Getting Back to the Roots

My last few post have been a little hurried, and not as well thought out, in an effort to catch myself up on the last few years. However, with this post I hope to give more insight into my upcoming projects and why they are so meaningful.

As mentioned from the beginning, these pieces mostly came from my great grandparents' house on Houston Ave in Macon, Ga. I am now reading a book about that part of Macon in the 1950's and 60's called 31206: The Boys of Willingham High. To others this book may not hold the significance it does to me, but my life has recently been coming full circle with my Macon heritage. Joe McDaniel's account of South Macon has only heightened my awareness of how deeply my Macon roots are planted. It is a great read about the value of diligence, determination, love, friendship, and never forgetting where your roots are planted. 

My father attended Willingham High, and so many other family friends did as well. Reading this book is really like going back in time. To here accounts from 25 other people who describe their childhood so similarly to my own parents' perspective, really proves Macon was the enchanting, wonderful place of the stories I have been regaled with since childhood. Hubert Wheeler, minister of music and youth at Mable White Baptist Church at this time, once described to my father the era in which he grew up. Hubert said it was a time where all the right people and personalities came together to create an experience that will never again be repeated. Hubert was right. The people of South Macon were not wealthy, but they were rich in moral fiber, pride, integrity, love, and faithfulness to their churches, family, and friends. These people went on to be some of GA's most respected citizens, and I am proud to be a product of their generation.

Recently, in addition to reading this book, I have been spending a lot of time in Macon. My husband and I, along with my parents have been helping make improvements to my grandparents' home. I have even taken many of my grandmother's plants and placed them in my own garden. Macon is not just in my blood, and my house, it is in my yard as well.

Finally, my connections to Macon end with a friend, Andrea Crawford, who recently moved there to pursue interior design. She has been an invaluable resource in helping me get my old Macon relics out of the basement, and updated to be seen in the house. She has recently worked on the Macon Historic Society House, and I am thrilled to have a new Maconite, working on my Macon pieces in Macon. Please check out her website: http://www.couturehouseinteriors.com/CoutureHouse/Home.html

Here are the pieces Andrea will be re-finishing for me soon! (I cannot wait to post before and after pics)

 

 

Each of these tables came from a different house in Macon. However, they are all Macon pieces. Two are from great-grandparent's, and one from a grandparent.

 

Here are the pieces that Andrea is working to have re-upholstered.

(Note: this pink chair is not from Macon. It will be reupholstered and placed in the dining room. I purchased two of them on Craigslist for $25 each. What a steal! The owners were the neatest people. Thomas Nash is a local Atlanta painter. He is maybe best known for his portrait of Newt Gingrich in the House of Representatives http://www.thomasnash.com/making/gingrich.htm.

How wonderful it is to meet such amazing people on craigslist!?

These chairs will always be a great conversation piece. Even when they are no longer pink!

 

Finally, these are the pieces, I am going to re-do myself. My friend Ashley Brown and I have decided to make a girls day out of it soon!

 

I am excited for all the projects ahead. It is so wonderful to work with great people on pieces that mean so much! I may not live in Macon anymore, but Macon definitely lives in me!

 

Somthing Old, Something New, Something in the Kitchen's Blue!

I would now like to address the situation on the kitchen. I would say it is 90% completed. The appliances in the kitchen and the granite were great! Really, the only major changes were the backsplash and color. The kitchen is the same color as the adjoining living room, and the tray ceiling over the table is also tan like the living room. Tom Adams painted it in May of 2011. There were lots of things that needed to be ammended in the wall and ceiling. Things beyond Brandon and I's set of skills. So, Tom was necessary and did a great job! Here is the before and after shots of the kitchen.

Before

After

 

I know it may not seem like a big change. However, the blue really brings out the cabinets, and I am still looking for the perfect bar stools. Any suggestions? Also, notice the back splash change.

Before

After

 

Brandon surprised me with this change in August of 2012. The Martha Stewart tiles were on sale at Home Depot and we thought they would coordinate with the granite and the blue walls. Also, it adds a modern update to the whole house. So, in January of 2011 we purchased the tiles, and there they sat. Brandon worked with Hart Pearson, with White Tie Properties, to make this small dream a reality. I think it makes a statement and a difference in bringing this kitchen into this century.

Before

After

 

I am noticing these pictures look really dark. Could I have taken better ones? Yes! But, that would have enabled me to procrastinate further on this project, so dark pictures will have to due. Hopefully, you get the point. The point is the big difference in my interpretation of this space. The table and buffet, came from the Houston Ave. house in Macon, that my great grandfather built. It is 20's era furniture. I LOVE these pieces! They are old, but the wood is rich and full of character. The chairs that go with the this set are small. I mean tiny. Like perfect for Happy, Sleepy, Sneezy, Grumpy, Dopey, Bashful, and Doc, but not for those of us who are not animated. I have a purpose for them, more on that to come. These chairs were a wonderful find at Moore's furniture in Temple, GA. They are a great place for deals. It is just a warehouse so go ready to look, and keep your eyes peeled. You can also order. We also purchased our couch there. The window needs a treatment, and it is on the way! I will post more about it when it comes :)

 

 



The Blue Room

The Blue Room is far from being done. However, it has made progress since the time of the previous owner. I do have a lovely chair in the basement that is to be reupholstered and placed in this room. I am looking for a replacement for the ceiling fan. Yes, I know, anything would be better than what is there now. I agree. We have to be careful not to light a match in this room because the amount of shellac on this fan could set the whole house on fire.

