The Unseen...

No, that isn't the title to a new horror movie,

although, there have been times when this room looked like

 it might be from that sort of B-Movie set.

It's just the lower level guest room, which isn't used very often, and mostly is the storage room for massive pillow explosions and wayward quilts.

I think that I've considered showing this room once or twice, and maybe I have, but usually it falls in the "off limits" category of blogworthy spaces. Today I was cleaning and fluffing getting ready for the kids who will be here next week, and I realized that I didn't think I'd even shared this old white cupboard that was spiffed up a little to hold some of the overflow of my quilt stash.

Once upon a time it had had doors and a drawer that actually worked. When I found it the doors had been literally ripped off their hinges and the door frame was splintered. The drawer was just a nailed in front, but I didn't care, 'cause I was going to use it for the quilts...or possibly for my booth space "display".

I just added some molding around the edges, painted it out, found some pretty frenchy drawer pulls, then put it to work. These are only about 1/3 of the quilts, the rest are in an old armoire in the family room, where the light is bad. (you haven't seen that one either...)

love this set of old wallpapered hatboxes.

Do these pillows look familiar? Actually, I found these two just last week that match the other set of this great toile. So, now I have four...yippee!!

Old floral still life from the 40's.

I fell in love with this Ralph Lauren yellow floral 12 or 13 years ago and still use it. Some of the sheets and pillow cases are threadbare, but I LOVE. that. fabric. and so it stays. The quilt is one that is a "Flower Basket" pattern put on backwards. Too much pattern makes me dizzy in my old age...

OK, just wandering off the beaten path a little today. I STILL have more of those "unseen" places, give me time, I might get them presentable...maybe...

I'll be joining in with these parties:

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Tips and Tidbits at Stone Gable
The Inspiration Exchange at Yellow Bliss Road
Blissful Whites at Timewashed
Share Your Cup at Mrs.Olson's
From My Front Porch to Yours
The Shabby Creek Cottage 

Rooted in Thyme
The Charm of Home
French Country Cottage
Redoux
Craftberry Bush
Shabby Art Boutique
Blitzed on Pinterest

xoxo,

Spring in the Entry

I haven't shown this little spot in my Entry Hall for awhile, because actually I have two "Entry" areas, and this one often feels like Cinderella to the Stepsisters. The light can be tricky here, but today with a little sunshine and a new Spring-y vignette it got a little attention.

I had it in my head for white tulips this year, 

so they're filling a basket along with a twiggy wreath.

My sis made me this wonderful moss covered "O" for Christmas,

and I loved the black ticking stripe ribbon she chose.

Two of my lambies are grazing in the lantern.

I think they look like they're in church with all the Gothic arches.

I always love tulips for Spring. 

This little Eastlake dresser was black for many years, but a couple of years ago in my crazy "paint everything in the house" mode, it got the "white" treatment.

Gray washed French Laundry Basket underneath for extra cold weather gear.

Here's a shot from a little further out from the Dining Room...

...and this from the Living Room.

I have a larger header I need to get painted for over the door.

This looks a little too small, now that I'm looking at it.

It's the width of the door, but with windows on each side,

it needs something chunkier.

OK, where's my can of white paint?

Now that I think about it,  I don't think I've shown my twin boxwood topiaries for ages. I bought these ten years ago before  The Bombay Company went out of business. An expensive purchase at the time, but they were for our younger daughter's wedding, and I never regretted it.

Here tied with a French Script wired ribbon.

I realized when painting this petite little dresser

that there are reasons some things are painted black...

It had large gaps between the wood pieces on the side which I had to fill with wood putty before the second coat of paint. Totally hidden by the black color, they were glaring when the white paint went on. It's still a little rough, but I love the size and this is where gloves and scarves are kept.

As you can see, I'm not a perfectionist.

The hardware got a paint job too.

That works for me on Shabby pieces.

Have you entered the Give Away?

You'll want to check out Lucy's wonderful Etsy shop.

Just click here to enter

joining in on these parties:

Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday
Timewashed for Blissful Whites
From My Front Porch to Yours for Treasure Hunt
Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson
Stone Gable for TTT
 French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
The Charm of Home  for Home Sweet Home
Jennifer Rizzo
Craftberry Bush
Debbie's Pin Party
The Dedicated House
Cozy Little House

Hope you're having a great week,

Thursday I'm headed to Leola's Vintage Home and Garden Open House.

Can't wait to see what they have for Spring!
(I'll be sharing the fun this weekend)

xoxo,

Vintage Inspiration #92 Painted Upholstery

Anne arrived late Tuesday evening and Wednesday we hit a few places around Springfield. Yesterday  we headed to Ozark to visit Leola's and Riverview, and then had lunch at Spring Creek. Today we're off to St. Louis. I wrote this post earlier this week, hope you're having a great one as well. How do you make up for 3 years in a week? we're trying!

How many of us have seen a fabulous bargain of an old sofa, chair or settee at a garage sale or flea market and marveled at the bones of the piece but just couldn't "get there" in making a purchase because of the amount of money/and or time it would take to see it come out as we've envisioned?

 Well, we're starting to see a trend in technique for actually painting the fabric, as in this wonderful tufted sofa from Gua at Hviter Lakkris. The tufting alone would have scared me away!!

This is how it started out...

Or take a look at this pristine beauty from Glory B's Cottage

Can someone say 1980's?

That brings me back to a post I did a couple of weeks ago 

where I shared this amazing sofa in Traditional Home Magazine.

I love trends, 

but don't want to invest a lot of money into them

 or to changing out upholstery because you're tired of it.

My rule is "don't buy pattern...buy neutrals" for the big things.

That way you can change out pillows and accessories for a fresh new look.

I broke that rule on a sofa purchase a while back,

and now it's covered in a white slipcover.

So instead of investing in upholstery for this kind of trend,

 why not just paint it?

And along the lines of the Union Jack,

 I think I'd opt for a more toned down version,

say this...

or in grays...

which brings me to this wonderful French gilt set

 that I recently saw at Relics.

Still pricey, but totally gorgeous.

The sofa is worn, but the chairs are in pretty good shape...

Personally, I think it's fabulous just like this.

Just thinking of the "idea" of painting a piece.

Right now I'm just "dreaming", but you just never know what I might do!

 So the next time you see an iffy sofa, try to imagine it painted!

So that brings me to a few of last week's features:

Lisa from Budget Design Girl shared a post about the Union Jack in design that is coinciding with the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth. THIS I could go for!

Amanda Marie from Little City Homestead, a new blogger,  posted about an adorable little watering can with the perfect "chippy" quotient!

Melissa from Daisy Mae Belle, (also a new blogger)has two things that I love (and have), a rusty fence gate and a birdhouse! Isn't this a great entry statement?

And in honor of Father's Day, I want to share this wonderful Model A Ford from Faye at Wild Rose Vintage. My daddy collected antique cars,  and I grew up having a real love for them.

brings back wonderful memories!

So let's see what kind of inspiration you've been kicking around this week. Please have a link within your post to be featured!

and please go visit these other great Friday party gals:

xoxo,