The livingroom is my favorite spot in the house. I love rustic french country style, and that's the look I went for in the livingroom, with lots of drapey linen curtains, antique textiles, a casual white slipcover on the sofa, and worn, rustic wood.
The livingroom has a mostly neutral palette, but gets a touch of color from vintage blue ticking feather pillows and antique european grain sacks... a few of my favorite things!
With the huge west-facing picture window, the livingroom turns into a bright, warm sunroom in the afternoon.
A television is not usually something you see featured on design blogs, but let's face it - if you watch TV and don't have a nice big cabinet to hide it in, it becomes part of the decor. I hung a big antique mirror directly behind the TV to reflect light from the opposite window, and help take the focus off of the big black screen, and draw your eye to the rest of the wall.
The chunky antique wood TV table also offers an unexpected place to display one of my many vintage collections - metal flower frogs.
I know it's not a room, but my white ironstone collection deserves it's own stop on the tour!
I started with one small chipped platter that I found at an antique mall for $1.50, and I've been collecting ever since. I love the simple lines and the warm, rustic patina that old ironstone gets.
I love pieces with lots of crazing and discoloration... the darker and more beat up the better (and usually cheaper). Most pieces I've found have been under $10.
My favorite pitcher... just 50 cents at a flea market. Needless to say, the collection is constantly growing!
Old mirrors are another of my favorite things to decorate with. I don't usually like a lot of artwork or framed photos on my walls, but I love mirrors. This shabby white full-length mirror in my entryway is one of my favorites.
Without a designated room to use as a home office, I tucked a chippy white desk behind the couch in the livingroom, and used a stack of rustic wooden boxes to hide mail, cords, computer accessories, and other clutter. Instant home office!
The office is conveniently right next to the library. Ok, ok, we don't actually have a library, either :) But with sooooo many books, there will always be at least a library wall in our home.
The dining nook also shares space with the main living space, and is just off of the kitchen.
We switched out a dated light fixture for a small, sparkly chandelier from Ikea when we moved in. It was a quick and inexpensive change that made SUCH a difference - and we get to take it with us when we leave!
I'm a sucker for pretty dishes!
The small galley-style kitchen is certainly not high tech, but it's full of character and reminds me of an old farmhouse kitchen.
I love the simple painted cabinets. While there's nothing all that special about them, I like that they are rustic and primitive - nothing too fancy or modern. The landlord let me repaint them when we moved in, so I used a rich greenish golden paint from Olde Century Colors called "Thistle", which is a great complement to my collection of antique yellowware.
A small antique drop leaf table and a tall free-standing cupboard provide extra prep space and pantry storage, and make the kitchen feel lived in and comfortable.
Yellowware is another collection where I love to find imperfect pieces. Most of my bowls have chips and cracks, which means they were all affordable - so I can have a whole mass of them, rather than one perfect, valuable example.
A huge antique lidded wicker basket neatly hides the kitchen trash can, while keeping it right out where I need it.
A fancy antique mirror above the sink adds a touch of elegance to the rustic room... and makes me feel like I have a window to look out of while I'm doing dishes.
The bedroom is the only room with hardwood floors, which I absolutely love. They are so pretty that it makes resisting the urge to wildly rip up the carpet in the living and dining room nearly impossible. But I've been good so far :)
The rustic wood bedside table was a $10 flea market find. I love the curvy shape of the top and the dark primitive touch that it brings to the soft and bright bedroom.
Just like the livingroom, the bedroom gets almost all of its color from fabrics. A few pillows and a graphic red and white antique quilt at the foot of the bed is the perfect amount of red for me.
Remember what I said earlier about having a lot of books? The same goes for magazines! I love picking up past issues of decorating magazines at antique malls, garage sales, and thrift shops.
A collection of baskets, including this antique basket from Maine that I bought on our honeymoon, sits on top of the short primitive antique magazine rack.
The chippy white dresser in the corner also serves as my make-up vanity.
The bathroom is tucked in the hallway between the living area and the bedroom. There are a total of 4 doors in this itty-bitty space, so painting the doors and trim all a soft buttermilk color (instead of the original strawberry-blond stain) makes the busy hallway look pretty and peaceful.
That's it! The house is small, but it's just perfect for the two of us. I work from home, running my handmade soap business and online antique shop, so I have my workspace set up in the basement where I can make as much of a "creative mess" as I need to, and then close the door on it at the end of the day. My work space is still a work in progress... I'll share pictures of it in the future!
Thanks so much for visiting! It's been a pleasure to share my home with you. The next stop on the "Parade of Homes" is Organizing Made Fun. Enjoy!
The Parade of Homes continues throughout the week, so keep following the links at the end of each blog post to lead you to the next house. Want to start at the beginning? Click the button below to head to A Bowl Full of Lemons and start the tour from House #1.