Welcome Kerry from A Tranquil Townhouse

I am delighted to have Kerry, a bloggy friend from down under (Australia that is), doing a guest post today.  Kerry and I became friends over discussions about what colours to paint her study which has a lot of red in it.  We both googled our little fingers to the bone to find inspiration photos and did simultaneous posts showing our findings.  It took quite a bit of skill to sort out the time zone issues, let me tell you.  Since then we have emailed back and forth and got to know each other more.  I would encourage you to head on over to Kerry's blog, if you don't already read it, to enjoy her wit, her wisdom, and her aesthetics at A Tranquil Townhouse.

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Hi Sense and Simplicity'ers (that's hard to say)…Kerry here from A Tranquil Townhouse in Canberra…the nation’s capital…the nation being Australia just in case you got confused because after all, I didn’t say Sydney!  You would be astonished by how many people think that...or maybe you wouldn't. This is my first ever guest post and I couldn’t be more chuffed to do it for Grace whose blog I love and who is a wonderful supporter and commenter on mine. Grace very kindly provided me with a list of questions to choose from. Easy as pie…well, not quite. She asks difficult questions and there were 20 to choose from…too many decisions involved in that Grace.  I used to be in the Army…you need to order me! 

Anyway, here goes…I do have a tendency to rabbit on a bit, sorry, but I’ve provided pictures as well, so feel free just to look at those if you can’t be bothered with the words.

Q: What is your favourite place near where you live to show visitors?

A: Canberra is my adopted home and it is truly beautiful. For a long time the rest of the country described Canberra as soulless (some probably still do)…filled with public servants, and with nothing to do…the place not the public servants (although they’ve been accused of that as well...quite unfairly I might add).  If I have to choose just one place, I’d choose Parliament House.  

It is a stunning design (I was privileged to meet the architect, a humble and captivating man called Aldo Giurgola who is now in his late 80s) and it has been built with such attention to detail and thoughtfulness...and it's different! I drive by it every day on my way to work and still marvel at it, especially when the flag is flying in the breeze. I try not to think about the ludicrous shenanigans that go on inside it sometimes though!

I’m going to sneak in another one…that's the National Museum of Australia above…this is where you go when you want the quirky stuff...like an explanation of the term drongo or a look at Phar Lap's heart (a famous racehorse). Isn't Canberra beautiful?

Q: What are 3 colours you love and do you have them in both your home and your wardrobe?

A: People who read my blog will know that I have a bit of an obsession with hot pink at the moment. I have no idea where it came from but I think it’s here to stay. My living room is full of colour (yellow sofas, a chinese red lacquered sideboard, Persian rugs, colourful accessories)

...the dining room chairs (scored at the local op shop) are about to be reupholstered in purples and lilacs...this fabric will go on the back, the rest will be plain...

...the bedroom is black, white and hot pink...here's the first view of my new persian rugs (and the makings of the yet to be installed gallery wall in the lower part of my bedroom)

...my study has shots of red; my studio (which the 22 year old is currently inhabiting) is quite neutral but with lots of texture and pattern in rugs and wall hangings. Sounds like a mishmash I know, and maybe it is, but I can’t live without colour, pattern and texture… and things to look at. I am definitely not a minimalist!

As for my wardrobe, believe it or not it’s predominantly black and white…although I do have a hot pink winter skirt!!

Q: What is the oldest item in your home?

A: The feral offspring would no doubt say that would be me! I do have some antique pieces and I’m not sure of their age relative to each other I’m afraid, so I’ll show you and you can let me know…someone, somewhere will have a clue I’m sure.  This chest of drawers….the chinese sideboard….the rocking horse…the silver watch chain…

I’m not a fan of the ultra modern.  I love the patina of old things but I don’t do shabby chic, although I do love looking at it very much. I can just hear my mother saying ‘why don’t you paint over all those chippy bits’, and it puts me off a bit. Mothers...honestly!!

