With help from a decorator friend, new bride Josie Balka has been spending the past couple weeks decorating the apartment where she and Kelton live. Josie and her friend were able to save money by purchasing discount decorations at craft stores like Hobby Lobby, as well as using various materials to make some of their own.
Below is a photo of Josie sitting in the living room. Based on what you know about her from the Bringing Up Bates, is this how you would have pictured her style when it comes to home decorating?
Photo courtesy of Josie and Kelton Balka
Below is a photo of Josie sitting in the living room. Based on what you know about her from the Bringing Up Bates, is this how you would have pictured her style when it comes to home decorating?
Josie (Bates) Balka
Photo courtesy of Josie and Kelton Balka
Adorable! Its so Josie's style, which I'm in love with! 😍 💖
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! This decor has Josie written all over it. Josie and her friend did great.
ReplyDeleteIt looks very nice. She should do a tutorial on DIY
ReplyDeletehome decorating.
Surprised by the home decorating? No. But, I am surprised about the jeans. The decor is very pretty, just like Josie, but it's a shock to see her in jeans.
ReplyDeleteWhy the comment about what Josie decides to wear? She can wear pants if she wants too. Everyone seems to be so quick to jump on any move the duggars or Bates do, and it's truly sad. I'm sure if you had a to show, you wouldn't want others judging you the way the Bates have been judged! May we all be slower to judge, so that we may not be judged back!!!
DeleteWhy? She looks great in them!
DeleteWell her parents wouldn’t let her wear them and she abided by their rules. Now if she wants to wear them and it doesn’t bother Kelton, then she can wear them.
Delete8:23- Once they get married and leave the nest, the Bates daughters no longer have to follow their parents' dress code. I hope they don't need their husband's permission to wear what they like.
DeleteI don’t get why her parents wouldn’t let their daughters wear pants when they are grown adults until they get married. To me that is abit controlling. Josie looks great! (And modest too in jeans!) God bless her and her marriage
DeleteI'm not sure why it would be a surprise anymore. After Alyssa, Whitney, Jinger, and Jill all started wearing pants, and even the other girls in the households are wearing shorter dresses, I'm not shocked at all that more are wearing what they want rather than the IBLP dress code. It almost surprises me more that some of the daughters continue the dress code.
DeleteI am convinced that we are seeing the first generation of ATI, IBLP kids grow up into adulthood having not agreed fully with the convictions they were raised in, and now they're experiencing a life rather normal like the rest of us except more scrutiny and judgements from those who have been wearing pants their whole lives just because at one point they only wore skirts under their parents' rules.
Loving those jeans!!
DeleteTime 10:00PM Sat 11/17/18
ReplyDeleteCool apartment.
Very pretty
ReplyDeleteThis is great for Josie-sleek and modern.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! Very trending, very her. Gorgeous job, and shows how budget friendly decorating with Hobby lobby and using what you have, including talents, can be!
ReplyDeleteYes and it looks great!!!!
ReplyDeleteYou look happy. Congratulations ��
ReplyDeleteYou look happy. Congratulations
ReplyDeleteCongratulations
ReplyDeleteYes, her home is a reflection of her own personal style. Very bohemian and modern! She has great taste!
ReplyDeleteAlready in pants! Their home is lovely!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely and cozy room. Josie is just beaming in this photo.
ReplyDeleteI think the girls did a great job.
I love how it looks. I admire Josie for having her very own style. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI love how this looks! I have always admired Josie for her unique style!
ReplyDeleteJosie looks so happy.I love the cute little sofa, so cozy xxx
ReplyDeleteYeap definately. This is t style i like too.
ReplyDeleteI love how this looks! I have always admired Josie for her unique style!
ReplyDeleteCute! Pants already? Way to go.
ReplyDeleteIt's good to see that she has her own style and doesn't feel like she has to do farm house style like her sisters.
