Spring Greetings

Greetings dear friends! Thank you for all of your wonderful notes over the past several months, and please accept my sincere apologizes for not posting sooner. We moved into our house in the middle of September and although the move was just a few miles down the road, it proved to be just as laborious as all moves tend to be. In addition, the day that we moved, my computer expired, so I have literally been disconnected from the world. This felt deeply frustrating at first but with no budget to purchase another computer, as time passed, the lack of internet hours became somewhat of a respite.

Although we've been keeping a steady pace continuing to paint, build closets, install lighting, etc., we are still very much settling in and there is not one room that I could say is done. I’m beginning to realize that things are going to evolve over a very long time. This brought me great frustration at first because I cannot tell you how I calmed my nerves through many sleepless nights during the renovation with visions of a cozy, furnished household. But what I've found is that despite those unfulfilled visions, we are indeed making this house a home, and in ways that aren't necessarily seen or that can be necessarily captured in a photograph.

We are living in the house in its most purest form, nearly empty, and yet the coziness I dreamed of has come anyway. The sound of tiny footsteps on bare floors; the way the end of the day light makes the walls, the windows, and ourselves all shimmer in golden light; the silhouette of the leafless tree against a country moon; the way the walls lean here, and there, sometimes whispering the stories that played out before, before we came.

Outside, the wildlife sings a chorus. The rivers around our home bring birds and geese that cry and coo all hours of the day and night. Their sounds reverberate within me, offering a grounding to this beautiful world. When I wake at night, it is their cooing that gives me a smile to return to sleep on. Most mornings, there is a lone fox who weaves in and around our property. As we run to the windows, eager to say hello and welcome her here, I wonder, Is it she who is welcoming us?

I apologize once again for not posting sooner. I had plans to send Christmas tidings but I would be remiss to not mention the impact that our presidential election had on me. I don't know how else to describe it, but to say that the wind was taken from my sails on election day. Everything I hold dear, everything I hope for in a kind, just, intelligent, and compassionate world, retreated that day. Determined, I am calling our senators and representatives multiple times a week, sharing with them the weight of my worry over the risk to our democracy, and to our nation’s sense of humanity, grace, integrity, honor, and pure, simple kindness.

Dear friends, I am sending this note with a blessing of peace, wishing all of you the love of your family and the strength of your communities. Our blogs are only one of the many ways that we are all connected despite differences in landscape, culture, religion or race. We are the essence of true humanity - people linked together by our shared instincts for truth, fairness, and happiness, and to give and receive the most valued of human gifts - kindness.

As far as my blog goes, I still am unsure of when or how often I will post. Perhaps it is time to transition over to Instagram?

All of my warmest wishes,

Catherine

Treasures

During our antique outing with Joan, we found two treasures. This painting was something we found at the very last antique shop we visited and both Joan and I were puzzled as to why it was priced so very low. 

It's quite large, measuring 35 inches wide by 25 inches tall. The oil painting is on canvas and seems to be in its original frame. The artwork is signed F. Weber, which I have not looked into a great deal, but who appears to be a New York artist from the early 1900's. 

But it will always be referred to as our Joan painting for I will always think of her when I look at it. 

This is the other treasure we brought home with us. 

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Antiquing with Friends

The sweet peas and I met up with some wonderful friends today. 

They were Joan and sweet sisters Louise, Magnolia and Ella. 

It was so much fun and although it was great to shop for antiques with an expert, I would have been just as happy sitting and chatting in the cafe all day. 

I'll share what we brought home in the next post! 

A New Lamp

I stumbled upon a new alabaster lamp the day I bought our new chair. I say stumbled because although I have been indeed needing additional table lamps for our house, I hadn't expected to find one in our price range. 

In fact, I have come to realize just how hard it is to find beautiful antique lamps - affordably. 

I love the carved leaves on this alabaster lamp and its lovely accompanying alabaster finial. This lamp was purchased for $60, which was surprising considering that it is in such wonderful condition (no broken pieces, no significant chips, etc.). 

All it needed was a good re-wiring, which I've just had done. 

If you're an alabaster/marble lamp collector like I am, you will know that these days you can expect to pay well over $100 for one (due to their popularity in the last several years). And even at that price, you'll find that they are not in all that of great condition. 

We were bundled up in our mittens and hats today. A chilly, wet cold front moved in yesterday, which even made me take out a pair of wool socks. 

But Spring is here...the handful of lilac bushes are blooming in our yard. I haven't had the desire to clip any yet as the blossoms are sparse. Perhaps the cold winter was hard on lilacs this year. 

