Have you guys been following along with all of the beautiful summer home tours this week? I’m so excited to be jumping into the mix and sharing my own home today. If you’re new to Driven by Decor, welcome! We moved into our 60+ year-old New England home almost two years ago and have been working our way around the house ever since, making over one room at a time. I’ve still got plenty of projects left on my to-do list, but I’d love to show you around!
Come on inside! Our foyer is long and narrow but fortunately there’s a small niche at the end of it for a chest of drawers that’s a storage powerhouse (which is sooo needed in our closet-deficient home!). There’s pretty much always something in bloom in our yard during the spring and summer and this is my favorite spot to keep a vase full of flowers or flowering branches.
It’s also the spot where you’ll usually find this little guy (I kinda have a thing for elephants :):
Also in the foyer is the Craigslist bench that I just finished stripping (full reveal on that to come soon!). This spring I placed a pair of my old riding boots next to it that hold small mason jars filled with water and a few flowering branches:
Hungry? Let’s head into the dining room. The plate wall is one of the first projects that I tackled after moving into our house and I love the impact that it has when you look into this room from the foyer.
Our dining room is pretty small with no furniture other than our table and chairs. Fortunately we have a quaint little built-in china cabinet to hold our plates and other tableware.
I created a simple summer centerpiece by filling this beautiful wood bowl (sources for bowl can be found {here}) with flowers from Trader Joe’s:
These pretty floral/gray napkins were bought with plans to turn them into pillows but they ended up fitting in so well with this space that I kept them for our dining table:
Ready to head over to our living room? Nature herself adds some beautiful color to it this time of year, making this window seat the most popular spot in the house. The flowers are so vibrantly colored that the whole room turns a light shade of pink!
I’m a girl who loves her neutral decor, but I decided to follow Mother Nature’s lead and add a few more pops of pink with a floral throw (it’s actually a tablecloth) and a few pillows:
Instead of spending money on new seasonal pillows, I simply wrapped a colorful fabric remnant around a white linen lumbar pillow that I already had:
On the other side of the sofa, I trimmed out two scraps of pink fabric with Greek key fabric tape and sewed the ends to create two circles of fabric that fit around the pillow and can easily be slid on and off of it:
The ottoman in front of our sofa is decorated very simply with some books and a large woven tray that holds a vase filled with fern fronds from our yard:
Our home office got in on a little bit of the summer decorating action too. Do you spy the new addition to our gallery wall?
Yep, my lion head door knocker is looking all fancy holding a mason jar full of flowers:
Our kitchen also got prettied up for summer with some beautiful lilies in one of the nesting herb crates hanging on the wall in our eat-in area. Sadly, it’s the only part of the kitchen that’s looking pretty at the moment since there are multiple projects going down in this space (I can’t wait to show you guys!).
Thanks so much for coming along on my tour! If you didn’t find your way here from City Farmhouse, then be sure to head on over there and say hi to Jen since she was the first stop on today’s tours – you will adore her beautiful home!
And you’ll also want to head over to the next stop on today’s house tours – No Minimalist Here. Sherry is an antique dealer and you’ll find that her home is loaded with beautiful, unique finds!
Thanks to Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for putting this week long tour of summer homes together! If you missed any of the tours from the first two days, you can catch up on them {here}. And thanks so much to all of you for taking the time to visit my home – if you’d like to follow Driven by Decor, you can get new posts via email {here} or follow me on Instagram or Pinterest. Hope to see you back here on Friday for the tour wrap-up!
Source List (includes affiliate links – see my full disclosure statement {here})
Foyer
Chest – unsure of brand/source – bought years ago at a small home store in NC
Bench – Craigslist
Mirror – Hawthorne Round Mirror
Elephant – HomeGoods
Dining Room
Chandelier – Ballard Designs’ Laurenza 8-Light Chandelier
Table – Drexel Heritage (no longer available)
End chairs – Darryl Carter for Thomasville (no longer available)
Side chairs – HomeGoods
Wood centerpiece bowl
Plates on plate wall – Juliska
Napkins – Anthropologie’s Butterfly Field Napkins
Artwork – Arhaus’ Grand Plaza Framed Prints
Living Room
Sofa – IKEA EKTORP
Slipcovered chairs & leather ottoman – Lee Industries
Linen pillows – Barn & Willow
Floral throw – Anthropologie’s Butterfly Field Tablecloth
Green vase – Anthropologie’s Wafture Urn
Woven tray – Pottery Barn (no longer available)
Gallery Wall
see full source list {here}
Kitchen
Nesting herb crates – Farmhouse Wares
Beautiful Kris! Happy almost summer!!!
