It's So Very Cottagey

I would like to take this time to thank Cheri

from "It's So Very Cheri" for hosting

this event.

I can't even begin to tell you how

much I have enjoyed seeing all the home tours.

Welcome to my home!

I will have to say this house has gone through

allot of changes since we moved in, both on

the inside and outside.

I will never forget the first time I saw it.

I followed the realtor into the driveway and

just looked at her and said, "Oh No".

On her encouragement, I came in.

You see, the outside had no curb appeal, at all.

There was part of a chain link fence in the front

yard, over grown shrubs and the list goes on.

But after looking for one year, I had to hold

on to the hope that, what she had told me

about this house would hold true. And after

walking into the kitchen, I knew this was home.

This picture was taken June 2009.

Please join me in the foyer. This house was built in 1979, as you can see the foyer is rather large. I have a French settee I bought at auction while living in Charleston, SC and my grandfather clock is here as well. The chandelier is also from Charleston. The floors are oak. The wall color is called fawn. This is a view looking back at the front door. The fern is sitting on an antique wig stand. A view from the living room into the foyer. After walking into the foyer if you make a right, that will take you into the living room. I am using this room more of a music/library room. I have no TV in this room, just allot of books, quiet a few of them from the nineteenth century, so therefore you might find this room a little dark, but that is necessary to protect them from the harmful effects of the sunlight. I have used big leather furniture so you can just sink down into it. It's so nice to go in here and have a nice cup of tea or coffee without all the noise of the TV. The fawn paint color was also used in this room. You will also see I have several antique pieces here as well. In fact there are very few rooms in my house you won't find an antique. It's been my tradition for the last twenty odd years to buy a nice antique to add to my collection once a year. My house probably looks like a nightmare to all of you talented designers out there but I have tried to convey the feeling as you walk into the front door that many generations have lived here, there have many trips taken in the prosperous times and many luxuries bought, then there had been the not so prosperous times and that may be where you find the book with the tattered binding or the small tear in the antique lace. The other side of the room.

My antique library table and chair.

The lamp was made from a tea canister, I

found it at an antique store, you can see the

typewriter and the two pictures hanging

over the table are just old and faded but

I love them. The smaller one is a landscape

and the larger is a vase of flowers.

The large painting over the sofa is a landscape

that I won. The antique store I used to visit

did a drawing once a month and I was the lucky

winner one December.

I usually have the large painting hanging over

the fireplace, unless I have decorated for the

Holidays.

On the opposite side of the room an antique

pump organ that is a family heirloom.

A view back into the foyer.

I have bookshelves going in on both sides of the

fireplace this winter.

If we go back to the foyer and take another

right we go into the kitchen. This room

had gone through a major renovation before

we bought this house. The old kitchen and

dining room were combined and a new dining

room, master bedroom, master bath and

walk in closet addition were added to the back

of the house.

This is a rather large kitchen, and is great

when we have lots of company.

The opposite side of the room.

One of my favorite things is my convection

oven, I love to bake and it truly makes for

great goodies.

We added the pot rack over the island shortly

after moving in and added matching lighting

to the rest of the room. I am in the process

of giving the island a little makeover, that

meaning the materials are being bought and

stored in the garage until I have everything I

everything I need. This is the place in the house

where everyone tends to gather. Food, fun and lots of laughter with family

and friends. This is also an eat in kitchen, most

of you have seen different tablescapes there

so I won't bore you with that area.

Oh well I'll fess up, I forgot to load the picture.

There is a blue/gray ceramic tile going from

the kitchen, mud room, powder room and

into the dining room at the french doors.

I have never had allot of blue or gray in my

house in the past, but I have learned to live

with it!

This is the mudroom just off the kitchen

beside the back door. A great little place for

storage.

The powder room, just off the mud room and

very hard to photograph. I did change the

lighting and mirror in this room after moving

in, I really didn't see the need for a huge

medicine cabinet in this room.

There is just a pedestal sink in this room

which I think works well since it is more of

a guest bathroom. The wall paper (I hear

the OH No's) out there, Ha Ha, give me a

break here, I hate stripping wall paper.

My French lady, I bought this picture before

I even looked at this house, the colors match

the wall paper perfectly.

I always like to have pretty little towels for

my guest, everyone must feel special.

If we go out of the kitchen and to the back of

the house we will go to the new addition and

into the dining room. I'm sure everyone is

tired of seeing this room, you have saw it in

so many of my tablescape post. The room is

furnished for the most part with antiques,

oak being the primary wood. This sideboard

was one of the first pieces I ever bought.

The large portraits are family members.

When we moved in every wall, with the

exception of the wall paper was white, gloss

white. As you have seen, things have changed

a little. In this room I used the fawn paint

also, but in a different way. I wanted walls that

looked like they had been around for many, many

years, so I got myself a quart canning jar with

lid, filled it half way with the fawn paint, then

with water. Then found myself a bunch of

100% cotton clothes and start wiping the

walls, some place are extremely light some

a little darker. A friend of mine happened to

stop by right in the middle of my application,

I can't even begin to explain the look on her

face!!!!!

We replaced the carpet with this antique oak

flooring a couple of years ago. A much better fit.

This light was one I also brought with me

from SC. The medallion is one of those was

wall hanging metal pieces.

This door takes you to the master bedroom.

