4TH OF JULY Store Hours and Family Traditions

MAISON DECOR WILL BE CLOSED 

JUNE 29 AND WILL  REOPEN JULY 8.

OUR ONLINE SHOP WILL BE OPEN AND 

ORDERS WILL BE FULFILLED.

In other news.....

PIONEER GOODS CO

Open for business! 

We are happy to announce that the City of Boston

handed us our coveted occupancy permit so we can finally open up the doors

to our shop.  It was a long process of many phone calls and letters and jumping over

hoops, but Justin was all over it and he prevailed in the end!  

So if your style is anything in the neighborhood of Ralph Lauren Lodge, 

or Rustic Americana, or General Custer's last stand, we think you will LOVE this shop.

First day of business will be Saturday June 28th! This shop is located

at 764 Tremont Street and will be open weekends, both Sat and Sunday as well

as during the week.  At this point it looks like Monday and Tuesday we will be closed, 

so even though Maison Decor is closed next week, Pioneer will be open.

Our Reading store will be closed next week so we can 

celebrate the Nation's birthday and spend time with our families.

Our family has always had a lot of fun on this particular holiday.

Take a look at this goofy and hilarious photo of our family after we 

painted our old beach wagon in red white and blue so we could enter

it into the local parade on Martha's Vineyard as a float.  Its a fun little

quaint country style parade where this kind of thing is not unusual.

So dad dressed up like Uncle Sam and the rest of us just wore hats and tried

to color coordinate. It was a memory we won't ever forget. 

Thats me in front by the hood of the car. Justin, Brandon and Colin (not shown)

 were just little boys and they sat in the way back of the wagon 

with their super soaker squirt guns. Super fun! Super goofy!

Hope you have some fun scheduled for this coming week,

I am more than ready to fire up the grill, have a few cookouts,

see some of my family who will be visiting us and work in the garden.

What are your plans?  Our dogs are afraid of fireworks, so that means we 

try to stay away from those kind of festivities.  If you have dogs, you

know what that is like...most of them are afraid of the fireworks.

So have fun, stay safe and lets kick of the summer, shall we?

Pioneer Goods Co shop preview this weekend!

WOW!

 Pioneer Goods Co. 

Our sister store to Maison Decor is located in Boston's South End

at 764 Tremont Street.  We are having a preview this weekend 

for all of our followers and neighbors who have been excited about the shop.

At this point we have a few boxes left to check off with the 

city~they haven't been the easiest folks to deal with.

 Small businesses (they say) are the backbone of America.

We have already hired two guys to work in our little Boston shop.

We are not just another pizza parlour or nail salon....

wouldn't you think we would get the red carpet rolled out

by the city?  Don't they know that all of our neighbors in town

have been stopping by and offering words of praise and excitement

and telling us that they are sooooo happy we are there!

 So while not officially open, we will fling open the doors

to host a Preview Weekend....hey we do have our bills to pay.

 Justin has created a little masterpiece of a shop! 

Filled with antiques, vintage goods and reproductions, its just fantastic!!

I cannot wait to visit it myself~believe it or not, I have only been twice.

Running retail businesses are not for the faint of heart.  You can expect

to work like a dog and take a beating, enjoy highs and lows and, like the mailman,

be there every day.  So that is why I haven't been in Boston much, but I hope to visit 

Sunday when Maison Decor in Reading is closed.

 We won't be carrying much duplicate merchandise as Pioneer Goods Co

is very vintage, but we do have a couple of things we share like this farmhouse

pendant with crystals.  

Justin has this great looking rustic basket chandelier on reclaimed wood

hanging over the long harvest table.  It looks amazing~and you might be the 

one to take it home with you this weekend! Just get in here and see it for yourself,

as well as all the other amazing pieces he has amassed to create his look.

Rustic Home Revival

Hope you can stop in!

Saturday and Sunday June 21-22

Read Justin's blog post for more information here.

Glamorous style for a dining room

Elements of style in this dining room include a mix of silver metallic 

finishes, from chrome to silver leaf found on fabrics and fixtures. 

 Creamy wall color and camel colored upholstered keep the room 

from becoming too cool with all of the silver and grey used.

Adding luxe finishes like double chandeliers, faux fur throws and metallic

linen draperies create the glam vibe we were aiming for!

 This chrome duo of animal head mounts were

found at HomeGoods and add a bit of on trend whimsy.

 Animal heads are IN IN IN!! 

Have you noticed?

Corners in rooms can be softened like we did here

with a rustic silver urn holding a giant moss ball orb.

Yin and yang~the silver and the moss.

 The moss is repeated on the large pedestal bowl centerpiece 

holding many moss orbs or different sizes. Its simple and elegant

and tones down the formality from all the sparkle and shine.

This centerpiece is from HomeGoods too.

 Wood blinds control the light, while the side drapery panels hanging

from custom silver leaf 2" drapery poles bring softness and 

elegance to the room. The drapery panels are from West Elm.