Thank you Jen! I appreciate the sweet intro!
just gorgeous, kris! i adore the berry pinks paired with the charcoal grays, and the touches of green in your office. your home is just beautiful anyhow, but this look totally suits it!
Thanks Cassie!
Everything looks so pretty Kris! Love all those splashes of pink!
Thank you Rene!
So so beautiful Kris! I love the flower arrangement on your table! And your photos are stunning.
Thanks Julia! Gotta love Trader Joe’s!
Oh Kris the pink looks so beautiful in your living room!!!!!! I love it!! And your clever ideas for spicing up pillows are so smart – I’ve got to do that with scrap fabric! Everything looks beautiful – hope you are enjoying your summery home!!
Thanks Lisa! Did you notice that the green pillow didn’t make the cut? Back to WSH it goes!
I love the quick and easy pillow idea too. Even though I love to sew, it is nice to have some quick ideas that give you so many options. That pop of pink is so pretty with the gray.
Thanks so much Betty – I wish that I could sew well like it sounds that you can. This is about the extent of my sewing capabilities 🙂
Absolutely gorgeous, Kris! I love the pink you’ve added in along with all the flowers. It’s all so pretty!
Oh, your gallery wall is pretty special too.
Thanks so much Stacey!
Kris,
Your home is lovely. It’s fresh and inviting. I love your style.
xo,
Karen
Thank you Karen!
Hi Kris, Your home is so beautiful and I love all the summer touches. What a great idea for adding color to existing pillows.
xx,
Sherry
Thanks Sherry – I really enjoyed getting to see your summer home this morning!
Everything is gorgeous, I love your home and your style. Your office is one of my favorite rooms and that gallery wall is perfections. I also really love that plate wall, so pretty. Great tour.
Thank you so much Marty! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all of the work you’ve put into making this tour happen – you’re the best!
Gorgeous, Kris!! Those lively pops of color are perfect for summer, and I have to remember your pillow trick, such an impact for a simple update! We are so spoiled with all of our blooms, you’ve styled yours beautifully!
So true about the blooms – it’s one of the things I like most about our move to CT – our old house didn’t have a yard with many flowers/flowering branches but there seems to always be something in bloom here!
So cozy and lovely Kris. I love that view out your window! That would make me happy every single day 🙂 Your home looks like a magazine and you have a gift for creating comfortable rooms that are eye-catching. Happy summer! xo
Wow, thanks Kristin – I really appreciate your sweet words!
I don’t even know where to start!!! Your home is perfect in every way. My jaw dropped when I saw your dining setting. That arrangement and bowl!!! Love it all my friend! xo
Ha! Far, far from perfect my friend! Thanks so much for the dining room love – but I bet that your faux flowers are looking a whole lot perkier than mine right now 🙂
Beautiful all the way around! Your pink really adds the perfect touch, and the plant outside your dining room window…wow! Girl I am so going to copy your pillow ideas. Totally smart!! My husband and our budget thank you for that stroke of brilliance!!
Thanks Kelly! I had big plans to buy a few new pillows but after blowing my budget on the Anthropologie throw and napkins I had to go to plan B! Can’t wait to see your tour on Friday!
Kris your home is truly a visual delight! I adore how you created simple slipcovers for your linen pillows.Thank you for a wonderful grand tour.
Thanks so much Laura!
What a gorgeous home you have! I would spend hours sitting n the dining room bench just staring at those beautiful flowers, so lovely!
Hi Cristina – thank you so much! I’m looking forward to my hydrangeas starting to bloom so I can keep that bowl full of flowers all summer long!
Everything is so gorgeous, Kris! I love the colors. Your dining room is WOW and the window seat looks so inviting – I love how even the flowers you catch a glimpse of through the window are a beautiful pop of pink!
Thanks so much Chelsea! Those flowers are seriously so insanely bright that I wasn’t kidding when I said it made the room pink – I had to color correct some of those living room images because there was such a crazy pink color hue on everything!
Your home is beautiful! I love the powder room makeover too. Could you tell me about the two large pieces of art in your dining room?
