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Archive for April, 2012

The Power of Paint

Posted in Inspiration, Musings, tagged , , , , , , , on April 30, 2012| 7 Comments »

I’ve been a bit paint crazy lately. The barn, the girls’ apartment, my bedroom, my laundry room. Chip, my husband, just doesn’t get why I’m so into it (or see the value of $85/gallon paint vs. $30/gallon paint).  But, frankly, I’ve become obsessed.

It should also be noted that we live in a 1898 farmhouse with some pretty spectacular wood trim that I’ve been itching to paint for 10 years. Chip is completely opposed. So I offer the following evidence of the positive power of paint. (from CuriousDetails.com blog)

BEFORE: an efficient, if uninteresting office.

AFTER: Add a little paint, and you've got WOW! I particularly love the contrast of the deep, rich blue doors against the clean white office space beyond. An inspired choice.

BEFORE: the broader view of the office space

AFTER: The amazing power of simple white paint. Wouldn't you love entering this office space each day?
Also note that by using the built-ins within arms' reach of the desk, a smaller desk became practical - allowing for the comfort of the pair of chairs in the room.

I hope this gives you some inspiration (it gave me loads!), and perhaps some ammunition as you carry on the to-paint-or-not-to-paint debate with your other half.

Thanks for reading!

Virginia

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Apartment Living

Posted in Inspiration, Musings, Tag Sale Updates, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , on April 22, 2012| 4 Comments »

Sorry I’ve been so quiet lately. Between the activity of Market Days, late last month, and then getting ready for our tag sale this month, I’ve fallen a bit behind on so many projects.  And with graduations looming, there’s even more to think about . . .

Even my laundry room and office re-dux have had to take a back seat to my latest venture, which is much more time sensitive: We’re converting the second floor of our soon-to-be-vacant tenant house into an apartment for our soon-to-be-graduating girls. While we’re sad to say goodbye to our tenants of 10 years, it does offer the silver lining of providing a convenient, affordable living space for our girls. And, of course, the opportunity for me to do some small-scale living decorating!

I’m just so darn excited!!! It’s 3 small rooms: a bedroom for each girl and a very small living/dining/kitchen space.

I see a pair of these on the 'sofa table' behind the sofa as you enter their 'living room'.

The sofa-table/kitchen island transitional piece for the tiny living/kitchen/dining room.

I’ve actually already acquired this one (with their permission), and, naturally, it came in 50,000 assorted pieces!  But it’ll be smashing once it’s finished!

Their little sofa is similar to this one. Would you believe I scored it for just $40 at a Goodwill?!?! It's being completely reupholstered in a chic grey velvet.

Check out my Pinterest page, “Apartment Inspiration” for more of my concepts for the kitchen portion of the space.   This is like a dream come true for me:   the opportunity to decorate a life-size doll house!!!

Thanks for reading!

Virginia

PS  Here are some shots of some of the great stuff in the barn right now, just in case you weren’t able to come see for yourself . .

 

Okay, so I've covered my bedroom, Sasha's room, her hallway (yes, the house has so many rooms and corridors, that my youngest, Sasha, has her own 'hallway'), the exercise room. There's no end to the rug selection, and the great prices make it such an easy decision!

One of my absolute favorite items this sale. So simple. So profound! Where has this easy, charming concept been all my life?

What is it about the Union Jack that so draws me? I suppose it's that I've always been an anglophile. But there's just something fiesty, yet reassuringly steady about it that I just can't put my finger on.

Oh, yeah, and there's TONS of great furniture here this weekend. Just in case you're wondering . . .

With the finish of this month's sale, but prior to my girls' graduations and moving, and all that that entails, Chip and I are running off to the beach for an extended weekend. These pillows and coral kinda take me there early . . .

I love these tea towels from France. I stumbled upon them at the Atlanta Merchandise Market and couldn't live without them. (It didn't hurt that the French guy selling them could say, "Chartreuse!" with that perfect French accent.)

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Getting ready for April’s sale

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on April 15, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Wow! I can hardly believe that it, but April’s nearly over! Between Market Days, Easter, and Spring Break with the girls, it’s flown by.

But I’ve also been busy in the barn and here are some pictures of what’s going on there:

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Color Happy!

Posted in Uncategorized on April 5, 2012| 1 Comment »

Yes, I’m color happy right now.  I’ve just spent the day at a Farrow & Ball color seminar, coming away inspired and more knowledgeable.

For instance, did you know that when selecting a paint color for exterior use, you should go up to 2 shades deeper than your original choice?   Reason:  the sunlight/exterior light is so intense that it washes color out.  A deep cream or grey will appear almost pure white outside.  Fascinating.

And extremely relevant to my upcoming summer project:  painting the barns.  Here’s some choices I’m considering from Farrow & Ball’s incomparable palette:

Eaves trim, door surround, window lintels:  Down Spout

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My hope is that it would look almost black, without the harshness of true black.

Surface of barn face, window mullions:  Pavilion Gray

(This is not an accurate sampling at all.  It’s actually a light grey, not a taupe . . .)

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The door, and any shutters?  Yup, an excellent shade of green:  Churlish Green

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It’s a work in progress, and I have lots of time to work it out, as I must wait till it’s consistently 65% and not raining . . .

I’d love to hear about any exterior painting suggestions or successes you’ve had. 

Thanks for reading,

Virginia

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Market Days Redux

Posted in Inspiration, Tag Sale Updates, tagged , , , , , , , , on April 3, 2012| 2 Comments »

Wow, what a great weekend we had!  The weather was perfect (if a little chilly on Saturday when the wind blew . . .), the offerings we sooo great, and everyone had such a good time.

In case you couldn’t make (or in case you want to relive it a little), here’s some pictures of what went on:

Here’s Hunt & Gather’s eclectic take on vintage.

Asia meets Europe, right here in Buckeystown.

The Green Cottage filled the yard with bright color and stunning original artwork.

Love this vignette of vintage bottles.

Bella Villa was here with bells on!  Mixed with Favorite German Antiques, the space was stunning.

So many great finds – original and vintage – that everyone found that perfect something.

Yup, I scored that fabulous french settee!  I promise that I waited till Sunday evening – I always give you dibs on the finds.

Carly Simonds of Peanut & Scoot enjoying Market Days!

Gatehouse Designs brought some stunning finds.  This matching pair of twin headboards were that perfect shade of almost green, almost blue, very french gray.

And so many beautiful things . . .

These darling bunnies are real, and were so tame that Monica’s daughter sat with them and pet them through the day.  Adorable!

 

Robin, of The Robin’s Nest, was loving the opportunity to shop right here on the grounds!

And Bella Villa was rocking the surroundings.  I just love the way Rosanna intermingled her European antiques with the natural surroundings.

I loved this vessel nested into the mulberry tree.  If it weren’t for my passion for the French settee, this wonderful vignette would have stayed right where it was.

The bracelets are even prettier nestled into these shells.

The paint inside this European antique desk is original.  (And those little brown books are now mine!)

Emma Jean’s General Store was here, and look how great this earthy table looks against the white-painted stone of our bank barn.

Jackie and Sheree of Seasons brought a yummy mix of textures, and put them together so well.

And here they are musing over their space.

Judy and Meghan of HarMonia brought organic lavender, a huge hit!

Plus they brought some finds from their recent trip to Italy.

Oh, yeah, our grounds never looked so good!

And we’re doing it all again in September!  So much fun!!!

Thanks for reading,

Virginia

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