P.S. Shari at Little Blue Deer has given my blog another sprucing up! I love working with her! 

Candle Sconces

If you look carefully to the right of the brass candle sconce, you will notice a blank steel wall plate. When the homeowners installed the new sink, the electric sconces that were on either side shifted off center. They were constrained by the mounting requirements for the new sink. 

We opted to remove the electric sconces and cover the area with a large mirror. The mirror I had really wasn't wide enough to completely cover the blanks we put over the electrical boxes, so I thought I'd keep an eye out for something that would finish the job. 

Eventually, I did comes across something - this pair of brass candle sconces with large enough bases to cover most of the steel blank plates. I paid $10 for the pair. 

The candle sconces lend the bathroom sink a nice old-world feel. In fact, so much so that they distract me enough to not notice any remaining steel plate that may show (for the most part). 

When Mike was installing the sconce on the right, he said that he could see the steel plate peeking out from the right edge. 

I said, "Well, we don't stand over there so it won't matter." 

This is the difference between renting and owning. 

The Little Dumplings' Room

The second upstairs bedroom in our rental house is quite small. So, we had to be creative in finding ways to make the space work for our needs - primarily, to provide a cozy and safe place for our dumplings to sleep.

Looking at the room when we moved in (above), our 'to do' list included patching the plaster in a few places, applying a fresh coast of no VOC paint to the ceiling and walls, and giving the floors a good cleaning. 

Next, we needed to come up with a bed, and some other items. 

I thought that finding an antique full-size bed would be a breeze. Hadn't I just seen a million of them over the years? Well, I looked in antique stores in three counties (with two little ones in tow), and afterwards resorted to Craigslist - something I had never done before. 

Eventually, I found this lovely bed (photo from original ad), though perhaps for a bit too much money ($200). 

 The bed wasn't what I originally intended for the space (I was looking for a light wood bed). But weeks had passed and we wanted to get the bedroom set up before the holidays. 

First order of business was to paint the bed light blue. Blue you say? Well, I ordered the paint online using a color wheel that I had on hand. Let's just say it turned out a bit lighter than hoped. It is a very light blue color, which we ultimately made a decision to leave for various reasons (primarily, cost and time).

Since this is the first time I've ever painted furniture, I was at a loss as to what sheen would be most appropriate. So I asked my friend and amazing interior designer Amy Meier and she said eggshell - for durability! 

To start to make the nest cozy, I used organic pillows (a long body pillow for padding the headboard and two infant pillows), with flanged slipcovers that were made by Patricia Banner of Cottage by Design. Patricia is my go-to custom sewer and she is wonderful. I sent her organic fabric that I liked, she sent me some ideas, and together we came up with a plan for them. 

She's also made other things for me - a special pillow case and a changing table skirt. 

After trying a half dozen curtain options (all patterned), in the end I recycled curtains that we had purchased for our first house rental. I had to have them hemmed a bit as the ceilings are quite low upstairs. They may appear a tad grey in this photo because there are black-out liners hanging behind them. 

The chair doesn't really get used much, but I like the texture it adds to the room. The walls are so delicate (two hundred year-old plaster), and the floor space so limited, that there isn't much room for anything else. 

But it's cozy and that's good for a bedroom. 

So the small space works well enough. All of the toys are kept in the big play room downstairs. 

I removed the right side-rail to take these pictures but you can see the left side rail in this photo. Patricia Banner made covers for them from 100% linen using the original polyester covers as templates. They create a very nestlike feel which is perfect for little three year-old hatchlings. xo

At the foot of the bed, we keep a basket for bed time books. 

Bed time books and friends. 

Other things I would do to this room if we owned the house include adding a lovely colored stencil on the walls. 

I would also try to find a slender dresser to keep pajamas in, and perhaps even install some bookshelves on the wall. 

Sources: 

Full-sized organic bed, full size organic wool comforter, organic body pillow and organic infant pillows: The Clean Bedroom 

Organic fabric for pillow sleeves: Organic Cotton Plus 

Curtains: Country Curtains 

Organic full-fitted sheet: Gaiam 

Light blue paint, eggshell, Air 06: Yolo

Flat white wall paint, Imagine 01: Yolo 

Everything else was recycled from our old house. 

A New Chair

We were in need of a chair for our new office. But finding just the right one (and within our budget) didn't come easily. That is mostly because there is just one antique mall in our general region that fits a double stroller, so my search area was limited. 

