Tag: Victorian House

Giving a Little Attention to the Front Porch

I’m hosting a Garden Party with The Home Depot on May 10, as part of their #SpringMadeSimple events. There’s going to be a chef with garden-to-table ideas, an expert gardener to answer questions, and we’ll get some ideas and help with a few gardening projects.

Since I’ve been in kind of an outdoor mindset, I figured it was time to give a little attention to the front porch. It was so pretty when we first saw this house last summer! The garden was green and lush, and there were roses arching over the entry. It was kind of ridiculous how pretty it was.

Nothing is in bloom out front yet though, and it’s pretty apparent that the porch is lacking when not surrounded by greenery. It curves around the side of the house, but then stops short of actually being a wraparound, so the layout is a little funny. Right now, it’s furnished with two Adirondack chairs that were left by the previous owners, and an empty black planter. That’s it.

It will be much nicer when the trees leaf out, but man, how I wish I had these crazy benches right now. Or an insane peacock chair or two to go out there. Really though, those Adirondack chairs aren’t what I would pick but they’re fine. I think a couple of pillows, plants, and a new doormat could go far, plus we have some stuff from the last house that might work.

I’m going to go pick up some plants tomorrow so the house will look nice for Eleanor’s birthday party this weekend, and I’ll spruce up the front porch a bit. I’ll share the space again next week, after it’s done! And then next weekend, I’ll be at the Chicago store on Lincoln & McCormick from 1-4. You can find out more and RSVP. It’s going to be fun, and I hope to see some of you there!

Sponsored by The Home Depot

May 1, 2014
Looking for a Round Table for the Library
I want to do something like this in the front parlor/library. Not the style, but the idea of a table with four chairs in front of the bookshelves.

We’re planning on storing board games and some toys in the closed storage of the built-ins, and because one needs an aesthetically pleasing place in which to play Hi Ho! Cherry-O and build LEGOs, I’ve been on the hunt for some furniture. I’ve wanted a round table from the beginning, to echo the round wall with windows, so that’s what I’m focusing on.
1. Dawson Pedestal Side Table, Pottery Barn
2. Deeda Chair, Jayson Home
3. Milo Baughman 1188 Chair, DWR
4. Saddle Dining Chair, West Elm
5. G-Plan Teak Dining Chairs, Chairish
6. Stockholm Chair, IKEA
7. Docksta, IKEA
We already have a Docksta (IKEA’s ubiquitous knock-off of the Saarinen tulip table) — it used to be in my stationery shop’s studio. I tried it out in place here and while the size is great, the style isn’t the best fit with the rest of our furniture for the space. Something dark, to tie in with the black walls of the adjacent room, and something with a bit more heft to it would be better. Either that pedestal table above, or something like the antique gateleg table below.

I’d like four chairs around it (and we can pull up either a stool, occasional chair, or dining chair if we need a fifth for our soon-to-be family of five), but I don’t want the set-up to look like a randomly placed dining table. I think upholstered chairs would look and feel best, and I’m not so worried about the combination of fabric seats and little kids since we won’t be eating there.

Of course I like the two most expensive chairs of the bunch (#2 and #3), and both would work with the color palette I’m going for. So perfect! So not in the budget! I’m going to concentrate on getting the table first — one that I know will work with a variety of seating options — and then new chairs can always come later. Which would you pick though, if price didn’t matter? One of the ones above, or do you have a different favorite?
April 23, 2014
The Color Palette Inspiration
You’ve seen the built-ins starting to take shape, but what I’m really looking forward to is painting the front parlor and getting everything back in place. I came across the top two floral images below on Pinterest the other day, and they’ve stayed with me. This is the direction the color palette is heading, I think.

Images: 1 • 2 • 3 • 4

You’ve seen that bottom image below here, and I’ve been thinking of picking up a few blue and white porcelain jars or vases like this since using a similar one in the design of this room.

I haven’t really made a conscious effort to keeping things to a palette yet (although it’s been kicking around in my mind), as I’ve been enjoying the process of collecting and taking my time. Happily, everything does work pretty well with the above inspiration, and here’s how the furniture and accessories between the two parlors are looking so far.
1. Black Beauty Paint, Benjamin Moore
  You can see the second parlor from every other main room on the first floor, and the black walls give fantastic contrast to the surrounding spaces
2. Pink Ikat Polka Dot Pillows, Jayson Home (Warehouse Sale)
  I picked up two of these pale peachy pink pillows.
3. Gold Suzani Pillow, Jayson Home
  Expensive, but huge and luxe and worth it.
4. Twin Beacons Brass Lamp, Anthropologie
  I waited and waited, and was able to finally grab it on clearance. It’s a heavy, substantial lamp that looks vaguely insect-like, and I love it.
5. Winifred Sofa, Anthropologie
  The most expensive piece of furniture we’ve ever bought (even with it being on sale when we got it), but it’s perfect. It’s also the most comfortable we’ve ever had.
6. Dog Rose Botanical Poster, The Evolution Store
  I cashed in some credits on Fab to get mine a couple of years ago, and now I think I like it even more in this house than I did in the old one!
7. Built-in Bookshelves, Krieger + Associates
  Those are fantastic. I hope mine will be, too.
8. Antique Striped Sofa, Chairish
  I was looking for a smaller striped settee, but this sofa was so perfect that I went for it.
9. Tufted Pink Ottomans, Target
  I like the dash of hot pink these bring.
10. Pale Pink Table Lamp, Robert Abbey
  I used to have two of these, but alas, one of the kids broke one shortly after we moved here.
Of course there are a few outliers that will probably show up in the two spaces too, like my Emily Rickard painting and the crazy floral Blythe chair.

