Reflections

Mirror, mirror, on the wall, which is the most elegant of them all? It is hard to decide when there are so many beautiful styles of looking glasses to chose from! Thankfully, their uses don't just stop as reminders of the inevitable aging continuum; a vintage table mirror catches the morning light and hosts an old white marble urn topped by a French theatre crown. I enjoy using this mirror to watch the sparkle of rhinestones on an old brooch I attached to a couronne captured under a cloche on my dresser. One of our best finds however, came not from an antique store, but a second hand shop in Boston. One day during one of my husband's breaks from classes at Boston University, he walked into a hole-in-the-wall storefront and spotted the mirror that now welcomes our guests in the small but elegant foyer. He bought it for a very good price, not realizing that the genuine marble shelf and iron brackets were included. The length and grandeur of this piece doesn't take away from the small foyer, but rather adds significance to the little room. I try to keep the colors light and just embellish with muted colored hydrangeas. Our half bath is small as well, but the walls are light with only a touch of lavender color in the soaps and bath salts to set off the gold in the reproduction mirror I found in Manchester-by-the-sea, Massachussetts. I particularly like the detail on the top piece of this mirror. A gilded mirror that I rescued from being thrown in the trash sits inside of my faux fireplace as it reflects the large tapestry on the opposite wall; it is one of my favorite castles in France, Azay Le Rideau.




Mirrors are a great canvas to reflect, and embellish your treasures. When you look into your mirrors, what possibilities do you see? Creators of beauty I hope! Have a splendid day.

New Kid on the Blog

I'm a new kid on the blog, but you've made me feel like an old friend! Thanks to those of you for welcoming me into the circle of kindred spirits and world of decorating. You all are so talented and your kind words have encouraged me to continue seeking better ways to capture the moments that make art and beauty a part of daily living. I look forward to connecting with you and reading your thoughts, sharing ideas and learning from people who know how to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. I will be back this weekend with more ideas and updates on the slow but surely developing tile shower at The Little House on the North East Side of Town!

Bon nuit mes amies! Anita

Fit for a Queen

I love chandeliers. And they're more fun when you find them at a salvage like the one hanging in my kitchen. About 10 years ago when we finally tackled la cuisine, we removed a ceiling fan from the space that is now graced by this Italian gold gilt chandelier. I don't know how old the piece is, but it is vintage and it gives a chateau feeling to my little cottage hearth. During noon time, the sun shines through my leaded glass window (that story will be another post). The light bounces off the crystals and the Silestone counter tops and throws tiny little mirror lights onto the walls. It is magic. This table chandelier in my living room is one of three table lamps that I found at a local antique shop, each for under $120.00. The base is real marble, the crystals are vintage and I made the lampshades to soften the light. The other two table chandeliers are in my bedroom; one on my boudoir and the other on the inside of my beautiful faux fireplace. All three of them appear to be from the same era, maybe 1940s. The chandelier in our dining room is from a local home improvement center that again, cost under about $150.00. This particular piece however, has endured some of my embellishments, as you can see. A Christmas ornament given to me by one of my students serves as the main bauble hanging from the center. Small lampshades mute the bright lights hanging over what I prefer to be an intimate dinner for entertaining rather than an interrogation room! We have plans for this dining room; the wall where the tapestry is hanging will have a 6-7 foot wide arched door spilling into a 18 X 18 family room with beams and French doors facing out to our garden. That dream will hopefully come to fruition when our economy bounces back....My photos don't do justice to the flicker of the little bulbs from my fireplace chandelier. In the early hours of morning or the late moments of midnight, this corner of the upstairs is a perfect place to sip a cup of tea, think and rest. The lamp on my boudoir fiercely throws gentle flickers of light in all directions. It is a small world of dreams, but a large canvas of possibility to create beauty and inspiration for decorating madness! Happy decorating to you all!

Something's Cooking!

