Seven Things You May Not Know

About a month ago a fellow blogger, Emmie of Aspirations of a Southern Housewife, gave me a Kreativ Blogger Award. Emmie writes a wonderful blog, do stop by and check it out!

Thank you Emmie for nominating me. You need to share seven things about yourself. I tend to be a rather private person, so I have been hesitant, but here they are in no particular order.

I am an incredible procrastinator but also an over achiever/Type A personality. This causes me lots of stress in my down time but very concentrated blocks of productivity during my work time.
I am half Italian and half Portuguese, My grandparents on both sides came to America in their youth and spoke only broken English. I love my heritage. I am very expressive and passionate about life, actually about almost everything.
Of all the areas of design my favorite is kitchen design and spacial planning. I really should have been a kitchen designer; perhaps someday I can play one on TV.

I have an incurable antique furniture habit. My basement and attic are filled with furniture that will someday find the perfect home - but until then happily reside in spaces above and below where we actually live.
I love puppets. I wanted to be a Puppetry major in college but my parents thought it was irresponsible. Instead, at their urging, I entered college as Accounting major (what a laugh!)
I am a mother of two beautiful children. They are amazing people and they make me laugh everyday. I can not imagine what my life would have been like with out them.
I believe we are all connected somehow and that we need to be good to one another. I try to be a better person every single day.

I am also suppose to nominate seven other blogs for this award, but I am interested in so many blogs I couldn't possibly choose. So, if you would like to share anything about yourself, please consider yourself nominated. I would love to know more about YOU!
xx-Gina

Holiday Decorating with Antique Grainsacks

Everyone who regularly reads Willow Decor knows my love (obsession?!) with antique grainsacks. So can you imagine how excited I was when textile artist, Kym Fraser, of 3 Fine Grains sent me photos of her new Antique Grainsack Holiday Collection.
Kym transforms authentic antique German grainsacks, hessian and french jute into gorgeous pillows and throws, but what to do with the small scraps of the precious material that is left over? Well Kym has designed these extra pieces of history into the most wonderful Christmas ornaments and stockings.
Above is her Christmas star made out of French Hessian with real antique glass buttons.
Another star fabricated from a striped German grainsack.

One of my favorite designs is the Dove. This lovely little gem is made from 100 year old antique linen and an antique glass button eye.
Hanging in front of the Dove is an antique button over an antique spoon ornament.
Here's another one for that special mother in your life - (I hope my children are reading this!) Plain small hearts and large hearts are also available, as well as partridges. Kym's ornaments range from $10 to $15.
My other favorite items in Kym's Holiday Collection are her antique hessian and French jute stockings.

They come with a ruffled or striped cuff made from 100 year old antique linen. The striped stocking is $65 and the Ruffled $75. Surely Santa would appreciate these beauties and pack them full of goodies!!

Finally, an antique German grainsack finds new life as Christmas tree. Contact Kym directly for more information on this one of kind item. Notice that Kym also used jute upholstery webbing as garland for her tree. You can learn more about using jute upholstery webbing in home decor in my post here. Now here is the exciting part; contact Kym between now and December 6 and mention Willow Decor in comment line and you will receive 10% off your purchase. If you are interested in any of these items please contact 3 Fine Grains. Happy decorating!!!

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Velvet & Linen Brickmaker's Table Voting

Today starts the voting for Velvet and Linen's Brickmaker's Table Giveaway. I was fortunate to be asked by Brooke Giannetti of V&L to be part of the judging that narrowed down the choices from 170 rooms to 10 finalists. The top three rooms with the most votes will receive the Brickmaker's Table from Restoration Hardware; a gorgeous table designed by Mark Sage. If you get a chance, do stop by and cast your vote. The top ten are just a small representation of all fabulous spaces that were entered. I'd love to hear which ones are your favorites! Click here to see them and vote!

Window Blinds or Curtains

How To Make The Decision Between Blinds And Curtains For Your Windows
Author: Gregg Hall

When it comes to choosing a window covering that will meet the various needs of your rooms, there is no one formula to use or refer to. Both selections possess their own set of advantages, as well as disadvantages. Final decisions should be based upon your personal preference. After all, you are the one who is going to look at them every day.

Throughout the years, curtains have been a popular choice. You probably grew up as a child with curtains shielding your living room activities from the sun, as well as delivering a certain level of privacy. Curtains have always been known to provide a satisfying addition to room decor through the many available colors and designs. The setback with choosing to use curtains throughout your entire home is that there is no way of acquiring one pair to match up every window throughout your household.
Sometimes, curtains deliver the best option for the particular look you wish to accomplish throughout your home.

Choosing the right curtains is a must or you will be left with undesirable results. For instance, if you are dead set on putting up sheer curtains, you should know that your privacy levels have gone down a considerable amount of notches. If privacy is important to you, shades that allow you to shield yourself from outsiders may be an option for when you don't want others to be able to see into your house.

For extra privacy, select curtains that are thick. Also, when it is dark outside and you have the lights on in the house, curtains will allow others from the outside to see what is going on inside. You will also have to remove your curtains from their position, so that they may be cleaned. This helps to retain their appearance, but is often a bothersome task.

As for choosing blinds for your home, you should know that you will most likely receive a versatility look that offers a nice level of privacy. With blinds, you will also be able to enjoy the luxury of added control. For example, you can determine how much light you wish to let into your home by adjusting the length of your blinds. If it is a variety or style that you seek in your blinds, you will be disappointed. The farthest you will get in terms of style are a wide range of colors.

