Where do you start?
- Kristy Bettinger
- Jun 13, 2022
- 8 min read
Hello everyone!! My name is Kristy, And I want to share a little about myself, my family, and a whole lot about design!
I have a bachelor’s degree in nursing, however, in November 2021, I decided to focus on other dreams. I married David, my best friend 13 years ago, and we’ve been together for 19 years now! We are blessed with 3 healthy children: Hayden will soon be 11, Luke is 6, and 🌈💖Lynlee just turned 2!
We all have a love for travel, to visit places we haven’t been, to see new cultures, and bring new ideas back home with us. It’s amazing how much kids learn seeing how others live differently for the good and the bad! Last year I started a travel blog to have a way for our us and our children to look back at all the adventures and family memories made. Click the link below to check it out!
My 3 children are growing fast and if I can make ends meet by working from home, that is my dream for now!
In February 2022, I received my home bakery license! Yay! Currently, I take custom orders and sell gluten free muffins to a local coffee shop. You can find my page on FB @stylemesweettreats.
Gluten free baking is becoming my favorite as so many need it, but it is hard to find without getting processed/prepackaged food in our area. I love coming up with new ideas and designs for my sweet treats! There will be blogs on decorating, recipes, and more!
As much as I enjoy baking, and being home with my kids, my #1 dream is home designing.
I have a different view on home designing than I used to! I don’t have a home that looks like the perfect home out of a magazine. Nor do I try to keep up with all the newest home decor from Bed Bath and Beyond, Target, or the Farmhouse decor stores all around. I’m not saying that is wrong if that is what you do..please don’t take offense! I do love a lot of their pieces, but I’ve found a way to pick and choose.
I am definitely not saying that I never bought too much! Yes, I did, before I had children, then I quickly learned how fast money goes!
Styles change so frequently that you can spend, spend, spend trying to keep up! I found myself having garage sales yearly as I changed out decor that wasn’t needed or went out of style.. Did I even look at that piece over the last year? Did it bring me joy? I thought what is the point here? This doesn’t make me happy? David would repeatedly say “We just hung that there last month!” or “You’re selling that, didn’t you just buy it?” So lessons learned and creativeness came into play!
At one point in my life, I cleaned, and cleaned to the point when friends and family came over, they were afraid to walk on the floor or mess up the pillows on the couch. It took a few years of my life to learn this is insane to! So over the years my idea of what my home should look like and what is in my home has changed so much!
I want a presentable clean home that feels inviting and cozy, like your on vacation everyday. I don’t want to wait and wish for vacation to get away from a mess. I want to create a space that makes us happy to be home. Where friends and family want to come visit. And design functional spaces, if it’s not functional you don’t need it. Here we are 3 kids later.. trust me our home is never spotless, definitely lived in, and I enjoy life much more!
Today I want to share what I think about when designing a homey, comfy, useful, organized, personalized home that fits our family and children.
If you know our family personally a few of my tips won’t be surprising!
My first go to is always bringing the outdoors in! Our family is an outdoor family for sure. We love camping, nature, mountains, forest, lakes, rivers, oceans, sand, all of it!
When you go to the mountains, the beach, camping, any of the above life is relaxing and peaceful (most of the time!). Doesn’t that sound like an amazing way to start your home design!!
Another thought.. Do the materials or colors of nature change much!? No, they don’t .. helpful on your design outlasting the current trend!
Materials that I think bring the outdoors IN and make a room feel homey, cozy, & functional:
Earth Tones (tans, brown, grays, greens, blues) think serene not too bold. Looking at furniture, flooring, rugs, curtains here.
Neutral Paint on Walls with an accent wall of wood, stone, or color, are a few examples.
Wood: natural and or stained, furniture, accents, shelves, are a few.
Stone, natural, stacked, lots of options!
River Rock - love this, reminds me of mountain streams!
Concrete/ Limestone- countertops
Brick: flooring, backsplash, accent wall
Evergreens/House Plants/Greenery: preferably live plants to clean your air naturally! However, I can’t lie, all of mine are faux right now! It is less maintenance. I can do a lot of things, BUT keeping house plants alive is like nonexistent for me! 😔They last about 1 day..I am still trying!! I hope to get it figured out someday!
Ocean/Lake blues for accents: pillows, throws, glassware, are a few places to use and accent color.
Here are a few examples of materials I have used to bring the outdoors IN throughout our home:
These photos are vague, just to get your mind thinking of your own personal ideas. You will see the full design of each per room as I continue to blog each room of our home!
This is not a $500+ stump end table that you see on online stores. This came from a tree in our backyard that was blown down during a storm. I had David cut it with a chainsaw to size, so it is not perfectly level or a straight cut, all the more character! I’ll go into a tutorial on that when I do the full blog on the living room.
You can see the neutral light wall colors, woods, and brown earth tones!
