moodboard

In Her Home: A Glimpse or Two

We are just now starting to unpack our madness, and most things are right where the moving guys left them two weeks ago.  I've had some things in storage for several years, so it's been like Christmas opening the boxes and rediscovering lost treasures. The light was so beautiful today that I though I would snap a few pics so you could see the chaos that we are living in right now.

The white dishes were bought about four years ago from Anthropologie. The white chandelier is from West Elm (also about four years ago). I found the Paul McCobb set at a vintage store for $100 because one chair has a bad leg.

We still need to remove the old wallpaper in this room and take up the laminate floor that they put down over top of the original wood. *bangs head* 

We have six fireplaces, including one in the foyer. Thrifted desk lamp that I think is from the 30's with a great Art Deco design. At one point I thought about painting it, but I'll probably just leave it alone. What do you guys think?

A lot of crazy going on in this room, but I haven't had the energy to tackle it yet besides using it as an unloading zone. The vintage sofa is getting new fabric (something I'm hoping to tackle myself) and probably going upstairs into the guest room. I found it at a thrift stores years ago for $20. 

The floor-to-ceiling cabinet in the old library that I'm converting to a walk in closet. One of the selling points of the house for me;) I may have squealed for about 10 minutes.

Our vintage headboard in a lovely king size, I'm guessing from the 50's or 60's?  It's been in storage forever and now we are getting it restained and reupholstered (it will remain tufted). The vintage white glass lamps were found at Goodwill.

 

Delayed Celebrations

I was already excited for our delayed Valentine's dinner tonight and now our paint samples have arrived. Eek! We are trying to choose colors for the foyer, dining room, and living room. 

I'm also trying to choose what I'm wearing tonight. This is one possibility:

Thrifted vintage midnight blue leather skirt and bright blue suede top. I love how the boxy shape skims the body but has a plunging neckline in the back and front.

Photography: Moodboard

 

In Her Home: Pattern & Brass

I've done a really good job of avoiding home stuff for the last year. I've bypassed the houseware aisles at the thrift, dashed blindly through living rooms at estate sales, taken pictures but walked on at the antique mall. 

That being said, since I have the house on my mind, I've picked up a few things here and there. I always tend to buy in themes once I get going at the thrift store. This week it was a set of vintage glasses with a gold flora & fauna print, which is echoed in a vintage Noritake platter.

I have a problem turning down things that shine, especially when the whole set cost $4.

 Vintage platter with a black print that blends seamlessly with my other patterned dishes.

We've dubbed this brass animal the Gazantelope. What is it really?

It isn't old or thrifted, but this West Elm duvet is still very new to the Moodboard household. It may end up in the guest room depending which way we go with the master bedroom. 

Photography 1-4/Moodboard  

In Her Home: Blankets and Brass

It has gone from a skin melting 100 degrees to 60 degrees with a whipping wind in the last two days. I'm sure the cool weather won't last, but it made me want to start pulling out blankets.

I found these vintage wool blankets while thrifting at the beginning of summer and put them in storage. Made in Holland, they are two sided with different shades of blues, and one has pink whipstitching (twee! whee!). The one without pink whipstitching is almost like a fur throw due to its heft and curly nap.

Hudson style vintage wool blanket that I found at the thrift for $5. 

Le Creuset blue pot at the thrift store? That never happens to me, but it was a lucky day.

I've had brass candlesticks on my mind lately, and I finally found a pair I liked while thrifting. 

Photography: Moodboard

 

In Her Home: 1940's Hanging Planter

I went to an antique flea market this weekend, but sadly, a lot of my favorite sellers weren't there. I was on the lookout for clothing, but I wound up purchasing a really odd painting and this 1940's hanging planter. I'm still very interested in pieces with a tribal bent, and I was really drawn to the blue color.

If you have any favorite plants that you like to use in hanging planters let me know!

Photography: Moodboard

In Her Home: Estate Sale Odds & Ends

Pair of brass swans, with the smallest one standing 18" tall.

Part of my $1 finds, two banged up prints that I think are from the 1940's.

Also from the $1 table, two heavy brass cubes that I'm not sure what I'm going to do with yet.

$1 vintage crane cup that I think will either be a toothbrush or pen holder.

They had some miscellaneous textiles in $1 grab bags and I spotted leopard Ralph Lauren pillowcases that I already own in one. I figured it wouldn't hurt to have some backups, and there was also a Vintage Vera sheet in there as well.

While I'm not a big on the color yellow, I do love shades of amber. I picked up a set of 1970's glasses and a vintage ice bucket because I liked the Aztec-y design. 

My favorite purchase, a $1 for The World in Vogue book that covers 1900's through 1960's. I spent all weekend reading it and tabbing pages.

I went to an estate sale that was four floors full of stuff, but I wound up rummaging through the $1.00 table outside. It was one of those hyped up sales where not only are there dealers, but people trying to get a good deal, realtors asking a million times if the house has been listed yet, and nosy neighbors rubbernecking past every room with no intention of buying.

