Robert and I are a dash strange about the way we renovate our house. Most would move in, immediately paint every room a new color and then live happily ever after. This wasn’t really an option for us as most rooms in our 104 year old farm house needed some custom carpentry done or in the case of the bathroom, needed to be totally overhauled up to the shingles and down to the dirt of the foundation.
Ever so slowly, our house has been changing colors over the three years we’ve called it our own! When we first moved in, the previous owners (who were artists, but not artists of color by my judgement) had made it into an ancient and cosy sort of dark, brothel-esque home. The colors were rich, wild and all wrong for the soul of this house. We loved the layout and the spirit of the place and could see potential in it which is why we bought it. It was on the market for one full year and we were the first to look at it in person and make an offer!
At any rate, we’ve been pushing every room into tranquility, slowly, with light, space expanding colors and the slow unification of custom moldings and flooring that match the original moldings and flooring that are in the living room and bedroom.
Up until now, RW has been responsible for doing all of our renovations and painting in his off-season, he likes to have wintertime projects. Before this fire season began, I had asked him to paint the front room of our house which is enclosed original veranda that is now a huge entryway…with very little purpose. He didn’t get to the task before his work season began and yesterday, when I walked through the dim, dank, mocha hue of that room I knew something had to change.
So I went out, bought some paint and slapped it up on the walls.
Now I have what is a beautiful little parlor in the front of my home. I’m even going to call it as such, like so:
Me: Oh hello! Come in! Come in! I just made tea,
it’s on the table in the parlor.
She: Don’t mind if I do! I brought some rhubarb crisp
and beets from the garden.
Me: Thank you! I’m so glad you came, I’ve been meaning to ring you up…
[The beaded moccasins in the bottom right hand corner of this photo were my Baba’s. They were made by a native woman in Fort Chipewyan, Northern Alberta, Canada. This actual moccasin style is called “old timers”. She acquired them when my family was stationed at Wood Buffalo National Park…now they’re mine. When I wear them I feel like a half-Chipewyan, half-Ukrainian beauty.]
It’s a perfect sitting space for tea and reading.
The light is quiet.
The scents of the gardens flow in through the window and front door and the lightweight curtains look beautiful as they’re batted about by the breeze.
I’m so glad I took a couple of days to revamp this space
and really (finally) claim it as my own.
By the way, this is also our guest room, so if you come to stay, it’s all yours: light, magic, birdsong and the blue spruce blowing its perfume through the screen door!
Sources of decor:
hen mirror (antiqued)
blue coffee table (antiqued)
horse painting (antiqued)
gilded frame (thrifted)
family wedding portrait (antiqued)
metal egg basket (antiqued)
futon (gift from my parents)
church pew — not shown here (antiqued)
all bits of natural detritus including bones and fur pelts (found by me or gifted to me by friends)
Come for tea!
We’ll lounge about in
cool, summer spirits…
barefoot and beautiful in this lightweight space.
x
LOVE it jl
what kind of plants are those on your table?
The spiky succulent is an aloe, the flower is an anemone I picked from the garden and the delicate looking little vine fellow is sold here at the garden nurseries as annual ground cover foliage. HOWEVER, I have about six of these plants, total, in my house and studio (I really love them)…I've never planted them in the garden because I prefer them in the house — I'm not sure of their name but I'll find out for you.
Over on the windowsill is a little wandering Jew. 🙂
hee hee! I'm glad I'm not the only one who has cabs lying around in random places around the house 😉
Tell me I get to sleep here at least one night when I visit this summer???
Amy: HA HA!!!
M: YES! Do you love it???!!!
ow, wouldn't it be loverly?!
i'll bring dark chocolate, red wine, and bold roast coffee with organic half and half.
there will be good conversation, lots of laughter, and probably some funny photo ops.
good times.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! what an airy and gorgeous room, everything from the comfy futon (which is perfect indeed for reading a few pages and passing out and waking up and continue the read) to your "trinkets" is just perfect, also that bowl of raspberries is too tempting.
I'm going to steal a little phrase from you and tell you that I love your soul, for going out and getting stuff done. You are a great reminder of such a great message in this life little lady, thank you, I adore your blog's new look, too. Lots of love from the east coast!
nothing like a freshly painted room! i have been tempted to repaint our main room, but have to wait to buy some paint… anyway, it looks heavenly and like an absolute treat to be a guest in! hooray!!!
p/s what is that lovely box containing, the one one the corner? it is very handsome…
Janet! You are welcome here ANY old day, if those are the gifts you come bearing:) xxxxxxxx
Snail: Steal that phrase as much as you like. It makes the world a better place. xx
Owl: Well. A friend in Jerusalem sent that box to me. Each little rolled piece of paper holds a single verse of scripture from the Bible. It's a beautiful thing.
Jillian, I have the matching casserole dish to your blue and white tea cup. I wonder where the other pieces ended up?? Perhaps they should all reunite, filled with food….
You know what's so odd? I have NO memory of it being dark walled before… it's kind of like all the beauty you collect just glossed over that mocha and said "yeah, look at us instead!"
But really.
It's like a little slice of heaven. With skulls. Which makes it like heaven-supreme.
Twig: I also have that casserole!!! 🙂 That means when our dishes get together there will be TWICE the casserole.
