Sunday, August 18, 2013

How I Found My Style Sundays- Little Cottage on the Pond & Fern Avenue


Today is a very special Sunday y'all! I have not one but TWO wonderful guests who have stopped by to visit!! Yes, you read that right, I said two wonderful gals have stopped by to welcome us into theirs homes and share their decorating style. I am excited to have Tricia my "neighbor" from Little Cottage on the Pond and my pal Lynn from Fern Avenue here today. Both of these ladies have such a wonderful sense of style and I am truly honored to have them here for "How I Found My Style Sundays"!


I am so excited to be here today- a HUGE thank you to Pamela for having me!   I'm Tricia from over at Little Cottage on the Pond.  We live on the Texas coast and have been in our home, lovingly referred to as "the cottage", for three years now.  


How I found my style?  This topic is one that is near and dear to my heart, as I have never felt that my decorating style fit into one category.  My house is a bit like the three faces of eve...

So if I had to formally describe my decorating style I would say that it's cottage...industrial...French country...coastal....and well, it's just comfortably "us".


I have a passion for anything chippy, rusty and vintage.  The running joke is that everyone in our cottage must be up to date on their tetanus shots before they can go near most of the furnishings.  



If I had to pick one room in our cottage that best represents the feel I wanted when folks walk through the door, it would be our kitchen.  Lots of great meals, laughter, stories, and love is shared around our table each week...




Reflecting back on our previous homes I would have to say it looked as if I was trying too hard.  This home seems to reflect more of a collected and varied style- which overall lends itself to a more relaxed feel.  





As to how I came into my decorating style, I sort of fell into it.  Our first home together was what I would call "forced French Country".  I was a purist about it- everything had to be French country colours, had to have roosters, buffalo check material, toile....then came coastal.  

Scrap the French country!  Everything must look like it would be in a Southern Living beach house!  Toss the roosters, toile, and bring on the neutral paint!  Sand, sisal, shells, hints of aqua blue.....but over the years I have determined that it just has to be something I love to fit.   And honestly?  Although I like aqua blue, I don't really love it in my home.  Why I felt the need to "fit" a certain style and just stay within the confines of it even when I didn't really love it is beyond me.  





My most treasured finds have been the ones that have been gifts from my husband.  Some women get excited over diamonds and roses, but me?  My heart pitter patters at the sight of chippy furniture, old books, worn patinas and a story...

This watchmaker's cabinet was a Valentine's gift from my husband...

Another treasure hubby found in the trash...

Gift that hubby had shipped from an old warehouse in Ohio...

Anniversary trip to Gruene, Texas where we found this neglected dresser in a corner of an old store...
Creating a beautiful home is really a personal thing.  Some folks may look at my treasures and see only "junk"- but to me they are beautiful beyond measure.  I think the key tips for creating beauty in your home is to stay true to what you love, use what makes you smile, don't be afraid to tell your story, and be okay with not fitting into any certain style label- it's your home so make it uniquely yours. 




I am beyond thrilled to be hanging out at Pamela’s place today. It is a pleasure and such an honor to be coming here to share my home and decorating style with you.
I am Lynn and I blog over at Fern Avenue Blog. You can generally find me either sharing my love of refreshing, recycling and re-purposing furniture, auction ventures and our ongoing projects around our home. 

So please sit back, relax and enjoy the ride as I share with you my style!

I enjoy the challenge of finding a good bargain.  I love hitting up auctions and estate sales to try and find that special treasure to add to my home.
My most recent estate sale treasure..this lovely butcher block island.
What's your decorating style?
I am not sure I could honestly tell you what my exact style is (you stumped me Pam), but I'd have to say a little farmhouse, cottage, and country with some nice vintage items in the mix.  I wanted to created a place where when you walked in the front door you immediately felt comfortable pulling up a chair and staying a while. 
My focus has been to create more of a place where you feel "home is where your story begins".  I have more of a "Lynn's style" than to follow what is in or trending at the moment.  
Our home is full of my auction, estate, & treasure hunting finds, with a bit of my diy creations. 
Whether it be to enjoy a nice cold beverage on a hot day or to sit around our gigantic farm style handcrafted table to playing a round of cards, I want our guests to feel right at home.
Custom Built Farm Table with my recent antique chair purchase from an auction
You will notice that I do change things around often.  As my girls always say 
"you made this room look different".  
Notice the different chairs at the dining room table :)
I enjoy bringing in items that can bring a bold focus point in our home such as our pantry door.

 
And,
Our kitchen, dining room and living room is one big open space.  
An inviting space for friends & family to visit often.  

