Courtyard Planters and French Daybed

Sprucing up the courtyard after the long winter has been underway for several weeks.

 A fresh coat of black paint was needed for a few scuff marks on the French doors,

and I decided to paint the iron urns, as they have been in their original rust

form ever since I got them.

 One on the left just painted, the one on the right still in ancient rust finish.

I was loving the look of the fresh black paint!

Valspar Duramax in Kettle Black was what I used for both the wooden doors and the iron urns. 

It is made for the outdoors and it was really nice to work with. (Not a sponsored post)

Look at how nice everything looked with a fresh coat of paint!

Pretty Piper and Sylvia posed for my Memorial Day flag Instagram post here.

 After trying to install a greenhouse in the courtyard and enduring an epic fail,

I was left with the wood landscape timber platform that was supposed to be the 

base for the greenhouse.  

The platform built for the briefly existing greenhouse....

Because it was chintzy and the wind took it away!!
Anyway,  instead of ripping it apart and removing all the stone,

the solution was to turn it into a destination spot~

 a raised platform for the French daybed and a pair of bistro chairs.

In the meantime the vegetable garden is underway up above in front of

the garden shed and I have to figure out how to get the water up there

in a more attractive manner.  In the meantime the new courtyard layout

is actually pretty nice, and we can have a number of people and still 

be able to practice social distancing easily!

The daybed  is decorated in a French bohemian style.

A mosaic birdhouse in pink adorns the ironwork.

We really enjoy gathering outdoors, and the weather has finally turned for 

the better.  This courtyard is really an entertaining solution right now

during this Covid 19 pandemic.  It hasn't been easy to isolate,

and we are looking forward to seeing loved ones in a safe way out here

during the summer months ahead.

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French daybed debuts in the dining room

 Spring is coming, and I can't wait to get back outside.  Last year we

created a French style courtyard in the back of the house. Part of our 

plan was to access it by adding French doors in the dining room
 that will lead directly to the small narrow gravel courtyard.  We got the doors 

completed, leaving me to dream about how we will enjoy the courtyard as

soon as spring arrives.  When I spotted an antique French daybed at SOWA, our local

Boston vintage market, I decided it would be the perfect accent for the courtyard.

But for now the daybed is sitting in my dining room, and I figured I could just
 work around it if I made it look like it really belongs in this room.  So, here it is!
At the end of this post you can visit my design blogger friends who have 
all joined my in an ode to Spring, and see what they have done to usher in the season.

But make sure you check out my table, as I have been working on that too.

 A pretty table setting for Easter was one of the purposes of a recent photo shoot. 

 The table has my purple transferware dishes holding center court.  

Silver baby cups hold purple Easter grass and a few luxury chocolates for

 our grown up boys.  It is a new tradition for our Easter table, 

and it's a sweet nod to Easter when it once was all about the basket.
Vintage lilac colored damask napkins are folded inside of amethyst colored footed cups,
then set on top of the Clarice Cliff purple transferware plates.

White tulips reinforce the coming season so that this pretty dining room

 is all set for spring... even with the new unexpected addition. 

 Its a dreamy combination I think, a day bed in a dining room!

 For this dining room shoot, I moved in the piano bench and I think it might just be staying. 

 The slipcovered linen bench looks really pretty tucked under the table, 

which makes space for the daybed.

 The photo shoot I was talking about earlier, was actually a video shoot with 
Matthew Mead for our Decorating Channel on Youtube.  
We shot a video tour of my living room and I explain why I love it so....
from the newly painted blue walls, to the painted piano,
 to the antique Italian hand painted floral tea table,
 to my opaline chandelier and the romantic mantle I created using appliques....
well I LOVE it all!!
If you want to check it out you will see it all too. 
Seeing a room on video is very different than looking at photos.
 It comes to LIFE!

Visit my Living Room tour on our DECORATE channel by clicking HERE.
One more thing...!

Today I'm joining in with some very talented design bloggers 

to bring you some ideas to jump start your spring style! 

Please visit them all for lots of beauty and inspiration.

 French Country Cottage

 Housepitality Designs

Maison Decor

Savvy Southern Style

Shabbyfufu

 Stone Gable

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