6 Steps To A Cozy, Transitional, Beautiful Home

All the Christmas decor is put away.

Your home feels bare after the magic of Christmas is gone.

Now what?

Well, today, I want to inspire you that it doesn’t have to take a lot to get that cozy feel back when you have a transitional, beautiful home.

It’s my goal to share steps to create inviting spaces that resemble a warm hug on a blizzard-cold day.

And if you’re experiencing the cold, chilly days of winter, then you know the importance of all things cozy and warm.

But to get to that point, there are some steps I want to take you on that will give you an easy, transitional, beautiful home that will stand the test of time.

How do you accomplish this?

By keeping your home decor neutral.

I’m talking about creating a foundation that can transition into every season easily.

Like the color scheme.

And what you place on your shelves that are simple yet beautiful.

I’m sharing how you can do this step by step.

Step 1: Keep your foundational pieces neutral.

One of the ways you can have a home that will effortlessly transition into every season is by having neutral furniture.

It doesn’t mean you must have all-white, tan, or grey sofas, chairs, or tables.

That would be boring.

Our eyes need rest.

When we have a room that is utterly dark and busy with bright colors or patterns, it can add unknown stress.

Yes, how we decorate our homes can add stress to our lives.

The goal is to invest in neutral furniture pieces that will begin the process of creating a sanctuary.

A breezy, beautiful oasis that will give you a hug every time you enter.

Now, that is worth putting effort into.

Here is an example of a transitional, beautiful home.

I have a gorgeous hunter-green antique sofa in our living room.

It is a central piece that grounds the living room area.

The other pieces of furniture are light grey, white, or mahogany wood.

The neutrals allow this sofa to be the showpiece.

You can have a red sofa, yellow chair, or bright orange table, for example.

Keeping the other pieces neutral gives the bright-colored piece prominence in a room.

But doesn’t overwhelm.

Side Note: Here’s a video sharing a Thrift Store Shop With Me & Haul.

This is where I found the gold and silver mirror in the photo above.

I met my daughter there and had a wonderful time looking at all the beautiful things at the Seattle Children’s Hospital thrift store. So check it out!

The mirror was under $25.00, by the way. What a find!

Now, let’s get back to the importance of neutral furniture.

Neutral furniture gives lightness to your space and has a fresh look that we crave because our senses need rest.

And who doesn’t want that?

Well, this is the way to get there.

Now, if you don’t have money to spare to purchase new furniture, I have an idea for you that can save you tons.

This is how I’ve been able to acquire the home of my dreams.

And believe me when I tell you my home is a work in progress.

But every piece that enters my home is getting it closer to where I want it to be.

My secret is finding cheap furniture on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or Goodwill.

I bring them home and give them a facelift.

Don’t like the color of your chairs?

Well, you can paint them with Annie Sloan chalk paint and get the look for less.

Here is a tutorial on how to paint a chair with chalk paint.

The chair in the photo above was hideous, in my opinion.

It had good bones and was $20.

This was my first DIY painting fabric, and it turned out amazing!

So, if you have a nice smooth fabric chair with an ugly pattern or the wrong color, paint it.

Here is a video sharing the huge transformation of our antique sofa.

Having a neutral-colored antique sofa in our fireside room has been wonderful.

All I did was change the pillows and print above it.

I love the time-tested pieces of furniture that I own.

It’s taken me a while to get here.

But every step has led me to a foundation that transitions into every season.

Now here is another step to a transitional, beautiful home.

Step 2: Add neutral pillows and blankets.

Here’s the cozy!

A quick makeover that doesn’t require moving furniture around or redesigning a room.

No matter what season it is, the neutral-colored pillows and blankets give a calm, graceful feel that says welcome home.

Here is an example.

In the left photo below, I have two ruffled burlap pillows that are tan and creamy white with a blue ticked lumbar pillow in the front.

In the middle photo are two green velvet lumbar pillows that match the sofa perfectly.

Then, on the right is a huge white cotton lace euro pillow on the antique grey sofa.

