My First "Easy" DIY Project: Juliet Balcony Update

One of the things that has bothered me since we built our house two years ago is that the Juliet balcony railing does not match the stair railing. I said I was going to have it replaced because it resembled a jail cell. I just figured that it was the way the house was built until I realized much later that everyone else with our floor plan had railings that matched their stairs.

You can see that the stair railings have embellishments called knuckles. 

I found knuckles I could buy at our local home improvement store, but they were in one piece. The balcony railings are soldered to the floor. There was no way I could remove a railing piece to add the knuckle. If they just came in two pieces...

Well, a quick google search showed me that this is really a thing. I found a local company that offered them for $1.29 each. I ordered them online and two days later they were delivered to my door.  They are plastic and come in two pieces that snap together. You cannot tell the difference between the iron and plastic ones at all.

Here it is finished! It took me forever to find a pattern that would mimic the stairs. I couldn't match it exactly because of the number of railings. I found a pattern that looks the same unless you are counting the knuckles on each railing. The installation was so simple, too! You just snap the pieces together, and you can move them up and down the railing to make them level.

Here is the before again.

Finally! I know we all have things that bother us about our homes. I've learned from experience it cane all be fixed with a bit of creativity not to just fix the problem, but make it one of your favorite features in your home. 

Don't think this balcony is complete! The homebuilder in the "expensive" section of our neighborhood has almost exact floor plans as mine, but with a bit more square footage and extra features. This wood trim under the railing is one of those features. I can have that same wood trim for about $50!

I just have to talk my husband into getting his saw out again!

Fall Foyer and Repurposed Decor

A little pop of orange and an elegant glass pumpkin is all this room needed to welcome fall. You might also notice the new lamps!

I didn't include it on my fall post because I was debating whether to keep the lamps here. I repurposed them from the dining room because I needed more light here. We have a chandelier in the entry with absolutely no way to replace the burned out bulbs because of the height so I haven't been turning it on as much. 

I don't show this view very often because it's still really bare. I'm hoping after Christmas I can remedy that with wainscoting on the second floor wall, new chandeliers and decor that isn't borrowed from other rooms. The bench is from the bedroom and the chair is from the dining room. I think it's time the entry got it's own furniture!

The bright side is I can definitely live with the way it looks for now!

Shop My House

If you don't see an item listed below the picture, please click on my Pinterest widget at the bottom of this post and look for items under "shop my house."

Foyer

Dining Room

Living Room

Kitchen

Breakfast Room

Media Room

Outdoor

Find me on Pinterest (link in sidebar) and find the board "Shop My House", or click on the widget below.  I tried to find similar items for some of the items that have been discontinued or alternate stores. If an item has been customized it will be noted in the description of the pin. Please let me know if you can't find something or have any questions!

Fall Decor Inspiration at Home Bunch

The Home Bunch is one of my favorite design blogs for inspiration. There are so many beautiful homes featured and I love that the sources are always included when possible. The fall post is no exception! There are over 100 fall inspiration pictures from over 20 Instagram home decor feeds. I am so honored to be included with these talented women. Here is a peek at some of the other homes in the post.

 Blessed Momma to Baby Girls

JS Home Design

Missy at Perch

Sanctuary Home Decor

 Blount Designs

Thrifty Nifty Nest

All of these homes have also been featured on Home Bunch's Beautiful Homes of Instagram series, and you can find their accounts on Instagram for more inspiration!

Fall Fashion: Pretty in Pink

It's been so long since I've written a fashion post! We're not seeing fall weather quite yet, but I know we're going to have a mix of cool and warm days in the weeks to come. These light and neutral fall transition pieces will keep you warm in the morning, but fit in with the sunshine of the afternoons. I own several of these items, plan to buy others and can only dream about the Chloe boots!

1 I own this tee in white and love the flattering cut. It comes in petite sizes too! It's a blogger favorite and selling out fast.  

2  I wear flats most of the time and the blush color is so pretty with white jeans. The suede makes it appropriate for fall.

3 This is the top I'm wearing in my profile pic. I love it so much that I went back and bought it in black. It's on sale too!

 4 My leopard flats are completely worn out after wearing them so many times over the past several years. The modern cut on these make me them my favorite so far.  

5 I am surprised at how much I have worn my gray jeans. They've truly become a staple. The toothpick fit from J.Crew has always been the best fitting skinny jeans for curvy figures since there's a little more room in the thighs. No creasing on the backs of the legs for me! 

6 I wear this cardigan almost every morning. It's the softest and coziest sweater I own. I gave so many as gifts last Christmas because I felt like everyone just had to have one. 

 7 I am completely in love with this Chloe boot! Michael Kors makes a knock-off, but sadly only in black so far. 

8 This scarf is a blend of cashmere and silk for under $100. It comes in so many colors too and would make a great Christmas gift. Yes, I said the "C" word. Sorry!

 9 I love to wear white jeans all year around and they look great paired with darker tops in the fall. However, the gray is a good alternative if you aren't comfortable in white jeans.

I hope you enjoyed this fashion post as much as I did writing it!