mill Originals

ALL IN A ROW
Black wood four-picture frame, Klages Kollectibles
Hole in the Barn Door hooked rug, Williamsburg House, WI

GARDEN VARIETY
Free Weeds sign, 2 Chicks & A Basket
Miner’s basket with biscuit pin, Heart-N-Hand
Enamel sponge bowl, Becky’s Country Cottage

STOW AND BEHOLD
Reproduction collapsible wire laundry basket, Olde Farm Creek
Magnetic message board, The Ivy Twines, LLC
Hoosier pumpkin jars with stands, Olde Farm Creek
Flameless candles, The Red Brick Cottage

Sitting Pretty

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 18:15:00 GMT

Everyone looks forward to some special aspect of spring’s arrival, whether it’s seeing colorful bulbs burst into bloom, packing away the snow shovel or dusting off boxes of Easter decorations. For Sycamore, Illinois, homeowner Mary Waight, exchanging winter’s deep freeze for warmer temperatures means a return to her enclosed porch, a frequent relaxing spot for her, her husband, Gary, and their petite terrier mix, Rudy. “We start using the porch again the minute it’s warm enough,” Mary says. “My husband listens to the radio and does his crossword puzzles, and I like to read out there. It’s a favorite spot of our dog, too.”

One of the many renovated areas of the home—part of which is about 130 years old—the porch features woodwork and flooring painted in light hues for a clean look. Outfitted with white wicker furniture and similar-finish accessories, the room serves as a cheerful welcome for the Waights’ three children and six grandchildren, all of whom congregate at the house for Easter every year. “All six grandchildren come for an Easter egg hunt,” Mary says. “We do it out in the yard and have special golden eggs, and it’s a lot of fun.”

For a little eggs-tra inspiration this year, Mary invited Country Sampler stylists Sally-Jo Enstad, Catherine Parker and Debbie Plantery to share some innovative ideas for pairing up her own spring-themed decor with new seasonal accents. Read on for 15 clever ways to create a delightful Easter scene!

Written by Elizabeth Preston Morrissey
Photographed by Brian Nightengale
Styled by Sally-Jo Enstad, Catherine Parker & Debbie Plantery
Produced by Dennis Morgan

Rabbit by Bit
1. Put it on a pedestal. Whether in the center of your brunch table or atop a tea cart on the porch, give spring holiday accents, such as this crackle-finish bunny, a boost on a footed cake plate. “Placing items up a few inches on a pedestal opens up a lot of space underneath for dishes, books or other items,” Debbie notes. 2. Pick a pepper. Want a festive twist on traditional tulips? Get your vegetables! Poke floral tape-wrapped dowels into red, yellow and orange miniature sweet peppers. Insert the faux flower stems into floral foam tucked inside colorful pots along with a few silk leaves and a sprinkling of moss.

Bright Spots
3. Stay afloat. Mary maintains her porch’s airy quality with an unobtrusive floating wall shelf that lets its seasonal contents—including a cute birdhouse, a bunny figure and an empty green frame—stand out. 4. Reflect your style. To keep your space light and breezy, incorporate another “floating” accent, such as the forsythia-dotted wreath attached to a salvage-style mirror. Use a length of invisible fishing line or an easy-release plastic decor hook to cover your wreath-hanging tracks. 5. En-choy yourself. Enhance a tablescape’s texture by wrapping baby bok choy leaves around tulips nestled into water tubes and tying on a pastel ribbon. Place the posies individually on the tabletop or group a pair in a decorative wheelbarrow filled with rainbow-palette jellybeans. 6. Get the rugs out. Drape a colorful, simply patterned accent rug across a small table instead of a bulky tablecloth or an oversize runner. 7. Fill the void. To really welcome spring, outfit any available space with appropriate decor, such as displaying felt eggs in a vintage birdcage or resting a hooked bunny pillow on a chair.

Umbrella of the Ball
8. Burst with joy. Have a parasol that’s too pretty to save for a rainy day? Reimagine it as an innovative alternative to a run-of-the-mill front-door wreath. Arrange artificial long-stem tulips or roses and forsythia branches inside the umbrella, and then tie on a sunny yellow ribbon to cinch the blossoms in place. Loop another length of ribbon around the umbrella handle for use as a hanger. 9. Trellis it like it is. “Pretty outdoor flags are a decorating mainstay, so it’s fun to experiment with how they are displayed,” Sally-Jo says. To give this bunny pennant visual oomph, the stylists repurposed a long-handled trowel as a hanger for the flag and tied it onto a fan trellis planted in a basket of wheatgrass. 10. Brighten your load. Draw attention to a more petite accent, such as the pint-size English cottage perched beside the flag display, by placing a vibrant booster beneath it. Here, a yellow basket punctuates the spring vignette and coordinates with the umbrella arrangement’s ribbon. Nearby, a rag rug picks up on the hues and softens the scene with its pastel palette. 11. Feather your nest. Right: Furnish your front porch for spring with a distinctive birdhouse chair that can provide either a place to sit or a handy spot for showcasing gardening tools arranged into a stylish setup.

The Wicker the Better
12. Bench your star players. “Naturally, tight spaces work better with furniture that fits,” Catherine says. “For example, use a narrow bench as a coffee table so there’s room to move around.” This white bench complements the wicker furniture Mary picked up at an antiques fair. The piece hosts an Easter-themed grouping of yellow, white and green felt eggs tucked into a basket accompanied by a whimsical bunny figure. 13. Be a forsythia of nature. Turn a decorative ceramic bowl into an improvised Easter basket by inserting the ends of a wired faux branch into a block of floral clay. Grow wheatgrass around the clay as camouflage. 14. Call attention. Don’t let a corner display go unnoticed: Incorporate a bright-colored element to draw the eye. The stylists combined a textured-rich beehive, a little yellow gourd duck and a sweet photo frame alongside a red pitcher-base lamp that makes sure visitors take notice. 15. Take your plates. Raid your cupboards for accents that look as at home on the porch as they do in your kitchen. From colorful plates grouped on the wall to a majolica-like cabbage compote to an oblong bowl filled with votives nestled in jellybeans, Mary’s dishes delight the eye throughout the porch she enjoys so much.

CRAFTER PRODUCTS
For more information, visit our Craft Fair online

RABBIT BY BIT:
Ceramic rabbit, Mountainberry Candles & Keepsakes

BRIGHT SPOTS:
Handpainted birdhouse, Amish Country Decor & More
Twig wheelbarrow and felt eggs, Klages Kollectibles
Cozy Bunny pillow, Williamsburg House, WI

UMBRELLA OF THE BALL:
All Ears garden flag, Flags for Sail, LLC
English cottage, Homespun Blessings
Rag rug, Plum Creek Primitives
Birdhouse chair, Becky’s Shelves & Country Crafts

THE WICKER THE BETTER:
White shabby bench, American Country, LLC
Beehive birdhouse, Plum Creek Primitives
Happy Easter picture frame, felt eggs and rabbit with egg, Klages Kollectibles
Lucky Duck small gourd, Meadowbrooke Gourds
Hillside pitcher lamp, Country Creations

Winter Wake-Up Call

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Hinckley, Illinois, antiques dealer and collector Nancy Nelson knows firsthand that raising three active sons doesn’t leave much time for remodeling—even though her 1872-built four-square Colonial was in serious need of some modern updates. “The upstairs was livable,” she recalls. “My boys were into a lot of sports, so spending our time on family was more important than spending it on our house.”

