VINTAGE PORTRAITS--INSTANT ANCESTORS

Have you noticed rooms with vintage oil portraits as decor?  I've been seeing them in every room of the home.  I call it instant ancestors, and especially like the juxtaposition of them in a modern setting.  Here are some images to inspire you to layer some history, character, and some strangers into your home.

I've had this portrait in my kitchen for a long time.  I've shared it before.

Here are some more of my favorite unfamiliar faces in the kitchen.

TUMBLR

JEFFREY HARRIS DESIGN

MY PARADISSI

The vintage oil mixes easily with modern decor.  It's the perfect juxtaposition.

SFGIRLBYBAY

These truly are instant ancestors.  They blend perfectly with the modern ghost chair.

JEFFREY HARRIS DESIGN

I love dark walls.

LITTLE BLUE DEER

ZSA ZSA BELLAGIO

An oversized portrait makes a statement and gives this room a European vibe.  The addition of the modern Pantone chairs is the perfect mix and match style.

VKVVISUALS

A vintage oil actually matches the look of the room.

CARLA ASTON DESIGN

I couldn't pass up including this bohemian space.
 I've always loved boho, and the layering over the drapery is absolutely wonderful.

TUMBLR

If you're patient, you can create a portrait gallery wall.

PRIMITIVE MODERNISM

Are you familiar with "altered art".   It's become quite popular.   The artist and designer,  Josh Young, has many creations of this unique design twist on vintage art.    You should really follow the link for a tour of his Chicago home.   You can also follow him and shop on his Instagram account.

THE CURATED INTERIOR

Altered art has been recreated on Etsy with printable downloads.
Follow the link for this art, or simply search altered art on Etsy.

ETSY

Let me know if you'd like to add some instant ancestors to your decor.



If you want to see more vintage portraits, visit my Pinterest Page, Portraits.

If you liked this post, you might what to read a related post I've written about Art In The Kitchen.


IMAGE SOURCES:  CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO BE DIRECTED TO ORIGINAL SOURCE.

STORE FRONT REFLECTIONS

Many years ago--more than I will admit--I had a shop with a large store-front window.  I loved styling that window with my latest finds.  I've never had another location with a window feature, but I've always remembered that store and the way it gave a hint of what was inside and teased passersby to stop in.  I wish I had taken pictures of the many change ups over the years, but that was before blogging and the internet.

Several years ago I visited a friend in New York.  We took a day trip to Hudson, NY.  I loved all the window displays and took many photos with my very old cell phone.  I've shared these photos before, but I've been reflecting about small business owners and missing my friend, so I'm sharing these fabulous displays again.

While I was shooting the artistic store front displays, I was upset by the glare and reflections.  I thought I would be disappointed when I downloaded the images, especially since I forgot my camera and was using my cell phone.   But, the exact opposite occurred.

Not only were the window stylings fabulous, but the reflections of the street, cars and buildings superimposed over the vignettes also made them even more stunning.  See if you agree.

Not any buildings or streets in this image, just a reflection of three long-time friends--and an owl.

I wanted to give a shout out to all you small business owners and to all my many small business owner friends who, like me, are weathering out this pandemic.    

MY DAUGHTER'S BATHROOM RENOVATION--THE REVEAL

Last week I shared the BEFORE of my daughter's bathroom renovation.  You might want to check  out that post before you read this reveal.   

Here's looking in to the space from the hallway.

LOOKING IN FROM THE HALL

The ostrich art fills the space above the toilet.  The green in the print inspired the green walls--
-----Benjamin Moore Kennebunkport Green, HC -123.

I know I said to check out the BEFORE post, but I couldn't resist sharing a peek of the BEFORE here.

BEFORE

BEFORE

Our biggest challenge was finding a vanity to replace the wall-mounted sink.  The width and depth of the space really limited our selection. There was a very small foot print for the width, and the depth was another concern.  The door opened directly in front of the vanity.  We also replaced the floor.  You can see the reflection of the new shower head in the mirror.

NEW VANITY AND FLOOR

We chose a simple molded sink and brushed nickel fixtures.  The mirror was one I had used in my bathroom.  I love the shape of it and the silver tones are perfect with the brushed nickel fixtures.

In the BEFORE post I mentioned that we had to work with the shelf under the window.  It had to stay because it hides some duct work.  We used some of the extra floor tile on top of the shelf and added a marble tray, some silver spheres, and a topiary.

SHELF UNDER WINDOW

SPHERES, TRAY AND JEWELRY

As I said in the BEFORE post, we removed the bathtub and installed a walk-in shower.  We bumped out several feet into the adjacent bedroom.  It was a very good solution to enlarge the shower area.

WALK-IN SHOWER

We chose subway tile for the walls and a penny tile for the niche and floor.  We also built in a bench.

SHOWER, BENCH, AND NICHE

SHOWER NICHE

We repeated the shower floor tile in the niche.

NICHE WITH PENNY TILE

I'm breaking down again and sharing a BEFORE of the shower.

BEFORE

Last but not least, the new shower head.

BRUSHED NICKEL SHOWER HEAD AND SUBWAY TILE

I hope you check out the entire BEFORE post.  The transformation is pretty dramatic.


SHARING ON A STROLL THRU LIFE

MY DAUGHTER'S BATHROOM RENO--THE BEFORE

If you've been following along, you know that a few years ago my daughter purchased a 1950's fixer upper.  She's been slowly renovating and in the middle of all that she got married last July.  She and her new husband decided that the next item on the reno list was the upstairs bathroom.  I'm sharing the BEFORE today.

I debated about how to write this.  I considered combining the before and after into one post.  After going back and forth about the best way to share this, I decided that I'd do the BEFORE  and post the AFTER as a separate post.  So brace yourselves.  This isn't pretty, but the result (you'll have to check back for that) is oh so very gorgeous.

This is how it looked peeking in from the hallway.

LOOKING IN FROM THE HALL

The mirrored medicine chest, the light, the sink, toilet, and all the tile were removed.  

We basically gutted the whole room.

There was a "shelf" under the window.  We wanted to remove it to gain some added floor space.  Unfortunately it held some duct work, so it had to stay.

SHELF UNDER WINDOW WITH DUCT WORK

The floor was in good shape. 

 We removed it too though because we were going with a different color combination.

 TILE FLOOR

The tile in the shower/tub area was damaged.   Since there was another bathroom with a bathtub, we decided to remove the bathtub and replace it with a walk-in shower.  To make the shower larger, we bumped out the room a few feet into the adjacent bedroom.  We were very happy with the decision.  

TILE IN TUB/SHOWER SURROUND

DAMAGED TILE

MORE DAMAGE

This was a true fixer upper.  Don't forget to check back for the transformation.

If you'd like to see how we updated her dining area go here.

She's already replaced windows, painted the house inside and out, added window treatments, new lighting, removed walls, added a new kitchen floor and painted her kitchen cabinets. 

 Stay tuned for those posts too.