Layer it on

As the seasons change, I like my surroundings to reflect the current mood...so with summer waving goodbye and autumn knocking at the door, its time to put away the seashells and white slipcovers...change it up a little bit...maybe some fall leaves...old books...anything rusty...

Need some help in setting a tone?  I have just the thing...
the latest issue of American Farmhouse Style has hit the newsstands...and in it you will find "5 Steps to Creating a Seasonal Vignette", a simple guide written/photographed by me.  

Using what you already have, I give a simple outline for changing your seasonal decor...for whatever suits your style. 
I firmly believe that your home should reflect who you are and provide a place of comfort and solace...how better than to be surrounded with the things you love.

And of course there are other wonderful articles - from dining alfresco during the fall season to a gorgeous yellow kitchen that I just love...

Come on in autumn...make yourself comfortable...I definitely want to enjoy you before winter makes its appearance...

oh so blue...

My garden is awash with pops of blue...the grape hyacinths are in full bloom...so even though we are back to gray and cold...those blue blooms are a reminder that it will only get warmer...

Clipping a few buds to bring inside...I have quite a collection of silverplated salt and pepper shakers...
you often find just one at a yard sale...having lost its mate ages ago...the details can be so intricate...

 

These shakers are perfect for small stems...some of them fit through the holes of the shaker, helping to keep the stems upright...taking the top off of another shaker gives plenty of room for blooms...a miniature vase...

fits on my kitchen window sill...a beautiful reminder...of all yet to come...

 

Winding down

With the start of 2013, holiday festivities here wind down...with our New Year's Day open house that brings together friends, food and fun...

December can be a tough month for celebrating...for some its Christmas, others Winter Solstice, or Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa...but the Southern Man and I decided that you can't go wrong with New Year's Day since the calendar begins anew for most everyone. 

It is a Southern tradition to eat hoppin' john (black eyed peas and rice) and collard greens for good luck...the Southern Man was in his glory preparing these savory treats...I tended to all the other details.  Keeping in mind my holiday theme of simple and natural, here's a few ideas I used in setting the buffet table...

Two hefty candle holders and three ironstone plates make a lovely tiered dessert display...

The vintage letter holder that organizes my monthly bills found double-duty holding cocktail napkins next to the chex-mix...

The wire framework from a hand food mill holds a bowl of cherry tomatoes with room underneath for the broccoli florets while a wire colander rounds up the baby carrots...

the set of ceramic "thimble" flower pots that I received from my sister as a christmas present corrals the silverware...

Today's been a slow day of cleaning up, taking down the decorations and packing it all up for another year...after removing the lights and the ornaments from my grapevine tree, I put it in the garden to add a little winter interest...now that's double-duty!








The sun is shining brightly here, heightening my mood...and with my office all cleaned up and my work table totally cleared, it seems as if 2013 is filled with all sorts of possibilities...

Art at home

A few weeks ago, I posted about changing up things at home...after 10 years, it was time to do a little
re-arranging. 

The set of vintage Paris postcards that had been hanging in our living room belonged to my mom...she gave them to me shortly after we moved into our present house.  The cards were a gift from a wartime beau who was courting her...he knew that she had a postcard collection so he brought back several Paris images when stationed overseas.  And though he did not win her heart, she did keep the postcards...and 60 years later she relayed this story to me...

Changing the artwork in the living room to an eclectric bird theme meant the postcards had to move...they had been hung in a symetrical grid...duplicating that arrangement might prove difficult.  I had read several times about the tip to make a newsprint template when hanging art...I decided to give it a try...

I wanted to move the postcard display to the dining room...since the cards were mounted on white watercolor stock, the lightness of the prints would brighten the room.  I measured the wall and determined a rough placement...I cut 9 paper templates and armed myself with plenty of blue tape...

A level was extraordinarily helpful for this project...in fact, I find my small level (with a magnet on one side) one of the most useful tools I have...soon I had my grid laid out...

I had one extra of the frames that I used to mount the postcards - this was helpful in finding the exact designation of the nail hole since I could line up the frame with the paper template and make a mark in the same location for each template.  I simply hammered a small nail into each mark, removed the paper template and hung each card...again using the level to ensure everything was straight and aligned.

And soon all nine postcards were hung...

The lightness and whiteness has made the dining room brighter...and the postcards are still on display, a daily reminder of my mom.

And I can lay testimony to the newsprint template technique for hanging art-
it saved time, effort and frustration...a triple hit!

linking up to Funky Junk Interiors Saturday Nite Special...there's always a good tip or two (or more...!)

Delight in the details

While I recently wrote about injecting some summer soupçon into my home, giving it an overall refresh...it is really the details that delight me.  Though I pared down the layers, I still have (and want!) those touches that breathe a bit of soul into a space...its these details that make a house a home...and importantly, makes it your unique space...









We have a lot of books...and other interesting finds...so the three shelving units in the dining room has a rotating collection of stuff...two of the units are wood, painted dark green, while the middle piece is an old rolling metal shelf that is mostly green...with a bit of blue, black and rust in spots...since it is the same depth as the wood units, it blends in nicely and looks cohesive...

