As I shared last week (HERE), I had the chance to stay at my friend Cheri’s house when I took Calvin to Minnesota for a quick trip to visit some friends.  The trip was for him, and I was just there to drive the rental car and be the mom if he had any issues with his T1D.  But it ended up being a real gift to me as well.  It was a chance to step away from home projects and daily chores.  Aside from an occasional ride, there was nothing I needed to do, so the days felt long and luxurious.  I set up a temporary workspace and studio on the dining room table, where I spent most of my time painting and writing.

Of course, I did poke around Cheri’s beautiful home to admire her collections and handiwork.  I set up a few still life vignettes and photographed them for my own future reference and to share on Artist Reference Photos (you can find them HERE).  I also admired some of Cheri’s own vignettes and decorating choices.  She is incredibly talented, and I found a couple of ideas I loved and am stealing to use in my own home.

The first idea is to repurpose an old wire dish drainer hung on the wall and put to use as a brush rack.

Isn’t that so clever?!  How have I owned an antique dish rack and a plethora of brushes and not thought to put the two together?  I like that it turns brushes into three-dimensional art, but it’s also a practical way to dry brushes after cleaning them.  I love it when form and function meet.

The second idea is another one that should’ve been obvious to me.  Cheri mounted a shelf to the fence around their pool to display shells.  Or perhaps the shelf was already there for another purpose, but either way, I love how it turns the fence into a backdrop for a collection.

If you have followed me for a while, you know I love beach combing and I bring home bags of my treasures when we visit Isle of Palms each spring.  I put shells in jars and bowls around the house, perched on stacks of books, under cloches, and outside in the garden beds, birdbath, and nestled in pots.  How have I not thought about hanging a shelf on the fence for more display space?

You can find posts about how I decorate with shells in the home HERE and the garden HERE.

I love how this idea takes something traditional for interior design – a wall shelf for display – and moves it outside where it’s unexpected.

There were so many other great ideas and “moments” sprinkled around Cheri’s home and garden, but those were two I hadn’t seen before, and I immediately wanted to use them in my own home.  If you would like to see more of Cheri’s home, style, and her recipes (she has amazing taste), you can follow her on her blog HERE or Instagram HERE.