What Do You Do In Quarantine? Decorate of Course

You know the story well.  Once upon a time, there was a really bad virus that came from China.  School was cancelled and the world ran out of toilet paper….  And around the world, our experiences might vary, but we are all in this together.  We’ve all figured out ways to manage our mental health, how to be a distance-school mom, and we remembered how to bake a lot of bread.  It’s been real.  Our school is nearly done, and my computer that was hijacked for school purposes has a few more sticky keys and fingerprints, but we made it this far.

I think on this journey we’ve all discovered more about ourselves.  Two months later I am starting to be able to articulate some of those things, and I am grateful for the good in the midst of the hard.

It won’t be a surprise to many, but creativity was the saving grace most days for me.  Everyday wasn’t possible when zoom wouldn’t work, and we didn’t understand math, and the three year old wanted me to make up assignments because everyone else was doing homework.  But I started getting into a routine, and most afternoons I would have 1-2 hours to refresh with creativity.  Maybe it was boredom, or maybe it was having more time to think about décor details, but I decorated my house for spring not once but twice!

At the end of March I finally put away the winter décor and brought in hues of blush to remind us new life was on its way.  Even though things looked and felt bleak, the hope of spring was there.

And sitting in the ironstone bowl atop the antique treadle is appropriately a bouquet of antique wooden spools.  I found a bag of them on my last thrifting adventure for $2.00 right before COVID shut down all non-essential businesses.

It was fun playing with my newish vintage radio cabinet turned shelf.  I actually refinished it last summer but didn’t bring it to the living room until January.  It was done in layers of Miss Mustard Seed’s different shades of white milk paint.

My favorite thing about this spring decor though are my built in shelves. ( I have the hardest time photographing them – the lighting is tricky).  I set the tone contrasting wood and warm gold or weathered brass, ironstone, and a bit of fresh green.  I am so pleased.

I had been looking for vintage book ends for a while when I discovered these bookends last fall at a thrift store for $2 each. They were in bad shape. So I repainted them in antique gold acrylic paint and antiqued them further with Miss Mustard Seed’s Antique Wax.

And I have a thing for swans.  It’s almost like a Where’s Waldo adventure at my house.  Where does Cheryl have a subtle (or not so sutble) swan sitting about?  This brass one was another thifted find last summer.

I also brought an antique mirror from my bedroom and a shabby chair from the entry way for awhile.  I thought the garden roses in the weather brass pot brought so much charm.  Especially as the landscape outside looked like a dull sepia underpainting.

After a month of the lovely blush though, I started craving green.  I realize it was probably the Pavlov desire of spring, to simply see leaves on the trees and grass color the ground.  So, one day after “school” I changed it all again.  I pulled out some of the pillow shams I used several years ago to incorporate a different accent color.  Blue is my constant, but it is also my neutral.  I have done so many different accent colors to go with my mood and seasons over the years.  Green, gold, blush, I even did bit of red this Christmas.

It feels refreshing for now.  But come summer and peony season, do not be surprised to see it evolve into pinks again.

I hope this brings a little cheer, or inspiration to go play with what you have.  I pray you stay healthy and safe as we continue to weather this storm together.

Cheryl