My Creative Blog [Search results for antiques] 

Living in New England we're blessed with many things, one being antique shops. One serendipitous find and my favorite is a place called Red Chair Antiques owned and operated by Jocie Sinauer since 1997.

Frequent trips abroad to Europe as well along the Eastern seaboard she's able to stock her shop with French, Swedish and American furniture as well as some amazing smalls.

You'll find stacks of linen sheets, hemp runners and grain sacks....

Stacks of pillows made from grain sacks and linens brought back from France....

and artful displays and vignettes. Pictured above is a French mirror paired with a Hungarian bread cabinet and small zinc finds....love it!

Jocie and her husband Dave Chicane, who's an amazing chef and restaurant owner, have had their home photographed for numerous publications. Pictured above and below are two shots from their home, look how calm and soothing the rooms are, Dave has a great eye too!

Look above the window there on the left, don't you love how Jocie hung an antique curtain rod without a curtain! Would you believe those amazing swing arm lights aren't antiques but from pottery barn and those chairs....free from their local recycling center.

Since it was a long holiday weekend I decided to get out and do a little browsing. A few things caught my eye like this burlap covered chair.

This amazing French hutch that Jocie had flown over from France really wanted to come home with me but the husband was there and I like living but isn't it GORGEOUS?

So in the interest of a happy marriage and the fact I had been looking for a reasonably price French bistro table in black this one came home with me. I'm not quite sure where it's going yet but at least the husband liked it too. If you see anything pictured that caught your eye, not my bistro table, give Jocie a call since she does ship. Be sure to visit her website as well.
Red Chair Antiques 14 Depot Street Peterborough, NH 03458 603-924-5953 http://www.redchair-antiques.com/

Every year I like to wander about my home and see what it's lacking or needs in the form of furniture and accessories. Over the holidays I noticed I definitely need more lighting but for a couple of years now I've been coveting a Swedish settee.

image from An Angel at my Table
They look amazing in pairs, love this image with the dark burlap dress forms. But an antique settee, even a reproduction can cost in the thousands. And to be honest a Swedish settee wouldn't really go well with my other furniture in my home but it would in my studio.

Painted French sofa from A. Tyner Antiques
At first I was considering a solid back settee to use in my studio for photography but then I started seriously looking around.

Reproduction settee from French Garden House

circa 1900 Gustavian style settee from Alhambra Antiques

rare, small settee, circa 1850, Cupboards & Roses Swedish Antiques
I love this small settee at only 52" long, they're typically 70" plus in length but you pay for that smaller rare size. Love the faces on the arms.

image from I Vassalletti
This settee has a solid back with open arms

circa 1810 gray painted settee from Judy Frankel Antiques
Then I discovered the gray painted settee's with the burlap seat cushions and fell in love! But I'm a tad worried it might be to matchy with my French chair below.

My French 19th century Louis XVI style cane armchair
The similarity you often see between French and Swedish furniture came from the Swedes traveling to France and soaking up the styles of Louis in 1770 at Versailles.
So what's your opinion, do you think an open back settee is too matchy for my chair? What's your favorite style of Swedish settee?

Have you ever walked into someone's home and wondered about their objets d'art? Objet d'art is defined as something decorative, an object of some artistic value. Henry David Thoreau once said ' There is no value in life except what you choose to place upon it and no happiness in any place except what you bring to it yourself.' I wonder if he was envisioning my home, looking at my objets d'art when he said this?
As I was sitting in my studio stitching away I briefly looked up and had to smile at a beloved treasure. I think we've all done that, purchased an item simply because they make us smile. Louis is such an object, he's a 17th century French wig last for making wigs. The top of the woodenhead is covered in layer upon layer of vellum paper for sizing a person's head. Big head more paper, you get the idea. Balanced upon coverless French book inserts Louis hangs about holding a beautiful antique French crown in regal splendor
Perhaps it's because of the type of job I have, antique textile dealer that I'm around and see more antiques than my fair share. Mainly because my dealers deal in more than just textiles and are always showing me items that don't relate to my business in hopes of a sale. Being female this appeals to me greatly. Plus having an artistic side let alone not being able to help myself I end up with what I think are rather amazing things decorating my home.

Meet Henri, he stands about like a sentry on duty presiding over my pillows. He's an 18th century child's clothing mannequin straight from France. His body is stuffed with horsehair and wrapped in burlap, I love the stitching up the front of him in French waxed string. Sometimes I dress him up in something old, do we ever grow tired of playing dress up?
Objects add so much life to our rooms and antiques bring history, an artful intrigue. Imagine a room devoid of our decorative objects, a room with just furniture, it doesn't look finished. Our objects are what keep our eyes moving, what makes it interesting. As I sit here in my studio I notice I have several human form objects, what is it about the human form we try to bring into our rooms? My guess is the human form finishes off a room the same way living people do.