How did you "find" your decorating style?
I grew up in a very small ranching community in Texas.  I spent much of time in the summers across the street at a families home swimming the hot summer days away.  The homeowners were a well-known wealthy ranch family. It was a beautiful house, but more importantly it was filled with love & happiness that made it into a home...  You always felt right at home.  The family focused on true quality family time.  It left a lasting impression on me.
As a little girl I instantly knew I wanted my home to be that home.  Reflecting back to that I believe that is "how" I found my decorating style.  Filling our home with a fun and happy place to create memories to last a lifetime.
When I am out hunting I keep a mental note of each room and what I am looking to create.
Refinished armoire for the girls dress-up clothes
Refinish bookcase
I wanted a playroom that was cheerful and colorful filled with my girls favorite things.  
They love to read, play with puzzles, and dress up to have tea parties with their animal friends.  I often find them playing school with their animals that have names of the kids in their class.
This is the exact feel I wanted to create for my girls, for them to have a special place to make memories with each other.  A place for them to talk about when they are married with their own children.
Wrapping paper dresser
Family & friends are important to us and so I've created a space for special 
memories 
with photos of our loved ones...
....adding more as more memories are created.  
I took old dressers and turned them into our vanities for the girls bathroom 
and the master bathroom to give it a stamp of us.
This is the girls bathroom.  
And, I posted here on how I turned an old white dresser into this vanity.
Master Bathroom Vanity
Our master bedroom is our place of calm.
A space created for us to relax and unwind at the end of the day.   
A place to gather before going to bed, or a spot to write blogs, check emails 
and browse the world wide web.
Or for cousins to hang out, play games & watch movies.
This is our upstairs common area....
Our home houses a collection of things that I've been hunting for a long time 
and have come across in my journey to refill our lives.  And, to 
hopefully pass down to my girls to fill their homes with love & memories.
The memory of me & my Papa and below the bench he made so many years ago...
 
Old sewing machine table found at Habitat for Humanity Restore
                   
                         A secretary desk I found at one of my favorite auctions..
A beautiful picture found at a tag sale last summer for $5
I’ve learned what I like and what makes our house feel like a home.  If I place things in an area and I am just not feeling it, I move it around.  I don’t mind styling and restyling until it feels right.


What tips do you have for creating a beautiful home?
I truly believe a home is built from the heart. So follow your heart. Don't be afraid to take that leap of faith, if you love it and it makes you happy, I say go for it. Try not to get caught up in what everyone else has and is doing, as it can run you in circles.  When you see a home that is decorated the way you love, create inspirations from there.

What has been your most treasured find for your home?
My very most treasured find!!  This has a bittersweet story…   When we were doing renovations on our house prior to the fire, my husband and I had hit up an estate sale looking for a couple pieces of furniture for me to redo.  We had pulled up and immediately spotted 2 pieces and tagged them.  It was a multi-family estate sale and one lady was an old antique dealer.  I walked behind the tables with the small finds and I immediately spotted this rocking horse.  In pristine condition.
I had been out at many different antique shops and had seen this rocking horse for lots of money (some from anywhere between $600 - $1000)!  I remember specifically because this sweet horse was embedded in my mind…I love horses!  He was made of wood with a leather seat and English stir-ups..he was absolutely gorgeous.
I walked up and tried so hard to contain my excitement.  The sweet lady said she’d really like to see it go to a nice home that it held sentimental value but she needed to see it move on.  The price $90!!  I cried!  I won’t lie. 
Once we were ready to move into the house, all of our stuff had been moved in.  The next morning when we got the call of the fire…my mind was numb.  Once I gathered myself and walked around to the back of the house, I noticed that the downstairs bedroom mainly had water damage…  And, there he sat... I saw him through a busted out window. I cried!  
He has water damage, but he will be restored!!   He is my most treasured item…
and I feel so fortunate to have him make it .....I believe it was meant for us to be together
Thank you Pamela for having me here at From My Front Porch To Yours!! It was a true pleasure!
Thank you oh so very much ladies for stopping by today for a surprise double dose of 'How I Found My Style Sundays"! 




12 comments:

  1. Luv your home Tricia!!! Nice relaxed, casual and luvly!
    Thanks for allowing us to peek in.

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  2. what a beautiful home - I adore that kitchen and the front entry is spectacular.

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  3. I luv your casual collected style Lynn. Crushing on your pantry door :-)
    Hugs, Gee

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  4. Wow. Wow.. and wow! I'm on, too much awesome overload. 2 Different styles, each equally enchanting!!

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  5. Tricia, your home is beautiful! I love the Gruene Hall sign! That's just up the road from me! Lovely home!~~Angela

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  6. Lynn, your home is such a lovely and beautiful reflection of you! You're such a sweet and encouraging lady that doesn't let anything get you down! I can't wait to see you redo that horse! It will, indeed, be fabulous!

    Thanks, Pamela, for sharing two lovely spaces!

    ~~Angela

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  7. Love these ladies--both homes are so personal, which is what I love.

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  8. Oh goodness thank you Pamela for having us over. I love Tricia's home. It is stunning. I am headed over to her blog now!! Happy Happy Anniversary my sweet friend! May your day be filled full of joy!

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  9. Love your style and the home you have made for your family. Sounds like a lot of love went into your home.
    The rocking horse is stunning and he was meant to be with you.
    I will be following your posts. Stop by my little cottage and see my garden.
    Have a happy happy week.
    Mary

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  10. Hi Pamela,
    What a great treat two homes this week. I loved both of them. I love both of their great styles and how welcoming and comfy both homes feel. Thanks for sharing.
    Kris

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  11. What a treat to see these two homes. Visiting from Deliciously Inspried

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  12. Pamela what a treat to see two beautiful homes!
    xx
    Anne

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