It's the Little Things

Every woman I know loves beauty for the simple sake of beauty. Something need not be practical, logical, nor have a specific purpose—other than to be pleasing to the eyes, of course—to be considered beautiful…or, at the very least, pretty.   ; )

For me, it's the little things I surround myself with—things that make me smile—that make my cottage a haven of beauty…at least to me.

Like the decorative features of this vintage washbasin and pitcher. The dainty, blue forget-me-not blossoms seem to practically dance across the porcelain! Just looking at this vignette transports me to a more genteel time in history.

With the space constraints of this room, I opted to place the washstand in front of the large window. To add a touch of the unexpected, I hung an ornate, vintage mirror on the window frame, just above the bowl and pitcher.

This Victorian brush and mirror set on the dressing table has the most wonderful timeworn patina. I love the way it looks displayed on this old silver plate tray—with the vintage lace sandwiched between.

Speaking of lace…

in my book, you just cannot go wrong by adding vintage linens and lace to...

well, just about anything!

When I discovered this lovely old piece at a local flea market, I had no idea what I would do with it. But, I knew I wanted to find some way to admire its beauty daily.

My solution...attach it to a Victorian metal frame, embellish it with a section from an old rhinestone bracelet, and set it atop a bedroom bureau.

This gorgeous pair of vintage toleware sconces—on the wall just above that same bureau—was also a fabulous flea market find!

One of my favorite things to do is to move things around a room, or from one room to another, to create a fresh, new look.

Can you spot the decorative items on this French chest that used to reside elsewhere?

And even little items, such as this German half doll pincushion, add simple beauty to my everyday work spaces.

She was another flea market treasure that I purchased without a specific purpose in mind.

When I got her home, I took her out of her original sawdust-filled pincushion.

My original thought was to use just the doll—perhaps displayed among a dish of vintage buttons or jewelry.

But, as I pondered just what to do with her, the thought of her original purpose crossed my mind. So, she came to rest on the table in front of my sewing box.

And she even got dressed up for the occasion!

This double-tiered vintage doily made quite a nice ballgown—don't you agree?

Without a doubt, it's the little things that add up to make a home a thing of beauty!

A Little Makeover Magic

When we found this old 1930s buffet in a nearby barn, it was in desperate
need of some TLC.  As I mentioned in the previous post, most people
would have taken one look at the piece, given it its last rights
and put it to rest. 

But, here at the cottage, we're always up for a good challenge! 

We knew it was from the 30s, not just from the overall style, but
because we found this receipt stuck (basically glued) to the inside of the
 piece with caked on grime. 

I was delighted that we could salvage as much of it as we did.

                  

We started the whole transformation process with a thorough

 cleaning—usually one of my jobs.  It's amazing the difference it makes just removing

years of layered on dirt from something! 

Then the Yankee assessed what repairs were necessary

to ensure structural integrity.

As is so often the case, he and I spent a few weeks tossing ideas to and fro,
trying to come up with a design that would enhance the best features of this
tired old guy, while still maintaining his vintage character.

Then, one lovely spring day,

as I was admiring the beautiful blossoms on our
flowering cherry tree…

     

the Yankee called me out to his workshop, to show me what he had been

working on and to get my input—not that he needs it. He is

quite creative all on his own!

Now mind you, when he called me to his shop, this piece had not yet undergone
its magical transformation.  It still looked exactly the way
 it did when we found it—only about ten pounds lighter
with all the dirt and grime removed.

He was just eager to show me the design he had conjured up for the

back of the piece.  He held up a blank piece of wood—without paint or appliqué—

with only the cut out design for the back you see detailed in this photo.

Take a good look at the flowing curves of it!  It was at
 that very moment, the piece officially became female. 

Look at the first image again, and compare it to the one just above.  Notice how plain
the back was originally.  The overall form of the piece was dull and
blocky—definitely a guy!  But, that one new design element

was the stimulus to change everything!

                 

Right away, I knew what she had to be!  With the curvy legs and now a

curvy top to match…she had to be French.  I suggested that we paint her a lovely

shade of French blue. 

That's usually another one of my designated assignments for our projects—

choosing the color and finish.

We both felt that a light distressing, here and there, would be a wonderful

addition.  I wanted to play up her little imperfections–—the small pieces of missing veneer,

 the tiny chips out of the wood.  To me, little nicks, here and there,

 add character to vintage items! 

With all those enhancements, she was destined to be

 aged to perfection!

Then we started playing around with appliqués.  The Yankee pulled several

large and a number of small ones from the stash.  We began putting them together,

like pieces to a puzzle, to create

various unique patterns.

You would have thought we were a pair of toddlers, the way we were swiping

each other's pieces to use in our own creations.

It was really quite fun!

We thought it might be a good idea to cut a couple of the larger

appliqués apart to create some new designs.  As it turned out, that was exactly what we

 needed to get the look we were trying to achieve.

The photo above, and the one here below, shows the end result of cutting a few
 appliqués apart and reconnecting them.

Once all the basic design elements had been chosen, it was time
 for the Yankee to work his magic.

Occasionally, I would venture out to the shop to check the progress.  On one
such visit, the Yankee excitedly shared an idea he had come up with
for the buffet.

I'll give you a little peek. Can you guess what his idea was?

This lovely old buffet-turned-wine-cabinet is just one

example of how you can use a vintage item

 in a modern way.

 

Don't you just love the graceful curves of the decorative touches

she was given? She radiates such sweet cottage charm now...

but with a French flair.

We think she turned out magnifique!
What do you think?

 

Joining Sally's Blue Monday, Diane's 2nd Time Around Tuesday,
Kimba's Do It Yourself Day.