I was quite impressed with my apparent family wealth as a little girl, I mean really…who else had a gramma that could afford “diamond doorknobs”? 

And isn’t that the truth!

When we were out antiquing last weekend I came across this basket full of vintage knobs. And you know, porcelain door knobs are beautiful, too.

SZInteriors Photo

I love them all. I know the glass knob stands out like a sparkling diamond among the . . . → Read More: Vintage Porcelain Door Knobs]]>

When I shared my post on vintage glass door knobs, it was a huge hit. People love glass door knobs, and as one commenter shared…

 I was quite impressed with my apparent family wealth as a little girl, I mean really…who else had a gramma that could afford “diamond doorknobs”? 

And isn’t that the truth!

When we were out antiquing last weekend I came across this basket full of vintage knobs. And you know, porcelain door knobs are beautiful, too.

SZInteriors Photo

I love them all. I know the glass knob stands out like a sparkling diamond among the rough, but don’t you think the white porcelain knob holds its own in this crowd, too? Okay, I’ll admit, the white distressed knob demands its own attention, but we’ll save that for another day.

Seeing all these vintage knobs piled in a collectible heap, had me thinking about all the hands that turned them over time.

Source: Folk Lure Blog

And I wondered where they came from? What their next stop will be.

I love this one-of-a-kind wine stopper.

Source: Pinterest / Style Blue Print

When you see this, it’s such a reminder that the sky’s the limit for repurposing an object from one use into another.

But even just the simple beauty of vintage porcelain knobs can be appreciated for what it is.

Isn’t the patina of this antique door plate incredible?

Source: Etsy – Cracker Dog Trading

It makes the white of the porcelain knob just pop.

And so does this antique door lock.

Source: Etsy – Jack in the Box Vintage

Isn’t it gorgeous? Such attention to pretty details. No wonder vintage is in vogue!

And now with Annie Sloan chalk paint all over the scene, I couldn’t resist this blue door!

Source: Fresh Vintage Blog

Aged and weathered to perfection, I bet Annie can help you get this look.

I love the shape of this vintage porcelain knob.

Source: Just Chicken Sittin’ Blog

It makes me want to unlatch the door and step inside!

I’ve only shown you white porcelain knobs, but they come in other colours, too. The key is to find them and buy them when you do.

Source: Etsy – Maries Maison

What do you think of these ones?

There’s just something about the old knobs that can’t quite be replaced.

What are you up to this weekend? Will you be searching for something new with a vintage past?

It’s about coming home… and home is a remarkable space that tells your story. I’d love to help you with that! Contact me here.

THANKS FOR READING!

xo

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Books like: Let Go of Clutter, Clear Your Clutter With Feng Shui, Organizing Plain & Simple… Hmmm. And so I have decided to live with the bookcase just the way it is for a while. Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do? Unless of course . . . → Read More: Bookcase Reveal: Painted, Papered & Styled]]>

Well, the bookcase is finally complete. In place and styled with pieces I have on hand. And it became pretty clear to me that I need a few different tchotchkes! But I’m not sure how I feel about that. As I slid my books into place the titles were a contradiction to adding more ‘stuff’…

Books like: Let Go of Clutter, Clear Your Clutter With Feng Shui, Organizing Plain & Simple… Hmmm. And so I have decided to live with the bookcase just the way it is for a while. Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do? Unless of course I see something I can’t live without

Here is where we started. You’ll remember this from yesterday!

To the paint…

To the wallpaper…

To the styled reveal!

We definitely had to thin out our books in order to do a little styling, and I toyed with doing a whole colour blocking look, but in the end I know myself too well. I look for my books by subject matter, and it would drive me crazy to be searching through a random collection of like colours!

Here’s a close-up of the top 3 shelves…

So even though I think I need more tchotchkes (do you have to look up the spelling every time, too?), I do have meaningful pieces in the styling mix. Here’s a little rundown…

It already feels lighter to walk into the office, and just looking at this cheery bookcase puts a smile on my face!

I’m glad you stopped by to see the final outcome! If you’re considering a little makeover like this, I really hope you go for it. The change is so worth it… pine, what pine?

It’s about coming home… and home is a remarkable space that tells your story. Contact me if you need a little help!

THANKS FOR READING!

xo

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Photos: Sheila Zeller

Well, it all began here.

A boring pine bookcase caught up in yesterday’s look.

And so I decided to give it a makeover.

I used paint that was on hand, which you might remember from here, here, and here.

But I had inspiration to use this colour, other than the fact I had leftover paint to use up! When you piece the inspiration together you can see how the paint colour was a good fit. Besides, turquoise just makes me feel happy, so using it on an office . . . → Read More: Inspiration for a Bookcase Makeover…]]>

Do you remember the bookcase I was painting a week ago?

