Creating a Meaningful Home: At the Picket Fence

Todays guest post for the Creating a Meaningful Home Blog Series is Vanessa of At the Picket Fence. Welcome Vanessa

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Hi there! Im Vanessa from the blog At the Picket Fence and I am so honored to be here as part of Jennas Creating a Meaningful Home series! Thats me below with my wonderful husband and our two precious kiddos. I was so thrilled when Jenna asked me to share what I believe it means to create a home with meaning because that is exactly what Ive set out to do in my own home.

Ive always found it interesting when people take offense to the word homemaker. To me, being a maker of a home is one of the greatest joys and privileges! And I believe that title is applicable to anyone who loves the process of creating a warm and welcoming space to call their own.

For me, adding meaning to my home is all about having pieces of the past incorporated into my decor. My sister and parents all live in different states so it feels even more important to have these links to one another and our shared heritage. Im probably never going to have all of the latest design trends on display, but what I hope to have is a home which reflects my love of history and family.

The trick for me has always been blending antiques and vintage items into my traditional style home while still keeping things feeling fresh and updated. In my living room I have pieces which were purchased at least 15 years ago, alongside pieces which were purchased 2 months ago, alongside pieces which belonged to my grandmother.

This china cabinet belonged to my mothers mother and made its way to our home last year. Ive said it before and Ill say it againthis wont ever be painted! But, by filling with with white and off-white dishes it keeps it from having an overwhelmingly antique feel and it seems right at home in the same room as my brand new mirrored cabinets.

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One of the things Ive recently found challenging is how often Im easily swayed by what I see on other blogs or Pinterest. Ive contemplated painting my dining room set over and over again but just cant ever bring myself to do it! Of course, that may be because my hubby would think I was officially off my rocker (Im only currently unofficially off my rocker!) if I did. But, instead of taking a paintbrush to this set which was one of our very first purchases as a married couple, I decided to make drop cloth chair skirts to give it a more casual look.

Sometimes creating a meaningful home is also about changing the things you can change and embracing the things you cant. Or at least the things you cant change for now. In our downstairs bathroom, simple updates like a new faucet and light fixture, along with an inexpensive mirror, help to offset a tiled counter top that isnt exactly my first choice. And a simple no-sew burlap vanity skirt helps to disguise cabinets that were dark and closed in the room.

Creating a meaningful home can take on many different forms. My daughter sleeps on the same oak bed that belonged to my mom as a little girl. Then it belonged to my sister (Auntie Heather) and we spent many a day pretending that bed was a ship navigating the open seas or a wagon bouncing along the prairie. Her room is filled with vintage items which have been passed down through our family. But some, like this vanity, are pieces which are new to us but blend in seamlessly with the rest. It must have been cherished by another little girl at some point and I know my own sweet girl loves to spin on that stool and talk to her reflection in the mirror a la Anne of Green Gables!

More than anything else, creating a meaningful home means keeping in mind the lives of those who live there. It might mean turning a bookcase into an American Girl Dollhouse for a little girl wh o has fallen in love with all things American Girl!

And it might also mean finally coming to terms with the fact that your little boy is getting older and while the play-room no longer has a wooden train table, it does have a cool new Dartboard cabinet made using an old kitchen cupboard.

My goal has always been that our home is a reflection of who we are as a family. You might walk our front door and think that the style isnt quite the same as your own. Y ou might have made different choices or placed the furniture in a different position. But, I hope that anyone who walks through that door finds a home that is warm, welcoming, friendly andwellmeaningful!

Thanks again for allowing me to share from my heart with you today and a BIG thank you to Jenna for having me here!

Thank you so much Vanessa for sharing the amazing ways you incorporate the old with the new in your home to create a meaningful space for you and your family. With Vanessas traditional aesthetic, shes been able to beautifully create a home that reflects her love for history and family. She displays pieces that are decades old alongside others that were purchased last week.

Vanessa, along with her blogging bud & sister, Heather, have a fabulous and inspiring blog filled with DIY projects, party ideas, recipes, and much more. A perfect project for this time of year that Heather and Vanessa created are these faux-aged garden pots. Dont they look fabulous?! Its amazing how easy terra cotta post can go from new to years old in just a few minutes.

Head on over to At the Picket Fence, and give Vanessa (a nd Heather) a BIG HELLO!

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