Breakfast Nook and Kid Art

Today we'll just pretend that I'm not a Project Simplify flunkie and focus on something I've actually completed, Yea!  I've turned our breakfast nook into a little gallery for the kids' artwork.  It's a grouping of mostly abstract painting with some crayon and collage thrown into the mix.

 The black frames unify the different artwork which I think is helpful since there isn't really a color scheme going on.  The breakfast nook or kitchen is often a fairly casual space in a home.  It seems like a logical place to display kids' artwork.  It's displayed and obviously valued by the family but doesn't overtake the decor if you prefer to have a formal living room free of kiddie stuff.

Most of these frames were purchased at IKEA or Target fairly inexpensively.  I've also posted previously about thrift store frames.  They are cheap, abundant and easily freshened up with spray paint.  

This piece above is hung in a hallway.

This robot graces a kid's room corner.  It's hung a little lower than normal so little people don't have to crane their necks to enjoy it.

Although I'm not very good at tossing artwork, framing a couple of pieces each year makes it easier to let  some of the drawings and paintings make their way to the recycle center.

Generations

Do you have cherished possessions passed down from your grandfather or maybe your great-great grandmother?  How do feel about the things that are fragile and delicate?

My mother-in-law invited me to go along one afternoon as she was cleaning out some things from her mother's house.  I knew that she wanted us to take a very old set of china which belonged to my husband's great-grandmother and I left with a bookshelf, books, and a few other small trinkets as well.

The shelf and books were put to use right away but the china remained packed in our basement for several months.  It's intended for my son, who's middle name belongs to the great-grandmother and the china bears that initial.  I've recently decided that this is a better place for it:

Yes, I'm a little worried that one of the dishes will be broken.  Surprisingly there is a perfect set of six place settings even after all these years.  Isn't part of the reason for keeping things from relatives to think about and remember them?  Because we have a few of these passed down things around the house, we tend to talk about their past owners and others in our family.  It reminds use to share memories with our children who didn't have the chance to know the great-grandmother or the uncle who passed away.

These sweet little birds sit in front of my "wedding" china.  One of the kids wanted to help me display things in this cabinet and he gently held the little birds and of course asked, "Where did these come from?"  They may well be broken before my children reach adulthood but at least they have served a purpose.

Thrift Share Monday - March 14

Good afternoon, all! I've found some goodies to share.  I must say, this Etsy shop ownership is getting dangerous.  Whenever I'm at an estate sale or out thrifting I found myself constantly saying, "I can sell that!".  It's a fabulous excuse to take home way too much.  I should be banned from sales until I actually make a few more sales...

I just happened to drive by a partial "estate" sale (hello, yard sale) right down the street from my house on Friday.  I came home with this gorgeous chenille bedspread.  My husband's not crazy about it so it may end up on Etsy...

I strive to have a paperless kitchen so whenever I find clean looking linens I grab them.  I was also happy to have found the little service bell on the thrift store shelf.

The above office storage box was also at a thrift store.  25 cent sale on all office supplies? Yes Please!  This will be in the shop later, listed fairly cheap due to the original price.

Great assortment of mugs from various sales. The transferware set was made in Brazil and two of the cups are Buffalo China pieces.  Restaurant ware rocks.

Vintage Books

Apparently I've been bitten by the vintage book bug.  I was originally inspired by my neighbor's glassfront cupboard that anchors her living room.  She has a classic style, her home is very comfortable to be in. Lots of antiques and beautiful textures.  Everything is very calm and appealing to the eye, neutral colors, nothing competing for attention.
Think about a shelf full of modern bookcovers with bright colors and various competing fonts.  A rainbow of dust jacket colors sometimes tamed by grouping.  What feeling does that create in comparison to a shelf full of vintage books?  Brown, navy, muted red or soft green.  The titles, sometimes barely visible with a slightly gold shimmer.  Even the dust jackets' colors are muted by time and don't scream for attention.
I've picked up quite a few books in the last two weeks (about twice what is pictured below).  I also have gathered a great collection of vintage craft books and nature guides.

