Suzannah Hamlin Stanley's Blog, page 47

Modern traditional dining room table styling - 3 ways - plus, lighting options

A couple weeks ago I shared on Instagram that I did not own a single vase. I made it my goal for the weekend to buy one and lucky me, I found ONE vase that I liked at HomeGoods and brought it home!

Well, since then I've been to another HomeGoods (coincidence? Probably not) and bought the glass vase I've been wanting a while (here's a similar one).

And, vases aren't the only option for our dining room centerpiece... I played around with three different ways to style our dining ta...

FIRST steps when you move into a new space!

Rent or own, fixer upper or brand new custom, any time you move into a new place it's exciting but also probably overwhelming! You want your home to look and function the way you like, but there's SO much to do. (I know, I am doing it right now.)
How to choose what to do first? And which improvements are much better to do sooner than later? This week on the Your Home Story podcast we're sharing our tips on what to do first (including when to bring that measuring tape and when to start sho...

My nursing and pumping stations, small space living and in our new house! Plus, maximizing the insurance-provided breast pump benefit

It's amazing how something as normal as feeding your baby (however you do it) is such an interesting topic! Just the other day I was hanging out with a friend and we ended up talking at length about our experiences pumping, nursing, all that. I've had a pretty good run of it so far including the BEST experience getting a free breast pump from my insurance (and replacement parts every 90 days! So easy!), and finding a few essentials that have made it easy for me to feed Otto or pump da...

When to DIY and when to hire out: PAINTING!

I have been up to my ears in painting projects this summer... and the past couple years, really! We've done a combination of DIY and hiring professionals, and... well, there's a time and place for each.

Super timely that we talked about this question on the Your Home Story podcast this week! Ashley and I both have plenty of painting experience and share our tips and thoughts on painting (both interior and exterior) for the do-it-yourself route or hiring it out. (Spoiler alert: we think bo...

Super budget DIY light fixture update for the breakfast nook!

I really feel like I'm going back to my roots with this one! If you look at the "spray paint" tag on this blog you will find posts from ~2009 featuring rust-toned vintage lamp makeover projects (I'm pretty sure plural is correct there) and lots of other very crafty things from the days that birthed Pinterest. I've spray-painted a lot of things that I no longer own.

But, spray paint can be a great tool when used appropriately, and I recently updated a 70's?? light fixt...

Hallway design - plus our hallway progress!

Hallways don't have to be dark and dingy, utility-filled, or just wasted space. Believe it or not, this is a super packed post with lots of inspirations for function and style updates for hallways! Plus I'm sharing our progress photo of our hall at the Stanley Tudor Revived... (it was once bright yellow, with carved terra cotta switchplates!)...

This week on the Your Home Story podcast, we did a deep dive into hallway design and function! Tune in to the episode to hear about essential...

Rocking chair resolution: the one we chose for Otto's nursery, and progress

A couple months ago I posted a round-up of 14 cute rocking chairs that aren't crazy expensive. I had been researching them for months but we didn't have a place for one in our apartment, so I finally just bought one recently. The verdict: we love it!! Nicest chair we've owned in a long time, and so cute in the nursery! (Which is coming along, progress pics below!)

This post contains affiliate links.

Check out that post to see the ones I found and considered. I ended up going with my...

The no-spend challenge update, plus all my decor projects going on right now!

We did a one-month challenge in the Your Home Story podcast Facebook group was live last month--refresh a space in our house WITHOUT spending money. Tune in to hear about a few successes including a bathroom, guest room, and more! We also share our lists of current projects in our homes - you all know I sure have a lot going on over here at the Stanley Tudor Revived!

Here's Ashley's master bedroom refresh, one of the projects she's been working on this summer. Love it!

More links and resources...

Office/sewing room in a hurry! “Before,” progress, and design - and affordable office chairs

A common dynamic over here is I am usually really gung-ho about projects and decorating, and Jason is usually more reasonable and realistic about what we can get done without going crazy. It's tough for me with a million things to do in this house to get it feeling "done" enough for now... but understandably tough on him when I always want us to work! Poor guy.

Sooooo, when Jason suggested we get the office/sewing room ready in the next week (before he starts back at physical the...

New favorite place for budget-friendly online home decor shopping--and my picks

I have been online shopping long enough to know the difference between what you can find on the web (and what deals) versus in-store. And there are SO many good options online now for all kinds of things, but it's just not the same as walking into a beautifully curated store!

Some relatively recent news in online home decor shopping is there is now a great shopping experience online that used to be in-store. I am sharing some favorites, plus what I ordered, recently below!

(Did you know I a...