A House into a Home…

This has been a busy two months.  Moving into an unfinished house with construction dust was not what I envisioned at the end of the renovation, even though it’s still not done yet.

To say it has been stressful would be an understatement.  Slowly but surely, I am digging out of it.  Sometimes with the help of family and friends and sometimes going it alone, each weekend I accomplish something that helps me feel better about all the trouble.  Washing and vacuuming every surface, setting up proper bedrooms so sleep can be peaceful, editing collections, figuring what I can do without, working hard not to fill every square inch of storage so there is room to grow, cleaning the outside of the house, removing construction debris that wasn’t removed, having a pop up antique sale, arranging furniture, hanging pictures and just generally setting up house that will be the place I call home.

This weekend, I had the help of one of my most special friends, Vince Maggio.  He is the truly undiscovered master of arrangement.  He worked on my living/dining area and what a great job he did.

These are iphone pictures, not using  my Canon camera, so take that into consideration.  These two pictures are just snippets, I’ll do a more comprehensive article when I am closer to finishing with setting up the house.

I hope you find some inspiration.

All the Best,

Cindy

IMG_9149

A $65 Craigslist table that was partially stripped. I like it just the way it is. $25 One King’s Lane bamboo directors chairs that match the tone of the table and the linen press. A grouping of vintage nautical print from The Round Top Antique Show placed in floating frames and a variety of other collected pieces.

FullSizeRender

Antique linen press full of curated items, a comfy couch across from the fireplace (pics of that later, it isn’t finished) and inexpensive IKEA pillow, along with a French ticking stripe pillow from Home Goods all come together to make a beautiful, comfortable place to set a spell and take a load off.

 

Utter Simplicity


-- Download Utter Simplicity as PDF --


Plant stand, turned upside down shows old wear and tear.

Plant stand, turned upside down shows old wear and tear.

Hello Old Friends,

It has been a while!  I have moved out of my house for the renovation and am firmly ensconced in my new digs, although I am not fully settled in.  More about that in another post.

For now, I am posting something I should have posted this summer but didn’t have the time.  Some of you will remember an upside down plant stand for a vintage ice bucket champagne holder.  I walked by it one day and thought “wash stand with vintage towel” so I grabbed some cotton twill and fashioned a towel holder and used a lovely old mirror and voila.

I hope you find some inspiration in the simple things.

Always,

Cindy

Stunning on it's own, as is.

Stunning on it’s own, as is.

 

An old ironstone pitcher, basin and vintage towel.

An old ironstone pitcher, basin and vintage towel casually slung with a towel bar fashioned out of make do cotton twill.

Using things I had, around the house just as I found them.

Using things I had, around the house just as I found them.

It’s been a while, old friend.

A constant rotation of vintage items make them seem fresh when the context of seasons changes.

A constant rotation of vintage items make them seem fresh when the context of seasons change.

Folks…I have been remiss in posting lately.  Life is very busy right now and now that I have (finally) chosen a contractor for my renovation, the next month will be off the charts busy between closing, packing, storing and finally, a tag sale to get rid of many things I don’t want or won’t have a place for, post renovation.  Then I move into a rental cottage and hopefully, it will be somewhat less stressful once the work starts.

For now, however, I am just trying to keep things easy at home.  Where as this time of year, I would be doing a lot of things to the exterior of the house for the summer and also creating a lot of craft projects, I am purposely foregoing all that to keep life simple.  So it is easy, breezy summer for now.

I have just added a few summer touches to the house.

I hope you find some inspiration.

Always,

Cindy

I just love vintage alabaster lamps because they easily fit the neutral palette and are still very reasonable priced online and in antique stores.

I just love vintage alabaster lamps because they easily fit the neutral palette and are still very reasonable priced online and in antique stores.

A table with a canvas top was the perfect size for my found vintage, European bulb trays.  A very rustic and rough hewn element against the more refined alabaster lamp and vintage white pedestal pottery.

A table with a canvas top was the perfect size for my found vintage, European bulb trays. A very rustic and rough hewn element against the more refined alabaster lamp and vintage white pedestal pottery.

My design books are never very far away.

My design books are never very far away.

Vintage tin on a shelf

Vintage tin with a bouquet of dried, white berries and pencil starfish with tarnished German Glass Glitter.

Vintage Linens and Ironstone

Vintage Ironstone Pitcher and basin with a vintage, hand embroidered linen runner. Perfection!