Kay O'Toole has several mannequins, above and below, in the form of a Mexican Santos and garden statue enlivening her hall bringing it to life. Ms. O'Toole's shop is called 'Antiques and Eccentricities for all the weird things she's drawn to' but are they weird or comforting? Photo courtsey March, 2010Veranda magazine.

Katie Stassi Here used a mannequin near a French daybed, her philosophy is her interiors are ' defined not designed'. So do our objects define a space as well as decorate?

Alain and Brigitte Garnier incorporated a French mannequin artfully into their lives in their Belgium home. Photo courtesy of Cote de Texas Here
Antiques, accessories, objects all tell a story whether about the room they inhabit or the people who purchase them, they bring a room to life. So whether you're using mannequins, Santos or statues for accessorizing your home incorporating a human form adds a touch of life and intrigue into a room. Or if you're like me you spend way too much time alone and have made inanimate objects your friends'.lol.

Several weeks ago while wandering about the Internet looking at antiques I found an amazing pair of 19th century French cane chairs from Alhambra Antiques here but unfortunately for me they were sold. Love that lady medallion in the center.

19th Century French transition style cane chairs
You know when you find something and it's out of your reach and you can't quite get it out of your head? That's how these chairs were for me. But I think I found just as good of an alternative if not better, at least for me.

French 19th century Louis XVI style cane armchair
I only needed one chair really and this is a single chair. While it has a lot of decorative detail it isn't as 'high' of style and has cleaner lines which is more my taste.

Look at the curve of the arms, the carved detail on top, the fluted spindles''

I love the chipped and missing paint. While the remaining paint says it used to be blue I prefer the look it has now, more of a gray foggy hue. Best part is the cane seat is in perfect condition with just a slight sag but that's typical of something over 100 years old. It only needs minimal gluing to one arm and leg and voile'perfection!

The only thing it needs now is a special pillow, good thing I'm in the business huh?

New England Home magazine, Home of Design Duo Lee Bierly & Christopher Drake
Zinc, zinc, zinc, everywhere you look there's zinc! Don't you just love zinc? I know I do. I was just outside putting the finishing touches on a couple of boxwood shrubs that I planted up in my new Restoration Hardware planters. Which by the way are on sale now Here! It got me thinking about how wonderful the color is, that soft gray/blue.

Restoration Hardware zinc footed planters

It has become a design stable blending beautifully with today's neutral interiors.

New England Home magazine, Home of Design Duo Lee Bierly & Christopher Drake See the zinc table behind that stunning burlap and linen chair, love those pillows!
Gray is a true neutral color because of this, gray can be very restful and works with any palette.

This zinc nightstand comes open, one drawer and the bottom open or closed as pictured above from Restoration Hardware Here

French Zinc and Iron Table from Laurin Copen Antiques Here Love the zinc on the table legs! The pillows pick up the zinc color beautifully

Monumental Neoclassical style Zinc Bookcase from Sarlo Here Look at that fabulous cartouche, I'd love to have this in my home!

A Pair of Large Scaled Zinc Urn Lamps from G. Sergeant Antiques Here Now these make a statement!

Did you know Europeans even used zinc for their roofs? It's even being used here in the US for roofs'I did not know this. The zinc will last for 80 — 100years and can withstand harsh weather conditions. Zinc sheets are laid over wood and seamed.

The New Eighteenth Century Style, Zinc oeil-de-boeuf and zinc finial

Antique French Zinc Architectural Roof Finials from John J. Nelson Antiques Here
Zinc is the 23rd most abundant element in the earth's crust. We need zinc in our diets to help boost our immune systems, it also helps to cut a cold short. Best of all zinc's patina will constantly renew itself as it weathers and ages and will 'heal over' scratches and imperfection. So when zinc can be poured and molded to make such wonderful furniture, decorative items and put a roof over our heads, I ask you, what's not to love about zinc?

The New Eighteenth Century Style, zinc horse head above the door

We'll admit we're not the first ones to DIY a headboard…there are so many awesomely creative headboard ideas out there! What we wanted most for this headboard was to create a juxtaposition of old and new. You might remember the accent wall- a classic houndstooth, with a modern multi-colored flare… well, we felt like it needed a fabulous antique headboard.

What do you think? We love the end result. But guess what?? It was actually our Plan B… Plan A was a flop. And because we're all about keeping it real, we're going to show you the Plan A.

This door is amazing. The layers and layers of old, chippy paint are incredible. As soon as we saw it at Architectural Antiques we knew we had to have it. We hoped it would be enough of a contrast on the wall, but we wrong. It got completely lost with the stencil.