Well, it all began here.

A boring pine bookcase caught up in yesterday’s look.

And so I decided to give it a makeover.

I used paint that was on hand, which you might remember from here, here, and here.

But I had inspiration to use this colour, other than the fact I had leftover paint to use up! When you piece the inspiration together you can see how the paint colour was a good fit. Besides, turquoise just makes me feel happy, so using it on an office piece makes sense to me!

Here’s a story board of the other pieces involved.

• Fabric:  used on my bulletin board makeover (here)…
• Do you remember that it’s hanging right outside the office door?
• Ocean print:  we bought this print for the office in our last home…
• And I bet you know by now, the ocean is my favorite place to be.
• Sand dollar print, ‘Seashore’ by Sarah at Wooden Spoons Edition…
• My first win ever in a giveaway, and it couldn’t be more perfect. Sand dollars remind me of my life growing up on the Charlottes.
• Woman and telephones print, ‘Postmodernity’ by Nancy Marcus of Marcus Design Inc on Etsy…
• My lucky win in another giveaway this past Christmas, and from a very special dlbWEST blogging friend! Don’t you think this is the perfect print to prettify an office space?
• ‘Thank You’ card:  given to me by my friends, Chris & Leigh Davies of Mid-Island Ink Depot, also clients for a lighting redesign I helped them with…
• I loved this card when I received it last year, and so it became the inspiration for the wallpaper I picked out.

I found the wallpaper at Home Depot, and it was exactly what I was looking for!

Here’s the bookcase after it was painted.

Now that the paint has dried, we’re ready for the wallpaper application.

And that’s a whole other story, but here’s a sneak peak!

What do you think so far?

Will you join me tomorrow for the fully styled bookcase reveal!

It’s about coming home… and home is a remarkable space that tells your story. Contact me if you need a little help!

But it . . . → Read More: A Thrifty Cake Stand… Just Wait and See!]]>

I’ve been wanting a nice glass cake stand with a dome cover for a long time now, but haven’t really made the effort to actually find one… and of course kicked myself yet again as a result. You see it was my hubby’s birthday just before the weekend, and he’s a cake guy. No, I mean seriously. He’s a cake guy – he makes amazingly decadent cakes. I, on the other hand, do not. So I thought the least I could do is serve his chocolate truffle cake from Dolce Bakery on a lovely stand.

But it was not to be… at least not in time. And as a result this chocolate-rich delight was served as is.

So when we headed out this weekend thrifting and antique browsing, I had a cake stand on my mind.

This is one that got away… well, we actually opted out on it.

But only because I had my heart set on a dome covered cake stand, and this one just happened to be nearby.

Notice the doily? This one is crocheted… I wrote about doilies here.

So to cut to the chase… yup, we brought this beauty home! But we didn’t know anything about it at the time, other than we really liked it. Heavy, sturdy, and large enough. We’ve since learned this is the Monaco glass dome and cake stand by Anchor Hocking.

Here are a few photos I took once we got home.

It was so great to find some info. on this particular stand because we learned that it’s actually invertible.

Isn’t this cool? You flip the cake stand upside-down and the finial on the dome fits inside the hollow base of the stand. Now you have a trifle dish or a punch bowl! We also learned the cake plate itself is textured to prevent the cake from sliding around if you’re carrying it. Who knew? We didn’t, not when we made the purchase.

This is a close-up of the finial.

I love the way it absorbs the reflection of the tulips. Looks like they’re inside, almost like a glass paperweight.

The floral pattern cake plate under the stand is a vintage piece I was given years and years ago… eeek, maybe it’s an antique now :-0

At one time there was a matching server, but sadly it broke along the way.

So that was our day out for a little browsing. We both love this new addition, and I can’t wait for hubby to fill it

What have you crossed off your wish list lately? Are you into cake stands too?

It’s about coming home… and home is a remarkable space that tells your story. Contact me if you need a little help!

THANKS FOR READING!

xo

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Photographs by Sheila Zeller

See, even tweeted that it was coming!

So you know all about the current equestrian trend in decor, right?

I bet you’re familiar with this well discussed dining room by Sarah Richardson.

Source: HGTV

 Or maybe this lamp from West Elm.

Source: West Elm

You might have even seen these bookends on Pinterest along the way.

Source: Pinterest

Been inspired by a feature wall like the . . . → Read More: The Romantic Gesture In An Equestrian Gift]]>

Valentine’s Day has already come and gone, but I promised you this post for today.