The drapery rods are custom from Maison Decor (my shop).

 A high end designer mirror from HomeGoods has a frame made

from crushed bits of mirror.  It is both stunning and unusual!

I used a pair of crystal orb lamps with grey silk shades from Maison Decor

 to flank the mirror, and the client's grandmother's silver tea set.

Here is the view to the foyer and the front door.

You can spy one of the Maison Decor wool rugs in Bermuda grey.

What a pretty dining room~its glamorous yet fun and 

looking for adventure!  I can just imagine the amazing parties that could

be held in this space! If I get invited, I'll know just what to wear. Its going 

to include some silver....

Note: This post is partially sponsored by HomeGoods as part of my participation in their Happy by Design Pinterest designers board. 

Creating a pretty coffee bar in our kitchen

Its almost finished, our little coffee bar.

A vintage sideboard is the perfect place to mix

up our coffee and tea in the morning.  Our kitchen is 

pretty small, so this dedicated area makes it easier

when there are more than two people in the kitchen.

So with Colin running off to work, hubby and I headed to

our own days, the coffee bar has been an excellent addition!

 It started off by getting two coats of Old White Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan.

We did have to seal it with Zinsser clear shellac as the old mahogany finish

was bleeding through the paint job.  Read more on our Chalk Paint tips

on how this can solve your bleeding problems.

It was looking so fresh and pretty with the white paint.

But after a bit, I decided to add some detailing with Country Grey in the 

form of handpainted stripes. I think I will add some Efex appliques

on the drawers and the centers of the panels.  I just love these stripes!!

How do you like Dillon's photo bomb?

 I wanted to share how much of a difference a rug can make in a room.

BEFORE~

 And AFTER with a pretty blue geometric wool rug from our shop!

 I think its a WOW!

I spent Monday working with my new Design Assistant, Gina.

We did a Restyle on this condo for a lady.  It came out fabulous!

We have to tweak  a couple of things, and I will be back with some

fun before and after pics.  Most involve just simple rearranging, which 

anyone can do with their own stuff. See the ottoman we used for her coffee table?

It was in her bedroom at the foot of her bed. It came from HomeGoods!

I repurposed it as a coffee table to add some perky prettiness to the living room

 So shop your own home when you want to freshen up your space~

its FREE and FUN!

Note: this post is partially sponsored by HomeGoods as part of my affiliation with their Pinterest Happy By Design board. All opinions are my own.

Before and After Chalk Paint Projects

I made a few collages of projects from start to finish.

This is a French Provincial cabinet that is in our dining room.

We are not going to use it for dishes, but as a massive paper

storage, mail and filing center for our overwhelming paperwork.

Its working out great as our mail and billing center.

At any rate, I painted it with Louis Blue Chalk Paint.

Then I dry brushed it with a mix of Old White and Louis Blue for

added dimension, then distressed it back. I still have to wax it,

but at this point the difference is huge!

 French Provincial China Cabinet in Louis Blue

This beat up old stereo cabinet was made over using Annie Sloan's darkest color, Graphite.

After only one coat, we applied silver foil using foil size by Artsian Enhancements and then

applied silver foil to the entire thing.  After that we stenciled the doors with one of our

Royal Design stencils and this is the finished result!  Pretty amazing, right?

This old oak bookcase was treated to a makeover with the intention 
of turning it into a display cabinet for the Efex appliques. 

We thought it would be fun if we used the Efex on it so people 
could see how realistic they look.  To this day in the shop

people do not realize we applied these moldings! 
After we applied the Efex, it was painted with 

Paris Grey Chalk Paint and finished with Clear and Dark wax.

New store and wedding shower

 Justin has been working his talented tail off getting our new shop, 

Pioneer Goods Co. ready for business.  I don't have any updates as far as

permitting goes, but we continue to be hopeful and as soon as I hear anything

it will be splashed across this blog! But here is a peek of his progress to date.

 Reclaimed rustic wood furniture has arrived, like our Pioneer Bench. 

 We have added these items

to our online shop for those who may be interested as 

we will sell by appointment.

 How about this Harvest table? Its a beast of a table and 

its over seven feet long made out of elmwood.

Check out our online furniture offerings here.

 Today is Madison's bridal shower!  This is the gift I am bringing~

 Justin will be working the Reading shop for me, while Mr. Maison Decor 

will be our designated driver/chauffeur for me, my sister Ellen, 

my mom and my MIL!  We will be driving south of Boston to

 an enchanting little town called Scituate. 

 Its on the ocean, and we will be celebrating right on the harbour!  

source

This is one of the best things about living in New England, 

you are always a short drive from the ocean.  And where there is ocean, there are usually beautiful cottages and homes,  pretty seaside vistas and a lighthouse or two.  A lovely place to gather and celebrate a wedding to be.  Out on the deck of the Mill Wharf Restaurant, I took
this photo of the bride to be with her attendants.  What a perfect day!
 More photos to come~if only for our own family 
remembrances, this was a very special day.