When I arrange, I do it with a theme in mind...sometimes, more than one theme (same topic/same colors/same function)...this helps to unite a seemingly unconnected mass of junk into...well...a connected mass of junk! 
Here, the typewriter, the massive dictionary, the old wood type (in the tall glass vase), the assorted pen points (in the short glass vase) and the light bulbs are tied together with the stencil word IDEA, punctuated with the doorbell mechanism...signifying that eureka moment when an idea pops into your head...

The clock bodies/faces/mechanisms are an extension of my larger collection...but again pared down for a lighter effect...the two large rings are hoops from an old barrel...just that circle helps to tie the vignette together...

Step outside of the bounds with what you think you can hang on the wall...I love to mount objects other than framed pictures/prints...breaks up the surface and adds more interest and variety...this oversized clock mechanism is suspended by a length of jute twine hanging from a decorative brass nail.
















Keeping the color scheme in check (white/silver/gray with a touch of yellow/gold and black)
provides another unifying element.

Giving the eye (and the imagination) something to amuse/stimulate/entertain/ponder

refreshes me on a daily basis since I walk past these shelves countless times...

And isn't that what your home should do for you...

A synergy of ideas

Happy Earth Day everyone! 
In honor of the day, I thought I would share a few earth-friendly ideas that started with a red tulip...











The Southern Man and I were recently invited to a house-warming party...we have a new neighbor next door and we were happy to welcome her to the neighborhood.  Though she said not to bring anything, I didn't want to arrive empty handed.  Since the tulips in my yard are in brilliant bloom (and my neighbor's yard is bereft of any flowers), I thought a bouquet would be perfect.  But a cardinal rule of hostess gift-giving is never give a flower bouquet without a vase...the hostess had enough to do without scrambling to find a vase for the flowers you brought.  I grabbed an Atlas canning jar and filled it with tulips and greenery - clippings from the photinia bush, a branch of just-ready-to-bud lilacs and a couple of healthy fronds of parsley...yes, parsley...I have a large plant in my back garden that keeps re-seeding itself...and I love including herbs in floral bouquets.

To disguise the screw top of the jar, I wrapped around a piece of plaid cotton fabric torn into a ribbon.

I also added a vintage clothespin to which I had drilled a hole in one end so I could attach it to the neck of the jar with a length of bakers twine.  The clothespin clipped a quick card made from printing out an enlarged copy of the word "welcome" from an old dictionary.

Pulling this bouquet together reminded me of the review I recently read of The 50 Mile Bouquet, the newest book by outdoor living expert Debra Prinzing in which Debra joins the chorus of questioning how/where commercial flowers are grown...examining the business of growing cut flowers with chemicals and transporting them vast distances.  She then profiles alternative and innovative practices, signaling the start of the "slow flower" movement.  A change in attitudes and appreciation of local floral possibilities is indeed welcome...

Linking up to Funk Junk Interiors weekly fest of ideas and inspiration...a perfect match for Earth Day...

Odd, yet Essential

I recently read the best article dealing with decorating style..."10 Odd, Yet Essential, Elements of Style" by Deborah Needleman, Editor in Chief of WSJ Magazine.  (A Big Thanks to Janna Lufkin for the facebook post on this!)

I couldn't help but concur with so many of the points she was making...elements I had incorporated into my home and knew they worked for me...but I guess work for others too...




a few examples to illustrate a few of Ms. Needleman's points...

Element #1 - A little animal
There is indeed something about having  some sort of inanimate creature in your space...my stuffed dog was picked up years ago at a yard sale...it badly needed a home so I obliged...he looks down over my worktable from among my design books...

Element #4 - An odd chair
Again, another yard sale find...I know it looks like it is ready to collapse under its own weight, but it is extremely sturdy...and extremely comfortable.  I love the splashes of paint, the twisted wire repairs and the saw marks on the seat...it is indeed odd but perfect...

Element #8 - Decorative mirrors
A common element in many homes...a mirror does wonders to enhance whatever quality of light you have in your space.  I opted for one that has wonderful peely paint and the advantage of dual hanging hardware on the back...so it can be hung vertical or horizontal...whatever decorating mood fits at the time...

Element # 10 - Some patina
This I have in spades...the color, texture and tone of patina speaks to my soul and infuses my home.  I realize this look is not for everyone but a little bit of tarnish among the smooth and shiny gives a lived-in look that instills comfort in any space.

And I would like to add my own personal element,
Element #11 - Nature. 
I find a bit of nature, whether its a leaf, a flower, a feather or a seashell, contributes a relaxed sense to your home.











Read the 10 Odd, Yet Essential, Elements of Style article in its entirety here...and be on the lookout for Deborah Needleman's new book, The Perfectly Imperfect Home...I'm on the hunt for it now...

Authentic style, part 3

Over at WhisperWood Cottage, Amy is continuing her series on Authentic Style.  She has been highlighting some fantastic individuals who demonstrate authentic style in their home...taking design elements (vintage, rustic, classic, modern, etc) and making it all their own. 

