Vintage Cottage Weekend: Spring Shopping at The Vintage Peddler

Hi Friends, glad you stopped by Vintage Cottage Weekend where Amber (Follow the Yellow Brick Home) and I are sharing some fun posts and inspiration with all things "Vintage Cottage Style". Back in January I mentioned that I was on the lookout for a small table or cabinet to use in the Hearth Room. It's naturally dark in that space since it's in the middle of the house with no direct windows, and because of that it can be a bit dim and dreary cozy. The little table I was using was not very stable and really too small, but I was desperate for a table lamp to brighten up that corner.

Candlestick Lamps on the Sofa Table

I love using tabletop and task lighting to give a room a comfortable intimate feeling. In this house it's not only for the ambiance, but mostly because it's dim; ok, sometimes kinda dark. This time of year, with gray and dismal skies, doesn't help to keep things brightened up. I'm not a fan of overhead lighting because it's mostly too harsh, so I realized I needed to have some extra table and floor lamps around here. *This isn't a sponsored post, just sharing my new lamps from a great online source.

Layering Decor in the Hearth Room

We are getting furniture in place and unpacking "decor" throughout the new place, so I've been trying out ideas and moving pieces around. One of the house projects that made a big difference in looks and functionality in the Hearth Room was a beef-up of the concrete mantel. Not sure why it would have been made of concrete, but the big problem was that it was a very narrow ledge and wasn't proportionate to the size of the fireplace. You can read about that project here. The update is a huge improvement.

Out of my Comfort(er) Zone

So far in the 2& 1/2 years of living here, I've managed to get away with not showing you our Master Bedroom. There are a few reasons why I've not shared it; here are my excuses...

Side Table/ Conservatory Vignette

I'm still in the process of finding spots for some of my decor pieces. I don't have near as much space to display things as I did at the other house, so I'm thinking "rotation" might be the answer. My husband bought me this little table top "conservatory" several years ago, and it's always fun to change it out for the seasons. I had it on my hearth in the living room before, now it's taking it's turn on the little "entry hall" dresser that I use for a side table.

New Lighting for the Entry

One of the first things I noticed about our new house when it was on the market, was the lighting. How about you, do you look twice at the light fixtures?  Beautiful and functional lighting fixtures are like "house jewelry"; they add pizazz and set the mood for the spaces they're in. You can take a plain box of a room, and give it character and direction for decor with a chandelier, sconces, a pendant, and even table lamps. They can literally "light up" your rooms!

This was the Entry (below) when we first bought the house. The light fixtures, especially the one here in the Entry, were pretty much "Plain Jane". Nothing wrong with it, but it just wasn't memorable. The Entry is our chance to make a statement, and this one really didn't have much to say.

I had packed up my chandelier from our previous Dining Room, and had found a small Frenchy chandy for the kitchen, but what I really needed for this house, was Entry Lighting. I had my heart set on a lantern, but it needed to be in a dark bronze finish to match the rest of the metal accents. So I started searching the Internet to see what was available. About that time, Lamps.Com contacted me about checking out their lighting. I was thrilled because they graciously sent me this wonderful lantern, the Larkin Three Light Pendant Lantern by Kichler that made my Entry go from blah to beautiful!

(I love the illumintation shadow on the ceiling!)

Just take a look at some of the wonderful Entry Pendants and Chandeliers that are available from Lamps.Com. On trend and beautiful... and they won't break your budget! This first one is my Entry Lantern, only in brushed nickel.

Here are more great Entry Pendants and Chandeliers from Lamps.Com that are available. These are some of my favorites and most are under $300.00.

As you can see, they have so many wonderful pieces;

 something for every decor style and budget.
Here's a direct link to the Kichler Lighting page.

If you've been thinking of updating your lighting, or just want something more functional or eye catching, check out Lamps.Com. Be sure and check out the new links for Furniture and Home Decor that Lamps.Com also has for you. I have a link on my sidebar to get you there.

Stay tuned for more on my new lantern when I decorate the Entry!

Joining in at these parties:

The Scoop at Worthing Court
Show and Share at Coastal Charm
Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House
Inspire Me at A Stroll Thru Life
Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

( I was compensated for this blog post, but all the opinions are my own.)