ReplyDeleteJESM, I have to agree with you. I like that Josie's showcasing her own style and not Erin or Kelly. Kudos for her to take the time to make her home hers.
DeleteI can’t think of the name of that exact style...bohemian? I could be wrong...I thought she would be more modern. But it’s still cute. Good for them!
ReplyDeleteLooks eclectic to me.
DeleteYay pants!
ReplyDeleteIt’s funny how the Duggar and Bates parents say that the girls choose to wear skirts but then they ditch them the second they get out of the house 😅
so true :)))
DeleteTHIS yet in addition i'd add that even the girls themselves have said they choose to wear the skirts...
DeleteHer place looks really cute! She definitely has an eye for decorating! They seem so very happy to be married!
ReplyDeleteBoom!! PANTS!! They look really great Though!!
ReplyDeleteLooks so cute, I love the decor!! :) You are stunning on the inside and out, Josie! <3
ReplyDeleteBothers me how all of the bates and duggar girls say that it is their choice to wear only skirts, but once they get married for a lot of them at least just start wearing pants. Its obviously not their choice when they are living wwith their parents. I'm pretty sure Carlin will start wearing pants when married too
ReplyDeleteI actually think it's honorable for Josie to CHOOSE to wear skirts while still living at home. It shows respect and maturity to be able to be considerate of her parents preferences, even if it's not her personal conviction.
DeleteThey weren't being forced to wear skirts. And whether in skirts or pants, each girl definitely has their own style already. Just wearing pants doesnt suddenly mean Josie's found "her own unique style." She had her own style even while she was wearing only skirts.
DeleteIt can be a CHOICE to be considerate of your parents preferences. It bothers ME how so many people think that all the Duggar and Bates are brain-washed into being prisoners of their own home. Not to mention, even if it was indeed a rule, is it wrong for the owner of a home to make their own rules, whatever they may be? Their home, their rules. My home, my rules.
Delete8:11- You missed the point. There’s nothing wrong with making rules in your home. However, it’s a bit disingenuous for a parent to claim that their child has choices, when the reality is it’s a matter of the child not having any other option but to do what they are being told to do.
DeleteAnon @ 8:11 I absolutely agree with the "my home, my rules" philosophy. What I find somewhat troubling is that it seems like the adult married children aren't given the same respect that they give Gil and Kelly. I get that impression because I notice the girls all wear skirts/dresses in Gil and Kelly's presence, even when in their own home and even at Mama Jane and Papa Bill's home. AAs an example, at one of the episodes at the farm, Whitney had on a skirt even though there were photos of her in jeans before Gil and Kelly arrived. Since they were not at Gil and Kelly's house, and Gil's parents obviously wear pants and shorts, why not let the girls wear pants there if they wished? I don't know if the Bates family has ever said the girls prefer dresses, but the Duggars have said that, yet a couple of them have worn pants in spite of having said they prefer dresses.
Delete12:37, I can't speak for the Bates, but in my family, some of my family members believe it's wrong to wear pants. We've let them know that our beliefs are different, but whenever we're in their presence (even in our own home) we still wear skirts because we don't want to offend them. (1 Corinthians 8:13) Do we HAVE to? No. Would they disown us if we did? Probably not. It's simply a personal choice we have made to be respectful. For me, I'm happy to make this little sacrifice for all the time, effort, and sacrifice my extended family had gone to for me as a child. Who knows if that's the same reason as the Bates, but if they say it's their choice, I believe them, whatever the reason may be.
DeleteSaying you prefer something doesn't means it is exclusively the only thing you do. I prefer the colour blue to other colours. That doesn't mean every piece of clothing I buy is blue. Neither is every car I buy, or the colour of every painted wall in every room in my home.
Delete12:34- I am not sure why your relatives would be offended by you wearing pants, if it's in your own home and if wearing skirts all the time isn't your personal conviction. Certainly, they must have contact with other people who don't dress to please them. Even between the Bates and Duggar families there are female friends and relatives who wear pants. They aren't shunned for it. Does your extended family make compromises for you?
