Sweet Home Architecture: Transformations

Showing posts with label Transformations. Show all posts

Time Travel Thursday #22 - Mission Accomplished

5:09 PM | Labels: Decorating, Linky Parties at the Cottage, Shades of White, Time Travel Thursday, Transformations

CHECK OUT ALL THE DETAILS FOR THE LINKY PARTY HERE!

Welcome to the 22nd Time Travel Thursday linky party at the Brambleberry Cottage.

Are you ready for our next trip back in time and into the future?

Great; let's get to travelin'!

Recently, I came across some of my old photographs of past decorating projects from the 1980s.

During that era, I was working with a team of designers decorating model homes.

For this particular project, I was given the challenge of creating a cozy daybed from two secondhand, twin headboards—made of wicker.

If you look at the reflection in the mirror, you'll get an idea of what the headboards looked like, prior to their transformation.

As you can see, they had a nice, classic look about them.

But, the idea for the design of this tiny room was to create an environment where one would want to snuggle up with a good book or just daydream.

I needed to soften the look to establish that.

To accomplish this, I fabricated one side of each headboard—with extra-thick, cushy batting under white polished cotton—then trimmed out each piece with extra-large welt cording, covered with matching shirred cotton.

Then each headboard was screwed to the ends of a standard, metal twin-size frame, with the fabric facing inside.

Once the mattress and box spring were in place, it was time to layer on the comfort.

The first order of business was to place a down-filled comforter atop the mattresses—followed by a handful of plump, squishy pillows.

In my opinion, there is no decorating element that speaks "coziness" more than an enticing bunch of pillows to sink into.

I created a number of them—in various sizes and complimentary fabrics—and placed them at each end of the bed.

To further develop the cocooning effect, I made a simple tented window treatment—from a pale geometric print—that added a hint of pattern and interest to the room.

The result...

a peaceful, laid-back space to invite relaxation and daydreaming.

I would say, the challenge was met and the mission successfully accomplished. ; )

Linking to Leigh's for Thrifty Thursday, Suzanne's for Vintage Thingie Thursday, Gina's for Transformation Thursday, Becky's for 100 Ideas Under $100.00, Cindy's for Show and Tell Friday, Betty Bee's Buzz for Buzz, Brag, and Bee Happy Friday, A little Lovely's for Saturday Soiree, Bobbie's for Check Me Out Saturdays, Laura for Saturday is Crafty Day, Stephanie Lynn's for Sunday Showcase Party, and Susan's for Metamorphosis Monday.

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Time Travel Thursday #9 - Vintage Sewing Machine Drawer Transformation

6:24 PM | Labels: Linky Parties at the Cottage, Time Travel Thursday, Transformations

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE DETAILS FOR ALL THREE NEW LINKY PARTIES HERE AT THE COTTAGE!

Welcome to the nineth Time Travel Thursday linky party at the Brambleberry Cottage.

Are you ready for our next trip back in time and into the future? Okay; then here we go!

I found these wonderful old vintage sewing machine drawers at one of my favorite local haunts–a flea market in Lexington, NC.

They were a steal at only $2.00 a piece.

Just take a look at the incredible original appliqué. Isn't it fabulous?

I so adore the charm of vintage pieces!

I had been looking for old drawers like these, to create my interpretation of something I had seen in a local gift shop.

While I absolutely loved the timeworn patina on these pieces, I still wanted to soften up the look a bit.

So...I sprayed them with one of my favorite white paints–Krylon Dover White.

You know we're always looking for ways to use our salvage bits and pieces, right?

Well, in this case, I used an old spindle–with four indentical sections–from our stash in the barn to make the perfect feet for my project.

The sections of the spindle were cut apart and attached to the painted drawer with square-head screws.

Of course, any wood screw of the right size would work. I just happened to have those particular screws handy.

I did not attempt to get a good solid coverage of paint on these pieces, because I knew I would be distressing areas to reveal the original patina of the vintage wood.

Because the drawers were deeper than I needed, two boards were cut for each for inserts.

With a hole-saw attachment on the drill, three holes were made in one of the boards to accommodate the other pieces of my project.

Now everything was in place to pull it all together.

For this project, I had set aside a group of lovely glass light fixture covers that I found at a thrift store–only $1.99 for four.

I added three of them to my little drawer, dug up some of the moss from my yard–to place around them–and created a sweet little light to illuminate my front porch at night.

This fabulous little makeshift votive holder–along with the numerous fireflies that visit each night–is all that is necessary to add ample ambience to my comfy cottage porch.

I'll be linking this terrific transformation to Gina's for Transformation Thursday, Suzanne's for Vintage Thingie Thursday, Leigh's for Thrifty Thursday, Jillian's for We Can Do It Cheaper, Becky's for 100 Ideas Under $100.00, Allison's for Hooking Up with HOH, Carolyn's for Make it Yours Day, Cheri's Spotlight Yourself, Tere's It's Party Time Thursday, Jane's Frugalicious Friday, Meg's Everything but the Kitchen Sink Party, Thrifty Tickle's Vintage Suitcase Friday, Cindy's Show and Tell Friday, Bobbie's Check Me Out Saturdays, Susan's Metamorphosis Monday and Rory's Tools Are For Women Too!.

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Time Travel Thursday #3 - Retro Recycled

5:19 PM | Labels: Chairs, Linky Parties at the Cottage, Time Travel Thursday, Transformations

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT ALL THREE NEW LINKY PARTIES HERE AT THE COTTAGE!

Welcome to the third Time Travel Thursday linky party at the Brambleberry Cottage.

Are you ready for another trip back in time and into the future? Then fasten your seat belts for a rip-roaring ride!

The Yankee and I found this fabulous retro Danish Modern chair at a thrift store this week!

