Gustavian Inspired Pastoral Painted Secretary

Gustavian style is so pretty!

Gustavian is Swedish with a French influence, which began when

King Gustav III started hanging out in France with King Louis XIV.

Gustav went home and copied Louis but put the Swedish spin on things.

Hence "Gustvian" style was born. 

 I gravitate towards the Gustavian color palette of pale blue, white, grey

and cream and decided to paint some landscape scenes on the panels of the 

small secretary desk, that would capture the essence of Gustavian style.

 Pastoral scenery is so serene and pretty and I have been 

doing a series of pieces with these types of landscapes,

the secretary is the latest in my "Gustavian phase". 

Each drawer has raised borders and I painted landscapes inside

each one, followed by gilding the raised part.

I painted a French Maison on the drop leaf as a nod to 

my Petite French Maison Dollhouse. 

 I used the gold color wax by Jolie Paint, and it highlighted the scenes nicely.
The scenes were painted with many of the colors from
 Jolie Paint's serenity collection.

This is before gilding.  I was torn about whether or not 

to add the gilding, because this looked more like a simple 

country look which was pretty too.

 It came out beautifully and adds to the room.  

Oh, and did you notice the lilac colored sofa with fringe?  

It is a Scalamandre sofa. I lucked out at an estate sale and I love this thing! 

These sofas run in the thousands, and that is out of my budget, 

so thank heavens for estate sales and other people with great taste! 

It looks pretty with all of my purple transfer ware,

 including the lamps that I have in this room.

Off in the dining room you can see some of the other pieces in the

 Gustavian series that I have created.  And there will be more to come,

because that is how it goes when I get obsessed by something.

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Swedish Country Christmas and a Lynch Creek Farm Wreath Giveaway

 I'm in love with my Lynch Creek Farm wreath and thrilled to be able to do another

wreath giveaway this year to one of my readers.  This year, the inspiration 

for my living room was a Swedish Country style Christmas.

 Lynch Creek Farm is a family run business located in Washington state. 

They make exceptional wreaths, all of them measuring out to a full 26" width

with a weight of 7 pounds (compared to the average Christmas wreath of 4 pounds).  

That gives you an idea you how full these wreaths from Lynch Creek are.

My husband unpacked my wreath and was very impressed with the quality,

 calling it "substantial and really nice"! 

I chose a country themed wreath, with a red plaid bow and a bird theme.  

In New England, two families of  red cardinals nest in our yard, 

and its always a delight to see them at my feeder.

After enjoying it inside for a bit, I will hang it outside on the 

door of my garden shed,  where my bird feeder sits in front of the shed,

where it will last longer, being in the cold weather.  Mist wreaths indoors,

to extend their life

 Last year, I chose a pair of Blended Bay wreaths for my French doors 

and they lasted well through the winter months.  

Piper loves posing for the camera, 

and this year with our new wreath is no exception.

The Swedes love using red and white, as well as blue and white.

The striped blue and white Danish couch seemed a perfect match to 

try the Swedish Country Christmas look!  Take a look at all the various

styles of Lynch Creek Wreaths and create a fresh holiday look for your home.

To enter the giveaway, head to Lynch Creek Farms (click here)

and pick out your favorite. Then just leave a comment on my blog

letting me know which wreath you would like to win. 

Thats it!

I will pick a winner Sunday, December 2, 2018.

Note: There is free shipping on all wreaths and no taxes, for those who

order directly from Lynch Creek Farms.  I sent wreaths as gifts last

year, and they have a bulk discount if you want more than one or two

wreaths to hang on the doors or windows of your home.

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An antique European country sofa for the living room

 An old Danish trundle bed, imported by Danish Country Antique Furniture in Boston.

 It found its way to the Salvation Army Thrift shop some fifteen years after it was brought over to the USA from a town west of Copenhagen.  How I know this to be true is an interesting part of any antiquing adventure.  But lets start off by saying I wasn't looking for a new old couch....

it just happened that it was looking for me.  I often think that is the way things work 

out around here when it comes to old things like furniture and decorative accessories.  

 After loading up my Jeep with things to donate to the thrift shop, I took an obligatory walk

through the furnishings aisle and this white painted wooden country sofa was sitting there amidst a bunch of 1970s cast offs.  I stopped.  I brushed the arm of the sofa and looked at the back. 

Then the legs...and then I snapped a picture and went home.  Without it.  

