The Makings Of A Great Beach House

I am always nervous on installation day, maybe neurotic is a better description. I can't sleep the night before, I have crazy dreams about things not fitting, colors all wrong, customers hating me, and on and on and on...... Then the day comes and we start with the room above, and the rooms below
It wasn,t that they were not pretty, just that they did not look like the shingled classic beach house it should be.
The fireplace just has to go.
We paint, ceilings too.
We decorative paint ( not finished yet)
Present the customers with design boards. Plan ,plan , and more planning.

Re design the fireplace, ( Thank you David Ramsey Cabinetmakers)

Place the orders, wait, wait and wait, and the delivery truck comes. WILL IT FIT!!!!!!

And I am loving it, why was I scared, that's silly, it always works. It's in the planning???? The space is really coming together, we still need the rest of the window treatments, art for the walls, and a few straggling pieces of furniture that are back ordered. It is the perfect Beach house. My best compliment- my client said she wants to spend time there now, it finally feels like home.



O.K. yes, I painted the stone fireplace. Everyone thought I was crazy, and I have to admit I doubted it myself a few times. But doesn't it look great!!! It's the perfect backdrop for the blue leather chairs, and Eddy West artist finish table.

Everything is kid friendly in this house. It is a vacation home with lots of grandchildren running about. All the furniture is slip covered from Lee Industries in sunbrella indoor, outdoor fabrics. The carpets are also indoor, outdoor. So go ahead kids bring the peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the living room.
Missing are the cocktail tables, and end table
Can't wait till we are 100% finished and I can show you the final design. But we are getting there. And I was worried!

Ooh - La'- La' A French Antique Shop

Always on my way home from Maine I try and discover a few new unique shops. That's why my 10 hour trip becomes 15. The winner this year was The Marston House. My friend Jan knew of this special place as she had talked with the owner Sharon Mrozinski last year about her rental apartments in Provance. ( Yes I want to go there too!) It's hidden down a very green side walkway behind their bed and breakfast house.(I already feel like I am in France) with painted ladders, garden urns and just fun stuff.
But what's inside inspired me to run home and redecorate my house !!! I just love the simple clean design of linen, pottery, glass and common objects as art.






Doesn't this want to make you throw out half your picture frames and stack them in a bucket.


Where are my baby shoes?



I wish this shop was near me so I could investigate the selection of antique ribbons and tapes. Would these not make a fabulous trim on linen drapery panels. How about as a border in a picture frame, or on shams or decorative pillows??? I want them all.
Talk about antique textiles...... I purchased this mans pheasant shirt from the 1800 hundreds, It of course has been dyed this luscious color ( I think it was just for me as we know orange is my favorite) It is adorable on, Can't wait to pare this with brown leggings and little flats in the fall. I was a little nervous about the care of a 100 year plus dress, but Sharon said just throw it in the washer its linen it last for ever!!!!!

Why did I just throw out an old pair of scissors??


A better photo of this metal bed is on Marstons web site. I love the color.


The collection of antique textiles was amazing.





I fell in love with these old dyed linen napkins. I only regret what I did not buy.

So if you are ever in Wiscasset Maine please treat yourself to this inspiring shopping experience, or do as I am as soon as I finish my blog- and jump on to their web site. ( I do need those napkins) Bonne Journe'e or have a nice day

Back From Monhegan Island

This is the door I walked through.

This is the view I saw.
All-right now, I think I can be content for two weeks!
Our house Little Frost was charming. It makes me love using stuff in decorating. I think this level of comfort can only come from layers of books, loved objects, mementos, and time worn furniture. We felt right at home. I wanted to explore every nook and crannies of this house and imagine what the owners were like. It inspired me to do several watercolors and interior sketches of the home, also lots of pictures for studio paintings later. I understand, and like contemporary clean style and often wonder if it would be freeing for me. But this is the look I am meant for.





Of course by the end of the week we did a little rearranging of of the shelves and mantle. Just can't stop working.


Plain simple and beautiful.



The paint on the old doors was amazing, just layers of living shinning through.

The sunsets were magnificent, we could have painted at the house all week and never ran out of material.
The dinners were pretty good too.
Every where you look on Monhegan there is a painting. This is a Wyeth home.
Most houses have no electricity or limited solar power, so forget the hair and clothes dryers. I think this wash day shot will turn into a fine painting.
The second week we said goodbye to Little Frost and moved on to -
This view!!!!!
The Hudson Mason house was considerably smaller, and far more rustic. But charmed us and inspired us just as much.
It was nestled down a pretty path, away from others.





It was meticulous and clean with little notes of comfort from the owners.
This is truly my cabin in the woods.



There were beautiful paintings tacked up between the studs. I think the original owner was an artist named Poole, who was and early painter on Monhegan.

Good by Monhegan
Good by little house.