Showing posts with label furniture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label furniture. Show all posts

Friday, February 20, 2015

The Ugly Truth ~ Embracing Imperfection

Are you living a "perfectly imperfect" life...
I wasn't quite sure what that meant and you too may well ask what is perfectly imperfect?

The Urban dictionary offers this definition ~ "when someone has strong feelings for you they may tell you that you're "perfectly imperfect" basically saying that they accept your flaws, they like you enough that they see past your insecurities, a way of saying that you're perfect to them."


Our front porch is looking cheerful, almost pretty...but do not look too close!
These touches are meant to be a distraction as our front stairs are falling apart and the house paint is peeling.
We have several projects on our do list...but for now we must embrace the imperfections.

Is your home orderly, perfectly maintained and tastefully decorated?
Is there a sense of order or do you prefer disorder?
Are you a minimalist or do you subscribe to the "more is better" way of living?

I read with great interest Ellie's recent post about decorating and I am in awe of people who live in homes that look like they have been staged for a magazine shoot...


Our 100+ year old arts and crafts bungalow is imperfect and has many flaws.
The flaws are obvious, some even glaring.
Not unlike the face of an older woman...there are spots, wrinkles and laugh lines ~ evidence of the aging process.

"Nature gives you the face you have at twenty; it is up to you to merit the face you have at fifty."
~ Coco Chanel ~



Our home is small and is steeped in the arts and crafts style.


We opted for small scaled mission oak furniture and have collected many pieces of original old hand hammered copper pieces and vintage arts and crafts pottery.




First Nations baskets and Ojibwa duck decoys round out our collection.


Most of the wool rugs are new as are the window treatments.
With the exception of our two linen slip covered love seats and our bed all of the pieces are originals from the period from 1912 -1918.
I suppose you might call it "museum style decorating" because the pieces have their original patina and are worn, marked and distressed from years of use.


Two lamps are new, the rest are originals from Water Glass Studios.


This vintage chair was a boulevard freebie...
I carried it home and painted it then distressed it for effect.
It's been on our front porch for several years.


This tool box was treated to a coat of paint and distressed...
It often holds pots of geraniums in the summer and pine cones in the winter.
Check out those muddy footprints..."someone" needs to wash the porch!


This chair was a freebie too...
if you look closely you can you see the imperfections.



"Optimism - the doctrine or belief that everything is beautiful, including what is ugly."

~ Ambrose Bierce ~



"I never saw an ugly thing in my life: for let the form of an object be what it may,
- light, shade, and perspective will always make it beautiful."

                                                             ~ John Constable ~


Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Peeking Inside the Humble Bungalow...Summer 2014.

I was inspired this Monday by Dani BP Mop Philosopher's post...
Dani purchased a chevet after a 2 year search and it is the perfect piece for her bathroom.

We have been collecting arts and crafts quarter sawn oak furniture for the past 32 years and it took quite some time to find. We had to consider the size and scale of each piece as our Humble Bungalow is small and we were mindful  of our limited budget as we were undertaking restoration projects from the very beginning of our ownership.

We still need to do our master bedroom and there are new front stairs and an exterior paint job on the do list...
it is a labour of love being stewards of a heritage designated home.

With the glorious and bright summer sunshine and riotous blooms in the garden it has been easy to forget that we live in a dark and cozy heritage home.


You can plainly see our front stairs are in dire need of repair and the paint on the exterior is peeling.
Having said that, heritage homes are always in need of maintenance.
Thank goodness ours is not as vast as Chatsworth or Highclere Castle!


Our Humble Bungalow is filled with dark arts and crafts oak furnishings...
many have been reupholstered at a local shop which is considerably more expensive than buying new reproduction pieces.
Wendy has blogged about this recently too...


We like to add a few bits and bobs to perk up the space.
You can see that we have kept our Christmas fairy lights strung up along the beams near the ceiling...
nothing like plugging them in when we entertain for a twinkle effect and more lighting!


Rugs underfoot are a must as our 1912 bungalow can be frightfully cold and draughty in winter.


Runner rugs and area rugs add a punch of colour...
we purchased these new at Chintz and Co.


Original art hung on Bradbury and Bradbury hand made period wallpaper.


We have art in our bathroom too..


Our dear friend Cheryl Fortier gave us this one that she painted when she was in France.


Arts and crafts book shelf re purposed for towels.


Our bathroom renovation was done by a contractor friend and designed by Mr. HB
It has in floor heating and I love the results...


The standing lamps in the living room were purchased new through Sager's Furniture and they are from California. They are oak and of a scale that suits the rest of the furniture.


The lights in the rest of our bungalow were made at Waterglass Studio in town.


Mr. HB designed the kitchen and many people think it is the original one which we take as quite the compliment!
(please overlook the tea towel left casually on top of the granite countertop...)


I hope you've enjoyed the tour today...

It's such fun when other bloggers fuel and inspire a response...
 to one that they have posted.

Be Well and Be Kind.
Hostess

Monday, May 6, 2013

Lovely daughter ~ mid century modern ~ heritage urban loft.

Our lovely daughter is moving into a heritage urban loft!
It's right smack dab in the middle of our downtown core.

She is still packing and unpacking but I was so excited to share this that I could not wait a day longer.


Teak
Art Pottery
Metal Art
look at home with the 

Bamboo floors 
Exposed Brick walls
12 foot high ceilings


I found the vintage Kaj Bojesen monkey at a local consignment shop
a few years ago.



Hans Olsen table
the chairs fit right undernreath the top for a slim line and easy storage.


