Welcome again for more global decor advice from myself and some favorite ladies as part of The Global Styler series. This month we are focusing on the dining experience. Because bringing in a total global experience can be expensive to start from scratch, I’m going to share my top favorite ways of bringing the style to a table with the basics you’ll already have.

1. Textile Table Cloth

Invest in a washable artisan made fabric. African mudcloth, serapes and suzanis are my favorite choices for this. They’re generally light enough for easy washing but vibrant and textural for that boho style.

2. Artisan Made Centerpiece

Scour thrift stores or buy directly from reputable fair trade artisan sellers. Pottery/cermics, wooden pieces and brass are all great places to starts. You can find etched brass candlesticks and pots (plants are perfect inside these) with Asian designs. Pottery from Mexico either a large piece on its own or smaller pieces grouped together. Imari ceramics are intricate and are A perfect conversation piece. A wooden bowl, sculpture or small figurines from various countries in Africa.

3. Mix in global dishes with existing dishes.

Buy glasses or a single dish for the table setting and use your existing dishes or inexpensive ones to fill out the rest of the table.

Once you’ve got these three spots of the dining experience complete, you can slowly build more pieces in. Every style for every space should be done in time for a true collected and well loved look.

GLOBAL TABLE SETTING INSPIRATION:

GLOBAL TABLE SETTINGS

From Kathy of up to date interiors

DINING DIYS:

DIY GLOBAL STYLE TASSEL PLACEMATS

From Stephanie of Casa Watkins Living

DIY ICE DYED NAPKINS

From Jessica of House Homemade

On June 1st, we’re going to begin our first official photo a day challenge. I know what you’re thinking, those can be difficult to keep up with. And yes, they can. The hardest ones I’ve tried to keep up with were either too vague for me to think of something to post or the overall theme of the challenge wasn’t my personal aesthetic. There’s room for the boho babes to play along too.

I’ve tried to make the prompts simple and specific enough that you won’t be lost for what to post but that you can also put your own spin on things. Of course you can always recycle old pictures and post them new. I wouldn’t expect you to work in a pristine picture of your living room if the day for living room is the worst day of your life. My goal is that we can build community, get creative and see the beauty within our own boho abodes. So you’re probably anxious to see the prompts, so here you go!

Again, the challenge will begin on June 1st so you’ve got a couple of days to start thinking about the prompts and how you may be able to play along. It’s probably helpful for many of you if I explain a little bit about why I chose the prompt for each day and a loose vision for what you can post.

Here we go!

1. Plants are the bees knees right now. And they have a perfect place within a bohemian style home. Show off what plant babes you’ve got. Whether small or large, show off how you display them, water them, enjoy them.
2. A messy bed freshly risen out of, the books on your bedside table, the way the light shines on your dresser. Show us the whole space, a favorite spot in the space, or how you like to enjoy the space (PG, of course).
3. Catch a creative shot of your room through your mirror, how you use a mirror in a vignette or on it’s own, or simply share a mirror selfie.
4. Whether you’re team light them or use them strictly as decor (or use LED ones!), candles create ambiance and fill out decor. Zoom in or zoomed out, share a shot with a candle.
5. Interpret this one to mean a dining room, a space you dine, a night out dining, your dinner, the space you prepare what you dine or what you dine on! Photos of dining rooms, to food to plates and more are welcome this day.
6. You’ve probably got at least one spot in your home with dreamy floors. Aged planks to tiled floors to gorgeous benis, show off how you dress up the space beneath your toes.
7. What good boho space lacks textiles? None I tell you! Any room, any textile, show it off! I love carpets, rugs, blankets, pillows, wall hangings- them all!
8. Everybody loves a good vignette. Doesn’t matter whether you go all in or keep it simple, show off a surface of your home you’ve styled.
9. You know what they say, treat yo self! Plucked from the roadside, picked from the garden, painted, embroidered- you name it! Doesn’t have to fresh flowers to be shown off. Show off anything with flowers.
10. Show off the fabulous things you’ve gathered shelfie style. Shelves on the wall, bookcase, china cabinet, or surfaces like a media cabinet, nightstand, or kitchen counter. Doesn’t have to be elaborate, but also have fun!
11. Everyone who doesn’t have the dream kitchen and/or bathroom they’ve always wanted is going to roll their eyes, but don’t! There’s loads of fun ways to jazz up existing tile. Then there’s tiled furniture. Or even decorative tiles you’ve got on display. Don’t dismay. There are loads of ways to interpret this prompt beyond the immediate thought. Even the tiles in a favorite restaurant works!
12. Art is open to interpretation as well. If you’ve made it, we want to see it. If you bought it, show it off! Downloaded it and framed it? That totally counts, too. Art means something different to everyone so show me what it means to you.