Q: What 3 words would you use to describe your decorating style?

A: Style, what style! Hmmm….boho (definitely), comforting, comfortable? The biggest compliment someone can give me is to say they think my house is welcoming.  Having lived in a lot, I think I’ve almost got it cracked. And I like my home to have interesting things, different things....weird things?? Ok, not weird!

I don’t think I follow trends, although there are many beautiful trends out there. I just go with what I like (finally having the confidence to do just that) and I figure the people I invite into my home won’t care one way or the other.  And as Ralph Lauren apparently said:

"When friends enter a home, they sense its personality and character, the family's style of living - these elements make a house come alive with a sense of identity, a sense of energy, enthusiasm, and warmth, declaring, "This is who we are; this is how we live."

Q: what is the most meaningful item in your home?

A: Grace did say family was a no-brainer so I couldn’t give that answer. And I'm going to resist saying my framed John Denver autograph lest you think I'm completely lame! This question is so, so hard. There are lots of things that I treasure because of the people who’ve given them to me, or the memories they hold, or the places I visited to find them. So I don’t want to single any one thing out like that. So I’m going to say: books.  

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I would be completely and utterly lost without reading.  When I moved to the townhouse I culled hundreds of books and I’m still grieving for them! In the days when I was without partner (thankfully Richard came along just at the right time…big smooch to him) I used to say I had a better relationship with some of the books I’d read than I did with some of the men in my life!! Because a good book nurtures, restores, challenges, provokes, keeps you company, makes you laugh, makes you cry…a bit like family, now I come to think about it! Even the vampire slayer can be meaningful when she's asleep!

So there you have it...a bit of my life. Thanks so much Grace for this fabulous opportunity. I do hope you’re enjoying what’s left of your summer and getting that to-do list well and truly done! And I WILL visit…some day when you least expect it!

Our $250 Kitchen Makeover

It took almost two and a half weeks of painting and some moaning on my part about how endless it all seemed, but the kitchen is finally finished (well almost, more about that later).  I spent all morning cleaning, because if I'm going to show the world our kitchen it needed a little spit and polish, especially after all the disruption during the painting.  I'm pleased as punch - and glad it is finished - to introduce you to our made-over kitchen:

And just so you can compare - here is the before:

 Before

After

Before

You can read about the inspiration behind painting the lower cabinets gray and uppers white  here.   After much deliberation we chose burnished gold handles for the new cabinets.

I also wanted to introduce some gold accents in other places around the kitchen.  I figured yellow would work as well to visually tie things together.  Of course, this involved a trip to Anthropologie where I bought some lovely (and overpriced) soap and lotion dispensers.

I also bought some bowls in colours that would coordinate with the new kitchen.

You can also see the little gold-coloured pear that I bought at the thrift shop for $2 (it was 50% off day so I got myself a real deal, because otherwise I would have had to pay $4).  I dug through the china cabinet and found some things that would coordinate with the gold to put on the shelves.  The antique salt cellar is from my father's parents and has a cranberry glass liner.  I know it isn't polished, but to me that means it mixes better with the gold tones, although there are some (and they shall remain nameless) who would disagree. The plate standing up against the back is from the Limoge set that belonged to my grandparents on my mother's side.

There is also yellow in the vinegar and oil set that was given to us by the french exchange student who lived with us a few years ago.

I personally never tire of looking at some before-and-after photos, so here are a few more.

After

Before

After

Before

And finally a view of the kitchen from the dining room.

I put out my favourite thrift store vintage table cloth to welcome you.

As for the bottom line, here is the $250 breakdown:

$100 paint

$100 handles

$50 new baskets

 Not bad for $250 (and a lot of elbow grease. I'm just saying...). 

We still  need to do a few things in the kitchen.  Here is the 3-year plan - in a nutshell (well a picture anyway).

And now we get to enjoy the kitchen - the best part!

