A quiet moment.....Decorating with Religious Artwork

Veranda, Touches of Europe, by Eleanor Cummings

When you think of room decor do you turn to God? To the legends of angels and all that it entails?

Veranda, Kay O'Toole

Have you noticed the number of homes where the focal point of a room is a religious piece of art? I personally find that these lovely old pieces have a calming effect while also being decorative. Incorporating spiritual objects bring a sense of warmth without having devout reasons.

 Most people like myself collect for aesthetic, not religious, reasons. Pieces should be looked upon as art having dimension and texture.

Veranda, Kay O'Toole

Veranda, Eleanor Cummings

  

One well-placed item can help tie the décor together making it flow.
I am in love with this Italian headboard!

Veranda, James Michael Howard, aka Mrs. Howard

In this living room it’s the artwork that brings in the color of a mostly neutral setting.

From the same room as above

Home of Pamela Pierce, Veranda

Country French Magazine, Alabama designer Mary Finch

Designer Donna Temple Brown's Home

Maisons Cote Magazine

via Cote de Texas

Kate Stassi Design

Designer Mary Finch

Religious art pieces outside can even bring a focal point to a garden patio.  

Even in my own home I use religious pieces to bring in warmth from the rich colors and depth. So how about you do you decorate with religious pieces?

Fabulous Blog Shopping!

via providence ltd design

When I first started blogging I knew it would be a lot of fun but never in my wildest dreams did I think of all the wonderful treasures I would find. Mona over at Providence LTD Design has a fabulous antique shop and if you haven’t visited you really should but be forewarned you won’t be able to resist!

 image Providence

I first saw these framed 18^th century script when she did the symphony designer show house back in April here. There they were hanging in the hall in all their glory and I knew I had to have a pair but didn’t purchase them until recently since I didn’t have a place for them.

I knew from just looking at them that they would be the perfect backdrop for my urns on the pedestals that mister man recently made for me. I didn’t want a painting or photograph that might over shadow the rest of the vignette but something that would work in conjunction as a whole. I love, love, love how it all came together, thank you Mona!

 image Providence

The other thing Mona had shown at the symphony house was a wonderful Italian candelabra there was just something about it that spoke to me.

image Providence 

In my studio

So it too came home to live in my new studio under an Italian hanging. Mona is in the process of updating her shop and promised to have it up and running soon but in the meantime there is plenty in her shop to get you dreaming!

image via greige design

Another purchase came from Christine over at greige a shop filled with most everything you can image. I bought this wonderful French market tote and have used it several times already. Not only is it functional, green but also very stylish, I love it!  Be sure to check out her flea market finds if you want a tote like this and best part is they come in three colorways!

image via under spanish moss 

 

And for my kitchen I purchased both these wonderful breads boards from under spanish moss in their LaCraze shop. Angela and Renee have worked hard to bring you the very best in home furnishings. I plan on using my bread boards for more then just bread they would make wonderful serving trays for just about anything and with the holidays just around the corner they came into my life just in time!

All these ladies work very hard at not just a regular job but their blogs and blog shops so be sure to pay them a visit and tell them Debra sent you!

Have you purchased anything from a blog shop? If so I would love to hear about because you know we all need something wonderful!

It’s officially a new decade.....

Today is my birthday and I’m 51 years young and have decided this is the first year of my fifties since life began in the year one not zero. Since mister man reads my blog I’m hoping he reads this post…. honey I don’t want a cake I want some French macaroons please.

(There subtle hints are always the best!)

Not only is it my birthday today but it’s also our wedding anniversary this weekend, the decades fly by much to fast, slow down please! So we’ll be going out to celebrate and enjoy a few of these personally I’m thinking I’ll have a lot of these.

Nothing makes me happier then spending the day with my men, this image will surprise mister man ;) and it’s really all I need.

But since he asked...I love that mister man is able to create just about anything from a picture and he enjoys making things for our home.  So when he asked me what I wanted for my birthday and our anniversary the choices were simple. I love the pedestals he made for our dining room here and I need another pair of pedestals up in my studio for this pair of antique urns.

We also have a lot of leftover antique wood from our barn renovation and I’m redecorating our dining room so I would love if mister man would copy this mirror, simple but elegant. It’s so nice being able to walk through our home and remember marking each year with the beautiful things mister man has created.

