It's a Small Wall After All

Good news. I actually bought some tester pots of paint for my dining room and have samples on the wall. Progress is being made! I decided this was the perfect time to try out a new product I originally heard about from my friend Tina. A friend and neighbor of hers, Julie Boney, created a product called "Small Wall" which is exactly what it sounds like.

They are 12x12" adhesive-backed panels (that come 2 per package) that are ready for paint. They won't curl up like poster board, and you don't have to have color blocks on your wall. Genius, I say.

So, I decided to try them out for my dining room project . . . 

I wrote the name of the paint on the back of each sample so I wouldn't forget which was which. 

Champion Cobalt is the one on the right. It was the color from my original inspiration photo from Lonny.

Here's a closer shot. I really think it might be the one. I love it. It's deep and regal and saturated. Just what I was hoping for.

The other options I tried. Upper left is Georgian Bay by Sherwin Williams. Lower left is Blueberry by Benjamin Moore and the lower right is Farrow & Ball's Hague Blue color-matched for me by my local Sherwin Williams (because we don't have a Farrow & Ball store/distributor in Nashville)

There are other paints I could try too, but I don't want to get overwhelmed right now. Any thoughts or favorites? 

A special thanks to Julie Boney of Small Wall for giving me some samples to try. They really are a convenient and easy way to test out different colors. You can find Small Wall at most Sherwin Williams stores and some Ace Hardware stores. Just check Small Wall's website for a list of retailers. Also, thank you to the kind people at the new Sherwin Williams store near my house (on Hwy. 100 in Nashville) . . . they were extremely helpful!

Sources: Small Wall

Hoarding & A Mention

Okay, so I have this antique booth and technically when I'm out at the flea market or estate sales or thrift stores, I'm supposed to be shopping for the booth. But honestly, things haven't been moving too quickly at the old booth lately, so what's a girl to do when she spots a really cool mirror at the flea market?

Please excuse my goofy expression. I tend to purse my lips and frown while concentrating. Not one of my best traits.

Um, keep it, of course. Especially when I have the perfect spot for it (this is my mantra even when my house is chocked full). I had to do some engineering on the back, but I think it looks great here. And I think I'm going to leave it white/cream. I thought about gold-leafing it, but I've got a lot of brass/gold going on in the room so I'm going to leave well enough alone. Of course, I've had plans to paint this ugly built-in black for some time now . . . and this clinches it. 

You see this is a problem spot in my house. My circa-1997 house builder decided it was a nifty idea to have this built-in niche to hold a television. The problem? Most of today's flatscreens are too wide for this space, and a small TV would just not do for my husband. Thus, we have this situation at the back of the built-in . . .

Yes, I realize these could be relocated by an electrician, but then the wall would have to be patched and repainted, and it's just too much for my feeble brain to handle. So instead, what do I do? Try to cosmetically hide the cable wire and outlet. Here's how it used to look (up until Sunday) . . . 

Too much, I know. This was actually a day I was moving accessories around.

So, doesn't that space just scream out for the Greek Key bamboo mirror? I thought so too!

I also found a pair of yellow mid-century lamps at the flea market that I will reveal at a later date. They need some TLC.

Finally, and totally off the subject, but did you know Worlds Away has a blog? Well, they do. And when I stumbled across it the other day, I left a comment telling them about the Worlds Away chandelier in my dining room, and they were nice enough to share it on their blog. So nice! Thanks, Worlds Away. I love practically every item you've ever produced, so this is quite an honor.

Happy Weekend & Guest Post

I've been estate saling, flea marketing and getting my hair "done did" today, so I didn't have a chance to stop in and let you know that I'm guest blogging over at Alison's wonderful blog, My Little Happy Place, today. If you haven't read her blog you're missing out, so go check it out! Thanks, Alison, for letting me share my little happy place with your readers.

I'll be back on Monday to share my finds from today. Wishing everyone a wonderful and happy weekend!

Dolphins, Dolphins Everywhere

Ever since I bought the "dolphin table" at an estate sale and put it in my antique booth, I've been seeing examples of Grotto furniture all over.  First up, Iris Apfel's maximalist apartment featured recently in Architectural Digest . . .

It's kind of hard to see the base of the table, but those are dolphins. She also has a beautiful Chinese Chippendale pagoda mirror. Gorgeous!

Next up, The Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas. Dolphins and Greek Key everywhere you looked . . .

And in the latest Veranda, the home in the Bahamas (that I mentioned in my last post) includes a custom daybed that features . . . you guessed it . . . a dolphin. 

Once again, it's kind of hard to see in this photo (easier to see in actual magazine), but at the head of the recamier near the orchids is the dolphin.

And, once again, my table. 

In the booth . . .

and when I first spotted it.

So, what does all this mean? What is the significance of all these dolphins? Not much, other than they're super cool. Also, my dolphin table is still up for sale . . . it really is an amazing piece that would make such a statement.

I'm Back . . .

What? Did you not realize I was gone? Yes, we were actually on our family vacation last week, thus my appalling lack of posts. We had a great time, spent a lot of quality time together and got a Christmas card photo to boot! Don't worry, I won't spoil it by showing you that one. Here's one that didn't make the cut . . .

Thanks to the generosity of my in-laws (who were supposed to accompany us but couldn't due to health issues), we went to The Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas. Or, as I like to call it, the world's most expensive water park with a casino attached. 

