Decorating Challenge #1: Terra Cotta Pots In The Living Room

Remember the other day I told you I went to the nursery and came home with a variety of terra cotta pots? Just picked at random. And a couple of pretty boxes of matches. And not ONE plant!

A Challenge is in Progress:

So I have decided on challenging myself to see what I can come up with to do with these pots. Today is the first challenge.

What can I use an odd assortment of terra cotta pots for in my home? Hm.

Challenge #1:

So for the first challenge, I decided to use an arrangement of boho items on the coffee table.

I randomly filled the basket with different pots. And I even had a few left over. But this was all that would fit in the basket.

I thought about painting the terra cotta pots. But for this project I decided to keep them in their natural state.

Still Undecided:

Then I walked around my apartment with a question mark over my head, picking up this and that.

You see, I had not decided on the boho theme yet. I was pondering maybe a gardening theme.

But I finally settled on the boho theme for the living room challenge.

Figuring Out What To Use:

I went through my closets and looked around me. Then I gathered things that I thought would fit the theme.

First a plant, a small Buddha in an earthy tone, beads I’d strung, and the matches I bought,. Then I added the pretty distressed heart that Elizabeth sent me and a candle.

From time to time Elizabeth has sent me a box of goodies. She always sends a variety of baked desserts. And in one particular gift box she sent this adorable wooden heart.

On a dark rainy afternoon, I could light the candle and just gaze at the tableau before me.

All arranged on a boho stool with a glass top that creates my coffee table.

I found both the round basket and boho stool at Home Goods before the pandemic. I already had the piece of round glass. Which is actually pretty scratched from getting moved over the years. But I use it anyway.

I guess you could call the scratches texture! Yeah, that’s stretching things a bit. But…glass half full and all that.

Moving Forward:

Next I will move the terra cotta pots to a different room and see what I can come up with.

Would you like to join me in this challenge? You could use pots or vessels of any type. Anything that will hold something else. And challenge yourself to find a purpose for them.

You could gather up odd things you have around the house and spray paint them all the same color. Vases or jars or boxes for instance.

They have wonderful spray paint now. Terra cotta, metallics, blackboard paint and paint that gives the textured stone look. Just think what fun you could have with those!

Since we’re home so much now, we need to use our brains to create and keep ourselves busy. Creativity, I’ve learned over the years, breeds more creativity.

The idea occurred to me when I was walking around Southwoods on Friday. These pots were cheap and I knew I could have some fun with them.

I’ve always loved a challenge. Sometime this week I will show you another room where I’ve used the terra cotta pots for another purpose.

I do LOVE to repurpose!

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I'm Brenda, creator of Cozy Little House. I live with my cat, Ivy, who keeps me laughing. I graduated from journalism school with a degree in professional writing and won awards for feature writing. I practice gratitude and enjoy my solitude. The glass is always half-full.

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21 Comments

  1. This is so pretty, Brenda…and useful, too! I love how you used them in an unexpected way!

  2. I was fed up with hanging the dish soap wand on my pretty faucet. Finally brought in an empty terra cotta pot and it now holds the sponges, soap wand & tall scrub brush next to my kitchen sink.

  3. Quite lovely… you’ve brought in differing textures and unified them with color. I love your Buddha…. he has a lot of texture himself. I’ve recently been visiting another blogger who has started painting items with terracotta paint and her pieces are quite lovely. Here’s her post which sort of explains how she does it…. https://collectivegen.com/2020/04/trash-to-terracotta/
    If you prefer not allowing links in your comments section I won’t be offended if you prefer not to post this. I just thought it sort of fit in with your theme. I enjoy your decorating posts the most. Cheers! (I picked that one up from watching BritBox)

  7. What a pretty arrangement. It works well because of the different textures. I like the contrast of the terra cotta and the woven basket with the glass table top.

  8. Love what you did with the pots! I never would have thought to put them in a basket and put random things in them. Great idea!

  9. I remember your having a glass coffee table. Very modern, if I remember, and with a metal frame. Did you tire of it?

    1. No, I didn’t really tire of it. It was just too big and I kept walking into it. I have to have something with LOTS of room to walk around because I’m quite clumsy.

  10. Brenda, I’ve noticed in your posts that you’ve had many different coffee tables over the years. I live in a small space and I have removed my coffee table, thinking that it takes up too much visual space. But I think a coffee table is probably necessary because I need a place to put a drink or to arrange vignettes for the holidays. What are your thoughts about this? Is there a perfect coffee table for a small space? I have an antique trunk that I’ve used in the past. Do you still use your white trunk as a coffee table sometimes? I love the idea of extra storage.

    1. The white trunk is in Ivy’s closet. I have to have her litter box where Charlie can’t get to it. So it’s up on the white trunk. I think what works in small spaces is glass. Also what’s popular now is to use several small tables. Alike or different.

  11. That vignette is a nice color combination for September. I think the terra cotta pots look great with the straw basket. I have a couple of small vignettes in the living room. One includes a couple of little brass squirrels, and the other one has a pottery owl. I never thought to put them into baskets, but now I think I will give it a try. Should be fun! Thanks for the idea.

  12. Hi. 🙋 Very nice Brenda!
    Looks calm & peaceful.
    My days of buying & shopping are over ,,,,, haha! I already have way too much from years of collecting things. Some favorites were creamers. Any design or pattern. There were times I did use them. Now, just a few. Too much to care for. One of my most favorite collectables are/were rocks! All shapes, colors and sizes. Love ❤ them with words and very often they’ll have “sayings” ,,,,,, the larger rocks. When I traveled, a rock or 2 was easy to pack up! Now, with all these rocks, will most likely give to my nieces & nephews. Split them up!
    Your ideas are fun Brenda!
    Keep sharing.
    P. S. Always 💘 loved natural ceramic pots! Plants & odds & ends look terrific in them.
    Hope Charlie is doing okay.
    That you are able to sleep at night.

  14. Love this post! I don’t know if I speak for everyone but your decorating posts are my favorite. They inspire me to be more creative and think outside the box. Keep them coming!!!

    1. I’m going to try to do that. Sometimes it’s hard to come up with ideas. So I came up with the challenge idea, which is a way to see what you can come up with with different elements.

    2. The decorating posts are my favorites, too. I consider scratches on my stainless cooktop to be patina.

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