Yes, that’s an SNL reference. But before I go any further I have to say thanks and I love you to you guys. Your kind words from this morning have literally lifted me up on a day that has been soggy and sad. You guys rock. Hard.
Now onto a very important post that many of you have requested. Photos of what I put on our new craigslist buffet. I tried to pick a variety of items that are functional and special to us (hence the title of this post). So this is what the entryway looks like now:
And just for fun, this is what it looked like when we laid eyes on our house for the first time back in late 2010:
Isn’t it funny to see the same corner of a room decorated by two different people? I love it. I wish I could poke my head into every house in the neighborhood, just to see what they have going on (which is why whenever anyone asks me what superhero power I wish I had, invisibility is always my answer – for no other reason than all the house snooping I’d get to do).
On the subject of what I put on that buffet, figuring out what to put on top of any new (to us) furniture is one of my favorite pastimes. So I relished the thirty minutes during Clara’s nap time that I spent playing with different items that we already had around. Which included:
- glass lamps that used to live in our first house’s living room and then our bedroom until we upgraded to some artichoke-y ones (these were from Target from our wedding registry, so they’ve been with us for five great years)
- a big yellow urn that used to live in the corner of the kitchen (from HomeGoods a few months back)
- a stack of decorating books from my stash under the built-ins in the dining room (and my hallway ottomans)
- a scalloped bowl from the kitchen that I ended up using for something sentimental (more on that in a sec)
- a white resin pineapple (from HomeGoods about a year ago)
- a faux red coral (from Kohls about six months ago)
- a thrift store leaf dish (for spare change) that I got for 50 cents
My “buffet decorating” process was just trial and error. Stepping back. Looking at it all. Shimmying something over. It was sort of like picking the right outfit… for my furniture. Totally normal, right? I just wanted to mix equal parts meaning, function, and beauty. Because I really think that’s the trifecta. People say form and function are two important things, but I’ll up the ante and toss “meaning” in there too. Because something that’s useful, pretty, and meaningful is especially awesome, right? Anyway, here’s where I ended up for now (you know I like to swap things around all the time – plus I’d love to decorate the top of this buffet for holidays).
Here’s a breakdown of all of the items in those three categories:
Functional:
- two lamps to provide light in a room with zero point zero zero (another SNL reference for ya) overhead lights – so they’re very necessary!
- a dish for loose change, buttons, and other small items that tend to collect on various surfaces (when you know small clutter is bound to happen, a little tray, dish, or basket to deal with it when it pops up makes things easier)
- the yellow urn, which offers concealed storage that’s easy to access (we have an extra dog leash and some other Burger-phenalia hiding in there)
Meaningful:
- a pineapple near the door, which is said to be a symbol that says “welcome to our home”
- a change dish that I put 43 cents (our lucky number) into (it won’t always stay that way, but it made me smile to “hide” that number up there)
- vacation postcards that we have sent to ourselves, full of memories from the last seven years spent together (more on that tradition here)
Just Plain Pretty:
- a stack of cute hardcover books to add color and height (and inspiration whenever I crack them open)
- a bright red piece of faux coral for some fresh color (adding modern pops/pieces to an older item of furniture is one of my favorite ways to integrate it into a room so it doesn’t feel theme-y or stodgy)
My favorite thing is definitely the scalloped serving bowl (purloined from a cabinet in the kitchen) that I shoved all of our vacation postcards into. I just love that they’re out to remind me of all of our adventures and I can read through them and switch up the one in the front whenever the mood strikes. Right now one from Hawaii gets top billing, just because I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything prettier…
Oh and you might wonder why that pop of yellow in the urn is up there being all sunny and happy, but I thought these pictures would best explain it.
Doesn’t it look sweet with our yellow front door?
And for anyone wondering where Clara is when we’re shooting things for the ol’ blog, she’s usually right in the middle of everything. Doing something hilarious. Like kneeling at the front door and waving at the school bus as it drives by. Told you. Hilarious, right? No idea why she thought waving and kneeling should go hand in hand.
So there it is. Our new (actually very old) buffet with some meaningful, functional, and just plain pretty stuff on it. Nothing is being stored in it yet, but you know I can’t wait to fill it with stuff (I’m thinking it’s a good spot for more formal dining stuff like cloth napkins, some runners, a few large vases, and some other serving stuff). Oh and that big blank wall above it? Definitely needs a little somethin’ somethin’. You know we’ll keep you posted…
Psst- We announced this week’s big giveaway winner. Click here to see if it’s you.