DeleteLove is the main thing. When you love someone, it doesn't hurt to show a bit of extra consideration in a simple matter of preference. I used to choose to wear skirts exclusively around certain family members and in-laws so that I wouldn't offend them. In time, they came to see my heart, and didn't mind if I wore pants around them, as they knew I cared more what they thought than what I wear. Attitude is everything! See 1Corinthians 13
DeleteI love the book case in the wall and the decorations in the book case. I would love to do something like that BUT what do you do with all of your books that would typically go in the bookcase??? Lol
ReplyDeleteI hear ya!! Love her decor!! I do both books and decor in a bookcase....
DeleteBookcases for books are passe. Unless you have a room for reading, books today are artistically stacked around a space. Also, post-moderns use digital media so unless you have a nicely curated collection of books, they are not to be stashed into a bookcase. ESPECIALLY NO paperbacks! Rule of thumb to those still reading paperbacks - read them then donate them.
Delete4:56- Good to know there are rules for what I should and shouldn’t be placing on my bookshelves! Funny thing... one’s home should reflect the preferences of the owner, not a self-proclaimed interior design expert on an internet blog..
DeleteAnonymous, 4:56 your comment proves you do not read or own many books. Most books only come in paperback so you don't read them once and then donate them, those are good books, not cheap versions. And NO booklover would ever stack books around the house. It's filthy, bad for books and you'd be forever sorting piles of books to get to the ones you want. Maybe people like you, with only a few coffee table books do that. Using bookcases for decoration only shows that you do something else with your life. And that is fine.
Delete@ 4:56, I'm sorry you're nuts. Paperbacks are made for reading and keeping just the same as hardbacks are. I love my book and bookcases, and I won't be donating my paperbacks! My eight year old is a big reader, and she would disagree with you too! I will keep all my books and proudly display them in their bookcases.
DeleteThank you, book police! :) I will be keeping and loving my ancient paperbacks, although I don't have nearly enough bookshelves to hold my books. I'm forced to keep my artistic stacks all over my space.
DeleteSo I guess the 100 books or so that I have stashed around should be gotten rid of??? @ annoymous 456? You are nuts, books cost a pretty penny new or used and I reread, nothing like holding a solid book in your hands!!!
DeleteRereaders unite!
Deletemy two cents re the pants -- It seems like the parents and the girls believe that it is best to be modest as a teenager and before marriage in order to not attract too much attention. Then, once they are married, it is not a big deal what they wear. Personally, I always laughed when friends told me to go to a bar to meet a guy as I did not want to marry a guy who hangs out at a bar. So perhaps these girls want to marry a guy who appreciates a modest conservative girl and then they can relax those dress habits and no kissing etc once they are married.
ReplyDeleteSo, you think it only important for single women to not draw attention to themselves? What about the guys?
DeleteJosie has some West Elm/Modern going on! Fits her personality, artistic career field, circle of friends and age! LOVE EVERYTHING pictured!
ReplyDeleteHobby Lobby always has the latest style in decor and very affordable with their 40% off coupon.
ReplyDeleteI’ve not met the Bates as I have the Duggar’s but it is obvious that having the show has changed them quite a bit. I do hope, as It seems to be for the Duggar’s that as the kids grow up and marry off they will fade away from the limelight and go back to being a truly normal family. The young marrieds seem to use the notoriety for a small personal gain eg. commission from subscription boxes of all kinds, music career promo etc. Like the Duggar’s there is very little about their faith that makes it on screen anymore.
Josie is as cute as can be!
Very cool style. Trendy but still classic looking, I like it. She got into those pants as fast as she could, lol.