We headed back to Architectural Antiques and walked around their huge outdoor salvage yard. The bold blue color of the shutters jumped out at us. We loved how we'd be able to use three panels to create a solid look. We were back in business! Of course the blue wasn't the right color… Boo! That just meant we needed to DIY the doors a bit. We simply dry brushed the blue color we used in the room over the existing blue.

How To Dry Brush: 1-Put a small amount of paint on your brushDab most of it off on a paper towel 3- Quickly sweep the"dry brush" over the surface

(Late night phone picture FAIL. Sorry!) We also rubbed the paint in with a paper towel because we wanted to preserve as much of the original character of the shutters as we could. It gave just enough of the new color to make it work in the room. Installing a shutter or door headboard is really simple. So simple even a rookie DIYer can do it! Jess used this method when installing her door headboard and it worked like a charm! How to Install a Headboard: 1- Get a 2x4 piece of wood2- Cut the wood about 6 inches shorter than the width of the bed (you don't want to see the board)3- Determine the height you want your headboard and mark the bottom4- Use a level to straighten the 2x4 on the wall, where you marked it5- Find your studs and screw it in

6- Rest your headboard on the 2x47- Put a few screws in the headboard for extra stability

It took us all of about 10 minutes to get ours installed. We love an easy DIY!

So what do you think of our Plan B? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ok, so there are a TON of Shabby Apple lovers out there (we told you that would happen!), and we're thrilled to announce that the winner is:

It's your lucky day, April G.! Email us to claim your prize.: ) For the rest of you, don't forget to use the code EASTCOAST10OFF to receive 10% off your order at Shabby Apple. Thanks to everyone who entered! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I love wicker and I love wood. Either together or separate. I have always been drawn to their warmth. My trip into the big city (Portland, Oregon) last week allowed me to indulge in these affections, as I found a couple of new antique wicker and wood pieces that I adore.
The piece shown above is what I would call art. To me, it's no different than a painting on the wall as it represents a unique expression of creativity and fine craftsmanship. I fell in love with this piece when I saw it, with its beautiful bobbin turned spindles, legs and arms, and pristine rush seat.
It's actually two pieces....called corner chairs. But according to the antique dealer, the chairs were often kept together and used as a bench. I'll keep them together as well.
Since I get a lot of inquiries about pricing of antiques, I will start listing what I've paid for the antiques I buy. This piece was originally priced at $130 for the pair and it was 50% off — so I paid $65. As I said to Hubby, 'that's a great deal.'

I also happened across this antique wicker trunk. I've always loved the look of trunks like these. This one is in pristine condition, so I knew I couldn't pass it up at $40. I love that it's on old, squeaky wheels.

Even the handles are still intact.

The top is in great condition too. By the way....this happens to be the first piece of furniture I've purchased for our growing family.
We'll use it as a toy box. xoxo
The other item I found on my excursion into the big city was an antique French armoire....also for the nursery! We just brought it home over the weekend so it's in several pieces right now — photos will have to follow.
Hubby is still working hard on finishing the dining room (after work and on the weekends). He's hung the drywall and is in the process of finishing up the mud (which takes three coats with a twenty-four hour drying period in between).

As for me, I've been trying to stay off my feet. My ankles, calves and feet have started to swell significantly and the only way to keep the swelling down is to lie down with my feet up (which somehow makes my eyes close).
And as you can see, I'm growing! Everywhere! In fact, soon I will surpass dear six foot four tall Hubby on the scale — ouch.
I'm feeling quite well overall, suffering mostly from pure lack of motivation....hence the lack of posts last week. But I am getting really excited to decorate the nursery. I haven't been running around much the last several months so my trip into Portland last week was a big day for me.
I have a strong vision of what the nursery will look like (I've drawn it out on paper about a dozen times now). The armoire was the major, potentially most challenging, item to acquire so now that we've found that, the rest should come together quite easily.
I'm very excited to share my vision for the nursery with you — and will do so in the coming months!

While perusing the Internet looking for a certain antique item for my new kitchen I remembered Michael Trapp Antiques and web site Here. While browsing his pages I had a look at his profile and was very surprised to find a little box right below his picture. Michael Trapp is a garden and interior designer extraordinaire, theatrical designer, antiques dealer, and trendsetter, who is well known on the east coast, is selling his amazing home in Sharon, Connecticut.

View of the house before renovation
Perched on the edge of a cliff with spectacular views of the Berkshires foothills sat an unassuming 3000 square foot bungalow style house that Michael purchased for $365,000 in 2003 and set about creating a little magic.

View of the house after renovation with landscaping, stonewalls, steps and cobblestone walkway. Notice the color of the house and trim.