At last, I found the chair I was looking for. I actually found it a month ago but didn't buy it because I thought I would find something I liked even better. But after looking at local auctions (online photos of their inventories), monitoring Craigslist, and peeking into a few antique stores (while Mike waited out in the car with the dumplings), I realized just what a great find it was. 

That's usually how it goes when you're looking for something you've never really looked for before and you come across an intriguing option. It takes some time to understand if what you have found is indeed a good find. 

When I returned to the antique store this past weekend, the chair was miraculously still there. 

And on sale - for $60. 

The upholstery features a beautiful needlepoint with warm tones. I will eventually reupholster it (much like what Phyllis did at Henhurst Interiors). But for now, I will enjoy the roses, and the femininity and grace they offer. 

The arms have nice carved details in the wood and little padded arm rests, which I thought were quite lovely. I also like the warmth of the lighter wood, which accents similar tones in the library table. 

The chair also has fluted legs, which is a detail I love.

Antique Lamps

Over the past few weeks, we've had several of our antique table lamps re-wired. It started with on of our lamps being quite a challenge to turn on. We would have to turn the switch to just the right point in order for the bulb to come on, which would usually take several turns.

I discovered that this means that the switch is bad and can be a fire hazard because the lamp may be on when the bulb isn't illuminated. 

A more obvious sign that it is time for updates is a tattered cloth cord with exposed wiring. 

Another trick to determine if your cord should be replaced is to bend it in half. If you see cracks form in the bend, it's probably time to update.

We've been replacing our old cloth and vinyl cords with new cloth cords. The reproduction cloth versions come in various colors (my local antique light repairman had a selection of brown, gold and white in his shop).

In addition to updating the cords and plugs, we've also updated bad switches with new three-way switches. I honestly had never considered this before, but it was an option that I thought we'd try. Now that most of our table lamps are three-way lights, I absolutely love the versatility it offers in the lighting a room.

The cost of updating a table lamp has run us between $25 and $35 each, depending on how much gets updated. The cost is well worth it for the peace of mind that safety brings, along with the added aesthetic benefit of the lighting versatility.

A New Painting

19" x 27"

Once it was decided that we would be moving east, we began to review our possessions and started the process of deciding what to keep, and what to sell or give away.

This can be a complicated process but in the end, we adhered to two values. Was the item something we truly loved, or was it useful? Or better yet, did is possess both qualities?

I did this with just about everything - furniture, clothes, linens, and even our art work. I had a regional painting of the Three Sisters in Oregon. Although I thought it was a beautiful painting, it was not something I truly loved. So I took it to our local antique art gallery and sold it.

In its place (although there wasn't supposed to be an acquisition in exchange), I purchased this landscape painting. It absolutely grabbed a hold of me. So I put the value of the Three Sisters towards it, and paid the rest through the gallery's lay-a-way program.

Last week, I finally received the painting. I had forgotten what it looked like actually. I even wondered, especially in the midst of our long move, what on earth I was thinking to purchase something at a time where most of our belongings were in storage.

But when I opened it, I understood once again.

I love the ornate and intricate detail of the gilded frame and the contrasting simpleness and complete calm of the subject matter, which is thought to be Greenwood Lake in New Jersey (from markings on the back of the frame).

Unfortunately, the frame did not withstand shipment across the country and arrived with a few broken pieces. They were clean breaks and likely easily glued. But nonetheless, I took it to a local antique frame restorationist and he mended the pieces back in their place.

In addition to repairing the frame, he also was able to give me some wonderful information on the piece. He believes it to be a painting by the 19th century American landscape painter, Thomas B. Griffin.

I haven't had a chance to further research the piece, but I am excited to learn more.

The Upstairs Bathroom

This is the upstairs bathroom in our rental house as it was when we moved in. I was thrilled to see it because it had a lot of great features that could shine with a little TLC. My first thoughts were fresh coat of paint, new ceiling light fixture, replace mirror, and install new light sconces over sink. In addition, the homeowners wanted to replace the bathtub and sink as it has been on their to do list for quite some time, and had already selected new ones. 

So here's a little peek with the new sink and bathtub. 

The sink has a lip on it so it's easier to place things around the basin, which is a nice upgrade. The bathtub matches the lines of the original. After the tub arrived and sat in the dining room waiting for installation, Mike and I pondered out loud to one another how he and the homeowner were going to be able to move it upstairs. We then discovered, to our astonishment, that the tub is fiberglass. 