Our carpenter did a lot of work installing components yesterday, and the bookshelves in the front parlor are up on both sides of the window now. He’ll be taking next week off and returning the week after to finish up some of the details, but the bulk of the project is in place! I’ve been trying to stay mindful of the sightlines in this house, and the wall of shelving looks good in context and in relation to the other rooms. The house is an oak-stravaganza (shall I never use that word again?), and I’m good with that.

Now, what color should I go with for the walls in there?
April 17, 2014
Moving Forward with the Built-in Bookshelves

After a minor freakout and a little time to regroup, the bookshelves are moving along. We don’t have the budget or inclination to scrap the whole thing and start over, so minor tweaks are going to have to go a long way toward fixing the areas I didn’t like.

The outer beveled edges of the doors have been cut down and the doors will be inset. The recessed toe kick is gone. The plywood grain still bugs me, but hopefully less so when there are books on the shelves. And if not? There’s always Plan B of making painted or wallpapered removable inserts to cover some of the wood. A few people have recommended painting out the whole thing, which honestly would probably look pretty amazing, but I’m giving the oak a shot first.

I think (I hope!) it will all come together as the project progresses further. There’s going to be a window seat in the center, and we’re installing a rolling library ladder that I’m really looking forward to seeing in the space. I’m excited about turning my attention toward putting the room back together and finally unpacking our dozens of boxes of books. They’ve been scattered throughout the second floor for months, lining the hallway and greeting us at the top of the stairs, so it’s going to be a big relief to have them out of there.

Onward!

April 16, 2014
About All That Oak

I talked to the carpenter yesterday, and I’m feeling much better about the bookshelves. The worst of the bad grain is in the oak plywood, which I knew we were using for the backs and some of the parts that won’t be very visible. The facing pieces are solid oak, which looks much better.

The original baseboard along the wall was removed, and we’ll save it in the basement in case we ever need it somewhere else in the house. What’s up, 123-year-old plaster? Looking good!

There are holes cut out because we’re tucking an electrical outlet away on each side of the shelves. I don’t know if I’ll be adding lamps or a radio (or whatever else might need some electricity), but it’s nice to have the option. While everything is open, you can see some of the home’s insulation through the holes. All of the siding on the lower half of the house was replaced ten years ago, and when the previous owners did that, they took the opportunity to insulate inside the walls. The kitchen and back room are cantilevered and need some further insulation from below, but the rest of the house is covered.

The bottom of the bookshelves will have closed storage, and the doors are still up for debate. I was worried that they were going to look like dated 80s kitchen cabinets, and some of you confirmed my fears. We can cut the ones that have been made down (or pay more for new ones) and turn them into inset doors, but the carpenter is advising against it. With kids, the settling of the house, and humidity changes throughout the year, the doors can become misaligned easily. They can be planed down and realigned as things settle, but then the gaps become uneven. The current plan calls for raised panels along the bottom matching the home’s original entryway detailing, but with a top that overhangs the cabinet frame to be flush with the panels. Brandon and I think we’re OK with that, but we’ll take another look before the doors are ready to be attached when the construction is further along.

April 8, 2014
Progress?

I’d ordered curtain rods for the bedroom and its adjacent room a while back, and I finally got those up a few days ago. Brandon and the kids were having problems with glare on the TV at certain times, so we needed to be able to block some light during the day. I don’t have curtains for the room yet though (because its future is uncertain while we plan the nursery’s location), so I hung a couple of mismatched, too-short curtains.

Were you wondering if this room could look any worse? Ta da! I did it!

The rods look stupid-high in the picture (I’m aware), but they do look all right in context. Or at least I think they will, with matching curtains in the right length, and some paint on the walls. I’m considering painting out that picture rail too, though I haven’t decided yet. It’s in a weird place, it doesn’t align with the others, and it isn’t original. And something is wrong with either those rods or the finials. They’re from the same line but the screw posts are not long enough for the threads to catch. I had the same problem with one of the finials in Eleanor’s room, but I thought it was a fluke (because 3 out of 4 were fine).

Anyway! The reason I haven’t committed to curtains yet is that if we are keeping that room open to the master bedroom, the curtains should match or compliment each other between the two spaces. A solid color in a slubby, textured fabric could be nice, but then I do love the opportunity to use a good pattern. Here are a few options that would work with the rug and bedding we already have.

top row: 1 • 2 • 3 // center: lamp • bed • bedding • rug // bottom row: 1 • 2 • 3

I may do a pattern in the adjoining room and a solid in the bedroom to keep things from looking too busy, or just go all out with print. What do you think?

April 7, 2014