View of the dining room, notice the wall color, with a 19th century Spanish chandelier, the teak chairs are sold on his web site. The dining room and living room face out to the deck so the windows and French doors were all elongated to capture the view.

The antique French limestone table base and the fabulous 18th century flooring from Burgundy are all available on Michaels' web site.

The 900 square foot deck that runs the length of the house brings those captivating views home! This picture was obviously taken in the fall since the leaves are changing. Now do you understand why someone with so much talent bought such a house?

The living room is outfitted with eight dead birch trees, while an unusual decorating statement inside they would have been worse outside for a garden designer. Upon arriving for the front yard Michael found they were diseased and dying so he brought them inside. The living room is bigger in height then width so he needed something to make the scale more human like without blocking the light coming inside.

The other side of the living room noticed how Michael used black paint to mimic wainscoting on the lower half of the walls. He has another variety of tree hanging above the large clam shell, an orange tree. I love all the antique frames on the wall, sometimes they make more of a statement empty.

The master bath is tiled with late 19th/early 20th Century Spanish glazed concrete tile that are available on Michaels' site in three different colors. The sinks are all carved stone.

In the bedroom, a pre-Rafaelita painting of St. Sebastian is framed on either side with finials from a Samuel McIntire house. You can see Michaels' love of antique architectural pieces in the side tables and throughout the house.

The floors are all inlaid 18th century French Terra cotta tiles from Burgundy all outlined with bands of dark stained wood.
Michael was able to open the house up and bring the light and outside in blurring the line between the two. If you're interested in seeing a wonderful slide show featuring this house go Here.
If you're interested in seeing Michaels' shop with attached gardens and house go Cote de Texas Joni did a wonderful spread not to be believed.
Oh, if you're interested I did buy my new kitchen a little something from Michaels' shop here....

a 16th century Italian wine vessel
Happy Shopping!

We were really lucky to have had two major statement art pieces in our most recent Nate Show thrift store room makeover. Monica posted yesterday about the roofing material art using our Royal Design Studio stencil that I was absolutely 100% sure would be a fail confident would turn out amazing. Really, they were just so cool. But our other major piece of art was super easy and looked amazing above our dresser turned buffet.

If you see a big frame, BUY IT! There are so many things you can do with them, and large frames are hard to come by, for sure. We couldn't believe our good luck when we came across this huge frame at Liberty Thrift Store. At 25 bucks, it was definitely a splurge, but a frame this size would cost you 3 times that much (or more) at Michael's, and we knew it would help fill the empty wall space in our on-set white room. This is what it looked like at the store:

Eeeek!That thing was begging us to take it home and cover it up with fabric. I honestly can not EVER imagine hanging this scene up in my home (no offense to any of you who have something similar hanging on your walls!).

We purchased the fabric at Joann's because, well, we loved it, but also because it played nicely off of that mustard yellow couch (which, quite honestly, we hated! But you work with what you have and it was the best option at the thrift store that day.) This project took a little more than a yard of fabric, spray adhesive, spray paint, stain, hot glue and craft paper. We also came across three of the same kind of frame, which we immediately snatched up so no one else could get their hands on them. I mean that literally. Another tip: if you find three frames that are exactly the same, BUY THEM! You won't be sorry. And make sure you look past their color, and the picture in the frame- that can all be easily changed!

We started out by removing the picture and staining the frame a dark walnut. While that dried, we cut the fabric so there was about an inch or a little more extra all the way around. Then we sprayed the entire front of the existing picture with spray adhesive and gently laid the fabric down, making sure to smooth out the bubbles/wrinkles. If you're trying this with a frame, be sure to have an extra set of hands- it makes it so much easier! The extra fabric was stapled on the back side of the picture. In the meantime, we spraypainted the small frames in the same high gloss navy that we used on the dresser.

We were able to salvage the mats from the old pictures in the small frames, which saved us loads of time. Woohoo for the small things! We then lined the back of the mats with craft paper so that we'd have a nice solid background to highlight our antique skeleton keys.

I messed around with the layout of the keys for a loooooong time a few minutes before I settled on the perfect layout. Speaking of the keys…

…aren't they awesome? We actually had these keys from a previous shopping excursion at Architectural Antiques and were thrilled to use them in this project. They added so much character to this somewhat modern piece of art! Architectural Antiques is just one of the best places to find cool, old stuff in Bucks County. (If you're local, you HAVE to go there.)

From salvaged windows and doors, to old hardware and keys, to antique mantels and loads more, they have some incredible stuff! Anyway, we mounted the keys using our trusty hot glue done and voila! She was finished.

Pretty sweet, right? We sure think so! (And so did Nate!; )

*** Did you know that we share lots of other cool ideas over on our Facebook page? It's like little snippets of RHBC to get you through your day! So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and like us, we're going to post lots more Nate Show pics there later today!