Vessels with maritime rope with mercury glass globes

Vessels with maritime rope with mercury glass globes

Finds from the Prairie

Two pieces, one a towel and the other a table runner.  I see feather filled pillows in their future.

Two pieces, one a towel and the other a table runner. I see feather filled pillows in their future.

I just can’t restrain my enthusiasm for the Round Top Antique Show held twice a year in the Hill Country of Texas.

The sights and sounds give me true joy.  Endless tents of treasures.  The seasons transitioning from one to the next. Walking through fields softened with a layer of hay.

I would trade ten exotic vacations for just one trip to Round Top.  My Shangri-La indeed.

My treasure hunt started out with one list, but I came home with an entirely different set of finds: vintage glass, ironstone, vintage textiles, Christmas Stockings, European Sinks and wall fountains.

It was a happy trip indeed.

I hope you find some inspiration.

Always,

Cindy

xoxo

Found these from a lovely dealer who hailed from Bucks County Pennsylvania.  Since that is where I grew up...it was only right that I buy them.

Found these from a lovely dealer who hailed from Bucks County Pennsylvania. Since that is where I grew up…it was only right that I buy them.

Again...not sure what I am going to do with this, but at $15...I'll figure out something.

Again…not sure what I am going to do with this, but at $15…I’ll figure out something.

Right now, holding my candles...but they will be filled with guest soaps and sea sponges in the new cottage bathroom as part of my renovation.

Right now, holding my candles…but they will be filled with guest soaps and sea sponges in the new cottage bathroom as part of my renovation.

Maybe a home for my vintage ornaments?

Maybe a home for my vintage ornaments?

Footed Ironstone Bowl

Not sure what I will use this for, but I will figure out something.  Most likely a table centerpiece.

Not sure what I will use this for, but I will figure out something. Most likely a table centerpiece.

A lovely footed bowl, it has a great profile.

A lovely footed bowl, it has a great profile.

A rare find a few months ago was an ironstone punch bowl.  I was in the market for a companion ladle and found a lovely one at Marburger Farms.

A rare find a few months ago was an ironstone punch bowl. I was in the market for a companion ladle and found a lovely one at Marburger Farms.

A full twelve came with the set which only cost 32.50.

A full twelve came with the set which only cost 32.50.

I am on the hunt for another plastic ladle (this came from another vintage punch bowl that I have) but the hunt is half the fun!

I am on the hunt for another plastic ladle (this came from another vintage punch bowl that I have) but the hunt is half the fun!

At just over 6 inches tall, the diminutive size of this gem is what I was attracted to.

At just over 6 inches tall, the diminutive size of this gem is what I was attracted to.

Another vintage kitchen helper, I am using it to hold my vintage spreaders.

Another vintage kitchen helper, I am using it to hold my vintage spreaders.

One of my surprise finds, love the vintage pattern.

One of my surprise finds, love the vintage pattern.

Lovely for the upcoming Holiday.

Lovely for the upcoming Holiday.

One is cast iron, the other is porcelain.  Not sure what I am going to do with them...but the price was so good, I couldn't pass them up.

One is cast iron, the other is porcelain. Not sure what I am going to do with them…but the price was so good, I couldn’t pass them up.

Wash stand with an ironstone bowl for my new cottage bathroom

Wash stand with an ironstone bowl for my new cottage bathroom

Wooden Christmas Stars from Leftovers in Brenham.

Wooden Christmas Stars from Leftovers in Brenham.

 

 

Brownies that Mrs. Patmore would approve of

I am a fan of baking.  In fact, I may like baking more than I like eating the sweet treats I make!  It is just so much fun and homey and at the end of the day, if you do it right and make something delicious…you are bringing joy to others.

The weather was a balmy 70 degrees, VERY unlike our normal weather during Winter.  So I threw  open the windows and doors, let the old screen door snap shut and decided to make the most wonderful brownies in the world: Ina Garten’s Outrageous Brownies.  Her trick is using coffee grinds in the batter; it brings a depth of flavor to the chocolate.  Sure…that is common knowledge now, but when she first introduced this recipe, it wasn’t so common.

Fair warning, this recipe makes loads of brownies…so make sure you have a good and hungry crowd to serve them to, neighbors you can give them to or be prepared to scarf them up yourself.  No one can resist these bad boys when they are sitting in the kitchen…any effort to try is futile.

Recipe is after the pictures.

A pound of butter.

Eggs. Chocolate. Flour. Simple.

Brownies ready for the oven.

If only every piece had crusty goodness like the corner piece.

Vintage Ironstone Cake Stand and Brownies. Two of my favorite things.

