The Red House

Living Room and Dining Room Before

I have been working hard the past few weeks to get what we have been calling "the red house" in shape for a renter.  The house belongs to my in-laws and has been used for years by my brother-in-law.  But recent life events have taken him to other places and it was time for an update.  I was called in to help with paint colors and general updates for the house.  

Kitchen Before

The goal: to make it brighter and add a modern touch for a young family.  A lot of painting had to be done, ceilings and trim were painted in white and the kitchen cabinets were painted in white as well.  A dishwasher was added, the washer and dryer relocated to the garage and an island brought into the kitchen.  The biggest change was removing a bad addition to the back porch.  The house has been returned to it's original 1950's glory.  It makes me feel good that we have provided a safe and bright home for a family to enjoy.  In only 3 weeks the house has been transformed.

Dreamy Vintage Finds



These vintage Eero Saarinen Tulip Chairs with black leather seats would look so amazing with my new dining room table.

Chairs and photograph from CathodeBlue on Etsy

 

What?!! I love these!

Vintage Yellow Trays and Photograph from Lust Found Vintage

 

 

Hello Eames Lounge Chair, I mean, sort of...my husband would love you!

Plycraft Lounge Chair and photograph from Gredesign

 

 

You would be so fun in Hank's room

Painted Mid-Century Modern Dresser and photograph from The Turquoise Iris

 

 

 

I would love to hang you above our bed and say goodbye to the generic close-to-ceiling "boob" light

Mid-Century Pendant Lamp and photograph from Mid Centry Mobler

A Saturday Surprise

 

Look at what my mom got for us today!!! Eeeeekkkk!!! So excited! I've been wanting a vintage Eero Saarinen table for so long and we came across this vintage black look-a-like last Sunday. She surprised me today!!! Am I not the luckiest girl in the world?  The answer is YES.

Bright Colors, Found Ojects and Favorite Things

 

Organize a focal wall or entry space with a collection of objects and paint it a bright color.  Think of the design in three pieces. The main piece is the console table, here I used a vintage hairpin leg table. The second piece is the space above the console table, the wall space, which I filled with my growing collection of black and white photos, some are old and some are new.  The third piece is the space underneath the console, ottomans are the best for this space as they are both decorative and useful.  I can pull the ottomans out and use them anywhere around the room. 

 

 I gathered up similar objects from around my house. Glass, coral and succulents make up the majority of items. I tried for mostly green objects as a contrast to the teal wall, but ended up with one large teal statement piece as well. Black acts as the neutral that brings it all together.     
 

 

The middle photos are some of my favorites. They are original photographs of my grandfather posing with models for an eye glass marketing campaign. He was an actual salesman in the company and someone whom I never got to meet.  Since I am using a mix of old and new frames the trick is striking the right balance. The Goodwill or other thrift stores is a great place to get old frames. Look for frames with clean lines and a little texture. Stay away from anything ornate or decorative as that can look messy and be distracting.

 

 

There is so much industrial vintage out there. Start mixing it in. I love these old frogs in a rustic green metal. And a stack of design books with a lamp on top, gave me that little bit of height that I needed.

  So take your boring entry way with it's coat racks, key holders and safe wall color and give it a little pizazz.  Steal objects from other parts of your home and combine them in a different way to make them new again.  Think bright colors, found objects and favorite things.  You'll be greeted with something both lovely and functional.  

I stumbled upon a flea market AND a vintage furniture shop today, that I didn't know about. I mean really? I used to work at my friend's vintage shop in downtown Portland.  All the time people would come in and say, "how long have you been here?". I would reply "Um (I use that word too much) two years!" And I would think in my head "where have you been!".  But today, here I was saying the exact same thing, only this shop has been there for three years. Whoops! Nicole, where have you been?

I had so much fun, it was a beautiful sunny day here, warm but cool and I was there early.  Reminded me of all the flea markets I used to frequent in So Cal. Sniff. Sniff. I came really close to buying a set of 4 matching mid-century dining chairs. Really close. And then I panicked and practically ran out of the shop. I came home and came up with a new solution for my dining room.  Sooo glad I didn't purchase the chairs. But I really felt inspired by this shop, Seek The Unique.  It made me realize that I have other options for this dining room of mine. I don't have to do 4 matching chairs.  But, I have a new table, so vintage chairs would make it feel more comfortable. It's all about the balance!

Here are some photos of my dining room.  This one is with some chairs that we like to use. They swivel and are comfortable. They are just the wrong color. What if I paint them? Black legs and turquoise seats. What do you think?

 

The other thing I want to do is change the paint color again.  I picked this out while I was pregnant.  I can't stand it! And the location of the vintage lamp has to change. What do you think about a bench with the two chairs? Ok, paint the room, swag the lamp, paint the chairs, find a sweet vintage bench with lots of character and change the drapery rods.  Whew! I got some work to do!

Here is the room without the chairs, mmmm...possibilities!