Breakfast Area Gets A New Look

TGIF, everyone ... hope you all have fun plans for the weekend!

 

Recently, we finished a mini-facelift to our breakfast area (you're shocked, I'm sure).  My goal?  To create more of a "French Country" feel.

 

So, here is what our breakfast area looked like this time last year:

Annnd, here it is today!  First, our walls were painted Manchester Tan.  Then, we added a new farmhouse table ... beautiful French Country chairs that I painted (AS Pure White) and stained the seats (Walnut).  We also lowered the chandelier.  A new rug was in order, too.  I love the one that Karianne (from her fabulous blog, Thistlewood Farm) has in her kitchen, and she was kind enough to share where she bought it (Home Decorators) ... thanks again, Karianne! 

I later decided to add "Bessie Mae" (from our dining room) on top of the new rug.

 

We also added microfiber parsons chairs to the heads of the table for added interest, along with French down pillows (from Home Goods).  Annnd, I simply couldn't resist the beautiful fabric that you now see framing the windows.  Afterall, it *does* tie in nicely with the chairs and pillows ... right, right??

 

 

We also had fun with the dry bar, too, by adding beadboard to the backsplash:

A few Fall embellishments were in order, too:

 

 

We're really enjoying the new look!  Eventually, we plan on adding two more French Country chairs OR a bench ... decisions, decisions! 

 

As always, thanks so much for stopping by ... have a great weekend!

I'm linking up with:

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia/Tuesday's Treasures
Coastal Charm/Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
A Stroll Thru Life/Tabletop Tuesday
Savvy Southern Style/WUW
Kristen's Creations/Share Your Creations
French Country Cottage/Feathered Nest Friday
At the Picket Fence/Inspiration Friday
2805/Potpourri Party
Thrifty Decor Chick/Before and After Party
No Minimalist Here/Open House Party

 

Becca

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Hepplewhite ShieldBack Chairs

Oh how ugly and worn out these chairs came into my possession!


But I have given it away on what I did to them, haven't I?

I didn't want to paint them because...



These chairs are Antique Hepplewhite Shield-back solid mahogany chairs!










But, I didn't want to strip them and one of the chairs had a broken shield back and I knew I couldn't fix it to where it wouldn't be noticed with

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I WON a world map mural!

I won a world map wall mural from Stuff and Nonsense and was able to gift it to my daughter for her first home. Actually, it came from Wallpapered.com in London and there was a $60 shipping charge that the original winner didn't want to pay. So she offered it to me, the second winner! I put it up today on the wall behind my daughter Lisa's sofa and I think it looks great!




You may see some

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Minnesotan Ganesh Chaturthi....

I was overtaken by a huge wave of 'festive nostalgia' as I posted a photograph of our last years eco-friendly Ganesha on Facebook this morning. Instead of basking in it too long I decided to celebrate my favorite God and festival the Minnesotan way!

Rummaging through drawers I found a small packet of sandalwood powder tablets that I seem to have brought from India along with few incense sticks.

Thus in the late afternoon today in my kitchen I decided to mould my dear Ganesha with fragrant sandalwood powder, turmeric and water and captured the process to share with all of you.

The paste took form gradually...

...and a pebble forms His throne.

Peppercorns and cloves...

Vibrant colours enhance the features...

I 'paint my prayers' on a pebble and offer it to the Lord.

In the absence of my favorite Frangipanis I offer Him flora from here, a few pine cones, acorns and grass from my front yard.

Wishing all of you a very Happy Ganesh Chaturthi from Minnesota! May Lord Ganesha remove all your obstacles and shower his blessings on all of you!

P.S. The readers who entered in the Artnlight Blog Anniversary Giveaway, do stay tuned as Vineeta Nair announces the winner on 19th September, 2012.

(Images by Arch)

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The Cottage House, Minneapolis.

Our quest for finding the right kitchen table for our new home has yielded in some delightful treasures.

The Cottage House on Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis is one such.

Every month they open only for a couple of days unraveling some amazing vintage finds under different themes. This month it is French Country.

 The Cottage House owned by Ted & Tim has a team of designers who refurbish antique and vintage finds.

Funky yellow chairs hang from trees...

Chrysanthemums bloom along with whimsical metal blossoms...

Iron flower pot holders.

I stopped in my tracks at the entrance of The Cottage House when I saw this beautifully hand-painted floor poster  about Squashes.  I got to know later that Ted hand-paints the floors every month with different themes!

Ms. Ellie Rose English.

The peeling paint on the ceiling and the golden hue of the lit chandeliers was alluring...

The wooden shutters so reminded me of Calcuttan homes back in India.

This was one serene corner in the house.

Salvaged painted iron window grills.

Yes. Something I completely believe in.

It's a treasure trove for magical garden accessories.

Hand-painted brick flooring and a basket full of vintage crockery.

I longingly stood in front of this huge framed blackboard for a while and promised to come back soon for it:-)

A wonderful sunny Sunday spent in a delightful 'home decor market' called The Cottage House.

Do check out their website for their upcoming sale for October. You can also keep updated on their Facebook page 

(Images by Arch)

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Birthday Honey-Do's

I recently had a birthday (Sept. 3) and the best part was not the gifts but what my hubby said to me...

"Hon, I'm all yours today!"

I knew that meant what whatever I wanted him to do, he would. And he knew that I had some projects in mind. You see, I am afraid of the table saw and needed him to cut some wood for me. I also wanted to beef up a fireplace mantel. So let's start with that!

We had

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Fun with Chairs

I just wanted to share a couple of changes going on around our crazy home!

 

Not too long ago, I shared a picture of two beautiful French Country chairs that I was thrilled to finally find!  I got them at a very reasonable price because they weren't stained or painted ... that was going to be *my* job (eek)!

 

 

Sooo, I removed the seats, got out my AS Pure White and clear wax and went to town painting, distressing (just a tad) and waxing.  I then stained the seats with two coats of American Walnut and then added two coats of polycrylic (so that they match our new table that I look forward to showing you).  Here's what they look like today (and, something tells me that I'll be adding a coat of a different paint color on top sometime):

 

 

The other little change is going on in our dining room.  You may remember that I shared this fun, French script fabric with you all:

 

 

Our six dining chairs have since been recovered (thanks to my sweet neighbor, Christy), and now, they look like this:

 

 

LOVE! 

 

I can't wait to share more with you all ... thanks so much for stopping by!

 

Becca

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