Timo Sarpaneva candle holders


I love how she has arranged her collection.


She has an outdoor deck too!

This is just the first instalment of her new place.
She needs to unpack and set up her kitchen
so stay tuned.

The weather has been gorgeous, hot and sunny
 it feels so good to feel the warmth of the sun...

Darling daughter has been enjoying her outdoor space...

The deck is going to open up an opportunity for her to BBQ and entertain under the blue skies or on a starry night.

Did you have a great weekend?
We were busy and had a fabulous time while away.
More on that to come...

Share some kindness today won't you?



Saturday, November 24, 2012

Love ~ Seats...

Our tatty leather love seats were well beyond their best before date,
the leather had split and cracked and they were looking shabby ~
unfortunately not in an English country cottage way or we would have kept them.
In hindsight I think we paid way too much for them when we purchased them a dozen years or so ago
and their quality was lacking.

Happily they were snapped up by a family we know with young children,
we are overjoyed to see them go to a good home rather than the landfill.
(one thing I can't stand is waste and I try very hard to recycle)

I wanted to have some lighter slip covered pieces like Janet at The Gardener's Cottage has in her living room.
I'd love to have her decorate my room like she did for one of her friends a while back, and if she lived closer I'd invite her over for tea and ask her advice!
Go over and take a look at Janet's living room and see what I mean.

We have dark wood wainscoting and our room is teeny tiny so it's a challenge and my thoughts are to keep things simple and on a small scale.
I wanted to have something plush and comfy and something that was within our budget.
So we took a look at what IKEA had to offer and found two affordable love seats with washable covers.
They have been shipped over from the store in Richmond and have been installed...
I need to find some extra cushions and perhaps add a few choice items...



I've got a scented candle for ambience
so far...


the family room opens right off the Humble Bungalow kitchen


the wooly cushion is one I hooked when I took a course with my girlfriends
we are known in our circle as "the hookers"
(I think I'll put this one downstairs in my hobby room when I find some new ones)

The love seats are Ektorp
and the covers are in the natural linen shade.

We've ordered a new LG steam washer and dryer set
which will be delivered after the in floor heat and tiles have been finished. 
They are large and sturdy so the slip covers will be able to be laundered at home.
I have been paying to have our duvet and cover laundered over the years so we'll save time and money.
Which is great because the new LG set is more expensive than I thought it would be!
Our old washer and dryer are over 20 years old
and we will be giving those away as they still work.

I'm pleased with the love seats and hope to enjoy many years of comfort sitting on them.
We do not change up our furniture or appliances very often 
when we buy it's with an eye for longevity.
~ ~ ~
 Slim Paley's home in Santa Barbara showed us her home dressed up for American Thanksgiving!
It's absolutely gorgeous!
Pop around and see for yourself.

What home keeping projects are you up to?
Are you adding your personal touch for the autumnal season?

Take care and have a great weekend.

~ ~ ~
Hostess
XO

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

The MOD POD...apartment of lovely daughter...Post #250

I cannot believe that I have arrived at my 250th post...in honour of this I am showcasing The Mod Pod.

Lovely daughter J lives in a 1940's apartment which she has decorated with mid century modern furniture and collectibles.
She has been collecting since she was a young girl and her art history background has given her a solid knowledge base and over the years has developed a keen and discerning eye.


Her furniture is made up of vintage Danish made teak pieces that she has bought before it was trendy.


Signed art glass and ceramics are from the 60's and 70's and were made in Sweden, Denmark and Germany.
Rosenthal white porcelain
and Timo Sarpaneva candle holders



Timo Sarpaneva candle holders come in many sizes
when I see these I buy them and tuck them away until a birthday or Christmas.






Kaiser and Thomas vases



I enjoy perusing her collectibles
I found the Kaj Bojesen monkey!




I find these arty metal sculptures a bit far "out there"
but they are enormously popular
proving that I know little about what's "hot" these days!



I have a few pieces of Austrian bronze figures by Baller and Walter Bosse
I find this pair very endearing
I would have purchased these for my own collection.



Tapio Wirkkala Pollo vase





A quick peek inside the apartment
a Modernist 
Mod Pod
courtesy of lovely daughter J

Thanks a bunch for sharing!
Hugs and love you lots!



 a classic touch of greenery
one can never go wrong with the best blooming orchid
these last for months
and cost just a wee bit more than a large bouquet of flowers from the shops.

Thank you for following along on my blog journey
I plan to be here for awhile
when I got started I had no inkling that this would become such a big part of my life!

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Paint it Black

 
I spied this vintage wicker rocker on the boulevard with a FREE sign on it!
I didn't hesitate 
I stopped driving and popped it in the back of my Volvo wagon.



It took two coats of paint 
a seat of plywood cut to fit by Mr. HB (thank you darling!)
and a cushion will be purchased at Pier One
to match the ones on my front porch.





I am going to put the new rocker in the backyard 


Remember this freebie?
I picked it up on the boulevard and painted it black.

I will place this near the rocker



This stool needs to be tucked into the garden with a large plant on top.



I am placing a bowling ball on top of this stand
then tucking it into the perennial border.

Strolling around while the paint dries...



I love these foamy flowers


They contrast with the foliage


Wooly Thyme
these play a role in my next project...
slate pieces are to be laid down to form a bit of a garden path
near our "working area" of the garden.
and these will be planted in between the slate to form a living carpet.

I need a place to sift soil, compost, and store my wheelbarrow
so Mr. HB erected a bit of lattice fence to hide and define this part of the garden.
I'll take some photos when I complete the job.