Centsational Style

Welcome to Centsational Style! I’m Kate Riley, a design enthusiast, DIY lover, and world traveler based in the beautiful Wine Country of Northern California. For over a decade, I’ve been sharing ideas on how to create stylish and budget-friendly spaces in your home. My blog focuses on inspiring interior design, practical home improvements, and fun DIY projects. I love to share my insights and techniques whenever I update a room or craft something unique. You can explore my past work by visiting the Projects page, and don’t forget to check out the Style Files for a wealth of ideas on home improvement and interior design. A bit about my journey: I transitioned from a career in law to become a design blogger, dedicating my time to writing about home décor, textile designs, and DIY endeavors. Throughout the years, I’ve completed numerous renovations, including my own home expansion and several house flips. Additionally, I’ve launched a range of fabric and wallpaper collections, which you can find on my portfolio website. On my blog, I document my DIY projects, decorating tips, and experiences in California. Stay connected with my daily updates on social media (links below). I’m also passionate about travel and love to explore new places whenever I can! My Travel articles showcase destinations I’ve visited across the United States and around the globe, along with helpful travel advice. Discover my adventures and get inspired by subscribing to my YouTube channel or visiting the Travel page.

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Weekend Reading 4.20.25

4 days ago | centsationalstyle.com | Kate Riley

Greetings all, just popping in to wish you all a Happy Easter! I’ve been keeping busy, mostly working, but I kept a promise to myself and began a fun creative project I’ve been wanting to try for a long time. I’ll have to hit pause on it before I finish because I’m leaving on an international trip on Thursday. Each year my travel besties and I pick a new country to visit together. This year we’re off to the Aegean Sea to tour the Cyclades in Greece.
Weekend Reading 3.16.25

1 month ago | centsationalstyle.com | Kate Riley

This is the first weekend I’ve been home in a month! I was away the past three weekends, first we visited my daughter in Santa Barbara, next we ran away on a 4 day trip to Kauai, and then we drove up north to visit our son at his university. Finally, a weekend to enjoy being at home! I can feel spring in the air, we had a few days of sunshine and the trees are beginning to bud, but there is still rain in the forecast.
Romanticize Your Home

2 months ago | centsationalstyle.com | Kate Riley

Happy Valentine’s Day all! The sun just popped out after a week of storms and it’s a beautiful day. It’s still so cold, and on winter days I like to work from home sipping my coffee by morning light as I work on my laptop. There’s a a lot of chatter online romanticizing one’s life, and I agree with that when it means cherishing the little things and making your life a reflection of what’s important to you.
Weekend Reading 2.9.25

2 months ago | centsationalstyle.com | Kate Riley

Hello all and Happy February to you. I’m at home today watching the Superbowl and catching up on some little projects around the house. Now that the nest is empty, it’s quiet and clean but still has those cozy touches and that feeling of comfort. I’ve been lighting a favorite candle in the evening and keeping warm in our cozy study with the electric fireplace that gives me just the right amount of heat and ambiance. It’s my favorite room in winter.
Weekend Reading 1.26.25

2 months ago | centsationalstyle.com | Kate Riley

Cold January greetings! We’ve had a week of blue skies but it’s been oh so cold here in Northern California! I saw pictures this week showing snowfall in Florida, woah! My brother and his family in Savannah had snow as well, so they tied a huge inflatable tube to the back of the minivan and went tubing down the street, the photos were so funny. The forecast shows rain this weekend, and being the pluviophile that I am I can’t wait to crack the window and fall asleep to the sound.
Weekend Reading 1.19.25

Jan 19, 2025 | centsationalstyle.com | Kate Riley

Hello friends, happy weekend to you. It’s been a few weeks…. what a somber start to the year reading about all the fires near LA, we have friends and family down there and the stories are tragic. We had our own catastrophic wildfires in Northern California back in 2017 and now watching these recent fires in the Pacific Palisades is heartbreaking. My son left for college this week, so I’m adjusting to his absence. He’s the baby.
Weekend Reading 12.8.24

Dec 8, 2024 | centsationalstyle.com | Kate Riley

We finally picked up our Christmas tree from a local lot and hung a fresh wreath on the front door. We will decorate the tree tonight and play some holiday music like we do each year. Instead of stringing lights on our two story home, this year I bought two snowflake projectors for the front of the house and snowflake string lights for the porch to delight the passing neighbors.
Weekend Reading 12.1.24

Dec 1, 2024 | centsationalstyle.com | Kate Riley

It’s December! Time to decorate and spread holiday cheer! I’m finishing up two craft projects by twilight and hope to photograph them this week. We pick up our tree next weekend and Saturday will be all about trimming the tree and hanging garland up the stairs. Christmas is three weeks away!I have most of my holiday shopping done which is a relief. Just filling in a few blanks with smaller token items before calling it done. We have two holiday parties to attend.
Charming Holiday Ornaments to Add to Your Collection

Nov 30, 2024 | centsationalstyle.com | Kate Riley

Isn’t opening up the box of collected ornaments each year one of the best things ever? I absolutely love the feeling of pulling out commemorative pieces we’ve collected over the years, they make me smile ear to ear as the holiday music plays in the background. Each year I add to my collection, often it’s an ornament from my travels and then there’s the whimsical pieces that I fall in love with that I have to add each year.
Happy Thanksgiving to You

Nov 28, 2024 | centsationalstyle.com | Kate Riley

Happy Thanksgiving from my house to yours! We’re traditionalists here when it comes to the menu: a brined and roasted bird, creamy mashed potatoes, pan fried brussel sprouts, mixed green salad tossed with pistachios, pomegranate seeds, gorgonzola, and sweet vinaigrette, all paired with homemade cranberry sauce, rolls, and my famous stuffing and gravy.