I received my new copy of Atlanta Homes & Life Styles magazine in the mail this week and about flipped when I saw the cover. Pictured on the cover was this amazing dining room but what I was most after were the circa 1780 urns in iron armatures on the pedestals. They're from Bobby McAlpine's shop called AD Antiquity in Birmingham that I was told is now closed. The designer of this room is the very talented Susan Ferrier.

image via House Beautiful
I'm in love with these urns! Armature simply means a framework, in this case the iron, serving as a supporting core for the material used to make, in this case the URNS! There are actually a pair of these used in that dining room....FABULOUS!

image via A. Tyner Antiques
I came upon these 19th century painted Swedish grotto chairs offered by A. Tyner Antiques when I was looking at Swedish benches. Aren't the scallop shell backs amazing? I thought the chairs were very reasonably priced too at $820 per chair.

One of the chairs was shown in Atlanta Home magazine this month as well in a bedroom designed by Liz Williams. The chair looks even better in a room just look at that detail!

I love anything with scallops as evidenced by this architectural piece above that suits in my studio.

Or how about this chair in my studio....

It has a small lovely sort of scallop shell on top too.
There are scallops on the underside of those urns, scallops on the chairs and scallops on several things in my studio. I'm quite taken with anything that has a smooth sculpted flow. So what sort of architectural detail rocks your boat?

Arcobaleno Antiques and Interiors
thank you, Elle Oh, for the discovery...
don't forget to list your gray paint colors here
happy, happy weekend, my sweet babies...

Today we have a Jessica (not our Jess, a different one) from Arcadian Lighting guest posting about blending modern and country designs. We love this trend, so we were excited to see what she had to share. I (Monica) happen to love Arcadian Lighting. We made one big lighting purchase when we built our home. Our foyer needed a huge light and it needed some major wow factor. We must have looked at 192364 stores, and Arcadian was where we found a winner!

It's one of my favorite things ever (and they have great sales, so of course I didn't pay full price!) So, thanks for being here today Jessica!
**********************************************************************************

Hi there! I'm Jessica, a writer for Arcadian Lighting, which is a wonderful online resource for beautiful, affordable lighting fixtures. I'm delighted to be guest posting for Monica and Jess today because I'm going to be sharing a collection of inspiring modern country interiors. Rustic and casual with a sophisticated modern edge, these country interiors are just right for the fresh, airy days of Spring. I hope you enjoy!

A simple checked table cloth and set of traditional English china give this lovely dining table a classic farmhouse feel. The contrasting modern wine glasses and Donghia stacking chairs are cool accent pieces.

A chic neutral color palette and a checked upholstered arm chair in the corner bring together new and modern with old and classic beautifully. The branch candlesticks are fun and unexpected.

A gorgeous mix of crisp, modern furniture and rustic exposed wood beams creates a perfectly elegant, yet relaxing atmosphere in this living room. These types of ornate wooden mirror frames and chandeliers add a bit of drama.

The slate fireplace, twinkling candles and brilliant chandelier give this sophisticated dining room just enough simple country beauty. A lovely bouquet of fresh greenery makes the perfect accent, as well.

The vaulted ceiling and shelving gives this living room a distinctly farmhouse appeal. Weathered antiques and cushy modern furniture make the room cozy and inviting.

The handsome dark wooden floorboards and rustic, industrial stools add a rugged edge to this chic kitchen. The pendant lights overhead are simply beautiful, and the under cabinet lighting is a great touch.

A dusty blue wall color and sheer white curtains make this bedroom absolutely dreamy and romantic. The wood beam ceiling add so much natural texture and color that it makes a perfect accent against the very simple furnishings.

The paneled walls in this bedroom lend a cozy country atmosphere to the room, especially with a serene beige paint color. The rustic nightstand and modern headboard are particularly handsome together. Images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 Which of these modern country rooms is your favorite? Let us know in the comments! And be sure to stop by Arcadian Lighting for a modern light fixture or two to brighten your home! -Jessica

I love Victorian furniture. I love the ornate lines. I love the rich hue of the dark wood. I love that each piece possesses such intricate carved detail.

I purchased this Victorian chair for just $62. When I look at this chair, I see a work of art no different than a piece of artwork hanging on our wall. It's absolutely beautiful.
The fact that this delicate chair has 'lived' for over a hundred years is just fascinating to me, especially seeing that it's in pristine condition. It must have known some very loving homes along the way.

The needlepoint is in good condition — just a few thin spots, which I think come from moths rather than wear. The preservationist in me says leave it alone. But in my effort to blend my passion for antiques with the modernity of our lives, I thought of perhaps brightening the chair with a nice light velvet, which was also popular during the late 1800's.
Alternatively, for a more contemporary juxtaposition, I thought a nice botanical fabric could also be quite beautiful and honor the Victorian era's love of nature.

