One Room Challenge: Week One!

Okay,  I will be honest up front. It's not easy for me to show my house, never mind where it's really dated. ;-) But to participate as a link-up to the One Room Challenge that Calling it Home hosts?  Well, I'm gonna just get right over it!  It's just too fun to let pass by, and, let's face it, there's nothing like a deadline to get something done.

So, I give you my very tired kitchen (unstyled and real life), which will be the room I will be redoing during this 6 week challenge...

My small kitchen has two areas -- the eat in, above, and the cooking, below...

Don't you love how I left out the cleaning stuff?  Well, this is me, people.  No airs.  The light was good, so I took the picture ;-)  Don't get distracted by the red trash can.  I know you want one.

Now, here's the story.  We moved into this house over 7 years ago, knowing that the kitchen was inadequate for the house and we would have to expand it some day.  I hung the mirrors and the print on the empty dining wall because I had nothing else, and they were what was left over after everything else from our old house went up.  I made valances with fabric I already had.  I kept saying everything was temporary.  They are still there 7 1/2 years later.  Life is vast.  Budgets are small.  Time Flies.

Enter the ORC Link Up.  

I'm on a mission to update my kitchen, with a goal of making major impact without a major budget.  All the big ticket pieces will stay, because this is meant to be a "spruce up" to get us a few more years before a total overhaul.

I'm going for:   New Paint Color
                        Affordable Backsplash
                        A Better Looking Dining Area without new furniture
                        Texture, Personality, and lots of  #6WilsonStyle (my fave instagram tag)
                        A New Window Treatment, maybe a roman.
                        A Cozy, Homey, Inviting place to drink my excessive amounts of coffee ;-)
                        A Surprise Element I can't wait to share (of course, I hope it goes as planned!)

Where will she start with that, you ask?

Well, about a month ago, I scored these two signed watercolors at 70% off, and when I saw them, the heavens opened, the angels sang, and I finally had a vision for my kitchen.  It struck like lightening.  Originally, I was going to do my powder room for the ORC, but this artwork changed the game.

It has the earthiness I was longing for, clean lines, and botanicals (which I adore).  I immediately saw a plan for the entire space starting to take form right there as I stood contemplating them in the clearance room of a small shop.

I'm not going to say much more (okay, because the plan is really still forming ;-) but I will add that when I was putting these stones in an orchid my girls gave me, inspiration struck again, and so I put the little stones in a bottle, to act as my guide...

And now, I say to you, "Wish me luck."  I will need it, to accomplish this in 6 weeks!  I hope you will come along for my ride.

So say goodbye...

                        

And thanks so much for visiting!  Check out all the other Linking Participants here for great inspiration.  See you next week for the Week Two update.

I'm Doing It! The One Room Challenge Link Up!

  Yup.  I'm a bit nervous.  I'm linking up to Calling it Home's One Room Challenge  for the next consecutive 6 Thursdays.  If you're not familiar with the ORC, it's a 6 week challenge to make over a space from start to finish.  Very.fun.stuff.

 There are 20 official participants, from designers to bloggers to decorating enthusiasts (view the list here), who are invited to participate by Linda at Calling it Home.  It's become such a source of design inspiration for me, and I have enjoyed it all in the past.  This time around, while the official 20 are showing their progress every Wednesday, I'm joining the Link Up participants who show their progress on Thursdays.  What an amazing treat!  This time, I couldn't resist jumping in.

So, save the date and share the excitement.  You will be blown away by what these fabulous people do, I promise.

See you with the ORC on Thursday!!

A Wallpaper I Love and Bathroom Plans

I'm planning a face lift for my powder room/laundry on the first floor of our 25 year old house.  It's very tired.   Like I'm yawning as I write this kind of tired.

My starting point is this Sanderson wallpaper I fell in love with the minute the rep showed it to me.
Here's the paper against my bathroom floor, which will be staying for this project...

I love the movement and scale of  the wallpaper pattern against the rigid lines of the floor tile.  The room is small, so I didn't want to get too big with the pattern, but I really wanted something fairly large and airy.    I couldn't get great lighting for the picture, so rest assured it's not as cold as it appears.  The background of the paper is a warm white, not quite true to color in this image (the bottom right of the paper is truest to the color).  All the shades of gray are a great compliment to the warmth of the wood in the space.

I think adding an aged brass sconce would be a great addition.  Here are some contenders...

I'm really excited about the lighting.  Right now, there is the cheapest, $2.95 box store flush mount that has been there since the house was built, even though I swore it would go the minute we moved in 7+ years ago.  Why do we do that to ourselves?  Live with what we hate?  Anyway, one sconce will make a huge difference in the room, as will a new ceiling fixture.

Here's a mirror I'm thinking about, but I'm not really sure yet what color direction I will go on the mirror.  I adore the lines of this one, though...

This bathroom has a window that looks onto the deck, so  privacy is a must.  I'm thinking a roman shade with a great trim.  More on that to come.   All of this is just in the "what if I did this?" stage, but I will share the final plan soon.

The need for spring definitely has me thinking about freshening up our home.  Does that happen to you at the end of the long cold winter?

Blue and White and Chinoiserie, plus More Trays are In, Too!!

