Lighten Up

Sorry for another disappearing act.  This summer hasn't turned out as I expected, and I've been pretty under the weather.  Being sick is never fun, but it always seems to be a little worse during the summertime.

We've managed a few un-blog-worthy projects around the house, like replacing a storm door that was literally crumbling to pieces and having gutter guards installed since the trees are now taller than the roof line (read: regularly clogged gutters).  The yard I worked so hard on this spring is now a weedy mess.  The laundry piled higher and higher, and when I was finally feeling well enough to tackle it, the washer broke.  Oh well.

During a good week, I decided I'd had enough of our dark olive green living room.  I had changed it from a ho-hum taupe about five years ago to SW Olive Grove and immediately regretted it.  It was just too dark.

Adding the overmantel helped lighten the room, but I still wanted a brighter, happier look.  I wanted to stick with a shade of green, and I finally settled on Valspar's Desert Grass that I had mixed at Sherwin Williams because I love their Cashmere paint.

It's a much more cheerful room, and the traditional cherry furniture I love seems less heavy now. This shade of green really blends well with the brass hardware, especially in the grandfather clock, my very first Craigslist purchase from about five years ago.  Can you believe I scored this beauty for only $125?  Since it had been stored in a dirty garage, I had it professionally cleaned, and the serviceman said it was worth about $800.  Score!

I've always been and admirer of secretary desks.  My grandmother and my great-grandmother had one, but I thought they were a little old-fashioned until I saw the many hutches and the secretary desk in Mary Carol Garrity's home:

So when I found a secretary that had just been put on the sales floor at ReStore, I pounced on it.  It's filled with beautiful books (that we've actually read, thank-you-very-much!) and favorite pictures documenting some of our family history.

It took five years, but I think I've finally figured out this room.

New Adventure

I'm trying something new.  I've rented a booth at a local flea market.

Actually, it's half a booth.  I'm starting small to see how it goes.

It's a bit of handmade, a bit of vintage, and a bit of housewares.  If you live in the Kansas City area, check out out Tallgrass Design in person at A Place in Time.

A Place in Time

207 W. Dennis Ave.

Olathe, KS 66061

Wish me luck!

Antique Chest of Drawers

Did you ever find something fantatic and you bought it even though you didn't know where you will put it?

That's what happened when I found this antique chest of drawers at ReStore.

While it was a great price, I wasn't sure what my husband would think of it, so I took a picture with my phone, and practically danced around it while I waited for a response from him.  There was no way I was going to walk away from this beauty.

He approved.  Smart fellow.

I love the grape cluster pulls, the spindle details, and that amazing patina of worn wood.

The top has a large crack down the middle, which has been poorly repaired so it was priced accordingly.  Some day I'll either pull the top off and repair it properly or replace it with a piece of marble.  For now, I set a large tray on it for seasonal vignettes.

Mary Carol Garrity Holiday Home Tour 2012

I'm going to depart from my tour of France series because Mary Carol Garrity's Holiday Home Tour was today.

For those of you not familiar with Kansas's decorating darling, Mary Carol Garrity is the founder of several home decorating stores in Atchison, Kansas, and Kansas City, Missouri, including Nell Hills, plus the author of several books.  She lives in a historic Greek Revival home in Atchison, and she opens her home a few times a year for tours.

And after the tour, we go shopping at her two Atchison stores.  I almost bought this lantern, but I decided I have enough lanterns to decorate.

I think Mary Carol was a little under the weather, but she kept smiling and played the gracious hostess like a champ.

 

I loved this statue in the urn next to the door.  I'm planning on copying this look!

 

 

Let's go inside!

 

 

Imagine a holiday party here.  Oh, that red against the buttery yellow walls!  This statue is available in her stores.  Someday, I'll probably regret not buying her, like those orbs from the fall open house.

 

 

I asked Mary Carol about decorating trends this Christmas, and she said that anything goes, but understated elegance was popular.  I love how she layers on vertical surfaces, like this wreath over the mirror in the foyer.  Understated yet elegant indeed.

 

 

Mary Carol's style is very busy with lots of books, artwork, and knicknacks.  I like how she uses a more monochromatic color scheme for her holiday decorating.

 

 

The pretty mantel sings "holidays" without screaming "Christmas."