I didn't think hubs would be in favor of a less comfortable sofa, even if it was antique, and maybe from his homeland, Sweden and even if it was really cute.  So I shared the photo with a bestie, who texted me back, " Go get it!".  

And so I did.  

On the way there I worried maybe it was gone, off to its forever home with the wrong person.

Ugh.  

I called the Salvation Army to inquire if an old white sofa with blue and white stripes was still sitting there?  

Yes it was I was told.  Could I put a hold on it?  No, I could not, I was told. 

 Ugh. 

Nerves set in, but I told myself, no one else could see the beauty 

in this old country piece like I could.

 When I got there, she was waiting for me.  For me!

I gave her a good look over. She was an old girl for sure.

I had borrowed hubs pickup truck and as I purchased it, I was told by the manager

that no one would be allowed to help me load it, as they were worried about liability.  

What?? I had a little furniture shop, and I loaded furniture into peoples cars all the time.

The manager asked if I wanted to return with helpers to load it.  No, I would wait in the parking lot

until I saw some other shoppers I could ask to help me put it in my truck.

Fine, the manager said, all business like...and thats when he called two guys to bring it out to the parking lot and put it next to my truck. Not to load it. 

And that is when I realized how damn heavy the thing was.  

OMG it weighted a ton!

That is also when I noticed an upside down sticker on the back of the wooden frame

 showing where it came from: Danish Country Antique Furniture, in Boston.  

The guys brought it outside and without further adieu they hoisted it up into the bed of the truck.

Chivalry and common sense was not dead after all!  

It sat in the pickup truck til hubs and one of my sons got home to carry it inside.

Of course I had to rearrange the furniture somewhat, and I couldn't be happier

with how the room looks now.  My old painted tea table seemed to be the perfect companion for it.

I contacted the Danish Antique guy and he remembered the 

old country sofa.  I wondered if it was Swedish, but he said he clearly recalled getting it west of 

Copenhagen.  It was a trundle bed made around 1860, painted white. 

These trundle beds were  made for country houses. It is a charming piece

of European furniture but it could use a bit of better padding on the bench seat, which

I will do at some point soon.  And one day it may get a bigger makeover when it moves to

our country home in the future!! Of course we have a tiny run down lake cottage, and I could

imagine a piece like this in a breakfast room or on a screen porch overlooking the lake.

One more thing...today is my granddaughter Reeve's first birthday.

To mark the occasion she took her first swimming lesson with mommy and daddy.

I put a big pink tissue ball in the silver punch bowl.

One day I can see little Reeve sleeping in the trundle at the lake house.

It makes me wonder how many other little Danish girls and boys slept

in this charming and cozy trundle bed over the last 150 years.

That is what I love about antiques...the story they carry and the secrets they

can tell, if you know how to look and find them.

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Christmas Memory Making and a Swedish Bread Recipe

 Christmas 2016 was finally upon us, and this year I was more than ready.

Now I can devote my full attention to every detail, and its certainly something I enjoy.

Our family is growing and adding daugter-in-laws, which means sometimes switching things

up a bit, and so our Christmas Eve is now celebrated on the Eve of the Eve.  

The house and the trees were decorated and lit and it never looked prettier.
Adding daughter in laws?  My son, Brandon, is engaged to his long time love, Mimi!

They live in Los Angeles but this photo was taken at our house a few years ago.
I couldn't be more excited!  (Trying to lure them back to the East Coast as well.)

So while Mimi and Brandon couldn't join us this year, we hope that will change.

 Colby was content to lie in front of the fire or in front of the tree when

he got too hot.  Visions of sugar plums danced in his head!  

I always loved that verse, although I never quite knew what a sugar plum

was, it sounded magical to me.

 Following our Christmas eve tradition, the table was set with English Crackers for all.  A new addition to my table were the large monogramed French napkins I bought from one of my favorite French dealers.  These linen napkins are as big as dish towels, and they feel wonderful!

 The crackers have crowns in shiny gold and festive red paper and this set had musical horns and a set of sheet music with each of us blowing a different note at our conductors command, played by my son Justin.  It brought many laughs and we as an orchestra got better with each tune.  Then we sang songs from the caroling books I made, and it made for a jolly time around the dinner table.

After dinner we ate pastries while this charming film was played in the

green room.  Have you seen it?  Made in 1982, it was one of my children's favorite

holiday movies, and I highly recommend it.  Its so wonderful!

I purchased it from our cable tv for less than ten dollars, and it made

for a sweet way to finish out the evening.

 The morning brought Christmas Eve day, and a bit of a mess to cleanup.

