Looking Up

Thing are looking up. 3 weeks ago I dropped Ryan off at art camp - now he's coming home! He came right out and said he's ready to go to college now. I guess I have a year to get ready.
Today's the last day of July, so sorry to see it go. I wish I could live 12 months of July, it's my absolute favorite month. This July has been particularly wonderful; each day felt like forever, just like when I was a kid.
Images are of the Beverly, MA Public Library, near Montserrat College.

Shopping Therapy

While my kids were at camp and in between my other duties over the last week or so, I got to dart in and out of a few shops. Thought I would share some of the cool stuff I found. A lot of these things are NOT bargains - these weren't necessarily thrifting excursions - and I didn't really buy, just looked. Here's some of what I found . . . please excuse the quality, I just snapped these with my iPhone.

I really liked the dusty orange color of these velvet chairs and thought their shape was very unique and Art Deco. Or maybe they're just stuck in the 80's. I'm not sure, but they caught my eye nonetheless.

Please excuse my toes infringing on the this photo.

In the same consignment store (Consign 2 Design), I saw this stunning Chinese Art Deco rug. I loved the vivid colors in this one. Definitely would make a statement. It was large, 9x12 I think, and $2,500.

Next up, the Shoppes of Belle Meade, a local antique mall with very high end pieces . . .

My jaw dropped when I saw this acrylic Greek Key console table. How wonderful is this?

At this price, I don't think I'll be acquiring this lovely piece. But, a girl can dream.

A very pretty screen with some great, saturated tones.

Not your ordinary ballerina art. This one was striking and moody. Loved the colors. Sorry the photo doesn't do it justice. And it was very large.

Then, next door is a consignment store called The Stockroom that had some interesting pieces.

I thought these brass bookends were very Kelly Wearstler. Wish they were more in my price range. They would add glamor to any room.

Loved these chairs. They seemed primitive and refined at the same time, the shape of the back reminiscent of ram's horns.  The wood grain is beautiful.

 Great pattern on this vintage bargello needlepoint pillow. 

Next up, Remix Furniture Consignment where I found this . . .

Okay, call me crazy, but I love this custom daybed with the bold chinoiserie fabric. 

The pillows come off to reveal the daybed.

This could be the star of the show in a small space that needed to play double duty as living space/bedroom.

Spotted this cool dining table at the Habitat for Humanity HomeStore. It was marked "marble" although it looked a lot like travertine, but I'm not real up on my natural stone, so who knows. I really liked the shape, a very slender oval.

And lastly, I stopped in Southeastern Salvage and sound some great lighting . . .

I think all of these were under $100 each. Great deals!

So, did I get anything? Actually, I did. Just over the past couple of days I've hit up a couple of estate sales and snagged a couple of things for myself and to some to sell. 

Love this solid brass ice bucket. It's in really good shape, just needs some polishing. I actually got this at the flea market last Friday.

Love these onyx (?) horse bookends I found yesterday at a sale.

Great silver-plated lotus leaf candy dish, candle holder (whatever you want it to be) by Reed & Barton.

I will definitely be selling this brass cobra as my son is still afraid of snakes. But I just couldn't pass him up. Very cool.

Grabbed this vintage needlepoint horse pillow for my daughter who will resume her riding lessons soon.

Who doesn't need an acrylic caddy. Obviously great for utensils, napkins, etc. during a party but also thought I might use on my daughter's desk (or mine) to hold office supplies (tacks, pencils, paper clips, etc.)

Just can't pass up a portrait of a lady. Love the colors and her expression.

Speaking of selling, sadly my antique booth will be closing up in the next couple of days, but the good news is that I will be selling a lot of my smaller items online (either from my blog or Etsy or maybe both - haven't decided yet). And, stay tuned as there will be a Pop-Up Shop/Mini Flea/Tag Sale in the near future with lots of great stuff from some local bloggers including Modfrugal, Bri and me!

Hope you enjoyed my shopping round-up. Happy Weekend . . . I'm off to get my hair cut. Yeah!

A Belated After

Since I finished painting my dining room about two weeks ago, I figured I would go ahead and show you some after photos. We moved the furniture, rug, mirror, art and accessories back in, but I sent the draperies off to be dry-cleaned before I affix the Greek Key trim (which I still need to order). So, I just didn't show that unfinished side of the room. Without further ado, here it is . . .

Just as a reminder, here's what it looked like before . . . 

I love the richness of the deep, saturated Champion Cobalt (Benjamin Moore) paint. It makes the mirror, art and furniture really stand out.

As I mentioned, I still have to finish and hang the curtains, and of course, it will never be totally done as I keep getting new ideas. Exhibit A:

Wouldn't a little Chiang Mai on the side chairs just kick it up another notch? I know, I'm crazy. I'll leave it be for now.  I'll be sure to show the other side of the room (which is just a window) once the curtains are finished and hung. Unless I change my mind about them. Just kidding.

Can You Mix Metal Finishes in a Bath?

For the new, larger remodeled bathroom in our lower level I'm considering:

Color: BM Mysterious AF-565

Tiles: Using the large white ceramic tiles I already have (8 x 6) for the wet room area which will have a white stand-alone tub and shower.
I"m leaning towards a natural brass for the faucet (color similar to this bracelet) but I'm not sure I want to use brass for the shower and tub fixtures. The wet area will be visible from the vanity.

