Here is another project that started out simply, and then took on a life of its own. With all this time at home, I am noticing there are so many areas that need sprucing up. This includes the front porch.

It all begins with the rocking chairs.

The four rocking chairs on the front porch did require new paint. This is a fairly easy DIY that can be done in a day. Lately I feel dangerous with a can of paint and a paintbrush! Don’t stand still too long or I will paint you!

What a difference one coat of paint makes!

With the chairs looking so new and pretty, the rest of the porch paled in comparison. Remember the blog post on Selecting a Front Door Color? If you missed this post, click here.

Now the Front Door

Thanks to all of your great suggestions, the new paint color samples were purchased.

Picking a paint color online is a different experience than going to the paint store. Since curbside pick-up is the only option available at this time, I was a bit surprised when I opened the cans. For example, the Feverish Pink is a deep berry color online and the Gladiola is a spicy, rich dark paprika color. Look how different the tones are in real life! Much brighter than I expected.

The two blue paints are much lighter, too. However, after applying the samples, I was leaning toward the blues vs. the reds.

The pillow from Pottery Barn becomes my inspiration, because it is a combination of the dark greens and the cool blue. Not thrilled with the samples from Sherwin Williams, I dug out a can of the blue paint used in our library. That didn’t float my boat, either.

Referring now to a color palette, Drizzle is a bit darker with more green/gray overtones. I am convinced this is THE color and I take the leap and paint the entire door.

I am disappointed that the chip and the paint do not match. But I leave it hoping that the paint will darken as it dries.

Cleaning the Hardware

Meanwhile, it is the perfect opportunity to clean up the door hardware. The brass door latch is assumed to be original to the house. With a bit of elbow grease and brass polish it went from dull to dazzling.

Selecting New Plants~both real and faux

Keeping plants alive during the summer months is always a challenge in Phoenix. Since they are not on an automatic drip system, they require hand watering. As a result, the foliage around the front door suffers.

Instead of live plants, why not some artificial ones? I was able to locate these 5 foot tall cedar trees online through Amazon. I placed them inside the existing stone planter and will not need to water them ever.

After a recent visit to Whitfill Nursery, the addition of vinca and rose-scented geraniums will round out the foliage at the front door, and hopefully survive the summer heat. The asparagus vine does exceedingly well here.

Accessorizing

I love these old stone tables~~they are very heavy and ideal for the outdoor climate.

The finished porch

So here is the nearly finished spruced up front porch. The door color is growing on me, and my daughters love it. I’ve decided throughout this process that I am a conservative color person. Not sure why I am hesitant about throwing caution to the color wind, but I do wish I was more bold.

The wreath is re-designed to complement the door. Being a Connecticut Yankee, I love to repurpose items vs. buying new. To read an old post about re-working this wreath, click here.

The door/wreath before…

and After……

I am experimenting with different pillows on the chairs to see which ones look best.

Thank you to my friend, Joann, who told me to “STOP DEBATING. BLUE all the way”. I sometimes noodle these decisions over and over in my head, which is maddening. Though the door color feels a bit out of my comfort zone, I am leaving it up. Even my friend Anne, who loves bold colors, said it is growing on her.

The week seems to be flying by. Are you in the middle of any projects? Hard to believe it is already Wednesday. Have a wonderful one!

I know many of us are having smaller Easter dinner celebrations this year. However, albeit cozy, it is important to make it special for several reasons. Easter is a time of rebirth, joy and celebration. Even though we may be apart from our friends and family, we are healthy and safe.

Typically we have our sit-down dinners in the dining room, but since I have a “new” (from a yard sale) table in the family room with 4 “new” (from a yard sale) chairs, this location felt right for 4 people.

I chose the Royal Worcester Yellow Urn/Roses/Greek Key china because of the cheerful colors. An old business friend bought me 4 dishes many years ago. Slowly, over time, I have added to my collection but it is a rather difficult to find other pieces to this pattern.

Check out my adorable DIY bird nests! I am still tickled over how they turned out. If you missed my last blog post, click here. They fit perfectly inside my creamed soup bowl and add the Spring touch the table needed.

Yellow linen napkins are from Sferra. The sweet lamb napkin holders are gifts from my friend, Gwen. I am putting the napkins off to the side in a non-traditional location but this seems to work best with the round table configuration.

