grey: a cool neutral

The previous post featured my grey dining room.

I took so many pictures, I thought I would share a few close-up images of the details. You will see that my collections of vintage things are pretty eclectic. Yet everything does speak to my soul and bring me joy...

I think at first glance you will notice that the variety of things I collect seem to have no rhyme nor reason.... 

...as in the frog sprinkler, antique stoneware and sea shells in the first picture to the flower frog, transferware and delicate feather in the above image.

I find beauty in everyday items like watch parts, old hymnals and antique dishware...

...and keys and aged pewter.

Antique English transferware was made in a variety of patterns, colors and types of dishware.

Even the table runner echos the colors of the walls in the room.

It may seem odd to display the small butter pats upside down, but I simply love the back-stamps of the English Ironstone manufacturer.

I mix in a variety of metals from galvanized metal to silver to pewter.

This simple vignette is comprised of an antique plaster wall sconce, a McCoy vase, sea fan and a vintage hand shovel relief. 

  And I have to include fresh greenery and plants. This gorgeous tropical leaf is in a macrame vase hanger made by my talented mom.

Although the collections do not have a single constant theme, they are all things that speak to my soul: antique transferware and ironstone, vintage gardening collectibles and nautical treasures.

But how does it all work together?

Color.

If you maintain a color palette, mixing and matching collectibles create a cohesive stylized design.

So display the things that speak to your soul. Surround yourself with the things that bring you joy!

gorgeous grey

 Have you noticed the skyrocketing appeal of the color grey in interior design over the past couple of years?

I've been obsessed with shades of grey forever. Since my world is a wash of neutral tones, grey is a lovely companion "color".

A perfect example is my dining room.

I love the mix of natural wood, painted furniture, creamy neutrals and shades of grey.

I also mix together all of the things that speak to my heart like my love of beachy nautical treasures...

and a nod to my love for all things gardening.

A neutral grey palette looks wonderful with metallic silver like this collection of vintage watering cans.

I refinished this cabinet by painting the base in a soft off white distressed finish, I used an old world grey stain on the top and the hardware has an aged nickle patina.

The walls are two shades of grey separated by a white chair rail.

Old pewter, Ironstone and transferware are beautiful together.

Although this is a "formal" dining room, I do love to add timeworn pieces like this old cupboard and chicken coop that give the room a classic farmhouse feel.

Hiding inside this piece is a collection of stoneware, crystal and pewter.

I think the juxtaposition of formal with informal furnishings and accessories creates a lovely stylistic balance.

I hope that if you can take anything away from my design posts is that there really are no rules when it comes to designing your home. Take chances with mixing styles and pieces that speak to you. Take risks with paint. You can very easily repaint a room for a impactful and inexpensive change. Creating a room by starting with a neutral base, allows for the ability to make decorative changes with wonderful and interesting accessories.

Happy decorating!

fine art...?

 What do you picture when you hear...

a collection?

Is it fine works of art, a line of clothing or perhaps a library of rare books or old records.

Well, after spending so much time in my garden, it seems that one of my favorite collections is a random scatting of old garden items sprinkled around my home, porch and throughout the garden.

These old treasures speak to me and I love finding well worn garden tools at thrift shops and flea markets.

Some of my favorite things to find are...

weathered sundials and spritzers

broken rusty rakes

galvanized watering cans

terracotta pots in every shape and size

hose nozzles and sprinklers

metal wash stands

and precious garden statues

There are so many things that bring a smile to my face and many of those things have to do with gardening. I will decorate indoor as well as outdoor spaces with vintage garden collectibles.

Is it fine art...?

No not exactly. But, to me, old worn garden implements are every bit as lovely as a Monet.

Do you scour flea markets for a cherished treasure to add to your collection? I'm curious...

a shining light

 Since my last post, I have been thinking a lot about family and some of my favorite times together.

My mom and I could pick up seashells every day and never tire.

My dad is a selfless soul that could take or leave shelling, but he is at his happiest just at the sight of his family doing something that brings them joy.

So my mom and I would collect as many treasures as we could find and my dad would haul them all to the house.

Once the shells were all cleaned, I thought it would be nice to do something with them that my dad could enjoy and help me with. Before I moved to Florida, my dad and I would spend most weekends in his garage creating, fixing, painting or refinishing things for my shop.

So a daddy-daughter seashell project was on my radar.

The vintage shell lamp...

I always have a "to-do" stash of projects in my garage or in storage. I thought a lamp might be a great project for us to tackle.

I had an old rusty outdoor post light with a fabulous aged brass sea green patina.

First, my dad removed the original wiring and replaced it with wiring suitable for an indoor lamp. Equipped with a plug and toggle switch. 

The original fixture would have been atop a solid post, so as it stood now, it was top heavy. So I rummaged through my vintage wood stash and found a weathered wooded block and a grey-blue board. Both have a driftwood look perfect for this project.

I replaced the candlelight arms with new sleeves and placed seashells inside the glass hurricane shade. 

I must say the finished product is spectacular!

The best part is that I was able to combine both my mom and dad in a project that will always make me think of them.

lace chairs

 It's official, I am on a lace kick as of late.

Since I've been sharing so much about how I incorporate vintage linens into my life, I thought I would share one of my favorite lace projects.

I covered a pair of oval back side chairs with all sorts of vintage lace, crochet and tatting.

I started with a pair of French country oval back side chairs with fluted legs and lovely carved floret designs.

The wood has a natural stain and white furniture wax finish to highlight the beautiful details.

There are more than 60 doilies, lace panels, crochet pieces and miscellaneous trimmings on the chairs. Every inch of the upholstery  on the front and back as well as the seat are embellished with assorted antique finery.

If you would like to try a project like this but are a bit intimidated, you could start with something small like a footstool.

I am so pleased with the finished chairs. To protect the lacework, I sprayed the finished chairs with Scotchgard.

love of lace

 It's interesting how blogging lately has been a fluid process for me. meaning, one blog triggers a train of thought, then the next and the next. This blog is no different.

So in my previous post about the garden wash station, I mentioned that I like to use some of my stained or damaged old lace and linens to decorate my garden.

Truth be told, I pretty much surround myself with antique fabrics. They are my favorite color (all shades of white), they soften a space and I love the antiquity that they represent.

Here are some of the types of vintage linens that I collect...

table linens

antique collars

crochet pillow cases

miscellaneous lace trimmings

There is just something magical and lovely about old lace, crochet and linens. It warms my heart and conjures thoughts of an elegant way of life. Do you have old family linens hiding in a drawer, cupboard or a box in your home?

Why not get them out, iron the wrinkles and find a way to display them. It's hard to appreciate just how special these old pieces are if they are not being truly appreciated.