Search This Blog

Showing posts with label french linens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label french linens. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

The Queen Mom's Bedroom

 
 
As I have promised (and promised), I'll continue my tour of our home.  This is a photo-heavy post so get a glass of wine and settle in.  We have an unusual bedroom layout, and this is the only second floor bedroom.  Because my mother prefers to stay in this room, Mr. Pressed Pants calls it the "Queen Mom's Room".  It is serene and comfortable.  The walls are the only ones that we didn't paint when we moved in.  I don't know the name of the color, but it is a warm, very light coffee-color.

The previous owners had their two little boys in this room.  They were only here for five months, poor things, so, as you can see, they didn't even have pictures hung.

Here's another shot of this room when they put it on the market.  Those green things at the windows are the underside of the canopies that were hung outside, not an interior curtain.  You can be sure that those are history!
 
The focal point of the room is, as usual in a bedroom, the bed.  It is a cherry four-poster queen-size that we've had for some time. 
 
In the center is this wonderful old world landscape.  It is actually painted on paper, not canvas, and it has a small rip in the upper left hand corner.  I'm ok with that, though.
 
On either side of the art, I placed two brown and white oriental subjected plates.

Here's the mark from them.

These linens look a little washed out here.  The sheets are a pale celadon green, but not as pale as they show here.  Then I had two European-sized shams covered in a linen envelope and trimmed with a copper-colored flat trim.  Then I placed two Peacock Alley quilted shams and a fern themed needlepoint pillow which doesn't show here.  I don't starch these linens when I iron them, but I do use a spray fabric sizing on them. Guests often comment on the sheets, so I guess they appreciate it! The matelassĂ© coverlet is a simple diamond-patterned off white. 
 
Folded at the foot of the bed is this quilted throw that we brought home from France.  It is in a wonderful cafĂ© au lait color.

Here's the tag.  We bought it at a street market in Isle Sur Le Sorgue.
 
On one side of the bed is this end table with a few handy things for guests.

Here's a better picture of the table.  It is an old piece with great patina and a very pretty little back apron, or gallery that you can't see here.

I love to find an interesting finial for a lamp.  This one just wouldn't be the same with the little round brass ball that it came with.  The shade is silk.

On a tole hand-painted tray, I always put some bottled water.

Here you can see the corner of a bleached bird's eye maple framed clock.  It apparently ticks too loudly, because I have found it hidden under the throw pillows when guests leave. Beside it is a chalk-ware candle stick.  I wish I had more of this.  I'm always on the lookout for it at Scott's.

I put some turquoise stones in this lid-less stone-ware tureen.
 
The other side has a cherry end-table with a black candlestick lamp.

I always leave a little reading material for our guests here.  I also have a cord-less phone, but I am thinking of taking it out, as everyone has a cell phone these days.  With this in mind, I could probably take the ticking alarm clock out of here too, and let the guests set the alarm on their phone.

This is the other end of the room.  You can see the sitting area here and the window.
 
If I were really good, I would photoshop the outlet from here, and lighten it, but this is real life at our house!

This is the embroidery on the natural linen Roman shades from France.  I'm very attached to these and I brought them from our last home.

Here's a close-up of the valance made of linen and twigs.  Yep!  These are just straight twigs with a bit of lichen on them that I found in our woods.  I glued them on then I embellished with a few pinecones that are also hot-glued onto the valance.  I can't count the number of photos that have been taken of this.

The chandelier is a carved and gilded five-armed wood piece.  Soooooo much better than a ceiling fan, don't you think? 
 
Sitting in the corner is a lovely chair that I found in an attic of a home we bought.  I have re-covered it quite a few times.  The needlepoint pillow was a gift from a lovely guest. I forgot to take a photo of the other chair on the other side of the table.  It is bamboo-carved and covered in the same fabric.  There is a coffee-colored cashmere throw on the arm.

If ANYONE has any of this fabric they would like to sell, please let me know.  I found it years ago at Calico Corner and it was made for Martha Stewart.  I have used it for several projects and had this table covered in my office in our last home. 

This is a close-up of the lamp base on this table.  It came from Boxwoods several years ago and I am crazy about it.  It's very appropriate for this house, as we are surrounded by deer.  Too many, in my opinion, but I do admit to being so charmed by the doe and her twin fawns this spring.