When their sons grew up and moved out, Nancy and her husband, Ron, finally had time in their schedule to work on repainting, rewiring and installing trim, although they had a little extra motivation to complete their projects. “We agreed to do the local house walk, and we knew that if we said ‘yes,’ we’d push ourselves to get things done,” Nancy says. “We did eight rooms in eight months! My husband did a great job.”

Although Nancy would prefer a more rustic interior to suit her primitive furnishings, she is committed to maintaining the 141-year-old Colonial’s architectural integrity. So, instead of installing battered beams and simple trimwork, she compromised by choosing neutral tones for the ornate window casings and crown molding that help them serve as a suitable backdrop for her timeworn antiques.

Color still makes its mark in the home, such as in the guest bedroom that Nancy calls her “blue room.” Read on for 16 ways that Nancy and Country Sampler stylists Sally-Jo Enstad and Catherine Parker infused the space with primitive style.

Written by Elizabeth Preston Morrissey
Photographed by Maurice Victoria
Styled by Sally-Jo Enstad & Catherine Parker
Produced by Dennis Morgan

Case of the Blues

1. Play it (pie) safe. Bring furniture often found in other rooms into the bedroom for visual variety and added storage. Nancy tasks an 1800s blue-finish pie safe with stashing all of her bedding in her blue-themed guest room. 2. Make arrangements. To accentuate the safe’s primitive patina, Sally-Jo and Catherine arranged an old-time bear in a make-do chair, a wood box with a candle and a button-bedecked jar lamp amid Nancy’s treasures. 3. Speak sign language. Let a simple sign serve as a well-worded companion to three-dimensional wall accents. Here, a weathered wood placard accompanies a washboard and a shelf holding folded fabric.

Wardrobe and Peace

4. Have an open-door policy. “A large wardrobe might feel somewhat blocky and overpowering in a modest-size room if both doors are closed,” Catherine says. With one side open, Nancy’s cabinet showcases a woven red-and-cream throw that provides this corner of the bedroom with touchable texture and pretty pattern. A star-studded wreath encircling a rustic lantern breaks up the closed door’s flat surface. 5. Rule the roost. Highlight high ceilings with a tall cupboard topped with eye-catching accents such as this rooster windmill weight accompanied by cream and red wood houses that bring out the weight’s coloring. 6. Take a seat. Have a chair do decorating duty by pulling it into the open and enhancing it with an embroidered pillow, a stack of antique books or a wood bowl filled with rag balls. “Ladderback chairs take up less space than a shelf or a cabinet, but their seats provide wonderful display real estate,” Sally-Jo notes. 7. Forgive and “fir-get.” Tuck a minimally trimmed tree inside a firkin for a seasonal delight that looks fresh all winter long. 8. Expect drape things. Dress up simple curtains, such as Nancy’s custom-made burlap panels, with a nature-made garland.

Fan Favorite

9. Get apothecar-ried away. Keep everything from folded fabric scraps to pewter mugs organized within a display by arranging them on a dough tray or inside a wood caddy such as the one on top of Nancy’s cherished apothecary. Joining the caddy, a candle mold with greenery and a lantern-style lamp enhance the furniture’s primitive patina. 10. Dry your best. “Always reimagine possibilities for your antiques,” Catherine advises. “This drying rack found new purpose displaying photographs and postcards with clothespins.” 11. Go for the bold. Spice up your space with a statement piece. This vibrant 9-foot-long architectural remnant sat in the Nelsons’ basement for years until it found the perfect home here. 12. Mix things up. Instead of hanging accents, such as Nancy’s antique clothing, on every peg, fill some of the wall space below a peg rack with a wood sign.

Your Best Bed

13. Shutter to think. Adorn the area above the headboard with an innovative array of vintage and country items. “Start with an interesting flat surface, and then hang a seasonal accent for more dimension,” Sally-Jo says. “We attached wintry socks and mittens to a faux cranberry garland and hung it on a weathered shutter.” 14. Layer it on thick. “Everyone wants to get cozy during the winter, so dress your bed in layers,” Catherine says. Nancy’s late-1800s rope bed is topped with simple coverlets and pillows that feature warm hues or soft, inviting textures. A multicolored braided rug adds more comfort underfoot. 15. Hit the highlights. Get your room glowing with accent lighting, such as the period-look lantern backed by a textile-draped cheese ladder at left. Another of the room’s illuminated accents, the candle mold lamp with a punched-tin shade on the nightstand at right is one of Nancy’s few reproduction pieces. 16. Fill in the blanks. When your guest room isn’t hosting a visitor, feel free to outfit every available surface with accessories. Accompanying the candle-mold lamp, some tapers wrapped in burlap, a honey-hued pantry box and a framed stitchery make a primitive statement that suits Nancy’s signature style.

RESOURCES

CRAFTER PRODUCTS 
For more information, visit our Craft Fair online.

CASE OF THE BLUES
Primitive old bear, Blue Skies Creations
Live Every Moment sign, Hare Hollow
Candle box with berry ring and candle, Country Heart

WARDROBE AND PEACE
Handstitched pillow, Blue Skies Creations
Primitive town set, The Black Sheep Primitives
Wreath with barn lantern, Smicksburg Drying Shed
Linen/brick patterned throw, Homespun Blessings

FAN FAVORITE
Dough tray and pewter mug, Farmhouse Primitives
Naughty or Nice? sign, Hare Hollow
Burgundy metal lantern lamp, Heart-N-Hand

YOUR BEST BED
Jute rug, Stonington Charm coverlet, tan chevron blanket, simple button sham and Christie’s Pleasure throw pillow, Olde Farm Creek
Lantern light, Homespun Blessings
Family stitchery, Made by Jade

ADDITIONAL RESOURCE: Nancy Nelson’s antiques business, Sweet Pea’s Primitives and Such, 630-742-9824.

Home for the Holidays

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 16:55:00 GMT

Although she loves classic style and neutral interiors, the hospitable owner of this Illinois home longed for vibrant seasonal scenes that turned the tide on traditional decorating. “She wanted something a bit different, something unexpected,” says Country Sampler stylist Sally-Jo Enstad, who worked with fellow stylist Pam Hamilton to weave happy-holidays spirit from foyer to family room. “So, we turned up the glitz by making sure each of our cheerful displays sparkled.”

The design duo began their bedazzling efforts in the entry hall, where they introduced brighter shades of conventional reds and greens in a holiday greeting display that steps up carpeted stairs. The energizing hues reappear on a tabletop tableau arranged nearby. “Moving in a round table made a big difference,” Pam enthuses. “It gave us an extra space to decorate that also let us tie the stairway to a corner wall that we dressed with a snowman crafted from wreaths.”

Sally-Jo and Pam forged similar color-scheme and yuletide-theme connections throughout the home, tying one room to the next using red wired ribbons, folk-art Santas and snowmen, and varying shades and types of greens. “The overall look is a festive fusion,” Sally-Jo says of the arrangements. “Although each display has its own personality, they all complement one another.”

Written by Ann Wilson
Photographed by Brian Nightengale
Styled by Sally-Jo Enstad & Pam Hamilton
Produced by Pam Hamilton

Stop and Stair

Make guests feel right at home by greeting them with a holiday message spelled out with vibrant alphabet bricks. “Be sure you raise some of the bricks on complementary-colored boxes or wrapped packages to draw the eye up the stairs,” says Sally-Jo, who filled out the vignette with standing star cutouts and a bannister-hung wreath sporting flashy red bows, baubles and beads. Reds repeat as ribbons on the star-studded garland and as poinsettias positioned above and below the grouping. Large lacey snowflake ornaments bring a dose of glittery texture to the scene.