Maintenance of your blinds is rather easy. All that is needed is soapy water and a cloth. In minutes, a simple rubdown has them looking like new. For added style, pair blinds with attractive fabric draping or valances. This allows you to tie in the style or color scheme of a room. Often, you will find that blinds by themselves are quite unappealing. This tends to reflect a look of not being completed or poor design taste.

Sometimes, the two worlds are blended and both curtains and blinds are used for each and every window in a home. This means that you can have your privacy, as well as be able to experiment with a variety of design concepts. You will also be able to enjoy the freedom of adjusting the light within a room while matching the fabrics of your home decor. Alone, each selection has its ups and downs. Together, you may be dealing with a match made in heaven.

Article Source: http://www.content4reprint.com


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A Peek Inside a Danish Home

One of the wonderful things about having a sister in Denmark is having her share with me some of her favorite shops. She was excited to see this shop featured in Skona Hem and sent it along to me. K & CO is a wonderful antique shop in Copenhagen. The owner's home was recently profiled in the magazine. Their home is a wonderful mix of industrial and Gustavian styles. Let's have a peek.
In the entryway a console table with marble top was given a new coat of Gustavian gray paint. The iron roof decoration is a beautiful focal point and the vintage shelf makes wonderful coat rack.

The living room is an interesting mix of hard industrial lines and soft linen upholstery. The antique pedestals, lamps and desk, add interest and soften the room. The vintage clock and antique shutters above the couch are charming.
Through out the home the couple adds unique accessories that add whimsy, texture and personality to the space. Above are rusty steeple finials that once sat on a church roof.
The kitchen is a wonderful mix of stainless steel appliances, Ikea cabinets and hand worn antiques. I love the Danish hanging cupboard filled with traditional blue willow plates. Also the Tolix chairs add a wonderful feeling to this space. The owners enhanced the chandelier with antique crystals.

Part of an ancient altar screen hangs on the opposite wall of the kitchen.
The dining area also has the Tolix chairs. I love the linen pillows as chair cushions. The chandelier gives the space a bit more formality and sparkle; and the mirrors bring your eye up and open up the room. Vintage candlesticks and fluted cast iron urn add a rustic contrast.

Finally the bedroom is serene in all white. The owners collection of vintage perfume bottles and female bust in Bronze become a uniquely personal vignette.

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With such wonderful items available to them, they certainly have created a gorgeous home.
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(all photos Skona Hem)

A Pennsylvania Farmhouse

I love this time of the year in New England when the leaves have all turned and the weather is getting a bit more chilly. It's time of making apple pies and getting the wood stacked and ready for roaring fires in in the fireplace. I thought this would be a great time to share this thoughtfully restored 1840's Greek Revival Farmhouse in Pennsylvania, a two hour drive from NYC.
Paul Ochs, founder of Och Design has a passion for restoring historic homes in country, that are commutable to the Big Apple. This rural residential restoration showcases his wonderful talent and gift for returning an antique abandoned home back to its original beauty.
Paul was careful to keep as many of the original details of the home as possible. Above, the mudroom has been restored with the original plank ceilings and hemlock floor.
The kitchen was completely renovated, but the new cabinets evoke a true farmhouse feel. The countertops are bluestone that was found locally. Notice the moulding detail above the window that was enlarged to hold antique crockery.
Paul designed the farm table to seat 10. He also hung a collection of antique butter paddles as a reminder that the property was once a dairy farm.
The fireplace was added to the dining room and, because it was done so thoughtfully, it looks original. The antler light fixture in the living room is an Ochs Design original. I really like the cozy feeling in this room. The two old chests pushed up against each other create an interesting coffee table. Also notice the enhanced moulding around the windows - it creates a great shelf for displaying what looks like bittersweet branches.

The historic paint color selection creates a lovely autumn feeling in this guest suite. A black Windsor chair is a classic in any farmhouse decor. The addition of the botanical prints creates a perfect accent.

In an effort to embrace the interesting roof lines, a custom velvet headboard was created in the master bedroom.

Every farmhouse needs a chippy iron bed! The wall color in this guest room is just beautiful.

The attic was renovated to hold an artist's studio. I adore the interesting chair made from found objects.

The barn was also restored and renovated into a four car garage with a large overhead space which could eventually become an apartment or guest house. The house also sits on a bubbling stream and is surrounded by acres of undeveloped property.

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If you are interested in seeing more photos of this wonderful home, including many detailed before and afters click here. A two hour drive from NYC and you feel world's away - I can almost smell the apple pie baking!

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(all photos Ochs Design)

The Comfortable Home Winner!

Congratulations to Linda at Lime in the Coconut for winning the wonderful design book: The Comfortable Home - How to Invest in Your Nest and Live Well for Less.

Special thanks to Mitchell Gold, Bob Williams and Mindy Drucker.

Enjoy your weekend!!

Sag Harbor Really Sagg Road - Mystery Solved!!

Thanks to a wonderful reader the mystery of of Sag Harbor is solved!! Actually the true title of this home is Sagg Road and it is the the Hampton's summer home of architects Bernt Heiberg and Bill Cummings of Heiberg Cummings Design. Their home was featured in the July 2007 issue of Home and Garden.

Interestingly, this home really has many of the popular trends we are seeing now but was completed in early 2007. A great testament to the vision and design aesthetic of Heiberg and Cummings.

Here is another view of the dining area, which we had not seen. I love the mix of chairs and the mix of woods and painted pieces.

They also design furniture, and have a collaboration with the famous Hodnebo company in Norway. The corner chair is an example.

If you are interested in seeing more of their very impressive work you can visit their website at Heiberg and Cummings. Also to see the original article as it appeared in Home and Garden click here. Finally, to read another post from WD on Heiberg and Cummings, another Hampton's home and more about Hodnebo click here. Mystery solved!!