Saturday Socks

Welcome to our combination living/dining area. Our condo was built in the 80’s and had little character compared to the historical homes in our neighborhood. We love antiques, but wanted a modern vibe too. When we combined our homes after we married we were amazed by how well our things blended.

Please visit our kitchen space which flows into this room. We tried to pull the rooms together using colors and textures and themes…

We wanted to separate the dining area without creating a barrier. I designed, and my husband built this pub table to delineate the area by varying the height in the room. We bought a table base from a restaurant supplier which had to support a very large top . The stools match the pair at our kitchen counter so we can pull them up to seat 6 if needed. The room seems bigger now, because the view of the fireplace is unobstructed, and we can open the windows to the patio garden in the summer. It adds a bit of unexpected whimsy when guests come for dinner- it’s so much fun to be perched up high!

The table is covered in faux (washable) leather. Inspired by the Scottish targ, my husband used the same brass-brad design that he used on the copper counter-top at our breakfast bar. In the warmer months I place a mirror in the back of the fireplace to reflect candles set in river stones. Although we love a good fire!

“The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it”

This is the quote we placed over the pub table. There is a lot going on in this relatively small space. I didn’t want to compete with the art over the buffet, so I chose metallic lettering that would be more subtle and give the eye a place to rest. I want our guests to take the focus when we sit down to dinner!

This is a close up of my husbands leather and brass work. (He also does period costume leather and binds antique books.) The autumn accessories were from our wedding a couple years ago. I pull them out and decorate for our anniversary each October. If I kept them out all year they wouldn’t be as special. Once a year it’s fun to relive the memories and recombined them in a new way. The box in front of the fireplace is filled with keepsakes we’ll go through on our anniversary.

These are left over silk flowers from my bridesmaid bouquets that I threw into a basket then realized – hey that works! ! Less is more.

Grandma’s buffet.

Grandma’s china cabinet. I added fabric to the back of the cabinet as a backdrop for my china and to keep it from looking like a cave.

Bling!

We live in a New England seaport town, once known as the “Gateway to the Orient,” so we thought it was appropriate to add a touch of Asian artwork. My husband gave me this painting as a wedding gift. It adds just the right touch of feminine to a room than can lean very masculine in color and textures with dark wood. White woodwork freshens the balance too.

I like to hide electronics. The wine bottle stiting atop of the CD stand is from our first date. I actually kept it!  Must have had a hunch things were going to work.

Sparkle! I love to use this coffee and tea set that belonged to an aunt I was very close with. My mother and other aunts are thrilled to see it again and we feel her presence with us. If you have such a treasure – USE it!  It makes a simple visit with a friend that much more special.