My Favorite Room

My favorite room?

 I was asked to show off my favorite room

at Southern Savvy Style as part of her popular series featuring

different blogger's favorite rooms.  See which room I picked

and take a look at all the newest photos of from my home.

Thank you Kim for the invite! 

I am so happy to be featured on your beautiful blog.

 TO READ MY FAVORITE ROOM CLICK HERE

Home front Updates!

 I spent all day cleaning and sorting and gets things straightened out

around the house! It feels sooooo good to do this.  When you have a job

that you are at instead of at your house, things can pile up and all of a sudden

your nice pretty house can look not so pretty.  I have had a ton of stuff to 

do and the house always comes last.  However this weekend my mom

came up from Martha's Vineyard to go to her 60th college reunion!
While she was up in the Boston area, my sister Ellen and I 
went out with her on Saturday to shop for Justin and Madison's shower gifts. 
 They are getting married in the fall and Madison's shower is next weekend!
 So I took Saturday off~ Justin filled in so I could hang with mom and Ellen.

Well I almost had the whole day off on Saturday, but we did have to deliver a piece

of furniture, so I came in for a bit so Justin could get the job done.  My sister

Ellen took this pic of me ringing up a sale on the ipad while my mom watched.

This is how it is if you ever come in the shop~it looks just like this. I grab the ipad

and ring my customers up! Unless its Gina or Cindy or Justin doing the ringing.

But I digress...so I had Saturday and Sunday off and I got a lot of stuff done.

 I finally straightened out my dining room enough to start taking photos in here again. A small pile started brewing in the corner in front of the window there.  I had Dillon's kennel in here, and it is big and ugly.  I just couldn't stand it, but wasn't sure what to do with it. But today I had a great idea~its in the TV room now! I removed an end table that had a lamp on it that no one ever turned on. So out went the end table and in its place went the dog kennel and all of a sudden I had my dining room back.  And underneath the dog kennel was my old expired Passport! haha! I had put it someplace for safe keeping and couldn't find it anywhere. Well I guess it slipped off a pail of "important papers" that I had on top of the dog kennel and it ended up between the wall and the kennel.  Well since it was expired it was no big deal, but it was creeping me out that I couldn't find such an important document.  I have a new passport on the way as I plan to travel to France this year. But that's another story.

 The big reason behind getting everything straightened out and looking pretty
 is that I will be doing a guest appearance at a big blog this week~
so stay tuned for that on Thursday.   No hints. 
How about these pretty Florentine style frames from HomeGoods?
I love that they have a vintage vibe, and they have the colors I love.
Yummy blues and greens and even one in lavender.  I placed them all on our piano
and they tie in to a painted vintage  mirror I did a few years ago in aqua blue and green.
You can see more of this room when I guest post on Thursday!

 While I was excavating our dining room, and making things pretty in the living room.
Mr. Maison Decor was doing the same to the backyard.  
He is making a big change in the landscape.
 I am getting so excited about how it is coming out. 

That pile of huge granite blocks will be a big wall and a terraced area!! 
So I decided its time for those French doors in the dining room I have wanted forever. 
 It will lead right out to this space, and I can just imagine how wonderful it all will be.

 After washing the curtains and the slipcovers, 

Dillon just had to get up on the couch.

Its too irresistible for this guy, so I completely understand.

 Plus, he's our favorite guy and we love him to pieces.  

 An action shot from earlier in the day~I stripped the wallpaper off the dining room! It came off  so easily. I just pulled and it came off in complete stripes and the wall looked great.  Better lucky than good, my husband likes to say. But I know I did size the walls, and that makes for easier removal when you go to do this task. I love love love this paper, but I got the big French provincial cabinet and it just looked silly having the feature wall blocked by a cabinet.  So down it came.

This is the big cabinet~I am still painting it and deciding upon the finish.  When this room gets completed I will do a full post on it.  But for now, I am showing off a few snippets of whats going on around the Maison.  I am supercharged! 
I love working on my home! It gets me in a happy place, you know? 

Hubs and I finished up our beautiful Sunday with a ride on his Harley
to see my mom and dad at Ellen's house before they headed back to the island.

Speaking of islands....
 Look how cute the shower gift came out!
I found some great wrapping paper and shredded papers at HomeGoods 
and packed all the gifts in one of their nostalgic wooden crates.
Hey, we are more Vineyard people than Nantucket people, 
but its a great crate all the same, don't you think?
I hope your weekend is going great and I will be back with more
 updates later in the week and will spill the beans about whose blog I am guesting on!

Note: Part of this post was sponsored by HomeGoods.  I am one of their Happy by Design Pinterest board designers! Check out designer tips using items from HomeGoods by clicking here.