sweetgum home: October 2012

20 October 2012

Thinking About Dining Out?

So am I.

All photos from Pinterest. From my board "Gardens: Dining Al Fresco."

18 October 2012

Our "new" house was built in 1940. There is no sheetrock in the house. The walls are the original wood shiplap. So cool.

In the master bedroom, these wood walls have never been painted. Don't you love that? They're 72 years old!

We removed the upholstered headboard, by the way. Isn't it darling? Great vintage pink and blue floral fabric.

We had every room in the house painted except this one. I thought I would just remove all the nails and clean the walls with Murphy Oil Soap (or something better if someone recommends something) and try living with them.
I'm not big on dark walls. I'm afraid I'll feel claustrophobic. But maybe I'll feel embraced, cozy.

It isn't easy to find photos of bedrooms with unpainted wood walls except in log cabins. But, here are a few.
I was trying to find what looks good with the wood, what colors, patterns, styles.

Sweet and simple bedroom. Nothing special really. White is used in abundance: trim, door, bed, bedding, lamps and shades, mirror, sink.
Um, sink?

House of Turquoise

Below is a beautiful bedroom with ample square footage and modern furnishings.

Nice.

My bedroom is tiny. My furnishings are traditional, antique, eclectic.

Anyhoo, the designer used creamy whites. The light blue pops against the wood (think orange and blue on the color wheel.) A brown similar to the tones in the wood was used as drapes and wraps the color of the wood around the room.

Lovely, but not really helping me here.

Jeffers Design Group

This is Charles Faudree's living room in his Oklahoma cabin. Okay, besides the wood walls, it has nothing whatsoever in common with my room, but isn't it pretty?
Note to me: I need antlers.

Traditional Home

Gosh, amazing soaring ceiling of what looks to be reclaimed wood. Helps me not a bit, but notice the simple metal bed and the solid colored bedding doesn't detract or compete with all that grainy rustic wood on the walls and ceiling.

Sorakeem

I like this image; I like this room. Even though it has dark chocolate walls, it doesn't feel dark due to the creamy whites in curtains and bedding and the golds and yellows in the bamboo shades, pillows and art.
Doesn't that little aqua opaline glass lamp sparkle?

Country Living

For some reason, I keep coming back to the next 5 rooms.
Somebody give me a plaid wool blanket!

The first is my fave.

Brown wool plaid blanket, vintage suitcases (ahem, yes I have, um, a few), black lamp shades, white bed linens. It's almost monochromatic. So classic. So Ralph.
You would get a different feel with wood walls, but I think it would still be cozy, though a bit more casual.
Hmmmm?
Am I being too literal here?
Anyway...

Belclaire House

Vignette Designs

Belclaire House

House Beautiful

Isn't the last room adorable? The bed is fantastic. The stripes are great.

So, my list of design needs for my new master bedroom include: plaid wool blanket, white bed linens, ticking or other stripes somewhere somehow, perhaps vintage suitcases as side table? Brown or red or gray? Black and white? Can't I sneak in a floral pillow somewhere? Vintage art?

Etsy

Pendleton

Pinterest - Henri Matisse

Pinterest - Lulu Wallace

Brabourne Farm - T Hutchinson

Ticking Stripe - onlinefabrics.net

Oh yeah, and I bought these little numbers on ebay. I'm going to hang them over the head of my bed, rather than use them as a table lamp. They don't match. They're crusty and old. Love them. I'll hang 2 or maybe 3. The bed's a king. And repetition is a very effective design element = Design Lesson Of The Day.

Etsy

17 October 2012

A Minor Hitch: My Hutch

So. Here is my black hutch.

I've never liked it.

I got it for a great price after falling in love with a different one, didn't buy it, went back to get it and they only had this one instead.

Silly me.

Anyway, the lines aren't too bad, but I've never liked the red, the gold highlights, or the creamy yellow.

I could just put it on Craig's List, and may end up doing just that.

But, I've seen so many painted pieces on Pinterest and other blogs and have wondered if I can revive, revamp, and recycle the hutch.

Here are a few pieces that are inspiring.

This light gray Swedish piece is charming.

Garbo Interiors

The bookcase below is a great putty gray color with a creamy white detail.

Layla Grace

Okay, paint would never make my ole hutch look like this next carved fluted antique stunner. But take a look at the beautiful color and lovely detail.

The light blue cupboard below with creamy interior is fun and classy and would give me another opportunity to have some marble. Always need more marble.