Bowl Them Over

“Don’t forget the kitchen when making your holiday decorating plans,” Sally-Jo advises. “You and your family and guests will be spending lots of time in there, so be sure to make the room extra cheery. Remember to position displays near electrical outlets so you can set them aglow with inexpensive strings of lights. When it comes to Christmas, it’s all about the sparkle!”

Sally-Jo built this kitchen island decoration around a treenware dough bowl that she outfitted with a base of artificial snow enhanced by a string of glowing lights, glittering orbs, peppermint ornaments, and a vintage bobbin stuffed with seasonal shapes and accented with a country-check ribbon. A quilted tree skirt featuring Christmas hues provides a homespun anchor for the more-is-more bowl as well as a resting spot for a colorfully clad bag-toting St. Nick. “The jolly Santa Claus figure is a playful addition that brings in another big pop of red, which echoes the scarlet ribbons on the tree,” Sally-Jo explains. “Repeating red allowed us to create a cohesively cheerful flow from the front door to back.”

Hats Off to Snowmen

To create a well-balanced arrangement, all it takes are a few small pieces that have a single element in common. “Think of a seasonal symbol or character, and then arrange a grouping around that figure,” Pam says. In this whimsical vignette, a snow-dusted, sign-toting snowman and a winter-weathered top hat tell a Frosty tale. A petite red stool heightens visual interest, and gleaming glass ornaments and a clear-glass ball holding faux flakes bring the display to life. Since there are only a few lightweight components, this snowfolk exhibit can be relocated in mere minutes. Place it beneath the tree, use it to brighten a bathroom vanity, or center it on a dining room table.

Cat-itude Adjustment

“Decorating doesn’t get any easier than this,” says Sally-Jo, who plopped a colorful hooked pillow depicting a feline in trouble into a shallow basket filled with greens and a string of old-fashioned silicone bulbs with the look of candle flames. “We loved how the real bulbs picked up on the lights that encircle the cat’s neck,” she adds. “The pillow-basket decoration works best when the pillow can lean against a wall or a solid surface, so position it on a corner-set table or atop a cupboard, or line up a row on a deep hearth or windowsill.“ Want another quick trick to try? String shiny red, green and silver jingle bells on a seasonally striped ribbon to create a garland that’s music to your ears.

A Free-Form Fir

Want your just desserts this holiday season? Reinvent some of your favorite treat dishes to create a sweet-as-can-be display. “Since the idea was to make this centerpiece look like a Christmas tree, we used only green ornaments, but in varying shades of green,” says Pam, who created the fake-fir framework from repurposed serving pieces. After laying out a furry fabric remnant reminiscent of fluffy snow, Pam set out a glass cake plate that she topped with a footed compote and an antique candy dish. Stacks of striped, solid and crackled ornaments and bling-bringing floral picks fashion a tannenbaum shape further defined by a “tree topper” folk figure carrying his own pine.

Similarly attired young townsfolk figurines provide personality-plus dimension, as does the jolly Santa portrait beaming from its place of honor on the wall. “That’s such a fun way to make a room more festive,” Sally-Jo says, pointing to the portrait. “Simply substitute a holiday poster or print for a piece of everyday artwork, and you won’t have to hammer in a new nail.” The stylists completed the vignette with a vintage package wrapped with a vibrant red bow, which opens to reveal a dazzling yuletide diorama.

Grand Entry

The design team positioned a round table near the base of the front staircase so they could create a wow-powered exhibit that open-house guests would see as they entered the home. “Round tables are so versatile,” Sally-Jo explains. “They can be tucked into corners and moved out as needed.”

Sally-Jo and Pam played off the table’s curves by building displays based on circular shapes. An artificial wreath decked with beaded garland provides a festive foundation for a black wood turntable. The pedestal supports a striking snowman pitcher, which showcases sticks lightly coated with white spray paint and nestled amid a handful of feathery silver picks.

A fanciful winter-dream sign mounted high on the foyer wall crowns a creatively concocted snowman, which the stylists crafted from three grapevine wreaths that they spray painted white and wired together before hanging on a nail. Black felt pieces form the hat, and a plaid fabric remnant converts to a bright scarf. Golden jingle bells dangling from thickly braided red cords amp up the shine.

With the bones in place, Sally-Jo looked for ways to enhance the view. “It needed just a few more things,” she says, “so we set out a cute mouse figure and fashioned candleholders from mason jars and candy canes. We also decked the painted branches with tiny, shiny green stars—stellar shapes that we used in almost every grouping. It’s always fun to see what you can add to make pretty displays even prettier!”

RESOURCES

CRAFTER PRODUCTS
For more information, visit our Craft Fair online.

STOP AND STAIR
Ho Ho Ho bricks and set of stars, Copeland’s General Store
Country Christmas Glitz wreath, The Smicksburg Drying Shed

BOWL THEM OVER
Jolly Saint Nick Santa, Country Harvest Gifts & Stitcheries
Vintage bobbin decoration, Hickory Dale Handcrafts, LLC
Treenware dough bowl, The Red Brick Cottage
Star Garland tree skirt, Choices Quilts

HATS OFF TO SNOWMEN
Mr. Chills snowman, Wintertime Whimsy
Magic Hat centerpiece, Country Heart Gift Shoppe

CAT-ITUDE ADJUSTMENT
Black cat with lights pillow, Williamsburg House, WI
String of lights with silicone bulbs, Country Village Shoppe

A FREE-FORM FIR
Boy Carrying Tree, Dress-up and Giddy Up Christmas figurines and Let It Snow pressed-paper box diorama, Country Village Shoppe
Santa picture, Olde Farm Creek

GRAND ENTRY
Top hat snowman pitcher, Primitive Home Decors
Douglas fir wreath, The Red Brick Cottage
Christmas mouse, Pine Cone Gift Shoppe
I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas sign, 2 Chicks & a Basket

A Feast for the Eyes

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Don’t be fooled by Susan Voitik’s cheerful disposition and equally warm decorating style—the Glen Ellyn, Illinois, homeowner still has a case of the blues. Luckily, her “condition” manifests itself in a beautiful collection of Blue Willow and Flow Blue china. She and her husband, Dan, have enjoyed gathering pieces together for years, but Susan credits an even earlier source as the inspiration for her hobby. “My grandma got me started on collecting Blue Willow,” she explains. “She would ride the street car around Chicago and gather her china. She gave me my first pieces before she passed, and I inherited her berry bowls.”

The Voitiks’ collection has come a long way from those first few additions. Susan boasts that she has collected enough dinnerware to serve her entire family—quite a feat, considering that she and Dan have six children and 15 grandchildren. The whole clan are rarely all together at one time, but Thanksgiving dinner gives Susan the opportunity to stretch her home’s entertaining capacity to the limit. “We have to add a tabletop onto the dining table to fit 12,” she says. “And, we put a similar-size table in the living room.”

Although the living room helps accommodate overflow diners, the dining room is the real center of activity. Appointed with several furnishings that pre-date the 1940s Cape Cod-style home by a century or more—including an 1820s grandfather clock and an Amish-made pine hutch that dates to 1842—the room also radiates warmth thanks to cranberry upper walls and ivory lower walls.

The perfect complement to the cool-toned china displayed throughout, those hues also happily host harvesttime additions of orange and yellow accents. Susan loves to bring out and arrange autumnal elements throughout her home, but she also welcomed Country Sampler stylists Sally-Jo Enstad in to offer additional suggestions for enhancing her dining room for the season with nature-oriented decor. Read on for their 20 fresh fall fix-ups!

