PAINT THE WALL AND CEILING THE SAME COLOR OR INCORPORATE VERTICAL STRIPES

The first thing you should do if the space in your home has low ceilings is to make it more light-filled by painting the ceiling a light color.  This simple step will make the space feel much larger by making sure it is as bright as possible.  In our home, we use 3/8 plank boards in combination with the same paint color.  Visually, this maximized the height as much as possible.  But there is no issue if you don’t want everything to be white; simply make sure the ceiling is lighter than the walls.

LOW HANG OR RECESSED LIGHTING

And speaking of more involved solutions, this one can be a bit tricky, but it may be worth it because it can make such a significant improvement. Getting rid of any existing low-hanging ceiling fan, chandelier, or other non-flush with-the-ceiling lighting in your room can be a significant upgrade. It may be necessary to hire an electrician to install the recessed lighting, but it will be well worth the cost.  Here you can see we used huge chandeliers where the ceiling heights are way up there and both recessed & a low-hanging light where the ceiling is lower.

MOUNT CURTAINS AS CLOSE TO THE CEILING AS POSSIBLE

This classic design trick gives a room a feeling of openness and airiness. Hang the curtain rod as near to the ceiling as you can if your room has 7 or 8-foot ceilings. Yes, even higher than the window’s trim. Many people believe that the trim serves as a guide to indicate where to place a rod, but honestly, we went all the way to our ceiling in our old house, and I think they looked great.  These ceilings were about nine feet and the hanging the curtain rod close to the top still worked!

USE LOW HEIGHT FURNITURE

Large, heavy furniture can make any space appear smaller. Consider choosing furniture that is proportionate to the height of the ceiling. We laid our mattress directly on the floor and added extra throw pillows so that it doubles as a lounge recliner.  An option for dining or living areas is to use long, slim, low-profile couches in dining or living spaces to make the furniture proportionate to the size of the space. To create a room that feels larger, you may also use full-height shelf units and thin shelving that reaches the ceiling. Low-height furniture gives the impression that there is more overhead space whereas towering furniture focuses attention.

Making the most of rooms with low ceilings calls for careful planning, imagination, and a good sense of design. When done well, the outcome is a room that is both useful and aesthetically pleasing, giving the impression that it is larger than it actually is

The Holiday House Walk is my favorite home tour and I am so happy to be a part of it again this year!

I would like to send a huge thank you to Jennifer Rizzo, our tour organizer, who is an amazing blogger, friend, inspiration! Make sure to visit her charming home, you can check her out at jenniferrizzodesigncompany.  Her home is always so warm and inviting.  And every year she seems to be able to create a sense of nostalgia that improves time and again.  Definitely make sure to check out her tour.

If you’re following along the house walk and coming from Jenn’s site at Clean and Scentsible, welcome!  Her home is so charming and she is just amazing.  I really love the way she put a spin on the traditional green and white Christmas décor.  You’re going to love it!

This year the house tour is going to look a little differently from me.  If you follow along on Instagram, you probably know that I just returned from a 16 day trip to surprise my sister on her birthday in Australia.  So the decorating at our home was put on hold; however, you better believe I still had the decorating itch so I surprised my sister by decorating her mantle for the season.  Let me tell you, it’s totally different shopping for Christmas in a different country but I think it turned out pretty cute!

I arrived home from Oz on Thanksgiving and have been working to pull Christmas together here.  One of the first places I couldn’t resist decorating was our dining area in the kitchen.  We recently made some huge changes to this space.  While attempting to hang our two new chandeliers we found that we had to take the tongue and grove boards down from the ceiling.  One thing led to another and we now have our gorgeous floor beams exposed.  Now this is what I would call a happy accident!  I just love the way they look and the entire room feels more warm and rustic which is a nice balance to the glam and elegant table setting.  I just love mixing the two styles together.

The beautiful dining room was pulled together using items from my very favorite store Arhaus.   I will link everything at the end of this post.  I love the way that these color glasses pop against the rest of the place settings.  They add an unexpected twist to traditional Christmas décor.