See, even tweeted that it was coming!

So you know all about the current equestrian trend in decor, right?

I bet you’re familiar with this well discussed dining room by Sarah Richardson.

Source: HGTV

 Or maybe this lamp from West Elm.

Source: West Elm

You might have even seen these bookends on Pinterest along the way.

Source: Pinterest

Been inspired by a feature wall like the one in this room designed by Thom Filicia.

Source: House Beautiful

Or planned to invest in a smaller piece for big impact.

Source: Pinterest

So how does all this tie into a romantic gesture?

Bet you can’t guess!

Equestrian is the clue

Well… have you ever wished for a set of these?

Yup, this is it. The first equestrian addition to our home decor… shiny new saw horses to adorn our garage!

A surprise Valentine’s gift to me from hubby! Told you it was a romantic gesture!

Valentine’s Day isn’t a big thing for us… cards, chocolate, a nice meal in and a little wine… So for me, a DIY-er at heart, to be given a set of saw horses when gifts aren’t part of the plan… well it feels like I’ve been pretty spoiled!

Want to see how I was doing things before?

We have two of these Asian stools. And they’re not really meant to be work horses, not in a saw horse kind of way!

But you do what you gotta do when it comes to a DIY fix.

And now thanks to my hubby extraordinaire, I have  a set of good things that come in a well designed package!

Saw horses people, saw horses!

They’re compact and portable.

Yet sturdy and strong… they will hold up to 1200 lbs! I’m not kidding!

Adjustable in height.

See the extra holes on the legs?

A wider span to work on compared to the Asian stools.

With an anti-slip strip on the top.

And they even bounce a bit of light

Isn’t my hubby the best?

If I told you he bought me a light-weight drill for Mother’s Day one year, I bet you’d wish for that too!

Seriously, for me these are the kind of gifts that fit the saying, ‘good things come in small packages’… you saw how compact they are when folded down! And I’m feel’n the love, because I’ve been wanting a set of saw horses for a long time now. The romance is in the thought behind the gift

How about you? Would you find this equestrian pair a romantic gesture, too?

It’s about coming home… and home is a remarkable space that tells your story. Contact me if you need a little help!

THANKS FOR READING!

xo

If you enjoyed this post, why not subscribe to my RSS Feed so you’ll receive each new post without missing a beat!

Source: Retro Renovatation

And your kitchen cabinets definitely set the tone.

Are you still loving your cabinets?

Source: Canadian House & Home

Or does your kitchen need a little love? You know, to put the heart back in the home!

What can you do to kick it up a notch?

Painting your cabinets is one option. Replacing doors is another. But have you thought about a fresh start with discount cabinets? Like these ones below?

Source: Cliq Studio

I know, right. . . . → Read More: Kick It Up a Notch With Your Kitchen Cabinets]]>

Kitchens are known to be the heart of the home…

Source: Retro Renovatation

And your kitchen cabinets definitely set the tone.

Are you still loving your cabinets?

Source: Canadian House & Home

Or does your kitchen need a little love? You know, to put the heart back in the home!

What can you do to kick it up a notch?

Painting your cabinets is one option. Replacing doors is another. But have you thought about a fresh start with discount cabinets? Like these ones below?

Source: Cliq Studio

I know, right. Who would’ve thought… discount cabinets? And these cabinets do not slouch in the quality department either!

Did you know there’s a lot more involved in selecting quality kitchen cabinets than you might think?

Let’s start with the basics. These are the parts and pieces you will need to know.

 Source: Cliq Studios

Who knew there were so many basics? It’s important to be aware of these details, and Cliq Studios has done a great job explaining all of this for you. Seriously, if you know the difference in quality materials and craftsmanship, you will understand how to get the best kitchen cabinets for your budget.

There are lots of ways to bring the heart of your home up to date, and replacing cabinets is just one of them. But if you’re headed down this road, it’s important to know what you’re investing in.

For more information on Cliq Studios, check out their interactive website. You might also like to read this post by my friend Stacy over at Conspicuous Style Interiors.

Is your kitchen the heart of your home? If not, do you want it to be???

It’s about coming home… and home is a remarkable space that tells your story. Contact me if you need a little help!

THANKS FOR READING!

xo

If you enjoyed this post, why not subscribe to my RSS Feed so you’ll receive each new post without missing a beat!

 This is a sponsored post.

Sponsorship opportunities are accepted for products I believe in and can promote with integrity.

Visit Sponsorship for more details.

Source: Pinterest / Etsy

Do you know the one I’m talking about?

The original 3-D sculpture below was created by American artist Robert Indiana. It’s displayed at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, and has been since 1970.

