Antiquing and Thrifting for the Weekend

It's been ages since we took an antiquing/thrifting trip.  I've gotten several emails/comments asking for another trip, so let's go!   Let's start with A Classy Flea, one of my fave haunts for great deals. (Click any photo to enlarge, click the back arrow to return to the post.)

Just outside the front door I saw a fun, beachy sign.  I could so do with a beach trip about right now.  How about you?

Not using your old armoire for a TV now?  Remove the doors and add shelving to turn it into a pretty display cabinet.

Nice, big table for the dining room...
Click HERE to continue reading...

Antique Photo Album... Welcome to the 33rd Metamorphosis Monday!

My Met Monday post for today is a "reverse" Met Monday. I'm showing you the "After" first...then I'll show you the "Before." :-)

I came across this old, old Victorian style picture album around 20 years ago. I believe it may date back to the late 1800's. If you have any information about these type albums, please share it in your comment. I'd love to know more about them but have found very little information online.

When I found this wonderful old velvet covered album, I fell in love with it. It was in a run down, old house that sat just barely off the road of a busy Georgia state highway...waaay out in the country. I had just completed an appointment for work and was headed back to the "big city," when the "Antiques for Sale" sign caught my eye as I whizzed by in my car. Not being able to resist, I turned around and headed back.

The man inside the old house made me a great deal, only $40. I was thrilled since it was chocked full of wonderful old photos. When I'd stumbled on these albums in the past, they were usually more expensive and empty. I've since collected one more and I do so love to look through them.

This album looks as if it may have been a wedding gift for a newly married couple. The front shows a bell with a small mirror (maybe a wedding bell?) and a horse shoe with the words, "Good Luck."




Here's a little close-up pic of the top. Now you may be wondering where the "before and after" is in this post. Well, so far you've seen the after pics...the pics of what time and use will do to the exterior of a lovely, old, velvet, picture album. What if we could go back in time and see it when it was brand new.




Step into my time machine...and take a look at the before. The album opens up by unlatching the side and flipping the album downward onto a surface. There's a much larger mirror inside. See the beautiful, green velvet...that's what the whole album would have looked like when it was new...I'm guessing back in the 1800's.




Close-up of the interior velvet that has been protected from the elements. Old houses used to be very, very dusty inside. Windows were left open for cooling and the roads weren't always paved. It was a full time job trying to keep the home swept and dusted.




Both of the old albums I've collected are full of wonderful, old photos. I will do a post sometime in the future showing lots of pics from both albums. I love seeing the dresses and hats...along with the hairstyles.




A few of the pics from this album...notice in the pic below, the man is sitting while the woman is standing.




Look at her hair, her gorgeous blouse and that tiny waist!




Again, in the pic below, the man is sitting while the woman is standing...wonder why? I've noticed it's always this way in the pics depicting a couple. What do you think the occasion was for this photo? Maybe an anniversary...or do you think it was a wedding photo?




Do you like collecting the old photographs or albums? They are like little time capsules, giving us a glimpse of the past.

Looking forward to seeing your Before and After!



If you are participating in Metamorphosis Monday, please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general blog address. If you aren't sure how to obtain your permalink or have any questions about using Mr. Linky for this post, just click HERE for detailed instructions.

Don't forget to copy and paste the Met Monday logo button to your computer so you can add it to your side bar and your Met Monday post. That way visitors will know that your are participating in Metamorphosis Monday.

Please be sure to link back to the host blog, Between Naps on the Porch, so your fellow bloggers who are participating today, will get lots of visits, as well.

Please do not add your link below until your Met Monday post is actually published to your blog.

The following blogs are participating in this Metamorphosis Monday:

Decorating Tips...Designing the Room of Your Dreams! Welcome to the 27th Metamorphosis Monday!

My Metamorphosis Monday post is a little different this week. I don't have an exciting metamorphosis to share; instead, I thought I'd share some ideas or tips I've learned decorating my own home over these many years. These "lessons learned" are responsible for the changes that were made to the rooms in my home, so in some ways this post is indeed all about metamorphosis...the metamorphosis of my home.

Here's my disclaimer: 
I am not a decorator or a designer and have never had any training in this field. All the tips/ideas I'll be sharing today have been reached through my own experiences and through much trial and error. :-) It is my hope that some of the information I'll be sharing will prove helpful if you are trying to figure out where to start with decorating a room in your home.

The first room I decided to furnish and "decorate" in my home was my family room. I knew we'd be spending a lot of time in this room and it would be where our friends and family would gather during their visits to our home.