 

 

Let's get a closer look.

 

 

The dining room was more understated this year.  It was set up to serve a buffet rather than a formal meal, which was clever.  My side of the family sits around the table for holiday meals, but my in-laws serve them buffet-style.  Neither family is as fancy as this!

 

 

Shall we go outside to look at the garden?

 



Today's weather was clear with temperatures in the low 60s.  I doubt she keeps those ginger jars outside all winter! 

 

I always admire how she uses basic foundation pieces, like these iron posts, to decorate for each season. 

 

 

It isn't Christmas quite yet, so if you would like to see the fall home tour, click here for the home tour and here for the garden tour.  If you pin, please be sure to give Mary Carol credit for her work.



 

 

 

I'm linking up...

Between Naps on the Porch

Savvy Southern Style

Chic on a Shoestring Decorating

At the Picket Fence

 



Mary Carol Garrity Fall Home Tour 2012, Part 1

The autumn-like weather yesterday was absolutely wonderful, perfect for driving to Atchison, Kansas, for the fall home tour of Mary Carol Garrity, founder of Nell Hills.  This tour featured only autumn decorating since there will be another open house in November for the holidays!  You can see the spring tour here and last year's autumn tour here, which also featured Christmas decor.

The stairs to her home were flanked by two large lanterns.  Notice the pumpkin inside perched on top of a small mercury glass pedestal.  Love that!

I'm always in awe of the architecture of her home.  Atchison is filled with historic homes and grand buildings, a lasting legacy of the city's prosperity during the overland trade period of the mid-1800s and early industrial era of 1870-1900.

 

Most of her fall decorating was the abundant use of floral stems, pumpkins, and pinecones.  Mary Carol said in the past she and her decorating team used pipe cleaners for constructing the displays, but now they use zip ties.

 

 

Mary Carol named a few trends for decorating this season, including mercury glass, and she said that "orbs are the new lanterns."  These orbs were flying out the door at her two shops, Nell Hills and Garrity's.

 

 

I couldn't decide how I felt about them.  I'll probably regret not picking up one.  Let's go inside!

All the sparkle wasn't limited to mercury glass.  Check out this huge silver bowl.  Besides the colors, I think I love decorating for autumn because it's so easy.  A good faux pumpkin can be prettier than the real thing.  Gourds last for weeks.  Twigs are free, and pinecones can be a one time investment (and good for Christmas decorating, too).

 

A small den is off the grand foyer.  Don't let this photo fool you.  It's a dark, masculine space, but I love all of rich textures.  Mary Carol almost always has a display on top of her cabinets, like this dough bowl overflowing with the colors of autumn.  By the time I find one of these at a price I'm willing to pay, the trend will be long gone.

 

 

In contrast to the den, the living room is filled with light.  Not much new here by way of comparison this fall, but I did admire the mantel.  Notice how the asymetrical display frames the artwork, the twigs wrapping around the image.  Gorgeous!

 

 

Let's check out the dining room, which always promises to be dramatic.

 

 

Remember the secret?  Zip ties!

 

 

Lots of mercury glass on the table.  I always see those over-sized martini glasses at hobby stores, and I think they look so tacky.  Here, they are actually pretty.

 

 

After all the grandeur of the exterior, the foyer, the living room, and dining room, I'm always happy to see the kitchen.

 

 

As in most historical homes, the kitchen is pretty darn small!  I happened to catch it when no one was in there so I could get a good picture.  Even though it's small, it is full of practical style.

 

 

And yes, those glass containers filled with dishwashing liquids aren't just for looks.  They appear to be used everyday.  Who wouldn't love to cook here?

 



 

Be sure to check back on Tuesday for the garden tour!

 

If you pin, please be sure to give Mary Carol credit for her work.

 

 

 

I'm linking up...

Between Naps on the Porch

Savvy Southern Style



Mini-Bar Knock-off

In my part of the country, finished basements are pretty typical.  Some are really tricked out with elaborate wet bars, and I really question how much use they get.

When I've toured Mary Carol Garrity's home, one of the things I've admired is her mini-bar which moves from room to room, depending on the season.  I've seen it set up in her foyer ready to serve guests at a holiday party or tucked aside in the living room.

