When you have sweeping vistas and the sound of lowing cattle as your soundtrack, you are living the good life. Smithville residents, Courtney and Kyle and their sons, John and Judd, recently moved into their newly built modern farmhouse by Owen Homes. They turned to Cara Massie of Cara Massie Designs for a bit of seasonal color and texture.
Cara hails from Smithville where she loves lake life with her three children and husband. As an interior stylist with years of experience, she offers some tips on how to enliven your space, both indoor and outdoor, for the holiday season. Her honey pots for decor are Nell Hills and Thorny Creek Market in Smithville.
Front Porch
1. Layered rugs are really trendy right now and a great way to greet your guests. When choosing a rug always ensure that the rug is as wide as your entire door threshold, including transom lights. This porch included a 5’x7’ base rug with a 3’x5’ throw rug over the top.
2. Autumn is Mother Nature’s time to shine. Let the gorgeous autumnal colors set the color palette for your fall decorating. This front porch is set with muted autumn tones.
3. Natural elements such as acorns, pinecones, wheat, and berries add depth and texture to indoor and outdoor decor.
4. Layering lanterns, pumpkins, and mums is a classic fall look that will carry you from September through Thanksgiving. Cara swapped out traditional bushel baskets for galvanized beverage tubs with gold handles this season.
Dining Space
1. Adding copper mugs and brass brings both warmth and shine to your tabletop setting for Thanksgiving.
2. Decorating with fresh eucalyptus is simple and beautiful. Layer it like a garland around real pumpkins for a fresh centerpiece that will last for weeks. The eucalyptus will dry and last through the season.
3. Cara loves creating dining table centerpieces in hollowed-out fresh pumpkins using floral foam and fresh seasonal flowers, a tradition she carries forward from her mother.
4. Adding candles is a great way to add warmth and light as the days get shorter and temperatures drop. Brass candlesticks can be picked up from a secondhand store for inexpensive fall decor that will transition into the holidays.
Living Space
1. Swapping out pillows is a quick and easy way to add seasonal color to your living room without committing to orange, deep purples or mustard yellow all year long.
2. The artwork on the mantle helps everyone remember to practice gratitude during the Thanksgiving season.
3. Silver dollar eucalyptus will dry well and last all season on your mantle.
4. Fall is a great time to add wooden home decor accents along with seasonal foliage.
Inset tips:
5. Oversized pitchers and urns filled with stems are a quick and easy way to usher in seasonal foliage.