While I was away, Rob surprised me by painting our floors in this amazing harlequin pattern!  He knew it was something he knew it was something I had dreamt of for our kitchen floor.  I picked the colors and he did all the hard work.  I have the best husband and I love him so much!  I cannot believe how much it has transformed this space.  Here is a sneak peek of one of the corners.  More to come soon.

Another room I was able to finish this week was our daughter’s bedroom.  It brings me so much joy to see our two girls laughing while decorating their trees.  For their room trees they pick out whichever ornaments they want to decorate with and place them where ever they wish.   Truth be told, they are some of my favorite trees ever.  I just love the organic, whimsical way they look. Not to mention these scenes are what Christmas is to me.  It’s all about family and making our home magical for our girls.  Artwork is by Lindsay Letters.  I’ll link them below.

Thank you so much for joining our holiday home tour this year.  Make sure to follow along on Instagram as we finish decorating for the season.

Love, Susan

If you want to start the tour from the beginning and get endless decorating ideas for the holiday make sure to start here!

Dining Room

• Sutherlin Gesso Chandelier
• Adriana Dining Table
• Bottoni Dining Chair
• Hair On Hide Placement
• Luna Dinner Plates
• Luna Cereal Bowls
• Acadia Gold Taper Holder
• Tannon Wine Glasses
• Francis Area Rug
• Natural Woven Cane Christmas Tree Collar

Girl’s Room

• Watercolor Christmas Tree Art
• Tide Pool Art
• Knit Beanie
• Front Cable Cardigan
• Cozy Rib Pajamas
• Dearfoams Slippers

Rob here. SQ asked me to write up a post on how to apply concrete on a wall. We used this in two spaces. One in our living room, and the other on our Tuff Shed fireplace. Hope y’all find this helpful.  (And don’t call me out on using a noun as a verb.)

Firstly, I’ll start by writing that concrete is messy.  It will be difficult to keep it from getting everywhere.  You’ll want lots of protective painter’s paper or sacrificial blankets (which must be very thin if you’re concreting all the way down to the floor.  Both options absolutely must be taped down because inevitably a big ugly glob of quickly hardening concrete will fall on the unprotected area.  Additionally if it’s possible, set up a mixing station outside.  You’ll want a 10 X 10-foot area that has the ground covered or a place where it’s acceptable that concrete will fall on.  Ideally this’ll be outside because concrete dust will be flying around.  Have your 5-gallon bucket ready, a second bucket full of water (or a hose) ready so that you can immediately wash off your tools.  Seriously, the concrete hardens fast and it’ll quickly ruin your tools if it’s not washed off immediately.

Next, after you’ve properly secured your floors and more importantly, resigned yourself to the fact your efforts will ultimately fail, you’ll want to use painters tape to edge.  I’m jumping ahead here but it’s to emphasize something very important.

After you’ve finished concreting the walls, pull the tape while your concrete is wet.

I learned this the hard way.  The concrete will harden in 30 minutes after you add your water (this includes the mixing time, so you really have 20 minutes to apply to the walls).  It really sucks pulling easily tear-able tape from behind what is essentially rock.

So back to the beginning once the area is taped and prepped as much as feasible it’s time to mix.  I used Quikrete20 lb. Polymer Modified Structural Concrete Repair.  It shows right on the label that it can be applied vertically.  This is possible because there is a polymer mixed into the concrete, so yes there is oil included so don’t eat it.  Before getting this version of Quikrete I tried a bag of “normal” concrete and bought to polymer mix separately because I was trying to save money.  That was a waste.  It did not stick to the wall at all.  My advice is to simply pay the few bucks extra to make sure it works.

A few more notes before you begin, if you bought the second bucket, you’ll want to keep it half full of water.  You’ll keep your bucket scoop and tape knife (or finishing trowel instead of the tape knife, which many people prefer because the curved edges prevent creases in the concrete) submerged in here while not using them.  Also, keep a wet rag in here.  This will be helpful when you find that a blob of concrete defied physics and ended up below your protective sheets.  If possible, wipe it away before it hardens. If not though do not be afraid.  With enough water and patience, the dried blob will react to the wetness and dissolve away.  Note!!!!!!  Do not get impatient and simply kick off the blob.  It’ll rip the paint off whatever it landed on or worse.

