Feeling Blue, Curated Blue and White Home Decor

I have been feeling the BLUES--blue and white home decor that is! Here are some curated and recently sourced, vintage blue and white items for the pop-up shop. Be sure to keep reading to see close-ups and details.

I found five of these SPODE, tulip, Rochelle plates and two of the grape leaf salad plates.

I love the white turnip, vintage, Nabeshima platter and the Heran Chaban 1920's antique, lithograph of a harbor scene with a windmill. It does have some blues in it, especially in the sky.

How about the vintage, blue and white, fruit tablecloth or the blue flowered, cloth napkins?

A handmade, blue and green, pottery vase is a one-of-a-kind find.

I sourced two six piece sets of cobalt blue and white, vintage Thomas dishes that were made in Germany. They are in excellent condition!

I am still researching the swan art, but it is signed and was framed locally. T0he swan with blue grey background and frame is perfect for spring. I found the vintage blue floral stitchery last fall, but had it tucked away for winter. The little blue and white canister is sweet.

A planter and trinket box add deeper blue tones to a space. The Ken Edwards Mexican pottery creamer would make a lovely vase.

I love when I have a vision and can curate gorgeous, vintage pieces that perfectly fit what I am picturing. These items will be available at my next pop-up, date TBD.

Upcycling an Antique Carved Wood Chair

Oh, how I loved this chair when I spied it at the thrift store. It was sturdy with beautiful carved wood, BUT it had a broken caned seat.

The caning on the back is in good shape, but the seat was stretched out. Still, it had good bones so I bought it because I knew I could upcycle it and make it usable once again. 

I taped a piece of newspaper to the seat and traced with my fingernail around the edge of the caned seat to create a pattern. I then traced the pattern on to a piece of plywood and cut it out with a jigsaw.

I did cut the sides a big wider so they would rest on the wood sides of the seat.

I then used some memory foam, quilt batting, and brown and white pillow ticking fabric to cover the seat, that was then screwed to the chair seat base from the underside.

This will be for sale at my next pop-up shop (date TBD). Check out the gorgeous, antique, oak, beveled, heavy, lead glass mirror I recently sourced that will also be available. 

This chair is comfy and would be a great piece to create a cozy reading and sitting spot in your home.

Maybe it is because we just got home from a winter vacation to Costa Rica, but right now I am all about sourcing sunny, brightly colored home decor for the pop-up shop. Here are a few recent finds.

Greens, oranges, yellows--all vitamin C citrus colors I crave this time of year.

A pair of vintage, Scio, 1940's MCM, cabbage leaf, vegetable bowls,

a vintage, green, cherry pitcher and a fluted, hand-painted, orange fruit dish incorporate bright color into the home.

An asparagus tray will be perfect for the Easter table.

A lily pad print (that I need to frame) is a wonderful way to interject some spring color.

Walls don't need to be repainted and entire home color schemes don't need to change to add a bit of spring to your spaces. Simply include a few fresh, new to you, home accessories to brighten your home.

Sourcing Spring Home Decor

Ya, I know, it is still January, although it is hard to tell in SW Montana as we have no snow and it has been in the fifties. BUT, it is time to start sourcing goods for the spring pop-up shops and I have curated some fantastic things that I can't wait to style the shop with. 

Keep reading for the details!

Let's start with this 1960, wood block print by Mervin Jules entitled Boy and Bird. It is signed in pencil and marked AP, meaning Artist Proof, which is how artists sign the first prints that they typically keep and examine for mistakes or additions they may need to make. 

I love color in the spring, and am especially drawn to blues this year. A hand-painted, made in Portugal vase and a goose and floral egg shaped, made in occupied Japan planter are a perfect way to bring in spring plants and flowers. The single, printed napkin would be cute under a centerpiece on a shelf or table.

An antique, St. Elmo patterned, blue and white vegetable dish and a pewter blue and a periwinkle blue condiment dish are a great way to add a touch of color to current dishes. They also make pretty display pieces on open shelving.

Steinberg blue floral cups, a blue and white dip dish, and a blue, metal, Yellowstone plate incorporate more blue into a space. The bird print and green striped king sized shams will work as table runners or a dresser scarf. 

A green glass pitcher, a vintage puzzle with a gorgeous scene, and a vintage, carved, coconut, floral wall hanging are subtle ways to incorporate spring in the home. 

Good faux flowers are a must (no silk or plastic ivy!!) such as these pale yellow bouquets or

these potted violets. An art print depicts spring flowers and butterflies.

