Weeds in a Vase

Here in the Southeastern United States we have a very prolific weedy shrub that grows everywhere known as Chinese Privet.  Because it invades and chokes out native vegetation, it's known as a nuisance plant.

Here is a healthy stand of Chinese privet in all of its glory in my back yard.  Right now, each plant is producing hundreds of black seeds that will turn into even more Chinese Privet.

After taking another look at the plant, I began to appreciate its arching stems and loads of black berries (even though they appear purplish blue in this image).  So I decided to make lemonade from lemons.  I snapped off a few big branches and brought them into my house to add some height and softness.

Before I brought them inside, I decided to strip away the black berries.  I was afraid as they started to drop they might stain my new carpet.  If I had hardwood or tile flooring in here , I would have left the black berries in place.  

Don't you love finding beauty in unexpected places?

Need some help pulling your style together?  The Green Room Interiors can make your home a beautiful place to be!  Call Kimberly Lemmon at 423.653.3186 or email thegreenroominteriors@gmail.com

Project Dollhouse Family Room Fabric

When I discovered Olioboard last year this is the first board I made.  You can read the whole post here.

I'm most inspired by color and I've always loved yellow and green together.  That love was further solidified when I saw this bedroom over at The Painted House Blog.

Source: s752.photobucket.com via Kimberly on Pinterest

Source: s752.photobucket.com via Kimberly on Pinterest

and these beauties

Source: houzz.com via Kimberly on Pinterest

Source: houzz.com via Kimberly on Pinterest

So, I was very happy to find this fabric.

It's called Lemon Tree (seems appropriate) and its by the Greef division of Schumacher.   I found it at a little fabric store near my Mom's house in Atlanta.  Of course I love the color palette and the pattern has a bold, retro feel to it, which I love too!

Now I just have to decide where to use it.  Maybe the Billy Baldwin slipper chairs? Or pillows?  Or as a tablecloth on big round library table? 

Lots more to come on this, and your companion fabric suggestions are welcome!

Need some help pulling your style together?  The Green Room Interiors can make your home a beautiful place to be!  Call Kimberly Lemmon at 423.653.3186 or email thegreenroominteriors@gmail.com

Opposites Attract

I just saw this image over at MFAMB and could not stop looking at it. 

 This bedroom is full of contradictions yet it all works together.  Shall we analyze?
1.  The feminine settee vs. the masculine headboard
2.  All of the contrasting textures: the smooth wood floors, rough stone walls, soft fur throw and rug, dainty matelasse quilt, chalky white ceiling
3.  The light and open feel of the stripe on the settee against the dark, dense print on the tablecloth


The elements in this room seem to have little in common, yet when they're combined, well - it's magical!  I think rooms like this are the most engaging spaces, don't you?  Rather than being perfectly coordinated and "decorated", they feel collected, personal and interesting.  And isn't that what a great space is all about?


So tell me what opposites you've combined lately!


Need some help pulling your style together?  The Green Room Interiors can make your home a beautiful place to be!  Call Kimberly Lemmon at 423.653.3186 or email thegreenroominteriors@gmail.com

The Move - Highs and Lows

The biggest part of our move to Project Dollhouse is over!  Downsizing is not easy.  I have way too much furniture to fit into the available space and some hard choices are being made.  


The  move itself was a bit of a nightmare.  The day we moved the large pieces of furniture it poured rain all day and our new carpet had been installed just the day before.

Luckily the carpet survived pretty well thanks to lots of flattened cardboard boxes we put down in the walkways. And I have to say I'm pretty happy with the carpet itself and my experience with Lowe's.  The carpet is called "Beachwalk" and it's the carpet version of seagrass, only much cushier and minus the smell.

For the most part the house is still a hot mess of moving boxes and random items waiting to be placed somewhere in the house.  

I also got a few made over furniture pieces placed.

This mid-century Stanley Furniture credenza is currently sporting some glossy black paint and now serves as my media cabinet.

Swanky!  I'm working on an arrangement of my recently acquired framed Chinoiserie panels and antlers around this piece. Does that sound like a weird combination? My family room has no fireplace so this wall will serve as one of the room's focal points.

Also, my thrift store campaign dresser got a coat of glossy white paint and it now lives in my(our) bedroom.

Would you believe that dresser took 3 coats of paint and every time I missed that little vertical strip on the top right?  3 times!!!

And, little bits of arranging are going on.

One day a time, people.

