The more we change things around our home, the more we look over our shoulder to see if anyone is going to stop us.
We’ll occasionally drill a hole in the wall or add trim somewhere or pull up plants from our yard, and our renter’s reflex kicks in: are we allowed to… just… do this stuff??
Turns out, once you buy it, it’s yours to make or break. And, aside from making sure we follow local permitting ordinances, no one’s slowed us down yet!
Some of these updates have been big, like a kitchen renovation or color-drenching our would-be formal dining room and turning it into a lounge/makeshift playroom.
But most are small. The internet would call these tiny moments uses of “free will” — your intrusive thoughts manifested in your home. Little ideas that make you stop and say, “wait, why wouldn’t I actually do that?”
Ironically, it’s taking captive these otherwise fleeting thoughts that has given us some of our most fun decor over the years. And when you find a way to layer these ideas into your spaces, they create a wonderful contrast against otherwise conservative vignettes.
Today we wanted to share 3 of our recent favorite uses of free will to hopefully inspire decor ideas in your home!
When Inspiration Strikes
This one was a product of spontaneous inspiration. Anna saw a mini champagne bucket on Pinterest and thought it might be cute for holding matches on our living room coffee table.
She remembered seeing somewhere that you can add match striker tape to, well, anything… so we gave it a shot! The result was super fun and shockingly practical for a miniature decoration.
You can make your own mini match striker champagne bucket here!
Take TV as “Art” Too Far
It’s no secret that we’re fans of the Samsung Frame TV. It’s a design choice that’s nearly unmatched in terms of how it’s function fits seamlessly into anyone’s decor.
We were early adopters of the ornate picture frame around the TV, but we only recently decided to take that idea a step further by putting it on a picture stand meant for art. We’ve seen other’s place their Frame TVs on easels in the past, and we love how this look turned out!
Whether you’re putting together a gallery wall around the Frame TV, using a completely impractical art light above it, putting it on a picture stand, or setting it on an easel, we encourage you to go way too far with treating your television like art.
You can find options for doing this in your home here!
Coasters: Not Just for Drinks
We try to think outside the box with our home decor, especially with traditionally “single use” items. Around our home, you’ll find candles in vases, soap dispensers on coasters, and even picture frames hung on book shelves.
If you have a coaster you love, the reality is you’re not always drinking something you need to place on it. Sure, they can stay stacked up on your coffee table waiting to collect dust and condensation, or you can put them to work now. Maximize the decorative impact of your favorite pieces!
Here are some of our favorite coasters to use for anything but drinks.