Monday, September 6, 2010

The Bungalow, Part I.

Thanks to Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for hosting her weekly meme, "Metamorphosis Monday."  I'm excited to join the party.

My precious daughter and son-in-law are both professional musicians.  KC is an independent singer-songwriter, and they travel much of the time.  They are "starving artists" in the true sense of the word.  They recently leased a small craftsman bungalow in one of our city's historical neighborhoods.  She invited me to join them the day that they viewed the house.  It was clean, well-built, old, and in my mind....terminally D.R.A.B.  But in her always creative way, KC had a vision.  I thought that I would share the dining room with you today.  I'll deal with other rooms in future postings.  So-o-o-o, the day that we looked at the house, I pulled out my phone camera, and here's what we found...

But not for long..KC and David went to work with their paint buckets, and in amazingly short order, they layered the walls with her favorite colors and filled this tiny house with furniture that has been well-loved by her family for generations...

Come on in!  KC and David love to entertain...wonder where that characteristic came from?  The first thing that they chose to do was flip-flop the layout of the public rooms:  the living room became the dining room, and the dining room became the living room.  KC wanted to use the craftsman glass front cases to store some of her china and entertaining goodies...do you see a pattern developing here?  She loves her light fixtures, and they travel with her wherever she lives.  The table and chairs were painted by her loving mom...that would be me.  The table originally belonged to Great-Aunt Dorothy.  Sweet Mr. and I used it as our dining table when we were first married, 42 years ago; and now it resides with KC and David.

Do you notice the lace panels covering the wonderful old craftsman windows overlooking the front porch?  They once belonged to our Precious Nana, KC's great-grandmother.  Sweet Mr. offered KC an old cardboard box that was left over after we cleared oh so many things from his mom's home.  She accepted the box, and this is but one of the treasures that rested within that unassuming box.  There are seven of these circa 1920 lace panels, enough of them to use for window coverings each time that they have moved to a new home.  She attaches them with push pins, and then she covers the pins with a variety of vintage clip-on earrings.  She calls it her "window jewelry."  I think that they are spectacular, and I love that they were made during the same period as the historic homes in which KC and David prefer to live.  Thank you, Nana, once again!

I am by no means an authority on lace, but I think that this is called "tape lace."  The Spode, "Blue Italian," is one of KC's everyday patterns.  The bowl is filled with antique and vintage handkerchiefs that have been stitched into small bags filled with potpourri.

A pair of mantle lamps flank two Parisian watercolors that belonged to KC's Great-Aunt Ida.  Ida brought the paintings back from Europe in the 1950's.  KC refuses to reframe them; she adores the history that the well-worn frames represent.  She has the beginning of a collection of colored glass containers to reflect the sunlight as it streams through the two windows flanking the fireplace.  That's a picture of KC's brother and sister-in-love, with their two precious little boys.  KC and David absolutely adore their nephews...I'm pretty partial to them, too!

You can never have too much storage space for your dishes, crystal, and silver.  We found these pieces  for KC and David shortly after they were married.  The Welsh Dresser was bought in a used furniture store for $125.00, and the Queen Anne buffet was a garage sale find for less than $100.  I painted and distressed them in the colors that KC wanted.  They have made it possible for her to always have her lovely things at hand, ready to use...such a blessing.

Can you see the plates, stored vertically, on the right side of the dresser?  I designed those for KC before she was married.  Each of the 12 plates is different.  I am honored that she still enjoys using them and likes to display them.  The next time that she uses them for a tablescape, I'll grab some pics of them to share with  you.

The pen and ink drawing was another treasure found in that old cardboard box.  It once belonged to Nana.  KC is a wonderful steward of her family's things.  She doesn't seem to care when something is a bit worn, a little tired; she believes that its history gives it value.

So, that's the tour.  I think that KC and David are ready to welcome their friends into their home.  Some night that might mean a jam session for their musician friends or a few of their fans.  

You can check out KC's music at www.kcclifford.com, on iTunes, and on YouTube.  I hope that you'll take a few minutes and give her a listen.  Her latest CD is called "Orchid."