Katy says
I think it would be amazing if you painted the inside of the door yellow as well.
YoungHouseLove says
Always a possibility!
xo,
s
Caitlin @ Desert Domicile says
Your styling skills always impress me and I love the added pop of yellow! I think a big mirror above the buffet would be a nice addition – can’t wait to see what you decide to put there :)
YoungHouseLove says
That would be so pretty! Just need to find something huge so it’s not too dinky back there!
xo,
s
Heather H says
I totally agree a huge mirror would look great — plus I think it would be super functional for reflecting more light into the room…both natural from the window as well as from the lamps.
Nicole says
i LOVE the yellow door. So much i want to paint mine yellow but it has a window in it and not sure if that would look right. or with my blue/grey house :/
val says
Isn’t it special…when you find the most absolutely perfect piece of furniture for a room? So much so that it is hard to imagine anything else ever being there (even after seeing a photo with something else there)! Good job snapping that baby up–and for not touching the finish.
Melanie @ MJ says
It’s so fun, I love it. Definitely better than it was in 2010.
Shannon says
So in love with that buffet. You got such a great deal – it is so lovely! And of course, I love the way you styled it!
Vidya @ Whats Ur Home Story says
You have a great knack for accessorizing. Love all that pop of color and of course the buffet.
Just wanted to share my first mood board for one of my readers, YHL inspired (even the post title). :) I also got the yellow rug idea from your old home. Thanks again for all the inspiration.
http://whatsurhomestory.com/garimas-design-dilemma/
YoungHouseLove says
So cute! Love the colors.
xo,
s
Lauren @ circlegdesigns says
First of all, I’m so truly sorry for your family’s loss. I’m praying for you all. She sounds like a wonderful woman.
Secondly, I recently went to visit this amazing nonprofit in Dallas called Dwell with Dignity (they provide interior design services for families in low-income housing). They had a DIY piece of artwork in their office that struck me as something that would look great in your dining room over the buffet! It’s a large rectangular canvas with a chevron pattern made with old maps and turquoise paint. They used a duplicate version in a recent installation for a family (see it in the pictures under the “multi-purpose room” here): http://www.dwellwithdignity.org/category/projects/
YoungHouseLove says
Wow, that’s awesome. I love it! And the nonprofit sounds like a great one too. Thanks for the link.
-John
emily says
This reminds me of a William Morris quote that guides my home-shopping: “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” (I think there’s beauty in the meaningful things, so in my mind the trifecta is completed.)
Jessi says
Love that! I’m adopting this quote as my new motto, because I’m headed into some serious decluttering this weekend. Also love the concept of one old piece in each room – we too have a very modern style, but are totally in love with our few select old pieces. It’s great to see that I’m not crazy for trying to mix them.
emily says
Good luck Jessi! Decluttering is always so satisfying. I have a pile of old clothes and books that are ready to go to Goodwill as a result of my own decluttering project.
Hilary says
That is too awesome. My husband and I share the same “lucky love” number as the too of you. The night of our wedding, he helped me pick 43 (count ’em, 43) bobby pins out of my hair. We always say “Love is 43 bobby pins.” Made my heart smile seeing that little leaf dish.
Joy says
Oh that’s so cute, we counted the bobby pins that my hubby took out of my hair on our wedding day too (99!).
Love the grey lamp pair that ties in with your other shades in the room. Nicely done!
Jackie Toye says
Old School SNL Fan. I remember that so well. Did I miss a color change in the Livingroom/ It looks blue. The Benjamin Moore Moonshine was more gray. Both are beautiful, just wondering if I missed a change in color. (searching House Tour) :)
YoungHouseLove says
Nope, no paint change in the room. It’s still Moonshine but since this room gets so much light (which is often kind of greenish from the trees outside) the walls rarely look purely gray. Well, maybe at night… :)
-John
Callie says
I was wondering about the walls too, they look so blue here! So haha I decided to search blue in your comments and sure enough someone wondered it for me already, thanks Jackie!
I thought it was so funny that it looks like light blue with distressed green, because I just recently painted/distressed our old sunroom cupboards, and painted the walls a darker blue grey but am totally thinking of going to a lighter blue…exactly like this colour combo. Ha.