Written by Elizabeth Preston Morrissey
Photographed by Maurice Victoria
Styled by Sally-Jo Enstad & Catherine Parker
Produced by Dennis Morgan

Time to Reflect

1. Stick with simplicity. To highlight the beautiful lines and rich finish of the Voitiks’ 1700s shaving mirror, the stylists adorned it minimally with unfussy garland and placed a solitary pumpkin nearby. 2. Turn things around. “Sometimes the easiest way to get creative in your decorating is by turning accents around or upside down,” Catherine says. “We flipped pedestal candleholders over and they became cloches for wax pinecones and supports for some of Susan’s china.”

Dry Sink or Swim

3. Let it sink in. The Voitiks prefer honey-hued pine furnishings, such as the 1820 grandfather clock seen here, but the stylists recommended mixing finishes by introducing a contrasting black dry sink. “Black is the ultimate neutral,” Sally-Jo notes. “And, if you pair it with the right orange accents, you give a hint of a Halloween feel that won’t look out of place on November 1.” 4. Sign on. One such harvest-hued accent, a distressed sign that simply says “Pumpkins” breaks up the dry sink’s front. Don’t be afraid to hang signs and other decor on your furniture—try using clean-release hanging strips for damage-free displays. 5. Be a pillar of strength. “When you repurpose common pieces, it makes displays feel more exciting and unexpected,” Sally-Jo says. Similar to how they reinvented glass candleholders in front of the shaving mirror, they stylists also rethought a trio of pillar candlesticks on the dry sink, topping them with saucers and items from Susan’s china collection. A mix of black and silver finishes makes the grouping even more interesting. 6. Feather your nest. “Fall is a time when dried elements and other less-perishable fillers start replacing fresh florals,” Catherine says. “Instead of flowers that need to be watered, try dried hydrangeas, wheatstalks or feathers.” Here, the stylists inserted pheasant feathers into floral foam with a few sunflowers for color and then settled the arrangement inside a hollowed-out pumpkin. For an arrangement that can be brought out year after year, use faux flowers and an artificial pumpkin. 7. Wreath all about it. To give a display more visual oomph, rest it inside a colorful wreath. 8. Dry new things. Top off a tower of graphic stacking boxes with a texture-rich bouquet of dried yarrow, bright-hued leaves or other season-appropriate fare.

Fine Dining

9. Gather ‘round. To spotlight a cherished 1850s wood bowl with a braided lip, Susan constructed a cornucopia-inspired centerpiece. A vibrant combination of classic bittersweet, gourds, berries and branches surround a single pumpkin that balances out the busyness of the other elements. The self-contained grouping is easy to relocate to a sideboard or another room when it’s time to set the table for 12, which the Voitiks do for family dinners. 10. Fill in. An extension of the centerpiece’s natural character, fragrant fall potpourri surrounds cute pumpkin-shaped mugs that Sally-Jo and Catherine stocked with votives. 11. Be on gourd. Need a conversation-starter for Thanksgiving dinner? Try playing with your food! Carve a hole large enough to fit a taper candle in the top of an acorn squash, insert the candle in the hole, and cover it with a glass hurricane globe. Secure the globe with U-shaped floral pins. 12. Compare and contrast. “Blue isn’t a color often associated with autumn,” Catherine observes. “However, because it’s opposite orange on the color wheel, it really pops in a harvest setting.” Susan’s blue goblets bring out the cobalt shades found in the Allerton Blue Willow plates that the stylists sandwiched between round black chargers and square dessert plates. “Feel free to use a different-shaped plate if you think your tablescape has too many round elements,” Sally-Jo advises. “Try square or leaf-shaped dishes.” 13. Spread out. Instead of one big tablecloth or individual place mats at each setting, try spreading runners out in a grid-like pattern to denote each seating spot. “Stick with neutral colors so it doesn’t look too crazy,” Catherine says. “If you need more dimension, layer another runner on top that has a similar color but a different texture.” 14. Go long. With its doors open, Susan’s Amish-made hutch—which she and Dan purchased when they were first married and paid off in $25 monthly increments—provides a warm-hued display spot for her cool-toned china. For added interest, the stylists hung a long, bittersweet-adorned basket from one of the doors. 15. Plant ahead. Twiggy pocket-style planters attached to the back of each chair with orange ribbon host hearty coleus. “If you’re going to do something like this, protect each plant’s roots and soil with plastic wrap so that you can water them without moisture dripping on the chair,” Sally-Jo notes. 16. Hang on. Even if your dining room’s main event is the tablescape, round out your room’s autumn makeover with festive framed prints hung in place of your everyday artwork.

Corner Office

17. Open wide. With its desktop down, the Voitiks’ early-1800s secretary desk opens up a world of possibilities for vignettes in the couple’s entry. To soften the wood surface, the stylists spread an appliquéd runner beneath a handful of accents. The black runner’s stitched details provides just enough graphic punch beneath a battery-operated candle, a vintage children’s book and a glass paperweight. 18. Join the cubby. Once tasked with the unglamorous job of sorting mail and other workaday paperwork, the desk’s cubbyholes now give individual attention to a variety of delicate teacups, creamers, teapots and more from Susan’s extensive china collection. Miniature pumpkins in alternate slots, a sprinkling of greenery and leaves on the shelves and a coleus potted in a rustic mug enliven the area with their natural charm. 19. Don’t fuss. In an action-packed vignette, sometimes a quiet moment can have the most impact. Outfitted simply with just a few dried wheatstalks, a lineup of Susan’s cobalt-blue bottles (just a handful of her 35- to 40-piece collective) brightens the secretary’s top shelf. 20. Go soft. ”It’s fall, which means your decorating should emphasize coziness,” Catherine says. “Work in warm, soft elements to make yourself and visitors feel extra comfortable.” When not being used to seat a guest, perk up a dining chair with a burlap-wrapped pillow. Or, situate a chenille pumpkin at ground level, as the stylists did to accompany an antique water bucket.

Resource Guide

CRAFTER PRODUCTS
For more information, visit our Craft Fair online.

TIME TO REFLECT
Pumpkin, The Red Brick Cottage

DRY SINK OR SWIM
Turnbridge dry sink, The Country Cupboard
Fall stacking boxes, Gainers Creek Crafts
Pumpkins sign, Hare Hollow

FINE DINING
Pumpkin House and Fall Sprinkler framed prints, Heart-N-Hand
Hanging basket, The Red Brick Cottage

CORNER OFFICE
Chamberstick and candle and round bowl, Heart-N-Hand
Table runner and chenille pumpkin, Homespun Blessings

Five-Star Attraction

Wed, 16 May 2012 17:00:00 GMT

Inspired by family heirlooms and a mutual preference for a red-white-and-blue palette, Monica and Mark Knigge didn’t have far to look for the foundations of their flag-infused Americana room. Powered by their patriotism, the Knigges chose decorating the room as job number one when they moved into their Wauconda, Illinois, home in the fall of 2001. Colonial blue walls punctuated by a bunting wallpaper border serve as a fitting backdrop for heirlooms with military origins, such as a 48-star flag presented to Monica’s step-grandfather by the Navy when his son, a Naval photographer, died in action. “As in all our rooms, there is strong family history and presence,” Monica says, also noting that Mark’s father, Clarence’s, World War II uniform holds a place of honor. “Clarence was a World War II paratrooper wounded in the Battle of the Bulge. His life was lived with a strong sense of patriotism, and we were happy to share this room with him before he passed away in 2006. He really thought this room was special.”

