Hi, it’s me again...”I’m living in an antique store....”.
coco4antiques
3 years ago
We just took the wallpaper off our breakfast area, and I have a new appreciation for my little area. Our old oak table is quarter sawn or tiger oak that has a pronounced pattern that my husband loves, me, not so much. Should I try to darken the wood to go with the pie safe and the sideboard and mirror....and our wonderful old wine press. Or is it fine as is? I know oak is not in favor anymore, nor are antiques, but we are living with them til we die. So shall I try a darker stain?
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Comments (23)Posted by lov_mkitchen:"Would you have painted this?" No I wouldn't have. But I very much doubt that this particular mirror was painted recently. It looks like the top of a hall tree. There was a craze in both the early 1950's and late 1960s for painting old and Victorian furniture, even cutting it up to make a more modern piece. I've seen many magazine articles, have books on the subject and, believe it or not, much of this stuff was being rescued from the trash heap. If you hate old painted furniture that much, you could try digging thru old dump sites for stuff that wasn't never painted. Or, you could be grateful that this piece was salvaged, and buy it from the CL ad, take it home and lovingly restore it to it's former magnificence. But if this were in my local CL at the right price, I'd snap it up an leave it with it's, literally, layers of history. This post was edited by Lilylore on Sun, Jan 4, 15 at 5:12...See MoreHelp a (Clueless) Guy Decorate his Small 1930s Living Room
Comments (13)Hi, and welcome! Those floors, and the stairs, what a great space you have. I see that the two windows flanking the fireplace are reminiscent of Arts and Crafts. So any builtin cabs you make, put doors with the four-square look to them. And of course a flat panel if you do a TV. Hide it behind a pair of doors.TV to the LEFT of fireplace, since traffic will be walking or stranding in front of the RIGHT side of the fireplace. If you do decide to lower the cabs adjacent to the fireplace, relate the top height of them to the height of the firebox, so the eye makes a straight line across that wall and it will be much more satisfying. Long lines can add size to a small space. You decide, low or high, but make the line long and continuous. I think the sofa really needs to be very small scale, and you might find a loveseat like one I got from Boston Interiors. It has plain legs, but think about the furniture not being large, and chairs not having skirted bottoms, so that more of the floor shows. It tells the eye there is more open area. I would consider a modern looking wingback chair or maybe two. Stay away from the Queen Ann style dining chairs, which is what the former owner had. It is not suitable for a younger male resident. Too really old fashioned. More appropriate for your grandma, don't ya know. I'd say if you got parsons chairs for your dining area, then two of the chairs could serve in the LR by the windows. It is easy to pick up different colored slip covers for parsons chairs, with or without long skirts. If you are the kind likes to entertain formally, then a special set of slip covers for such occasions might be worth considering. If you go with the smaller table beneath the larger window, make it a type of tea table. That could serve as a breakfast or coffee spot, and give you a chance to observe what is going on outdoors on your street....that is, if you are facing a street with a sidewalk? Pretty interesting way to become acquainted with the style of your street. Make your dining area work hard too. Do not forget to put at least ONE storage piece in the dining area. But no big buffet. A skinny 60" long parsons table against the wall with a floating shelf arrangement above it would be a good way to create display space without restricting yourself to a set wall hanging. Such a table works as a serving space in the dining, or any number of ways in the LR. If need be, a nice place to also use baskets beneath it for hidden storage. Look for a skinny vertical piece with or without doors to display artwork or pretty large serving bowls in it. We will wait while you give us a tour of the other floors, where are the bathrooms. I bet two baths, right? Do they have original ceramic tile? Wainscoting up high or woodwork like at the mantle wall? How cool your new house must be. And is the upper floor, the third level, where you have a master? Does it have small closets and a bath on that floor? Is it tucked under the eaves, or are ceilings full height? If you have a space with slanted ceilings, then that is a good space for a headboard, or a chest that can fit with it. Or, a desk and book shelves or a console. Whatever you do, enjoy the experience. The first house I bought, I had only a pair of wicker chairs and a cypress coffee table. I rattled around in that place like a bee-bee in a washpot for a long time. So many options. Do not buy a lot of stuff just to fill it up. That will happen soon enough. And if you have a lot of friends, watch out for them.....they will want to feel GOOD about giving away their old stuff so they can feel GOOD about buying NEW for