I've placed the chair next to my bed, in place of the chair that was already there. It goes just so beautifully next to the Eastlake nightstand, as they share the same intricate carved detail and the same lovely bird's eye maple veneer.
Considering the placement of the chair, I'm leaning towards brightening it with a soft, light velvet as I think it would best match the feel of the bedroom. If I do this, I will preserve the original needlepoint — perhaps by covering over it.
What do you think... leave it alone? Or do you like the bird toile, or the light soft velvet fabric?

T his Matisse nude hangs in my office. It's a perfect example of how sometimes, due to my antique frame addiction, a piece of art comes together backwards. In other words, I found a print to go with the frame....instead of vice versa.
I believe this frame was the very first in my collection, which began while I was a college student in Maine. My love for both art and antiques found the perfect marriage in a passion for antique frames.

I've always admired the design detail and profile of this particular frame. It's also a good size at 16-1/2 x 22 inches.
For years, the frame was paired with a landscape print. But over time, I found that the soft, ambient colors of the print somehow took away from the drama of the frame itself. A few months ago, I decided to replace the landscape with a simple drawing of a female nude. I really adore this one by Matisse, a piece whose traditional lines and monochrome palette are unique compared to his more famous work.

I also recently framed a still life by Matisse for the kitchen. It is likewise paired with an antique gold frame, though the frame is much simpler in detail. Both pieces share the same aesthetic, which combines a finely made frame with a simple but delicately beautiful drawing.
I purchased both prints here.

Ladies-and the approximately 1% of readers who are dudes-, we have awesome sponsors. They are the ones who make the rest of our posts and projects possible. Not only do they support us, but they have some pretty cool stuff in their stores. We've rounded up some of favorite items for a cozy Fall season. Make sure you don't miss the discount codes and special promotions!

1. We are digging on this Antique Thread Display Drawer from Nachokitty. It could serve so many different purposes: jewelry organizer, craft supply organizer, or pretty display for your tiny treasures. Don't stop there, though. You should definitely take a look at their Etsy shop- I could browse their finds for hours!

2. I love this Industrial Table Lamp from Lucent Lampworks! I can see it snuggled up to some pretty Fall decor on a mantel or side table. Love. it. To get 10% off your purchase use the code EC2TENOFF.

3. We're heading into the holiday season, and it's always good to have small gifts on hand for teachers, neighbors etc. Stock up on these Premium Soy Candles from CJS Eco Chic in the mini 4 oz. and you won't ever have to worry! And oh man, the holiday scents are to die for!

4. We love using non-traditional materials for headboards! How about this fireplace mantel headboard? Not bad, right? Architectural Antiques is hands-down our favorite place for incredible salvaged materials to repurpose.

5. Did you see Mandi's Epic Room Makeover. She used the Nova Trellis, from Royal Design Studio in the bathroom and well, it is fabulous. As a thank you to their 10,000 FB fans, RDS is offering 25% of all orders through Sunday with the code WELOVEU.

6. You've all been waiting for Monica's big patio reveal, and tomorrow, the wait is over! They couldn't have done it without Stone Depot, and their super helpful staff. Now's the time to build an outdoor fireplace or firepit, and they guys at Stone Depot have everything you need to make that happen!

7. We can't seem to control our love for photo canvases from Canvas People! Right now you can buy a 11 x 14 Canvas for only $15 from Canvas People and $1 of every order will be donated to help fight Breast Cancer! If you need some inspiration for what to put on a canvas, check out this post! 8. Not gonna lie, once the holiday season starts (right after Halloween, in my opinion), I often need a reminder to stop and be thankful for all that I have. This 1 Thessalonians 5:16 Print from Red Letter Words makes a perfect visual reminder of that very thing…and it looks cool, too. Check out the fun new turquoise color, too! They also have a really fun, very sweet Print of the Month focused on the value we women have, and you will receive 20% off this entire section through the end of this month. 9. We love Moo & Puppy digital paper so much, we even wrote a post about all of it's many uses! I'm really liking the fall-ish colors of the Retro Digital Scrapbook Paper. Use the discount code EC2blog20 for 20% off your order!

10. We all know that Thirty-One Gifts has cute and affordable bags, but the one item I've had my eye for over a year is this small Magazine Basket. I love it's shape and versatility! Plus, you can personalize all baskets for only a few dollars more. Right now, mention EC2Blog when you order any basket and get any second item in the catalog 31% off. To place your order, click here and shoot an email to Amanda with your order.

