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A Primitive Place

www.aprimitiveplace.org

Email: info@aprimitiveplace.org

Primitive & Colonial Inspired Homes

All Roads Lead Home for the Holidays

"When it comes to Winter, who can resist the beautiful snowfalls, building a snowman, catching snowflakes

on your tongue and having a cup of hot cocoa when you are done sledding in the snow!

Memories are made from moments like these."

My husband Geoff and I have lived in Nebraska for about 10 years. We have five children. One girl and four boys...and one energetic puppy! My favorite thing about living in the Midwest is the change of seasons. I love them all. Spring and Summer are nice. My

I hope you enjoy this holiday tour of our home. I love decorating for any and all seasons but Christmas is a time to bring out so many of my favorite things. Ornaments handmade by our children, favorite Snowmen and Santas, also some older favorite decorations and ornaments that bring back memories from my own childhood.

Wishing you all Happy Holidays from our home to yours.

Geoff, Sarah & Family

All Roads Lead Home 2009

Photo Below: This is our big Christmas tree that is in our upstairs living room! It is "our life in ornaments" This tree tells a life long story from me as a young girl making ornaments in Brownies and Girl Scouts, to Geoff & I being newlyweds. Our first home... the births of all five of our children...the list goes on and on. And now our children's homemade ornaments are the ones that we cherish the most. We all love to get them out every year and put them on the tree. And whoever comes to our home enjoys looking at all of our memories hanging on the tree.

All Roads Lead Home 2009

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most favorite season has to be Fall, the colors of Autumn always amaze me. But when it comes to Winter, who can resist the beautiful snowfalls, building a snowman, catching snowflakes on your tongue and having a cup of hot cocoa when you are done sledding in the snow! Memories are made from moments like these.

Primitive Inspired Dining Room/Kitchen

All Roads Lead Home 2009

Photo Left: My bowl rack, made by my Dad, is very special to me. I just love it and love to change the look of it from season to season! My Dad has made several wood items in our home. I give him a "list" of the things I want, he cuts them out, puts them together and gives them to me unfinished ready for me to paint and prim up. I love to choose the color and the finish. Some of these items include my toaster cover, bowl rack, table bench and doughboard. All very special pieces that mean so much to me.

All Roads Lead Home 2009

Photo Left: Our Farmhouse Table was purchased very recently. So exciting for our family, we finally have enough room and enough chairs for our family of seven to sit around the table, with one extra chair to spare! I love it because it has a distressed finish, so with five kids some of the dents and dings made by the kids will only add to its "prim charm"!

All Roads Lead Home 2009

Keeping It Simple

Sarah Shares How to

Acheive this Look

Use your collections.

Be proud to display

the things you love. Sometimes having a whole group of crocks or baskets in one space is beautiful. Some people like to use them throughout their house. The main thing is to switch it up....group them together for a while, then split them up and use them one by one in different displays. A great time to do this is the with the change of seasons.

Photo Right: The centerpiece on the table is meant to be simple. I started with the three large bells. I always try to work in odd numbers when displaying. Then I added some simple faux greens. I like my faux greens to look as real as possible. After I put those things in the large resin bowl, I thought "that's it, I don't want anything else in it". Then I added the iron mitten candle holders with the rusty star pillars, because I love the soft glow of candlelight. To finish off the whole display I thought the red table square added just the right touch of color.

Photos Below: I have a little collection of the same type of snowman so I thought I would put them all in one place to create a "theme". The spools and clock are always on that shelf no matter what the season. So I started by placing those items first. Then I added the snowman, greenery and the basket on top.

All Roads Lead Home 2009

Photos Below: The Santas that you see pictured are some of the first Santas I ever bought when my husband and I were first married. They were made by a very talented gal in Iowa...right down to their hand molded faces, glasses and clothing. I just love them!

Photo Right: The top of my kitchen cabinets are perfect for displaying crocks, jugs, wooden bowls, jar lights and baskets...all of my favorite things!

All Roads Lead Home 2009

All Roads Lead Home 2009

Photos below: Pictured are the toaster cover and doughboard made by my Dad. The doughboard not only disguises the stovetop, but also serves as a perfect display space...changing it up with the seasons.

Lighting is so important. It can make or break

a display or a photo of your display. A soft glow is the best accent. Once again if you get done with a display

and it is missing something it might just need a little flicker.

I like the glow of the silicone bulbs, they make the greenery look more beautiful and they cast just the right shine on your favorite snowman or Santa.

Soften displays with greenery or fabric. Sometimes when you get a display done,

you think it just needs a little something. Nine times out of ten if you just tuck in a little greenery or a little fabric it will soften the whole look of your display. Don't overdo, just a touch is enough to make a big difference.

Use things in a different way. When working on a display have an open mind. Think outside the box, try and use something in a non traditional way. A candle holder doesn't always have to hold a candle, it could be used as a "riser" to get that snowman up higher in your display. Turn one bowl upside down and place another bowl ontop to raise everything up.

A chair doesn't have

to have a doll or a bear in it, set a sign

on it, place a bowl filled with greenery or bells in it. Never be afraid to try something out of the ordinary.

