Renae Keller Interior Design

Autumn, I await your arrival all year long, and now that you’re finally here, you’re filling my life in all the wonderful ways only you can. Summer is too hot, winter too cold, and spring too wet. But you…you’re pure delight to all five of my senses.

My sense of smell thanks you for crackling fires in the pit on a Sunday afternoon, cinnamon apple cider and pumpkin bread. Talk about happy wafts of goodness.

My sense of sight thanks you for the rustic color of sweet potatoes, Benjamin Moore’s earthy Affinity paint collection, and the sight of haphazardly falling leaves, taking their sweet time making it to their final destination (until the next gust of wind, that is). I relate so well to those leaves and their timeline….

My sense of hearing thanks you for excited cheers at a high school football game and kids laughing on the playground at our neighborhood school (I can hear them all the way from my kitchen window!). And the fire I mentioned as a favorite smell? That sharp, powerful crackle gets me every time.

My sense of touch thanks you for re-awakening my soul every time I step outside and feel the crisp, cool air on my face. Still warm enough not to chill me to my bones, but cool enough to wrap up in a stylish scarf and jacket. Speaking of scarves and jackets, thank you also for the feeling of being cozy, comfy and safe in my scarf and soft sweaters.

Okay, so that't not me, but let's just pretend for the moment it is.

My sense of taste thanks you for that yummy chili I mentioned smelling, along with other stews and casseroles that are saved only for this weather. My favorite autumnal flavors, however, are from the rewards of my farmer’s market goodies: homemade pesto, tomato sauce, jam and salsa. My daughter Libby is old enough to help me in the kitchen now, so I imagine this will soon become a favorite mother-daughter adventure!

That IS me! The Kellers loooooove homemade tomato sauce, and Mama Keller loves making it!

What about you? What are your senses thankful for this season?

xoxo,

Renae

Perhaps when you think of decorative screens, you envision a panel that divides the family room from the formal living room that looks like it has never been sat in. Or maybe you envision the screens/dividers at a lower level church basement. You know, the ones that move on and off the track threatening to tip on you any second. Not exactly a “decorative” screen, but a screen nonetheless.

Thankfully, decorative screens have come a long way. Today’s screens are used functionally for sound absorption and heat reflection (heat from the fireplace bounces off the panel and warms the room), as well as for privacy and a way to creatively separate spaces.

Check out this screen from Hickory Chair. It appears Plain Jane at first glance, but if you look closely, those brown lines outlining the panels are actually nail-head trim. Glorious!

And how about a few polka dots hanging from your ceiling (can’t find the source — sorry!)? Such a clever way to gracefully divide the space without cutting off the entire room.

Clearly room dividers don’t have to be boring. Here are a few more fun and unique ones. I love the idea of using photos of your family in your panel…what a creative way to kill two decorating birds with one stone! Display your family photos AND create a division of space. Genius!

Room dividers can be elegant or durable, and made of everything from silk to wood to leather. I’ve even used decorative screens as headboards. (Not my work pictured, but you get the idea.)

What’s your next project? Could it use a little love from a room divider?

Renae