Coastal Vignette On the Cheap

We’ve lived here one year and are finally moving forward on decorating plans. Our cherry and walnut wood furniture from our former Philadelphia home was way too dark in combination with the deep cherry wood floors of this house. I’d really hoped for light reclaimed barn flooring that wouldn’t show scratches, dust or dog fur. But when I saw the view from the windows, I was willing to compromise. So we are slowly replacing furniture with pieces that have lighter stained or painted finishes.

I’d rather allocate our budget for the rooms we use the most but I didn’t want to completely neglect pass-thru spaces. This wall is by our garage door. We have an entrance hall, but daily life brings us into the house this way. We found this muted green bureau at Encore, a consignment shop in Mt. Pleasant. It had been rehabbed by the sister duo Peaches and Beaches.  One is local and the other lives in Georgia. They do beautiful work that is a big bargain compared to buying new. A bureau with drawers provides extra storage and a place to stash keys and the contents of my husband’s pockets.

I’m a sucker for ship paintings. They can be paint-by-numbers or masterpieces. It doesn’t matter to me. My Dad was in the Navy and collected and painted a few himself. He can always spot if the rigging is correct. I picked this one up at Exotic Decor and Garden in Mt. Pleasant. It’s simple but I loved the colors. The frame is in so-so shape so I just leaned it against the wall.

Driftwood has a sculptural quality and I love bringing the outside in. The blue of the wood lantern is an accent color in the adjoining family room. Pulling the color into the hall helps the spaces flow into each other. I scored that and the blue and green vase at Southern Accent Designer Showcase. You can spend hours roaming the aisles of vendor booths there.

That’s a Luminara flame-effect candle in the lantern. I represented the line on QVC and will always have them in my home. Created by Disney, they are real wax, look like the real deal and can be operated by timer or remote control. Brilliant!

So I finished this practical space for about $460. Do you a have a space you spruced up for under $500. Let us know how you did it?