Being a teacher, I am off today for Martin Luther King day. It is cold and snowy outside and the ideas are brewing in my mind. This was also a weekend of culinary creativity; I took the time to slow roast a turkey, basking in what Latinos call sofrito. Specially herbed roasted potatoes and tender greens accompanied a tender, melt-in-your mouth bird and dessert was a simple cluster of luscious, green grapes and a chocolate peanut butter pastry. Knowing that we didn't have to rise early, we enjoyed playing our guitar and harp, watched movies, and took time to slowly ponder our next projects. A couple of months ago on Fete et Fleur, Nancy displayed a beautiful photo of an antique French puppet theatre. I fell in love with it not only for its exquisite vintage character, but for what it stood for. Being a former dancer and theatre major and now a French teacher in a French immersion school, I am well acquainted with the fine craftmanship and love that the French put into their work. Love for childhood memories, art and literacy are predominant in French life. Le monde des enfants or better yet, the world of children, is a magical place that I have never left nor do I want to part. Theatre plays a star role in my instruction of reading and writing, and any thespian artifact, especially made with care and beauty, attracts my eye. I have never seen such a puppet theatre here in the states or during my travels to France, but this hasn't stopped me from dreaming. The following photos display some trinkets and embellishments that I think would go well to construct my own French puppet theatre. What do you think?

I found an inexpensive shadow box that I thought I would paint white. The vintage tin trim is from a very talented friend that has the best taste and ability to decorate that I have ever seen. The small portrait of a French aristocrat would serve as a center piece at the top of the theatre. However, I think that this shadow box may be too small. This might be a shared project with my husband! About a year ago, we purchased a wide-screen digital flat T.V. My husband who is as decor-minded as myself, did not want to just hang this modern piece of technology in the midst of what we consider old-world. The creative juices started to flow. At first, we thought we could hang a tapestry over the beast and just draw it back when we wanted to view it. Tapestries are too heavy, so we chucked that bright idea! Then, we both came up with the same thought after having looked in magazines. The wooden valances that sometimes are used to grace drapes and curtains would serve as an encasement for the T.V. Not being able to find one to fit our demands, my husband made one himself and I painted it. We attached a soft curtain to it and here it is:
After he constructed it, friends came by and asked us why we had a puppet theatre in our living room! We gleefully drew the curtains to show them what it really was for. They were impressed. So, maybe my crafty husband can show me how to nail a couple of pieces of wood together and I can do the rest! My strength is embellishing what someone else has already made, so my little project will have to be put on hold since this time of year is quite busy for teachers. But thinking about the possibilities and hunting for scraps of potential details is part of the fun. An artist is never finished!

It's Here!

One of many lovely gifts that my husband gave me this Christmas is finally hanging up in it's rightful place. The above photo is not the best shot to show the rich texture of this lovely piece, but I wanted to share with you the type of museum quality artwork that we are trying to display in order to achieve the old world look. Oil paintings with this type of character are not easy or affordable to come by, but here at Castles Crowns and Cottages, we aim to create "the look" while staying within our budget. My husband surprised me this year however, during our famous holiday soiree, where just him and I stay tucked in to cook and eat a French dinner, watch movies all night and then wait like two little children for midnight to ring in the festivities. It's just us, and really life is short; why not spoil each other from time to time! This painting is one of two that we have ordered to be custom painted from an on-line company. You can ask them to paint anything, and they will do it. The prices are reasonable, well under five hundred dollars, and will vary according to the size. The frames are fun to hunt for; places where we find them range from famous chain craft stores to literally someone's trash. Really! In the next photo above, you will see the beautiful faux fireplace mantel in our loft bedroom that my husband crafted for me for our 25th wedding anniversary.
See the mirror that I set on the inside in order to catch the reflection of the dancing flicker lights? I found it one dark, early morning on someone's front yard's trash heap with a sign saying, "Free-take"! It is in perfect condition for being a vintage piece. Anyway, my oil painting above arrived in the mail, rolled up in a protective tube, and that is how I received it on Christmas Eve. We immediately went to the framing department of our local super craft store and had them frame the canvas. Within 10 days, it was ready. My husband is very talented and decided for our next painting, he would stretch the canvas on the frame himself. That could save us from $100-$150. Our latest find has been at the mega-mall, however. Unfortunately, like many establishments these days, one particular store is going out of business, so they are getting rid of everything at reasonable prices. The following photo (please click on it to see up close) shows a faux oil painting that we purchased for the frame only; when we order another custom painting, we will use only the frame of this piece. These styles of frames, if purchased at a frame shop are usually custom made and can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars. This one cost $54. When we lived in Massachusetts years ago, we frequented a little book shop in Marblehead where we would walk out with vintage books, a-buck-a-bag treasures, or old children's books. One in particular book was loaded with a heap of old etchings of castles, fairies and other magical delights. We gingerly tore out the pictures from the books, and now have a file of images that we plan to frame. One of my favorite is the following fairy; her elegantly rumpled clothing and whispy locks whisper childhood fantasies of mysterious forests and woodland creatures. The added glitter that I applied gives a delicate sparkle by candlelight. About 95% of the artwork in our home has been put together by one of us. What is fun about the whole thing, is that no one else has the exact same artwork. We tweak what we find, or create it ourselves, and there is the satisfaction. The next image shows a small tapestry that I found at a fabric outlet in Salem, Mass. years ago. I sewed a boarder and hoops around it and ran a small iron curtain rod through it. My husband made the two tall birdhouses on either side and cut a little window out of the smaller one on the right. Every night I light up my display in order to enjoy the silhouette of these little dwellings, and with battery powered candles, I know I can dose off with no worries of real candles posing any threats. Even though I use this type of lighting, I do try to keep the look as authentic as I can by using materials such as