It’s hard to have Easter without bunnies! Daffodils were from our local Safeway store. I have no idea where the bunnies came from…maybe I just started with two? Ha!

My latest glassware purchase include these drop dead gorgeous Rogaska Gallia crystal glasses. They stand 9 3/8″ tall and the crystal cuts are stunning. Thanks to my friend, Louise, I was introduced to them at her dinner party last fall. I fell in love with the weight of the glass and was fortunate to find these on eBay.

Though I haven’t finalized the menu, I am hoping we have all the ingredients here so no one has to make a trip to the grocery store. We are wearing our masks out in public. I am encouraged by the latest projections as it appears that sheltering in is helping.

Today I am making the annual family Lamb Cake. I am hoping all my siblings and my son are doing the same so we can have our Lamb Cake competition. My mother would bake one every year and it is one of many fond memories I have of her. Here’s a glimpse of last year’s cake. To learn more about the tradition of this cake, click here.

Happy Saturday and wishing you a blessed Easter with your family. May you continue to have good physical, mental and spiritual health!

The post shared with Between Naps on the Porch Tablescape Thursday #653

It has been such a busy week. The Corona Virus Honey Do List is slowly getting accomplished. Seriously, I don’t do well with idle time and keeping myself busy is a good thing! First task on the list is washing the windows.

It’s a bit treacherous with some of the outdoor planting. I think I only stuck myself on this agave a half a dozen times.

I seem to have pretty good luck with this Sprayway Glass Cleaner from Costco. You can also get it at Target, Walmart and Home Depot. It is a foam cleanser which doesn’t run off the glass. I use a two cloth system. I clean with one cloth and follow up with a microfiber cloth to remove any streaks.

I’ve been at it a few days now and only have the first floor windows of the main house done. I envy people who have big glass panes without all the mullions. To give you an idea of how tedious this is, the family room has 168 individual panes of glass…..a real P.A.I.N and that is just counting cleaning one side of the glass!

These windows hand crank open and honestly, it has been years since we’ve opened them. Cooper is even enjoying the beautiful day!

However, the room is now so bright and cheerful. Also, did some spring cleaning by moving the furniture, vacuuming in all those remote corners, and washing the slipcovers and dog blankets.

As you may recall, I am not completely fond of my family room’s decor. The room is quite long and narrow and was, at one point in time, an outside porch. But the windows are wonderful and the scored concrete floor is decades old. To read a previous post about my struggles with this room, click here.

I picked up a hand-painted chest recently at a yard sale and thought it would go nicely in the family room. Here is the before picture of the area. The existing black piece of furniture has served as our liquor cabinet, as it has a lock on it. My husband has a collection of contemporary art that we have tried to integrate in our historic home.

But I think I like this cabinet better as it is a warmer look. It is lower and still serves as a liquor cabinet. What do you think?

The artwork is very special as it was done by my mother’s art teacher that she had in high school back in the 1940s. Charlotte Eastman would teach high school art during the school year and then travel to Europe to paint during her summers. My mother was one of her favorite students. I love her use of color and really feel grateful to have gotten these after my parents passed away.

I am still playing around with the accessories on top, which will take a few weeks of moving things around from other parts of the house.

Another project we are working on is really cleaning out the barbecue area. My husband is tackling that one! The backsplash gets so dirty from all the cooking. We’ve decided to tile the backsplash and I am excited about selecting tile and getting this done.

It’s not all work and no play around here. We’ve established Wine at the Wall Wednesdays, where we meet our neighbors to the south. We respect physical distancing but encourage socializing. This week, we provided the wine. Everyone brought their own glass. The goal was to say hello, check in with each other, and watch the sunset. One of our neighbors is in law enforcement and provided the latex gloves. The laughter and camaraderie was exactly what we needed.

I imagine I will be washing windows for several days, but the effort is worth it. The weather can’t be beat~~a glorious 65 degrees with a nice breeze. Perfect for drying clothes on the line and spring cleaning!

Hope this Saturday finds you healthy and happy. Beautiful gifts (or a very clean house) will come out of this time of challenge. Keep the faith!

As you may recall, last January (2019) I had a group of friends over for lunch and asked for their critical feedback on some of the rooms of my home. See luncheon post here. Their recommendations for the dining room was to “lighten it up”.