Brownies. The finished product.

 

Outrageous Brownies

Ingredients

1 poundunsalted butter

1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

6 ouncesunsweetened chocolate

6 extra-large eggs

3 tablespoons instant coffee granules

2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter and flour a 12 x 18 x 1-inch baking sheet.

Melt together the butter,1 poundof chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate in a medium bowl over simmering water. Allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the eggs, coffee granules, vanilla, and sugar. Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, sift together 1 cup of flour, the baking powder, and salt. Add to the cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts and 12 ounces of chocolate chips in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup of flour, then add them to the chocolate batter. Pour into the baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes, then rap the baking sheet against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Bake for about 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake! Allow to cool thoroughly, refrigerate, and cut into 20 large squares.

Copyright 2012 Television Food Network G.P.
All Rights Reserved

I hope you have found some inspiration!

Always,

Cindy

 

Anatomy of a Redesign – Part 2, The Reveal

 

Cozy Niche.

I am a person who loves balance and symmetry.  I am learning that one trick of design is getting balance through asymmetry.  I am not quite good at it, but I am learning!

This re-design is really about one simple change that lent itself to an entire transformation….it has been staring at me for years and I missed it.  It involved moving my dining room table from the middle of the room (symmetry) to one side of the room (asymmetry).  By using two benches in a window seat fashion, it allowed me to tuck the table into the corner of the room and create a  more open space, improve the traffic flow and have a more intimate and comfortable dining area.

Here is a rundown of what I did during this re-design:

  • Benches.  The benches used for the window seat were handcrafted by a local artisan.  I had them custom made to mimic the seat depth and height of a normal chair.  The decision to build the benches with the same dimensions of a chair made all the difference in the world in making the benches very comfortable. (if you are interested in custom benches, please email me from the “contact me” page and I will give you the artisan’s contact information)
  • Cushions.  Another opportunity to add the vintage touch, I used old quilts for cushion covers and filled them with down.  The cushions are very comfortable and along with the throw pillows, make the dining niche very comfy and cozy.  They really invite you to linger and use the table for reading and computer work.
  • Collections.  A design trick is to group collections or use repetition to create impact.  So I used the various built in shelves to showcase my antique oil lamp collection, vintage compotes and milk glass.
  • Storage.  I was able to add an antique wall cabinet that I had sitting in my garage for flair and extra storage.
  • Cost.  The total cost for this redesign was the cost for the benches, which was very, very reasonable.  Other than the benches, everything else were items that I had: oil lamps, milk glass, pillows, wall cabinet, antique and vintage small wares and fabric and stuffing for bench cushions.

I hope you enjoy the transformation and find some inspiration for your space!

Always,

Cindy

Here are the pictures:

Remember to click twice to bigify!

 

 

 

Opportunity for Refinement

 

Vintage Eastlake Frame.

Alabaster.

 

White Field Flowers.

Gray Antique Wood.

Ironstone.

 

Vintage Eastlake Frame. Alabaster. White Field Flowers. Salvaged Wood. Ironstone. Similar in tone, but different in texture and all present an opportunity for refinement.

Lovingly, I say that my kitchen is not the most refined kitchen.  It doesn’t have high end finishes like carrera marble, a tiled back splash or a sparkly chandelier.  It is a simple straightforward space with plenty of opportunity for refinement.  I try to think of it in terms of being a room, not a kitchen.  This opens up my thinking when making these small, but impactful changes.

This particular vignette started out with decorative objects that were holdovers from the kitchen before I embarked on my budget friendly remodel.  My eye and taste have evolved and I am now setting about to fine tune the style of the kitchen to flow better with the rest of the house.

An antique jug lamp, vintage soda bottles, a bread board and a folk art painting have been replaced with an alabaster lamp, a beautiful ironstone pitcher, an eastlake frame with a 250 year old nautical print and a newish mercury glass hurricane globe paired with and perched on top of an architectural and antique baluster do the trick.  These small changes have added a great deal of style to the entire kitchen.  The are the first thing you see when you enter the house and the first thing you see when you enter the kitchen and they set the tone for the entire house.

Thanks to my good friend and great shop owner, Vince at Good Look, Inc located the lamp, Eastlake frame and ironstone and Nancy at Ella Elaine, here in DT McKinney was the source for the mercury hurricane.  They both have such wonderful taste and style that I have benefited from.  Thank you!

Take a look and see what you think.  I hope you walk away with some inspiration!

Always,

Cindy

Before.

After.