French Parlor update #1

 I told you I would give you a heads-up about the goings on here, and I am really going to try to, even if they are baby steps in the right direction. Just look at that floor, folks!! It was a long time coming. The carpet had been ripped up for over a year now. Then we got the wrong materials, and three installation dates that never happened, grrr. But hallelujah, it is done. I just keep going in there to stand on it and grin!  

Next, I spent several days sanding and painting, and finally finished on Saturday night- WOOHOO! So, a greyish white tone for the walls and darker grey for trim that I also used in the guest room. The hubby even said the room looked really nice! Look at the difference between the after picture (above) and the before picture (below). From tan walls and brown trim (and the ripped out tan carpet), to cool grey tones. I love it! What do you think, Dear Reader??

 The very night I finished painting, I waited till the hubby went to bed and stealthily moved in the first piece of furniture. You'll see it at the end of the post. You all know how I love Goodwill, farm auctions, and bargains. For years I have been storing things in Pop's shop and the barn, just in case I might have a place for them. So I went "shopping" in my hoarded goodies! Folks, my Latin name is Packraticus Hoardicus...oh, that makes me laugh way too hard. But back to the subject at hand. Below is a matching captain and lady's chair, and a settee, all in the Eastlake style, that I got at an auction for $25. Yes, that was for all three. My Pop was a professional antiques refinisher for decades, and he is going to help me strip, stain and finish, and upholster these. It will be so much fun to do with him! The little stool frame was one he gave me a long time ago. You can see the back of the car has other goodies already loaded. Several big pictures, a demi-lune table, and an organ top. Behind the settee is a giant frame I got at an auction for $3. I don't think anyone wanted it because it used to have a charcoal drawing of a toddler in it from the late 1800's. It was pretty awful. Pop called it the "scary baby". I think I will put a mirror in it to brighten the room further.

 Here is a close-up of the flowers on the chairs-- swoon!

 So I dragged all the furniture over to the house (the hubby was gone fishing, wink-wink ;) so I could get an idea of how much room they would take up. Turns out, alot! The beautiful desk you see is the first thing to grace the room. Moma and Pop got it for me at an auction. I used to have a drop-front desk when I was young, and I loved to write at it. It was filled with all my Hello Kitty stationary and stamps, and I felt so grown up using it. When I got married they sold it, and I mourned the loss. Now I have this glorious lovely that I cannot wait to use!

 The frame holds a print that I do not care for. But the frame is the exact right size to hold an antique French fan that my Grandma Tommy gifted me 20 years ago. Pop said he will work on making it into a shadowbox of types, so the fan can be displayed. And isn't the organ top grand? I traded a small kitchen cart for it. But now I am thinking it is too heavy and large for this room. I want "the parlor" to be airy and light. Instead, I think it would go well in the guest bedroom, which will also have grandbabies in it. Wouldn't this look great with the hymnal pocket filled with vintage story books? So it will go back into storage for now...

The rocker was my great-granny's, and the gorgeous Victorian in the corner was from Grandma Tommy. It has exquisite teal-blue upholstery that is pleated around the sides. I want the upholstery that I do on the new furniture to compliment it.  After I got a feel for it all, I took the unfinished furniture back out so it could be worked on. As of today, Pop helped me strip the first piece and it is drying.

I know that I have told you before that my Grandma Tommy had an antique store specializing in American Victorian for most of my life. Here are some remnants of upholstery she used in the shop. I have six pieces of needlepoint with birds on them, but I think this one is my favorite. I think it would look sweet on the stool!

I love the small rose print fabric, but there is only enough for a pillow. The blue goes well with my existing chair. The white ( it's hard to tell it's white, there is a peach cast to it in the picture) is lovely. The flowers have a satin sheen. But white can be very hard to keep from getting dingy...

 Here is a dusty pink in the same pattern as the blue. Below it is some fabric that I purchased when the local Hancock's fabric went out of business. It is Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic linen. I actually got it to make a skirt! But wouldn't that also make a dreamy fabric for the settee? But I'm not sure if I should use any patterns for the furniture, perhaps just add pattern through pillows. What if I don't like it for long?? But I think I have more fabric remnants in the attic. I need to climb the ladder and dig again before I make up my mind.

 And here is a photo of my sweet desk again! The little shelf was made to hold a candle stick or an oil lamp, and the balls around it are to prevent it from tumbling off and catching something on fire. But they also make it so that the two lamps I most wanted to use would not fit! I am trying this one for now, and will dig up a little shade for it. The chair is a dainty thing that I love. Moma and Pop got it with a bunch of things at an auction and never liked it, so they gave it to me. She is just delicate enough to be the perfect compliment to the desk.

 I cut pieces of scrapbook paper to line the cubbies inside and make it look brighter. Then I tucked in my stationary, ink bottles, wax seals, and my beautiful silver ink well, which is very special to me. I will tell you about my desk goodies at another time. No matter how long it takes me to get the furniture ready, or the pictures in perfect places on the walls, I will have my little corner with my desk to gaze at and be encouraged. And I can't wait to get back into the habit of letter writing!

 So, here is the beginning of the journey, Dear Reader, and I am taking you right along with me! Thank you for being such sweet folks that I can ramble on to- big hugs and then I am off to beddy-bye...