Have you entered yet?
Then CLICK HERE

Balustrade Lamps

I mentioned a week or so back that I had found some new Balustrade Lamps. I don't really have a place for them in our current house, but I have an idea where they will be in the upcoming place. This definitely falls into the category of "good things come to those who wait"

Lamps like everything else in decor follow trends, and awhile back I realized all my lamps were really needing an update. Shade shapes are a big way to update, but my living room lamps were so tall that finding new shades that didn't break the bank just weren't happening. Over here at the new house I'm going with a slightly different look, so I've been keeping my eyes open for a pair of these.

Which by the way tend to be sort of pricey. In cleaning out my stash of "stuff" in the garage I located two actual vintage porch balusters that are very similar to these lamps, they just require the work to put them together and with everything else that's going on, that just isn't happening right now.

Anyway, I saw this pair back last fall, but couldn't justify them at full price. I just happened to come back for a visit and saw one of them with a half price tag. "Do you still have the other one?" Well, yippee, they did. So now they are waiting patiently in the studio for a more permanent spot.

Perfectly sized and with a wonderful burlap shade, 

they have just the right amount of distressing.

Since I only have a place for one, 

it's at home here in the studio on my little Italianate desk.

A few subtle touches of Spring are here. My white antique birdcage, a  vintage glove box, and one of my little lambs. I do love the warm glow that this lamp gives off in the evening; perfect for a little task lighting here at the computer.

And on a completely different note, you all know we are downsizing, and I'm having to let go of some of my furniture. My red floral sofa and the matching "chair and a half" and ottoman are going to have to find a new home. I have a Pottery Barn slipcover that you can see in the lower pic. It's not a custom fit, but does give a neutral option. (I'm hoping I can find it in all the packing confusion). The chair and ottoman also have slipcovers in a neutral twill. I hesitate to even advertise them on the blog, but thought someone might, just might, be interested before they go on Craig's List.

They are in perfect condition as we hardly ever used them. The quilt and pillows aren't included but a set of fabric matching pillows are. These would have to be picked up locally,(SW Missouri) because I'm not in a place to arrange shipping. 

Here is the chair. The sofa and chair are super comfy, but the set is pretty large. I can get measurements this weekend if anyone is interested. Remember, you would have to pick these up yourselves, as we're in the middle of this massive move. 

OK, email me if you're interested, with the tag SOFA SET.

 The set with slipcovers is very reasonable. 

REALLY reasonable. 

REALLY really reasonable.

(all the rest of the furniture is sold, sorry)

Linking with:

Sunday at Home with Thoughts from Alice

Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings

Mod Mix Monday at Mod Vintage Life

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm

Inspire Me Tuesdays at A Stroll Thru Life

The Scoop at Confessions of a Plate Addict

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Hope you're having a great weekend, 

tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and 70!

xoxo,

Summer Mantel Makeover

Do you ever get stuck in a rut? ...and you don't even realize it until you want to change something, but you don't make the change because...you're stuck in a rut. OK, that describes my mantel. I just tend to do the same old things. Well, at least I did until I started on my paint transformation a few weeks ago.

This room really causes me to be symmetrical,

you know something alike, or at least similar on either side.

my sofas, chairs, end tables, lamps...

works for me,

but can be predictable and boring.

...OK, so it's easy,

but not a good excuse.

And, I still needed out of the mantel rut.

Spray painting my small accent lamps, buying new shades,

 and then changing out the book stacks

were a good place to start.

But my light and bright obsession

and a need for something summery caused me to try some new things.

I removed the small clock that had been there,

then went on a hunt for a couple of prints that were similar,

but different.

Two vintage bird prints fit with my summer theme,

and then an old white iron doorstop for the centerpiece.

My large conch shell and two smaller ones were added in the mix.

Anchoring both ends are vintage demijohns that my husband contributed.

Actually I borrowed them from his collections,

but he agreed they fit the French feel I was going for.

One of the best bits of advice I was given during my makeover was

to remove everything from the place in question,

then try new things.

It's still "symmetrical" in here,

but at least I've changed out a few things.

Now, to just stay out of that rut!

linking up with these great parties,

links on the sidebar:

More news coming on the new weekly feature

click here for info

xoxo,