The white euro pillow cover is an antique.

It has a beautiful Victorian lace design that is unrivaled.

For every season, I’ve used these pillows.

Neutral pillows are your workhorses.

They give your space a breezy, welcoming look that is subtle.

Once you have the neutral pillows in the spaces of your home, you can put a little pizazz of color.

For example, change one pillow from pink for spring and summer to orange and brown plaid for fall.

The neutral pillows in the background are the staples, while the splash of color is what you change out throughout the season.

This is the coziest part of creating a transitional, beautiful home.

Now, let’s talk about blankets.

This is where you can add color to a room.

You can add color for all seasons when you have neutral furniture.

Like the red plaid blanket in the left photo above.

On the right is a flannel orange and green plaid blanket for the fall season.

And the rusty red, green, and tan blanket in the middle photo above and below.

These are just examples.

You can change the pillows and blankets from season to season.

This is my #1 tip to a transitional, beautiful home.

Having a few neutral blankets is wonderful, too.

Especially between seasons when you want cozy without the fuss.

Having some creamy white, tan, or bright white blankets is timeless.

They go with everything.

Step 3: It’s time to get rid of the old, unused, unloved pieces that are outdated and need to go.

This should be step one but I didn’t want to overwhelm you with the most tedious step.

But to be honest, this is the most impactful of all the steps I’m sharing with you today.

To get a cozy inviting home that has subtle elegance is by decluttering everything from top to bottom.

I mean, even in your drawers, and all the things hidden in cabinets, closets or cupboards in your kitchen, for example.

By doing this you will create a space your family and friends will want to come back and visit.

But most of all, it’s making a home that uplifts your senses for when you’re exhausted after a busy day.

There is nothing like having a put-together home, and this is how you get there.

The items in the photo above are things I’m considering whether I will keep or let go.

Not everything is getting donated to Goodwill, but I’m sharing a peek into my process of elimination.

While decluttering isn’t my favorite part of decorating, it is essential.

This is where it all begins.

I know, maybe this part seems overwhelming.

Decluttering is hard when you don’t know if you want to get rid of things yet.

But the truth is, it is the one thing that will bring beauty and elegance to your home.

And a transitional, beautiful home that will last throughout the years to come.

I have walked into homes that were plain and lacked character.

But it felt roomy and clean.

The thing I noticed was there was no clutter.

This in itself can make a home beautiful no matter what.

And I want to share my process, as I am in the middle of decluttering right now.

First, I go into each room with a box and trash bag.

I first get rid of things that are throw away.

Then, I grab the items that are no longer useful, unused, have lost their luster, or are out of date.

Sometimes, even vintage things can lose their charm.

And while I don’t like getting rid of them, it only makes room for the new things I find at thrift & antique stores that go with the current style of my home.

Here is a blog post sharing more tips on decluttering.

Our homes evolve.

We grow as the homemaker of our home.

We learn our style over time.

Sometimes, we can change our minds about how we want our home to look.

Getting rid of the things that once brought joy but are now drabby is ok.

I’ve had to adjust my thoughts as I declutter my home.

Not everything belongs.

And since 90% of my home is thrifted or used, it doesn’t hurt to let things go.

Step 4: Stick to three to five colors to decorate your home.

If there is one thing I’ve grown in as a decorator, it is this.

I love all kinds of colors.

But I’ve learned that sticking with a handful of colors has given my home the look I’ve dreamed of.

Like the gallery wall, where I added beautiful pink floral prints.

There was nothing wrong with the prints.

They were romantic and had the gorgeous vintage vibe I wanted.

Once I put them up, I realized the prints clashed with the blue wall.

Here is the same gallery wall with different prints.

The blue in the prints melded into the color of the wall and the other blue decor in the room.

That was one of those big lessons I learned.

And I’ve made it a goal this year to paint the walls in our home with Simple White paint from Benjamin Moore.

This will make decorating more versatile and show off my antiques.