Need some help pulling your style together?  The Green Room Interiors can make your home a beautiful place to be!  Call Kimberly Lemmon at 423.653.3186 or email thegreenroominteriors@gmail.com

Billy Baldwin Slipper Chairs

A few weeks ago I had the great fortune of coming across a pair of Billy Baldwin style slipper chairs!  These are good quality chairs made by Sherrill, and are probably from the 1980's. 

I've always loved this style chair for its good looks, classic lines and go-anywhere flexibility.  I immediately knew these chairs would be perfect for the family room over at Project Dollhouse.  The family room is a long, narrow space and I plan to divide into two seating areas; one area for watching tv and one area for reading. These chairs will be perfect because they don't take up much room and their low profiles will help me keep an open feel to this divided space.

And now, a little slipper chair/Billy Baldwin inspiration...

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Masculine in a fab horizontal stripe

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Do you like the contrasting seat cushion?  Not a fan myself...

And I'd love them in white, but I have three dogs and I'm a Capricorn.

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And here's the best part - I worked out a trade of goods for services and all I have to do is provide my own materials and they'll be reupholstered in the fabric of my choice!

Yay! and oh no!  Let the obsessing begin...

Need some help pulling your style together?  The Green Room Interiors can make your home a beautiful place to be!  Call Kimberly Lemmon at 423.653.3186 or email thegreenroominteriors@gmail.com

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Darkening the Butcherblock Countertops

Before we installed our butcherblock countertops over at Project Dollhouse, I did some research on how to care for the butcherblock and as well as how to darken the color.    Because we have so many white and tile surfaces in the kitchen, I wanted to add some warmth to the mix and a rich finish on the countertops could help me accomplish that.


A Google search led me  The Real Milk Paint Company.  They sell a product called Dark Raw Tung Oil that is non-toxic, eco-friendly, and has a darkening agent.  It seals and protects the wood  and I have to say I'm happy with the results!

First, there was lots of sanding....

As you can see, before the countertops were treated they were very light, and had a pinkish cast to them.


The company suggests cutting the tung oil by 50% with Mineral Spirits to help with absorption and to speed up the drying time between coats.

When the first coat went on I was concerned  because the countertops didn't look much darker at all.  But after applying 6 or 7 coats (with a day's drying time in between), we got a very pretty, burnished brown color.

You can really see the difference here with this untreated piece of butcherblock compared to the finished countertops in place.

Mission accomplished! Don't you love it when something works like it's supposed to?

Need some help pulling your style together?  The Green Room Interiors can make your home a beautiful place to be!  Call Kimberly Lemmon at 423.653.3186 or email thegreenroominteriors@gmail.com

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Project Dollhouse - Small Changes in the Kitchen

Are you ready for a Project Dollhouse update?  We've made some progress in the kitchen and I wanted to share the small changes we've made.


Here's where we started.  The kitchen had a functional layout with all wood cabinets that were in pretty good condition, but it was hardly the space I envision preparing meals in each day.  

Nothing dates a kitchen more than those scalloped valances over the sink that are intended to conceal the flourescent light fixture.  We removed the scalloped valance and that unusual structure above the cabinets that housed the wiring for the light over the sink. The window over the sink is new as well. We replaced all of the windows in the house, they were aluminum and in horrible condition.

  The cabinets were sanded, primed, and painted. 

 All of the cabinet hardware has been replaced with pink glass cabinet pulls.  I have a pretty good collection of pink depression glass - most of it has been handed down to us from family members, and I plan to display some of it in my kitchen.

  

The theme of this renovation has been and continues to be transformation with cosmetic changes. Here's where we are today.

We installed butcher block countertops, and a new white porcelain sink.  The cabinet to the left of the sink has been removed as well as the scalloped wood valance over the sink. We put white subway tile on the backsplash and on the wall where the cabinet to the left of the sink used to be.  

Open shelving will go over the subway tile to the left of the sink, similar to the images below.

 All of the lighting has been replaced with vintage pendants and shades.  I couldn't get a good shot of them in the space, but here's what they look like.

This pendant currently replaces the ceiling fan in the middle of the ceiling

and

This is the pendant fixture that hangs over the sink.

A few more shots of the current state of the kitchen.

My next post will have the rest of my selections for the kitchen - and it's the fun stuff!  Think wallpaper, fabric and rugs. I hope you can stop by and check it out.  Until then, the next two images are the inspiration kitchens I kept in mind when making my selections.  

and

Hope your week is off to a great start!

Need some help pulling your style together?  The Green Room Interiors can make your home a beautiful place to be!  Call Kimberly Lemmon at 423.653.3186 or email thegreenroominteriors@gmail.com

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