Bridget G says
Your entry way is similar to mine and I was always worried that putting a buffet that close to the entry would cause too much of a distraction of flow into the other room. I think this proves that it can be done.
P.S. can’t tell you how jealous I am of that buffet, it’s pretty much exactly what I’ve been looking for in our dining room :) will keep my eyes glued to Craigslist once again. Thanks for all you guys do!
Rebecca @This Nest is Best says
Love that pop of yellow! It is definitely a color I’d like to incorporate into our home decor more, especially after throwing this shower where I loved the yellows and oranges!
http://thisnestisbest.com/2012/07/09/you-are-my-sunshine-baby-shower/
YoungHouseLove says
What a pretty color scheme!
xo,
s
Deb says
love it! love it! love it! and you should totally paint the back of the door yellow! Thanks for making our day a little brighter even in your storm!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Deb! You guys have me itching to grab that yellow paint and go to town.
xo,
s
laura says
I love the mix of old and new but I always have trouble envisioning an old piece looking like it belongs in a mostly modern space. But, now that I see how awesome you have made this look, I know it can be done! Nice work as always. :)
Barbara H. says
The buffet looks fabulous with the curtains – great score!
Susan M says
Love that buffet and so perfect for your space. You are so right when you say to live in the space for awhile and take your time in picking out your selections for art/furniture, etc… because eventually the right thing always comes along. Great job as always.
Stephanie says
Love it. Love the whole thing. Top to bottom. That buffet is so incredibly gorgeous and I love those lamps. Target has the best lamps sometimes, it’s ridiculous. I bought an adorable green glass one there once on a total whim.
It just looks so amazing. Come decorate my house please? I keep getting stuck. I need help! No, I need HALP! That’s even more dramatic and pathetic. lol
YoungHouseLove says
Hah, you’re so funny Stephanie. You had me at HALP. I’ll be right over…
xo,
s
Ashley says
Ten gazillion points to you for working ‘purloined’, the word of the day, in there!
Lindsay says
Where did you get the statue of the dog next to your front door? We have two greyhounds and I have been on a 4 year search for a greyt statue that won’t break the bank! I’m on the verge of a splurge :-/
YoungHouseLove says
It was actually from a garden store (it’s made of cement and is quite heavy!). I think it was around $40 maybe?
-John
Krissy says
It looks beautiful! I love that the urn matches your bright yellow door! We just put new doors on the house and I’m thinking of painting them red, so I was reading through your red door post the other day for advice :)
Amber Gilstrap says
Hi there! I was just wondering what your cleaning process was for anything you buy off of Craigslist? I’ve recently bought a couple of items from CL (a new dresser I’m refinishing –woot!) and I just read that bed bugs can even live on hard objects (like wood). I’m really wanting to totally de-gross the inside of our new dresser drawers, but not sure how. How did you go about cleaning the buffet?
Thanks!
Amber
YoungHouseLove says
John is a bed bug freak since he had them in NY and it suuuucked! But thankfully they’re not invisible, so you could see them (and signs of them, like – shudder – their droppings) so you can probably just look at cracks of things (the legs, underneath, in the drawers, etc) and see if you notice anything out of the ordinary. We examine things before we bring them inside and then usually just wipe things down with vinegar (it’s a great natural cleaner and gets rid of musty odors – although it stinks when you use it- haha).
xo,
s
brita says
Love SNL! And i love the color combo with the sagey green and the red. It reminds me of the lichen/moss that gets the little red “flowers” on it in the spring.
Nichole says
I love everything about this! We’ve been searching for an old buffet to use as a console table behind our sofa but no luck yet.
Did you end up sealing all of that pretty minty chipped paint with your favorite low VOC stuff or just letting it stay au naturale?
YoungHouseLove says
So far it’s au naturale, but we plan to do something to seal it down the road – just haven’t found time quite yet.
-John
Crystal @ 29 Rue House says
We love you too! Glad to know it isn’t too weird (or at least that I’m not the only one!) that would love to see the inside of our neighbors’ houses (well some I could definitely skip) because we all have the exact same house (with a few minor variations). Our neighborhood is 60 years old so it does have character even though we’re all the same.
Renee says
I bought that yellow urn from your curator sale on Joss & Main and it is probably one of my most favorite things. I love how it brings a pop of color to the room. I have it on my wine bar (which is a rich brown) and it looks so lovely. I love the “new old” buffet – just gorgeous. I can’t wait when my hubby and I buy our new home – I’m going to be looking to you and John for inspiration!!