iron, wood, stone, crystal, velvet, copper and other classic materials. I stopped using plastic or what I would consider "modern" elements, because in order to get the look of an old European cottage, plastic or even bright colors just haven't worked for us. Muted colors and verdant scenes in paintings are really key in communicating this sense of charm, but whatever makes you happy and promotes a peaceful environment in your living space is really what you should follow.Well, it is time to shut off the lights here at the Little House on the Northeast Side of Town. Stay posted to see the development of our new bathroom and maybe, just maybe, my other Christmas surprise present will be here. Here is a hint: It is being built in Chicago at Lyon and Healy, and it makes an angelic sound. A la prochaine!

Raison d'etre

Many thanks to my beautiful and talented sister-in-law from Fete et Fleur who has graciously opened her home site to introduce me to the rest of you marvelous bloggers. I have been following Fete et Fleur and many other artists who have inspired me to join the community. I would like to take this time to explain the moniker of Castles Crowns and Cottages. The sometimes quaint, fairytale-like structure of European chateaux evokes a sense of wonder that I have never lost. The thick, sturdy walls echo centuries of history and the timeless beauty of limestone fireplaces and turrets have stood and will continue to stand after I am gone. Elegance is born with age in a castle, a comfortable elegance if you will, that invites you to fearlessly plop down on an old velvet couch. Rooms with quasi-worn wooden or stone floors seem to say, "Entrez, s'il vous plait" and well-equiped copper clad kitchens sparkle against the backdrop of rough-hewn tiles.

Crowns are a passion of mine. My collection spans from rhinestone tiaras and homemade diadems to antique French crowns that once graced the heads of church saints. I prefer the muted golds of the latter with an occassional missing stone. Cottages are inviting, warm and a more attainable look to achieve. These humble dwellings as well command a second look, a sigh of admiration and they call us to relax, reflect and enjoy the moment.

Castles Crowns and Cottages is a place where I would like to chronicle our journey as homeowners on a budget. So many looks are possible when you dream, pull your resources together and take the first step. There is nothing like the satisfaction of knowing that you did it all on your own and that there is a little bit of your heart in each deliberately placed plant, carefully pruned tree and handmade structure. Thank you for welcoming me and happy decorating!

Pygmalion

Since I was old enough to flip through a book and study the images, I became fascinated with the story of Cinderella. At a young age, I was able to grasp the concept of transformation and to this day, I still look at furniture, homes and even my own image as that of something undergoing constant transformation from the dull and uninteresting to elegant and beautiful. In the following photos, you will see how my husband and I have begun to apply our vision of a Provencal style bath to our main bathroom. In the photo on the left, the existing and useless bathtub were demolished. The walls were an outdated pink and the medicine cabinent was one of those all-in-one jobs with the lights on the side. The counter took up too much needed space. My husband took a sledge hammer, donned a helmet and goggles and swinged away. The picture on the right shows how he constructed a custom wall with my specific instructions for an arched door. The space that was once occupied by the tub is now going to be a 3X5 walk-in shower. This project started in 2006 but had to be put on hold until 2008 due to doctoral dissertations and other priorities. In the last photo, you will see how he built the permanent walls and how it is starting to look like something beautiful! He has done all the plumbing and the construction himself. We did however, hire an excellent tile man who is now in the process of tiling the interior of the shower with a beautiful rough-hewn limestone-esque porceline tile. Off to work I must go, but I will keep you posted on The Little Brick House on the North East Side of Town. Au Revoir!