Other bloggers are invited to share what their style is...I've been playing along...
you can read Part 1 and Part 2...now on to Part 3: Personality on the Wall...

What you display in your home I think says a lot about you...I figure that I look at the walls of my home everyday...I want it to be interesting and inspiring.  Incorporating salvage elements is an important part and defines my authentic style...

I spend a lot of time in my upstairs studio/office...I have two large inspiration boards tucked into a nook...my work table is directly in front of them...

These two boards showcase vintage and found images that I never tire of looking at...

Upstairs in our bedroom, there's a comfy chair for reading...behind the chair hangs two art pieces.  I wanted to tie the two pieces together to give it a more unified look...the rusted refrigerator coil mounted on the wall gives texture and interest...when I rescued it from a junk heap that my neighbor was hauling away, he thought I was nuts...not the first time someone has thought that...

I think its important that what hangs on your wall is significant to you...the original watercolor was purchased from a street artist in Florence when my sister and I visited Italy...the set of vintage keys are from a visit to my parents many years ago...

I utilized this same idea of a rusty framework to give more presence to a postcard print in our guest bath...I love using those ubiquitous brass metal frames to hang small artwork...leave the frames outside for awhile, they develop a lovely patina...the picture hangs from a piece of jute twine looped around the metal wire...

The master bath has a touch of salvage too...the wooden shelf is a pine box turned upside down and mounted to the wall...

the old wood, the twine ball and the vintage elements complement the favorite photograph perfectly...

that's the end of the tour...but there are more authentic styles over at WhisperWood Cottage...be sure to check it out...and let me know...what's your authentic style?

Authentic style, part 1

Authentic - true to yourself, not imitating something else, the real deal...how ever you want to define it, its what most of us strive for...not to be the best imitation, but rather the best "me".  Amy of WhisperWood Cottage has been exploring what this means to her in terms of her decorating style...and has encouraged everyone else to join in with their individual interpretations. 

I'm ready to join in...my home is important to me...I want it to be practical/artistic/soothing/inviting.  So using Amy's design categories, I thought I'd share my authentic style...

For the first segment of this series, Amy has six categories of design elements inspired by Donna of Funky Junk Interiors, the first blogger profiled in Amy's Authentic Style series.  These six elements are
Clean lines
Rustic
Nature's Elements
Unique
Creative/Thrifty
Authentic - found objects mixed with antiques


Thought I would start with Authentic (with a good measure of Nature's Elements too)

This pine dresser is the oldest piece of furniture I own - its a Danish chest from the 1860's.  When I moved from the Midwest to the West Coast, I had been living with  leftover college furniture...it wasn't worth it to move it halfway across the country...pitched most of it...figured to start over with "real" furniture.  When I bought this chest 25 years ago, I knew that I wanted a piece of furniture that would last a lifetime and be versatile.  Initially this chest was my bedroom dresser...but over the years it has been a dining room buffet, an entertainment bar and now a linen chest...it sits in a nook outside the master bath and holds all of the towels/bedsheets/linens for the house.

You might be able to see if you look closely...the bottom left corner is chewed off...the best dog we ever had - an abused/neglected/old/gentle yellow lab retriever named Forrest that we rescued, chewed off the corner one day...don't know what possessed him...he never chewed anything else in the seven years we had him...we kept the chew marks as a reminder of the (mostly) good dog he was...

Style tip here - buy real furniture when you want a piece that will last...the expense in the long haul is worth it...I paid $800 for this chest in 1986...it has been worth every penny...and this chest will move with me wherever I go.  This is the benefit of shopping for vintage furniture - more than likely, it is sturdily built with solid wood construction.

The vignette on the top is a compilation of found objects and natural elements.  A few volumes from the set of 1898 Encyclopedia Britannica my sister bought at a library sale-$5 for all 26 leather bound books...various bottles, vases and bowls each found for small change...

an old birdcage that I dragged back on the plane from Atlanta several years ago (before all the additional security...I don't think I could get on a plane today with that in tow!)...

a framed poster from the John James Audubon art exhibit that I attended at the Seattle Art Museum in 1996 and the metal crow I bought at Restoration Hardware many, many years ago.

What helps to tie all this together is color and theme...having design elements that are consistent is what gives your home its continuity and contributes to its good vibe.

Be sure you check out the other blog link-ups over at WhisperWood Cottage...I love looking at people's homes...always interesting to me to see what inspires others...

Also linkng up to Funky Junk Interiors Saturday Nite Special on decorating with birds & nests...

And I'll running posts Part 2 and Part 3 in the coming weeks with additional peeks inside my home and how I define my authentic style - stay tuned!

The Weekly Fluff

At Faded Elegance today, sprucing up my space, a lot of texture caught my eye - 
...rough with smooth, light with dark...

...hard with soft, refined with rustic...

 
...man-made with natural...

It's this contrast of texture that adds interest and personality to any project - whether it be a home, a table setting, a garden design or an art collage!

BTW - lots of great ideas for Mother's Day at Faded Elegance...including a great giveaway!  Visit the Faded Elegance blog to get all the details...