Tip 1: When you're at the starting point of decorating a room, ask yourself, how will this room be used and by whom? What activities will take place in this room?

I knew my family room would be used for t.v. watching, Nintendo/Playstation playing, boys rolling around on the floor playing cards and board games, cats and dogs running through, reading, studying, pizza in front of the fire, all the stuff of life that takes place in a family room. I needed durable fabrics that could take the abuse.

Looking at my family room below...you'll see heavy fabrics, an armoire that houses a t.v., lots of lighting and a large rug for time spent down on the floor. I really like having the t.v. in an armoire where I can make it disappear when guests come over...unless, of course, it's for movie night or a football game. If your children are grown, like mine, your needs may be different.




Tip 2: Look at the style and features that already exist in your room. Will any one feature have a tremendous influence on how your room is decorated?

In my family room, the answer was a huge, YES. The walls were covered in a warm, golden-brown judges paneling. I had three choices...I could change the look via paint, as some of my neighbors have done, fight the room by decorating it as if the paneling didn't exist, (big mistake) or embrace it and go with the feel/style of the room.

I totally embraced the library feel of the room decorating it with rich, jewel tone fabrics. If the paneling had been cheap looking or really, really dark, I might have made a different choice and painted it. But since the paneling was good paneling and I loved the room, I totally went with the warm feel of the room.

I even further darkened the room by adding two-toned plantation shutters. (Two-toned shutters are stained on the inside and painted on the outside for a uniform look on the outside of a home). Why bathe this room in bright light when the room was saying "warm and cozy" at the top of it's lungs. This is a room made for curling up in front of a crackling fire with a good mystery novel. This is a room where you turn off all the lights to watch a wonderful movie like, The Red Violin. This room is not about brightness or loftiness or airiness. No, this room is all about coziness, snuggling, good theater, good books and hot fires on cold nights. Listen to your room...don't fight it. If you do listen, when you're all done decorating it, you will love it and so will everyone else who visits your home.


Tip 3: If you don't already have one, buy a notebook or a handful of folders and start squirreling away inspiration photos.

Create different sections in your notebook or separate folders for every room in your home. When you see a bedroom that you LOVE, tear it out and stick in the "bedroom" folder. Same for the kitchen, family room, etc... When you get ready to do that room, open up your folder and ask yourself what all your inspiration pics have in common. Is it a particular color scheme? A particular style of furniture? Is it just the way the inspiration room "feels." We are rarely able to copy a room exactly as we find it in a magazine because the dimensions or style of our room may be very different. But sometimes we can use a similar color scheme, similar fabrics or layout. If nothing else, your inspiration pics will help you find your decorating style and show you what you truly like.


Tip 4: What is the focal point in your room...is it a fireplace...or maybe it's the t.v.

My family room had two focal points, sort of...the main one probably being the fireplace. Unfortunately, I knew the television would be a focal point, also. I'm not a big t.v. watcher...maybe watch an hour a week, total. I figured out a way to make the t.v. completely disappear by placing it into an armoire. When friends are over for book club or dinner, I don't want that big box visible in the room.




Tip 5: Furniture Arrangement...

Once you know your focal point, you'll begin to figure out your furniture arrangement. For my room, I knew I needed seating that would face the fireplace and the t.v. I also knew I did not want a sofa/love seat combination; I'd had that in my last house and didn't like it. Instead, I wanted lots of individual, comfortable seating...all facing each other to facilitate good conversation.

In some rooms, there's only one really good spot for the sofa...that was pretty much the case in my room. I placed it along the largest wall facing the main focal point...the fireplace.



Based on the placement of the sofa, it was easy to figure out where the t.v. needed to go...in the corner facing the sofa. Once I had the sofa and t.v. placed...it was time to fill in with chairs. Fight the urge to line your furniture up around the walls. Sometimes a room may be such that you have no choice, but consider putting pieces catty corned in, where else, the corners. :-) Or maybe try them out in the center of the room as I did with the two tapestry chairs. (see below)




Tip 6: What about those really large rooms...

Look for opportunities to create separate seating areas. If a room is really large, do not create one seating area with all the pieces of the furniture spread out facing inward to each other. The seating ends up way too spread out and makes conversation difficult. It also makes the room feel awkward and uninviting.