PS – I’m so sorry for your loss. I lost my best friend to cancer a little over a year ago and when I think about how much strength and determination she had when she was fighting always makes me think of this quote by Albert Camus, a French author, “In the depths of winter, I finally learned there was in me an invincible summer.” It sounds like your Aunt Kay Kay had that same invincible summer inside her. Sending lots of hugs.
YoungHouseLove says
And so sorry to hear about the loss of your friend! Great quote too. Thanks for sharing it.
-John
Brandi B. says
Along the lines of the mirror above the buffet, what about a large piece of woodern art – like distressed signage or something? Might go along with the distressed look of the buffet.
Love you’re styling!
YoungHouseLove says
Totally something we’ve been tossing around. We’ll see where we end up!
-John
Anne @ itsabaltimorelife says
Looks great and now I cant get that “Isnt that special” line out of my head ;)
Brittany D says
I love to see that you have used a pineapple to welcome their guests! My husband’s very southern and traditional grandmother explained to us that when she was young, her mother used pineapples to let people know that they welcome. When their guests stayed too long and she wanted them to leave, she simply removed the pineapples from the guest room. Haha! I’ve tried to incorporate it into our decorating too.
Ashley@AttemptsAtDomestication says
You have such an eye for decorating tables, shelves, etc.! I always get so frustrating when working on them and always think WWSD?, What Would Sherry Do? ;)
Laura says
gosh I just love it Sherry! Honestly when you first got it the buffet in the room I thought it looked too old for the other things you have in there, but seriously just adding some modern decor on top of it made it look so good! This is inspiration to me to think outside the box when decorating :)
Amanda says
I love the way you worked meaning into the vignette – and it’s super subtle so that any other person would just see a pretty collection, but you see something special when you look at it. We do something similar with the art in our house. I started collecting scenes of places I visited when I studied abroad, and I’ve continued the tradition with my husband for the trips we take. But if you didn’t know that’s what we did, you’d just see a whole bunch of pictures of cool places. Most of what we have is up on our house tour page – http://kissletsathome.com/house-tour/
YoungHouseLove says
Cool tradition – and great photos too!
-John
Sherry from BC says
Love the look you have created but I totally agree that it wil be a good spot to change up with the seasons/holidays……I can almost see a cool Halloween display there. I know a mirror would be nice but I am really hoping you do a big ole painting or a triptych. Your small ones were lovely and I think there is a masterpiece just waiting to jump up on your wall. Take care of yourself during this tough time.
Kathleen says
I love how you mixed both old and new & function and beauty. It looks great and is really motivating me to redecorate some of the surfaces in our home that feel a little flat right now. Thanks for that!
Jen@The Decor Scene says
I LOVE IT!!! Gorgeous!!! I love your style in your 2nd home. Though I loved the style in your first home as well. But I’m truly lovin’ your style in this home. Love the new and old together. {drooling}
Krystle @ Color Transformed Family says
It looks great and I love the yellow urn. Vibrant colors are one of my favorite things about your house.
Ally says
Looks even more pretty fully accessorized, $herdog :)
I *love* that little Clara waves as the schoolbus goes by…sooo incredibly sweet. In my mind, I can almost fast-forward in time, and picture your little angel heading off for her very first day of school. That will be a very proud and special day…for you both (and all your faithful readers :)
Clara Petersik = A+ Student :)
xox
Ginny @ goofymonkeys says
I love what you have going on there right now. It’s a nice mix of stuff and I bet it’s at a good height to keep it out of Clara’s sight for the moment. Are you planning on a mirror or artwork on the wall above??
YoungHouseLove says
Yep, we just haven’t decided what yet. We’ll keep you updated!
-John
Kristin Cadwallader says
Very rustic chic! I love the pop of yellow too! xx Kristin
Mel says
Looks like the botanical prints from your bedroom would go great on that wall now! Not sure if you’d moved those yet or not. Love the buffet! You all inspire me daily. I’ve been lazy about design recently, but I put on my Google Calendar for this weekend, “Paint the guest room. Really. DO IT!” :)
Every time I see your blog it inspires me to do more.
YoungHouseLove says
I like the Google Calendar trick! Let us know if it works out. :) And have fun painting!
