Vignettes: a lovely way to display your favourite things!

Whenever I travel or even when I just take a walk in the park, I always come home with my pockets and bags filled with sea shells, pine cones, rocks, leaves and twigs. These really are some of my favourite things–and, best of all, they’re free!

I also love old, sturdy pieces of furniture that don’t come with an assembly sheet in 16 languages and a hex key. Remember when furniture used to come built and ready to use? And it used to last from generation to generation! That said, here is one of my favourite pieces–it’s an old oak wash stand that I bought for $80 at an antique barn somewhere in the Ottawa Valley (can’t remember where it was, darn!).

It’s a charming little piece that can be used in any room in my house. As you see it here, it’s in a space between the dining area and the living room (kitchen, dining and living rooms are all wide open). It adds some sense of division, without creating a barrier. This funny little cabinet came with just three knobs–there never was a fourth. Anyway, I bought some antique ones and will, eventually, put them on–all four of them.

The gorgeous cast iron lamp comes with a story, too: one warm summer’s day, my daughter and I took a walk near her home in Carp. We came across a house owned by a lady who collects all sorts of treasures, like this lamp, and sells them every Saturday morning at a garage sale. I fell in love with the lamp, so my daughter knocked on the lady’s door and asked her how much she wanted for the lamp. “Nothing,” she said, “if your mom likes it, it’s all hers.” That was a deal I couldn’t turn down. When I got home, I added a silk champagne-coloured lamp shade that had been sitting in my basement for a couple of years. They make a beautiful couple!

The “vintage” metal pitcher is my $7 Walmart find; the pretty silk flowers come from Dollarama.

Frame_VignetteDR-5

These hand-carved chess pieces were given to me in 1974 by a military friend who had been stationed in Africa. She bought the entire set for a dollar! I gave them to my dad for his birthday in 1975. After he passed away in 1995, I asked my mom if I could have them back, as a keepsake. I’ve never figured out a good way to display them, so when I unpacked them this time, I put them in a bowl ($2 in a sale bin at Pier One Imports). Now, every time I look at them, I think of my dad and that funny grin he got on his face when he was about to say, “checkmate!

This pretty little oval plate on a stand is another one of my Dollarama treasures. I bought it because I liked the message on it and because the colours made me happy! For me, value is all about how something makes me feel, regardless of the numbers on the price tag.

The oval mirror above the wash stand was left to me by my great-aunt, Dorothy. It matches several other pieces of furniture that date back to the mid-1930s and have passed the test of time.

And, last but not least, the brocade table runner is a heavy woven fabric, fully lined and trimmed with braiding and a deep fringe on each end. This lovely piece was $6 at the Christmas Tree Shop in Vermont.

In summary, here are my costs for this vignette:

Wash stand: $80

Lamp: Free

Pitcher: $7

Flowers: $3

Oval plate: $1

Brocade runner: $6

Bowl: $2

Mirror: Inherited

TOTAL: $99

I hope this inspires you to take out some of your treasures and group them together in a pretty vignette!

January 22, 2013

From harsh to homey: paint colour makes an impact

When I first launched Home at Last, I thought it would be mostly about renovating this 1972 bungalow we just bought. But, the more we scrubbed and cleaned and organized, the more we realized that turning this old house into a home might just be more about redecorating than actually renovating.

After virtually disinfecting every square inch of the kitchen and main bathroom, we tackled the master bedroom. It was, to put it politely, a little off beat. For example, a four-inch strip around the perimeter of the ceiling was painted navy blue. Butting up against it, was the crown molding, which was painted a very dark brown. The sharp contrast between these stark colours and the neutral walls (which we repainted a softer neutral) made the room look like a big box.

Frame_MBDR Trim in progress

Just to make the whole paint situation a little more challenging, one wall in the master bedroom was also painted deep dark navy…sigh…how hard is that to cover?

So, remembering my skinny budget, and with a burning desire to get rid of these dark and depressing colours as quickly and easily as possible, I decided to buy a paint that had the primer built in. Off to Home Depot for a couple of gallons of Behr’s Raffia Cream–with primer!

The plan, of course, was to restore the navy edging on the ceiling and crown molding to their original white colour. To save money and time, I gave them a coat of the Raffia Cream. The built-in primer really provided good coverage after just one coat. Now, it would be easier to apply the white paint (it still took two coats of white paint).

Next, we moved on to the walls. My husband, Peter, was super anxious to see the last of that navy wall! Have you ever seen a husband look happier to be painting? (Go Peter, go Peter!)