Thanks for the inspiration
Sure – they are from Arhaus and are the Grand Plaza prints – you can find a direct link to them in the resource list at the end of this post. I love them because they’re so neutral and look great wherever you hang them!
I am really loving your entry way. I am partial to elephants so this definitely tickled my soul. So welcoming! I liked how you connected the outside space and that blooming bush outside your window with flowers and elements inside your home. Beautiful! Thank you for taking us on a tour!
Thanks so very much! I really appreciate you stopping by to see my tour!
Kris – I’m in love with your gorgeous home! Those pops of pink – swoon! Love your clever ideas with the pillows – I’ll be using that one for sure in the future! So glad we got to connect through the tour this week!
Thanks Doreen – ditto! It’s been fun finding new-to-me blogs on the tour (yours included!).
I love your table with the centerpiece. The lion door knocker is fun! But I love love love your plate wall. I have a juliska problem, such that, I can’t stop buying it. Love your home tour!
A fellow Juliska addict! Oh my gosh, I hadn’t even heard of Juliska until about three years ago but I just love everything they have and I live way too dangerously close to their Flagship store….
I love, love, LOVE the fuchsia color you decided to inject into your home thanks to that beautiful rhododendron outside. It is just stunning!
How lovely your home is. The touches of pink are great and a think the way you have wrapped the cushions in fabric are great.
Carolyn
Oh Kris, every inch is just gorgeous! I love all of the color you’ve added in for Summer. Your changes in your foyer are so, so pretty. And that bowl from Homegoods…gah! Love that so much! I think I need to make the 45 minute trip to our store. Lovely, lovely, lovely!
So, so beautiful! Love your home. The gray napkins and tablecloth with the purple/pink floral print is my favorite! Looks amazing!
There is an instant calm when I see images of your home, Kris…so beautiful! So great attention to detail – love the tray!!
Summer has arrived!! The sprinkles of peppy pink are just enough to keep it fresh and seasonal. Your pillows are a brilliant addition. Cheers to the summer!
Sharon @ zoesfrontporch
love the DR finishes. May have do redo my chairs. Do you have a source for your DR light????? LOVE< LOVE
Hi Laura – thanks for the dining room love 🙂 The light is from Ballard Designs – it’s their Laurenza chandelier.
Your home is so beautiful! Love the gorgeous flowers and pops of pink, and the dark walls in your office are fantastic! Great idea to add bands of colourful fabric around your cushions. Everything is so elegant, but also cozy and welcoming 🙂
Thank you so much for your sweet comments about my home tour – I really appreciate it!!
Kris,
Your summer touches are so fresh and beautiful. The dining room centerpiece against all the neutral colors in the dining room is stunning!
Thanks so much Christy – that centerpiece was kind of a happy accident from me just messing around. Love it when that happens!
You don’t know how many times I have referenced your plate wall to clients. It is the best one out there! Love your entry as well! Hope you’re doing well!
That’s so sweet of you to say Beth – I got lucky that I had the perfect sized wall for what I wanted to do. Hope you’re enjoying summer!!
Wow – those pink flowers out the window! Beautiful tour and I always love that plate wall and gallery wall! Gorgeous!
Shelley
I love all the touches of pink all around Kris! So tasteful and beautiful as always!
Hi, Kris! I admire your home. Thank you for all the work you have done to inspire your readers.Can you, please, let me know what are those lovely art prints in your dining room on the sides of the built-in China cabinet, and where you bought them. Thank you!
Thank you! I got those at Arhaus years ago when they were clearancing them out but then I saw that they started carrying them again a year or so ago. I’m not sure if they still do or not!
Hi,
You have many lovely ideas, beautiful things and great execution! The only problem is that I want to pin your pillow idea on pintest, but there is no Pinterest icon on your blog????Will you be getting one soon? It’s easy to do.
It’s great for marketing too
Thanks,
Cecilia
Hi Cecilia – thanks for letting me know – I do have a Pin It button but it can be glitchy from time to time. I just checked both Google Chrome and Safari and see one on my images in both of those – are you using a different browser than one of those? Thank you! Kris
Hi Kris! I am new to your blog and am loving it! I especially love the chest you have at the end of your hallway. I am looking for something like that. Can you tell me where you got it?
Welcome Denise! Unfortunately I bought that chest about 6-7 years ago from a small design shop and there’s no brand name on it so I don’t have a current source 🙁