Tuesday, May 26, 2015

FINALLY, THE REVEAL...








Before I get started
 let me say thank you to all
 the men and women who join efforts
 to keep our country safe for all of us.  Thank you for your service.

I have been away for awhile
 and know that I have missed
 some treasured moments
 in your lives. 

 I have a lot of 
catching up to do 
and will be visiting you all soon.






When we last talked,
 I said I was a little bit country
 and a little bit 
rock and roll...




FYI:  The pieces of old glass, in the antique candy jar, were all found in the garden of the Cottage


...but I have since taken a test,
 and it turns out
 that I'm a little bit farmhouse bling
 and classic
 with a touch of boho!





If you are curious
 as to what
 your decorating style is
 go to:  www.homegoods.com
 and click on Stylescope Quiz.

  You will choose five pictures 
that appeal to you
 and from that 
your style is revealed.
  Is it accurate?
 Who knows,
 but it's a fun little process
 and I have to say...





...I had this project completed
 before I took the test
 and I think it is a
 pretty good definition 
of boho!



I shared this chest in its former glory 
when we first bought it.
 Even though it is a pleasing color scheme,
 it didn't work for me.
 I like the lines and style of it
 and it was perfect
 for the space where we wanted to put it
 and, besides, it had a fun secret...






...did you already guess
 that it is a cedar chest?
 I think it is probably from the 1940's.
 The top lifts up
 and the inside is fully lined
 with cedar.
  The only drawers that open
 are the very bottom two,
 which actually is just one big drawer,
 also fully cedar lined.
  The other drawers are all dummies.
  I thought it would be perfect
 for storing linens, placemats, quilts, etc.






Here is a close-up
 of the new carpeting 
that sparked the whole start of this project.
  We have no hall ways in this old Cottage
 and the main path
 from the front door 
to pretty much every other room
 in the house is through this space.
  In order for the carpeting to stand up to this task
 we decided on a commercial grade of flooring.
  This was the same procedure we followed 
with the old carpeting 
and it did hold up well 
over the twenty years or so. 
 Hope this one does the same.

I also am having to use the flash
 on the camera,
 which normally I don't like to do,
 but for some reason
 the colors that we have chosen
 do not show up
 as well as they do 
to the human eye
 when photographing.






To the left of the chest
 is the game table and four chairs
 that were originally in the kitchen. 
 Right now I am displaying a
 large wooden bowl, atop a small braided rug,
filled with old wooden croquet balls,
 and a country duck.
  The displays will change often
 and the setting will be perfect 
for tea or late supper before the fire,
 an occasional project
 or even playing games.






I found this metal sphere
 that hangs above the game table
 in a shop in Auburn
 called The Front Porch
 and it has been quickly added
to the list 
of my favorite places to shop.






We just picked up
 the tall, worn shutters
 at a street fair in Lodi 
and the stand was one we found 
at the side of the road.
  I painted it with Annie Sloan Old Ochre.
  The very tall angel candle holder 
was a sale item 
from Pier One.






You have seen this display
 on top of the cedar chest before. 
 I had the rabbit out for Easter 
and decided he needed to stay. 
 The basket of dried hydrangeas
 are from last summer's garden harvest
 and I embellished
 a K-Mart lamp shade
 with burlap ribbon and trim.
  The tall tin spire
 was picked up at HomeGoods awhile back.

  This display is my personal favorite
 in the room. 
 I love the "quietness" of it 
compared to the colors on the chest
 and the bright sunlight
 that comes through the window.






This is an old rocker
 we have had for a really long time. 
 It had been roughed around a bit 
over the years
 so I experimented
 with a few different colors of paint,
 which I showed in my last post,
 before settling on a final coat of black.
  Some of the red
 from the previous coat
 shows through
 and I added the black and tan
 checked chair pads for comfort. 
 We found the little side table
 at another street fair. 
 It was aqua 
and I repainted it
 with Old Ocher.






I bought new lace curtains 
in a heavier weight
 than the rest of the windows 
but wanted to keep the sight line
 from outside fairly consistent.
  We will be adding wooden roman shades
 at the top of the windows
 to cut down on sun 
and heat
 in the summer.






I added the wood alphabet strip
 above the window
 for some country whimsy. 
 It came from a classroom 
in the school where Tami works
 and she knew
 I would love it.






I brought much of my
 Wisconsin pottery collection 
 out of the kitchen
 and placed it around the room
 to bring a little more 
of the farmhouse-country look 
into the mix.






I borrowed this old picture
 from the Captain's library. 
 The coloring in the print 
and the matting 
is a good match
 for what is going on in the room. 
 We also borrowed the shelf 
out of the kitchen,
 painted it black, 
and now I can change the look
 much like I do on the mantles.

 I guess I will have to stop using
 the word 'borrow'
 and start calling it
 what it is,
 'stealing'!






I ordered a woven throw
 and made covers to go on the pillows
 that came with the sofa
 and added another pillow cover 
on which I stenciled
 the bird and branch.






You have already seen the update
 to the antique wagon
 and I have added an old wooden tote
 to hold a candle and a crock full 
of fresh cut ivy 
from the garden.






We have had this oak table
 with turned legs for many years. 
 The lamp was my Mother's Day gift 
from the Captain. 
 A few books,
 some small family pictures,
 and fresh flowers
 complete the vignette.






The corner apothecary cupboard
 has recently had a new make-over
 and holds a collection of small birds
 and a tribute to Ashley and Buddy,
 our two beloved
 golden retrievers.





We brought this small chair
 in from the kitchen for now,
 but a new one will take it's place 
before too long,
 I hope. 
Also shown is another fast steal
 from the Captain's library,
 this one painted 
before I knew 
I was boho!






This chimney cupboard 
was made for us by a friend
 a few years ago. 
 It is based on an antique
 and constructed with old wood.
  I have stored magazines in it
 in the past
 but have now added more pieces
 of the Wisconsin pottery.
 The child's rocker
 came out of an old house in San Francisco
 and has a seat fashioned 
of fabric from
 a carpetbag.






To break up the expanse of carpet,
 we added the area rug 
that was in the library. 
 It has some blue that ties
 into the parlor. 
 It's not exactly right but,
 if I've learned anything
 from this process,
 it is that everything
 will fall into place
 eventually!






Now,
 let's address the elephant in the room!
  I hate the look
 but wouldn't give it up
 for all the tea in China. 
 Someday we hope to replace
 the cabinet
 when we can find
 the right one.






Sorry for the overload on pictures.
  I thought about breaking it up
 into two parts,
 but decided enough is enough.
  Get it done!





As far as my decorating style goes,
 I don't know about the farmhouse bling,
 unless you count the sun
 shining through
 the windows.

"These gems have life in them: their colors speak,
 say what words fail of."

George Eliot





















We have ended up 
with a warm and inviting room,
 which is all that I wanted
 from the beginning.


...Judy...






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