Caveat Emptor

Somehow during my two years of high school Latin, I missed an important lesson . . . caveat emptor or "buyer beware." I should have known better. I should have checked things out more thoroughly, but my enthusiasm clouded my judgment.


Remember this table and chairs . . .

I bought them several weeks ago at the Habitat for Humanity store. I looked them over, noticed some fretwork missing, some scratches and wear, but nothing that would prevent me from buying them. My big mistake? Not sitting in the chairs. I didn't think I needed to . . . they felt solid. I pushed on them. They weren't wobbly. Plus, they had plywood seats with rusty, jagged holes where the screws had been attached. Who would want to sit on that? I might tear my clothes.

So, I got the table and chairs home, put them in the garage until I could get my husband to help me move the table upstairs. Then got to work on sanding and painting the chairs. This was quite the process. I finally got them to the point where I thought they looked just right. But I was still on the hunt for the perfect fabric. Remember this post, where I obsessed over my options?

After ordering swatches online, getting my sister to bring me some from Memphis, and hitting every fabric store in town, I still didn't feel like I had found "the one."

I felt I needed a fabric that had the color of the chairs in it as well as other colors. I wasn't willing to change the chair color, so I kept searching. Then, I remembered a tablecloth and some curtains I had seen at World Market.

So, I bought a couple of curtains to use as my seat fabric. I love a good Tree of Life pattern, and I really thought the vivid colors of this one worked well with my chairs.

So, I cut the fabric, draped it on top of some foam and sat down to test the height of the chair with the cushion. Then I heard the crack. 

That's right, the fretwork on the back of the chairs was broken in two places. And not just on one chair, but on three out of the four chairs! Nice. And, it's not even wood. The fretwork is composite or plastic, if you will. The outside frame of the chair is wood, but not the backs. 

So, I'm trying to make lemonade out of lemons. My friend Becky had this stuff in her garage:

I glued and clamped and let the chairs harden for 24 hours, then repainted the patched area. The result? Only time will tell. They're holding for now, but I don't have much confidence that they can take much wear and tear.  I need to put signs on the chairs that read "lean back gently."

I think they look nice . . . pretty much what I envisioned. I just hate that they might snap at any moment. Not a good feeling. I haven't attached the seats to the chair yet. Still need to find the right screws. Now, I just need to buy or have a banquette made for the other side of the table, but that has its own set of issues. By the way, I sold the old chairs on Craigslist, so those are no longer an option either. Way to burn my design bridges, huh?

In some ways, I feel like this was a DIY disaster. Do you have any projects that did not turn out the way you planned?

Editor's Note: I'm so sorry I've been gone for two weeks now! I was sick for the first week with some mysterious illness that basically made me feel like hell with the vague symptoms of a headache and nausea. And, no, I'm not pregnant. Then my husband was out of town for 10 days on a scuba diving excursion with his dad, and I just didn't have the energy at the end of the day to write a blog post. I so admire single parents. I endeavor to be better about blogging once my son finally starts back to pre-K on Friday!

Capella Kincheloe - formerly of Michael Smith Inc.

My friend Anne dropped by today with magazine treats, including the Sep issue of Atlanta Homes. In the What's Hot Now! section I noticed that Capella Kincheloe, formerly with Michael Smith Inc., had relocated to Atlanta and opened her own firm. In addition to traditional design services, Capella offers IDESIGN. This beautiful, restful bedroom was an IDESIGN project and if you check out the before pictures you'll see it's a complete transformation. Love the wall color, the taupe shades and the unique fabric on the bolster.

Just noticed the carpet at the foot of the bed that pulls in all the colors.
All three of these rooms feature an abstract painting that amps up the sophistication factor. The abstract in the room above is by Atlanta artist Tina Steele Lindsey. Notice how Capella propped the painting below in front of a traditional gilt frame.
Capella also writes a blog - A Curated Lifestyle. For more images of her work go here. If you're in Atlanta Nov. 27 - Dec. 12 you'll be able to see more of her work as she was selected as one of the designers for the 2010 Atlanta Homes & Lifestyle Christmas House.

(all images via Capella Kincheloe Interior Design)

A Kitchen Wall of Windows

Some of my favorite kitchens are those with few overhead cabinets and one full wall of windows. This Charleston kitchen and adjoining den are flooded with light and feel very connected to the outside garden.

I'm guessing the owners removed the walls leaving just the fireplace wall. I like how it both separates and connects the spaces at the same time.

Think happy thoughts for me - the computer I use (the one with all my photos in it!) appears very dead. All hopes now rest with my son's 16 yr old friend who is a computer genious - I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Images via Carriage Properties here.

Stalking "My" Seaside House

More accurately, STILL stalking this story book seaside house in Watch Hill, RI. The reference to "my" is strictly aspirational. I can't visit Watch Hill without gazing at this house and taking as many pictures as possible - even with husband and kids reminding me I already have all these same pictures!
The quality of the detailing is incredible and just amps up the charm of this home.
Here I am peering through the gate meant to keep people like me at bay.


The view out to the ocean. Could it be more perfect? By chance has anybody ever been inside this home?

Do you have a home you covet and re-visit as often as possible?

I LOVE this Bedroom

I picked up this month's Traditional Home and was completely taken in by this sumptuous and sophisticated yellow and gray bedroom designed by Betsy Berner and Tara Sutphin of Berner Sutphin Designs for the Stately Homes by the Sea showhouse. The fabric on the walls and portiere is by Fadini Borghi - what a beautiful pairing of fabrics! Under the windows, the insets have been painted gray (more noticeable in the last photo) and the planted urn adds another layer of patina to this space.
The sconce, the stools, the display cupboard - I could go on and on...Love it all!