The larger wall of this room is facing east and gets the gorgeous morning sun, but due to the front porch and overhang, the lighting is mostly indirect. The “bay” of windows faces north and has the porte Cochere right outside. Again no direct sunlight.

The first thing I did was paint the walls all white. I was very fond of the soft gray/blue that was above the wainscoting, but all the women agreed it had to go. My favorite painter, John, came to the rescue.

The next change I made was to replace the Mr. and Mrs. chairs with upholstered camelback ones from Ballard Designs. I waited for the best sale and then placed the order, but not before I had them send me swatches as there are many different fabrics to choose from.

I wanted the fabric to blend in with the walls and trim, which are painted a creamy white, not a stark white. Dunn Edwards Cottage White SP113. Fabric is Pique Salt Sumbrella.

The chairs arrived and I was so delighted with the quality. The fabric feels rich and the workmanship did not disappoint.

For the balance of the year, the dining room was fine, but still felt heavy due to all the dark wood ~~table, chairs and buffet.

The holidays came and went and with decorations and tablecloths, the room was satisfactory. And I was still pondering what else I could do with this room.

Then an opportunity presented itself last month. My dear neighbor was moving and had a yard sale. I scored 4 upholstered Parsons chairs for $50.00! I was so excited I bought them immediately. However, the fabric, though lovely, would not go with anything in the dining room. Plus they were stained and worn.

I contacted Ballard Designs, hoping their Parson chair slipcovers would fit (who knew Parson chairs would be different dimensions). I ordered one as a trial. Long story short, after experimenting with different white slipcovers, I finally purchased 4 of them~~ at $44.25 each!

Ballard Designs did offer the ability to have custom slipcovers made out of the Pique Salt Sumbrella, however, the cost would have been over $200 per slipcover. My total investment for the 4 chairs and stock slipcovers is $227.00

I still need to steam them to get the packing wrinkles out, but I am so happy with how they look. Though the fabrics are different, I believe the shades of white are similar. Slipcovers are Super White Twill.

I still need to properly accessorize this room. The painting above the fireplace is okay, but just not quite right. My friend, Janie, recommended a softer looking painting. I am confident I will stumble upon something that will be perfect. Also, any other suggestions from all you talented designers out there, would be GREATLY appreciated.

So here is the before and after. What do you think?

As always, I am so grateful for your kind comments and feedback. I am off to steaming these slipcovers so I can move onto a different project!

As we all settle into our new “norm”, I am sending the best wishes for your health and happiness.

Do you like an open floor plan? According to Google, an Open plan is the generic term used in architectural and interior design for any floor plan which makes use of large, open spaces and minimizes the use of small, enclosed rooms. Are open floor plans going out of style?

I’ve never lived in a home with an open floor plan. The closest thing is our cabin in the mountains, where there is a large window-size opening between the kitchen and the main living room. It’s good for shouting through but not for much else. Sorry for the low quality photo~~it is the only one I have!

Since Bella Terra was built in 1910, it clearly has formal and private spaces. Our kitchen is definitely not an open one. The kitchen to me is my haven, my sanctuary. I prefer it to be separate from the living spaces. To see more kitchen details, click here for Part 1 and here for Part 2.

When I’m stressed, I tend to bake or cook, and want to do so by myself. There is a television in one of the cabinets, but I get to choose whether I want it on or not. The kitchen is open to the breakfast room, but it is not an active part of the house.

The kitchen island is rather large and that is where all our family and guests congregate anyway. I love my family but sometimes I just want to have my own space. Plus I am not a fan of the kitchen mess or smells infiltrating the living spaces. Rarely is my kitchen neat as a pin.

Even though I prefer a private kitchen, I know the open plan is popular. In one of my previous remodels for resale, I did open up the kitchen to the living room/dining room. To see more of the Glenn remodel, click here.

We recently visited friends who just moved. Their kitchen, dining room and living room are one big room. It was lovely but it got me thinking of whether I would enjoy the open concept or not.

When I was designing the addition to the Willetta remodel (see post here), the floor plan was original to 1922…..separate living room, dining room and kitchen. But the kitchen was oddly shaped and it made sense to expand this space.

In addition to enlarging the kitchen, a family room was added on the first level and an updated master suite on the second story.