Here's another example of improving a lamp with the perfect finial!

You all know my love for faux bois and here's a really cool piece of it.  It's a metal watering can that I filled with some of our dried hydrangeas.

Over the table is a small collection of more brown and white transferware, topped by an old carved wooden remnant.
 
This needlepoint runner is from a rug dealer at Scott's.  I can't remember what his name is, but he's been at the same space for years and I could walk right to it any month.

I love the colors here.  A dark blue/green, celadon, salmon, and blue.
 
This is a terrible picture, but I'm too lazy to re-shoot this birch and twig covered footstool.
 

So, what do you think?  Would you like to make a reservation?
 
Posting at:
Inspiration Exchange at
 
Tutorials, Tips, and Tidbits
 
Open House Party
 
 
 

Thursday, March 1, 2012

"Wood" You Like To Come To Dinner?

This is a table I've been wanting to do for a long time, so I set the table today, since tomorrow, we're having another couple over for an early dinner before a meeting.  I wish the light were better when I photographed this, but you'll get the idea.  I wanted to use these white faux bois plates, and I paired them with lots of other faux bois items.

I limited the colors to taupe, white and dark brown and I used woods and wood grains whenever I could.

I starrted with this two-tone linen tablecloth that I brought back from France.  I love the embroidery and the faggoting.

This is a better photograph of the corner.  It shows the colors better.  Do you see the cicada?  That's a traditional image in all of Provence and you see it often in their pottery and linens.

I first saw these place mats at the Merchandise Mart at the fall show in the Caspari showroom.  I wanted the entire line, but that wasn't enough to put together a minimum order.  When I saw them at Boxwoods, I bought them immediately.


  I got the matching cocktail napkins and fingertip towels, too.

These bleached wooden chargers came from World Market.

I don't remember where I got these plates, but they carry them at Boxwoods.  I can't tell you how much I love them, even though the raised wood grain detail makes it a bit hard to eat off of them!

I decided to use the dark brown napkins between plates to make them show up a bit more.  

This flatware worked well.

These tortoiseshell water glasses are some of my hardest working glasses.  I've had them so long that I can't remember where they came from, but the little raffia covered glasses are from Tennille and Company.  I like to use them for wine.

I debated and debated about flowers.  I knew I wanted to use these birch bark covered pots.  Originally, I planned on white roses, or hydrangeas.  Then I contemplated white hyacinths, but I realized that I had white daffodils and Lenten roses already growing right in the garden.  I ran out in the rain in my pajamas and grabbed some.  Then I found some river birch twigs and added them.  Sheet moss covered the oasis and I added a few pieces of lichen for a little contrast.

Here's the way the three pots looked marching down the table, interspersed with birch bark covered votives.

I'm going use these little taupe dishes as bread plates.

I've had these tiny bark baskets for a long time.  I love to line them with parsley and then place a couple of butter balls in each one.  They look like little eggs.  I've sometimes rolled the balls in herbs or spices, but tomorrow, they'll be plain.

I had to use these faux bois salt and pepper shakers.

This good old wicker wine coaster looks good on this table.

This is another piece I brought back from France.  I bought it at a market in Aix.  I don't know what it was originally used for, but I like to use it for water.

Sometimes four is the perfect number of guests.  I love the conversation that flows.

I loved the way the flowers came out.  They were interesting, but very understated.

Here are the little dishes I used for the Pot de Creme.  They look just like tree stumps!

 
If anyone has the matching cream pitcher and would like to sell it, please contact me.  I've been looking and looking for it.  This is just too cute to use with a plain Jane white pitcher. Anyone???  Anyone???

And the place settings were casual, but creative.  I like the way the table gave a nod to Spring, but didn't go toward pastels.  But wouldn't this have looked wonderful in the garden?  Give me another fifteen degrees and we'll be dining out there regularly.  Can't wait!

MENU:

Avocado and Grapefruit Salad

Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed
Chicken Breast

Spring Vegetable Medley

Oven Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Chocolate Pot de Creme

I'll be posting at the following blog parties:

Tabletop Thursday

Wow Us Wednesday
http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com

Feathered Nest Friday
http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com

Inspiration Friday
www.atthepicketfence.com

Fridays Unfold
www.stuff-and-nonsense.net







Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...