Oar Decor

I've heard it said, that when you think about design for your home, you should think about how you want your place to feel. Not so much look, but feel. While I've often thought that my taste bordered somewhere along the lines of country farmhouse to lake house getaway, with modern clean lines, and traditional nods, that doesn't describe how I want it to feel.

I want it to feel relaxed, casual, comfortable, and I want it to engage the outdoors. These are all things that I'm taking into account when shopping and designing for our home.

Now that many of our large furniture pieces have been bought (for the living room anyways), I get to start thinking about how I thoughtfully want to fill our walls. Space is at a premium, and I want choices to reflect us and the feeling of our home.

That leads me to this wall at the bottom of our stairway. I haven't shown you our stairs much, as they are very much in the before stages. 

The blue carpet is going, and will be replaced by wood treads and white risers, as well as a runner. At the bottom of that landing, I would love to plank the wall that is directly ahead. Not to mention a coat of fresh white paint, new barnlight fixture (we already have it, but we need to have the electrical placement adjusted before we can install), new switch plates, and something to fill the bare wall.

You know what I'm thinking of? Some oars.

Picket Fence Projects 

Oars can come across as very coastal,

which is a no no in our Sierra home.

But I think they can also come across as very lake house.

I'm all about a good lake house.

Houzz

They add age, character, texture, and shape.

Houzz

Doesn't this just make you want to hop in a canoe

and spend the day on the shady banks of a lake?

Original Source Unkown

Chatham-Ivy

Hickman Design Associates

If a dreamy blue lake house is up your alley, 

you might want to check the rest of this home out!

Home Bunch

Completely-Coastal

Original Source Unkown

I found these months ago, which are by an artist outside of the US.

I thought that if I wanted to add some color to that stairway, 

this would be the way to go.

And then, this spring, 

I couldn't believe it when the big retailer CB2 started selling a similar option.

Many other big retailers sell their own version of the oar as well.

Ballard Designs

Wisteria

Pottery Barn

I think I'll be looking to collect some authentic antique oars, 

like this pair that I found on Etsy, to create a mix of aged woods.

Ebay is a great source for antique paddles, so I'll probably be shopping there too.

I cannot wait to start collecting some oars that I love, but I think that might be putting the cart before the horse (isn't that how the saying goes?). Before you get to decorate, you have the joy of tackling all of the larger (and more expensive) renovations first, like planking, electrical, and installing the new stairs. 

Speaking of lake houses, me and my fan-bam are enjoying the shores of Lake Tahoe this week for our annual family trip, followed up by a visit from Jon's mom in just a few days. Next week I should have plenty of pictures from our fun to share.