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.

New House Journal: First Look at the Sunroom and Armoire

I know to some of you our "move" seems unconventional to put it mildly. Even my husband commented last night that the way we've handled this renovation and the moving process "has been weird". The reno part took far longer than we had ever considered, since we ended up having to do much more work to get things ready to move in.

(I'm laughing when I see in this photo that the little white decorative piece on top of the cupboard had fallen over. It was almost dark when I took this, and I didn't realize it until we'd already left the house, so no time to go back and redo this shot.) 

Warning: Phone Pics Ahead

A Vintage Romance

Hard to believe that it's actually February.

 I thought I just brought out the new calendar.

It looks like one more holiday will be here with no chance to decorate either house. Nothing like having 2 houses and both of them not in a place that I could put anything other than a bouquet or a box of chocolates. Which by the way, either of those would be fine with me. So instead I'm sharing some past photos for a little Valentine inspiration.

Antique Sideboard Buffet Makes a Comeback

Hi Friends! Well, we're in the stage right now where we have most of the furniture at the new house, but also a lot of boxes starting to mount up. It's exciting being this close, especially when we see rooms coming together with our favorite pieces.

Here it is with a fresh new look.