It took us a couple of days to turn this formerly severe, boxy room into a tasteful and inviting master bedroom. Bearing in mind that we don’t live in a castle, nor do we make a million dollars a year, here is our lovely new bedroom.

As you can see, I love warm, rich colours. By keeping the walls neutral, the room sort of opens its arms to you…rather than being smacked in the head by an aggressive wall colour.

I must apologize for the poor quality of the photos, which I took with my iPhone–my camera is still packed!

P.S. You have probably noticed the mirrored closet doors and may be thinking, “eww, how “80s!” Well, that’s okay, that’s what I thought when I first saw them, too. But, we live in such a throw-away society on a planet that is running out of space for garbage, that I decided to “live with them” for a while to see if anything terrible would happen. So far, I am happy to report that we are all well and have remained mentally stable. In fact, I rather like the extra light that they add to the room. You know what they say, “everything old is new, again!”

Stay tuned for my next post which will let you in on some sweet secrets and simple tips for creating eye-catching vignettes in every room of your home. And, yes, there will be some dynamite renos, too! You won’t believe what one of the former owners built in the front entrance–you WILL have to SEE it to BELIEVE it!!!

January 5, 2013January 5, 2013

Key Day!!

It’s Key Day! We’re home, at last!

We’re up to our ears in cleaning and painting and moving in boxes, lamps, plants and anything else that will fit into my Versa hatchback and my husband’s SUV. But, I couldn’t let another day go by without writing at least a short post. So, here we are on Thursday, January 4, 2013, about to enter our new home. I wouldn’t set foot in the house until I had photos of both myself and my husband, Peter, putting the key into the lock for the first time.

Frame_Peter on Key Day

Frame_Frame_Gloria on Key Day

And, now, back to our regularly scheduled programming…er…painting, that is!

More to come!

December 29, 2012January 2, 2013

Boxes, boxes, everywhere…and not one ribbon

Only five more sleeps until we get the key to our new house!

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We are living in a maze of boxes, tripping over tape guns and pushing piles of packing paper from one room to another. Sigh…moving really is like childbirth…so painful at the time, but soon forgotten…right?

I’ve looked at the photos of the new house at least a hundred times! All I can think about is where my pine cabinet will fit and which wall will our bed fit on and how great it’s going to be to have a bigger craft studio.

Five more sleeps, just five more sleeps…and then let the reno and decorating games begin!

December 22, 2012January 2, 2013

Three weeks to moving day!

The only good thing about moving is that, just like childbirth, once it’s over you really do forget how painful it was…until you move again, and then it all rushes back and smacks you right upside the head. That’s where I’m at. Ouch!

We are 13 sleeps away from getting the key to our new home. And, we’re three sleeps away from Christmas Eve. Sigh. Can you just imagine how festive our house looks? Sniff, sniff, no tree for us, this year. But, we do have lots of boxes…they just aren’t gift-wrapped!

So, how many boxes are needed to move the average household? I can’t count that high. All I know, is that when we’re not packing, we are driving through the back alleys of our local shopping center, grabbing up all the discarded empty boxes. When we hit the mother lode, it’s kind of like finding a twenty-dollar bill on the sidewalk.

Until we get the key to the new house, my raison d’etre is to purge and pack, pack, pack. As each cupboard, shelf and closet is emptied, I do a thorough cleaning to leave the house in top-notch condition for its new owner. I have also created a folder for her, which includes manuals for all of the appliances; instruction manuals for the gas fireplace and furnace thermostat; garbage pick-up days, and so on.

The Big Plan

Moving a household is a huge project that requires well-laid plans. Although we will have the key to our new house on January 3, we won’t be giving up the old house until January 15. This will give us enough time to get the new place ready for our belongings. Here’s our plan:

January 3: Scrub every inch of the kitchen and bathrooms; clean all baseboards and door frames in preparation for painting.

January 4-8: Painting, paint, paint!

January 9: The installers will lay the new carpeting in the living room, bedrooms and hallway. While they are busy with the carpets, I will be cleaning and unpacking everything possible. Peter will be in, as he calls it, “the box transportation business.” He’s so funny! He makes me laugh all the time, which really makes tough jobs like moving easier and way more fun.

January 10-13: With the carpets installed, we will then be able to hang our clothing in the closets and bring boxes and other small items into the bedrooms, Peter’s office and my studio.

January 13: The cable company will come to the new house to install new cable outlets, the Internet and telephones.