Although the stars-and-stripes space was initially decorated around those handed-down treasures, Monica spent the following years finding additional Americana antiques to fill out the room. Her favorite pieces include a general-store display case containing a folk-art box emblazoned with an eagle, a trio of Civil War-era tintypes and star-shaped anchor plates similar in looks to barn stars, which were once used to support brick buildings.

Wowed by Monica’s five-star style, Country Sampler stylists Sally-Jo Enstad and Catherine Parker offered to show her ways to play up the room’s patriotic theme with fun summer fare. “We wanted to share some ideas for bringing in more seasonal decor that doesn’t detract from the Americana antiques that the Knigges are so proud of,” Sally-Jo says. Read on for a slew of star-powered ways to craft a summery scene around past and present pieces.

Written by Elizabeth Preston Morrissey
Photographed by Brian Nightengale
Styled by Sally-Jo Enstad & Catherine Parker
Produced by Pamela Hamilton

The Wheel Deal

1. Eat your heart out. Some of the most charming seasonal decor is made for the kitchen but can easily serve up fun in other areas of the home. To create a tabletop arrangement that sets off decorative fireworks here, the stylists reinvented a wagon-style casserole holder as a base for a matching utensil caddy filled with wheatgrass. Simple white candles in pebble-filled glass holders round out the display. 2. Investigate other options. Instead of giving up when she couldn’t find the perfect recliner for her red-white-and-blue room, Monica opted instead to reupholster this one in plaid fabric she found online.

Game Changer

3. Be a star. Appreciative that the room’s windows offer views of their 1-acre parcel, Monica didn’t want heavy curtains that would block the scenery. “I was so happy when I found the gauze fabric with stars on it,” she says, adding that Mark’s aunt, Barbara, helped her handstitch the delicate panels. Sally-Jo and Catherine played up the star-spangled curtains with a battery-candle star perched on the window sash. 4. Go for the bold. Perk up upholstered seating with artwork-status accents featuring picturesque designs, such as this hooked pillow embellished with a red barn. 5. Get in the game. “Summer is all about fun, so your decor should be, too,” says Sally-Jo, who fashioned an accent table by screwing four colorful croquet mallets together, wrapping the junction with twine and adding a glass top. The playful piece provides a resting spot for an Americana grubby candle, a glass lamp filled with festive red oil, and a jar of red, white and blue candies that acts as a taper holder. 6. Stay sweet. The stylists used leftover candy to fill another jar tucked into a wall-mounted sconce, this time tasking the treats with holding a miniature flag in place.

Saluting Americana

7. Show your true colors. Repeating the room’s signature palette on a smaller scale, the stylists outfitted a star-studded wood sconce with red, white and blue tapers. “Look for little ways to do this throughout a room,” Catherine advises. “Try solid-hued red, white and blue pillows, jar candles or picture frames.” Below the mirrored-star sconce, stacked red and deep blue footstools boost a distressed white flag spindle that points upward to a blue-accented basket dangling from the sconce’s center arm. 8. Step up. Another stool gives a lift to one of two crocks filling space around the base of a form dressed in Mark’s father’s World War II uniform, which balances out a life-size Uncle Sam at left. 9. Roll with it. Instead of a traditional coffee table, Monica positioned this antique wood-and-metal wagon topped with a cut-to-size piece of glass in front of her love seat. She thinks it’s the perfect spot to showcase additional Americana fare, such as an antique flag or other larger-scale accent, but she hasn’t yet decided what would look best. 10. Have a ball. As a charming nod to the makeshift mallet table across the room, Sally-Jo adorned the croquet set’s colorful balls with letter stickers that salute the season. “You could spell out other words, too, such as ‘independence’ or ‘Americana,’ “ Catherine adds. “Or, try red and blue letter stickers on old baseballs for another look.” To keep the balls from rolling away, the stylists placed square plastic furniture pads beneath every other sphere. Now, the orbs stay put in formation, creating a half circle around a glass vessel full of hydrated floral beads called Dew Drops that support a globe-topped garden stake. 11. Make your case. Similar to the wagon-turned-coffee table, a general-store showcase takes the place of a traditional end table next to the love seat. Monica makes the most of the vintage piece’s display potential by showing off some interesting antique collectibles inside. An eagle-adorned rattle and a World War II fan featuring a lady’s face rest on the top shelf; a handpainted folk-art hatbox that Monica believes was made for a Veterans of Foreign Wars post brightens the bottom shelf with its vibrant graphics. On top, a flag lamp found on eBay, which Monica considers the crowning jewel of her Americana room, sheds light on some pewter and a plaque featuring a silhouette of George Washington. 12. Be a knob-it-all. Employ a cabinet knob as an innovative hanger for wall art, such as the stenciled sign hung from a knob above the love seat. Monica employs a similar look for her window treatments; ribbon loops sewn onto the bottom corner of each panel hook around antique flag-and-eagle curtain pulls screwed into the window frames. 13. Help your shelf. Instead of sticking with matching shelves, consider pairing up a few that are painted in contrasting patriotic hues, as the Knigges did with this dynamic duo of corbel-adorned platforms. Old framed photos flank a handpainted gourd basket with a grapevine handle on the white shelf. Below, rustic star anchor plates, once outfitted with tie rods to support brick buildings, rest on either side of a Civil War-era tintype in which a soldier holds a musket that dates to 1842. 14. White it off. Make sure that, in a room filled with museum-quality treasures, the eye has somewhere to rest in between visual delights. In addition to white curtains and light-toned carpet, Monica also brought in a slipcovered love seat to incorporate some white space into the scene. 15. Pop out. To tone down the starkness of solid white furniture, introduce a few soft-sided accents that provide pops of color, such as a red-and-cream plaid coverlet or decorative pillows. “Always look for ways to embellish what you already have,” Sally-Jo says. “We added another dimension to Monica’s ticking pillow by tying on a bandana.”

Bookcase and Point

16. Know when to bifold ‘em. Attracted to the star-shaped cutouts, Monica brought home these bifold doors and added more star power with a rusty garland. The stylists hooked a wood canteen serving as a holder for fresh daisies over the hinge. A painted fence post, an ornate piece of folk art and some stacked old drums, one of which boasts drumstick legs, further the corner’s Americana appeal. 17. Book it. Read between the lines—or shelves—and utilize old books as an inexpensive way to fill space around other pieces on display in a large bookcase. The Knigges chose old medical books that pay homage to Mark’s former job at a research lab. 18. Mix and mingle. For a diverse scene, intersperse some newer accents or reproduction pieces amid your antiques, such as the electric glass-sided lantern on top of the bookcase that coordinates with the old light to its right. “Monica and Mark worked so hard to create this meaningful space that shows how much they care about both their heritage and their country,” Catherine says. “So, we brought in newer accessories, such as the ‘Family’ blocks and the framed drummer boy silhouette, that honor what this room is all about to them.”

Resource Guide

CRAFTER PRODUCTS
For more information, visit our Craft Fair online.

