Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Pops of Orange in My Family Room


There's always a change up in the works at our house.
 This time I'll introduce browns, yellows, metallics and my decor favorite----orange.

I moved this ottoman from the living room to my family room.  It originally had a very traditional solid blue cover, but of course I updated it with some Trina Turk fabric in a bold orange geometric.  I draped it with a tasseled throw and added the orange tray that I normally use on the patio in the summer.  Inside are a stack of vintage books topped off with a moss orb and faux antlers.


I think it's just what the room needed to break up all the green.  The green chairs in the background are new to that spot.  They originally were torn red vinyl.  In the background is my much loved MCM buffet.  It supports our huge TV that I conveniently cropped out.

Detail of My MCM Buffet
Check out how the faux antlers hug the moss orb.




Flanking the buffet are a pair of brass, glass, and chrome vintage MCM bookshelves.
The backs were open to my very uninteresting beige wall.  I filled the space with some architectural prints in leather frames.  They're a good back drop for the nature-inspired vignettes.


Take a closer look at the shelves of the bookshelf on the right.
I'm using my orange Hermes scarf boxes as risers.  The antlers are naturally bleached, 
and resting on the top shelf is one of my spikey spheres.


I stacked some mini books under a cloche and added a turtle shell on top of the pile. 
I found the shell on a walk in the woods.
The antler alongside it is faux.


Gotta share the other shelf too.

The Other MCM Shelf
Another sphere is on top, the Santos traveled from another spot to be on the shelf, the skull is resin.


One of my covered bottles helps hold up one of those always wobbly brass birds.


This lantern also decided to come in from the cold.  
(It will go back to the patio when the weather warms.)
I filled it with my growing collection of velvet pumpkins and some seed pods from a neighbor's tree.
The fabulous brass cube table is from an estate sale.



What colors direct your decor?

Kathy




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Thursday, January 15, 2015

Snippets From This Month's Sale at Sweet Clover

I am so last minute and down to the wire. 
 I just returned home from setting my space and the sale is tomorrow!!!!  So not like me.


Here are a few pics to tease you into coming to shop.
If you'd like to see them all go to my Facebook page here.




Boho Mirror and Paper Umbrella with Bamboo Handle

Antique Books with Velvet Belt and Buckle

Section From Framed Print

Loom, Binoculars, Camera, Shoe Last


Chinoiserie Container



Fan in Shadow Bow, Scarves, Mercury Glass

Come shop with us.

Kathy

Hope to see you all there. 
Sweet Clover
4051 Stanford Court
Frederick, MD
Jan. 16-18
10-5

link to our FB page for more photos: https://www.facebook.com/SweetCloverBarn



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Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Recent Finds---Before and After

I've been updating some of my recent finds.  You'll see that I'm in a gray-frenchy-chippy mood.  
Check out my treasures.

This three drawer solid wood chest would make a perfect bedside or side table.
 I updated it with some gray paint.
Did you notice the incised quatrefoil design on the sides?



New mercury glass knobs from Anthropologie.

Detail of Mercury Glass Knob
This is the before.



Next find, also looking good in gray, is a curvy table with a deep drawer and carved accents.




A closer look.



The before.


This next piece has its original hand-painted pattern.  It was missing its seat though.
Next to it is an equally gorgeous florentine column.

Florentine Chair and Column

Chair Back Detail

Chair Leg Detail
I added a new seat with Belgian linen fabric and bullion fringe.

New Linen Seat and Fringe

What have you found and transformed?

Kathy

They'll be for sale at our first sale of the year at Sweet Clover.
Hope to see you there.  It looks like the weather is going to cooperate.  Yea.

To see more photos of what I'll have go here.

Sweet Clover
4051 Stanford Court
Frederick, MD
Jan. 16-18
10-5


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Thursday, January 1, 2015

2014 Highlights

I thought a good way to begin the new year was to reflect on all my design experiments in 2014.  
 I was a very busy girl.

My biggest undertaking was my room at The Design House at The Old Lucketts Store.
After I purchased a vintage easel,  I was off and running and pulling together my artist's loft.

An Elegant and Decadent Artist's Loft at The Design House

I also updated many vintage finds and sold them at Sweet Clover 
or The Design House.

I showed my girly side when I painted a vintage bamboo chest pink and added gold gilding wax accents.

My Girly Side
I experimented on a bamboo Chinese Chippendale chair with burlap and nailhead.

Updated Chinese Chippendale Chair

I was really into nail head.  I added it and some leopard fabric to a vintage stool.

Vintage Footstool with Leopard Fabric and Nail Head Trim

I used tape to help me outline the drawers on this chest.

Updated Vintage Chest
I added new items to my vintage mix at Sweet Clover.  The goat and lantern were favs.

Goat Giclee and Lantern 

More animals, this time on pillows resting on vintage slipper chairs at Sweet Clover.

Fall  Sale at Sweet Clover
More vintage/new mix with jewels and vintage bottles.

Jewelry Draped on Vintage Bottles

My mantels are always changing. 

 Fall in the family room was all about an ibex and grasses.

Fall Mantel 2014

The sun room mantel was all copper and gold for Christmas.

Holiday Mantel 2014

And of course my fascination with all things plaid.

My Plaid Vintage Suitcases

If you'd like to see the store all done in plaid, go here.

To see plaid from my Pinterest page go here.


And nothing ever stays in one place or stays the same at my house.


I added a mache elephant in the kitchen above the dresser that holds my linens and placemats.

Elephant, Floats, and Powder Horns in the Kitchen

I finally was brave enough to paint stripes around my foyer.

Stripes in the Foyer

I added jewels and an Italian print to my Santos.

Santos in My Living Room

I showed the before and after of my screened porch.




I also cleaned up my brick patio.  (It was my summer painting workshop.)

Updated Patio
I added Hermes and Versace to my family room.

Hermes Scarf Boxes

I also experienced some sellers' remorse and kept a stylized horse for myself.

Stylized Horse

I'm always busy in the garden.


My Climbing Roses

I added geometric trellises to the side of my garage.

Trellises and Just Starting Pencil Boxwoods

More blooms in the summer heat.

Crepe Myrtle


If you'd like to see the full posts, just click on the image and the link will take you there.

  You know I don't share much of my personal life, but I have to say that 2014 was one of the hardest years I've ever experienced.  I'm so looking forward to a new year, a new beginning, and many new design experiments.  Thanks for following along.
Happy New Year


Kathy