Here’s What You Always Need To Have In Your Home’s Wardrobe Capsule

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Tired of spending money while trying to create a new look in your home?  What you need is a home decorating wardrobe capsule!  Here’s what your capsule needs to include.

Have you ever heard of a wardrobe capsule?  Evidently, it’s a term that was coined in the 70’s by a boutique owner and it refers to keeping a collection of essential clothing items that won’t go out of style (at least anytime soon), consists of pieces that can be interchanged and worn with other articles of clothing and can be supplemented with new or seasonal pieces.
living room decorated with neutral modern farmhouse decorPinI firmly believe that the same concept of having a wardrobe capsule in your clothing closet can and should be used in our homes!  Imagine having a supply of decorating staples that you can pull from time and time again.  Items that are classic and not trendy.  Items that you can add to seasonally or allow you to mix things up for a whole new look.

Whether refreshing my home for the change of seasons, decorating for a holiday or just when I’m ready for a new look, things are always changing around here at Worthing Court.  There’s no fun or challenge in simply running out and buying something new every time I’m ready for a change (not to mention what a drain it would be on my wallet).  I find it much more satisfying to reuse as many items from my stash as I can.

With that in mind, I’ve learned to keep a variety of decor staples in my home’s wardrobe capsule.  Here’s my list of staples that you’ll want to include in yours!

CRATES, BOXES, BASKETS AND TRAYS

Oh goodness – the possibilities of what can be done with these decorating staples are limitless!  You will frequently see me using a basket or tray as a backdrop to a vignette.  When decorating shelves or bookcases, I find that adding a solid piece behind your decor will give the area a more finished look.

You can see that I used not one, but two trays as a backdrop on the open shelves in my breakfast nook one Christmas.  The entire arrangement looks so much better to me than if there was just bare wall showing.  Plus, a tray at the back of a shelf helps your decorations to pop!

CHRISTMAS IN MY BREAKFAST NOOK

Christmas open shelves decorated using tartan plaid plates and mugsPin

Trays are awesome for grouping items together and giving them importance.  The three plants grouped together on a small tray on this bookcase look so much better than if the pots were just lined up in a row by themselves.

BOOKCASE MAKEOVER – TRADITIONAL CHERRY TO FARMHOUSE FAB

gray bookcases with sliding barn doorPinTrays are perfect for creating a vignette on a coffee table and for grounding a centerpiece on a table.

FAMILY ROOM REFRESH

neutral family room decorPin

Not only is a tray a great way to ground a centerpiece, it’s also a perfect way to group different items together to tell a story.  In this case, my tray is telling a story about spring.

WELCOMING SPRING

centerpiece on a wicker tray with florals and greeneryPin

 

OLD BOOKS

I hoard old books and use them everywhere!  I’m very picky about which old books I hoard though.  I typically look for books with black covers and/or black spines.  My favorite trick for using books is to add height to lamps, vases, containers – you name it.

DINING ROOM MAKEOVER REVEAL – BEFORE AND AFTER

dining room with a planked wall, diy hanging lanterns and a vintage mantel turned into a display shelf Pin

HOW TO GIVE AN ENTERTAINMENT CENTER A MAKEOVER

white entertainment center Pin

 

SHUTTERS AND BIFOLD DOORS

I rarely pass shutters and bifold doors up, if I find them a great price.  Talk about something that makes a great backdrop!  This area on our back porch wouldn’t look nearly as inviting without the set of bifold doors against the wall.  I have them simply standing on the floor and the chest is pushed against them to keep them in place.

COZY AND INVITING PORCH DECORATING IDEAS

outdoor chest and small gray chest on a porchPin

I added hanging plates to the shutters flanking the mirror in my dining room, by adding a plate hanger to each plate and running a thin piece of wire through the slats and twisting it together in the back.

If I really want to add some extra dimension and texture, I sometimes use suction cups or Command hooks to hang tiny wreaths on the front of the plates when doing seasonal decorating.

DINING ROOM MAKEOVER REVEAL – BEFORE AND AFTER

dining room with Martha Washington chairs upholstered with gray and white buffalo chick fabric Pin

 

LANTERNS

Lanterns are super easy to fit into your decor!  I believe there’s a style for every taste and budget out there.  Did you catch my previous post about the many ways you can decorate with lanterns?  It’s full of lots of tips and ideas!

FALL FRONT PORCH

fall porch decorations with a rocking chair and decorated urnPin

CANDLESTICKS

I like to keep a variety of sizes and shapes of candlesticks in my home’s wardrobe capsule (I have a special affinity for chunky ones though!).  I have silver, crystal and wood candlesticks that I can easily tuck into a centerpiece or a vignette.  I’m always looking for a bargain as I rarely pay full price for them.

