I have Can Can. It gets sun from 7am to 2pm. The color stays thru the whole summer. I've had it about 6 yrs now...could be 7, and after 2 yrs, I bought another. I love the leaves and color. I water once a week deeply. If it gets too much shade, you'll lose some of it's beautiful color. Just water deeply and make sure you put it in an area that drains well. Kat

Yes to above. Definitely mainstream in the late thirties, all through the forties and into the early fifties as an answer to a traditional styled dining table one could fit into the smaller homes or homes with no formal dining room. Often had one small fold-in leaf in the middle, sometimes a small drawer on one side. Usually had hardwood pedestals stained to match. Catalogues often sold the table with no chairs or let you choose the chair style you liked best to go with it. IOW not as a set.

Thank you for the responses :) Calliope- It is cheerful...and I was hoping it was from the 1920s or 1930s. Karinl- I think you're right about the light. I've tried to design most of my remodel, so that there is light from at least two sides in every room (except the bathrooms). I like the white appliances and lighter floors, too. Elizabethlee- I'm so glad you have the same picture! It's a very cheerful, friendly kitchen...and I'm not usually a big fan of yellow. While I don't think I could paint the cabinets and walls all bright yellow, I do think it's wonderful in this kitchen! Thank you for recommending Bungalow Kitchens...I'll look for it this weekend :) My kitchen is from a 1904 farmhouse, but the goal for my remodel is to bring it back to the style of the 1920s and 1930s. I really like the vintage cottage look and with the kitchen and dining area all one space, I hope it's a good fit. While the yellow is very pretty, I'd probably be more comfortable with blues, greens and whites, but soft yellow is a nice match...so maybe yellow walls? They are cheerful! I really like the vintage style fridge and hope to find a stove to match. Also love the work table and cafe curtains :) Since many of you know a lot of history of houses, I'm trying to combine the vintage cottage/farmhouse style with a few english cottage accents and french style furniture (chairs, marble work table, etc.) It sounds very eclectic...but, I did read that at the end of the 1920s, there was a resurgence in european style (fairy tale) that incorporated a lot of english and french influences. So, I'm hoping I can find a way to make it all work! A few of my other inspiration pictures, but I'd prefer white appliances...and the last one seems more like the fairy tale style.

Katie, your house is waaay cool. I live in a house about 10 years older than yours, and I'd like to share what I've learned: The dark wood molding, with its many imperfections, has grown on me in the year we've been here. The dings that drove me nuts a year ago are now character and patina, and I NEVER thought I'd see it that way. I have had great luck with Farrow and Ball colors. Dorset cream in living room, mouse's back (unbelievable color, you really have to see it with the old wood to appreciate it) in the family room, and light stone in the dining room. I also have farrow's cream in the hall and stairway, but i think it was a mistake; dark wood can take much darker colors than you think, and they all look several shades lighter up on the walls. There seem to be a lot of strong opinions about custodianship, which may or may not be off-putting to you (disclaimer: I've got a foot in the custodian camp too). But look at it this way: from a resale standpoint, as the years go by, a well-maintained older home with original details will pull ever and ever higher premiums from buyers, so you will reap the rewards of your "custodianship" in very tangible terms when the time comes. So, to me, self-interest and good custodianship actually align. Also, you will sometimes save money while you're living there if you have chosen period appropriate finishes, materials, colors, and decor: because they are timeless. I was over on the kitchens forum, and people were moaning about their "so-80's kitchen" and how to make it less dated. If you do things to the original decade of your house, they will never look dated: only timeless. You will never need to redecorate when styles change unless YOU want too. Now that's freedom! Finally, I found, and you may find too, that the styles appropriate to your house grow on you. When we bought our house, the first thing we did was remove the bronze statue from our newel post so we wouldn't clock ourselves when we moved in. We NEVER intended to put it back up, and almost gave it away to a neighbor. Well, it has grown on me, and I look forward to the day that I put the other "lady of the house" back on the newel post. (Dh would probably tell you are days that he wants to screw my b... on there--naw we usually get along lol!) So, enjoy!!!!