Most people don't know this room exsist, unless

we show them. But first...

This is a stencil I did in the dining room

(I see you wonderful decorators out there

flinching) some places are very light, some

a little darker to give the appearance of

fadining over time.

This is the master bedroom with limited

viewing. You see we have a delema going

on, and that would be the flooring to put

in here. The carpet has been taken up and

now its decision time. It's going to be quiet

expensive to floor this room, so its not

something I want to rush into. So we are

just buying samples of different hardwoods

before the decision is made. You will see a

differance in the decorating in the next

two rooms, I have tried for more of the spa

feeling. Lots of whites to go with the green

walls. It is a very peaceful room, not allot going

on.

Just a peak at some of the elments I will be

using.

These will also be used, you saw them last

summer bing used in the dining room.

Ok, that will be all for now, in this room. Lets go to the master bath and dressing room.

This is one of the largest bathrooms I have

seen and trust me, my hobbie used to be

open house tours.

I carried the green though here as well, the

boarder was already here (remember I said

I hated stripping wall paper) so I picked one

shade of the green from the boarder and just

painted.

This chandalier once held court in my dining

room in SC. If you noticed the lamps on the

night stands were also metal and had the

same iron curls and color.

Lots of storage.

I hope no one is offended by "My Lady", I

placed her in my dressing room, because of

her (skimpy) attire, so as not to offend anyone

visiting. I got her at an estate sale several years

ago, she is one of my favorite painting. The

gentleman told me he had bought her in

France while there in the military.

The doors are pocket doors and great for not

taking up space. The door on the left goes to

the walk in closet and the door to the right

back to the bedroom.

This is one of the few room in the house along

with the master bedroom that has good lighting.

One of the good things about additions.

I took the shears all the way to the floor, the

door to the left is a linen closet for this area.

Note: Spa tub great for those tired old bones

after a day in the yard, removing over grown

shrubs!

Note to self: Do not sit on this bench after

a day in the garden, your legs will not move!

If we go out of the kitchen across the foyer

and down three steps we go into the

lower level of the house. I have this room as

more of a morning or hearth room since it

is so close to the kitchen.

The stone wall DH and I built about three

years ago, we found and carried every rock

to build the wall. So that little project classified

as a spa tub night, but no chair, Sandy!

The track lighting was added a couple of weeks

ago, this is another one of my dark rooms.

DH made the entertainment center and I just

added the small table down here from the

kitchen a couple monthes ago. It's great for

meals or for crafting.

There is a outside door in this room, which is

a great source of light and just wonderful to

sit and watch the wildlife in the summer

months.

I love this old piano, both my girls play!

My DH hates this piano, it weights 850

pounds and he had to move it here from

SC. Do I need to say any more????

There is one bedroom on this level, I have it

fixed for the boys, in a birdhouse theme.

The bed DH and I made for my youngest

daughter years ago. We just cut the boards

to resemble a picket fence, then took the

rails off of a run of the mill daybed, and it's

still around. Most of the decore in the room

is from Caties room, before she needed her

(grown up room). So I didn't have to cry to

much at all.

You can see allot of plants in this room.

This is my makeshift green house for the

winter. A greenhouse was on the "To Do" list

but we ran out of time and tropicals just

don't like snow!

Now if we are back in the foyer and take a left

up four stairs we can see more bedrooms and

baths.

The first is the hall guest bath, which I have

previously posted. It was one of the few

rooms in the house stuck in the 70's.

We added this old dresser with the vessel sink,

new hardwood flooring, mirrors, lights and

beadboard to the walls.

Always the special things for guest!

Across the hall to another guest room.

Yes I know the bed is much to big for the room!

There is red carpet in this room, one of three

rooms in the house with carpet, all on this level.

I can't tell you the wall color in this room,

because I mixed it myself. Yes I did! I wanted

a wonderful cup of hot chocolate with

marshmellows and I mixed whites, creams

and browns until I got it!

I have also used some old French pieces

of furniture, found at a thrift store (the chair

and night table). I also added some red toile

to the lampshade and curtains.

Most of the bedding is white with red

added for a touch of color. There are two closets in this room, which

is unusual.

A wash stand with pitcher and bowl my

daughter bought for me with a toile pattern.

The antique chamber pot filled with poperie

and white cotton finger towels.

My "Other Lady" you would meet, if you

were to stay the night. She's dressed more

approporatly, so she is a little more visible.

On to the other bedroom, my "Girls Room".

Again, not a full view, I have just painted this

room and I'm just not happy with the way it

has come together, looking at inspiration

pictures for the finish.

The canopy is one that my youngest used for

years and has been in so many different

materials and patterns, I have lost count.

I just did this blue from a set of drapes with

the attached valance, and I am very happy

with it. The carpet in this room is dark blue.

The previous owners had sons, and here we

come with girls.

Now onto the old master bedroom, which

now belongs to the queen (so she thinks).

We can take a peak, since her majisty is

out of her castle, as you can see her new

taste is on the wild side.

On to the old master bath, a little on the small

side. As you see the, "Wild Side" is continued.

I hope you have enjoyed this long tour and I would

like to take this time, once again, to thank Cheri for

hosting all the great house tours we have had the

chance to see. They have all been so wonderful.

Please feel free to leave comments, suggestions

or questions. I love hearing from everyone.

Bye For Now,

Sandy