This before photo looks like a black and white image because the original paint was a light grey. We chose to paint the bathroom white because we had extra paint left from painting the hall and stairwell. The end result gave us a much brighter space. 

We kept the blue floors but added a large throw rug. It comes from Dash and Albert. Dash and Albert rugs are not chemically treated with stain repellants or flame retardants, which is absolutely wonderful. 

I tried all sorts of paintings above the bathtub and settled on The Torn Hat, in this case a reproduction of the original painting by Thomas Sully (1820). The mirror is the first example of our movement to use lighter woods in the house. I really liked the warmth that lighter woods offered in our old guest house, so we're phasing out the dark and adding the light. 

In the end, we opted to not upgrade the ceiling light or replace the sconces. Instead, to save money, we left the ceiling light and simply removed the old sconces. We economized by not replacing the sconces, but they were also off-center from the new sink. Thus covering their wallboxes with blanks and mirror made the best sense to us. 

I added my Grandmother's old buffet for storage (she used to keep napkins and See's candy in it and I can't help but think of that every time I open the drawers). 

Antique European Textiles

When my dear friend Kate recommended an online source for antique French textiles, I found myself lost in a sea of never-ending awe and beauty. This was my first real peek into textiles such as these and my immediate feeling was, how could I never have known of such things? 

Wendy from The Textile Trunk is the most gracious caretaker of these historic threads. Her passion and love shine through in her endless knowledge and enthusiasm. I fell in love myself just reading her descriptions. But I did not truly comprehend her words until I held these threads in my own hands, when I purchased a 1900's French monogrammed sheet. 

It's so much heavier than I imagined with its dense weave of cotton and linen. 

But heavier than the material itself, is the weight of its presence. 

The monogrammed letters adorning the sheets had been hand-stitched by mothers, daughters, sisters, grandmothers. What beautiful imagery they invoke of these women, needle-in-hand, their thoughts, their art form. And such simplistic beauty so delicately woven into the common fabric of life.

Do you think these women could have imagined that over one hundred years later an American woman would hold their threaded beauty? Or that it would be a gift a mother would give to her daughter in two thousand fourteen? 

This heirloom textile will be made into a duvet cover for my daughter's bed when she is a little bit older. I absolutely love that these century-old threads will help keep her warm, holding her in their wonderful and inspiring beauty. 

The Textile Trunk 

I asked Wendy about the history of monogramming and this is what she told me: 

During the 19^th century, it became de rigueur for middle class families to have every item of the trousseau monogrammed , in imitation of the aristocratic crests. A Trousseau was the collection of linens that a woman would bring with her to a marriage. Monnogramming the items in a trousseau was an art in itself , with special techniques and ruses for each piece. The style of monogram chosen often reflects the prevailing fashions of the entire epoch….quite easy to distinguish. The monograms letters were often of the bride and groom, however these rules were not set in stone and some lunch napkins only were monogrammed with the woman’s initials. Creative license!

There were linen maids in the 19^th century and nuns were often used also for the washing, monogramming, folding and stacking of linen. Often people employed linen maids, however washing the family linens was also something that the woman of the household would do. The sheets being washed sometimes in public laundry areas and hung to dry in the sun ( hence, the holder the sheet tended to become sun bleached with time from the many hangings! ) Linen cupboards were a status symbol and  the doors of the cupboards were sometimes left open ( accidentally) so show the many many stacks of fine linen a family owned! ( so I’ve been told! ) ….

A wonderful book to recommend on linens is : The Book of Fine Linen, Francioise de Bonneville  ~ so much wonderful information!

The Duncan Phyfe - AFTER

My Great Great Grandmother's Duncan Phyfe sofa was reupholstered in white organic duck cloth. Over the original horsehair and burlap, all new organic cotton batting was used throughout the sofa. The cushion is comprised of a custom-made 3-inch 100% natural latex cushion, wrapped in similar organic cotton batting.  

Here is what the sofa looked like before. 

The cosmetic changes that were made to the sofa include replacing the three thin cushions with a single long, cushy one and updating the trim styling. Overall, I think that the white fabric highlights the beautiful lines of the sofa, accentuating the contours of the camel back, the arms and the feet.

In doing away with the three separate cushions, we also made the camel back seam-free. I like the streamlined look much better. The cushion cover is removable for washing, and I also had an extra cover made with the leftover fabric. Instead of the original gimp-style trim, we did a double-piping trim that my upholsterer suggested. I think it offers an elegant simplicity. In addition to the above upholstery, the brass feet and wood trim were polished as well.

