ORC Lucky No 7 - Week 4

As I stated last week, I've been in Charleston SC (lots of pretty porch inspiration!!)

 and the Virginia mountains 

for the last 8 days so nothing much has happened physically.

I used all my travel time to think, visualize, source and plan 

so I can hit the ground running this week.

Time is flying by!!

One thing that did actually happen was my handy husband worked on the "box" for the gas fireplace insert while I was away.

There is still a lot to be done but I'm excited to see progress. 

We salvaged that fireplace mantel from an old house in Marietta GA over 27 years ago that was scheduled for demolition.
Every time my husband mentioned getting rid of it because I hadn't done anything with it yet, I resisted. Then several years ago we added this section onto our screened porch and we "installed" the mantel as a focal point. Then we started looking for a gas insert and one finally showed up at Restore ages ago and now it's close to being a reality.

We certainly took our time on this one!

Things still look pretty rough but there is actually progress. 

I have the floor paint ready to go now that I'm back in town!

Gorgeous green!

I just need good weather so I can roll it on and show y'all some actual progress. 
Please check out everyone else's progress here and if I haven't bored you too much please come back next week and see if I might actually get something done!!

Bamboo Friday

Oh my gosh!!

No words needed!

I, obviously, think this rattan sofa is a.maz.ing.

The question arises: Would it be confortable?

I do not care. 

I would just stand and look at it all day long!

PS. If you buy it please invite me over to gawk at it in person.

Thank you.

Summer Memories

A bamboo shelf.

Blue and White.

Shells.

Coral.

Inherited seascape oil paintings.

Photos of beach vacations through the years.

A glass float purchased in Charleston.

Hand painted bowls from mission trips.

A few of my favorite Summertime memories.

Bamboo Friday- Kitchen Table Edition

Today's Bamboo Friday is about my kitchen table. 

Pretty mundane stuff, the kitchen table, except I hunted and hunted for mine.

And I love it. 

You can read the story of how I found my table at Goodwill here.

It's a good story - I really could not make this up.

Here it is the day I found it at GW.

A couple of small dings on the table. Fixable.

The leather wrappings had a bit of wear 

but I'm fine with vintage bamboo looking a bit vintage. 

And they were all original and nice and tight. No loose wrappings.

All 4 chairs were sturdy. 

But...

Changing the seat fabric was no problem.

The bottom of the chair back was worn on every single chair. 

This might prove tricky but the price was so, so low because of this. 

I thought I could figure something out. 

I bought it. 

I mean, it was exactly what I wanted.

And then I did nothing. For like a year. I know.

I couldn't quite figure out how to replace the back without possibly damaging the bamboo around it. If that happened then I would have to do some serious repairs and probably paint the whole set. Not the end of the world but still.

And then one night it came to me how to take out the old broken woven insert

 and replace it with a fabric panel!!

And then because it was just a few days before our annual Christmas Brunch

 I decided to give it a whirl!

#lastminutemuch?

It worked. My husband cut out the old woven insert very carefully. I made a pattern, cut the fabric, slid it into place and edged with blue cording I found at Wal-Mart (yep!) on a small roll for $1.00 per chair

I love it when a plan comes together. 

The fabric was supposed to be used during my Entryway makeover 

during the previous One Room Challenge but it didn't make the cut.

Lucky me.

It was perfect for the chairs and I had just enough!

Looks good with animal print too!!

Happy Bamboo Friday from my kitchen table to yours!

Bamboo Friday

I'm not a trend follower per se, but I am intrigued by trends and predictions.

I love reading the design forecasts at the beginning of the year and I love seeing what the "color of the year" is and if I'm going to embrace it at all :) 

I also like it when I'm already "on trend."

You know- I was doing this before it was cool.

(Remember "I was country before country was cool," etc?)

Here's one I'm pretty happy about for more than one reason. 

1. I love using it in every room in the house and 

2. We sell this stuff @elizabethandpayne so this trend is good for business!!

According to more than one source Bamboo and Rattan 

are strong for 2018!!

(In my opinion they were never out but whatevs!)

This article on Quintessence Blog says we will see rattan staying strong in 2018.

And Apartment Therapy said rattan furniture is "super chic" here.

Apartment Therapy

This article talks about "why" bamboo furniture is a good choice and popular as well:
Affordability, Versatility, Durability, and Sustainability. 
Plus, it adds fabulous warmth, texture and if its older - a vintage vibe to a room.

And the trends in this article are all strong for 2018 and bamboo is at the top. 


Coastal Living

The thing about Bamboo is that whether you are just starting to use it in your decor because it's "on trend" or whether you were already embracing it in your house
 (The British have forever!!!), 
I don't think you can go wrong. 

Bamboo furniture and faux bamboo designs are classics 
and used well they will always be a wonderful, textural addition to a room.
So its a win-win. 


See this faux bamboo china cabinet turned linen closet here.


Look at all the wonderful texture subtly added to this room:


Chinoiserie Chic


Less beachy and more formal use of bamboo furniture:


One Kings Lane

I hope your Bamboo Friday includes a touch of bamboo in your own home.

Best Nine

Wrapping up 2017 with the my Best Nine from Instagram. 

It's interesting to see what has gotten the most "likes" and attention in social media.

It's also interesting that they are probably not the nine
 I would say were my "best" of the year.

They don't include family or friends or time we spent together (except for a sweet photo of Chloe and Mollie near the end of our time with Chloe) or any of my travels to work in emerging countries or high risk areas here in the US. 
I think these are some of my "best" times.

I guess these are my "prettiest" nine  :)

A new endeavor for Mollie and me this year was a booth at Westside Market in Atlanta. 