Mixing concrete is freaking hard work.  For the fireplace in the Tuff Shed I did this by hand.  It sucked.  Don’t do it if you aren’t a professional massage therapist with gorilla like grip strength.  My first attempt at buying a mixer failed because it didn’t fit my power drill.  This mixer is designed for paint but it worked just fine with my smaller batches of concrete.  Using a mixer left me with a better consistency and much less waste since the last bit on the bottom wasn’t missed.  It probably ended up paying for itself.  One thing to note though is that my power drill’s battery lasted roughly ten batches so if you have a second battery pack, charge that while using the other one.

The process of mixing is straightforward.  It’s simply water mixed with the sand/gravel contents included in the bucket.  I recommend pouring half the concrete mix into the larger bucket.  Next add water according to the instructions.  Use the power drill to mix it all together.  It’ll take roughly 3-5 minutes to get the perfect creamy peanut butter consistency.  If it’s crumbly add more water.  If it’s too liquid, add more concrete.  It may seem tough to achieve the right outcome but don’t worry.  After one or two rounds of mixing you’ll be an expert.  I should also emphasize that this part is messy.  Do it outside if possible.  Once mixed know that at this point the clock is ticking.  You’ll have roughly 20-30 minutes to scrape it onto the wall.  Time to get to work.

So now that the floors are protected, edges taped, tools ready, and concrete is mixed it is time to put it on the walls.  To do this use the bucket scoop.  The angle will face away from you as you pick up portions of the wet cement mix.  (Take a moment to appreciate that the curve of the tool perfectly matches to curve of the inside of the bucket. I can’t be the only dork to be awed by such things.)  What I thought when I first used this tool was that it looked as if I was using it backward.  But you’ll want the cement on the downward curve so that you can smear it onto the wall.  You’ll want to do your best with this tool to smooth out the layer of concrete you applied, but it won’t be perfect.  Don’t worry though because that is what the tape knife and/or finish trowel are for.

I worked from the ground up.  First, I would glob a patch of concrete onto the wall.  Most of it will stick if you’re lucky.  Then I’d used the bucket scoop to spread it around till there was about ¼ inch thick layer of concrete.  I’d fill in roughly a 3X3 foot section and then use the tape knife to smooth it all out.  Keep the tape knife wet though.  “The wetter the tool to smoother the finish”, said she.  If the trowel gets too dry, you’ll find that it doesn’t glide over the concrete.  You’ll end up with staccato ridges as it “bounces” over the concrete.  The application and finishing motion should be like Daniel’s training in Karate Kid: “Show me, paint the fence”.  Note, if you mix your cultural references and “wax on, wax off” the wall will explode.

Once you start it’s a good idea to keep applying the concrete until the end or at least to wherever there is a natural break in the work area.  If you stop for an hour and begin again you be able to see the two sections.  Eventually after a month or so they’ll mostly blend together but it might annoy you until it does.  The two sections can be sanded at the seam where they meet and that’ll hide the distinction too.

Once a section is complete don’t forget to pull the tape!!

The last bit of work to do is the touchups.  Use a small putty knife to fill in any miss spots and finish off the edging.  This one works well.

Optional: in the Tuff Shed I sanded the fireplace but not the living room.  I did this because when I concreted the fireplace I didn’t use enough water with the tape knife and hand-mixed, so the concrete was really grainy.  The whole thing didn’t have a smooth finish.  By the time I did the living room I had learned that I needed to use a lot of water while smoothing and it looked a lot better the first round.  Also, sanding means a ton of dust.  I did not want to deal with all that inside our house.

Mistakes I made:

1. Concrete literally sucks the moisture from your skin.  You can either wear gloves or put lotion on every hour or so to prevent your skin from being painfully dry.
2. When I did the fireplace I accidentally touched the concrete with my lotion-y hands and my big paw print was visible until I sanded it off.  Don’t touch the concrete with any oils or lotions.

Tricks I used that worked: Rather than pulling the sockets and light switches out to account for the quarter-inch of concrete I just tapered it down to the thickness of the face plates.  This looked pretty good and I can’t even see the taper now even when I look directly at the sockets.

