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Home Update: Contrast Trim, Affordable Christmas Garland, and Plan for Living Room Built-In’s

I thought it would be fun to start posting updates about our home progress, DIY projects we are tackling, and favorite decor/home products we have found.

So much work goes into making a home feel personalized, so keeping track of all the little wins is fun!

I hope this is interesting for you all and provides many helpful tips along the way, too!

Contrast Trim

I love the quiet drama of contrast trim, so I was excited to implement this in our new home.

We went with SW Alabaster for the walls and SW Accessible Biege for the trim. The accessible biege is a nice neutral that adds a little touch of warmth. Notice I have not painted the kitchen yet! That’s our next project.

We didn’t realize how dingy the old paint job was until we started painting. The fresh paint made everything feel neutralized and clean and helping me have a better vision for the design of the house.

best faux Norfolk garland for christmas

Affordable Christmas Garland

The holidays are coming up quickly! I always find myself behind the eight ball, so this year, I got my garland before things started selling out.

I purchased some of the Real Touch Norfolk Pine garland from Afloral. While it is absolutely stunning, it’s also so expensive.

I decided to try out the popular Kirklands dupe to compare quality, and it’s literally the same product for a fraction of the cost. Plus, with Kirlands coupons, you get an extra discount!

I purchased about five 6′ garlands for my mantel and a 15′ garland for our staircase. I also bought a few Norfolk pine stems from Aforal to use as fillers for the mantel garland and use around the house. They are excellent quality and easy to arrange too.

Living Room Built-In’s

If you saw our new home tour, I mentioned the lack of storage in the house and the idea of adding custom closed storage on either side of the fireplace.

After some research, we decided to use the Ikea Pax wardrobe system as the “shell” of the built-in. We will trim them out for a built-in look.

The Pax wardrobes are the best way to get a high-end custom look on a budget. Having the Pax frames as a starting point is easier for us to work with as DIYers. We are not skilled woodworkers, so trimming a cabinet will be challenging enough for us!

Initially, I planned for two 29 1/2 x 22 7/8 “ side by side on either end of the room. After getting them in place, I realized this cut into our living space too much. Instead, we decided on a “step back” design where the cabinet closest to the living space is more shallow (19 5/8 x 13 3/4″).

I plan to incorporate some open shelving on the smaller unit as well. I was worried this idea would look off, but after getting the smaller cabinet in space, I knew it was the right decision. Stay tuned for more updates!

Have a lovely week!

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