While I try to keep the liquor put away, it always seems like the old stand-bys don't stay in the cabinet.  I had a spare corner in the dining room that would be perfect for a small cart or table, if I could find one.

I searched my favorite thrift stores and second-hand shops until I found this table at a local antique store.

Being a reproduction, not an actual antique, the price was right.  I didn't like the backing or the spindles, but they were easy to remove.  The shelves were wood veneer, but I figured it could strip it and restain it.

And that's where my troubles started.

First problem: The original stain was stubborn, especially on the legs.  The stripper was pretty ineffective, so I had to sand the majority of the legs.

Second problem:  I couldn't get the new stain to "take."  I wanted it to be a dark cherry color.  I applied one coat of Minwax Red Mahogany.  Then a second coat. Still too pale.  So I switched to Ebony.  (Thank goodness I had all this stain on hand already).  Closer, but not quite.  The grain was disappearing and it looked muddy.  At this point, I'm ready to ditch the stain and head for the spray paint.

Good thing I didn't give up.

How did I achieve that rich finish?  I wiped down the excess stain with mineral spirits and tried one more thing: a wash with burnt sienna acrylic craft paint with just a dab of black paint. Brushed it on a small section with a chip brush, then promptly wiped the excess.  Let it dry, then sealed with Minwax's Wipe-on Poly.

Perfect!

I know that distressed chalk paint is all the rage...to the point of being passé in my opinion.  Give me that subtle shading of stained wood any day.

Shhhh...the lamp came from our neighbor's trash.  Formerly shiny brass, I spray painted it ORB.  I think their daughter recognized it when I was painting it in our driveway.  Yes, that was a little embarrassing.  The lampshade was a ReStore find last week.

Cocktail, anyone?

And my most recent Nell Hill's purchases: This little fern plant and decanter.

For all the hours I spent trying to get the finish right, I'm so glad I didn't give up on it.

I'm linking up...

Coastal Charm

Savvy Southern Style

Handy Man, Crafty Woman

The Shabby Creek Cottage

Miss Mustard Seed

At the Picket Fence

Southern Hospitality

 

Tray Table

Did anyone else suffer from Downtown Abbey withdrawal last weekend?  We don't have cable and unless the tornado sirens are blowing or presidental election results are being announced, we don't watch TV.  If something is any good, we'll just wait and get it on Netflix.

I made an exception for season two of Downtown Abbey.  I had to rely on digital rabbit ears and thirty feet of cable to get it out of the basement so I could tune in every week.  It will be a long wait for season three.

So I think I was channeling a bit of Downtown Abbey when I thought of dressing up this plain old table.

It fills the narrow wall nicely, but the top is too small.  In my stash of unfinished/unstarted projects, I have several of these old cabinet doors.

I also found this old light fixture at ReStore. 

They had two of these.  I go to ReStore every Friday after work (my idea of TGIF happy hour), and every week for the past month it's mate is still there. 

What a pity.

I removed the chain, wiring and light socket and used a combination of gold craft paint and Rub 'n Buff to bring back its luster.  Let's see how our misfits cleaned up.

I removed the old door handle and filled the holes with wood putty, then repainted the entire door with my favorite bronze craft paint.  I pulled a second door pull from another cabinet door on hand and painted them with bronze craft paint too.  The stuff sticks to just about anything.

I love the details of the light-fixture-turned-into-lantern, especially the seeded glass.  I can't bring myself to buy the cheap stuff made in China you find in most chain stores.

 
I love battery operated LED candles for my lanterns, especially the ones that run on four-hour timers.  They'll run for months on a couple of AA batteries.

Originally, I had this bowl filled with decorative balls on this table top.  I moved it to the lower shelf and added my DIY moss balls.

Someday, I'll have to show you how I made the textured bronze balls.  I'll save that for another post.

I added a tiny bell for when I want to call the maid, and my vignette is complete.

Update: I've been in denial until tonight, but Google Friend Connect is going way tomorrow.  Google didn't pay one bit of attention to all my pouting.  I'm still undecided what I am going to do to replace it.  (I'm going through an anti-Facebook phase).  For now, I've added one of those nifty RSS subscriber buttons to the right.  If that's your thing, I hope you click  it to continue following me.

I think I'm going to make a pan of brownies now.