Sunday, July 13, 2014

How I Found My Style Sundays- Sweet Melanie


From My Front Porch To Yours- How I Found My Style Sundays

Thanks so much Pam for having me and letting me share "how I found my style".  It is truly an honor...Pamela's home is absolutely gorgeous!

Now,  let me introduce myself.....my name is Melanie (Sweet Melanie).  So nice to meet all of you and for letting me share a bit of my world.

From My Front Porch To Yours- How I Found My Style Sundays-Sweet Melanie


I live in the capitol city of West Virginia....which is one beautiful state with beautiful mountains and lots of  farmland.  
Growing up,  I always seemed to love painted furniture.  It was an inexpensive way of making mixed matched pieces look like a set as my Mother always said.  I especially loved white.  

After our two daughters got older and I didn't have to worry about mishaps,  I was looking at a magazine that had a home featured that was in all whites and creams.  That's when I made the decision to finally do what I had always loved.....go for white!  I guess you'd say that my style is Shabby Chic.

Let's start with the heart of our home...the kitchen.

From My Front Porch To Yours- How I Found My Style Sundays-Sweet Melanie
I love to use old pieces like this mantel paired with a top piece of a buffet.  The perfect compliment to give that shabby style with all of the detailed scrolls and woodwork. Old brass chandeliers painted and blinged up give lighting without having to have an electrician.
From My Front Porch To Yours- How I Found My Style Sundays-Sweet Melanie
I love old windows and have them everywhere.  This one gives a bit of separation between  our kitchen and living room.  The openness of it all makes it easy on the eye with this style.
I love to sew which has helped me achieve my style with all of the slipcovers I've made.  Not to mention my love to paint...lots of white paint, lol.
From My Front Porch To Yours- How I Found My Style Sundays-Sweet Melanie
Most people think white is so hard to keep clean and take care of....quite the contrary.  Those slipcovers come off easily for washing along with all of the pillows as well.  Even my lamp shades are slip covered.  An easy way to save some $$$ without buying new shades.  I learned that trick years ago when I started going all white.  I used to have lots of reds, greens and golds with pine furniture.  So making sure I didn't waste money that I didn't have, I gave them new life with a little hard work and sweat.

With lots of family visiting at different times, I wanted to make sure I had plenty of beds.  No one likes sleeping on the sofa...at least I never have.  I want to make sure people feel welcome when they enter and stay for awhile.
From My Front Porch To Yours- How I Found My Style Sundays-Sweet Melanie
One of our guest beds is by some windows which gives a sleeping porch feel like back in the (what I call) the good ole days.  Pulling the shade and turning off the lamp for that sweet rest we all love and need makes my guests feel at home. They all say they sleep very well...hope they aren't lying!
From My Front Porch To Yours- How I Found My Style Sundays-Sweet Melanie
I think my style is one that makes people feel at home and relaxed just as we do.  Nothing is off limits to anyone, every ounce of our home is used on a daily basis.
From My Front Porch To Yours- How I Found My Style Sundays-Sweet Melanie
Another guest room....plenty of blankets and pillows are a must for comfort.  So why not make them a part of the room instead of hiding them in a closet?
From My Front Porch To Yours- How I Found My Style Sundays-Sweet Melanie
Our oldest adds her own twist like adding the touches of black to her room.  I love the look and think you should decorate your home, room or whatever by how it makes you feel.  Friends and family have all talked about how our home flows from room to room.  I think that is a key to finding your true style.  When you love a style, it will be everywhere. 
From My Front Porch To Yours- How I Found My Style Sundays-Sweet Melanie
Our youngest shares my love for Shabby Chic.  We took a twin bed comforter set, ripped it apart and used it to make another matching sham, a slipcover, some pillows and pictures.   
From My Front Porch To Yours- How I Found My Style Sundays-Sweet Melanie
The "little girls room"....again using what we already had, painting and sewing made it all flow with the rest of the house.  Little updates like adding bead board, changing the faucet and hardware made it feel a little older like I wanted. 
From My Front Porch To Yours- How I Found My Style Sundays-Sweet Melanie
Making sure the adjoining laundry room carried on the same flow, we made the cabinets and shelf,  re-purposed  a throw away table and a garage cabinet into folding and storage spaces.
From My Front Porch To Yours- How I Found My Style Sundays-Sweet Melanie
Our deck needed a little something to cozy it up a bit, so we made our own picket's.  Painting them all white and adding a peak  with a scrolly piece really added that cozy charm that I love about Shabby Chic.  
From My Front Porch To Yours- How I Found My Style Sundays-Sweet Melanie
As our little girls grew, we made the transition into making the basement into our master so our youngest could have our old room.  Instead of spending lots of money by adding on, we worked with what we already had.  
From My Front Porch To Yours- How I Found My Style Sundays-Sweet Melanie
Making this open space flow was easy with slipcovers, yard sale items, old pieces getting a new paint job, along with a few new pieces. All easy on a tight budget.  It has taken me about 10 years to get our home exactly how I've wanted without spending a fortune....but it has so been worth every aching muscle and cramping hand from all of the painting and sewing I've done.
From My Front Porch To Yours- How I Found My Style Sundays-Sweet Melanie
Adding old columns and curtains instead of walls was an easy way to add privacy and to separate our office area from our bedroom.
From My Front Porch To Yours- How I Found My Style Sundays-Sweet Melanie
With it being a basement, the shabby style really works in making it all feel nice and bright.
From My Front Porch To Yours- How I Found My Style Sundays-Sweet Melanie
Using an awkward space like under the stairs was the perfect place for our office.  Again, using paint and fabric along with a custom built in desk and shelves that we made.
From My Front Porch To Yours- How I Found My Style Sundays-Sweet Melanie
A tiny bathroom can look huge done in all white with touches of color.  I love pastels with white...I call them Easter colors.  Easter makes me happy so those are the colors I love!