THE WHEEL DEAL
Stars and Stripes wagon casserole dish and utensil holder, Home Decor For Your Style

GAME CHANGER
Hanging metal star with battery-operated candle, Britches N’ Bows Country Store
Wrought-iron sconce with jar, 1st Creations
Big Red Barn hooked pillow, Williamsburg House, WI
Americana grubby candle, Amish Country Decor & More

SALUTING AMERICANA
Three-star sconce, Amish Country Decor & More
Flag spindle with flags, Copeland’s General Store
Beehive jugs, Maple City Pottery
Americana checkerboard, Black Water Primitives
Clayton Red coverlet, House to Home Designs

BOOKCASE AND POINT
Wood-and-metal canteen and framed Drummer Boy silhouette, Farmhouse Primitives
Tin lantern with glass, Williamsburg House, WI
“Family” blocks, Allyson’s Place

Master Class

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 20:43:00 GMT

Upon receiving a shipment of mail-order furniture that’s a not-quite-right color, most people would probably send it back—but not Schaumburg, Illinois, homeowner Pat DeCarlo, who instead took matters into her own capable hands. When the dressers intended for her master bedroom arrived, “They weren’t the white I desired,” she explains, noting that they were more of a yellowy cream that didn’t coordinate with her gray carpet. “So, the next day, I got out my roller and brush, and I painted all four pieces. I’m not sure if I’ve ever heard of anybody painting brand-new furniture, but I love them now!”

Painted a crisp white, the dressers perfectly suit the light blue walls in the cottage-themed master bedroom—a place where Pat’s husband, Angelo, can also feel at home amid the room’s more masculine furniture, such as a big black bed. Having grown up in a small town, Pat says that she has always had a penchant for country style with a particular focus on a cottage look, which she highlights to full effect in the suite. “The master bedroom is always the last room to get done because nobody sees it,” she says. “Winters in Illinois are so long that I wanted that room to remind me of spring. I love periwinkle and white together because it gives the bedroom a fresh, clean look. It reminds me of fresh white clothes hanging on the clothesline against a clear blue sky.”

To gather more inspiration for infusing the space with spring style, Pat invited Country Sampler stylists Sally-Jo Enstad and Catherine Parker to share their advice. “Sally-Jo and Catherine added charm and coziness to our room,” Pat says, pointing out the pops of color and the other innovative ideas they gave her. “You just want to curl up in there with a magazine and a cup of tea!” Read on for more details about how the stylists awakened a springtime scene in the DeCarlos’ cottage-chic master suite.

Written by Elizabeth Preston Morrissey
Photographed by Maurice Victoria
Styled by Sally-Jo Enstad & Catherine Parker
Produced by Dennis Morgan

Dresser for Success

1. Take time to reflect. In addition to the ice-hued walls and the crisp white furniture, a cottage-style mirror makes the DeCarlos’ bedroom appear brighter by reflecting light, both natural and that of a nearby accent lamp. 2. Break it up. To visually tone down the mirror’s ample surface area, the stylists positioned a chicken coop-style cubby shelf in front of it. Springtime delights, including a framed flower print and a floral perfume bottle, contribute additional season-specific notes to the scene. 3. Feel the blues. Despite being a cool color, blue can make any vignette more vibrant when you choose the right hue. Here, the stylists took the wall paint a few shades darker with trailing violets, stacked blocks and a patterned scarf peeking out of a cubby to set off a white birdhouse.

Cottage Industry

4. Stand for something. One of cottage style’s signature elements is reinvented furnishings, so let your creativity take flight when decorating. Here, Sally-Jo and Catherine reimagined a trash-picked birdcage stand as a holder for a chandelier. “Have the chandelier rewired to plug into the wall to create a working floor lamp,” Catherine advises. “Or, use battery candles for a soft glow.” 5. Rock and roll. To play up her bedroom’s spring theme, Pat relocated an outdoor rocking bench that helps create a cozy sitting area alongside a paper roller used as a magazine rack. The stylists punctuated the blue-and-yellow cushions with red and yellow pillows that pick up on the wall art and the violet-filled pot on the bench-turned-coffee table, respectively. 6. Go easy. “Don’t overcrowd a coffee table with too much decor,” Sally-Jo says. “Instead, set it off with a bright rug, and top the surface with larger pieces that can easily be moved out of the way if you want to put your feet up.”

Black and Blue

7. Man up. Provide a counterpoint to more feminine furnishings with a stately bed, as Pat did to accommodate Angelo’s tastes. “I thought my husband needed a little more masculinity in the room, so we purchased the black bed,” she notes. “It looks great against the blue walls.” 8. Pick something di-vine. To complement the walls and the white furniture, the stylists dressed the bed with crisp blue-on-white toile bedding in a vine pattern with matching ticking shams. “A quilt with a limited palette is perfect for a his-and-hers bedroom,” Sally-Jo says. “Here, the floral design suits the cottage theme, but the color and the subtle pattern make it husband-friendly.” 9. Provide punch. As they did in the sitting area, Sally-Jo and Catherine also brought in some bolder notes. A red blanket draped over the bed, throw pillows tucked in at the head of the bed and wall art featuring a red cardinal contrast the serene scene. Pat appreciated the suggested visual pops—she says that it has given her the confidence to factor red and yellow elements into her living room’s cottagey setting as well. 10. Be a copycat. Choose small accessories that mimic other furnishings in the room. For example, a black mantel clock set on the dresser repeats both the style and the color of the bed. The timepiece also offers a clean-lined counterpoint to its more ornate companions, including a scroll-based iron lamp and a coordinating cookbook holder that the stylists repurposed as a frame stand. 11. (Dress) form an opinion. Want to further amp up your bedroom’s feminine factor? If space allows, set up a secondhand dress form or mannequin as a fashionable model for everything from items out of your own closet to vintage nightgowns or other antique clothing. Here, a red jacket repeats the bold splashes found elsewhere in the room. The stylists also set up a companion display beside the form, topping a white chair with a season-appropriate watering can smartly used to showcase colorful accessories.

Bath in Business

12. Rinse and repeat. Play up cottage style’s fresh-from-the-garden appeal with a soap holder modeled after an old water spigot. “Because bathrooms are usually smaller rooms, you often have to make a big impact with more compact accents,” Catherine says, pointing out the pretty cameo soaps nestled inside the charming metal holder and resting on a contrasting towel nearby. “The upside is that, in a tight space, people will really notice the little touches you incorporate and appreciate your decorating efforts.” 13. Start off on the right footstool. For a more lived-in atmosphere, outfit your bathroom with small pieces of furniture, such as wood footstools or child-size chairs, that both maximize display space and give the room a well-furnished feel. The stylists took advantage of the DeCarlos’ wide tub surround with two stools; one boosts a dual-pot planter bursting with spring blooms, and the other provides a perch for a texture-rich wicker basket holding spare towels. “Even if you don’t have a spot on the tub for this kind of arrangement, you can always rest it on the floor nearby or even outside the bathroom door as an invitation to come inside,” Sally-Jo says. 14. Skirt the issue. For the bathroom, the stylists reworked the idea of the fashionista dress form in the bedroom to fit a smaller area. A pint-size metal form, which also repeats the scroll motif found on the bedroom lamps, adds feminine flounce to the tub corner when embellished with colorful butterflies and an artwork-status greeting card. 15. Sign up for visual oomph. Incorporate a bold-hued, handstenciled sign into your bathroom decor that stands out against white tile and breaks up what could be a sterile backdrop. The spring-heralding placard seen here playfully nods to the butterflies on the dress form and brings out the vibrant shades of blue found in the silk lavender in a shallow vessel at right. 16. Shutter to think. Pat knew that one of the most important elements in elevating her master suite to a perfect cottage retreat would be the window treatments, so she chose plantation shutters that suit the rooms’ unfussy feel. A heart-shaped plant rooter breaks up the white expanse over the tub—and capitalizes on the sunshine filtering in through the window. 17. Stow the line. Stash spare soaps in storage containers with plenty of personality. For the DeCarlos’ bathroom, the stylists picked a pair of white ceramic canisters set on a distressed black tray that put a French accent on Pat’s signature cottage style.