January 14: Moving Day! Finally, we will get to sleep in our new house. Yay!! It will be a very busy day, but by this point, we will be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. As the movers clear out each room, in the old house, I will be vacuuming and ensuring that the baseboards and other decorative trims are all spic and span.

Will it all go as planned? Absolutely! Peter and I make an awesome team. We are focused and know how to pace ourselves. So, unless a comet falls on our heads or one of us slips on a giant banana peel, we should be right on track.

We will have plenty of photos to show you, as we progress. I hope you will come back, soon to see how we’re doing. We could use your support! Also, if you have any good moving tips, we’d love to hear them!

December 1, 2012January 2, 2013

Hello, neighbours!

pig

I love a challenge, especially when it’s about transforming a sow’s ear into a silk purse. . .

Home at Last!

The truth is, I don’t really want another challenge. I would rather just stretch out in my comfy recliner, turn on the gas fireplace and read a good book. But, alas, my poor old knees have finally climbed one set of stairs too many and are begging for a rest. It’s time for a bungalow…in fact, I just sold my “silk purse” and bought the 1972 bungalow you see at the top of this page.

I hope it’s the last home I will ever buy. And, I hope it’s the last sow’s ear that I will ever need to transform into a silk purse! I mean, come on, there’s a time to work and a time to play–and I’m getting to that “girls just wanna have fun” stage of life. Or, as the Beatles expressed it, “…will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I’m 64?” Yep, I’m 64, retired and taking on another big challenge. Can I do it? Sure, with a little help from my amazing husband, Peter, lots of elbow grease and a good measure of creativity.

Over the next several months? years? decades? I will be blogging about the the projects we undertake to beautify this currently neglected bungalow. This will include everything from installing new flooring to creating a beautiful flower arrangement to trash-to-treasure projects, and everything in between. The one thing all the projects will have in common is that they will all be done on skinny budget!

Every article will feature photos, photos, photos. I will also be including tips, pitfalls and pointers, materials used, cost and anything else that I think might be useful, interesting or fun.

Goodbye, Old House–it’s been swell!

We still have 13 more days before we get the key to our knee-saving bungalow. So, in the meantime, just for fun and to pique your interest, below are some photos of the house we will be leaving behind. It didn’t always look like this–it was the epitome of u-g-l-y (picture a green living room that flowed into a mustard yellow dining room that flowed into a sky blue kitchen)! All it took to transform this place was a little vision, a lot of hard work and every penny in my savings account! Here goes…

It took me eight years to transform my little two-story home from the ugliest duckling in the pond to a beautiful swan. But, then, a beautiful home doesn’t just happen, it evolves with time, love and creativity. Pretty much every piece of furniture, every mirror, painting and knickknack in my house has a story, a history; each piece a treasure because of the memories it holds. Some folks think they have to rush out and buy everything at once. Unfortunately, what they end up with is a house that looks like a page from Sears catalogue. Your home should be like a fine wine, improving as it ages.

When I bought this two-story house, I was employed with a handsome salary and could afford to spend the cash needed to install new windows, doors, furnace, flooring, kitchen, bathroom…and the list goes on. But, now, I am a retired, penny-pinching, coupon-clipping, flea market-shopping, bargain hunter, who won’t be going to Europe anytime soon. All of my bungalow renos and decorating will have to be done on a very skinny budget and may have to stretch out over a long period of time. But, that’s okay, somethings you just can rush!

And, last but not least, here is a peak at the flagstone patio that Peter and I laid in the side and rear yards–all 9,000 pounds of irregular flagstone. It was like putting together a giant jigsaw puzzle! But, so worth the effort.

Hello, New House–this is going to be fun!

We are truly are excited about getting the key to our bungalow on January 3. I’m looking forward to cleaning, painting and taking tons of photos for you to see. We’re hanging on to the old house until January 14, which is day the moving truck comes! Over that 11-day period, we will transport all the dishes, clothing, linens, plants, lamps, and so on. The movers will only have to deal with the big stuff. So, if I gain a few pounds over Christmas, I will lose them during the move. Bonus!

Okay, just one little hint about the new house and some of its fascinating, albeit, weird features (that we will be getting rid of asap) : …how about a ram’s head with big curly horns etched (etched, I tell you) into one side of the mirror in the main bathroom? But wait, these folks liked symmetry, so they etched a great big zebra’s head into the other corner. Sweet, huh? Oh, yah, we’ve got our work cut out for us! Photos to come!

Merry Christmas, everyone, and best wishes for a fabulous New Year!

Home At Last

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