Lilac for the home office and other random bits

 This is one of those catch up posts, loaded with new additions and updates!

With Easter fast approaching, it seems Spring will be here before we know it. 

And when Spring arrives I will be having two photo shoots at the house,

one which will be with Fifi O'Neill for most all of the house, and then a separate one

for the magazine, Where Women Create.  That is a very cool magazine dedicated to 

showing off creative women in their habitats. And so, my home office will be 

under a magnifying glass and I want it to look beautiful, and more "me".  

Walking down my hallway, heading to my home office is this

lilac striped wall that leads into my work space.

 The walls here have been painted "French Canvas" by Ben Moore, which is a very

nice neutral.  I added a sisal rug from Ballard Designs and matchstick blinds

and some drapery panels that have a beige and white scroll pattern.  I wanted 

a little more personality than those neutrals had to offer so I painted a wide stripe around

the top of the room in "Majestic Mauve" by Ben Moore.  Its soft and subtle

and ties in the view to the hallway. Lilac, the soft version of purple, is best used in 

limited amounts, and I have always loved the color since I was a girl.

 This Aura paint is awesome because it has no smell, and after years of using

 Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint, that was something I never wanted to go back to...

the smell of latex paint.  One coat coverage makes it a good  choice, 

although it is premium in price, I think its worth it.  

(And no, this is not a compensated post, this is just my opinion on paint.) 

Before I had my china cabinet behind the desk, and it was a bit cramped when 

it came to the function of the space.  So I decided I would move it over to the side

wall and try a console table and artwork along the wall.  

 I framed a large needlepoint in an antique frame I had and as soon as I hung 

it up I kind of hated it.  UGH. You know its ok to try stuff then try other stuff....

then I got the idea to steal the huge grey mirror I had recently bought for the kitchen wall!

Here is my wonderful grey mirror from HomeGoods.  

Do you ever think of shopping your own house for the perfect thing in another room? 

 I couldn't resist moving it...my hubs thinks I am nuts.  He was the one who had to move it, or I would have myself and he likely wouldn't have noticed.  I do have a very neat farmhouse style mirror coming any day from Antique Farmhouse that might look great in this spot, but I will cross that decorating bridge when I get to it. 

 Anyway, I loved how it looked in my office behind my grey desk!! I hung up the French black and white transferware plates I recently found while antiquing, and then added shutters next to the plates.  The room is getting more changes, but at this point I am feeling encouraged. The pale lilac stripe is just fun and unexpected.  Oh, and I also repainted my orb chandy from Gold to Pearl, using Matthew Mead's Studio Metallic Paint.  I think that made a big difference as well.  Now I have the urge to hunt down a French style table or desk, as this old utility desk is just not working for me. 

Stay tuned on that one....I hope I will get it all together for a final reveal within a month.

 In the meantime, Mr. Maison Decor dragged home an enormous piece of granite, that was about six by three feet in size, and we place it in front of the French Doors leading to the back courtyard.  It is really going to be amazing, when I can get outside and start working again on the courtyard and making it all look beautiful for our outdoor living.  I am super excited about that!  I want to sew and install a Sunbrella canopy awning over the back doors, and I also want to build a small garden folly, which I can store garden tools for easy access next to my vegetable garden.

 In anticipation of Fifi's arrival, I searched online and found some beautiful vintage linen napkins, French of course.  I got a set of eleven, and they are huge, about 28" square!  I have heard them called "lapkins", which I think is very clever.  They are monogramed with a D V it appears, and if you flip them upside down it looks like an A C, which are my initials.  No matter, I have always wanted a set of nice French linen napkins, and now I have them, and they will set a lovely table.

 Almost every room in my house has spring flowers, I have been unabashedly buying them

when I have been shopping at Trader Joes and even Costco.  The former has beautiful pansy bowls and potted pink and blue hydrangeas right now, so get them while you can.

I bought two of these, one for me and one for my mother-in-law.

Aren't they gorgeous?