themselves. :) Enjoy. We realize how much fun it is to begin with a blank slate. Oh yeah. No recliners in the living room. That goes in the study or den. If you are single, it will favorably impress your dates. A second thought here. It might be a good idea to locate that 20" TV in the kitchen, or somewhere in the dining room that can be seen from the kitchen. Also, think about mounting it on an articulating arm that can be swiveled toward the LR, or made visible from the kitchen. If you have friends over to cook and watch a game, will they be in the kitchen with you? Is there room for that? How many of them will there be USUALLY? And do you need to have a counter space devoted to kibitzing guests with stools that can be tucked away? Is it possible with the current setup? Is the kitchen unfitted enough that you could have a rolling tall island with space for 2-3 stools and a second person helping with cooking chores? Enough already. Glad you dropped in. See ya later....See MoreLearning the antique business to make part time living
Comments (15)I figured one of the ways for me to dedicate enough time to my kids is do a part time business at home. Buying and selling antiques is an option I like. Seriously ... learning about antiques to the required depth and starting a business buying and reselling antiques will suck up a LOT of time and money before you learn what you are doing well enough to make enough money to call it a "business". Most of us have been hobby collectors for decades, and had/have full time jobs with regular paychecks supporting the hobby. How much cash do you have every month to spend on this learning experience? (buying, gas, storage, cleaning, refinishing ... it adds up real fast) How much income do you want/need to make every month? How many hours a week can/will you spend (away from your children, or dragging them along) dredging the yard sales, church sales, and junk stores looking for something that is undervalued enough to make it worth buying? Do you have the skills to do the minor repairs and cleaning needed to get top dollar for your items? ********* As a SAHM, you ARE already running a home-based business: you are the CFO, supply sergeant, maintenance man and receptionist for this business. Before concluding you need to start another business, make sure you are running your existing business as frugally as possible....See MoreIt’s getting a little picture skinny here lately
Comments (77)Shucks! I wrote a long post, and uploaded many pictures and then my phone rang. When I had finished my call, everything was gone:( Try #2 Thanks for your kind words, Ingrid. Did you happen to read my message to you on the Annie Laurie McDowell thread? I’m still having my emails to you returned with the message, “ Unable to deliver your email because the recipients inbox is full”. I remember getting the same thing months ago, when I tried that g_g_g address. I did take some more pictures today, including some of Mel’s Heritage from a distance. These pictures don’t really give a good sense of how large he really is. I’ve begun to think of him as “a nosey guy”, as he’s always getting into everyone else’s business. His canes are everywhere! It’s been too hot out for me lately, but now starting to cool down. About 10F less during the day, and I’m planning on getting Mel’s Heritage under control. More canes will need to be attached to the fence, some will need to be attached to small stakes along the slope(for guidance), and a few may need to be cut back. WAY BACK! He’s already climbing into Duchesse de Brabant at the bottom of the slope, and many other roses. I really cannot believe how fast he’s growing. It’s amazing and I have never seen a rose grow so quickly. Felicia is also in bloom, and I love her. Alnwick Castle is lovely today, but the blooms will blow tomorrow. They just don’t last in the dry heat. Silver Cloud, a Ralph Moore rose is having a nice flush. Too bad my Irish Creme is still tightly budded. They make wonderful vase partners. Chartreuse de Parme has such a big bloom on this tiny bush. I’m sure new growth is on the way, only in the ground a week or three. Golden Buddha, a Paul Barden rose, is one of the rare roses that truly remains compact and short here in S CA. I wish it didn’t fade so much, but I do have it in full sun. Abraham Darby always seems to have at least a bloom or two between big flushes. That’s it for the moment. I will be back with some Bolero blooms. Not an OGR, but has DA type blooms on a tidy, compact plant. It’s always blooming in full sun and a great cut flower. Lisa...See Morecoco4antiques
3 years agococo4antiques
3 years ago
Katherine Shelfer
3 years agococo4antiques
3 years ago
typeandrun
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoWe just re-did our kitchen with new countertops and cabinets. But I incorporated a duncan phyfe buffet under wall cabinets and wine rack. I think it is wonderful to mix old and new. But what I see a lot of is beautiful antique furniture stuffed with tsotchkes. It looks cluttered and you miss the beauty of the antique furniture.
Less is more! This was taken during the holidays so a bit busier than usual
coco4antiques thanked typeandruncoco4antiques
3 years ago
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