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Holding Area

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June 5, 2013 By Jackie

I have a holding area for decor. Is that weird? Throughout our entire basement finishing project I have collected pieces I love here and there. It takes the pressure off trying to accessorize the space all at once.

By the way, have you heard what The Nester is doing?  I love that girl…she is a genius.  She is voiding her home of all accessories for the next 30 days.  That means empty surfaces.  She is going to let her home breathe, and learn what she misses most.  I almost considered doing the challenge with her, but the timing is off for me.  I am at a different phase in my home.  The basement has breathed for years and I am ready to put it together.  So while The Nester hides away her accessories, I am putting my hoard out in plain sight.

I bought this three-tiered turquoise cart for the studio. It was pure and simple love, but I had no plan for what to do with the cart. It sits neatly by my tri-color dresser. Incidentally, it has come to serve a very important role in my studio.

kitchen cart

The cart is my holding area. It holds decorative items I am planning to use in the family room. It holds thrift store finds that have yet to find a home. When new decor comes into my home it goes here first until I decide where to put it.

decor holding cart

I used to try to keep my decor stashed away. That technique works well for my party decor stored away in an armoire, which I use infrequently. But for home decor, out of sight is out of mind. I forget the things I have found and want to put on display.

I LOVE having my recent finds sitting on a cute little cart staring back at me. When I walk by they chant “use me, use me”…yes, in my world accessories are like the toys in Toy Story begging to be played with. Luckily for them they have a better chance of being used when they are out where I can see them.

Lets take a look at what’s on each shelf right now.

The top shelf is holding the corked glass jars I found at Savers. It is holding the cutest ever yellow lantern found at Home Goods. The tube mailer has two art prints I ordered for the basement mud room.

holdingcarttopshelf

The middle shelf has a stack of cute grellow pots from Ikea, a vintage pyrex casserole dish filled with jumbo turquoise clothespins, a Martha Stewart recipe box that I have never used for recipes, my new vintage yellow tape dispenser, and a glass insulator cap.

holdingcartmiddleshelf

The bottom shelf has a the start of my new thrifted decanter collection, a decorative dish, a small teal bud vase, and a trio of white and yellow vases.

holdingcartbottomshelf

Another bonus to putting everything on the holding cart is seeing how everything looks together.  It is a bit of a pre-staging area.  Right now as I collect items for the family room and basement kitchenette, the cart showcases yellow and turquoise finds.  They all look so pretty together…I know I am on the right track for our fun, happy family room.

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Comments

  1. Jessie @ Cape 27 says

    June 5, 2013 at 8:55 am

    Haha, I almost bought about half of the things on this cart throughout the past few weeks myself. Seeing them all together is making me seriously regret passing them up :(

    • Jackie says

      June 6, 2013 at 12:46 pm

      Jessie, That’s crazy, but most of this stuff would look awesome in your home, too. I think we have very similar color preferences :)

  2. Terri says

    June 5, 2013 at 12:10 pm

    Now that’s a cart full of happiness!! Can’t help but smile when you see that. I’ve been so drawn to the teal/turquoise/yellow pallet recently so this is right up my alley. You’ve inspired me to create my holding area in a prettier fashion rather than being dumped in plastic Rubbermaids tucked in a closet … out of sight out of mind is right! Thank you!!

  3. Gwen says

    June 5, 2013 at 2:11 pm

    This is the best idea yet. To me your home is very uncluttered. So ui do not think you need to declutter quite yet!!! each piece is so perfectly chosen for the spot! whereas im a sentimental touches decorator…im given a gift that may move around my home as seasons change or my mood decides, but to never display that oil lamp made from this and that made by Dad that Christmas we all had to make our gifts?!! I would be sad! but in your home…It is a spacious space so what looks like a lot in this holding space is not that much considering your home’s size!! But I’m happy to look at your cheerful stash. In plain view. It looks good in the cart while you wait for the time to place them…win!win!
    And you know what else I like? You are an honest wife. Not hoarding stashes hidden from us and your spouse… I do not believe in that!! If I have to hide it away then I should not be buying it!!!
    Oh. Off the wall but looked at a CB2 catalog yesterday and your chairs? Now yellow, appears your table color, and black legs….ON SALE!! Just an FYI :-)

  4. [email protected] says

    June 5, 2013 at 8:15 pm

    Great idea to pre-stage the accessories – so many different combinations!

  5. SarahN says

    June 17, 2013 at 12:20 am

    I need blank spaces (esp in my teeny tiny loft), so I have to be ruthless with accessories. I suppose that’s one things I scoff at – the proliferation of them in stores, as I can’t get in on them :o But I like the ‘breathe’ idea, might help others really trim things down. I do love a ‘pre move’ home when it’s all neatly packed away and everything back to a blank slat of possibilities!

  6. Liz says

    December 5, 2014 at 12:17 pm

    Do you know where I can find that recipe box? I have the Martha Stewart Collection in this color and I am only missing the recipe box. They no longer carry it, and I have searched EVERYWHERE for it :(

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