I am linking to Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for her weekly meme, Metamorphosis Monday.  Click the button below to link to all the wonderful bloggers who are participating in Susan's party this week.

center>




Entertaining Women
Entertaining Women

Hello, I'm Cherry Kay I was 40 before I realized that I am an artist. I love to paint, work in clay, rubber stamping, design tablescapes, entertain, and share ideas. I'm an interior designer wanna-be...no credentials, but lots of experience.

18 comments:

  1. It's a gorgeous bungalow. I really enjoyed the tour. Thank you for showing us.

    Have a wonderful week.
    ~Melissa :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. How wonderful! I love the style of the bungalow and the way they have decorated it! You did a fabulous job on the shabby furniture redo! And I love the plates, of course. I scrolled down and took a peek at some of your tablescapes...divine! Thanks for the link to your friend's blog! I am going to check it out! I hope you had a great Labor Day weekend!...hugs...Debbie

    ReplyDelete
  3. Super great photos. And I love... love the fireplace.

    ReplyDelete
  4. A very pretty dining room -- such a great change!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow, I love it! I definitely see YOU in there too! I love all the family things in there and such personality! Love those Duncan Phyfe chairs too! It's a beautiful house and they done a great job!

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a difference! It's a great house and a job well done!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ah, I see that daughter inherited her mother's eye for design! I personally think the bungalow style is beautiful right down to the bones. What your daughter has done so far, especially her use of things from her Nana's treasure box, is just perfect for those bones.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love how it all turned out. That distressed look along with the chandelier is just gorgeous! Blessings... Polly
    Counting Your Blessings &
    French Cupboard

    ReplyDelete
  9. Clearly mom has shared her decorating and entertaining talents with KC. Everything looks just perfect for her bungalow. I like that she carries her treasures with her wherever she goes. (especially the light). I know you must be proud of her.

    Would love to see a tablescape with her dishes.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh, wow, the bones of this house just needed a little love to shine! The fireplace and the built ins would have had me hooked too.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thanks to everyone for the kind comments. They are a wonderful encouragement for KC and David. Denise, I did a post on a tea party that KC hosted in their last home. I hope that you enjoy it...http://www.entertainingwomen.com/2010/08/heritage-of-tea-time.html

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh, it looks like a home filled with warmth and love. I think you are so lucky to have a child that wants to keep the family treasures. My daughter wants a few things, but living in Orlando...she may always be in apartments or condos...and my son could care less about "things" like that. I have no idea what will happen with all of our family pieces that have passed through generations.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh, how fun! I really enjoyed touring this darling home! She has done a marvelous job decorating! I'm so glad she likes and uses her Nana's dear things! The lace panels are beautiful, love the window jewelry! I'm glad she holds onto her chandys! Love them!

    Now I'm off to see the tea party!

    Katherine

    ReplyDelete
  14. wow! what a great space, and great home. love the character in that domed fireplace!

    thanks so much for stopping by the cape on the corner, and for your comment on my coaster redo. i think the idea behind irma's is so fun and unique! thank you so much for sharing it with me!

    ReplyDelete
  15. That bungalow has been turned into a beautiful and cozy home. I love how she has used the old lights and panels that she carries from home to home. Love the shot with the decanters and the old print.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Beautiful transformation! I just love her dining hutch and sparkly chandy! So pretty! They have done a wonderful job creating a warm and inviting space!

    ReplyDelete
  17. What an adorable place...and what KC has done in settling in with her unique style is fabulous!
    I, too, love helping my adult daughters cozy up their nests and love to see the facets of style they incorporate...some influences from me and some uniquely their own!
    Have a beautiful weekend~
    ;-D Kathleen

    ReplyDelete
  18. I love that they decided to use the dining room for living and the living room for dining. I've done that in previous houses and it really livens up the home!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for spending your time to leave a comment. I read each and every one of your generous thoughts. They encourage me in so many ways.

Follow Me on Instagram