First impressions...the entry.

The weekend after New Year's Day, the painter left....he was the last of the workers to finish up with the renovation. It felt wonderful to be able to wake up in the morning and not have anyone coming into the house...finally!

I thought I would share some glimpses of our front entrance...foyer..it is very small, and my grand vision of what I would do here, from a decorating standpoint, quickly vanished...

It is actually no bigger than a landing, and you are immediately forced to go either up into the open kitchen/sitting area, or downstairs to the family room...below.

I decided to reuse a vintage mirror which I had saved from my shop...it is a bit like a trumeau, but not really.

It is from Belgium and we painted and antiqued it, like I did all of the pieces I sold...I like the lines and scale and thought it would make a statement in my small foyer..

The bench was fashioned from a coffee table....my upholsterer resized it to fit, and added the small back from the piece that was cut out of the middle. I only had approximately 14 inches of width to play with and it was the perfect length to sit under the mirror...40 inches...

The pretty Louis XV legs on the bench add a bit of softness to the angular lines of the mirror...

The cream coloured damask fabric came from a local thrift shop...I had been saving it for just the right project..and it works well with the tone on tone colours of the stone floor tiles...

The cushion is attached to the upholstered base so it won't slip and slide when you sit on it...

This mirror probably sat on a console table and went straight up to the ceiling in a former life...

It fits the small space, yet gives it a sense of grandeur as well, and because of the 12 foot ceiling it reflects the light from the hall fixture...

I can't really do much more with this space...I plan to add a few more framed prints on this wall, a rug and a some homey touches....I love the English country look...

Perhaps a vintage suitcase under the bench to hold gloves and scarves....

....or a basket and top hat on top of the bench....just for fun....

A la W.C. Fields....

Here you can see how very small the space really is....

I have so much yet to do...thinking ahead, but thinking back, the best decision I made was painting the entire house in one colour, both upstairs and down...Cake Batter by BM....it looks like the colour of an old alabaster lamp here in my home, with our diffused light...this decision has enabled me to reuse most, if not all, of my old furniture and collections...with a little bit of tweeking...making for a very happy husband!

Till next time, N.xo

 

Choosing life.....

Yesterday, I was asked, if I had to choose one word to define the past year, what would it be ?

......a feeling of gratitude is what comes to mind.....

Last night, I watched, like so many of you, the opening episode of season four of Downton Abbey...it was wonderful....but the scene that resonated the most with me was when Lady Violet, in a poignant and endearing moment, told Mary to choose life, over death, after the loss of her husband Matthew. It touched me, as only a great actress like Maggie Smith, can touch us. She is a master at bringing her character to life, in all it's fabulous glory. Her wit, but best of all her intelligence and wisdom that only comes from age and maturity.

As I age, this time of year brings about a fair amount of contemplation. Where I have been and where I want to go...never one to make resolutions, I just charge ahead with all the " to do " things on my list...

....the things of life...living. What we as women do every day...looking after our families, friends, and if there is any time left, ourselves. I have tried over the last several years, to rid myself of negativity, and instead focus on a more simplistic approach to living...listening to my inner voice...as well.

Karen Tran

 

So....the prospect of new projects which life has brought my way, are exciting and inspiring....I look forward to creating the most beautiful weddings this summer....living up to my own expectations and more importantly, my clients...

 

" live the life you imagine"

 

How many times have you heard the phrase? I imagine a life full of challenges...that is inevitable...but also a life full of the rewards of honest hard work...of aspirations to create a beautiful and inspiring home..to give a small part of who we are to the world and those in it..

...whether growing a garden....

...creating whimsy.....

Or...just living in a simple, happy moment...

 

Like Mary, choosing to live our lives with purpose and meaning, and in the moment, is the best reward...

 

 

 

I really believe that! N.xo

 

The Holiday Kitchen

This was the first Christmas celebrated in our newly renovated home...

The kitchen has now become the hub of activity and center of entertaining....this past week it proved it's worth, and then some! I still have one more little gathering scheduled this Friday....

I love to host a gathering at my house...growing up our home was always open to family and friends, and my Mom could feed 4 or 20 at a moments notice...fresh pasta, sauce and other homemade specialties were at the ready...our home hummed with activity..that is what I want to happen here...

With the two islands, it has become so convenient to prep and then serve a variety of dishes...casual or more fancy....

The adjoining dining/garden room can take an overflow of guests from the kitchen...but it seems, everyone loves the kitchen best...

 

Ricotta cakes, iced with cream cheese frosting with edible gold leaf, a raspberry lemon mascarpone torte and other Christmas favourites stood waiting to be sampled....

Small reindeer moss in cups, embellished with moss stars were my gifts for the ladies this year....

 

This new take on a dining room has fulfilled all of my expectations....

......sipping my morning coffee in the wicker chairs in this room....watching the snow fall.....

 

....and some mornings, the view is magical!

Because I love Nature, and am inspired by my surroundings, I kept our decorations to a minimum, and very simple.....but mostly due to the fact that they are still stacked up somewhere in the garage :/

I added a few of my doll ornaments to the kitchen....still a child at heart!

 

I crafted them from tissue paper and bits of vintage lace and other findings....

A vintage tea cart, paired with the extra dining chairs, warms up a window nook.....and the coffee center holds all the necessities for a cappuccino on your way to the wicker chairs!!

 

I hope you enjoyed the tour of my kitchen this New Year's Day, 2014... It has been a year full of twists and turns, unexpected setbacks with the flooding this summer, and unexpected developments because of it....we installed a gas generator...our quirky, capricious climate almost dictated it....it has been an unsettling, disorganized year....but I am full of hope and promise...surrounded by our beautiful woodland, family and friends, and the newest addition, Bella.

 

....nestled in an evergreen wreath, on the front porch....what a little beauty.....!!

I wish all of my readers the very best the New Year holds, love, health and happiness, and a quiet and gentle heart to embrace all that life holds in store.....Happy, happy New Year.....N..xo