You can follow along on Instagram to see what the latest and greatest is in our booth!

This is our Best Nine from Elizabeth and Payne and it is obviously all about the bamboo, blue and white and chinoiserie!

Thank you for following along in 2017.

Wishing everyone a fabulous 2018!!

Come On In! Fall 2017 ORC - The Entryway

The Reveal!

First, let me say that if I had hired me to do this project I would have fired me!!

The indecision. Very un-me.

Major aspects changed. Changed again.

And the number of trips to the fabric store?? 

Seriously. 

Our Entryway really does not look like what I saw in my mind before I got started.

But Come On In!

 And let's see what you think...

A big, chinoiserie monogram welcomes you from the outside.

Looking in from the front door to the family antique chest, thrifted Gampel Stoll bamboo and pineapple mirror and a very heavy elephant garden stool found at an estate sale.

Looking past the mirror and chest toward the door to the family room 

and my very large DIY Audubon bird print.

(The walls are very white. Not pale, mint green!

Looking back across the chest to a piece of Haitian art that has hung in that exact spot

 since I got it over a decade ago. I love it there so it did not get moved.

(The chest is a family antique and it has a few spots and rings here and there,)

Looking from the front door into a previous One Room Challenge, 

our Black is Back Library.

(We unexpectedly refinished our entryway floors for the ORC and the yellow-y library floors will be next! This will help the flow with the vintage Brighton Pavilion bamboo chairs actually being in two different rooms.)

Looking from the Library toward the front door and the mirrored French doors. 

The bamboo shelf replaced the dusty, old hall tree that I did not love!

Looking down from the stairs: Library to the right, front door to the left.

You can go back to each of the previous weeks here:
Week1
Week2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
and Week 6 
to read about my plans and many changes. 
I'll be posting some more in the next week or so about where I found some of my great bamboo pieces, why I didn't use any of the fabrics I purchased, how this room changed from one with a lot of fabric possibilities and a gallery wall to a pretty neutral, understated space.
There are some really great deals in this space along with a lot of "shop the house" items!
I plan to share more soon.
Hopefully picture overload does for now - especially since I am just now getting this post out!!
Even though my "reveal" is technically late (and boy, are the reveals I've already scoped out fabulous) I do appreciate the motivation that the Calling It Home Blog provides for me to get a room "finished" in 6 weeks or so. 
I'm excited to have this pretty entryway to decorate for the holidays and then welcome my guests!
Update: Come see this Entryway decorated for the holidays!
Be sure to see what everyone else accomplished as well.

ORC Pre-Party...

Here's a little One Room Challenge Recap:
If you aren't familiar, the One Room Challenge is a blogging event that takes place biannually. Within a five week  period those participating completely transform a space and give weekly updates on the progress. The sixth Thursday is the Big Reveal!! 

My first ORC was also my most recent ORC.

Wait, what?

I really had no idea what I was jumping in to when I did my first ORC- our Guest Bedroom. I never quite "finished" it so I went back last Spring and crossed the T's and dotted the I's.

Spring 2017 One Room Challenge:

Here it was after the first time it was an ORC room:

I definitely "punched things up" the second time around. It just needed a little more attention!

My Fall 2016 One Room Challenge was our Master Bathroom:

It was all about the coral faux bamboo china cabinet.

(You have a china cabinet in a bathroom?  Yep!)

And before the Master Bathroom I redid our Library.

 It was formerly the Dining Room

 but turning the room in to a Library several years ago made the room more useful for us.

Spring 2016

It's all moody and glossy black with lots of bamboo and blue and white touches.

The only room in our house that doesn't have white walls!

Before the Library ORC, Mollie and I did a Mother-Daughter ORC project and gave her bathroom the bohemian chic look she loves.

So this is from Fall 2015 One Room Challenge:





And Spring of 2015 the One Room Challenge was the Guest Bedroom which was the most recent ORC as well. 



The One Room Challenge is a great motivator.
 Jump in if you are thinking about it- You'll have a fresh new room for the holidays.
Most of the time there is a lot of support via positive comments on your posts
 (last time was sadly not the case but I'm back anyway!!)

I'll see you on Thursday with the "reveal" of what room I've chosen for my 6th ORC!!

Bamboo Friday #8

One of my all time favorite rooms - by Gen and Ben Sohr of Paper and Pencil Blog - and it has an amazing octagon bamboo coffee table.

We talked about my big bamboo coffee table last week but this one is in a league of its own with that shape and fretwork.

What's not to love?

I saw one years ago in a thrift store and left it behind.

What WAS I thinking??

Thinking about that has me feeling a little blue.

Happy Friday!
If thrifting is on your weekend agenda I hope you find some fabulous vintage bamboo!!

Bamboo Friday #4

Mirror, mirror,

On the wall.

Bamboo mirrors are the best of all!

Lucy Williams Interiors

This is an easy one.

Who doesn't love bamboo mirrors and such an easy way to add that touch of bamboo to any and every room. 

Natural, gold, painted. 

They all "just work" (technical interior design speak!)

You know I just found one of these of my very own.

I'm still giddy!

1st Dibs

This one sold on 1st Dibs for over $1400.00

Mine was considerably less - the thrift score of the century for me!

Style Me Pretty

If one bamboo mirror is good then 2 must be even better!

Bamboo in every possible color mixed together with fabulous green chinoiserie fabric in the mix. The natural frame really stands out from the paint colors.

My Domaine

And the Queen of all bamboo mirror styles...
The Pagoda Mirror. 
I'm still on the hunt but one day I will find one of these for my very own!


Chinoiserie Chic


Waiting On Martha

Aren't all bamboo mirrors fabulous!?

previous Bamboo Fridays: here, here and here.