Resource Guide

CRAFTER PRODUCTS

For more information, visit our Craft Fair online.

DRESSER FOR SUCCESS

Double candlestick lamp, Copeland’s General Store

Flower print, My French Neighbor

Chicken coop shelf, Olde Farm Creek

Rise-N-Shine wood blocks set, Country Harvest Gifts & Stitcheries

COTTAGE INDUSTRY

“Geranium Wagon” artwork, Heart-N-Hand

Country bench in barnwood finish, American Country, LLC

BLACK AND BLUE

Brighton Blue toile bedding, House to Home Designs

Mantel clock, Pine Cone Gift Shoppe

“Dogwood Trails” print, George Boutwell’s Texas Collection

BATH IN BUSINESS

Water faucet soap holder, Heart-N-Hand

Lavender cameo soap, Carol’s Pansy Patch

Butterfly ornaments, Klages Kollectibles

Butterfly Wishes stencil, Scrappin’ Along Craft Stencils

Heart-shaped plant rooter, Roots Plant Rooters

Primitive commode tray, M & T Country Collectibles

Ruling the Roost

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:44:00 GMT

Considering his job as an art director for well-known bakeware maker Wilton Industries, it’s no surprise that Batavia, Illinois, homeowner Dan Masini’s kitchen is perfectly seasoned with smart design and comfortable style. When he and his wife, Katie, built their 2,600-square-foot home in 2005, their mission in the cook space was to keep it open to accommodate them and their three children, Anna, 15; Joe, 14; and Robert, 9. “When we built the house, we really wanted a big kitchen because that’s where we congregate,” Katie says. “Originally, the island was a peninsula, but it was too confining, so our builder disconnected it and turned it into an island.”

In addition to a spacious floor plan with good flow, the Masinis also desired division from the nearby family room. “We wanted some separation between the rooms so it wouldn’t be distracting if the dishwasher was running or if there was a lot of cooking noise,” Katie notes.

The result is a cozy kitchen and eating area that’s perfect for entertaining—and decorating. In preparation for Easter, the Masinis invited Country Sampler stylists Sally-Jo Enstad and Catherine Parker to use the room as a testing ground for different spring looks, from farmhouse to garden to classic country. Put a little spring in your own kitchen’s decorating step with their delightful ideas!

Written by Elizabeth Preston Morrissey
Styled by Sally-Jo Enstad and Catherine Parker
Photographed by Brian Nightengale
Produced by Dennis Morgan

Tray Chic

1. Tray something new. Don’t wait for sunrise to shed some light on your kitchen: Compose a vignette to crow about by placing an accent lamp inside a wood tray alongside other accents, such as a clock or a bird’s nest. 2. Herb your enthusiasm. “Herbs don’t always stay fresh in the refrigerator, but they’ll stay alive longer when placed in water,” Catherine says. “We put some parsley in a red teapot filled with a little water, and it really brightens up the space.”

Farm Team

3. Get your vegetables. Take a fresh approach to your next springtime soiree by utilizing produce for displays. On the island, the stylists piled veggies and potted herbs into a burlap-trimmed plate rack. Next to the sink, they used raffia to secure asparagus stems around a vase of flowers. 4. Push your cluck. Milk a farmhouse theme for all it’s worth with vintage-style milk cans that contribute graphic punch and much-needed organization space for utensils, cookie cutters, or other odds and ends. 5. Coordinate your efforts. If your kitchen has one standout accent, such as the rooster canisters, repeat its motif in subtle ways. Prop up a chick-adorned sign against your backsplash, or rest a basket of faux eggs atop a breadbox. 6. Square off. “Dan and Katie did a wonderful job conceiving this room,” Sally-Jo says of the Masinis’ thoughtful design and details. “To continue the shape repetition in the square bar stools, the squares on the rug and the backsplash design, we put up valances with a square-block border.

The Lawn Haul

7. Show your turf side. Even if your front yard isn’t showing signs of greening up just yet, you can still get a fresh-cut feel indoors by spreading artificial turf across the table as a runner; find it at a craft store or a floral shop. 8. Dish it out. Play up the bright green landscape with daisy-dotted milk bottles and a cheerful-hued dish hosting jelly beans and a jar candle. 9. Approach the bench. Re-create the coziness of a breakfast banquette without overcrowding your eating area by bringing in a small bench or a footstool to fill an empty spot against the wall. Top the bench with a cute seasonal pillow and a wall sign that ties in with your space’s springy theme. 10. Take a rest. Perch a stand-alone accent, such as a wood-block letter, on top of shutters to utilize often-overlooked decorating real estate.

Garden Variety

11. Grow with the flow. Miniature gardening is currently enjoying a fresh wave of popularity, so invite the tiny trend to take shape on your breakfast table. Fill a large terra-cotta saucer with river rocks and moss, and then rest a smaller saucer on top. Stack a pair of flat rocks in the center and position a seasonal figurine on top. To enhance the scene, arrange small pebbles and bits of moss around the base, and then add an arbor, pint-size plants and a tiny wheelbarrow containing a brightly hued accent, such as these yellow faux flowers. 12. Hold a candle to it. Repeat your garden-themed centerpiece’s terra-cotta tones by repurposing more clay pots as candleholders. Set a colorful raffia-tied pillar in a 4" or 5" pot, or give a smaller vessel holding a votive more heft by resting it in a pebble-filled wheelbarrow.

Marching Along

13. Leaf it be. Even if salad isn’t on your brunch menu, leafy greens can still make an appearance in your tablescape as an accompaniment for an Easter accent. Rest a figurine, such as these marching bunnies, on a serving platter, and then spread lettuce, spinach or aptly named spring mix around the base. “You can set up the platter and the accent anytime, but wait until the last minute to add the lettuce so it doesn’t wilt,” Sally-Jo advises. 14. Have a jelly holiday. Want to get in touch with your sweet tooth? Contrast your nutrient-rich centerpiece embellishment with some jelly beans tasked with contributing color and fun to the rest of the tablescape. Alternate filling seedling pots with votives and candy that picks up on other hues in the scene. Or, rest a hyacinth in a jar inside a tall glass cylinder, and then pour jelly beans around the base.

Round and Round

15. Box it up. For a classic country centerpiece, invite a cuddly rabbit dressed for spring to share tabletop space with a stack of decorative pantry boxes. Place the top box’s lid on its bottom, and nestle colorful eggs inside in a bed of excelsior. If you have a spare box, use it nearby as a boost for a rusty watering can. 16. Wreath all about it. To give your stack of boxes more visual oomph, rest them inside a forsythia wreath whose bright yellow blooms add a sunny outlook to the scene. Or, crown your centerpiece with an ivy wreath peeking out to give the impression of an Easter basket handle. 17. Sniff around. Infuse your table with an unmistakable aroma of spring by tucking sprigs of lavender into napkins at each place setting. Tie a few stems together with ribbon or raffia so that guests can take home a bouquet as a fragrant favor to enjoy after the meal is over.

Resource Guide

CRAFTER PRODUCTS
For more information, visit our Craft Fair online.

