House Tour #2 - Part 2

I know there are so many critical things to think about right now with the bailout and the bleak times ahead, but I need to do something mindless that will allow me to escape the news for a little while. So here goes...

Part 2 of House Tour #2 will feature the foyer, powder room, office/library, and the living room.

Upon entering the front doors, there is a large window that looks out onto the side yard area.

This isn't a great shot. I have since moved the lacrosse sticks to the garage. I tried having a rug here but there are a couple of steps leading down to the foyer and we kept sliding on the rug (despite the "non-slip" rug pad). The mirror is shell encrusted.

There is a triangular shaped powder room just off the foyer. Triangles and angles are everywhere in this house.

I renovated all of the bathrooms a few years ago. I was soooooo thankful to be rid of the old stuff. The shell encrusted obelisks are from Currey and Company.
The living room is large so I divided it into two spaces - the tv area and the fireplace area. I caught the Yellowfin tuna just off of Walker's Cay, Bahamas. It was 120 pounds! The mount is fiberglass - we ate the real thing.

This is still one of the best days of my life...gooood times!

Anyhoo...the turtle is also fiberglass. We faux painted the mantle to make it look like a finer piece of wood instead of just a boxed in mantle. The fireplace, by the way, is also triangular. One side backs up to the dining area and the other side backs up to an open walkway. Cooool...

This prehistoric bone was found in a quarry in Florida. It is from a whale-type creature. The two items on either side are Mastodon teeth.

Opposite the fireplace is the piano that no one plays. I can remember a few songs that I learned in 5th grade (Theme from Love Story, Colour My World, and Why Me, Lord?) and sometimes I'll sit down and crank those out but that's it. I am sure that some day I will take an interest again, but until then, I am in pursuit of other things.
We bought this Murano glass bird in Venice. I still love it.

I collect antique altar crosses. I hunt for them everywhere.

The office/library is opposite the dining room. This is where I spend my blogging time, my bill paying time, my internet surfing time, and my homework reviewing time. "Time, time, time, look what's become of me...."

I hate wires so I designed the desk system to hide everything behind panels. Having two computer spaces has been nice.

The B & W photos are of my husband when he was a kid.

Aaaaahhhh.....I feel much better now. Ciao!

House Tour #2 - Part 1

Since this is a tour of my house, I broke it up in a few parts. Part 1 is the dining room, kitchen, and laundry room. The dining room is an open concept space. It is open to a walkway area, the foyer, and an office/library. I recently found the slipcovers on line at http://www.customcoverings.com/ . They come in a variety of colors.

The antique candlesticks are from Bolivia. The green Tole bowl is just the beginning of my Tole collection.

The table is early American and was one of our first antique purchases. The brass candlesticks are also early American. The red vase is Limoges, a gift from my grandmother.

I also collect Japanese jewelry boxes. Some day I will dedicate a post to these lovely little boxes. This is just a peek. The watercolor is an original by artist - Jorge Fernandini

The kitchen was renovated about 10 years ago. I still love it.

I designed all of the cabinets and had a carpenter make them in his shop. I love the glass fronted cabinet doors. The extra large drawers are wonderful and soooo much better than just having doors on the lower cabinets.

I collect Tole trays. I was obsessed at one time, but am slowly recovering. I papered the backs of the upper cabinets with grass cloth for more texture and depth.

The window seat is one of my favorite things about the kitchen.

Not the best photo, but the bookcase is perfect for cookbooks and, of course, more Tole trays.

I also collect dishes. Some of the sets were inherited, others were purchased. Lately, I have been using them for simple meals.

Looooove my dishes....For years, I had brown and white transferware hanging on my dining room wall, now I actually use it.

I recently found the Emma Bridgewater CHEESE platter on line at http://www.joannehudson.com/ . The PURE BUTTER platters are very difficult to find now.

I keep everything handy on this little elevated tray from Pottery Barn - salt, pepper, sugar, toothpicks, etc.
The laundry room connects to the kitchen so I continued with the Tole trays in this area as well.

My next project is to re-do the window valance and paint in this room. I just have to find the right fabric and color. Another Pottery Barn buy - the giant chalk board.

That's it for now...my real life is calling!

Guesthouse Tour #1

I had the pleasure of staying at this country guesthouse not long ago and enjoyed it so much that this post is dedicated to the "Barnhouse". The structure was originally a barn and was converted to a guesthouse. There was a breezeway that went through the barn. This space was enclosed and is now the living area of the house.

The ceiling is reclaimed tin from the structure's roof. The walls are covered in reclaimed siding from an old house that was demolished.

These wood walls are original to the barn. The doors leading to the bedroom are also original.

The ladder leads to the old hay loft upstairs that is now a playroom. There is a wooden grid that lifts for access. Kids love this feature. The owner collects Navajo blankets. I love the idea of draping them over the ladder rungs.

The old family piano is covered in family photos.

Vintage cowboy boots make great accessories on a table or on your feet!

A piece of stained glass hangs in the corn crib passage between the living area and the bathroom.

The wood stove makes it warm and cozy in the winter, a nice place to curl up and read.

There is even a kitchenette filled with drinks and snacks for guests to enjoy.
I like that even everyday items are stored in a creative fashion.

More creative storage...

We played dominoes at the old table one night. Check out the trash can behind the table. It is an old mailbox turned on its end!

The bedroom was spacious and quiet. All of the linens are antique.

Another Navajo blanket hangs on the wall above a bench in the bedroom.

Outside stairs access the playroom in the old hay loft. The guesthouse overlooks the owner's surrounding horse farm. Coyotes could be heard early in the morning yapping in the trees beyond the pasture.
The old GULF gas station sign is a classic.

I love this old birdhouse. It looks like the Alamo.

There are three twin beds in the playroom, perfect for young guests.

Vintage dollhouses like this one are very hot right now.

There are all kinds of vintage toys in the playroom as well as a tent and a place for coloring. Again, the ceiling is covered in reclaimed tin.

A gourd high-rise is just outside the BARNHOUSE.

The BARNHOUSE is a perfect guesthouse. I had good times and restful sleep!