Kelly: It was SO dark. Mocha is a lovely color…but this was bad mocha…x
With this fresh coat of paint it looks SO much bigger! I do love it very much. Can't wait 🙂
looks great! love to see all the bibs and bobs all around. Now that Isla is mobile (and mobile early, she is a go getter), we've had to clear off a few of the lower surfaces. we are teaching her 'no thank you' but it's a process 🙂
also, loving the new blog look
OMG! I have the matching salt and pepper shaker and sugar bowl!! AND I have the same horse print in an antique frame – from Saskatoon!!
M! EEEEEEEEEK!!!!!! July can't come fast enough! x
KVPA: Thanks, my friend! Have I yet told you that I love the name of your babe? I do. And yes. I forgot…..I revamped a COUPLE of things here in the past two days:) Glad you like it. I do too. The blog must have been looking really bad since a friend emailed me and kindly told me to FIX IT!!!! HA HA HAAAA!!!!!
Suz: AHHHHHH!!!!! You have the S&P shakers??? Oh my gosh. You know what Lotte I really want? The CANDLE STICK HOLDERS!!!!! They're so lovely. I'm obsessed with this dish pattern…collecting a full set bit by bit! And I cannot CANNOT believe you have the same horse picture! I love it. It's so awesome-tacky. 🙂
looking lovely. lovely-lovely.
can't wait to have tea with you in said parlour!!
x
…and wee cakes.
x
What a dream room! It's so beautiful and bohemian!~
What a lovely place to stow away in!
Lots of loVe!
Sweet! It's very you!
Looks so comfortable & cozy!!
Waiting for my invite… I will bring some fresh chocolate mint from the garden for the choc. mint iced tea 🙂
Love your new blog look!!
xx
The thought that comes to mind when I visit this room…curiosities – object(s) that arouse interest by being novel or extraordinary. Teapots and teacups alongside an ipod. spiky succulents and anemone. Horse prints and a wandering jew. Raspberries and futon. All disparate, delicate and so YOU! A place you can tuck yourself away from the hub bub of life. Now if I could just beam myself your way!
It is absolutely gorgeous and full of light! Good call on the color. I could spend all day lounging in that kind of lightness.
Love the light and all the little things…
How geeky are we?? – actually the Lotte sugar bowl I have is a mustard pot…but I use it for sugar. And I love my horsey print – the sky and the paint mustang?? Perfect for a prairie girl's parlor.
ta-dum, splendid!
i would set myself up with a good page turner, an ice cold arnold palmer, and a steady summer breeze… pure bliss! 🙂
by the bye- adore the scroll prayer box, so sacred and beautiful!
happy lounging,
-lu
was this the peach room?! i love it : )
such a lovely space to sooth the soul and steep some conversation! beautiful, ladybird! x
-L
oh i do so veux retourner. tu ne peux pas comprendre combien.
gorgeous room! but, i'm especially in love with the moccasins. : )
hey jl. i would love to know what that little vine fellow is called b/c i would like to now have some of it in my house as well…. oh so pretty. sigh.
That little butterfly bowl that holds the raspberries.. where did you get that? I love it!
Wow, lovely!
i have wanted to see more of your place for a looooooooong time…ha-ha…the interior"freak" that i am : ) you have such a soulful home my friend, I LOVE IT!
the box caught my attention to, what a beautiful gift…do you sometimes pick a random roll and read?
ohhhh, i am packing my things and coming over for tea straight away, see you soon! and by the way i can help you with eating those berries also, yummm : )
hope your heart wanders has arrived!?
it looks just lovely. it seems you are on a remodel spree, you did a little remodeling on your page too, both look great.
the mocassins are such a treasure!
lucky lady xxoo
Always fascinating to peer into someone else's living space especially La Plume's!
Lovely photos. Especially like your boot collection, animal skull ( such an elongated skull- horse?), and fabulous textures on the horse painting!
Love china. If I had my way I'd probably have a mountain of dishes. Makes sense if you love cooking, no?
Tra la la ! Ha!
I love the tea set! ^o^ Nothing spruces up a room like a teaset. =3
Such a sweet delight, your freshly painted parlor is! From the sweet little blue teapot to the skulls & the moccasins – the room is a collection of soulful rustic memories! You do make it hard not to take a stroll through life & settle in at your abode!
It brings me great GREAT joy to see your space and all of the strewn pieces of you. So beautiful. It is my favorite thing to see the spaces of those I love. It has you written all over it! Wonderful. Thanks for sharing. I want to see the bedroom! and your wonderful colourful closet! and all of the windowsills in the household! and your eclectic mix of teas…..the magic is endless with you! xo
it is the parlor of my soul dreams…
i could spend many hours, days, nights in this room…with so many marvels to look at, textures to feel, furs to cozy up to, cups of tea to drown in, & the inspiration abounds…heavens, i might never, ever leave this wonderful room (except to visit your awesome sal de bain)!
i feel as if you've unlocked the door to my room in the great, wild west…
i love everything you do.
XO
Holy cats! THANKS so much for all of these dear comments! I had no idea you little peepers would be so delighted by photos of my home! I'll have to continue with the tour:)
Vibutterfly: I will try to get to the nursery this week and find out the name of that plant for you. Promise!
Merja: That butterfly bowl came from a ceramic artist on Etsy by the name of "pinkkiss" — I have a few of her pieces and they are ALL rich, organic and lovely!!!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/pinkkiss