For large rooms, try creating a seating arrangement comprised of your sofa and a couple of chairs at one end or in one area...maybe in front of a fireplace or the focal point. Then create a separate area with a writing desk and a chair, or a wooden card table with chairs, for game playing or putting together a puzzle. Or maybe even a small reading nook that consists of just a comfy wing back and a small table with a floor standing lamp. It's nice to throw an ottoman in there somewhere that can act as an impromptu coffee table for a tray of drinks or additional seating when needed. (See pic above of chairs with ottoman.)


Tip 7: Measure all your walls and/or furniture in the room you're decorating...

Draw a diagram of your room and write all the measurements down. Tuck it into the inside zipper section of your purse or into your wallet and carry it with you everywhere. When you stumble upon that wonderful, unbelievably great priced secretary or table at A Classy Flea, you'll know if it will fit and won't have to go back home to measure while someone else buys your awesome find.


Tip 8: Carry your fabrics...

Carry the arm cover from your chairs or sofa, or a pillow or swatches of the fabrics you've used or may use in your room when you head out to shop. Remember, that chair you're looking for doesn't have to "match;" it just needs to coordinate or work with your sofa or other existing fabrics.


Tip 9: Choosing your colors scheme:

I knew I would NOT be using pastel colors like the previous owner had used in this room. The window treatments she left behind were pale peach, pale blue and pale pink. How did I know pastels were not a good idea for this room? Sometimes, I think we know instinctively...just from dressing ourselves. We normally would not pair a pastel blue or pink or peach or yellow shirt with autumn gold colored pants.

So, what looks good with golden brown walls? Any of the jewel tone colors...burgundy, red, green, navy. This color scheme worked well for me because one of my favorite feel-good houses is the house in the original Home Alone movie...lots of red and green in that house and I loved it! :-) Here's a sample of my sofa fabric...the largest piece of upholstered fabric in the room.



If your room doesn't have paneling, you'll have a lot more choices when it comes to your color scheme. Open your closet and take a look at what color clothing you wear and love. Do you wear a lot of cremes and neutrals...perhaps you would feel best surrounded in a room with those colors? Or is your closet full of lots of color, like mine. If so, what are the colors you wear most? How would you feel about using those colors in your room?


Tip 10: How to mix in lots of different fabrics:

You may use lots of different fabrics in a room as long as the colors are similar and the scale/size of the pattern on the fabrics are not all the same size. In other words, make sure the fabrics you use in a room don't all have large patterns or don't all have small patterns...mix it up.

Using my family room as the example, the sofa has navy, and green as the main colors with a very small, red/burgundy stripe appearing every so many inches. The pattern is large but in a stripe design.



The tapestry chairs have a medium size/scale pattern, in a floral design.  Pillows covered in a burgundy-colored, soft, wool fabric, were placed in the these two chairs to help pull this color out of the chairs and to help coordinate them with the burgundy wing back across the room.



The flame stitch fabric on this wing back chair is a bold design, but it's across the room from the other upholstered pieces. The drapes are in the same color scheme, but have a much smaller scale pattern. Regarding draperies...I normally like to hang them much higher to open up the window and to make the windows feel larger; but in this room, it would have covered up too much of the judges paneling/molding above the window, so I opted to hang them lower.



The leather wing back offers a break from all the pattern and pulls out the burgundy stripe in the sofa, since it's close to it.



I'd love to find more interesting pillows, but the navy ones with the tiny stars work okay for now. Maybe that will be something I can update in this room in the future.



The oriental rug has an even smaller design/pattern...




Tip 11: Balance and symmetry:

This may just be a personal preference, but I love for my rooms to feel balanced...and I love a certain amount of symmetry. Notice how the wing backs at the end of the room somewhat balance each other as you walk into the room from the kitchen. I placed a tall ficus tree in the corner to balance the tall armoire in the other corner.  Update:  Faux ficus is gone...check out the new look HERE.  The tapestry chairs create their own balance and symmetry at the other end of the room.



The sconces on either side of the fireplace offer more symmetry. See the ceiling fan reflected in the mirror? Wouldn't it be beautiful to have a wonderful antique style light fixture/chandelier reflecting in that mirror, instead? I'm getting ideas--see what blogging will do to ya!




Tip 12: Use furniture in different ways...

Try to think of different ways to use furniture in your rooms. I knew I needed an "end table" at this end of the sofa, but I just couldn't find one I liked. I considered a small chest, but couldn't find the right one. I searched and searched for the right piece. Then, one day, I came across this secretary, in all places, The Cotton Pickin' Fair/antique festival in Gay, Georgia. It said take me home...I'll be your end table!




