Long ago I learned that you have to buy something that intrigues you WHEN you see it. If you wait until you're ready for that item, you'll go back and it won't be there. For example, my Christmas shopping is done year round ~ my closet shelves are emptied in November as I look to see what I've already acquired for my family and then figure out what still needs to be purchased. It's great as you get the perfect gift, and it spreads the cost of Christmas throughout the year. I'm working this concept with Penny too. Whenever I find a deal I grab it and shove it in my current garage (much to Bill's chagrin). Pieces that need a constant controlled climate, such as furniture, go into my sitting room... which is currently overflowing and causes me pain to look at. My OCD goes into overdrive as I pretend to not see a packed and messy room. Yet I know that when Penny's floors and walls are complete, each of these pieces will be rapidly removed and put into their new forever homes.
Let's just look at samples of what I have accumulated to date.... antique English and French Transfer-ware tiles that I purchased at Architectural Accents in Atlanta... Everything except for these I have found at crazy steal of a deal prices. These were the most extravagant purchase I've made in my search for age appropriate items.... I love them... they'll be on our living room fireplace... with the mantle we purchased a few months ago from a Facebook marketplace post... and an old German door panel (I found junking in California) that will replace the mirror in the mantle... I have a second panel that will go in the original mantle that is similar to this one in the master bedroom.
More tiles were purchased for the fireplace surrounds in Italy when we were there this winter... what better souvenirs are there than ones you can incorporate into your home right??? There's enough tiles to do the surrounds and accents in our master bathroom. Each purchase is guiding the color schemes we'll have for Penny as we connect the dots. If you buy what you love, things will just work out... the items blend and merge and begin to tell your story. Can you see how the Italian tiles will work well with the Indian doors that we bought months before. Apparently our accent colors for the master bathroom will be creams and teal blues....
Which brings me to the tiles we purchased at Habitat for Humanity Restore in Atlanta.... two different junking outings found us with trim and accent tiles that we bought at one tenth of their original cost... the shower will have box indents to hold our shampoo... with these Moroccan accent tiles... and the room will have trim with the glass tiles found on our last run.
Additionally we found similar tiles at Lowe's on CLEARANCE to use in the spare bathroom... different color but same Moroccan shape to keep the continuity. I saw the clearance pile... then saw the price and bought everything they had. Gotta love a score when you find it!!!! Not pictured here but also a Lowe's score is our bathroom tiles... I knew that we wanted to use a charcoal grey tile on our floors in both bathrooms. I'd been eyeing one every time we went to Lowe's... and one day a miracle happened.. they went on a deep discount sale... and I grabbed a pallet plus of them... then had my bff come to the store so that I wouldn't blow out my tires on my Jeep.
We have antique transom windows galore stored in our garage... There'll be three windows down the hall above where the doors used to be and one in our master bathroom. Three of the windows were purchased at Caravatti's in Richmond, Virginia... to bring a little of Bill's history into our home.
Those window purchases led to the purchase of the old hutch that will go above my grandfathers 40's banquette in our kitchen. Once we figure out the color scheme of the kitchen, the wood will be painted, lights installed in the cabinet... Again this adds continuity to our house as you walk through and see the similar accents.... the home will have bits of red and yellow splashes throughout because of the items we've purchased and the items we're bringing in that were family pieces. I can't wait to see how it all pans out.
Our bathroom vanities are also all vintage. We'll be adding marble tops and stoneware bowls to these pieces... I have four vanities for the three bathrooms. I'm currently on the hunt for the sink bowls that scream take me. I'll probably buy those though after I choose the marble that will grace the vanity tops. I don't want water to touch the wood.
I have lighting for all the rooms... and lighting for the rooms in our current house that we are removing and taking with us. It's a puzzle this moving process... having everything we need for both homes... one to keep and install... the other to install and prep for the sale... I'm making mental notes for everything I buy... and where it's going to go.... the lights on the left go in our master bathroom... the lights on the right go into our laundry room... I just finished painting our current dining room... the light fixture will go in our farm dining room... a light fixture that my bestie took down from her dining room will be going in it's place. I think all light fixtures have been accounted for, but I'm sure that I've missed one or two... my mind is this big whirl....
Today we added to my squirrel existance by buying the table that will be our dining room table. I found it on Facebook Marketplace for a steal... It's circa 1920... and has beautiful details... AND 10, yes ten.... leaves... it can stretch out to 14'... I'm in love and it was absolutely worth the four hour drive to get it. I had already bought a temporary table for next to nothing in case I couldn't find THE table... of course I've found the one now... and I'll need to sell the other round table soon...
I told my hub that we needed to come home via a different direction... and found an architectural salvage place in Otto, NC. Culpepper's Otto Depot. Oh my goodness, my jaw dropped when we pulled up... It's a beautiful barn type structure filled to the rim. We spent an hour there and purchased a few things... the biggest is three of these cute iron pieces that will be painted and added to the farm front porch railing. Can you just see them painted white... with a little spot of accent color in the circles? <3
Our last stop today was at the Queen of Hearts in Buford. We were in search for a front door to put these windows in. We found this door that is an internal door. We fell in love with the hardware, the patina and I saw the potential for it's use for our pantry. Can you imagine the windows replacing the larger panels... the door put on barn tracks... and a light in the pantry? We're still searching for an exterior door... but now we have less restrictions/expectations of what it needs to look like.
There are a LOT more bits and pieces I've collected since February 2018 when I put an offer on the farm... I know the time is coming soon when all of this will be pulled together like some sort of magic trick. Until then I'm doing my best to not get stressed when I see the mess. Soon we'll be down to one house... soon we'll reduce the amount of crap we own as we downsize... until then... I'll probably continue to find acorns to stash in my already overflowing piles... because I can't help myself..... SQUIRREL!!!!
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