Paint, Paint, Paint continued...

It has been a while since I have had time to sit down and add to my blog but today is a cold and blustery day in February so time to update my blog and add some pics. I have been busy since my last blog painting and stenciling and getting my home ready for Christmas 2015. Yes, I know! It is now February 2016 but what a great time to take some time to hopefully inspire you to paint and stencil your home!

Here is my foyer after I had a chance to stencil a border around the top and sides of the walls. It took me a while to decide to paint the walls such a dark color but once I did, I knew that I would love it! I then added stencils in colors that were also bold and bright to add definition and drama to the entry into my home. This is the first thing you see when you walk into my home and I wanted to make you smile as soon as you walk in the door. Click on each pic to enlarge it in a separate window.

Make a right turn and you will see not only that picture of a young General Lafayette but you can sneak a peek up into my living room. The large country secretary in the corner filled with 18th century books and pieces of ephemera may have been found in the library of a late 18th century gentleman. Of course, this secretary is more primitive and from the early 19th century but I think it makes a statement and adds to the atmosphere that I hoped to create. The fact that I can have so many pieces of furniture in my large foyer was one reason why we bought this home. Yes, it is a late 1980's development home but the potential - even 30 years ago - was infinite! When we first walked into this home on a long day of house hunting all those years ago, we stepped on a vinyl linoleum floor and looked up the gold carpeted stairs to a living room covered in more gold carpet and bright, boring white walls. As you advance up the stairs, you will get glimpses of not only this main room but can see into my kitchen. That wall of 18th century chestnut wood draws your eye towards the back of the room and that makes it look larger than it is in reality. I know I have said this before but we were so lucky to have found this wall of 18th century wood but I just recently found out that the dealer who sold this wonderful paneling to me has passed away after a long battle with cancer. So it means even more to me every time I walk into this room. The paneling was in bad shape when we bought it with many different layers of paint on it because it was from one of the oldest homes in Amherst, NH but the back of the paneling is still unpainted and since it is nailed onto battens and not directly to the wall, we have preserved that side of the wood. I love decorating it and also that old 18th century door with its original latch. I think it also adds to the charm of the room and also gives you the mystery of what may be behind the door.

As you sweep your eye around the room, you see that large corner cupboard that raises your eye to the ceiling making the room seem even larger. When decorating for Christmas, I do not use real greens throughout my home as the resin from cut evergreens can harm the finishes on my antique furniture and will quickly begin to drop needles all over the floors. I love to decorate but also have decided in the last few years to simplify my decorations. Our idea of Christmas with our trees and ornaments only date back to the mid 1800s so I usually only decorate with greens, dried herbs and fruits, and in some instances, fresh fruit but this year decided to bow to convention and added that tall, skinny tree beside the 'door' at the end of the living room. Of course, there is a tree in my great room but that is for my grandchildren. Still no ornaments and a piece of homespun for the tree 'skirt' makes the room shine and come to life.

I've changed things again in this room and I am starting on a different idea of making it more of a woman's room by bringing my collection of early hetchels to the forefront and moving things around...again. The silhouettes have been moved to the foyer and I have added a huge early 19th century basket to my tavern table. Soon there may be a small flax wheel or other implement for working with flax on that table and the huge basket may sit on the floor under the table filled with raw wool ready for working into thread. I've also added a later 18th century ladder back chair and moved my bannister back chair to the great room (pics of that room coming soon!) This is just a first picture of what is to come but I am loving it already! What do you think? Oh! and that large game/fowl board that you see hanging over the door...it is an early 19th century Pennsylvania piece and may be in my February 2016 Update...

More pics coming soon of this corner of the living room! I am working on my great room next and may be adding some antique barn wood to the walls this spring....