Home Dec Month: Q&A with Shelley from House of Smiths

We were first turned onto The House of Smiths via the live tweeting during The Creative Connection event last fall. Shelley (who you can find tweeting at @houseofsmiths) seemed so genuine, funny, sweet and interesting that we couldn't help but click through and see what she was all about. Imagine our excitement when we found what would become one of our favorite creative blogs about DIY home dec, family, crafting, and all things related - what luck! We were hooked; and in celebration of Home Dec Month here on the SCC blog, we're thrilled to bring you this Q&A with the mastermind behind the House of Smiths blog, the lovely Shelley Smith. Enjoy!

All images courtesy The House of Smiths.

Stitch Craft Create: You've blogged several seasonal ideas using the same pair of white shelves in your kitchen. They form a great focal point! Do you have other areas in your home that you often redecorate?
Shelley Smith: Yes! Our shelves act as a make-shift mantel, since we don't really have one; it's great! Other areas in our home we tend to redecorate often are our table tops. Changing out our vignettes from one season/holiday to the next keeps things interesting and fun!

SCC: Your home has such warmth and personality. We want to move in! How do you keep things tied together from room to room?
SS: One of the best ways we've kept our small home cohesive, was to carry the same light, neutral colored paint pallet throughout our space. A house should flow nicely, without feeling too "themed". We learned early on that having larger items like walls and furniture that had natural tones (creams, whites, grays) were a lot easier to work around than loud, bold colors. Using pops of color through movable, less expensive decor like lamps, vases, pillows, drapes, etc... costs a lot less money and effort to change out, if you ever decide to morph into a different decorating style.

SCC: A home is nothing if not a haven for family! Do your husband and you ever disagree on decorating?
SS: We disagree on a LOT of things (ha!), but funny enough, decorating isn't necessarily one of them. We definitely have our own likes and dislikes when it comes to styling, but it just so happens that my cottage vibe works really well with his more modern taste. Mixing in a clean, modern lighting fixture under a somewhat distressed, cottage-type kitchen table, is what sort of defines our style!

SCC: Absolute favorite home dec tip you've learned?
SS: Start TODAY & Don't be afraid to try something new - So often I hear of homeowners who are scared to decorate their space how they wish it could look, for fear of not knowing HOW to do it the "right way". While I understand the hesitation, there is NO right or wrong way to making your house feel like a home. Forget about what everyone else likes. What makes YOU happy? What colors/patterns/items speak to you? Ultimately you are the only one who has to see the inside of your home everyday. If you don't like something the way it is... CHANGE IT! Get rid of those pillows that you hate on the couch, paint over those walls that drive you nuts. Stop waiting for your kids to get older and less messy, your bank account to get bigger, or your family or friends approval on what you think might look good. Just do SOMETHING. Making even the smallest changes to improve your living space, so it's a happier place for you and your family is better than doing nothing at all.

SCC: Next project on the list for your home sweet home?
SS: We're currently in the finishing stages of a new kitchen restyle, and can't WAIT to get it done so we can share the results with our readers!

- - - - - - -

A huge thanks to Shelley at The House of Smiths for helping us out with today's Home Dec Month Q&A! Visit www.thehouseofsmiths.com to keep up with her latest house projects, tips and goings-on, plus be sure to click on "DIY tutorials" for lots of great inspiration and how-to's!

Don't forget to join us TONIGHT for our monthly Twitter chat, the SCC Tweet Meet, at 9pm Eastern/8pm Central under hashtag #SCCmeet, to talk all things creative home dec and win great prizes! Follow us @SCCmag, and click here for more Tweet Meet info.