She had great form and was in terrific condition. At $3.99, she was a bargain we could not pass up!

We knew we wanted to give her a twenty-first century punch, so the pale green fabric had to go...

and the purple, and the mulitcolored, and the tan.

Yep! This Danish doll had worn four different cushion covers in her day, but none were to our liking.

A light sanding on the frame was all that was necessary to ready this beauty for her time travel transformation.

Krylon paint is one of my favorite brands. It produces a beautifully smooth finish–if you've done your prep work–and is quite durable.

This Ivy Leaf green was my choice for brightening up that Danish beauty.

POP! I bet I have your attention now!

This totally cool, vintage fabric curtain panel was another thrift store score from a few years ago. It has been tucked away in my stash of vintage fabrics just waiting for its debut.

No need to sing the "boring" blues here anymore!

This Danish delight has gone from drab to fab in our retro recyle!

We took her into the future...

and back in time.

A happy combination!

Sharing this painted beauty with Maryann @ her Power of Paint Party, the hostas with Susan for Outdoor Wednesday, this terrific transformation with Gina for Transformation Thursday, both vintage thingies with Suzanne for Vintage Thingie Thursday, and our thrifty finds with Leigh for Thrifty Thursday.

I think we'll also strut on over to Steph's for Strut Your Stuff Thursday, Becky's for 100 Ideas for $100.00, Jane's for Frugalicious Friday, and Jessica's for Favorite Things Friday.

Then we'll pop on over to Laura's for Saturday is Crafty Day, Stephanie Lynn's for the Sunday Showcase Party, Susan's for Metamorphosis Monday, Roeshel's for the DIY Showoff Project Parade, Linda's for Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays and Jillian's for We Can Do It Cheaper.

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Serving Up Serenity

8:07 PM | Labels: Around the Farm, Tablescapes, Transformations, Valentine's Day

Originally, this tablescape for alfresco dining was a post about my Valentine's soirée.

But it is quite adaptable for any season, so I'm linking it to the summer blog party.

If you recall, last week I took you on a little shopping excursion with me to one of my favorite stores—Marshalls.

Remember all those wonderful Valentine's dishes?

Well…
it just so happened that the day I was there, I didn't make a single purchase.

But, a day or so later, I decided to go back and buy several place settings and a number of serving pieces.

When I returned, there would still be plenty of pieces to choose from—right? After all, the display had been overflowing with goodies.

But...
when I got there, the entire display was missing.

Oh, no! Where did everything go?

I searched the store, thinking that perhaps they had just shuffled things around. And, indeed, they had moved those dishes—at least the handful that were left.

I went to three stores—yes, three—and could only come up with a fraction of the pieces I had intended to go home with.

Armed with those few pieces,

I scurried back to the cottage to mull over how I was going to use them.

Then inspiration hit!

I love to dine alfresco. There's just something about being out in the open air that makes food taste so much better.

But, there's a difference between just eating outdoors—at a barbeque or picnic—and having a genuine dining experience.

So…
I ventured outside the cottage
to look for that special place to create just such an "experience."

Unfortunately, it’s the dead of winter here. Consequently, things are looking rather dismal.

The only color in the landscape at present is brown, brown, and more brown—except for the lively green of the pines. Thank goodness for the pines!

As I surveyed my surroundings, I thought of how pretty, prissy, and feminine those dishes are and how rustic and primitive the landscape appears at present.

As a matter of fact, the only color anywhere, other than the pines, is the white from the blooms of my camellias—if you consider that color. And I'm sorry to say…they've been kissed one too many times by Mr. Jack Frost!

As I stood in one of the fields behind the cottage, something occurred to me. The Yankee and I have such divergent tastes that I'm constantly challenged to strike a balance between the rustic and the refined.

Hmmm! Rustic surroundings, refined tableware—I'll just blend the two...

as always!

I gathered a table and some chairs from one of the barns, gave everything a thorough cleaning, and proceeded with my plan of attack.

I chose a rather large piece of lace from my stash to cover the table, some simple lace-trimmed napkins, and several old lace curtain panels to toss over the backs of the chairs.

I knew I would have to soften things up a bit for those dishes to shine.

My goal was to create a light-reflecting, colorful table setting that would nicely contrast with the somewhat stark countryside. I decided that a splash of vibrant color would complement the dishware from Marshalls

quite well.

So, I brought my favorite vintage ruby red goblets into play.

Though I dared not use anything with a flame in this environment, I absolutely had to display the incredibly ornate candlesticks that I found at—you guessed it—Marshalls.

Their beautiful sparkling crystals are the perfect accompaniment to my assortment of vintage crystal and clear-glass accessories.

The shimmering sunlight reflecting from all those gleaming glass surfaces presents a nice alternative to the absence of candlelight.

To bring yet more color to the setting, I assembled some pink silk roses, Queen Anne's lace, and silk greenery to make floral arrangements to place atop the candlesticks.

While I was at it, I fashioned four simple napkin rings from other silk flowers I had on hand.

I really love the instant character that vintage and antique items contribute to any setting.

And, I prefer to mix and match my pieces—especially silver flatware. In this particular tablescape, I've used three different patterns of vintage silver.

I also delight in uniqueness.

For that reason, I dispensed with protocol, reversed the normal layout of the flatware, and placed the knives and spoons to barely peek from the lacy opening of the napkins—which were placed at an angle.

For a touch of whimsy, I decided to incorporate these cute, inexpensive glass votive holders from the Dollar Store—two for a dollar.

They make simply charming salt cellars, and

since they are heart-shaped, they tie in perfectly to the Valentine's theme.

Notice how sweetly they repeat the hearts splashed all over the plates and bowls?

Though the field—where I'm hosting this little Valentine's soirée—may be a bit drab and lacking in color, the serenity that envelops you there certainly makes for a wonderful dining experience.