It's balances nicely with the tall ficus at the other end of the sofa and I love that it's different and not just a typical end table to go with the table at the other end. As much as I love symmetry, I also like the unexpected.




Notice the vintage chess board "box" on the secretary.  Can you guess what it's hiding?



Hey, you know if I'm hiding the TV, I'm not leaving these things out in view. lol




Tip 13: Lighting is so important...

I can't emphasize this enough. I never realized how important lighting was until I started buying lamps and placing them all around my rooms. Once I saw what lamp light did for a room...the atmosphere it created...I went lamp crazy and filled all my rooms with lots and lots of lamp light. Even when I had my screened-in porch built, I did not go with any overhead lighting, which I think baffled my contractor. Instead, I opted for lots of outlets for lamp lighting all around.

Try to place lamps in various spots/corners all around your room, preferably at least 3 lamps to a room...more is even better. In my family room, you'll see that I have lamps at either end of the sofa, at the end of the room between the wingback and the armoire, on the other side of the armoire beside the flame stitch wing back and between the two tapestry chairs.




I also placed a tall lamp on the end of the bookshelves, near one of the doors leading out to the porch...




Let me show you something over here on the shelves...



Tip 14: Every room needs a touch of whimsy... Don't forget to add some whimsy into your rooms.  Every room really needs a bit of whimsy.




It keeps a room from feeling too serious and I think it helps friends and guests feel they can relax.



Hope you have found these tips to be helpful!




I'm looking forward to seeing the changes you've been working on for this Metamorphosis Monday!

Metamorphosis Monday is all about "Before and Afters!" To participate, just post about a "Before and After" you've completed in or around your home...it could be almost anything...from a room renovation, repurposing a piece of furniture, to a renovation in your garden. Once you post your Met Monday post to your blog, come back here and link up. Mr. Linky will be up by 9:00 PM each Sunday evening prior to that Met Monday.

The following steps need to be followed to ensure everyone participating gets lots of visits:

If you are participating in Metamorphosis Monday, please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general blog address. If you aren't sure how to obtain your permalink or have any questions about using Mr. Linky for this post, just click HERE for detailed instructions.

Don't forget to copy and paste the Met Monday logo button to your computer so you can add it to your side bar and your Met Monday post. That way visitors will know that your are participating in Metamorphosis Monday.

Please be sure to link back to the host blog, Between Naps on the Porch, so your fellow bloggers who are participating today, will get lots of visits, as well.

Please do not add your link below until your Met Monday post is actually published to your blog.

The following blogs are participating in this Metamorphosis Monday:

Price My Space...It's a Party at Nesting Place!

Welcome to my Guest room. I'm joining in the fun blog party at Nesting Place! Once you get done "pricing my space", you'll want to pop back over to Nesting Place to check out all the other great spaces posted for today's party.


Whenever I buy something new for a room in my home, I normally toss the receipt into a file folder I keep for each room...that really came in handy tonight when I prepared this post. My guest room was one of the first rooms I ever "decorated" in my home. I love blue and white together so when I found this Ralph Lauren comforter set called "Porcelain," I decided to go with a blue and white theme. I had a tree behind the bed for many years and just recently took it out for a change.


Found the vintage iron and brass bed in a local antique mall for only $250.

When I was working on this room, I knew I wanted to mix it up a bit. I fell in love with this floral Sanderson fabric and had balloon valances, pillows and a table topper made. I love the way the Sanderson fabric looks with the "Porcelain" R.L. fabric. I had the wall color custom matched to the yellow in the Sanderson fabric. The year was 1994 and the Sanderson fabric was a bit of a splurge for me. I paid $283 each for the balloon valances...$566 for both, which included fabric and labor. The topper and tablecloth on the table beside the bed were $150 and the two ruffled pillows, were $116 for both. That was a lot to spend, to me, especially since I'd never had anything custom made...now it seems pretty cheap compared to today's prices for custom made pieces. Good thing is they still look as nice today as the day I got them.

What better way to pamper your guest...breakfast in bed! Can you see the lit "tea cup" candle? The wicker tray was just $12 in a local antique/thrift store

Had a little "kitty" pillow made out of the Sanderson fabric. If you look closely, you'll see that the floral pillows are edged in the same wavy, blue and white striped fabric that you see in the table skirt. Charles Faudree says it's about the mix...not the match. Could I possibly fit one more fabric into this room? (LOL) :-)

The white matelasse coverlet keeps things from getting too busy.

A little bedside reading...