• Quikrete20 lb. Polymer Modified Structural Concrete Repair
• Buckets (X2)
• Easy Mask 2.9 ft. x 140 ft. Builder’s Paper
• ScotchBlue 1.88 in. x 60 yds. Original Multi-Surface Painter’s Tape
• Bucket Scoop
• 12 in. x 4 in. Finishing Trowel
• Tape Knife
• Putty Knife
• Mixer
• Power Drill
• Pro Cleaning Disposable Nitrile Gloves 1 Size (100-Count)

There are essentially two approaches when choosing a sectional: formal and informal. We love that this sofa provides them both!

Firstly, let’s talk about our ‘informal’ Kipton. Which could totally be used as a formal one, too! For us, we decided this Kipton in Stanton Frost fabric would be our informal one, simply meaning, our pup is allowed on it, popcorn, dance parties and mannnny snuggles. We’ve written about this couch before and after a year of quality checks (i.e. eating, sleeping, and watching t.v. on it) everything is still amazing!! The couch remains to be our favorite snuggle spot. Our “go to” when we’re watching family movies. Or when Rob and I want to escape the kids after bedtime, and more times than not, fall asleep shortly after the opening credits. This couch is so perfect for every one of our everyday needs.

But what’s best is that it hasn’t turned into a shabby comfortable mess. My parents had one of those growing up and they had such a love/hate relationship with it. The arm rests were frayed, the cushions sunk in, and it quickly lost its “new” appeal. But it was soooo comfy! The Kipton simply does not have any of these issues, but remains sooo comfy. Believe me when I say that my girls have put this couch to the test. I doubt Arhaus market’s the couch this way, but did you know it makes a perfect trampoline?!?! The cushions also make for awesome fort walls. Lastly, Rob is 215 pounds (comprised solely of pure muscle he’d want me to type) and always steals the same corner. After over a year of this treatment the couch has held up spectacularly. No indents, no permanent stains, the couch is still adorable, and best of all, it also is still soooo comfy!

Our second Kipton is located in our living room and is our more formal space. It is what people see when they first walk into our home. I love that it gives such a clean, sophisticated look to our guests. But it is still sooo comfortable!

I chose to use Prado gray leather to compliment our ink black fireplace. And to soften the overall look Rob hung a rug rack from which we hang snuggly blankets. It may be more formal in here but that doesn’t mean it isn’t cozy and nap worthy .

What I also like is that it sets the mood. Friends and other visitors instantly feel tranquil. The soft leather, the perfect depth of the seats, (we went for the deep cushions on both sectionals!) and the cushions that give way in all the right spots make people just sink in and feel at home.

It’s just the perfect blend of culture and coziness. It’s formal comfort. We couldn’t ask for better sectionals for either of our spaces!

I hope everyone had a beautiful Thanksgiving, no matter how you celebrated this year. Personally, I’m so thankful for my family, the ability to create Christmas magic in our home this year, and for the love + support, we’ve received this year for Kindred Vintage. Thank you to each of you, whether you’ve been following along on this journey from the beginning or if you’re new. Every individual’s support means the world and the Kindred Vintage team is so grateful for you!

This year I wanted to celebrate the season by sharing some of my favorite holiday gift ideas! These are some tested and true products, and I hope you or the lucky recipient enjoys them just as much as I do!

Here we go!

1. First on my list, my all-time favorite CBD company, Equilibria! You guys, if you have been following along, you know just how much  I SWEAR by this company and their products. CBD has been one of the best changes for my health this year, from the calming effects it has when experiencing anxiety, to helping me doze off to sleep, to amazing skincare products, to peaceful & relaxing aromatherapy baths it does it all, so there is something for every woman in your life! Speaking of women,  Equilibria tailors dosage for every client free of charge, so you have CBD that is tailored just for YOU or whomever the kit is for;)! I love this quote from their website, how true is this? Especially this year! “Life isn’t static, and our mental and physical needs aren’t either. We focus on our members’ quality of life by offering personalized, medical-grade CBD routines with dedicated one-on-one Dosage Support.”