For years now I’ve come back to using the same types of items to decorate spaces. They’re a harmonious combination of items that look good in every space. They’re my favorites and I think it would be helpful to give you a list of those favorites in case you’re struggling with decorating, or you’re just nosey. Which trust me, I’m very nosey. So make sure you share your favorite items to decorate with in the comments below!

Scarfs: I always stop by the scarf display when I go to the thrift store because they’re an easy way to add color, pattern and texture to a space- for cheap! I love using larger scarves to embellish a table. I’ll use scarves draped over a chair for a mini upholstery change. Scarves also make pretty wall art!

Brass: I’m not yet ready to let this one go. I know it had it’s moment a few years ago, but it still lends so much to a space. Slightly rustic, aged pieces are my favorite. Brass lighting feels less polished and glam that the silvery versions. Brass animals are always welcome in any vignette I put together. And I think it’s fun to have them peeking around other pieces of decor. And planters. Brass planters! They’ll always be in style so pick one up if you get the chance!

Baskets: Always opt to use a woven basket when you have the choice. They look great as wall art, great on shelves and great tucked alongside other pieces of furniture. Line them with plastic and fill them with a plant. Stack lidded baskets to create a storage palooza table. In the kitchen and pantry, skip the plastic bins when possible and use the baskets. Baskets have an inherit warmness about them since they’re made of wood and wood is from the earth.

Gemstones/Crystals: My favorite use for crystals and gemstones is to fill in small gaps in my decor. I also enjoy incorporating them in hanging planters and vases that I make and even as drawer pulls.

Tapestries: Tapestries are really stinking inexpensive when you compare them to other home textiles. Because of this, I use them as curtains, to change up the look of an old sofa, as a table cloth and as shower curtains. The fabrics can be cut easily to fit a variety of uses.

Pretty Mugs: I’m a big fan of choosing pretty every day items. Dishes are a really easy place to start. And there’s something about mugs that I’m especially drawn to. Right now I have more mugs than I do friends, but I love being able to switch up that one small part of each day. Mugs are a useful accessory. Leave them out to bring a little pretty to the kitchen space. And remember, you can always use extras as small planters.

Incense: This one isn’t about visual decor as it is about the other senses that are still very much alive and in use when you enter a space. I use nag champa most of the time in my home. And there’s a plethora of decorative incense holders so it fulfills the need for visual beauty as well.

Books: If you’re not a book reader, that doesn’t mean you can’t appreciate their beauty. Many books are built in pieces of art. Displayed on a coffee table, leaned against a wall, to raise items in a vignette and as a makeshift tabletop. As long as you’re not tearing the pages out, I won’t hate you.

Whimsy: Remember how I mentioned that I like to take brass animals and have them peeking around other decorative pieces? Whimsy is the unexpected items that make you smile. Birds and unicorns are easy choices. But you can choose anything. A playful child’s toy on display, a smiling moon mixed in with your wall decor, choose something you enjoy and that will make you and others smile when they see it.

OOAK pieces: Spice up a vignette and make your decor unique. One of a kind pieces include things you make yourself, pieces you find at a thrift store, local artists’ work, and inherited pieces. Shopping at big box stores makes keeping up with trends easy and they help build a big picture for a space, but make it your own by mixing in those one of a kind pieces.

If you enjoy these kinds of things as well, make sure you’re following me on Instagram: @adesignerathome. I just hosted a giveaway including all of these things and will be hosting a bigger one at 50k followers!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BUSjrNrhirx/