Not everything has to be "full". If a basket is gorgeous on its own, don't put anything in it to distract from its beauty. If a crock looks best empty, leave it empty it doesn't have to be overflowing with greenery or flowers. Sometimes keeping it simple makes the biggest statement.

Use different sizes, shapes and colors.

All of these things add interest. Place things at varying heights and use flat things like gameboards, cutting boards and bread boards as backdrops. Start with these things in the back of your displays and work your way forward. Cutting boards and bread boards are also a great way to hide something you don't want seen. Maybe an outlet or lightswitch on your kitchen counter for example.

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Decorating tip: By adding just a few sprigs of evergreen to your displays, whether it be fresh greens or artificial, it adds just the right touch!

Primitive Inspired Family Room

All Roads Lead Home 2009

Our home is very lived in. This is where the kids hang out most of the time. I still want it to have that holiday feel and I have to be prepared to "fix" something or re-do a few displays sometimes! But hey...that's o.k.

Decorating Tip: Old ladders are a great way to display your quilts and/or coverlets. Other ideas for ladders at holiday time are to hang your stockings from them and maybe a small greenery wreath or swag.

All Roads Lead Home 2009

All Roads Lead Home 2009

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Primitive Inspired Master Bedroom

All Roads Lead Home 2009

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All Roads Lead Home 2009

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All Roads Lead Home 2009

Primitive Inspired Master Bathroom

I think that ALL rooms even bathrooms need a few Christmas/Winter touches. Even if it is just tucking some greens here and there or just adding a wreath. Have fun with it!

In our basement family room the furniture is distressed. I love the look of it and again it is so practical for our family.

In my bedroom I used birds and nests. Some people think Spring when they think birds and birds nests. I really like to use them with greens, twigs and natural colored berries. You can get or make fabric birds in so many different colors, they will work for any season.

Birdhouses! Use these all year round too! They instantly take on a different look when you tuck snowmen and greens in with them!

Decorating tips: Crocks and jugs are also a great way to fill a space. They make such a statement all by themselves.

Everyday items such as totes, spools or boxes can instantly be transformed for the holidays just by adding greenery or berries.

Decorating Tip: Bring the outside in, I did a makeover on this outdoor bench and brought it inside. Great for extra seating or extra display space.

Place your Christmas tree in an old metal washtub, like Sarah did. She found this one for just $ 10.00! Your tree would also look great in a large crock, wooden crate or old basket!

All Roads Lead Home 2009

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Bedrooms are our "safe haven" they should be where we can come and have peace and quiet. Decorate your room with that in mind. Use your favorite things in your bedroom,

use soft lights and candles that smell wonderful.

I love to use lots of pillows on the bed, I think they add depth and also coziness. We have a mission style oak bed...I think the pillows soften the look of it. Change your pillows with the seasons, even if it's just one snowman pillow for example it will just add a hint of the holidays to your bedroom.

I have quite a few twig wreaths in my home, not everything has to be pine for the holidays. I really like the natural look of a twig wreath and I still think it can add alot to a Christmas or Winter display. If you really want a touch of color add a couple sprigs of green or a few small berries to a twig wreath. No need to mess with hot gluing them in, just tuck them in...so easy!

Hang wreaths with homespun, ribbon or twine. Hang them in windows or on mirrors. What a great way to pull a display together.

Old windows are wonderful to use in your home. Just by themselves or with a wreath or basket hung on them. I love the look of the chippy paint, I have never made over an old window. Most of them are fine just the way they are!

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All Roads Lead Home 2009

By adding greenery to the shelves I saw no reason to add anything to the basket, I liked the way it looked empty with a little homespun fabric draped on it.

Primitive Inspired Office

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All Roads Lead Home 2009

Decorating Tip: The main thing to remember when you are decorating is that there really are no "rules!" I may re-do a display 5 times (or more) before I get it the way I want it. Everyone has a different eye for what they want. Some people like symmetry, some people don't, it's all up to you! Just ENJOY decorating your home! Chances are if you like it others will too!

This is our office. We recently moved our two youngest boys into a room together. So now we can enjoy this much needed new space. Of course, there had to be a tree in there and some snowmen too!

Photos Below: Many of the items I use in my decorating have been bought at Goodwill, Salvation Army or Antique Stores. I love the "thrill of the hunt"! Finding that "diamond in the rough" that I know I can make into something that I can use. How fun taking someone else's trash and turning it into my treasure! And most of the time the cost is SO minimal! My favorite things to find are wooden bowls, mirrors with wooden frames, chairs, cutting boards....the list goes on and on! These pictures include two of my makeovers, the mirror and the candle holder. It is so fun to do makeovers and then use them in my Holiday decorating.

All Roads Lead Home 2009

Photo Left: It is a tradition in our house for Dad to read "Twas The Night Before Christmas". This book was given to our daughter Emily, by her Uncle when she was little. She is now 15 and the tradition still lives on and we love it! The kids love it too!

Twas the Night Before Christmas...

All Roads Lead Home 2009