Mid Century Modern X Coffee Tables

My family room is going Mid Century Modern. It's a completely different look than other rooms in my house, but I'm liking the look more and more.   It all started with a buffet that I use as a tv stand.  It's the perfect height for tv viewing and has a ton of storage.

  A friend of mine found me a pair of X base coffee tables.  The image is of one of them.  I liked the base but wasn't crazy about the top.  

Originally I was going to paint the top and add nail head around the edge.  What I ended up doing was having a mirror with a beveled edge cut for the tops.  I like them in front of the modern Petrie sofa I bought from Crate and Barrel.  I think they also go well with the Flokati rugs I just found.

 I'm having second thoughts about the mirrors.  They're constantly covered with finger prints.  I may have an upholstered top added in place of the mirrors.

I also was very excited to find these coasters at Pier 1.  I love the design.  They come in many colors but of course I purchased orange ones.  Now I need to get my family members to use them.

I'm working on changing up the mantel in this room but I'm not there yet.

Check back.

Kathy

Layering

I love the look of layering.  You've seen my layering on tabletops and mantels, but I also love the look when a  mirror, an architecturally interesting plaque, or a picture are layered over a styled bookcase.

The sunburst mirror in this image from Cote de Texas adds an element of surprise to the already beautifully styled niche.

I don't know the source for the next two images but the prints on the front of the bookcase and the antlers in frames in the following really add that special element of the unexpected to the styling.

And, why not add something architectural as Brooke from Velvet and Linen did?

I created a similar effect in my sun room.  I didn't add to a bookcase, but I layered framed prints onto the window frames. ( Don't tell any one I put holes in window frames). 

I have four sets of windows in that room.  Since the two side windows have views of the neighbors, I added draperies for privacy.  Privacy is not a concern in the two sets facing the back yard.  I didn't want to block the view, but I needed something.  Since I already had a shell reference map between the windows, I added some prints of coral in mirrored frames.

One of a set of six prints.  So sorry about the reflections from the drapes, rug, and floor.

These prints are from a large home decor supplier, Two's Company.  They are one of the wholesale sellers that I use for the store.  I love the look of mixing new with vintage.  These framed prints (no longer available) were keepers and would work perfectly in this room since I had shells and coral color as an accent in that room already.
Here they are in place on the window frames.

Some close-ups of the prints, one at night and the other during the day.

Anyone have a trick for taking photos when mirrored surfaces are involved? 

Kathy

Chair Obsession Part Four

Oh my, I have more chairs to feature.   This is one of my favorite styles-- what I call Frenchy.  When I purchased these chairs they had  cabbage rose fabric,.  I decided that they would look much better with an off white linen.  They are currently in my bedroom.

Here  is one of the chairs in place next to my vintage bombe chest of drawers.  Above the dresser is a map of Paris which I had framed into four quadrants.  I placed some mini globes in urns and trophies.  In the corner I placed my architectural column.  Notice the stripes that I continued from the hallway onto one wall in the bedroom.

 

Between the chairs is a luggage rack with an antique French leather suitcase.  I always purchase luggage racks when I see them.  They make excellent side tables when you add a suitcase or even a piece of glass on top.  It's a perfect bed side table in a guest room.

What do you  think?  What's your favorite chair so far?

If you missed chair obsession part one go here,  for part two here, and part three here.
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I didn't do a separate post about my Chinese Chippendale chairs in my sun room but I love them and wanted to include them in this "chair" post.

To see the full post go here.


Kathy

Primitive and Proper and The Thriftress

Just wanted to give a big shout out to my sweet, talented friend, Cassie, of the wonderful blog, Primitive and Proper for featuring my striped dresser in her weekly favorites.

If you haven't discovered her yet, click here  to see more of her weekly pics.

And if a fablulous blog isn't enough, she's teaming up with another super talented and creative friend , Sarah, from the blog The Thriftress, and opening a shop in Wild Rose and Co. in Walkersville, Md.

Wild Rose and Co.

Thanks Cassie and all the best to you and Sarah and your new business venture, Persephone.  I can't wait for the grand opening on Saturday, February 4th.

Kathy

Flokati Rugs

Hand made wool Flokati rugs were very popular in the 60's and 70's and they're back again in modern design. They're soft, shaggy, and soooo soft underfoot.

They're great in main rooms.

Via Corneliusnews.net Stylephile

And so luxurious on bare feet in the bedroom.

Via Corneliusnew.net Stylephile

To see more of these rugs in room settings, go to Houzz.


Recently I stopped by one of my favorite consignment shops.  The shop owner mentioned that they'd gotten some new rugs in and that I should take a peek.  Normally, I don't look at rugs, but since these were brand new, I took a look and I saw not one, but two 5 x 7 white wool flokati rugs.  They were mine in less than five minutes.   I placed them both in my family room.  The white also significantly brightened a very dark room.

I can only share some snippets of the room because you know me and my never ending change ups.  Yes another is going on in the family room and it's not quite ready for public viewing.

Here's one end of the rug in all its plush loveliness.  I like how it fluffs up to my Mid-Century Modern buffet/flat screen tv stand.

On the other end of the room its irregular shagginess peeks out from behind my new sofa.  (Not ready to share about the new sofa yet either.)

