Nice to be back and a house in France.

Hi dears! Finally back from my holidays which were great! And I know they were great because I didn't miss blogging one bit. Ha, couldn't think that could happen! Thanks for all the comments left while I was away. I will get back to you as soon as possible.
So, let's kick off with this house in France which belongs to Liana Yaroslavsky a native Russian.

Surrounded by old trees and a garden of poppies and roses, this late ninteenth century French style house has a limestone facade.

An unusual layout for the living room with the fireplace behind the sofa. I love fireplaces and like to look at them so I guess I would place the sofa right on the other side of the coffee table which is also quite out of the ordinary with a white chandelier displayed inside.

The terrace reminds me of a street in Paris with those cobbled stones.

Wood floorboards add warmth to the master bathroom.

Vintage hats are displayed atop white painted busts in Liana's bedroom.

In the kitchen an old dresser was converted into a practical sideboard. Liana says: "I find that homes must receive an outside fresh look, not from an interior decorator but rather from a fashion designer."

This short walkway connects the kitchen to the children's bedroom.

The hall that leads to the bathroom.

Gold patina antique bathtub and a vintage barber's chair in the bath area. Hey, doesn't the curtain rail look like an upside down coffee table frame?

Vintage and antique objects are seen throughout the house.

Photographer: Jean-Marc Palisse

All images from Cote Maison.

Glad to be back, see you tomorrow!

Restored Country Home in Portugal

I don´t think I´ll be able to post these next few days so I´ll leave you to enjoy this lovely country home decorated by interior designer Marta Espregueira Mendes. Located in Portugal next to the river Minho, some of its features have been preserved.
Hope you are all having a great week. See you in a couple of days!







































I have linked this post over at The Inspired Room. Thanks Melissa!
All images from here.

Flea Market Finds Home

Hello dear readers, thanks for your well wishes for my holidays. I'm having a wonderful time! As promised, here I am and I hope to be posting every other day.

The owner of this house was set to make the most of her garage sale and flea market finds. In every room, refashioned and repurposed items create this shabby vintage look. You might find some interesting ideas here. Come and see.


The brocade sofa in the living room was a $30 garage sale find (why can't I ever find these deals?) To dial back its formal look, the homeowner added a new ticking-covered cushion. For the coffee table, she topped an industrial trolley with a tray.


Close-up of vintage tray on the coffee table.


Hanging the draperies high above the window moldings makes the room appear taller. A knotted ribbon was used to hang the small portrait.


The blue paint of this old hutch stands out against the white walls and furnishings.


In the dining room, a balloon valance tops the door. The room's other entrance is draped with lace-trimmed curtains, and scraps of silk wrap around the chandelier's chain.


My crafty friends might like the idea of this ceiling medallion which was created by painting an old frame white with pages of sheet music glued to the frame back. A hole in the middle of the frame back allows the chandelier chain and wires to pass through. Finally, scraps of silk were wrapped around the chain.


A new table employed as a kitchen island solved a countertop space crunch. Staining the base moss green and painting the top to look like an old marble slab added the patina of age.


A scrap of paneling and chalkboard paint were all it took to make an artsy menu board for the kitchen. A concrete garden urn and flea market glass apothecary jars and bottles were arranged in front.


In the bathroom the homeowners transformed multiple items to create one vintage chic look. An old gun rack, sans hooks, makes a great above-sink bathroom shelf. The broken base of a birdbath, brought inside and upended, becomes a drop-off spot for jewelry in the bath.

All images and iformation from Better Homes & Gardens.

Interior Designer Kathryn Ireland

Good morning dear readers. Tomorrow we are starting our winter holidays (yay!) so I'm not sure if I'll be able to post every day as usual. Maybe every other day. I will do my best. Promise.

This 1920s house is the work of architect Roland E. Coate Sr., who designed residences for golden-era Hollywood luminaries such as Barbara Stanwyck and David O. Selznick. Santa Monica-based Kathryn M. Ireland who has a client list that has included Steven Spielberg, Steve Martin and Caroline Kennedy — decorated this five-bedroom Spanish Colonial Revival casa in Palos Verdes Estates which overlooks the ocean. Like to take the tour?


Bougainvillea in bloom.




The designer leaves the walls, as well as the plushly stuffed sofas, a calm off-white: "It's like a blank canvas. And I added a splash of red. It keeps a room lively, buoyant and interesting. It's an important color. A lot of people omit it from their decorating."


Painting by Dana Bartlett. Custom mantle and grate.


An East Indian sunburst mirror rests above the mantlein the living room.


Trestle table and chairs, antique chandelier and 19th century mirror, both Italian.


Oil by Sherrie McGraw over Italian 18th-c. chest. Sconces, circa 1920's.


Dressing room of the master bedroom suite. The same fabric was used for the antique daybed, some of the pillows and window shade. Inlaid side table.


Kitchen island made of antique components from England.


Breakfast room with a Dutch door. Walnut dining table, wicker chairs and custom wooden banquette, all in French-style ticking.





Brick floor outdoors dining area with painted wicker chairs.

I'd like to thank those who took yesterday's quiz and let me know what their results were. It was really quite fun. Hope more of you will take it and tell me your styles!

All images and information from Veranda.

Fun Style Quiz

I just came across this style quiz which is fun and only takes a few minutes. These were my results:
75% French Eclectic
25% Rustic Revival

And this is what they had to say about my results plus "my" room:

Parlez-vous français? Even if the answer is no, you can confidently say your home does! French Country, like its name, somehow manages to both be formal and casual, classy and unassuming at the same time. You like your spaces to feel inviting from the moment you (or your guest) opens the front door and this feeling should continue even after you've entered your most formal room. Even though there are French antiques here and gold details there, the rustic elements provide a balance and warmth that seems to say, "come in, relax and stay a while." Your love of antiques leads you to flea markets, garage sales and hours of eBay hunting.



Mind you, I took this test a second time and they couldn't come up with a result and then I tried again and the result was different from the first one. The pics vary if you take it a second time. So, just for fun, and I'd love to know your results!

Flea Market House

A former nurse, Andree Leblanc decided five years ago to pursue her lifelong passion for decorating. She bought an old farm built around a courtyard and restored by its previous owners, and turned it into both her home and workplace. Here she stages each room with furniture she sells which were purchased at flea markets. She lives with her husband and three children and works on site.

Photographer: Gilles Trillard

All images from Cote Maison.

And if you'd like to see some more beautiful images of this house go here.