A Successful Ending...and, a little sad!

The 2009 Bucks County Designer House came to an end today. It is always a little bittersweet when the house closes. So many hours has gone into the design and presentation, then we staff the room and "live in it" for a month. It's easy to become attached and feel a true ownership of the room. This one felt particularly warm and calm. The response was overwhelmingly good . All in all, it was a great experience and being only a few miles from home helped as well!

I lingered and took these final stills of some of my favorite areas. (Feel free to skip over, as you will see, I had a lot of favorites!) These shots are also for permanent documentation of a project I put my heart into. I really love this room.

One of my favorite bookcase vignettes, featuring vintage books, favorite framed spectacles w/button and tiny round bulls eye mirror.

Another favorite bookshelf featuring vintage books, clocks and a very fond old framed hound.



Poor lighting didn't help this shoot! More books, buttons (in abundance throughout my room, and I simply adore these old pigeon trophies. The art, a framed card of buttons from a Paris flea market.



One of the other bookshelves framing the mantle. I painted all the entire bookcase/mantle wall my favorite black-Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black. Look at these hand carved fish, more old books, an old trophy soldered, and sent by my father for one of my birthdays, and an old Polish document as framed art. These bookshelves remind me of this quote,"Sorry to appear insistent, but I must have my trinkets"!



Hanging on one of the adjacent walls to the bookcase, another collage of vintage buttons and a ladies watch face. Love this frame!


Making the bookcases complete, the mantle! Black urns, carved doves (coveted by all who visited the room!), old maps rolled up, feathery ferns, Paris books,ceramic finials, and a beautiful serene photograph that could be the Bucks County countryside. I could definitely live with this.

A cropped close-up of the carved doves on the mantle.

I had to take this photo of the firewood that I used as sculpture! Sneelock cut it from the fallen trees on the grounds with precise cuts just the right size.


Favorite painted chest of drawers (don't forget to use them in hallways, foyers and bathrooms....not just for bedrooms!

Wall of plates, mostly vintage cream ware with my assorted framed buttons and keys coll aged in amongst them. This wall was a favorite for most guests.

Closeup of the dove wall sconce plucked from my guest room as an afterthought. I sold these in my store about 10 years ago, and could have made a killing if I would have had 30 or so to sell.

The small original letters with dates in the mid 1800's from Paris that I found in some of my old books became art for the wall. Ahhhhhh. I love old documents! Beautiful colored inks and the most fabulous penmanship.

Bring me your cherished correspondence and I'll help you frame them!

Fabulous Black-eyed Susan ferns, lush and full! No water, please!




A shot of the entrance into our room from the foyer. The ferns were the perfect drama to flank the entrance into the living room. Also noted, the three iron mirrors over the front door. This is a favorite space of mine to accent.

Giant birds nest fern. I love this plant, I suppose it's the cost that others don't love. This could be one of those inventory items that I would never be sorry to end up owning!

Linen chair with monogrammed french flea market linen resting on it. Hmmm...wonder where that "T" will end up! (Don't worry, I have more in the store.)


That all too favorite silk pillow collection with pompom embellishments. There could not have been a finer compliment to the room!



That pop of color to an overall calm room--pumpkin and taupey-grey silk throws. Wow.



I used this square bolster on the floor with an old open book on it just for a bit of whimsy. WAY cute pillow!! And, not a bad shot of that extraordinary $48,000.00 rug!



Goodbye beautiful mid century rug.



There were several favorites by those who visited the room. One was this vintage frame tied into the window with a chocolate french ribbon. It served as the backdrop for books tied with raffia and a sophisticated painted dove sculpture.

The swing-arm drapery rods, linen banded panels, and sheer linen embroidered dot shades were another noted favorite. I love them as well!

A good shot of the poised swing-arm rods with the linen painted lampshade which marries the linen furniture and the wall color, in the foreground.



This dramatic and loved chandelier took center stage. I called it, "Bucks County meets New York"!

I staffed the room the second half of closing day and when the final notes played on my jazz CD, the lights were turned off for the final time and I took one last look at the room, it was with a tiny twinge of sadness!

Deep windowsills make my heart sing. Featured in this one, an urn filled with fantail pussy willows, collected globes, and framed seashells. Would you think to put those items together?! Sometimes, it all about color and scale. It works. Still loving those swing-arms!!


A really good closeup and I promise, that last shot of the swing-arm drapery rods!



One last self portrait of me in the room . The lights are off now. Goodbye Color of Calm.

Countdown to finish line

Well, here are just a few photos I took today. We worked late into the evening and I didn't have the best light! Don't worry, Sneelock will be on duty to do the final photo shoot. (Tonight he was too busy hanging draperies and he had to remake the soft roman shades! They were too wide!!)

I very pleased with the way the room is turning out. We added the best pillows today from a local designer, hung the draperies,and detailed the walls with art and vintage plates and platters. I haven't used many of these for years, and it was nostalgic to get them all out. I like the clean lines of the linen furniture with the use of the plates as art. I also combined many of my collected framed buttons from a darling and quirky designer we purchase from for the store.

So, here's just a peak at some of the details....

Look at these too cute pillows that one of our local suppliers furnished for the room! They are the perfect color and add a bit of unexpected personality to the sofa and chairs! The pom poms are just too darling!! These two designers live in Yardley and their company is Swia Silk. What fun I had selecting the styles and how fabulous of them to contribute them to our room design. They will be for sale through the designer sales during the show house.

I selected these lamps from another favorite line that we carry in the store. But how pleased I was when the shades matched absolutely perfectly with my linen sofa and the stenciled motif looked as if they had used the wall color for a perfect color match! Perfection achieved!

In addition, I got three of the small vintage French letters/envelopes framed.(Remember, I found them in my flea market purchase books?!) I'll take a photo the first chance I get.

I collaged this wall of vintage plates and platters, along with these two framed intaglios that were found at our local (and fantastic!) antique flea market. I added into the mix several of the framed buttons that I spoke of. From the look of this photo, I'm wondering if I should have tightened up the scale just a bit. I'll take another look tomorrow!

Did you know that terrariums are back??! Yes! These are some great ones I ordered for the room from yet another favorite vendor, but you can use any lidded compote or glass container for this purpose. The favorite container you used for Christmas ornaments on your mantle can now be converted to a summer centerpiece as a terrarium!

Another shot of the drum chandelier, the table lamps and the giant ferns that flank the front entrance into the room. These ferns are not real!! Until you touch them, you cannot tell.

There's a few more details to come, but basically I'm coming to the final countdown. Hope to see you all there!!