-John
Rachael says
At work we have this joke that a pineapple means you are a swinger. If you see someone in the grocery store with an upside down pineapple in their cart that means they are on the prowl.
YoungHouseLove says
I can’t even imagine how that story came to be. It’s hilarious. But very, very bizarre.
-John (who will probably not put any pineapples in his shopping cart anytime soon out of fear one of your coworkers will see it and start wondering)
Karen W. says
The pic with Clara kneeling and waiving is amazingly beautiful. It really evokes emotion- I can feel the summer vibe, it seems very fresh and peaceful. What a winner of a purchase that buffet was!
Momcat says
You can come over & pop your head into my front door ANY.TIME. (But only if you promise to help me “refresh” what you see!)
I’m cracking up that you keep calling it a scalloped bowl. No, no, in MY world, that is called the rice bowl! We grew up with a set of these, my mother always calls them lotus bowls, but to us kids it was the “rice bowls”, since that’s all we ever ate out of them. Cereal? Nope. Nuts? Uh-uhh. Only rice. Ever!
Love the buffet there. Looks smashing with the ikat panels!
decoratica says
I love your new credenza, but I uterly LOOOOVE your couple -traditions! I’ve been together with my lovey for almost seven years and we love each other like crazy, but never care about these kind of details… Whenever I read about them in your blog I go like “Why haven’t I thought about it? It’s so simple!” But now it’s not possible to go back 7 years and start all over… :)
BTW, I do collect memories, tickets, photos and other stuff from travels, any ideas for displaying them a smart way? A post on that? :)
And… sorry about your aunt. Letting loving ones go it’s not easy, but it’s great that you remember her with a smile and that she tought you (and now us) such a great lesson.
XO
YoungHouseLove says
The idea in this post might help you with your travel keepsakes!
https://www.younghouselove.com/put-a-lid-on-it/
-John
decoratica says
Thank you John! I read it yesterday after I commented… (bummer) I will let you know if I try this or come up with something else – I saw a MS tip on using visited cities maps as matts that it’s also great, but I’m still trying to decide… Maybe I’ll write a post with all the ideas I gather arround the web, no? :)
Have a good day!
Sarah says
Maybe I am weird but when I look at this all I can really see that you all like primary colors. Ha!
Yellow, red and blue and to be honest I kind of missed the other things with out you pointing them out. But it looks nice.
Mollie says
Love everything about it. From the old buffet to the modern accessories!
Vanessa says
You are correct about the pineapple – they are not just for sponges to sleep in – what, I’m the only one here who watched SpongeBob when the kids are asleep? Yeah, right.
At the historic house I work in there is a pineapple carved into the base of the banister. It can often be found in historic homes on door knockers and sometimes floor cloth (that’s a historic dorky word for “pre-carpet”). So well done for keeping your antique buffet historically accurate or maybe it’s hysterically accurate – whatever. I have to go Squidward is yelling about something….
Morgan {Style Oyster} says
I love it. I’m looking for a Craigslist dresser/buffet to use as a TV stand for our living room {and bonus storage}…but no luck finding just the right piece yet. I plan on painting whatever I get white…I love all of the pops of color in all of your decor and how you find a way to have them all live harmoniously together. I am sorry to hear about your Aunt, losing a loved one is never easy. My childhood dance teacher battled MS {still does} all throughout my years as her student…the irony of a dancer having MS. She’s an amazing person, as I’m sure your Aunt was. xoxo
YoungHouseLove says
There’s actually some great poetry in the fact that she has MS and still dances. Thanks for sharing.
xo,
s
Angela says
I love it! The yellow just makes me happy. I love how you tied it in without it being overwhelming. Love love love it.
April says
I too love to look in other peoples homes but I usually do it by being creepy and looking in their windows or at their yard as I pass by walking the dog!
BoredAtWork says
April – right there with you. I like to time dog walks at that point in the evening when people start turning their lights on but haven’t yet closed their curtains. Super creep! I can’t help it, I want to see everyone’s living rooms!
Andrew says
When I lived in a condo building, I got to know the people in my “stack” (all five units were the exact same floor plan) due to a shared plumbing issue. It was totally bizarre to see the similarities (furniture placement) and the dissimliarities and unique decorating choices (wall colors, fixtures, art, window coverings, rugs, etc.).
The best part was that two other owners and I copied another owner’s kitchen remodel that involved removing a wall and rearranging appliances!