I love looking at a dinner table after a party....

it tells a story, and this one was all good.

 Then Christmas morning came and it was nice and mellow, with Colby and I the first by the tree.

My new book is a winner!! If you love French interiors, 

this  beautiful picture book by Veranda  has some beauties.

The day followed with presents and a trip to New Hampshire to my 

brother-in-law's home for a big family gathering on my husbands side,
and another engagement announced for his son, Matthew and gf Sarah! 
Nothing more romantic than a Christmas Eve proposal under the stars!!

 One special gift from Santa to me, was this Oyster bread maker. 

I always thought bread makers were pricey appliances, but this one had

great reviews and cost $60.  Well worth it, in my opinion. 

(no, I am not sponsored in this post.)

 I have always wanted to make Swedish coffee bread for my husband and his mother. 

 They have enjoyed it for their entire lives as it has been a recipe made by

 previous generations and finally I gave it a go!  Swedish coffee bread, 

or Cardamom bread as some call it is a bread that is often enjoyed

 with coffee and its just delicious!

 The dough is mixed up in the bread maker, and after it goes through

 two rising cycles you put the dough out onto a floured board and 

divide into sections so you can braid into a pair of loaves.

 My first loaves were a GIGANTIC success!! hahha! I did it!  

I made Swedish Coffee Bread, and my mother in law said it was perfect, 

so it doesn't get better than that. 

Here is our old family recipe, from cousin Bob Johnson.

If you have a bread maker and want to give it a whirl, you

will be delighted at the outcome.  Merry Christmas to you all,

my blog friends and readers!  

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Pretty Swedish Style Wallpaper for my Staircase

I am excited to share my recent wallpaper project.

The layout of  our house has the entryway and staircase

practically in our living room.  Its always been a design challenge,

how to separate but not ignore the staircase.

 Adding a pretty wallpaper to the stair wall that faces the living room made a 

world of difference. It goes to show that these often overlooked spaces

really can add instead of detract from the overall decor of a room.

 Inches away from the bland and boring stair case,

 our living room is a pretty mix of blue, grey and white.

A sheer curtain helps to create a privacy shield.  

And as soon as the paper went up, I felt like why had I waited so long?

I selected a paper that had a Swedish Country look, and has my favorite colors. 

The paper is made by Wallpops.  NuWallpaper is the type that is peel and stick.

 It is self adhesive and can be repositioned, making it practically foolproof. 

 The Wallpops people sent me three rolls of the pattern I selected, Mirable Medallion.

A tool kit for cutting and smoothing, also from Wallpops, 

was one of the only tools I needed,

besides a level and a tape measure and a pair of scissors. 

Even though I have had experience putting up wallpaper, 

I can tell you that this is so much easier and no mess.

I got started right away, using my dining room table 

to roll out the paper and cut the first piece.

 Working left to right you must make sure your first strip is put on straight.

Make a pencil line on the wall using a level, so when you hang the first piece,

the right hand edge of the paper butts up to the pencil line.  Smooth it into position.

Then trim off the edges with the razor knife.  That is it. Super easy. Super fast.

After the first strip is in position, you can do the next strips by lining them 

up to the edge of the first strip, matching the pattern.

If you mismatch, just peel it away and try again. 

As many times as you need to...

This paper is great for people in apartments that aren't allowed to do things to their walls.

And its great for serial decorators like me, that like to change things more often than not.

Because when you are done, you simply peel it off, without damaging the walls.

Feature walls, backs of bookcases and hutches and stair risers are some other ideas that you

can tackle with NuWallpaper by Wallpops.  

My friend Cheryl used it for the interior of a china cabinet. 

 Isn't that a pretty idea?

This is a fast and fairly easy DIY project. 

I started after lunch on a rainy day, and finished the next morning.

(Its best to wallpaper in bright natural lighting so you can see if 

any air bubbles need to be smoothed out with the wide smoother thingy.)

I chose to do only the wall that faces the living room, and it took

a bit less than the three rolls.  I also liked that the repeat of the pattern 

in this paper was about 5" which means there was not much waste 

when matching the pattern.  

It has added so much appeal to our entry space.

The view from the living room shows how it has finished off the space.

Its all in the details, as they say!  

Note:  This is a sponsored post.

Wallpops provided the product, but all opinions are my own. 

I loved this paper so much, I am already looking around for another place

to freshen up with another pretty pattern from NuWallpaper. 

To view more beautiful wallpaper patterns visit Wallpops.com here 

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