OK We have the outdoors coming inside.. what is next!?
2. Add in heirlooms! We all have our favorite pieces from family and friends that have passed away or may still be here on Earth with us. We must display them! Depending on your piece, you’ll have to see which room fits it best!
Here are just a few that I have for examples, many more will be shown later as well!
I have this beautiful white vase from grandma Kuhn, and really unique plate grandma Bessie passed along from her grandma! These are displayed on a buffet in our dining room.
A few more pieces (left to right): The bear on the left was found at Grandma and Grandpa Bettinger’s. Middle photo, gold dish was Grandma Bessie’s, and the blue glassware is from my Grandma Kuhn; it houses my wedding jewelry. The white glassware on the right was also from my Grandma Kuhn, it houses more earrings.
Ok like I said there’s so many more! More to come on Heirloom’s for sure! I mean how many years ago where those items purchased and they still work in today’s design. Not only do they work BUT when I look at them I don’t think .. I paid $20+ for that..I have many great memories brought back!
3. Kids! Kids items are very important! and family! Those special first boots that they wore…
These were Hayden and Luke’s first pair of boots! I think we even lended them to a cousin for his first pair of boots! They are special, let’s display them on the mantle to remind us not to let a bad day ruin the next.. those little feet grow so fast!
Ok I need help! I tried to keep Lynlee‘s first boots for the other side of the mantle.. One is missing 😔… surely we’ll randomly find it someday!!
Hayden’s hand print from the end of his preschool year! It looks great on my dining room shelf!
Frame some of their artwork from school to hang! They will love it! Or hang it a display board. It is nice they usually have artwork to match the seasons and you can change it out! I have a space for this I will share later! 😊
Top priority is the family photo wall!! We have ours in the main hallway of our house, but there are many areas that could work!
4. Pieces from special events in your life. Wedding, anniversaries, graduations, many positive life changing events.
This faux fern was hanging above the dance floor on our wedding night! The pottery came from Old San Juan, Puerto Rico on our honeymoon trip! 13 years later.. still displayed on my dining room buffet. The pot has been broke (kids) but David E600 it back together on the back side to save it!! 🤣
Yes, I used this photo above in the heirloom section, but I’d like to point out that the faux grass in the log is also decoration used in flower arrangements from our wedding!
5. Add in your husband, child, or maybe even your own pride if you’re a hunter!
David’s first buck that he shot.. displayed in our living room! However, I know not everyone is going for a mountain/lodge vibe so it might be a little more difficult to find a room that fits.
He also shot a coyote many years ago that he took to a taxidermy and never received it back. 😒
A Bass that David’s dad caught and put onto a plaque.
6. Like to travel!? Shop for souvenirs that remind you how much you like a destination or brings calm, fun memories.
A piece of metal art I purchased when visiting Jimmy Don’s store in Texas! I was fortunate enough that he was in the store and personally signed it! ❤️
Of coarse we love Tennessee!! No I’m NOT a huge Moonshine fan honestly, but I purchased this sign as Gatlinburg is my favorite.. and hanging out in the rocking chairs outside Ole Smoky listening to the live bluegrass music play is one of my favorites!
Now when you look at your souvenir decor.. family memories come back and not why did I buy that!? I purchased this sign on one of our first trips to Tennessee, I would guess around 11 years ago!
Wow look at all this we have in our house already.. we haven’t even been to a store for trendy decor yet!!
7. Yes, there are many times I do need to fill in with other decor to finish off a space. My first go to is antique stores or yard sales. Why not make the old new again!
I love the mountain home idea.. so I had a blank wall in my living room that snowshoes fit perfectly on! Found these guys on e-bay!
Ok not a mountain fan.. still looking at the beach! These could be replaced with an anchor or boat paddles! Get creative!
David said, what is this junk, it needed a little wood glue and reinforcements.. but a good sanding, clear coat, and he approved to put it in our laundry room! 😉
More to come on these kind of projects for sure!
A mix of antiques and heirlooms here!
Ok and lastly! After all of the above, if you have space left hit up your favorite decor stores or get on Pinterest and find a DIY craft if your feeling it!
8. Sometimes you just gotta buy it…
Had to have it to add the boho to my little girls room! 🥰 I waited so many years for it!!
and clocks .. I did find some really cool vintage redone clocks, BUT 😅 Hobby Lobby fit the budget much better!
This is the beginning of a fun way to design your own personal space that your family will enjoy! These pictures were meant to be close ups, and purposely don’t show the entire space to get your creativity going to!
Coming soon is our own DIY home projects.. room by room design, master bathroom remodel.. airbnb projects, recipes .. and more!
Thank You for Reading! ❤️
Disclaimer: I am not a professional designer. These are my personal opinions and I am not giving professional advise or recommendations. Only use ideas on your own will. Thank you!
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