Can you mix metals in a bathroom?

If so, any advice you would give?

Free & Clear

First, the word "free" in the title refers to this little beauty and how much she cost . . .

Okay, almost free. I think I ended up paying $4.95 in shipping after I used the Joss & Main gift credit I won during everything LEB's giveaway back in June. I patiently waited for the perfect opportunity to use my credit, and when I saw these Moroccan poufs featured recently, I knew this was it. I'm going to use it in my daughter's aqua and green room (fingers crossed it won't clash with other stuff in the room; you never know about color accuracy on a computer screen). By the way, I have not forgotten about a reveal of this room, but there have been a few items I've been slow in acquiring and I hate to give a partial reveal . . . that's just not as much fun. The pouf is not scheduled for delivery until mid-August, so hopefully by then I'll be wrapping things up in her room and can share it with you. Thanks so much to Lindsay for hosting the giveaway!

Next, the "clear" portion of the title refers to the Tobias chairs from IKEA that I've been wanting for many months now. Remember when I whined about lamented how they were out of stock when I visited the Atlanta store back in March?

Well, luck and patience paid off, and I recently found some on Nashville's Craigslist that are virtually new with no scratches, dents, etc., for a great deal. Here they are around my kitchen table . . .

I used to have the matching bamboo chairs around the table, but painted a dark peacock blue. I'm kind of liking the more subdued white thing that's going on. And I love the more modern chair with the traditional Chinoiserie-style faux bamboo table. What do you think? I know I need better window coverings. Maybe I'll inject a little color/pattern there . . .

Sources: Joss & Main, everything LEB, IKEA

Hole in Floor - Our Renovation Underway!

If you've read my blog awhile you know about my problem room. Built in 1954, our house had a narrow "dining room" that connected the living room to the family room addition (seen in the background of this photo) and the kitchen and den/office. The kitchen is another problem child as it has an awkward L shape. Nothing like opening your dishwasher only to have 5 inches of clearance to get by to the basement stairs.

Above pic, Narrow Dining Room, Christmas 2009.

Well, finally after living here 10 years, it dawned on us that we could relocate the stairs to the basement from the kitchen into the dining room*. (*which we haven't used as a dining room since last year when we made the former den/office the dining room.) Above is the tape marking where the new stairs to the basement will be. You'll head down the stairs from the living room.

BEFORE
The office/tv den (currently functioning as the dining room) was originally a carport.

NEW
Here's the new first floor plan showing where the stairs will be. This gives us a larger kitchen that is not L shaped!

- There will be a tall window too to let light into the space and down the stairs.

- The opening to the kitchen will be about 7 ft wide, flanked by built in cabinets on either side. From the front door you won't be able to see the kitchen sink but you will get a view into the far corner of the kitchen/family room area.

- It's also possible during the renovation that we'll expand the kitchen out a bit to the left, into the hall/stair space.

- The wall that is against the dining room will be the cooking area, our counter depth Blomberg fridge will relocate to the right side of the sink, in the corner. I also plan to put my grandmother's small kitchen table, with drop down leaves, in the center of the kitchen.
I love my carpenter! (aka my husband) Here he is, hard at work, starting to remove the floor. I'm not worried since he built our family room addition back in 2004. He might not be worried either, but I'm not sure how happy he is... As he keeps telling me, "I'll be happy when I have it all finished."

New Lower Level - Because of the slope of our lot, our basement is 2/3 above ground. After we renovate that area we'll have:

2 bedrooms

1 bath (expanded from it's current size)

TV/media area

Multi-purpose space with laundry, craft area, storage and wet bar for entertaining

I'll post on that tomorrow as I have to head off to work now. I've been off for 3 weeks so this will be hard!

You Can Rent India Hicks' Villas

Many, many bloggers (including me) have drooled over the interior of India Hicks gorgeous Hibiscus Hill home in Harbour Island in the Bahamas. Did you know that three of her homes are available for rent - the Guest House, Cricket Pavilion and King's Treat? Here's a peek into King's Treat - more photos here. Hope you have a great weekend - stay cool.

New Obsession

My newest obsession (like I need another one)? Steel doors. Specifically French doors.

Why, might you ask, am I newly obsessed with steel doors? Well, because we need new French doors (ours are not functioning properly and have damage from leaks), and I, of course, pick what I'm sure are the most expensive and unattainable kind out there. But it's fun to dream, isn't it? Just look how pretty . . . 

Same doors, just from the outside. 

Source: None via Kathy on Pinterest

Ah, so lovely.

Source: thingsthatinspire.net via Kathy on Pinterest

Source: designspongeonline.com via Kathy on Pinterest

So, what do you think? Anyone have any leads on these types of doors? Our contractor/Mr. Fix-it is checking into it with some of his people. Another option would be just to get some regular French doors and paint them black for the same look. I'm sure steel doors would have to be a custom-ordered thing that would probably cost about a bajillion dollars, but they're oh so pretty. Sigh.

And totally off the subject (sorry this is how my brain works), but last night while watching the last episode of Million Dollar Decorators it finally occurred to me who Jeffrey Alan Marks reminds me of . . .

Will Ferrell when he's playing an enthusiastic idiot, like the clueless but lovable Buddy in Elf . . .

The only difference is poor Jeffrey's not playing a part. 

Sources: Garden Design, Pinterest, BravoTV and IMDB