Another factor in keeping with only three to five colors is creating a magazine-worthy home.

If you’ve studied gorgeous homes in magazines or on Pinterest, it is this one thing they all have.

It’s a soft, cozy color palette with a mix of neutrals and a splash of fun colors throughout.

While one room can be blue, another can have accents of red.

So, it’s not living a blah life with a stark white house.

It’s sticking to a few colors in a room.

Your bathroom can have a yellow theme with muted greens and blues.

On the other hand, your kitchen can have a burnt red, tan, and black color scheme.

These are examples.

Every room can have its own color scheme.

Which makes it fun to be creative and get a whole new look in each room.

Step 5: Use neutral decor like ironstone china.

My most loved pieces are my white ironstone.

They are versatile and go with everything.

I’ve mixed them with all of my decor throughout the seasons.

Having a nice collection is easy to acquire.

Goodwill has given me hope that it is possible to own beautiful ironstone without spending an extravagant amount.

In the past, I’ve seen them on Etsy or eBay and about choked at the prices.

But it was when I first found a white Pfalzgraff ironstone tureen (bottom shelf in the photo above) for $5.99, I realized it was possible to get the home of my dreams after all.

Invest in a solid collection of white ironstone pitchers, vases, bowls, tureens, or anything that catches your eye.

These pieces, when placed beside a flow blue teapot or platter, for example, give those pieces prominence.

Filling a hutch, top of a dresser, shelf, kitchen counter, or any flat surface adds an upscale, glamorous look.

And talk about vintage.

Nothing says it better than white ironstone.

These pieces are what creates a transitional, beautiful home.

Here is a blog post sharing 5 ways to use ironstone.

I’ve shared the power of using dark and light colors against each other to make things pop.

This is what white ironstone does in a home.

They are the workhorses that simplify the transition into every season.

Placing white ironstone behind or beside your other beautiful transferware or ironstone elevates those pieces.

White ironstone is an example of a solid foundation in making your home transition into every season.

This goes with other decor, too.

Step 6: Collect brass, gold, iron, or chippy white decor pieces.

Having some neutral chippy white frames can be easily transformed by adding a different print, for example.

Or a collection of brass candelabras, candlesticks, vases, or other pieces to place differently throughout the seasons.

They are easily movable and interchangable when you’re wanting a new look.

Foundational pieces for a transitional, beautiful home.

Like the black finials in the photos below.

These pieces are unique.

And I love placing them in different ways to give a new look.

Or these prints and frames I interchange throughout my home.

Most of these prints are rolled up in a rubberband, ready to use when I decorate throughout the seasons.

I’ve acquired quite the collection.

And it gives my home an inexpensive look by buying cheap downloadable prints off of Etsy.

The small ones cost under $1 at my local Fed-Ex print shop.

The bigger ones are under $20.

These ideas are just examples of how nuetral pieces play a huge part in creating a firm foundation in your home that will transition throughout the seasons.

Here is a list of things you can collect over time that will give your home all it needs to take you from season to season.

• White, tan, grey or wood-toned furniture
• White ironstone
• Tan, plush white, off-white blankets
• Antique lace euro shams
• Small white lace baby pillow covers
• Collection of prints for every season
• Neutral (white, gold, light wood, dark wood, etc.) frames
• Finials
• Huge signs – like the gather sign, as seen in the photo above.

Creating a transitional, beautiful home takes time.

And I hope by following these steps, you can get closer to having a home that transitions easily from season to season.

For more decor tips and inspirations, go here.

Here is my latest YouTube video sharing my trip to Goodwill and a HUGE antique store.

It’s stores like the one I share in the video above that inspire me when shopping at thrift stores.

Holding a beautiful antique in my hands gives me a vision of what I’m looking for.

My hope is to give you the tools you need to get the home of your dreams.

It doesn’t matter where you live.

If you have a vision, you can create what is in your heart.

And the joy of a transitional, beautiful home is something to work towards.

Thank you for coming by Victorian Lane Farms.