How fair is a garden amid the trials and passions of existence
-Benjamin Disraeli

The little brick house was in desperate need of a face lift and landscaping as well. After many attempts and failures to capture the "French garden look", I settled on using textures and different shades of green to evoke the sense of peace I had wanted to emulate. What seemed like endless searches on the web for French gardens, resulted in the discovery of an exquisite place in Southwestern France that exemplified the mood I yearned for. On a trip to France in 2001, we stayed in the Perigord Noir but just missed this charming place by several miles during our excursions. With undulating patterns of boxwood hedges, the gardens at Marqueyssac speak volumes of peaceful silence. I had already started planting boxwoods in 1999 and had great success. To this day, these hardy bushes thrive and faithfully billow out tender lime-green shoots every Spring. However, the now lush garden that you see in the first photo started out as a muddy wasteland of despair. When we first laid eyes on our potential dream-house in December, we were not able to fully inspect the snow-laden backyard. When we moved in July, to our chagrin we were faced with a muddy wasteland of a nightmare. As you can see in the next shot, the very same location in the backyard as the first photo, required visionary eyes.
The men in the picture bravely cut down a large and sickly silver maple and an ash tree the first week we moved in. The mud problem was resolved but then we were left with ugly patches of grass and dirt. After months of contemplating, searching and making trips to various garden shops, the journey began. Our little garden may not be the most impressive one you have seen, but "How fair is a garden..." and to me, the garden at The Little House on the Northeast Side of Town envelops me with joy ...amid the trials and passions of existence."

Once upon a time

Once upon a time there was a Little House on the Northeast Side of Town...
When we first saw this house, I was not impressed. Although I had wanted to purchase a stone, brick or stucco home, this little brick dwelling was lacking the old world character that attracted us to the area in the first place. Our city is dotted with charming vintage homes dating from the 1920s, an era when storybook homes were the rage. Our 1941 structure however, just happen to miss the boat to fairy land and hopped on board the next ship right on the cusp of post-war sensibilities. No fireplace, one small bedroom, no formal dining room, and a loft area that serves as a bedroom or in the summer, if you will, a hot house for growing tropical plants, left us unenchanted.

Within a minute of stepping inside however, we were changed. Hardwood floors, coved ceilings, glass door knobs and most of all, good structure, we knew that for the money, we had a potential winner. My husband's love for Carmel-by-the-sea landscape and architecture and my appetite for French countryside design were fused into one idea that day, and the results of our vision have been slowly unfolding. With the exception of the tiling that is now taking place in our newly renovated bathroom, my husband has crafted all the embellishments and transformations by hand that you will see in the following early photos.

Here he is on the left in our garage in 2003, constructing one of two overhangs. As you can see to the left of the photo, he had already pumped out three sets of shutters and an arched gate with cut-outs of our personally designed family crest that you can see in the photo below. Please click on images to enlarge.





Slowly, the house was becoming a cottage, a Hobbit-like structure that spawned more ideas. It has taken us from 1997 to the present to apply all of the elements that have changed this house into our home, and it has always been our goal to keep the costs within our budget. Patience, creativity and hard physical labor have made the difference not only in our home projects, but in how we are approaching our careers and the inevitable aging process. The following quote by Albert Camus encourages me to embrace the process rather than merely focusing on the product:

Life is not a destiny,
It is a journey.
If you stay on that journey
You will have success.

Come back to continue the tale of the Little House on the Northeast Side of Town and don't forget to enjoy your journey. May you have great success!

Decorating is my cup of tea. Since childhood, I have looked at rooms with a critical eye and visions of torn down walls replaced by french doors inviting you into expanded spaces or customized fireplaces. While proposing such projects, my father would just look down at his little girl, laugh and move on. These days, my husband is the lucky recepient of my audacious ideas. He shares however, my vision of making something beautiful out of what you have and the journey has been a lesson on what you can do on a budget and imagination, not to mention a lot of hard work and time. I dedicate this first posting to my beloved husband of almost 27 years who has willingly and lovelingly created my dream cottage. Merci bien mon cher et je t'aime de tout de mon coeur. Anita

Bonne Annee!

Wishing everyone a successful and happy new year.