If you are a crafter, vintage books are a wonderful resource and great as supply as well.  A few items from Etsy crafters for inspiration:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/62508208/love-toasty-brown-edition-vintage?ref=cat2_list_13


From Memory Dust on Etsy

By ShannonKayeDesigns on Etsy
http://www.etsy.com/listing/69289463/folded-book-art-cascade?ref=sr_list_4&ga_ref=auto&ga_search_query=folded+paper&ga_noautofacet=1&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade%2Fart

Second hand books are affordable as decor, as reading material, or art supply.  Check the shelves at the antique, consignment, or thrift stores and find some treasures.  P.S. - There are plenty of current titles as well!

I'll be listing vintage books occasionally in my Etsy shop.  I've gotten lucky and even found quite a few first edition copies.

Affordable Rugs

I used to think of rugs as one of those big ticket items that I wouldn't be able to afford until the kids went off to college...which makes no sense, cause that's when you're really broke, right?  In the last couple of years I've started to change how I think about where and how to buy rugs and quickly realized that nice rugs aren't out of the question for a small budget.

These are two rugs I've bought in the last year:

This is a nice quality, hand-knotted wool rug that I purchased for $100.  It measures 7'x4.5' and lies in front of our bedroom seating area.  I attended a storage space sale that was advertised on craigslist.  A woman in her sixties was looking to clear out her many purchases from 20 years of travel and residence in Europe and the Middle East.  She had stored her excess treasures at a U-Haul facility and simply held a sale right out of the storage unit.   Read the details of garage sale advertisements!  You won't stumble upon the "jack-pot" every weekend but if you look consistently, a good sale will eventually come your way.

Last summer I discovered two great furniture consignment stores in our city.  I recently purchased this rug for $65, it measures 3.5'x6'.  Many design blogs and shelter magazines had been including beautiful, very worn, antique rugs in their spreads.  I commonly see similar rugs in antique stores for $300-$600 so I was pleasantly surprised when I confirmed the price.  Both furniture consignment stores in our area also carry a wide selection of rugs and small decor accessories and a handful of quality antiques.  Check out the stores in your area!  Go with an open mind and always try to picture the item in another setting.  It's common for consignment stores to allow you to try the item in your home before committing to purchase.

If I was educated in interior design I'd make some insightful comments about rugs anchoring the room, setting the tone, blah, blah...but since I'm not I'll leave it to the awesome design blogs out there:

Little Green Notebook
Pure Style Home  (really excellent post about her design process)
Urban Grace (she is shopping for rugs I can't afford, but good post anyway :))

Shelter Magazine Sunday-Feb. 20

One of my all-time favorite houses from a magazine spread is the home of Ashley Edwards, featured in the November 2005 issue of Domino.  At one point, the phrase "sophisticated pop decor" is used to describe the decorating.  That's certainly not my personal style but I was immediately drawn to the predominantly black and white color scheme.

The black and white never looks extreme, thanks to pops of color in smaller decor/accent pieces.  Each room also has a piece of antique furniture or a natural element, like woven baskets, that brings some warmth.

I had this home in mind when I decided to paint the interior of our front door black.  Apparently Edwards painted all of her interior doors black, which I would eventually LOVE to do.  Not sure if I can get the hubby on board...

Domino often provided paint color information on their spreads but I couldn't find anything listed for the Edwards feature.  It's definitely a warm white for the walls and I'm assuming the black is high-gloss.

I painted my interior door several months ago, just before Ralph Lauren Paints left Home Depot.  The color is "Bone Black".  I read somewhere (Bryn Alexandra?) that Home Depot still has the ability to mix past colors.  I guess the color formulas are kept in their computers but you'd have to verify.

I love the black interior doors throughout.  A really inexpensive way to make an impact, especially for those of us (ME) who tend to be a little wishy-washy with their interior design.