Scrubbing and painting; dusting and polishing...
~ old family silver baby cups ~
~ candle holders and some Georgia grown cotton in an hand wrought aluminum ice bucket ~
Sewing and ironing; making slipcovers, chair covers, pillows, and cafe curtains...
~ old Italian side chair, before ~
~ and after, now so French! ~
Starching and pressing pretty linens...
~ comfy chair with feather filled pillows ~
~ window sheers made from vintage seer sucker cotton bed coverlets ~
...Replacing faded photographs; replanting frozen lavender and thyme on the terrace and front porch ~ for the second time. Moving furniture, purchasing some new necessary pieces, refinishing some old...and most of all getting this place picture perfect for Miss Fifi who arrives in less than 24 hours to shoot me...oops, the house, then maybe me who knows!?
~ but I do have some treats for her and the crew ~
It is very fulfilling after working six years on this old pile of bricks as my husband refers to it ~ the former home of his Grandparents ~ to be acknowledged in print and photo for an upcoming issue of "Cottage Style" magazine.
We have done almost all of the restoration ourselves with the exception of our kitchen and my bathroom, both of which we had to completely demolish. We've stripped layers of faded "shabby" formal wall paper off of walls and ceilings; sanded and repainted woodwork; polished marble fireplaces which were covered in soot ~ we even found a newspaper wadded up with the date of 1949.
...and also a bird's nest in our living room chimney; pulled up wall to wall carpeting that had actual horsehair padding and waxed the beautifully preserved hardwood floors underneath...and that is just a snippet of the interior project. The gardens are an entirely different story!
This is a very traditionally styled home, architecturally ~ old beautiful over sized brick, with large rooms, lots of windows, and many formal details.
~ our "pile of bricks" circa 1950 ~
It is not my favorite style ~ I would one day love to have a small Mediterranean style cottage or a beach shack with a wrap around porch and aqua blue ceilings ~ but I we have transformed this house into a comfortable "Cottage Style" home and we love it now.
It is a happy place.
~ some favorite mugs and a little hand painted ceramic house ~
The interior is definitely is not the traditional Southern style home, with dark tones, mahogany furniture, formal upholstery and draperies. You'll see. I'll let you all know when the publication comes out ~ should be this summer ~ and I will share it all with you!
It is with pride and excitement that I anticipate this visit. I hope I do not disappoint.
Thank you Fifi...you are most welcome into our home.
Ciao amici,
Suzanne