Speaking of the Bahamas, at the airport on the way home I snagged the newest issues of Architectural Digest and Veranda, and both magazines featured homes in the Bahamas designed by the same interior designer, Andrew Raquet. Weird coincidence, I say. Here are some shots of the home in Veranda from the designer's website:

Both interiors also included a LOT of Quadrille/China Seas/Alan Campbell fabrics (which I love). Not surprising especially since the home in AD was that of the owner/creative director and marketing director of the venerable fabric and wallpaper firm. Here are shots from the Quadrille website from their home:

If I had to choose between the two, I would definitely choose the second home. More beachy for sure. It looks like a Quadrille showroom, of course, but that's fine by me.

And for a parting shot of the Bahamas, here's a little video my husband put together of our vacation. Don't worry, it's not long, but I must warn you the song will get stuck in your head. And, don't mind my bad posture please. I'm a slumper, but I'm working on it.

Sources: Andrew Raquet, Quadrille

Crazy, But in a Good Way

I'm sure there are nice, normal people out there who don't want to re-do their homes constantly. Unfortunately for my family, I'm not one of them. My newest idea . . . I want to re-paint my dining room.

This is how it currently looks. Not bad. Well, now that I've got that Chinoiserie pagoda mirror (that I picked up from a local online auction for a song), I feel like I need more vivid walls for it to pop against. I know, crazy. 

My inspiration?

Ashley Putnam's dining room from Lonny.

And, I have these nice linen curtain panels I picked up at an estate sale for $20 for the pair. 

They're not hung correctly. I just threw one up to see what it looked like. My plan is to have put Greek key trim around the edges, like so . . . 

Except, I think in orange . . .

to contrast with the blue walls a little bit.

I even went to the Sherwin-Williams site and played around with their Color Visualizer . . . 

Okay, so I didn't do that great of a job, but it gives you a general idea. Just squint. And this isn't the exact color I was going for either. Something a little more saturated like the Benjamin Moore color above (Champion Cobalt). This is Sherwin Williams' Regatta.

So, am I crazy? Or at least crazy in a good way? Please tell me I'm not alone.

Sources: Lonny, House Beautiful, M&J Trimming, Sherwin-Williams

Shopping Update

Over the weekend, I managed to hit up a few of the estate sales I mentioned in my last post. Unfortunately, none of the featured items made it home with me (not that they were supposed to; you must understand when I find these things I'm often just pointing out pretty stuff not necessarily stuff I need).

Here's what I did bring home . . .

some brass accessories for the booth (or possibly Etsy - just another option I'm considering). These were from the same sale as this sofa . . .

which was in really good shape, actually. It was still there on the second day (which is when I went), so it was half price. Not a bad deal, and I'm still considering it for my basement (if I ever get around to renovating it into the space of my dreams). It might still be available. Hmm.

I also picked up these lovelies at TJ Maxx (it was around the corner from one of the estate sales, how could I resist?) . . .

The cutest beach bag . . .

and this hat and metallic linen espadrille wedges. Can you guess where I'm going soon? I just started reading the book on Thursday and love it!

Regarding the other items I saw at the estate sales, here are some updates:
This desk . . .

was priced at $1,200!! Yes, you read that right. And it was even more gorgeous in person. The sticker on the table read: "T. Frist" (all the items from this sale were from 8 different families/estates). Which I'm assuming meant Thomas Frist. For those of you not from Nashville/Tennessee, the Frists are, ahem, extremely wealthy. So, I think the desk was a little out of my tax bracket.

The next four items were actually part of an auction, not a traditional estate sale, and unfortunately, I had my daughter with me and my mother and son waiting at home for us, so we couldn't really sit through a 3+ hour auction. Bummer. One day, I would love to hit an auction and bid . . . ah, the thrill and emotion (I could conceivably get carried away though).

The marble top was not as pretty in person, but the drawers were beautiful. Overall, it was stunning, though.

Couldn't even find this, and the auction people were assisting others. Oh well.

This was up on a high shelf so I couldn't even get a good look or sit on it.

And this vase was tiny in person. So disappointing!

The other items were from a sale I couldn't make it to. So, not a total bust, but nothing earth-shattering. Oh well. I still love the thrill of the hunt. Have you found any great treasures lately?

The Estate of Things

As per usual, I'm up to my old treasure-hunting ways. I love perusing the estate sale listings that pop up in my email inbox. Here are some items from sales going on this weekend that might be worth an in-person look . . .

Love the shape and upholstered legs of this white sofa. Doesn't it just pop against the green walls? Very Miles Redd. Looks to be in very good condition.

Check out this burlwood desk with brass accents. This would look great in any office, especially my husband's.

Gorgeous chest of drawers - would be beautiful in an entry way or anywhere. Look at the gorgeous wood and that marble top. So pretty. I think this traditional piece would be a nice counterpoint to a more modern interior.

Is this an onyx column/pedestal?! How cool. I guarantee your neighbors won't have one of these. So unique. Stick a cool bust/sculpture on it and you're done. Of course, it's art in itself. I'm sure it weighs a ton.

Just look past the ruffly skirt and blue fabric to the unique shape of this wingback settee. The obvious reupholstery choice would be some sort of linen - cream or natural, but I think black or charcoal would look amazing. Also, I would go with a bench cushion instead of the two. For another fabric option, you could go unexpected with something totally bold and geometric like Joonas . . .

Or Zimba . . .

Some other potential finds . . .

This beautiful Baker secretary with antiqued glass looks to be in pristine condition.

A beautiful blue Chinoiserie vase. This would be striking in monochromatic room as a punch of color, especially in a dining room. Hard to tell how big it is, but the bigger the better. 

And last, this eagle bullseye mirror . . . 

I would paint it gold or gold-leaf it probably. 

Well, that's my estate sale round-up for today. Hopefully, I might get to see some of these in person later today or tomorrow.  Happy Weekend!

Sources: Estatesales.net and F. Schumacher