Source: Flickr

This short YouTube video shows the sculpture being moved into place – it’s pretty interesting to see what was involved. Imagine this sculpture broken down into pieces, letters into parts… I’m . . . → Read More: LOVE Around the World: Robert Indiana]]>

Happy Valentine’s Day!

When I came across this photo on Pinterest, it reminded me of the famous LOVE sculpture we see so much of.

Source: Pinterest / Etsy

Do you know the one I’m talking about?

The original 3-D sculpture below was created by American artist Robert Indiana. It’s displayed at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, and has been since 1970.

Source: Flickr

This short YouTube video shows the sculpture being moved into place – it’s pretty interesting to see what was involved. Imagine this sculpture broken down into pieces, letters into parts… I’m amazed at just how large the LOVE sculpture actually is!

Did you know LOVE with the tilted O was originally designed as a Christmas card for MoMA in 1964? But the iconography itself first appeared in a series of poems Indiana wrote in 1958 where he stacked LO and VE on top of one another… the O of course was not tilted then.

Source: MoMA

LOVE was also turned into a postage stamp in 1973. Notice how the colours are used differently?

Source: Superfly Gallery

It sold more than 300 million copies and was, for many years, the best-selling commemorative stamp in history! Lots to love about this stamp, but seriously, 8 cents for a postage stamp – what’s not to LOVE about that?!

And did you know the LOVE sculpture has been recreated in multiple versions that can be found on display all around the world?

Here are a few of them…

LOVE – Love Park, Philadelphia

Source: Istanbul 74

LOVE – Midtown (55th St. and Sixth Ave), NYC

Source: J Stoddard Final Blog

 LOVE – Shinjuku, Tokyo

Source: World Visit Guide

LOVE – Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, England

Source: Flickr

LOVE – In the gardens at Chatsworth House

Source: Commons Wikimedia

LOVE – Blanche Levy Gardens, University of Pennsylvania

Source: And Dreams

LOVE – Scottsdale, Arizona

Source: my Tom Foster

LOVE – L’Hotel Montreal, Montreal, QC

Source: Black Cog Bicycle Blog

And this last LOVE I definitely couldn’t leave out…

LOVE – Buschlen Mowatt Gallery, Vancouver, BC

Source: Flickr

These are just a sampling of all the LOVE that’s out there!

But do you know what’s really backwards?

Source: Flickr

According to Mental Floss Blog, even thought Indiana’s LOVE spread, his name didn’t, and he had little financial gain. Indiana hadn’t wanted to disrupt his initial design with his signature or a copyright notice, which meant he had no legal protection against imitators. This resulted in his image being replicated (stolen) in countless ways. Indiana eventually copyrighted some variants of his creation, but by that time it was too late to file suit against the flood of false LOVEs on the market.

Robert Indiana has an interesting history, more than I can do justice in a recap here, but it’s worth it to read up on him. I thought Megan Wilde’s article in Mental Floss Blog was very informative. And for more on Robert Indiana you might want to check out Ro Gallery here.

One last little piece of info…

Source: If It’s Hip It’s Here Blog

Did you know that Robert Indiana was actually born Robert Clarke, and he adopted the name of his native state, Indiana, as a pseudonymous surname early in his career?

Interesting history, indeed. And thanks to Robert Indiana, we have a whole lot of LOVE spread around!

I hope you have a great day!

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY

THANKS FOR READING!

 xo

It’s about coming home… and home is a remarkable space that tells your story. Contact me if you need a little help!

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I’ve been working away at the office, you know, trying to purge it and bring some pretty into the space. But then my days got lassoed away with random appointments and commitments, and before I knew it weeks had slipped by! Stay tuned. The office will get finished… it drives me a little crazy when projects hang on forever.

In the mean time, here’s a glimpse at what I was up to this weekend.

Yup, this bookcase is from the office, . . . → Read More: Pining for a Change!]]>

It feels like forever since I’ve been able to tackle a project, and my DIY list is getting kinda long!

I’ve been working away at the office, you know, trying to purge it and bring some pretty into the space. But then my days got lassoed away with random appointments and commitments, and before I knew it weeks had slipped by! Stay tuned. The office will get finished… it drives me a little crazy when projects hang on forever.

In the mean time, here’s a glimpse at what I was up to this weekend.

Yup, this bookcase is from the office, and it’s getting a makeover!

And since it’s not a quality investment piece, I’m just using up some paint I already had…

Do you remember this colour?

But I’m adding a little something extra to give it a bit of ‘today’ style.

Kind of fun to try something new.