I have to say that the family has been going barefoot a lot in that room and wriggling their toes into its luxurious pile.  I had one set back though.  My daughter commented that it looked like a prop for a porno film.  I just brushed that comment off and burrowed my toes in deeper.

I'm really enjoying my new purchase. Though it does tend to shed about as badly as my yellow lab, Bella.

Sweet Bella

Should I take the Furminator to it or is there a finite amount of shedding?
I'm talking about the rug, not the dog.

Kathy

January Barn Sale

It's time for our January sale at the barn.  I've had almost six weeks to get ready.  What a luxury that is compared to a seven day a week obligation.  Each month I've done something different.  This month I'm doing a lot of --cameras, pulleys, molds, wooden boxes,and industrial stuff.  My favorite find, which I've featured on the back wall, are a pair of framed medical reference illustrations.
They're from a medical book, Human Anatomy (1907), by Dr. George Piersol, a 20thC University of Pennsylvania Professor of Anatomy . 

To the left of these large illustrations is a huge wooden mold for sand casting metal wheels.
It looks like a big wooden wheel.

Below the illustrations is the gray and orange striped dresser that I painted.  On top are some covered books with an elephant (I made another set for the sale), and a glass container with brightly colored orbs.

Here's a close-up.

I'll have some industrial pendants that can be hard-wired or used with a plug.

Also, some hanging pendants with chains and an Edison bulb.

You all saw the chair I re-covered in a Chevron pattern.  Next to it is a document box with a steer skull, and below, the vanity bench I painted orange and covered with Imperial Trellis fabric.

I love that skull.  Here's a closer look.

I also have this wonderful vintage Corona typewriter and a vintage typewriter stand.

I filled a table with an assortment of books, boxes, bottles, iron farm gears, and insulators.

I placed the letter R in front of a bamboo mirror from Ballard, and on the bamboo table is an old dictionary, a globe and some maps.

I also have a large iron wheel, a metal stool, and several large vintage tins.

I also have a drafting table and T-square, an old metal kitchen stool, and the tiniest adding machine I've ever seen.  Drafting tables are perfect for an extra serving table and they store flat.

 

For those of you who love to use vintage cameras in your decor, I have quite a selection of interesting ones.

I hope you can make it.

Kathy

Link to more images of what we'll have at the barn.  Click here.

Stylish Patina Barn Sale

January 20,21,22

10 am until 5 pm

Where are we?
4051 Stanford Ct. Frederick, MD

Directions from D.C. Area
1. 495 N towards Maryland
2. I-270 N
3. Exit 32 merge I-70 W Hagerstown
4. Exit 52 merge US-15/US 340 W
5. Merge to the the left, follow 15 S
6. Left Mountville Rd (1st traffic light)
7. 1^st Left Winchester Blvd
8. Wind thru Stanford Industrial Park
9. 2nd Right at 4051 Stanford Ct.

Other Places to Visit!
Make it a day of shopping.....
Downtown Frederick MD (6 miles)
Downtown Leesburg, Va (15 miles)
Lucketts, Va (11 miles)
Chartreuse & Co. Barn (4 miles)

{blog/website} www.stylishpatina.com/thebarn

Union Jack

I'm seeing the Union Jack everywhere in design.

On dressers.

Via Pinterest

On pillows.

And Valorie Hart from The Visual Vamp even painted one on her dishwasher.

For even more images, go to Pinterest.

I've been wanting to give it a try for a while now but I wanted to experiment on a small piece.  I selected an old radio cabinet base that someone had converted into a bench/end table with a lift top lid and storage.  I painted it a Swedish gray and distressed it.

I added the Union Jack to the lift top.  I used different widths of painters' tape to tape off the design.  I highly recommend looking at an image while you're taping.  I basically taped the design and then used an exacto knife to cut away the areas I didn't need.   I started with the  "cross" in the center then taped my way out.  To get the colors in the same tone, I just added black to my original paint.  That way I knew that it would be in the same colorway.  I created two colors, each one darker than my original color.

I think I'm ready to paint a big piece now.

Kathy

More Stripes

I painted some horizontal stripes on my walls in my home and I liked them so much I decided to add some stripes to a piece of furniture.  I started out with this simple antique pine dresser.

I removed the hardware, sanded it, then applied a primer and several coats of  a linen white paint.

Next I completely covered the front and both sides with 2 inch painters' tape.

 I removed every other row of tape and pressed down all the edges to prevent paint from leaking under the tape.  Oops, I pulled up some of the paint.  I'll have to sand and prime before I paint those areas again.  I guess I just pressed down too hard on the tape.  That wasn't supposed to happen.

I painted the dresser in my new favorite color combination--gray and orange. 

I even striped the sides.

I sealed the finish with this product.

The final touch, add the knobs, and I was done.

 

My trick for painting knobs:

1.   I insert the screw into the knob.
2.   I hold onto the screw and paint the underside of the knob first.

3.   When the underside is dry, I cut slits into a box lid and slide the screw into the slit.  Once the knobs are stabilized it's easy to paint the top side.   Egg cartons work just as well as box lids.

So what do you think about horizontal stripes on furniture?


Kathy