I looked for years and years and years for a dress form. Each time I'd find one, it would either be in terrible condition or priced over $300. One day, while out antiquing, I saw the form below. Ohhhhhhh, did I get excited...it was EXACTLY what I'd been looking for all these many years!

I couldn't find a price tag on it anywhere. I walked to the front of the store and asked the ladies behind the check-out counter for a price. They couldn't find one either and told me it was "NSF" (not for sale). So often when I had found dress forms in the past, they were often marked NSF and usually in use by the store keeper to display clothing, etc... Since it didn't actually have a sticker on it saying NSF, I persisted. I asked the ladies if they would call the seller for that particular booth, and ask to make sure. (I reallllly wanted that dress form.)

One of the ladies reluctantly called and as she was talking to the owner of the form, her eyes grew large. She couldn't believe it...the owner was willing to sell it and for only $95. I jumped for joy! The other lady behind the counter began to have herself a regular hissy fit, saying she would have bought it for herself if she had known it was for sale. Both ladies went on and on about how they had no idea it was for sale, and what a steal I was getting, and how THEY wanted it. I couldn't write my check fast enough...I was so worried the owner would call back and say she had changed her mind!
This blouse was my Mom's and is almost 60 years old, now. Couldn't get a great close-up, but the color is actually like you see in the pic above. As you might imagine, it's priceless. :-)




Found this Victorian hat rack for $40 while out antiquing...three of the hats shown hanging on the rack are vintage. The trunk was the first "old" thing I ever bought...got it at an auction about 28 years ago for $35. The handles on the side are still intact, which I've discovered over the years is pretty rare on the older trunks.

While out antiquing one December, I found the wonderful old doll house shown above and below. It was already decorated for Christmas and it stole my heart. But the price was a bit high at $225...so I walked away.

After Christmas, I went out of town to visit a friend in Virginia. We were out touring Mount Vernon one afternoon and I kept thinking and thinking about this doll house...suddenly I knew I had to have it! Has that ever happened to you?

I panicked...what if it had been sold while I was out of town?! I called the antique store and they said it was gone. :-( I asked if they would make sure...hoping it had just been moved since Christmas was over. About an hour later, while standing just outside Mount Vernon, they called me back on my cell to tell me it was still available and that the owner had just taken it home after Christmas. The seller gave me 10% off...which made me feel a bit better about the price. :-) Sometimes your heart just says, go for it...and you know at that moment, you'll never regret it.

I picked it up as soon as I got back into town. The decorations that were on the house were very, very faded and literally falling apart. So I bought some garland and ribbon and made wreaths with bows for each of the windows. The details on this house amaze me...down to the individual bricks of the chimney.
Years before I stumbled across the doll house, I found this dresser in the same antique shop. Per the shop owner, someone had bought the matching bed but left this beautiful dresser behind. I'm so glad they did!

I love its graceful curves. It is probably the most expensive piece in the room...I paid $700 for it. The seller let me put it on lay-a-way, so to speak and I paid for it in 3 payments. If you are out antiquing and you see that piece that you just adore but can't quite afford, ask the shop owner if they'll let you pay in 2 or 3 payments. In today's economy, I think they are just happy to get your business and most often will take you up on your offer. They usually will not discount the piece if they allow you pay in several payments, but sometimes it's worth it to get that one piece you know will make the room.

I'm in awe of the craftsmanship it took to make the curving drawers and doors on this piece.

This silver plate shaving stand is another antiquing find many, years ago...priced at $45. I sometimes fill it with potpourri.

Max supervised as I took pics of the guest room this afternoon. :-)

Here's a cozy spot for guest to curl up with a good book. The next pic better shows the blue and white checked fabric. Found this chair with it's matching ottoman about 15 years ago in the back of a large antique store that only opened it's doors to the public once a month. The store has since closed.

You've heard about the Running of the Brides? Well, that's what it was like that one Saturday each month when the store would open...insanity! I didn't find anything in the front part of the store but this chair and ottoman was tucked into a corner in another room way in back. I was thrilled to find it was just $389 for both the chair and the ottoman! The ottoman is visible in the pic above...under Mr. Max. :-)

Found this little bunny at A Classy Flea...he's made by the company that makes Boyds Bears. Even his little bow tie coordinated with the room...yes, I notice that stuff...it's a sickness! (LOL)

So, that's the Guest Room....thanks so much for stopping by! Looking forward to seeing your beautiful rooms posted for Price My Space at Nesting Place! :-)