Today’s post is a fun one! I thought I’d share a few of the things that I realize I love even more now than when I bought them as I look around our home.
Whenever I add something to our home, whether it’s a thrift store find or something brand new that I picked out after careful selection and planning, I always hope that it will be something that will stand the test of time. I love the feeling of knowing that I made the right choice and that the things that I’ve added to our home are true classics that I won’t soon be getting tired of or needing to replace. It’s not always easy to know if what you love today will still be something that you’ll love in two years, or in ten, but it’s something that I aim for. It makes sense for our old house to have things in it that feel like they’ve been here for quite awhile and that will remain here for a long time still. I also just think it’s really practical to have classic pieces in your home because it saves you time and money when things aren’t constantly needing to be replaced, and more importantly, it gives you a lasting sense of peace and satisfaction as you look around your home on a daily basis. So here are some of the things around our home that fit that description.
Things Around Our Home That I Love Even More Now Than When I Bought Them
Gold Arch Mirror
This is one of those pieces that I saw about a year before I actually ordered it and just couldn’t get it out of my mind. There’s just something about it. The finish and color are both absolutely perfect, the scale of it really gives it presence, and it’s a stand-out piece, but also just so classic at the same time. It was a bit of an investment when I ordered it on the Canadian site last year, but I never regretted spending the money because I still feel that it’s just “the mirror” and once it was in place, I never felt like I might want to upgrade or change it in the future. It’s here to stay. Now that I’m looking at the price on the American site, this mirror seems like an absolute deal at under $275! I paid about twice that in Canadian dollars. Still worth it though! Find it here.
Round Modern Traditional Coffee Table
This table definitely has a bit of a modern feel to it, but its clean lines and practical design make it a keeper. It has actually improved the flow of traffic in our living room and its two levels give us enough space so we never feel like we don’t have a convenient place to put things down, but it doesn’t take up much room at all in our smaller, closed-concept living room. Plus, I just think it’s really beautiful and it’s one of those things that’s just so easy to decorate and always looks good no matter what I put on it. I haven’t been able to find my exact table in stock anywhere, but this one is nearly identical (and somehow less than $300!)
Demi-Lune Console Table
I can’t get over how much I enjoy this table. I was worried it might feel a little too stuffy for me, but I think if you look for something with clean lines and not a lot of added frills like built-in drawers, demi-lune tables are always charming and understated and something that you’ll never tire of. I love a good entryway console table and I probably put way too much thought into this one, but I definitely ended up with the right one. I’m a little annoyed because I haven’t been able to find this exact one in stock anywhere and I really wish I could so others could enjoy it too, but I did find some very respectable options for other tables that I think would be choices that you’ll be proud of for a long time. (Just click the image to shop)
LL Bean Waterhog Doormats
OK, this is going to sound a little nuts, and I know I’ve professed this before, but oh gosh do I ever love these doormats. They last forever, don’t get worn-out looking like other doormats, and all they really need in terms of maintenance or cleaning is a little hose-down every 6 months or so if you feel like it. They just look so polished and tidy and have removed all doormat frustrations from my life. I have a couple of these crescent mats on both of my porches as well as a pretty blue rectangular one just inside our mudroom door for collecting the worst of the water, mud, and grass from our shoes. If you’re used to buying cheapo $10 doormats and replacing them every few months, these might seem like a bit of an investment, but you can create your collection slowly and add one to every door around your home over time, because the ones that you already have won’t let you down and won’t need to be replaced any time in the next decade.
Traditional Porch Planters
Once you get yourself a good doormat, all you really need are a good pair of planters and you’re all set as far creating a well-appointed porch/entryway area. Pro-tip: There’s no reason to wait until spring to pick up your porch planters if this is something your porch is lacking. You’ll be able to do something beautiful for the holiday season if you order your planters now, you’ll avoid finding that your favourites are sold out when it comes time to do your summer annuals, and you might even get a bit of a deal if you order during the “off-season”. I’ve had a pair of wood square planters for a few years, which I painted white. I love them so much, but the wood can deteriorate pretty quickly in humid climates like ours, so I wanted something that would look the same, but be kind of a “set it and forget it” solution. I found these white, all-weather square planters and I’ve been so thrilled with them all year. I use these “grow bag” inserts in them so I can just swap out what I have growing in them between seasons without having to replant anything. I pair the square planters up with some classic blue and white ceramic planters when I want a little extra color. This is a combination that I just can’t get enough of and that I know will serve me year after year.
White All-Weather Adirondack Chairs
When it comes to porch furniture, it doesn’t get any more classic than white Adirondack chairs. Or “Muskoka chairs” as they’re called here in Ontario. I’ll never get used to that. We had a pair of wood Adirondack chairs for about ten years, but they eventually started to fall apart and I didn’t want them to. They weren’t something I was ready to part with or something that I wanted an excuse to replace. They were just right. So when it was time to replace them, I spent about a year researching all-weather Adirondack chairs so that I could have a pair that would last us for as long as we wanted them to. I was looking for the right design for comfort and appearances, sturdiness, and of course a good price. I finally ordered these this spring and I’ve been so thrilled with them. As the reviews say, these chairs are perfect. I’m just waiting for an excuse to order more. 🙂 Here’s a very similar all-weather coffee table as well. I feel like the little curved edge on the front really makes a difference.
Ruggable Washable Rugs
My first experience with Ruggable was for a sponsored post a couple of years ago and I loved the 8×10 rug they sent us for our living room so much that I ordered a runner for our mudroom as well. I’m not sure I’ll ever go back to non-washable rugs. They’ve really nailed the design with these because they look like beautiful, vintage rugs, but the top layer can be removed easily and thrown right in the washing machine. They seem to add new styles on a really regular basis and I keep finding new designs that catch my eye. Right now I’m really loving this Hendesi Heriz Cream rug with all of its different warm neutrals. It even has a tiny bit of soft blue, so it would still work for me!
Tufted Upholstered Headboard
I bought this headboard about six years ago because we needed a headboard, it seemed to be vaguely the style of headboard that I wanted, and it was cheap. I couldn’t believe how lovely it was when it actually came in and I still love it all these years later. I can see it from my spot on the couch in the living room when I look over towards our room and it always makes me happy. The shape of it, the quality of the tufting, the texture of the fabric, all of it is just so nice and I really have no motivation to replace it with something more expensive, even now. If you’ve been putting off buying a proper headboard, just get this one. You won’t regret it.
MORE IDEAS LIKE THIS
- Our New White Velvet Curtains and How to Hang Curtains With Rings
- Ruggable Washable Rugs Review
- All-Weather Adirondack Chair Review
- Perennial Planter Ideas
- One Small Change in the Living Room and Some Summer Decor
- The Creek Line House Decorating Archives
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Courtenay Hartford is the author of creeklinehouse.com, a blog based on her adventures renovating a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada. On her blog, Courtenay shares interior design tips based on her own farmhouse and her work as founder and stylist of the interior photography firm Art & Spaces. She also writes about her farmhouse garden, plant-based recipes, family travel, and homekeeping best practices. Courtenay is the author of the book The Cleaning Ninja and has been featured in numerous magazines including Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, Real Simple, and Our Homes.