Friday finds

My early morning blog reading lead me to these charming bamboo tables on the Etsy shop Tweaked Home.

I might have to have these but I try not to shop before 7 am.

At $15, this tray needs to be revisited after coffee.

I don't know where I would use something like this chair but it reminds me of a vintage Lilly Pulitzer dress and of Summer that has sadly slipped away.

Living rooms to love

Yum pink!

I am in a living room state of mind since I'm ready to jump headlong into finishing my own.

Here the symmetry and eclecticism speaks to me. Love the sculpture and Barcelona ottomans.

I am not loving this furniture but the grand painting and the interesting panels on either side of the fireplace.

The persimmon fabrics against a neutral background are a fabulous look. Its a very un-Halloween orange and black combo.

sneak peek

We are finished painting the dining room --YAY!

It sucked in such horrible ways. If you enlarge the photo above you will see the painter's tape yet to be removed behind my antique chandelier, that I adore.

It beats the hell out of this boring thing

The walls are not what I had hoped. I wished for a lacquered look but got glossy paint with orange peel texture due to a bit of bad information. It all works because my inspiration photo (below) includes oodles of pictures, prints and paintings in frames.

I am totally covering as much as I can with stuff. Good stuff.

Stay tuned.. Dining room out of commission for living room paint job.

This is my liv room moodboard with the "dragonfly" chair's new fabric as a background. The wall color has changed to SW Faint Coral  (from the one pictured inthe moodboard) and the coffee table is still undetermined. Lucite...somewhere.

I have purchased the Bombe chest and wish to put a pair of modern vases or tiny lamps to complement the painting to be announced by an artist you all know!!!

Thinking rust colored silk curtains to shout "Hooray" next to all of that ivory, black, and pinky peach.

Yes?????
Anyone, anyone?

Decorating with books

I know negative sounding posts can be an annoying read, so I'll try to stay positive after saying, "I'm just not feeling the trend toward color coordinated book displays."

The internet is certainly useful when needing quick answers but nothing replaces the feel of a real live book and speedy, digital practicality aside, I like to be able to quickly and surely find a book by the writing on its spine.

Perhaps a small vignette on a side table, to lend substance and height and complete a color story.

I have this many books but doubt I could sort them in such even quantities of color

I like my books to have a more organically collected appearance, perhaps because they were.

The most lovely to me is the haphazard collection mixed with objets, photos, and souveniers in a slightly messy array.

Oh well, guess I'm old-fashioned that way.

"The best decoration in the world is a roomful of books" - Billy Baldwin

Etsy

I have started painting again and I am selling some of my work in my Etsy store.

It has taken a bit of work to "knock the rust off" my skills but I think I'm there.

I am also stocking a fabulous collection of antique architectural print that are matted and ready to frame. There are only two at the moment but I have 40 or 50 that will gradually be making their way on.

Click on the mini store at your left or HERE.

I have kept things very affordable because I want everyone to incorporate original art in their lives.

Check it out and use the coupon code BLOGREADER to get an extra 10% off.

Ringey-Dingey

Lately, I have been a bit obsessed with ring pulls on furniture. They seem to be the touch that sophisticates a piece. They even helped the secondhand dresser that is our media cabinet. It looks better in real life, I promise.

This dresser had matching wooden knobs-yuck.

Can you imagine Dorothy's dresser with black wood knobs?

Antiques in Virginia

Today I drove to Culpeper to see this bombe chest.

Fredericksburg is great for antiques too, but a little pricier.

Driving and picture taking not recommended

Culpeper is a charming small town in central Virginia with the Blue Ridge Mountains as a backdrop.

The town full of historic buildings was hit hard by the recent earthquake and aftershocks.

Difficult to see evidence of earthquake damage

There is an antique shop that I frequent mainly because of their fantastic prices and ability to browse before I go by checking the website. GeorgieMae's is a tiny shop but they have a small warehouse a mile away filled with tons of goodies.

These gorgeous demilune tables are $275 each.

I wish I had gotten better pictures of this ormolu corner cabinet with marble top. It is wonderful and I might have to have it at $699.

I bought my dining chairs there at quite a bargain.

As for the bombe chest, it was $385 delivered!! So exciting.

Another fabric score

The other day I swung by Fabrics Unlimited to browse and see if there were any damasks that I might want to use on these chairs.

I bought a pair of the chairs on eBay and Greyhound smashed one.

The broken chair is now at the repair shop. $$$$$ ouch.

I am not crazy about the dragonfly fabric and I found the ivory damask on sale for $3.30 a yard. They had 8 1/4 yards. Perfect.

I have had some seriously awful luck on eBay and with shipping in general lately and it felt wonderful to get this spot of luck.

The ivory looks wonderful with the ivory stripe on my Sheraton sofa. I have new pillows on the way and my eye out for a different coffee table. Now I need to decide on a wall color and fabric for the drapes.

Insert your favorite expletive here ____!

One coat after sanding

This is the current state of my dining room. $#!#!!!

I loved the Sherwin-Williams store in my podunk Pennsylvania town. Everyone there new their stuff.

Some numbnuts told me that a foam roller was the way to go with glossy paint to achieve a lacquer look.

I had high hopes even with this primer that was tinted too light.

Don't worry, I'm so annoyed that the chandelier will meet a horrible death as part of my evil plan.

See that texture? That is what we sanded off. I hope. One or two more coats plus a coat of clear gloss acrylic is what I am hoping will do the trick.

This is my hell.

Updates soon.

The no-flower arrangement

Last week I cut a few remaining yellow rosebuds from the bush in front of my house. I chose to trim a few sprigs of vinca, boxwood, and my overgrown red coleus for filler.

The roses have been gone for days but this morning I grabbed a larger vase and snipped a bit more boxwood and coleus. I also added one sprig of the flower from some weird succulent. It is the paler purple flower.

Next week I might raid my neighbor's yard for some rhododendron too.

Being too cheap to buy fresh flowers can work out well.

Bottom feeding

Remember the dreadful wallpaper borders of the '80s and '90s along the tops of walls?  Maybe you are not as old as I and have no recollection whatsoever.  Lucky you.  I confess, I was a border owner but only one room one time. 

Now on to the anti border...

This article, interview and photo-set at Style Saloniste really intrigued me. The photos are a chinoiserie dream!

The decorative art of Michael Dute is some of the finest in the world but it is the fretwork along the bottom of the walls that really piqued my interest. 

Perhaps it is that I have too much to hang on the wall that keeps me from a massive mural like this but along the base of the walls I could do fabulous things. 

I went to Stencil-library and found a few borders that would do the trick.

 

This fretwork pattern is far and away my favorite.

 

This one is perhaps a bit to lacy and feminine for my taste but still would make an extraordinary addition to a wall.

 

I can envision this one with furniture that I do not own and it is perfection just not for me, maybe.

I think this would be a fabulous way to add interest to a room in a spot that the eye normally discounts during the initial once over. 

It is like adding architecture without an obvious and literal faux treatment.

Have you stenciled anything lately?

Wheely?

I don't know what made me think of the antique ship's wheel I saw a few months ago, but the question as to what to do with such a thing popped into head. 

Through the fog of cold medicine (an explanation for bizarre thoughts?) I googled these.

The most obvious use would be a chandelier, ala wagon wheel. It could work in an overly themed beach house.

This table should shiver your timbers.. sorry its the cold meds.

Don't get me wrong, I like the occasional bizarre accent piece.

What do you think? Bad taste or cool kitsch?