I am not sure if this framed art is spring, but the salmon and yellow colors on this Indonesian fruit packaging piece are nice.

The pop-up shop won't be open again for another four weeks so I have a lot of time to curate more vintage goods, but I think I am off to a good start. What do you love?

Curated Rustic Goods for a Montana Home

Sourcing a curating goods for my pop-up shop is a never-ending quest. Here are some recent finds that I feel fit into a warm and cozy, Montana rustic home style. 

Keep reading to learn the details on these fantastic finds.

A hand-painted barn scene, painted on a barrel stave and a brown plaid scarf that works as a runner, and a footstool with a needlepoint Pointer on it add simple rustic touches to any spot.

The stool will be appropriate in a cabin or country manor. 

On the mustard yellow, leather top table sits a broken, antique mantel clock and a vintage, brown wine "jug" with curly willow branches in it. I love this table because it is a great size, has a shelf, and is on metal wheels.

A vintage. souvenir sign from Yellowstone hangs on the wall. 

Also hanging on the wall is a framed sheet music piece. The music subject doesn't necessarily fit a cabin theme, but the gorgeous frame sure works beautifully in this vignette. A LARGE cutting board or charcuterie board incorporates warm wood texture. A vintage, souvenir Yellowstone bowl or plate and a handmade deer tie in well with the rustic theme.

I added a little wire to the back of the wood fish platter to hang it.

A weathered blue candlestick and a nest and pinecone sit on a wood tray that I copper-leafed. The tray sits atop two orange, green, and blue plaid pillows. 

The colors, the textures, the mix of vintage and worn objects help to create a warm vignette. 

Slow Styling and a New and Better Library Railing

In my previous post I talked about leaning into SLOW decorating this year, living in our spaces and not needing perfection to be content and comfortable. Our first home project of the new year is a perfect example of taking time to change our homes. This I know about me and my home--it will never be "finished" and it will always be a work in progress. With that said, I NEVER liked the railing on the lofted library in our great room (and I have lived with it for 10+ years).

Our home had some art deco styling, some Asian style, and some mishmash, idk what kind of design when we moved in. The doors covering the storage space under the lofted library were Soji screens and the railing was white, Victorian house style spindles that never made sense to me. 

Nine years ago I replaced the Soji screens with plywood, painted to look like an old sign for our schoolhouse. It has been fine, but it never looked aged enough and I have never loved it. So, right before Christmas I got a wild hair and decided to paint the plywood a green color from an oops can of paint and I added natural wood paneling. Note from the above photo, we changed out the propane fireplace about seven years ago for a more rustic style and more importantly, for one with a blower that actually helps heat the space.

I really like the warm wood behind the fireplace. I then convinced hubby to finally help me take out the white spindles and to put in an updated, more rustic, industrial railing.

Removing the old railing was probably the toughest part. The baseboards were glued to the flooring and we had to use a chisel to chip and splinter it out. The spindles were bolted in from underneath and they took quite a bit of muscle to remove as well.

We opted for wood posts and horizontal cabling for the new library railing. We used fir and stained it the same as the wood on the sliding doors. Does all of the wood in your home need to match? Gosh, NO! Different wood tones help spaces to look less flat. But, some connection between spaces is unifying. 

This was our first time using cabling like this and I must say, it was easy and I love the clean look. It really opened up the library space and it feels like it has always been here or that it belongs here. I want to change out the flat, office space, blue grey carpeting. For now I am getting rugs to put on the stairs, landing, and up in the loft area.

I moved the blanket ladder, an old school slide ladder, over to this wall rather than in front of the slider doors. I wanted to share the patchwork quilt on the ladder. It was a quilt top that I thrifted. I added a polar fleece back to it and "quilted" it by sewing on the patchwork lines on the top. It is created with vintage fabrics and I love it for winter. I do swap out these blankets seasonally.

A puzzle table that we made takes up most of the space in the library. It is a great space to sit in the afternoon and soak in some sunshine, drink a cup of tea, and read or work on a puzzle.

This project took us a weekend and we spent about $150 total on wood, stain, hardware, and cables. The change is truly amazing in terms of the feel of the space. It warm and matches my style much better than white, farmhouse spindles. 

It is so nice to have this new view during the winter months when we are indoors cocooning more. It was worth the wait and it was OKAY that it was a ten years, just live with what you've got project. Let your spaces be works in progress, make the best of what you have until you can change it, and create a home that is unique and comfortable.