Linked to:
Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest
Metamorphasis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch
Make it 4 Monday at Cottage Instincts
It's So Very Creative at It's So Very Cheri
White Wednesday at Faded Charm
Show and Tell at Blue Cricket Design
Strut Your Stuff Thursday at Somewhat Simple
Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Chic Cottage
We Can do it Cheaper at The Virginia House
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Inspired by at The Inspired Home
Power of Paint Party at Domestically Speaking
The Colour Challenge Linkup at Funky Junk Interiors
Heart of the Home Party at Note Songs
Best of 2010 Before and After Party at House of Grace

Bon Echo

This past weekend I had a 2-part adventure that started off with camping at Bon Echo with my friend and 4 teenage girls (2 of them her daughters).  We had a fantastic time.  I had always wanted to go to Bon Echo park to see the magnificent cliffs and I wasn't disappointed.

 We went to the narrows to view the 300 foot cliffs.

And went on the tour boat for a closer view of the petroglyphs painted by the Native people using red ochre over 400 years ago (some sources say up to 1000 years ago).  I have no idea why the ice hasn't scrubbed them off by now as the pictures were quite close to the water.

The lake is appropriately named as there really is a good echo from the cliffs.

There are over 260 pictographs on this lake, so we only saw a small fraction of the total number.

It was a glorious sunny day with falcons flying overhead.

and ancient twisted cedars (some up to 1000 years old) growing in crevices in the cliff.

We swam in the lovely warm water.  It's been a long time since I've swum at a sandy beach and it was perfection.

We had a campfire every night and roasted marshmallows and corn on the cob. Yum!

And just so you know that we weren't the only ones who were impressed by the cliffs.  The area was popular with many artists in the 1920s, including the Group of Seven, an iconic group of Canadian landscape painters, who painted the spectacular cliffs.

by A. J. Casson

 by A. J. Casson

by Arthur Lismer

Poster painted by A. Y. Jackson

Part 2 of my weekend adventure coming soon. 

It Takes a Village to Make a Quilt

Michael, at Inspired by Charm, has come up with an ingenious idea that I wanted to let you know about.  He decided that he wants to make a quilt, not just any quilt, but a summer quilt with polka dots and gingham and flowers - doesn't that sound divine.  So divine, in fact, that he has almost inspired me to want to make one too.

Micheal has never made a quilt before, but that isn't stopping him.  He is going to learn how once he has his fabric.  Now this is where the ingenious part comes in - he is going to make an inspirational quilt with fabric from all his loyal readers.  He is asking that anyone who has spare fabric lying around -  and who doesn't??? - send him a square and he will include it in the quilt. 

Michael would like the squares of cotton to be 6 inches in size.  You can mail them to him at:

Old Charm

Attn: A Quilt {inspired by charm}

444 Brusselles Street

Saint Marys, PA 15857

I sent 3 squares of this fabric to Micheal.  I have had this fabric in my basement for at least 18 years.  I always intended to sew something for Kate with it, but obviously never did.  I've always loved the slightly muted colours in this fabric, so I hung on to it.  I  may have to make myself a quilt with it.  How's that for inspiration!

I wanted to pass the word along to help Michael with his summer project.  You too might find yourself dreaming of making a quilt.

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Aren't they gorgeous.  Such beautiful colours and they looks so homey. 

When I think of quilts I think of some of Sarah Richardson's fabulous bedrooms in her cottage and her farmhouse.

 Sarah Richardson photos via Sharon at Home's blog post

And here's what Sarah Richardson says about her love affair with quilts (in the Globe and Mail article from May 1, 2009):

Perhaps I belonged to a quilting circle in a previous life, because something has to explain my deep affection for handmade quilts. When I was in my 20s and my girlfriends were starting to collect designer handbags I was, you guessed it, buying antique quilts at auction (don't laugh). Fortunately for me I still love my quilt collection.

There you go - between Sarah Richardson's dreamy bedrooms and Michael's desire to make a summer quilt - aren't you inspired!