I found the two large brass swans in a bedroom closet. It was one of those What am I doing? moments as I lugged two heavy brass animals that come up to my knees outside. I felt like all eyes were on me and I giggled all the way home as I looked at those things staring at me in the backseat of the car.

 

In Her Home: Hey, I have that too!

I'm used to leafing through shelter magazines and marking things I want in the featured homes. But every now and then I spot something that I already own. Has this happened to you? 

My mother found the magazine rack for me at a yard sale, and I found the gold table at a thrift store. I use my table in the bathroom as well, since it is petite and the perfect height. Funny enough, I think they might have originated from the same collection, as they share a similar design and both are marked made in Italy. 

1st digital image created by: Moodboard Photography: Bobo Olsson Magazine: Elle Decoration Magazine June 2003/2nd image: Dress Design Decor Magazine: Style at Home

 

Wishlist: Anthropologie Crystal Lattice Sheet Set

While we are figuring out our living room I'm also turning my eye to our new bedroom. We finally pulled out the antique headboard I've had in storage for years so we can refinish it. This has proven to be a little bit harder than I thought, because I want to put it with wooden rails and base, which have to be custom built. I'm trying to come to terms that I might have to attach it to a pre-made metal base and use a dust ruffle to hide the unsightly legs. 

We also need new sheets, and I usually stick to plain white cotton. I tend to change my mind frequently when it comes to decorating, and this can be an expensive habit when you are buying for a king sized bed. But we are ready for a change, and I'm looking into things that are still neutral, but with a little more oomph.

Anthropologie's Crystal Lattice sheet set grabbed my attention this morning, and while they fit it more with my living room moodboard, they may work for our bedroom as well. I love the Aztec-y print paired with the more feminine swirls. 

Home on Pause

I was reading this post over at Apartment Therapy where they discuss slowly evolving a room in your house. While this isn't a bad thing, I think we can all commiserate when it isn't by choice. Apartment dwellers in particular might not only be battling with a budget-but also ugly carpet, walls you can't paint, or bathrooms last updated in 1985. 

Can you spot the difference between the two photos? In the first one I've cropped out the apple green walls that are in place in the new apartment. While our landlord told us initially we could paint, after a follow up conversation she told Mr.M we would have to paint the walls BACK to the color they were before we leave. 

So I'm stuck with an apple green living room. It could be a worse, but now I have to rethink where I want to put everything. You can see in this corner a few of our pieces waiting to find a home. 

My uncle carved the owl out of a tree trunk for my grandmother in the 1970's. The thing that looks like a gigantic Japanese lantern is a 1950's bar. I was driving down the street and spotted it outside of an antique store. There are open air shelves in the back and it came with two stools that are currently in storage. The brass candelabra was found at a thrift store and the rug was bought recently at an antique mall. The vintage planter was found at the Melrose flea market in Los Angeles. I was with my best guy friend, and said, "What do you think?" He said, "I think it needs a scrub brush." That makes me laugh every time I look at it. Love you, B!

So we are on the slow track right now while I try to figure out a way to make the green walls seem less bright!happy!color! Thank goodness Mr.M already painted what will now be my office, as it was a bright!happy!yellow! that made me want to kick the walls. 

 

In Her Home: Porta Portese Flea Market (Rome) & Other Finds

Before we left for Rome I did a little(okay a lot)of research on where I wanted to shop. Recent reviews on Porta Portese, the largest flea market in Rome, have been negative and cautionary about aggressive pickpocketers.

We were going to explore the neighborhood of Trastevere, so we decided to stop by since the flea market was close to that area. I went in without any expectations, which was great because the reviews were correct. Most of the antique dealers have been replaced by vendors selling cheaply made goods or second hand clothing.

After going down aisle after aisle of the exact same stalls, I came across one selling old linens for 50€ a piece. I dove in with about six other women and found three vintage duvets. My favorite is the early 70's periwinkle one with the Art Nouveau trim. I was thinking it might make a good table cloth but maybe I'll have a daybed or twin bed to fit it on one day. I think the pink and green one may be a bit older, as the fabric is softer and the print looks like it is from the 40's or 50's.

I've also been doing some shopping back in the good old US. I was excited to find this vintage dish while thrifting yesterday because it reminds me of an Eva Zeisel piece.

To say I'm having a pink moment would be putting it lightly. I'm currently obsessing over shades of nude, neon, candy and rosy pink. The bottom rug was picked up at the Zara Home store in Rome. Thank you Mr.M for hauling that thing back to the hotel room and to the airport.

The bath mat is from the Target Rachel Ashwell Simply Shabby Chic collection. I'm not sure when we are going to use it but I loved that the criss cross pattern looks a little like a Moroccan Beni Ourain rug. I also bought the rhinestone shower rings from the same collection, though I'm sure every darn one will fall out the moment I hang them up;) 

Lastly, I found these two vintage lanterns several weeks ago at the thrift store. I think the linen fabric used to be red, but has faded to a delicious rosy pink after likely being left outside. 

Sorry this is such a jumble of a post, and not styled in the best way, but I'm getting ready to go out of town to see my family for Christmas. So excited!