Welcome to stop number nine on the Parade of Homes presented by Poppies at Play.
When I was first asked to do a house tour, I thought, "my house isn't finished, yet!" I then realized that my house will probably never be finished and I don't want that to stop me from sharing it with others. So, here we go.
My house has two personalities. When you enter the front door, you walk into a house that was built in 1948. It sports wood floors, plaster board walls, archways, and pine doors with glass knobs. As you move through the house, it leads to a modern addition put on in 2003. This was done without any effort to match the moldings, architecture or feel of the 1940's house. So, I have the challenge of blending vintage charm with builder "stock."
The front door opens right into the formal living room. A wonderful thing about older homes is the attention paid to window placement for lighting and ventilation. This room gets beautiful morning sun.
I recently painted it Aria Ivory by Sherwin Williams with a crisp white trim. The room is filled with vintage and antique pieces of furniture. Some were inherited, found or given to me and some were purchased at yard sales. The total spent on furniture in this room is only $120!
I inherited this desk from my great grandfather and tucked a caned seat bench found at a yard sale for $5.00 under it.
The 100+ year old piano was free and the pair of French provincial chairs was $20 (for both) at an auction. I slipcovered them in white cotton twill from Wal-Mart. The living room opens up into the dining room and a small hall that leads to my business office, a half bathroom, stairs to the second floor and our home office (which was the original kitchen.) We refinished the oak floors in a dark walnut stain.
I'm working on building a "family wall" over and around the piano. I've used family photos, collected dark wood frames and white mats that I've cut myself to give them a clean look. The empty frame is just waiting to be filled.
An ironstone wash bowl filled with twine, pinecones and moss covered tennis balls sits on top of a stack of decorating books. The table was saved from my grandparent's attic and is still a work in progress. I tucked a laundry hamper filled with quilts and matlasse spreads under it.
A curio inherited from my aunt is filled with family and historical treasures, including mini balls from the Civil War, sterling silver coins and a piece of the Berlin wall.
I hung a three arm chandelier on either side of the French settee to add some overhead lights to a room without one that was hard wired into the ceiling.
In the back of the house is my family room. We spend about 90% of our time in this room, so it is appropriately named. It's not my favorite room of the house as far as decor goes, but it is a wonderful space and I have big plans!
The stone fireplace is the focal point of the room and is topped with my Antiques sign I made out of a $1.00 headboard purchased at an auction.
My Etkorp Ikea sofa faces the fireplace, but is situated for TV viewing as well.
An antique iron crib acts as a daybed or settee under one of the windows. It provides extra seating in a pinch and something a little unexpected.
Excuse the pipe insulators around the hearth. With two toddler boy and that ugly black foam has saved us many trips to the emergency room. I am generally a blue and white kinda gal, but I felt limited by the green counters in the kitchen, which is open to the family room. I thought it was much better to work with them than against them.
I'm hoping to someday paint the cabinets white and replace the green laminate with wood plank counters that my husband makes for me.
Until we can afford to get rid of the green, I sneak my blue and white in where I can.
The formal dining room is another work in progress, but it's almost "done."
I purchased the table and chairs for a total of $300 from Craig's List. I bought the table first and then found the matching chairs a few weeks later. I already painted and refinished the table and the chairs are next. They are going to get a coat of white paint, some distressing, and hand painted feed sack slipcovers.
I rub it in every time I show my dining room, but I'll say it again. The chandelier (complete with all of the crystals) was $4.00 at a yard sale! It's probably one of my best finds. I found the ironstone in my grandparent's attic. The plates have been collected over the years at yard sales and antique stores.
I'm also planning on making some new curtains, but I need to find the right fabric, first.
The buffet was bought at an antique store by my parents over 25 years ago. The mirror was another attic find and the accessories are all from thrift stores.
My business office was used as our nursery for the first couple of years we lived here. Once my business started to expand, I realized working on the kitchen counter was not going to cut it. We moved our boys in a shared room, so I could have a work space, which is almost always a dumping ground.
I am planning on painting it a soft pink and making floor to ceiling shelves and work space.
The hutch was $35 on Craig's List and the chair was $10 at an antique shop. I made the ornate chalkboard out of a tacky brass mirror frame.
My bedroom is a room I've been working on for months. I have several more pieces to buy to call this room finished, but I have not found what I'm looking for at a price I can afford. I need an armoire and a pair of side tables or small cabinets.
I sewed and assembled the half canopy and my hubby installed is the focal point and highlight of the room. We wrote a detailed tutorial if you're interested in replicating this look.
The dressing table belonged to my grandmother and is still undergoing a transformation. I recently refinished the top and I am looking for the perfect shade of paint for the base.
My $35 Craig's List dresser is topped with some free lamps with Wal-Mart shades, my mom's silver chest and a thrift store bird print in a gold leafed auction frame.
The master bathroom is nothing large, luxurious, or special. It's all stock, off-the-shelf stuff from Lowe's, so we've been working on adding personality and trying to make it look custom without changing expensive things like tile, flooring and fixtures.
I painted the walls in Irish Cream, a color that complimented the linoleum floors. The towel bar is actually the footboard of an antique iron bed. The wash stand was a freebie found on the side of the road painted in SW Creamy.
I replaced the dinky oak framed mirror with a refinished dresser mirror that fit the space perfectly.
Let me take you upstairs to see my favorite room right now, the guest room.
An antique crazy quilt that was found in my husband's grandparent's attic is hung to hide a window that leads to the attic.
I recently transformed my guestroom from a dark uninteresting room to a space that is welcoming, bright, and very "me."
I used hard board to make a faux exposed board wall to add character to the odd-shaped room. Click here for a tutorial.
The SW Crisp Linen paint color keeps the room feeling light and fresh, but not stark. I purchased it from the Oops bin for $1.00. The red toile (found in a remnant bin) adds the perfect pop of color against the neutral whites and dark woods.
I hope you enjoyed a peak into my home. Remember, I am showing you my space from the very best angles and I'm leaving out the treadmill, toys, and areas that are a total mess. I have two toddlers, so trust me when I tell you that my house is a "real house." Not a "magazine house."
Now, make your way over to stop #10 to get a tour of Denise's lovely house at The Painted Home.