All the painting is done, and now the bookcase just needs to fully dry. Then I can move on to the wallpaper. And then… show you the reveal

I need to get some Rub ‘N Buff, too. I have a frame that needs to take on this metallic hue… But I’ve never used it before, so if you have, which metallicy one do you suggest?

Oh, I saw this same bookcase being sold second-hand for $75 and a shelf was missing! Seriously, even though the shelves are solid pine, that price is not a deal for this piece! Just say’n in case you’re looking!

So, are you working on any projects right now? Do you go into DIY withdrawal when demands on your time keep you away? If you’re like me, then I bet you do!

It’s about coming home… and home is a remarkable space that tells your story. Contact me if you need a little help!

THANKS FOR READING!

xo

If you enjoyed this post, why not subscribe to my RSS Feed so you’ll receive each new post without missing a beat!

Do you remember this brilliant green?

If you were around in the 80′s I bet you do… but weren’t the 80′s just yesterday? Anyway, for a colour that was ‘so yesterday’, be ready to see a whole lot more of it in the coming year.

Especially in fixtures like this retro pendant.

Source: Green & Indie Design Blog

And in furniture . . . → Read More: The Vintage Past of Kelly Green]]>

With the resurgence of Kelly Green front and center, I thought it would be fun to step back in time and see what Kelly was up to in the good old days.

Do you remember this brilliant green?

If you were around in the 80′s I bet you do… but weren’t the 80′s just yesterday? Anyway, for a colour that was ‘so yesterday’, be ready to see a whole lot more of it in the coming year.

Especially in fixtures like this retro pendant.

Source: Green & Indie Design Blog

And in furniture like this Mid-Century Modern velvet chair.

Source: Caitlin Creer Interiors

 Or how about these Saarinen styled pieces, c. 1960′s?

Source: Manly Vintage

But if you really want to see Kelly Green in all her vintage splendor, then you have to check out what Murano glass brings to the table. Murano glass has been around for a.very.long.time, and was popular in decor through the Mid-Century Modern era and into the 70′s.

The small island of Murano lies just off the coast of Venice, Italy. As innovators in the late 1200s, Murano glassmakers were ‘kept hostage’ on the island for fear of fire from their furnaces and to prevent the secret of their art from being replicated by the rest of the world. Murano glass masters today create traditional pieces to contemporary art glass and sculptures, figurines, paperweights, vases and even glass chandeliers. (Source: eHow)

We’re seeing more Murano art glass surfacing again, and even in places like Home Sense! But the pieces you’re about to see are authentic vintage from the time.

Like these Murano glass lamps, c. 1960s.

Source: Swank Lighting Blog

They are pretty swanky, don’t you think?

And I love these ones, c. 1950s…

Source: 1st Dibs

I also came across some very cool and unusual Murano pieces.

Like this vintage Sommerso vase.

Source: Etsy

And this Sommerso free form Wave bowl…

Source: Mercer and Dibble

The shape of this bowl is typical of Murano art glass – random, curving, and definitely free form.

Another Murano piece, you might think this is a vase, but it’s not. This is a sculpture, exemplifying what art glass is all about.

Source: Amazon

Pure beauty that captivates your attention, and pleases your eye.

Back in the day ashtrays were an expected accessory in homes, and Murano glass made ashtrays, too.

Source: Retrospect

I like the chunky weight of this piece, and how the green changes as the light hits it. Pretty exquisite when you think about what it was actually used for, isn’t it?

Murano, of course, wasn’t the only creator of unique glass pieces…

How about this very cool orb ashtray?

Source: Stylehive

It’s a Mid-Century Modern Viking art glass piece. Doesn’t this just exude the old boys club?

But we can’t let the boys have all the fun now can we?

For the ladies, a vintage Avon perfume bottle.

Source: Pinterest

A little bit of Hollywood Glam… what’s not to love?

And paired with this antique set of crystal candlesticks, c. late 19th Century…

Source: Spicer & Bank Blog

Maybe a few of these Depression glass pieces…

Source: Etsy

Just think of the vignettes one can create.

The possibilities are endless.

There were so many amazing pieces, I wanted to share them all. But green is one of my favorite colours, and I know it’s often a ‘love it or hate it’ colour, so I’ll stop here.

Well, okay… just one more. And only because the shape of this vintage art glass bowl, c. mid 20th Century, is so pretty…

Source: Etsy

And I can’t believe it doubled as an ashtray! Can you see the grooves for the cigarettes?

What do you think of the revival of Kelly Green? Are you a green person? Got any vintage pieces hiding away?

It’s about coming home… and home is a remarkable space that tells your story. Contact me if you need a little help!

THANKS FOR READING!

xo

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