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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