Originally, I was going to use throw pillows as accents, but ran into a similar predicament as with the upholstery fabric. I couldn't find chemical-free options (within my budget). So after having the sofa home for a week or so, I decided to do bolsters with the leftover organic duck cloth and cotton batting.

RESOURCES: 

ORGANIC FABRIC: 
I used $14.99/yd organic duck cloth from Sell Fabric. I debated between the white and the prepare-for-dye (PFD) color options. Below, you can see the difference in color.

Using my IKEA Parson slipcovers (which look very white on their own) as a backdrop, I was able to see that there are many shades of white...and not so white. After washing, the prepare-for-dye is exactly the same color as the IKEA slipcover. The manufacturer guarantees that this fabric will fade a shade after washing, so definitely pre-wash it before using if you're not going to dye it.

Undecided, I also asked my dear friend and expert on everything design for her advice. That's right, I asked Joan at for the love of a house. She recommended the warmer white (the off white). She's never wrong.

In the end, the prepare-for-dye was chosen for its white, but not too white, essence.

The decision to use the organic duck cloth came after many conversations with fabric manufacturers. I became pretty frustrated by not being able to get definitive answers regarding whether the materials were chemically treated. Many assured me that their lines were probably not treated, but most just didn't know since their fabrics are made by a third party. The duck cloth was the most affordable guaranteed chemical-free fabric, and that made me love it more and more.

ORGANIC BATTING: 

Organic Cotton Plus - 1-inch thick batting
Online Fabric Store - 2-inch thick batting

The 1-inch batting from Organic Cotton Plus was used for the sofa back and arms, while the 2-inch batting was used to wrap the latex cushion, and for the sofa bolsters. The 2-inch batting is a better deal, but its thickness and narrower width make it less useable for upholstering the whole piece.

LATEX CUSHION: 

I found the 100% natural latex cushion at Foam Source. They specialize in custom orders for projects such as this. The latex is third-party certified 100% natural latex, which is great, as finding a true natural source for the cushion was a challenge. Even soy foam is commonly treated with flame retardants apparently.

However, the most critical component to the success in reupholstering my Great Great Grandmother's sofa was finding the right upholsterer. I spoke to a total of five upholsterers before selecting one. This wasn't intentional but I suppose I was looking for someone who saw the value in using organic materials, saw the essential grace and elegance of the piece, and supported my passion for creating a beautiful but non-toxic piece of furniture for our home. Luckily, I did indeed find that upholsterer.

The coffee table is something I found when running into an antique store (while Mike and the sweet peas waited in the car) to look for a dining table. This is a common occurrence these days...me walking out of a store with something entirely different than what I walked in for. But it was $30, and I thought it would go well with the Duncan Phyfe.

Burlap and Horse Hair

I stopped in at the upholsterer the other day and found the Duncan Phyfe sofa stripped down to burlap and horse hair. It was actually quite fascinating. Seeing it in this state was a reminder of the era in which this sofa was built. But also, the tattered burlap, coarse horse hair and brass nails reminded me of the long history of the sofa. Unique among many of my antiques, it is a history that I am quite familiar with. 

After my Great Grandfather passed away, my Great Grandmother decided to sell their house in the Hollywood Hills and bought an apartment in downtown Hollywood. She hired an interior designer to help her redecorate her new home for her new independent life. This sofa was one of the items the decorator purchased on her behalf. 

After removing all of the pink satin fabric and the old cotton batting, the upholsterer assessed that the sofa is in good shape other than some uneven springs on the right side. She suggested that my Great Grandmother was likely prone to sitting on that side over the other, and thought that perhaps the lamp was on that side. 

This insight brought me pause as I thought of my Great Grandmother, who I met only when I was much too young, settling into her favorite side of the sofa. The sofa was telling a bit of her story, a small detail, but nevertheless, a glimpse of a life once lived. 

Before I left, I took one last look at the old burlap and horse hair because I knew I'd probably never see the sofa in that state again. I reveled in this secret glimpse into the bare bones of my Great Grandmother's sofa. After leaving her apartment, its next destination was to be nestled against a wall of green wallpaper in my Grandmother's house. That was my Father's old bedroom, and our playroom growing up. Now it sat laid bare, awaiting its next destination, and the next generation. Which side will we choose to sit on? 

I can't help but feel drawn to sit on her side, the side where the springs are worn a little more. This is the side on which my Great Grandmother sat, night after night, in her glamorous Hollywood apartment. 

The same steel springs that held her, will undoubtedly hold us. 

Catherine