Country Kitchen details

I came across this post on House Beautiful recently  - lovely pictures of a "Country Kitchen".

I love how the shiny new fittings are offset so well, against the older pieces, such as the scale, and jug, above .... and of course the abundance of fresh flowers ....

A mix of old and new, traditional and modern ....

wonderful soft shades of gray, sand, off white and blues ... and more fresh flowers...

a display of simple, everyday items (my best!!!) ...

Crockery in shades of blues and off whites ...

A butler sink and... a jug of daffodils...

an array of kitchen utensils in white ceramic containers ....

Country decor is by it's nature "not minimalist" as there are normally lots of interesting things around.  What I love in this kitchen is how, it's neat, organised, and yet still a country kitchen by it's very essence.

Picture Credits : House Beautiful Gallery

Oh what to do with all this stuff!?

On reading a blog posting "Junk in Use" by Sara Duckett of Sadie Olive fame, I had to smile, and then blush. Why ? you ask - well here's the thing. In my recent article on displaying collections, I alluded to the fact that those of us who love to collect, who love old things, who are quite simply inspired by things of yore, vintage things ... can't seem to control ourselves and inevitably end up with far too much, often in storage, but more often than not, just dumped in a store room, and with a partner threatening to get rid of things when we are not looking.

I smiled at Sara's blog, more because in reality I relate (too well, maybe) to her story. I too, have over the years amassed far too many things, far too much to even contemplate displaying, and yes, my partner, has threatened to get rid of some of the stuff.

If you find yourself in a similar situation, well, the only real solution is to be totally ruthless, sort through things, put aside those that you really love, anything that is worthy of being stored, should be stored in appropriate containers and labelled accordingly. Everything else, quite simply, can go to the nearest charity shop, after all, most do take in just about anything in order to raise funds - and, one man's trash is another man's treasure ....

With the remaining pile of things (that you love), find a space where they can be best displayed i.e. either on shelves, on walls, on a server or cupboard, or if appropriate, on the floor (although is is normally not ideal).

Remember my suggestion that you put like with like, so all your silver goes together (or at least is groups), all your blue and white China together, all your glass together and so on. Lay it flat on the floor and "play around" until you find a satisfying arrangement, or else empty the shelves and arrange until you like the look. Finally your cherished collection(s) have pride of place, can be seen and appreciated. When you tire of the display, simply removed it, store it and rotate with another.

To me, the simple beauty of a bunch of quirky items, that possibly on their own would be quite unattractive, but in a grouping can look so, so amazing, always fills me with delight! Remember to play around and above all, have fun!

They say, we teach that, which we ourselves most need to learn ... hhmmm, I guess there's a message in here for me ..... some tidying and sorting to do!!? Cheers for now!

Picture credits : Better Homes & Gardens Gallery

Beautiful Storage

Most of us are short on storage and often what is available, is not really very appealing. This picture courtesy of Pointclickhome.com and (Salvage Studio - book) shows what could be an entrance hall, or even corner in a bedroom - where a pile of old suitaceses, evidently used as storage, become part of the overall decor theme .... this to me is just perfect mutli purposing - better still - a great example or repurposing at work!!

Picture credit : Pointclickhome blog and Salvage Studio - Book available thru Amazon

For more decor trips and tricks see our archives and labels and also go to Naturally Inspired blog.

A Collection of Vintage Items Displayed

Generally, people who love old things, old items, whether they are of value of not, tend to amass quite alot of them.

You see, if you're afflicted with this "disease', every time you see yet another silver tray, silver teapot, vintage wooden or ceramic bowl or jug, or old books, or bag, or fabric, or,or, or ..... you simply get inspired by all the wonderful possibilities: what you can do with the item, where you can put the item, how you will use the item....quite frankly the inspired mind can come up with dozens of ideas and visions in the space of minutes!

Over time, the dilemma is inevitably, what to do with this vast collection of things? How best to display them, to display or not to display even....

The most critical trick, is that in order to create an effective display of collections, all like/ similar items must be grouped together (if too many, then more than one grouping) i.e. similar in look. in design, texture colour, or appearance, etc. By displaying similar items in a mass, creates the most impact, which is quite simply, just so much more profound!

After reading a recent blog entry on Sadie Olive's blogsite, which fits in perfectly with my "story" on displaying collections, I decided to "lean" on the wonderful examples she's put together, to further depict the beauty of a great display. These displays are her very own - I particularly love the collection of old brushes which on their own are probably quite unattractive or ugly even, yet together, create artistic beauty.

My comment on Sadie Olive's blog, says it all : ..."it always amazes me, how you make the roughest, at times almost the ugliest of items, into something truly spectacular"....

And remember if you much still too many items, then choose some, and store the rest .... you don't want to overdo the display, just keep it simple.

My inspiration for the article came from Sadie Olives's blog "Inspired by"

Pictures from Country Living Website: Country Living