A House Beautiful article by Hadley Keller, entitled Please Stop with the Open Floor Plans asks, “when did the walls become the enemy?” Somewhere in the early 1990s, builders began touting the attributes of “open plan”. Hadley suggests instead of open floor plans, to try and start using your rooms. Use the dining room more frequently, not just for Christmas dinner.

There is a great deal of discussion of getting rid of the open floor plan, especially when it comes to kitchens. Some are suggesting that you add another “messy” kitchen that is hidden from the open floor plan kitchen. Oh my! The thought of keeping two kitchens clean??!!???

According to HGTV here are some pros of open plan living . 1) Makes a small space feel larger; 2) Being part of the family (not isolated); 3) Entertaining is more social and convenient; 4) Gorgeous open site lines; 5) Eliminating underused space.

And the cons (by HGTV): 1) Makes a large space feel too big; 2) a messy kitchen is always on display; 3) No perfect way to contain the mess; 4) Load bearing walls; 5) Lack of privacy.

So what are your thoughts on this? Do you have an open plan kitchen/living and dining room? Or a separate and private kitchen? If so, please tell me what you love/dislike about it.

Happy Wednesday!

For many years, we would host our annual Valentine formal dinner party for 12 people. So why not this year? It took me all of January to recover from the holidays! And before I knew it, it’s February. Lack of good planning on my part. Instead, this Valentine’s Day table inspiration is a romantic setting for two.

What are your Valentine plans? Do you go out to dinner? Stay home and cook a special meal? Nothing?

This year, instead of it being “just another Friday”, I will be making a special dinner for just my husband and me. It is our first Valentine’s Day as empty nesters so it is important to make it unique, right?

Picking the Location

I always find it fun to dine in different areas of our home and property. So this year I selected our front hall to set the Valentine dinner table. We’ve never eaten here before. There is already an existing small drop leaf table and it was easy to just slide 2 chairs over from the adjacent dining room.

Setting the Table

Setting a beautiful table isn’t intuitive for me. I often try several different combinations of chargers, plates and glassware before it feels right. Being a visual person, I need to see it first before it gets the thumbs up.

Since the table is small and the chairs are upholstered, a runner seemed to be the best solution vs. a floor length table cloth. This pink double hemstitched linen one is from Williams Sonoma. It’s a bit long for this table and I experimented with fanning the ends out to tucking it in. I’m clumsy enough without additional tripping hazards!

I do like the look of a charger under the dinner plate. However, the first chargers I selected were way too big, so I settled on these brass ones. Next, what dishes to select?

My very first china set, Juliet from the Romance Collection by Royal Doulton is appropriate for this holiday. This discontinued pattern still brings me great joy. I love the tiny pink flowers in the pattern and consequently, pick pink crystal glasses to match..

If you collect pink glassware, you know the color of the glass can vary from shades of pink to almost orange. I selected the paler pink glass on the left to use as a water glass. The etched pink wine glass is from Pier 1.

Silver flatware tends to be my first choice, however, I am fond of this set because it picks up the gold tones on the plate (and doesn’t require polishing!). Napoleon Bee, by Wallace was purchased from Horchow. The gold accent flatware isn’t currently available at Horchow, however, it is on sale at Neiman Marcus.

I tried adding my Valentine garland as table decoration (see post here), but I really didn’t like it. Too kitschy plus it looks much better on the dining room mantel.

Candlelight is a must for a romantic dinner. These low profile brass candlesticks from West Elm are the right size for the table. If you are looking for great tapers, I also recommend West Elm’s.

Decorating the Room

Remember the pink and white balls I hung in the dining room for Christmas? (see blog post here). I thought they would be a fun addition to the front hall. Hung with fishing line, these few balls add a bit of whimsy to the table make the room feel special.

Flowers were a bit of a challenge as there isn’t a great deal of space between the plates. Using mercury glass votive holders from West Elm as small vases, the hydrangeas, wax flowers and greens provide the right height and filler. Fresh flowers from Safeway.

The Results!

Here are some other photos. As a result, I hope you are inspired to select a different location for your romantic dinner this week! Be creative!

If the weather is warm enough, we might even be able to leave the front door open during our candlelight dinner.

Happy Tuesday! Wishing you a glorious day!

This post shared with Between Naps on the Porch Tablescape Thursday #642

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