ReplyDeleteI am beginning to wonder if the skirt thing was a tv gimmick. Since a lot of the photos look less staged than the shows. Hmmm
ReplyDeleteThe more liberal dress seems to be a trend in these circles. My son went to a fundamental Baptist school where the students had to dress modestly. Since he has graduated, the school and affiliated church has gotten much more liberal, wearing tight pants, leggings, etc. I have noticed the same thing with the Bates and other people in the public eye. Some of their family members' (still at home) regular clothing are less modest than their beach attire used to be. Just something I have observed. I do love it that they save their first kiss for marriage, as did my husband and me.
Delete(same poster here) - my husband and I really love watching the Bates Family. We seem to have a smile on our faces most of the time. We love their closeness and how they love the Lord.
DeleteNice picture
ReplyDeleteI think her decor looks great! Somehow, though, I was thinking that she would go for more modern. The macrame planters and mirror choice kind of surprised me. Also, just because Erin is the family decorator of sorts doesn’t mean she can only offer help to her family with one style. Re: the jeans. I would bet Josie and her parents probably laughed and said she’d wear jeans out the door. Their family is pretty much jokingly, sometimes, but straightforward and truthful with one another.
ReplyDeleteThe Macrame and those round mirrors are modern - they've made a comeback & on trend again 😵
DeleteI'm guessing they're fake plants in macrame holders or drops of water may run down the wall!
Could it possibly be they have already been wearing jeans? We only see a tiny glimpse of their lives. I don't think anything is wrong with jeans. She looks great no matter what she wears.
ReplyDeleteI personally think that long jeans are more modest than some of those short thigh length skirts some of them have been wearing.
ReplyDeletehmmmm... thats a good point
DeleteOme decorate my house
ReplyDeleteI think the picture is just to let us everyone know that now that she is married she is going to wear jeans. she only wear skirts because of her parents not because if her own convictions. I think wearing long skirt not short make you modest like those long dresses that carlin wears, she looks beautiful. I hope carlin, erin, Michael stays like that wearing only skirts. I being a new born Christian for more than 20 years. I only wear skirts and no one make me change. I think kelto should help Josie to keep wearing a modest way. jeans are not modest because it actually show your figure specially if they are leggings and tights.
ReplyDeleteEveryone has their own definition of modesty. It's impossible to please everyone.
DeleteI love Josie & Kelton's apartment it's beautiful. Josie did a good job.
ReplyDeleteI have 2 bookcase in my house and I put books on mind and my DVD's and other things.
om gosh give it rest about the pants she is adult now as her parents have SAID numerous times do as they please. many mennonites wear pants too! am 1 of them. mary keim mennonite
ReplyDeleteI wear jeans too. Non Mennonite!
Deleteyour point is? kinda rude making fun of someone.
DeleteI'd like to put my two cents worth in the discussion about switching to wearing pants. I grew up very conservative, much like the Bates...we were never apart of ATI, but attended the family conferences where I saw the Duggars and Bates, but never wNtewa to be that person who had to meet these people. The Bates have said that while the girls are at home, they are asked to follow the standards of the parents. This is where I have an interjection. Having grown up with Gothard's teaching, he is really big on steps to happiness, steps to lasting freedom, steps to this, steps to that, etc. Honoring parents is very close to the first few steps, so imI not surprised that the girls continue to wear skirts at home. It shows honor even when that may not be their choice, as it isn't for me. But, since the girls have contact in many ways with people who don't follow the same steps, imI sure they see that these other girls have a strong relationship with the Lord, love the Lord, and are just as much a Christian as they are. So then why skirts only? It doesn't make you more spiritual or Godly, so what is the reason for only wearing skirts? This is my thought on why skirt only wearing girls quit wearing skirts only when they leave home. I still live at home and follow my parents rules, but when I marry and move out, that doesn't mean I loose contact with God or become some sort of rebel. We only see a small portion of the Bates' lives, and imI sure the parents talk to the children, so it's not like some big shock when the girls start wearing pants.
ReplyDelete