This is the Blue Room before we moved in....

 

The blue room now. This bedding came from Williamsburg Marketplace. It is one of my favorites! Still looking for a headboard. Any suggestions? My friend Andrea of Couture House Interiors is going to refinish a pair of tables for me for the bedsides. I will post more about them as it comes.

 

I think I am going to use these fox hunt prints over the bed. The other print below will be used above the chair when it is done.

 

 

 



The Green Room

Continuing on the theme of utilizing furniture I already have, the tone for the green room was set in white. This chest of drawers I purchased for my last year of college. I combined the chest with this wicker twin bed set that was my sister's. One day, hopefully, as our family expands this room will be the first to change. I was trying to capture the retro, inspiration of my favorite designer kate spade. The green was not quite what I was thinking, but it was my first experience with colors.

This is a before shot of the "green" room, before we moved in.

 

This is the "green" room today!

 

I think this is an improvement. The pictures came from my kate spade calendar. I painted these gold frames white. The bedding is from target. The white pillows are stuffed kate spade bags. This room is not used too much, but it is great for when we have children visit!

 

Finally, the dresser I purchased for my apartment in Athens, along with the lamp. The shade came from Pottery Barn Kids. The Iris print came from home goods, and has a matching piece in the red room.

 

This book, that you cannot see really well I purchased on sale from kate spade and it is one of the best purchases I have ever made. It is the daughter of an Atlanta coke heiress who took photos of all her mother's fabulous things from the 50's, 60's, & 70's. It is called "My Mother's Clothes," and a really neat book. I especially love it because it is from Atlanta.

 

 

Wow It Has Been A While!

The possibility of me going down in history as the worst blogger in ever is really quite possible. I have been extremely negligent in my blogging. However, I have a lot of small projects underway that I am really excited about and I thought I should share! Also, my friend Andrea (who is an amazing designer) is really helping me a lot in pulling my home together in a cohesive way! I cannot wait to post her work when it is done! Here are some pictures of what the living room of the house looked like before. I am going to gradually do this room by room and catch up on the past two years of home ownership and decorating. Anyways....back to the living room.

This project began in January of 2011. We picked a stone company (whome we thought would be amazing because of their affiliation with UGA), and got started. The proecess was rocky...no pun intended. There were language barriers, damaged floors, yack, yack, yack...but eventually the job was done. Our painter, Tom Adams, did a beautiful job with the blue. He also painted the railing black. We felt the blue would tie in the granite in the kitchen with the stone. It would also break up all the warmth that was going on before (light wood floors, chesnuts cabinets, and yellow walls) was like walking into a tanning salon! The project was completed in May of 2011, and we have really enjoyed this room. It is still lacking wall art...more to come on that later! Needs another chair, and some other things, but overall the room is functional. Hooray! Here is a picture of the room IP (In Progress):

 

Oh Ceiling fan...How I hate thee! The ceiling fan was a major problem for me in this room. A.) I really hated the way it looked B.) It did very little to circulate air rendering it completely uselss. What to do, what to replace it with, where to buy??? When in doubt go to the dining room! The dining room piece was too big for the room. However, it coordinated with the kitchen light fixtures and front entryway, tying the room in with the rest of the openess of the house. Some chain and spray paint later the room had a new fixture.

Before:

After!

 

I think it made a BIG difference in the look of our home. The next few pictures I want to explain because they bring in the "antiquated" element of this post, First, this is a piano from the house my great grandfather built off Houston Ave in Macon, GA in 1920. The Piano at one time was a player, but now it has to be played manually. It still works, and has a great richness to its tone. Black was the look of elegance at this time. However, to find that deep rich, dark, wood cost money, so many saavy Southerners painted their pieces to give them a look of higher sophistication. Such is the case with this 1913 piano. The piece is heavy as sin (as some might say) and literally impossible to move. I absolutely love it and more so because of the memories I have of my Aunt Louise playing it up until 2002 when she had to move out of her beloved home. At some point I will add pictures of the piano in its first home on Houston Ave.

 

Next is a China Cabinet, that coordinates with the buffet and table in the kitchen. It is also a very dark wood, and from the same home as the piano. I am using it for books, decanters, and other things. I think it is great in this nook, and once again provides sentimental value. The friendly Antelope above it is our beloved Andy. He was shot by my father in Wyoming, and had no place to go. I love the tans and ivory of his fur against the blue wall. I always love some antlers...or horns!

 

 

Finally, these steeple chase prints were my favorite purchase of our honeymoon trip to Ireland. There should be four, but I could only find these three. I think I paid $70 US dollars for all three, and they really capture Ireland and my love of horses. They are also the only things, besides the couch and coffee table in this room that I paid anything for.

 

I am excited to be back in the bloggasphere and cannot wait to share more of my decorating adventures!

 

Oh...back to the ceiling fans...I have about six horrid awful ones that I need to replace. Any ideas on where some might be???