Now for the exciting part, look at these darling holiday bundles Equilibria offers, treat yourself or you can even purchase individual items as stocking stuffers for the women you love! They have a special sale running now through Cyber Monday 11/30. The sale includes 20% off sitewide and a free full-size Daily Treatment Oil (EQ’s new premium skincare product) on orders of $150+. All customers can take advantage of 20% off sitewide. PLUS all new customers will receive an additional 15% off when shopping with my code: KINDREDVINTAGE Click HERE to shop Equilibria!

I promise you, it’s a gift you don’t want to skip this year. It’s worked wonders for me, and I couldn’t recommend it enough.

2. Need a stocking stuffer or something warm and cozy? I absolutely love Carhartt beanies. They have so many fun colors and are the perfect warm accessory for anyone. Everyone in our family has one of these! Click HERE to purchase one!

3. Next up, one of my favorite companies, and also someone I am happy to call friend, Lindsay Letters. She has the most beautiful artwork (I have her pieces throughout my home), and she also uses her lettering to create beautiful mugs. She has different styles to choose from, but I just think they make the best gifts. You can browse through her site HERE.

4. Loomia has some beautiful Christmas gift sets as well as THESE cozy chic slippers. The color palette for these are perfect, just be sure to size up 1-2 sizes from your standard shoe size! I am typically a 7.5 and ordered the 39EU and they fit great. Also, THESE Christmas sets are made up of a collection of beautiful handmade pieces from this company. For 20% use my code LOOMIA20 + the Christmas sets are an additional 10% off!

5. One of my favorite cozy blankets that we use on our girls bed is THIS! The Alpine Faux Fur Throw Blanket is the coziest textured blanket, and our girls love to snuggle with these every night. Let’s be honest, I love these for myself. These would be perfect for throwing over your chair or couch or hanging up on a peg rail for some extra textures to your living room.

6. Another favorite addition to my 2020 routine has been Young Living Essential Oils. I have become obsessed with diffusing oils and using them topically for the whole family. Walking into a room filled with fresh air and a variety of scents, depending on your mood, has really made for a peaceful calming environment. The whole family loves the variety of smells, and I love the look of their diffusers too! A few personal favorites are the Aria Diffuser and Desert Mist. These are some of the options (if in stock!) that can come with the starter kit, along with a variety of essential oils to get you going. The Starter Kit is the perfect gift for anyone interested in beginning with oils! I even have another Instagram account dedicated to my oils called Kindred and Clove and you can check that out HERE. To get started with Young Living, follow this link and be sure to sign up under me! I will help you along your journey and you will be entered into our oily community! Click HERE to join our community! Feel free to reach out with any questions! Individual oils also make great stocking stuffers.

7. Don’t get me started with Arhaus. One of my all-time favorite home furnishing stores. If you follow my Kindred Vintage Instagram page, you must know my love for this company! They also sell my favorite mirror of all time, the Amelie! If you click HERE you can view all the different sizes they offer! You will not regret gifting it this holiday season.

(Photo: Breakforth Studio)

8. Speaking of coffee mugs earlier, my favorite drip coffee maker is THIS SMEG model. I personally own the color white, and it proudly sits on my countertop! They have other adorable kitchen appliances too! You can’t go wrong with a classic SMEG piece.

9. And for everybody’s favorite bedding this year, the Threshold Velvet Diamond Stitch Quilt, which you can click HERE to view! I used these in our guest bedroom, our master bedroom, and in our Tuff Shed loft. You guys, they have a variety of colors and they add the best texture and comfort to any bed. Whoever is gifted one of these this year will not be disappointed!

10. Next up, my new home collection with PCB! We partnered together this holiday season to bring you a whimsical collection of pillows, personalized blankets, tea towels, and a few other home furnishings. Check out our collection by clicking HERE.

11. Lastly, a kitchen must-have this year, THESE Caraway pots + pans! They have a sale going on now through Monday 11/30! Their sale includes 10% off orders of $225-$449, 15% off orders of $450-$524, and 20% off orders of $525+. These pots and pans are truly a game-changer. They’re non-stick, toxic-free, and come in a variety of colors. I own the terra-cotta set and we use them every single day. Great gift idea for just about anyone!

Wishing you a holiday season full of love + joy!