From My Front Porch To Yours- How I Found My Style Sundays-Sweet Melanie
My most treasured piece in our home is this armories.  It was a purchase on a yard sale site that we went and loaded, brought home and then painted.  It is heavy and HUGE...but it is absolutely beautiful to me!

I guess from what I want to share about my style or any style is try and work with what you have in your home instead of buying all new.  Paint...anything can be painted.  And if you don't like it, paint it again.  Learn to sew...I highly recommend that!   I love to look at pictures, so study magazines, go online, look at other peoples homes, see how they make you feel.  Then decorate with what makes your heart feel happy...I did and I haven't looked back once!

Thanks so much for letting me share my style, 


From My Front Porch To Yours- How I Found My Style Sundays
Melanie I just love following along with you! You are so very talented and I am always amazed at what beautiful things you create with your sewing machine! You are truly blessed to have a hubby who helps you bring your shabby chic dreams come to life! Thank you so much for sharing your style with us here today. It is truly shabbylicious! 

25 comments:

  1. Melanie does 'shabby chic' just right! Her home is so pretty!
    Susan

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    1. Thanks Susan, that was so sweet of you to say that!

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  2. Melanie has a beautiful home that I can just imagine walking into and feeling comfortable and happy! Thanks for sharing this beautiful style!

    Gigi @ Old World Patina

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  3. Melanie your home is gorgeous! It looks so inviting. I am curious, how does your husband feel about the style. I love shabby chic, but because hubby does not like it, I decorate with a more country traditional. I like traditional style as well.

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    1. Thanks Susan! My hubby's motto has always been a happy wife, happy life, lol. He has never said one word when it comes to decorating from the day we bought our first home all the way up to the present day. I was blessed with a great man that truly loves me because he knows my passion for decorating. I make sure he has a full belly, a comfy place to watch tv and plenty of lovin'. Do you have a blog? I would love to see your home!

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  4. What a beautiful home! My home has been very primitive and dark for the past 25 years. I am actually in the process of adding more "lighter colors" to the mix, and I am loving it. Your home is gorgeous.

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  5. Very good choice Pamela to feature Melanie. She is as sweet as her blog. She is a girl after my own heart with her shabby chic and chippy whites. Her home is so pretty and romantic.
    Kris

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  6. Absolutely in love with the deck-see me swoon!! Is there a post with information on how to go about this, I can get a general idea from the pics but more details???

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    1. Thank you so much Dawn! Here are a few links to my blog telling how I did the deck. It was in stages so there will be a few links to check out.

      http://sweetmelanie.blogspot.com/2014/04/adding-little-character.html

      http://sweetmelanie.blogspot.com/2014/05/picket-fences.html

      http://sweetmelanie.blogspot.com/2014/05/adding-peak.html

      I hope this will help....thanks again!

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  7. I love love your home! Shabby chic is one of my favorite styles. I work from home & my home office is all shabby chic style. I also have a love for Old world/Tuscan & coastal and so I have themed rooms! I wish I could sew I think your home made items turned out fab! God Bless!! Love it!

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    1. Aww, thank you so much! Your themed rooms are beautiful I bet!

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  8. Melanie is amazing and all her talents. She has created an absolute doll house for her and her family to enjoy and be so proud of!

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    1. Thank you Debbie....you know that I wouldn't have been able to have my blog without you! You and Shannon were my mentors!

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  9. This is gorgeous and I love it (!!) but my husband would have a meltdown. Any suggestions on winning the hubster over to the Shabby Chic look?

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  10. Melanie I am having the hardest time with a shabby chic blue color paint...do you remember the color you used in the bedroom

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  11. Melanie your home is gorgeous!!! It's amazing that your husband enjoys and let's you do everything Shabby Chic. You are brave to have every room filled with Shabby Chic. I am eclectic. I love old world, Tuscany, cottage, rustic farmhouse, traditional, and of course roses Shabby Chic. Simply blissful and calming to enjoy.

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  12. I love this! I'm new at decorating can you suggest Where I should start? Where do you find this awesome stuff?

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  13. Your home is so beautiful! Please, I would like to know the paint color used on the wainscoting in your bathroom picture above. Thank you. Nancy

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  14. Just discovered your blog! It is SO me! (I should say SO my dreams). Have you ever published your paint colors? I haven't run up on them. Thanks! :)

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  15. Your home is beautiful. I a decorating a 1940's home and am going to use Shabby chic in only a few rooms to start out - may go all the way a little later. Thank you for sharing your h

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  16. A pretty home, indeed! I am slowly decorating with white and touches of 'Easter' colors. It is what makes me happy too.

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  17. Are the names of paint colors included - I couldn't find the names of the paint colors on the walls. Thank you

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