Spring has Sprung at Room 363

The holidays have come and gone and the cold, grey winter that Chicagoans endure is in full swing.  How tempting it is to stay in your pajamas, wrapped up in a blanket next to a cozy fire working your way through OnDemand - watching back-to-back episodes of all those shows you never had time to watch.  I managed to make it through Seasons 1 and 2 of Homeland this winter break, peeking out from under a pile of wool and fleece. The cozy fire part wasn't as successful since my husband forgot to open the flue and instead of roasting chestnuts on an open fire, I was opening all the doors and windows and evacuating the kids to another part of the house.  Upside is we got to practice the fire emergency drills the kids learned at school. 

I did manage to make it out of the house one of the days to see how things had changed at Room 363 since the New Year. I knew Mark was eager to rid the store of glittered holiday decor and was curious to see how he'd transformed the shop.

Here's a shot of what you'd see walking in the front door:

The store definitely has a feeling of Spring in the air.  For just a little bit, you can forget about the bitter cold outside and lose yourself in thoughts of the warmer days to come. (Can you tell I'm not a fan of Winter?)

You'll find fresh plants, fun mossy rocks, lanterns, butterflies, birds - everything to bring that refreshing Spring feel to your home.

You'll notice when you come into the store, Mark has the creative ability to use items in different ways.  He's constantly moving the store around and showing how you can use one piece in several different ways. You can make your house feel newly decorated just by repurposing something you already have.  It's not always about buying everything new, it's about being creative in using what you already have and supplementing with the new here and there. For instance, in the Fall Mark had this mirror made out of a recycled tire on the wall. Now, he's using it as a fun table centerpiece:

Think about ways you can change up your home just by reconfiguring what's already there. It'll keep you from getting bored in your space.  Have you ever read fashion magazine's that show you 5 different ways to wear one shirt?  It's the same theory. Buy timeless pieces you can accessorize and throw in pops of trendy every once in a while. 

For those of you who visited us at {theNOOK} Holiday Pop-Up, I wanted to share a picture of the transformation that has happened to that space in the last few weeks.  Alicia's Photography was kind enough to let us borrow her space before she moved her studio from 5th Avenue Station to 32 W. Chicago, Naperville. Here's how her studio looks now:

Can you believe it's the same place?  She did a great job of make it feel warm and inviting. 

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

-Maria