OPEN SHELF DECORATING IDEAS

open shelves decorated with greenery, white and wood accessoriesPin

DISHES AND SERVEWARE

I love, love, love decorating with dishes!  I hang them on the wall, I stack them on a pedestal and I fill tool boxes with them on the shelves in my breakfast nook.  My everyday dishes are white – Mikasa Italian Countryside, but I love sprinkling in a few seasonally colored ones.  My favorite super affordable resource for dishes to decorate with is the dollar store.

COZY AND INVITING CHRISTMAS DINING ROOM

black and white dishes with red Christmas decorPin

WREATHS

Oh, how I love wreaths!  I have them everywhere around my home.  It’s really hard for me not to go overboard with them.

HOW TO STYLE A BOARD AND BATTEN WALL

white board and batten wall with hooks for decorationsPin

I keep a supply of wreath forms and grapevine wreaths in my stash so that I don’t have to run out to the store every time I want to make one.

HOW TO MAKE A MOSS COVERED WREATH

fireplace with spring decorationsPin

When I’m shopping, I’m always on the lookout for a great price on certain items that I’ll be able to use over and over to give the decor in my home a fresh look!  How about you – do you have favorite decorating staples that you like to use?

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44 Comments

  1. I used the spoon carved fronts of an old dresser as you did your shutters to hang on the sides of my picture on the fireplace mantel, they look awsome and I got the idea from you. You have a Beautiful home.

  2. Cynthia Kutra says:

    Have always loved wreaths and shutters. Enjoyed seeing all of your ideas…..

  3. Thanks Suzy! These are all great ideas. Love your home. 🙂

  4. I love all of your ideas. I especially like your shelving in your breakfast room. I would love to have the room to do something like that. It would be great fun decorating it for the seasons of the year. Happy decorating.

  5. Elizabeth says:

    I also love baskets, but I’m usually just using to control clutter! Love the way you use them in your arrangements!

  6. Kathy Bucciarelli says:

    Love it all!

  7. Ginny Evans says:

    Love how you change out the shelves in the breakfast nook. I’m just wondering if your colored plates are dessert plate size or dinner plate size?

    1. Hi Ginny. I usually use a combination of dinner plates and dessert plates so that I can layer them better. If you’re asking specifically about the green plates, those are dinner plates from the dollar store.

  8. Another group of great ideas to put in my file notebook for future decor ideas.

  9. Very helpful post! I need to add some trays to my decor stash.

  10. mattsgramma says:

    I love all the greenery you add to spice things up. Just noticed while scrolling through your post, that you put a small wreath on a small lamp. I love seeing something new and different every time I look and who doesn’t like tips on saving $$ by reusing what you have. Thank you for your practical and pretty ideas.

  11. Love these decor staples! I have some of these, but now I’m inspired to get all of them! 🙂

    I’d like to invite you to share this at the brand-new Farmhouse Friday Link Party! To celebrate the kick-off of this party, I am giving away a $50 Amazon gift card. I will also share your linkup on DIY Farmhouse Style Facebook group where I admin, which at this writing has over 130k members!

    I hope to see you there! 🙂

    Michelle
    The Painted Hinge
    http://www.thepaintedhinge.com

  12. Suzy, I just love your style! Great list and you reminded me that there are things I already have that I can use to redo the mantle. Like the old lantern out back. Thanks for sharing with us at the Family Joy Blog Link Party this week. It’s always great to have you there!

  13. These are great ideas. My mama always said that you can never have too many baskets! I am pretty well covered in most of these areas, but I need to get some shutters now for sure! Pinned and sharing. Thank you for joining us at Family Joy Blog Link-Up Party. I hope you will join our next party starting Sunday at noon EST.

  14. Thanks for these tips! I love your style!

  15. Kathy Bucciarelli says:

    Love your website and look forward to reading it each morning with my tea! I get so many ideas.

  16. Ronda Manager says:

    Always enjoy reading your post! Inspiring and helpful. Thank you!

  17. Debra Johnson says:

    A lot of great advice, I love your gray cabinet.

  18. Just stumbled upon your great blog through the Scoop Link Party (via Stone Gable Summer Home Tour, via Shabby Creek Cottage). You have great ideas, tips and tricks. You are now in my list of “go-to” blogs. Thanks for this giveaway!

  19. Julie Briones says:

    Great ‘staples’! Love your bookcase… always have! (Your hallway ‘dresser’ is another fave of mine!)

  20. You always have the very best ideas and ad vice. I have nautical decor as we live across from a lake. Any suggestions on incorporating your ideas with that theme? I’m bored with my present pieces, but stumped on how to make changes economically.

    1. Hi Doreen. It’s hard for me to give you specific advice without seeing what you have to work with, but I often find that just moving things around – either to different rooms or within a room can make them look totally new. I’m also a huge fan of spray paint for updating/changing the look of pieces. Additionally, lanterns and woven seagrass trays are a natural fit with anything nautical.