TRAY CHIC
Rooster accent lamp, Home Decor For Your Style

FARM TEAM
“Co-op Chicks” sign, The Hen House Shop
Milk cans, Simply Country
Homespun valance, Home Sweet Homespuns, LLC
Breadbox, Timeless Treasures

THE LAWN HAUL
Black cutout “H,” Auntie Em’s
“Fresh Eggs” sign, The Hen House Shop
Bunny pillow, Williamsburg House, WI
Bench with drawer, DNL Woodworks
Scented candle, My French Neighbor

GARDEN VARIETY
Fluffy Tales figurine, Old Mill Originals

MARCHING ALONG
Bunnies on Parade, Country Harvest Gifts & Stitcheries

ROUND AND ROUND
Hippity Hoppity shaker boxes, The Black Sheep Primitives
Gina Spring Rabbit, Country Harvest Gifts & Stitcheries

Palette Cleanser

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:56:00 GMT

From a warm beige to a fireplace-based red, Monica Knigge found inspiration for her Wauconda, Illinois, home’s paint colors from sources as diverse as the palette itself. “My decorator friend recommended the beige entry color because she uses it a lot for decorating,” Monica says, adding that the dining room was another easy choice, as she liked the room’s existing green enough to keep it. “But, I went through 12 test quarts to find the right red for the family room. I ended up with a browner tone based on the fireplace brick. I didn’t pick it until the night before the painters came!”

Despite their differences, the home’s hues all have one thing in common: They provide a warm backdrop for the antiques that Monica and her husband, Mark, have collected together over the years and that Monica inherited from her mother and her grandmother. Apple-themed furnishings also dot the decor, paying homage to the house’s location on a 1-acre orchard. The Knigges moved to the scenic property 10 years ago when they retired and wanted to be closer to their daughter and grandkids, Karly and Kaden, who live nearby.

Already a pro at creating continuity between her different-hued rooms, Monica invited Country Sampler stylists Sally-Jo Enstad and Catherine Parker to give her a fresh take on filling out her primitives-packed displays. Read on for their full spectrum of bright ideas!

Written by Elizabeth Preston Morrissey
Styled by Sally-Jo Enstad & Catherine Parker
Photographed by Maurice Victoria
Produced by Dennis Morgan

Red Between the Lines

1. White your own ticket. Crisp white on the mantel and trim contrasts the rusty walls in the Knigges’ family room. To tone down a bold color on a high wall, consider installing a picture rail or applying a stenciled motif. 2. Come together. A slightly distressed white cabinet paired with an even more timeworn base bridges the gap between the home’s refined and rustic attributes. To allow the cabinet’s contents to shine, Mark removed the glass doors and mounted them to the back of the piece, providing a frame for accents resting on the base. 3. Get crazy. Reinvent a raggedy crazy quilt as a bold window treatment. “I searched forever on eBay to find a quilt that was damaged enough not to feel bad about taking it apart to make the valance,” Monica says. Sally-Jo and Catherine paired the valance with some simple café curtains to filter sunlight. 4. Put it on repeat. On the mantel, a wood quilt block continues the theme of the valance’s origins. At base level, the stylists brought in a horse-motif pillow to play up the charm of Monica’s antique toy equine. 5. Find solid ground. “If you have a lot going on in a space, work in a few spots where the eye can rest,” Sally-Jo advises. “Try a stack of solid-colored boxes or a pitcher with a simple design.” 6. Bark up the right tree. Alongside a wreath-wrapped electric candle in a wood bowl, a pair of miniature trees in terra-cotta pots get a boost from slices of tree trunk on the coffee table. “You can make your own tiny trees by inserting sprigs of greenery into floral foam,” Catherine notes.

Mellow Yellow

7. Check into it. Create continuity between different areas of the home with a common theme or motif, such as checkerboards. ”Monica’s beautiful old game boards look perfect all over her home,” Sally-Jo says. In the entry, one board makes an impact on the wall, and a smaller version is tucked into a tool caddy with texture-rich pinecones. 8. Horse around. Pair up unexpected items to make a conversation-starter art piece. Here, Monica propped a horse weather vane topper inside an old seat with its caning removed. 9. Add garnish. Choose accessories with personal meaning attached to maximize a display’s coziness. A petite apple garland wrapped around a child-size apple-picking ladder honors the 1-acre orchard on which the Knigges’ Victorian-style home rests. 10. Go down. Fill out a vignette’s base level with eye-catching accents, such as a basket of coverlets perched on a red footstool or an old coal bucket filled with branches. 11. Light up your life. Few things set a room’s overall mood like accent lighting, and a soft glow can bring out a rainbow of different shades from a single wall color. Try a lamp with a lot of visual interest, or go with a grouping; the stylists gathered a diverse array of glass-and-metal lanterns to set the entry table aglow.

Bluish-Green with Envy

12. Stick with what you know. Instead of searching far and wide for a new hue to dress the dining room walls, Monica simply kept the subtle bluish-green shade that already existed when she and Mark bought the house 10 years ago. To make the room their own, they removed a wallpaper border and had the wall color custom matched so they could touch up a few spots. 13. Pay a complement. For an overall mellow scene, choose furnishings that complement a wall color (or vice versa), picking pieces that have a similar tone if not color—not too much lighter or darker. The Knigges’ honey-hued dining room furniture features a medium tone that works beautifully with their wall hue. 14. Stack the deck. Fill the space between a cabinet and a dry sink with decor that really stacks up, such as Monica’s antique pie cooler or a punched-tin lamp boosted on a timeworn footstool. 15. Go around and around. Instead of a traditional treatment, adorn the upper section of a window with a berried wreath tied on a piece of jute or ribbon. “Monica and Mark have a bit of land, so they don’t need a ton of privacy,” Catherine says. “The wreath adds some texture without blocking the beautiful natural light from coming in.” 16. Cuddle up. Translate a wintertime desire for warmth into a cozy window treatment; drape a wool blanket over a tension rod, pin it in place, and pull back the side with the same type of string used to hang the wreath above. 17. Play by ear. Continuing the game board theme set in the family room and the entry, Sally-Jo and Catherine turned the off-duty dining table into a game station with a drawered checkerboard. 18. Milk it for all it’s worth. A supplement to the fun-and-games theme, a milk caddy provides a spot for bottles and jars filled with game pieces, including chess pieces, dominoes and marbles. “It’s always good to have a bit of fun with your decorating,” Sally-Jo says. “You want guests to see a room and want to sit and stay awhile.”

Resource Guide

Crafter Products

For more information, visit our Craft Fair online.

Red Between the Lines

Seine panel curtain, Olde Farm Creek
Stoneware pitcher, Maple City Pottery
Wood wall quilt, Country Prim & Folksy
Colonial pantry nesting boxes, BJ’s Country Charm
Horseshoe Inn hooked pillow, Williamsburg House, WI
Primitive bowl, Manchester candle ring and battery-operated candle, Allyson’s Place

Mellow Yellow

Grid #3 blanket and Tennessee Trouble runner, Olde Farm Creek
Country bench, From the Woodshop of Harold Roe
Cupboard lantern, barn lantern and garden lantern, Country Village Shoppe
Three star lamp, Allyson’s Place

Bluish-Green with Envy

Cranberry/cream twig wreath, Country Village Shoppe
Flat dish lamp with metal shade, Cardinal’s Farmhouse Sampler
Checkerboard with drawers, Copeland’s General Store

Additional Resources

Mayflower Red (HC-49) wall paint in family room and Chestertown Buff (HC-9) wall paint in entry, Benjamin Moore, 888-236-6667, www.benjaminmoore.com .