So that’s our weekend a nice dinner out, enjoying the cool fall weather and simply being together what more does a woman need. How about you, do you have anything special planned for your weekend?

Something intriguing in my Future....

Veranda 2010, Kay O'Toole

I know I said my next post would be the last of my studio but I’ve been a little sidetracked looking for this….Has anything ever intruded you so much that you think about it all the time? That’s how its been with antique olive jars for me but when I first started noticing them they were like this large one featured on Kay O’Toole’s patio. I’ve been coveting one for a while now but Kay lives in Texas where it’s warm and her jar can stay outside all the time.

Pacific Outdoor Living

This is an image from the Pacific or northwest area where once again they can stay outside all the time. If you notice the style of this home isn’t exactly New England farmhouse either.  

I would love a couple of big olive jars but they just don’t go with the architecture of our home. Plus it gets cold here, freezing cold with tons of snow that would crack these gorgeous antiques in a heartbeat. I know mister man is not up for hauling stuff inside and out every season if it can be helped because I tried that once with some big urns at the bottom of our driveway….nope wasn’t happening!

They really dress up an entry  but I need to let the big ones go! 

Dirt Simple

Thanks to Pamela Pierce and her obvious affection for olive jars I discovered smaller 20” ones perfect for indoors, look up at top of photo. She sometimes places two in a room but I would be happy with one so I went on a search.

 Belgian Pearls 

This image from Pamela Pierce was the clincher for me and there’s two in this room so I knew one anywhere in my home would work beautifully. There’s something so right about this room…besides the antique olive jars.

Since my birthday is coming up soon I thought I would buy myself a little gift and I found the perfect antique olive jar covered in yummy moss. Yep, this lovely is coming home to my house. What do you think? Do you buy yourself a little something for your birthday too?

All images not labeled are from different Veranda magazines showcasing Pamela Pierce Designs.



The odyssey continues…..Barn studio, part II

Now that the mess from Irene is cleaned up for the most part I can get back to showing you more of my studio. Today I’m showing bays 1&2, bay 2 is what I call my workroom or work area since this is where I sew and design. That worktable came from Restoration Hardware and I was a bit concerned when I ordered it since it’s big at nine feet but the barn dwarfs it and it’s a great place to sew. It also has two extensions for the ends should I find I need extra space from time to time.

As you can see I have a window to look out everywhere I sit and there is nothing like natural light when working with fabric to see their true colors.  If you want really well made linen drapes may I suggest RH, yes one of my favorite stores. The drapes are a tad expensive compared too most but if you want quality and they’re lined spend the extra money. I don't need drapes or blinds on the bare windows since sun doesn't come in thanks to the forest.

I have racks for holding pillows in bay 2 and the annex since I like being surrounded by all the color but I don’t like facing all that color when working since it’s a bit distracting. No they aren’t filled at the moment because pillows have sold but I try really hard to keep them filled because well, I hate empty spaces.

I just love this space everywhere I sit I can see my whole studio except for the annex but I can see parts of it.  The wires you see up on the beams is for extra lighting in case I need it and the jury is still out if I need the extra lighting.

If you’re curious about what I have on my worktable it’s a tapestry putti, one of opposing pair and yes will be for sale once finished but at over five feet since they’re large it’s going to take space to hang.

The last bay or first is my office area where I look out over our front lawn and forest and trust me with these views it doesn’t seem like work!  

I have a seating area for clients on 19^th century French reproductions and just had them recently covered in really thick linen.

When I first started thinking about a desk I knew I didn’t want something traditional and knew I needed a place to spread since I can have a number of large things on my desk when talking to a client on the phone. What better then a 19^th century antique table with a hand forged iron stretchers it’s styled after Spanish 17^th century tables but no where near the cost!

I still need to purchase several things like an area rug in the office area and under my worktable. There are still several more things to be moved in but my studio is getting there and I prefer it evolves rather then have things looked forced or contrived. Winter is coming and will tell me if I need to place sheers on the lower wall of windows since there won’t be leaves and I’ll see if sun comes in, I can’t have sun because of the textiles. I think my studio is getting there and I’m really pleased with it and mister man was smart made me promise not to move in here.

One of the things I love best about having my own space to work is being able to dress my studio up without worrying if mister man is going to like it or not I only have to please me. Since this little corner is where my desk is placed I thought I would personalize it with something I collect, antique frames.

Up next is the finial reveal of my studio…. the Annex!