11.Liberty Thrift Store is hands-down our go-to thrift store. Did you know that we found the chair we reupholstered for the Nate Show there? You never know what you'll find thrifting, but it's always fun! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wait, one more thing! We're happy to announce that we're accepting new sponsors! We have a few openings that we would love to fill, so if you have a business that you think we'll love and can help you promote, send us an email at eastcoastcreativeblog@gmail.com! Seriously, what better way to sell your stuff than to have two loud, passionate, crazy women on your side?! For all the nitty-gritty info about our sponsorship opportunities, click here. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Have a great day, and be sure to stop over and say hi to our wonderful sponsors!

This bedroom makeover was so fun to work on because we were challenged to combine both rustic and industrial styles together to make the space work! This room was huge, so we were able to do lots of fun DIY projects. Take a peek…

Now, to fully appreciate this room, you've got to see what it looked like before we started…

Talk about a transformation right?? You can watch the full episode online by clicking HERE.
We had a blast working with Tiffany and Jon and were so glad they BOTH liked the finished room!

Later this week we'll post all the juicy details about all the projects in the room, but for now, here's just a little room tour for ya…

This world map project wasn't featured in the show much (there's just never enough time), but we loved how it turned out and it might be one of my favorite projects of the makeover!

After a fun trip to one of the BEST salvage shops around, we built these reclaimed wood floating shelves using conduit pipe! The awesome shop we went to is Architectural Antiques in Bedminster, PA. Click here to visit their Facebook page for more info!

Using a mantle we found at the salvage shop, we used wood slices to create a faux fireplace look. It really helped define the sitting area we created!

One of our wildcard projects (AKA we'd never tried it before and just crossed our fingers it would be awesome) was our metal headboard. Toilet bowl cleaner and inexpensive metal sheets never looked so good!!

And stealing the show… herringbone barn doors with a custom made track for UNDER $200! I love how these doors are barn, but with such a modern twist. The yellow color and the arrow pattern made these doors super unique!
So, go check out the episode HERE, and then check back this week for all the complete tutorials!!

We've gotta know… What project is your fav? Any you'd like to try?

Have you seen the August issue of Veranda yet? If not run out and buy it now! Pictured on the front is a French house that was once a ruin. Why couldn't someone have discovered America sooner than 1492 so we could have a few ruins? I wouldn't mind living in a stone ruin, who cares about a little rubble when it looks this fabulous? If I can live in an 18th century dwelling with all it's quirks a little ruin is nothing!

(All photos courtesy Veranda, photographer: Peter Vitale)

Look at the inside guest patio, those 15th century curved stone arches, that antique tile floor'''now I ask you who wouldn't be happy there?

The house was originally built in the 11th century and added onto each century. The kitchen area dates to the 17th century, love how they simply plastered over the arches. Just think if I could afford that house I wouldn't have to cook except when I wanted to.

The chairs in the Renaissance hall look to be covered in tapestry that more than likely came from Michel Biehns' shop since he deals in textiles of all sorts. As an antique textile dealer myself it's killing me I can't see those chairs closer. And look at those pillows in the background hiding from me!

I could sleep in this master bedroom all draped in Italian silks. That pillow on the bed is antique Italian silk velvet, why don't they just shoot me now? One of my passions is Italian silk velvets, I'm a collector as well as deal in velvets and I can't see that pillow well. I NEED TO SEE THAT PILLOW!

Can you believe this is the dressing room? I wonder if it's up those stairs pictured in the master bedroom? I love how they're storing their hats in the French laundry baskets and look at that dreamy mirror, love the juxtaposition between the gilded mirror and straw baskets. Look at the baskets on top of the closets, they give you a sense of the height in the room.

The 17th century staircase is original to the house and was restored, think of the entrance you would make coming down those stairs! Love the huge picture at the top too!

All the silk fabrics just in this small dining room come from Antico Setificio Fiorentino in Florence Italy and can be found Here. Those sconces and chandelier are to die for! And those chairs....come to Mama! They're in that French Parisian green I love so much!
I love how they used a nice mix of highs and lows of antiques and modern furniture so that nothing overwhelms, tough to achieve. I wish someone would come out with a magazine that shows all the accessories that decorate rooms so we could see more clearly....not to be I guess. I won't spoil the entire article for you but I couldn't resist, who wouldn't want to live in France in all that history?

Homes and Antiques Magazine

{If you didn't hear, The Real Housewives of Bucks County are now East Coast Creative (Get the story here). You'll still be getting all the DIY, Design, and Monica & Jess that you love, but change your favorites to www.eastcoastcreativeblog.com Thanks!}

You might remember that one of my 2012 goals was to make our family room reflect my style more this year. I still am convinced I don't really have a style… I more or less, just take lots of things I like and smush them all together, hoping it works out okay. Recently, I took one more step in the right direction for the room.

