House Design, Part 1

Jon and I bought a great Victorian house.....the trouble is that we aren't "Victorian" people. The house has flowered wallpaper, lace curtains, marble floors, flowered knobs, chair rails, etc. Great, but not our style. Now normally, we'd start painting everything warm, bold colors, as is our style, but Jon had a great design idea. (I know, I was surprised, too.)

Because we 1) live by the beach and 2) are planning on renting our house out when we move to our next duty station next spring, he had the idea to make our house more appealing to renters by making it a "Beach" house. Note the obvious pun. So, we are trying a new decor theme. There won't be seashells all over the place, but we are going to focus on lighter, neutral colors, airy curtains, more wooden accessories and things that make our house look like it belongs next to the ocean. It'll hopefully be more attractive to renters, plus it will be fun designing a house in a different motif. It'll still be a decor that makes us happy to live here, but it isn't necessarily our first choice in design.

I've got TONS of great ideas, but started my purchasing with a quick trip to the Salvation Army where I picked up these sweet vases for $2 each. They don't scream "BEACH!" I don't think, but they could have very well just washed up on the shore. I think I'll use them to line a shelf somewhere or as a dining room centerpiece or accents on a coffee table.



More ideas and pictures to come once this pesky little exam is over. Feel free to comment and share your ideas and thoughts! Also, feel free to come over and help paint, since I'm not allowed on ladders :-)