There are so many more gorgeous pictures available on their web site here (click on Portfolio, then Sheep Run's House), including the sitting room and the bath with it's Pierre Frey fabric and Venetian plaster wall treatment. The photography is outstanding and the close-up vignettes are their own works of art.

Last image: source Traditional Home, photography by Elisabeth McKay and Robert McKay, McKay Imaging Photography

Other images: source Berner Sutphin site, McKay Imaging Photography

Great Jones Home - If Elle Decor Was a Store...

If Elle Decor was incarnated as a store I think it would look just like Great Jones Home of Seattle. Luckily when I was visiting last month I had a chance to meet owner Carrie Hayden, the creative force behind this amazing store that would be just as home in NYC or Chicago as it is in Seattle. The store is comprised of beautiful vignettes - each with their own unique look. I love how she's stacked these prints; something a bit different from the side-by-side symmetrical placement. The lantern is perfect in this space too.
A little pop of chinoiserie red on the pillow. (I'm still rooting for red as the color of 2011)
Now, for an old money chic look. It always seems that a vintage portrait adds importance to everything around it.
Carrie mentioned that these make these wonderful metal sculptures on lucite bases and they're available in 3 sizes at 3 price points under $100. Perfect for you or a friend! (hope I'm remembering the pricing accurately) When I go back to Seattle in September I'm planning for space in my suitcase to take one of these home.
Gallery style mix of prints and mirrors. Notice the tortoise shell off to the right.

Carrie and her staff also provide full service interior design. A beautiful vintage bathroom Carrie designed was featured in the June 2010 issue of House Beautiful here.

I've been noticing alot of brown sofas in stores recently but that might just be because my family room sofa is out being reupholstered in a brown linen. Love the velvet on this sofa - so welcoming.
Thank you to Carrie and her staff for letting me wander around snapping pics. If you're in Seattle, Great Jones Home is a must visit!!

1921 Second Avenue Seattle, WA

Shopping = Bliss

Yesterday, I got the opportunity to do a little shopping/antiquing on my own in and around downtown Franklin. Sometimes it's such a treat to just wander through stores aimlessly looking for inspiration. 


At my first stop, the Winchester Antique Mall, this greeted me on the front porch:

I'm a sucker for a good Chippendale bench. According to the tag, this one was made locally and was $325.

Heading inside, I found these goodies . . .

I loved this antique wicker chair. It's very small in scale so would really only be appropriate in my daughter's room, but it was a little too pricey ($300-something) for me.

The gilded bamboo frames on these were great, and the mat was more of a muted coral or salmon color, not such a bright orange as it looks here. I would switch out the butterfly watercolor prints for charcoal or line drawings. For $29 each, they weren't a bad deal. Still may go back for these. Sorry, my iPhone doesn't have a flash so these aren't the best quality photos.

I can't pass up a good bentwood or Thonet-style chair. The blue on this one captured my attention as I'm looking for a desk and desk chair for my son's room. After sitting in this one, I passed because it was a little too rickety and I'm not sure it was fixable.

I'm not sure you can even see, but there is a little Greek key detail on this alabaster lamp. 

This vignette of purple bottles really caught my eye. Reminds me of my mother's birthstone, amethyst.

Such pretty turtle shells. These were $45 each.

Love the over-the-top nature of this Italian tole lamp. Quite a statment piece!

Another cool gold lamp.

And on my way back to my car, I spied these little concrete foo dogs. Perfect guard dogs and only $29 each.

Next stop, Scarlett Scales, a great little shop in downtown Franklin. Scarlett has a great eye and her shop is always chocked full of cool stuff.

And what should greet me at the front door? A pair of the mama foo dogs. These would definitely ward away any evil spirits from your home. $235 for the pair.

Some of the great displays in Scarlett's shop.

A unique art deco style alabaster lamp. I'm not sure if I've ever seen one of these.

Yet another display of purple bottles. Is this a new trend?

At the Arbor Antique Mall next door, they had a new vendor with some really cool stuff.

I loved this chalk head sculpture. This would look amazing as part of a tablescape. 

My last stop was the Downtown Franklin Antique Mall across the street. Just a couple of gems here . . .

How cute is this elephant garden seat? I could pull this up next to anything. Maybe it could keep my lonely chair company?

And for some reason I neglected to take a photo of the white painted bamboo mirror (behind the elephant), but it was a beauty too.

And, lastly, this brass-plated lamp. Very elegant. Could go anywhere. And it was on sale for $54.

Speaking of lamps, I hit TJ Maxx earlier in the day and found a neat lamp.

Loved the shape, the faux snakeskin and brass accents. It looks expensive to me, but only $35. Bargain.

And since I'm sharing treasures, I've been selling some things on Craigslist lately. So, of course, I do a little browsing while I'm there. 

Here's what I found . . . 

This solid wood dresser was only $35. Call me crazy, but I think it would look fabulous painted orange or blue or green or some bright lacquer color. And the hardware is killer. Unfortunately, I have no where to put this, plus it's sold already. Oh well.

Once again, I don't know where I would put this fan/throne chair, but I like it a lot. It's $20 but the guy said he would go lower. 

Does anyone need a dining table? Because I think this Parsons-style one is fabulous, and for only $75! I so wish I had a place for this.

Well, I think that wraps it up. Do you see any treasures in the bunch?