I was browsing on Etsy a few weeks back and came across a shop I loved! Project Type has so many graphic art prints that I immediately fell in love with. This one in particular caught my eye.

I had been toying around with the idea of vintage cameras in our family room and this picture was too cool to pass up. I contacted the artist to see if I could have a few custom tweaks made (it was vertical and I needed horizontal) and she said YES! I was so stinkin' excited when she agreed!
I ordered two prints and honestly even the packaging they came in was super cool! Now, you might remember what was on the wall already. My ginormous family picture with the smaller frame…

Well this time, I was going for the reverse. Tricky aren't I? Bigger frame smaller picture.
Once again I used my prized possession, AKA grommeter from Nate. I'll admit I was a tad nervous putting holes in fabulous artwork, but I wanted it to have the same feel as the large print.
Want to know how to use a Grommeter??

I keep my grommet tools in the little bin Nate gave me. Who knew one could love Tupperware?

Take one of the female grommets and determine your placement. I traced it with a pencil (a very fancy pencil I might add!)

Next place the cutting tool (might have an official name, but I don't know it) on your traced circle, and put the mini block of wood under it. The wood comes with your kit.

Give it a solid pounding with a hammer and you have a nice little circle cut-out

Pop the male piece through the opening. Make sure the pointy end is on the back of your artwork.

Now start stacking. Add the female part to the back…

Here' the order…The large metal ring goes on the bottom (part of the tool kit), then the male grommet, then paper, then female grommet, then the big mama tool (that's the really official term). Now Hammer, Hammer, Hammer. (Don't do it on your granite counter. I took mine outside in the garage)

Ta-da! Perfectly adorable grommet!

I took my art to the wall and hung it with plain nails. I'll use decorative ones to cover 'em up.

I added my chain, which again only cost me about $1.45 at Lowes

And vioila! I'm also going to add a fun door nob to the peak of the chain. I didn't quite get to Architectural Antiques this weekend as I planned to. Now, here's the question of the day… What should I put in the open gold frames??

Here's the room to give you the full picture…

Side note: Does anyone else have a weird husband that flips the cushions backwards? He does it when we don't have company over because the kids make a mess of the cushions. Sometimes I forget and then it's an awkward, mad rush as people are walking in the door. Weird. I know.
So let me know what you think of my retro camera art, and what I should do to finish off this wall!

My summer wouldn't be complete without a few visits to the Blue Ridge Flea Market in Saylorsburg, PA!
This is one of my very favorite flea markets and one the best places in the Pocono area to shop for antiques and vintage treasures. It's about a thirty minute drive from my home, so I consider myself one lucky chick!
Today the temperature was in the 90's but that wasn't going to hold me back. It had been a while since I had last been to this market and I was excited to discover some new goodies!

The first two parking lots were full (as they always are) but way in the back grove parking area (which is the best place to park anyway because of its scattering of old shade trees) I was pleasantly surprised to find it empty of cars ' yay! ' it was going to be a good shopping day!

Empty grove=more stuff for me!: -)

Flea market ahead!

One small view of a very large complex
Of course the very first thing I came upon was two stacks of monogrammed vintage china. I had to laugh because just yesterday I blogged about this exact same china and mentioned how hard it is to find! Seven bowls, four plates, each with a beautiful floral rose design and bright capital letter K initial monogram. Their condition was new, and I knew they were from the 1940's. How much? I asked the man'$2 for all? SOLD!

My first great find
At that point I could've gone home a happy girl, but I was only five minutes into it. A short while later and up a few rows I spied two pretty, antique English transferware dinnerplates that closely resembled the Flow Blue patterns that I adore'How much?....$2 each or you can have them both for $3'SOLD! Cha-ching and woo hoo!

My new lovelies

I don't think this was an antique, but it was neat none the less: a decorative ship's figurehead or maidenhead complete with her very own treasure chest... Arrrgh

My 5-year-old daughter wanted to drive this mini car home!
Ahhh my favorite part... little boxes, on the hillside...

little boxes full of....silverware! And boy, was it HOT to touch! Everything was sizzling from the sun.
What? You can't find your keys? Here they are!

When I got to this point it was seriously like: What to my wondering eyes should appear?....Keys! Hundreds and hundreds of glorious keys! Short keys, long keys, fat keys, skeleton keys, lots of rusty keyness!

Ahhh, vintage chandelier crystals! These are super good for craftin'

Various taxidermy oddities (note the bears on the roof of the van)
A few handfuls of vintage silverplated flatware, antique skeleton keys and vintage chandelier crystals were among my best finds... all will be put to very good use in some new projects I have brewing for the upcoming holiday season!

A few of my new keys and crystals

Some of the vintage flatware I bought

What do you think?