My love affair with blue and white is getting a bit out of control.  But then, can you really love it too much?   And do you know what's the funniest thing?  I don't own any!  Aside from my Lenox ivory china with a cobalt rim from my wedding days (which I still love), and a few pieces of cobalt pottery, nope, nada, I own none of it.  But that's going to change very soon.

In the meantime, I will continue to bring it to you.  Check out these gorgeous babies...

 I heard you gasp.  Yes indeed.  Stunners.  They are vintage Doulton Burslem in the Madras pattern.  There are three of them, and how gorgeous they would be on a wall.  Maybe around a gold mirror, or my preference would be with something a bit more casual. You can find them in the shop.

 And it those weren't enough, hold on, because I have the platter, too!  Crazy beautiful not only for its pattern, but you can tell it's old because it isn't assembly line perfect.  When I saw it at the dealer I bought it from, I eyed the place to make sure I didn't have to take anyone out if they were going near it.  No joke.

(It doesn't come with the egg, you have to get your own, but I put it there to give you size perspective ;-).   The size is 17" x 14".  You can see more of this platter here.

In other chinoiserie news,  I got another pair of handmade trays in, and I am as excited to offer them to you as I was the first time!  Here they are, the rectangle and the octagonal...

If you would like to purchase either of these trays, please email me at Shop6Wilson@gmail.com, and I will PayPal invoice you as I cannot sell them through Etsy because I did not make them.  Shipping is $20, within the U.S.   You can read more about these trays in this post, and please do so if you are seriously interested, so that you have the details on their unique characteristics.

Here's a reminder of what these trays look like styled...

 And one last little bit of blue and white to start your week...

This sweet little Royal Copenhagen dish makes the perfect little jewelry holder by your kitchen sink or bedside table.    It is listed in the shop here.

Well, my 6 Wilson friends, I hope your week is a good one, filled with what you love (especially a little blue and white ;-) .

Talk to you soon and thanks for stopping by,

Ironstone Inspiration with Abingdon Pottery and Falcon Ware

I LOVE ironstone.  I'm drawn to it, admire it, dream of collecting it.  But, I just don't have the space for it in my own home.  So instead,  I'm bringing you this pretty number in 6 Wilson...

 
Isn't she a beauty?  Her stamp tells me she was made sometime after 1936.   Here's another look at her...

 You can find her in the shop.

And I know you're wondering about the vases behind the pitcher, above.  Well,  I found these for you, too.  Here's one of them...

I'm bringing you two Abingdon Pottery vases.  Let me show you another image, and then I'll tell you the Abingdon story...

 Abingdon Pottery was made for several years starting in the early 1930's, in Abingdon Illinois.  Prior to making decorative pottery, Abingdon Sanitary Manufacturing Company made bathroom plumbing (not very romantic or pretty!)  When the Great Depression hit and construction demands for Abingdon's products dried up, the company reinvented itself and changed production to decorative arts pieces.  They eventually converted back around 1950, but in the meantime, they made some stunning pottery.  These vases are just one example of their gorgeous work.  You can find them here.

In other news, I've been crazy busy lately.  How've you been?  Surviving the bitter cold?  Thank goodness there seems to be a bit of a reprieve coming this weekend, maybe temps in the 40's.  And hello daylight savings, too ;-)

Oh, and I'm linking up to the Etsy marketplace at Common Ground, so come on over!

Talk to you soon,

Visualizing Spring at 6 Wilson!

Oh man it's been a lonngggggggg winter thus far, wouldn't you agree?  Way too much snow and cold.  So, I decided to bring a little Spring to 6 Wilson on this rare, sunny 50 degree day, before the deep freeze comes again next week.

Check out these spring inspired pillows, now in the shop...

Each of these happy linen pillows has a gorgeous cobalt blue fabric on the back, and with all the color, they are the perfect accent for a winter weary home, don't you think?

Accent pillows like these don't need to match your decor -- they are meant to be little pieces of jewelery to add pop to the outfit that is... your room!! 

I used the flowers I bought today to style this vintage Lubeck pitcher, too...

There is a vintage wash basin in this pattern, as well (now in the shop), which I think would look AMAZING on a spring table with tulips planted in it.  How gorgeous would this be a centerpiece on Easter? 

The wash basin/bowl, is 14"x5" so it's a whole LOT of style.  Maybe on your coffee table?  I think blue and white is like jeans -- goes with everything.

And on the blue and white theme, these Spode plates below are now in the shop, too.  Perfection for a gorgeous salad on top of a white dinner plate (or maybe a colored dinner plate, like pink or green!  Ahh!)

So there you have my suggestions for adding some spring fling to your home!  Take that, Old Man Winter!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and don't forget that flowers can lift those winter doldrums in a snap ;-)

Thanks for stopping by,

Chinoiserie Trays in Classic Blue and White for Sale

UPDATE:  BOTH TRAYS HAVE SOLD.  I WILL BE ORDERING MORE AND ADDITIONAL PIECES AS WELL.  STAY TUNED!

  Are you a lover of blue and white chinoiserie?  Then you've got to see these porcelain trays...

I am going to be carrying this Chinese porcelain line when I launch 6 Wilson.com, and I am so excited about it.  These trays are handmade in China by local artists who mold them and then hand paint them.  They are heavy and substantial, not really for serving, and definitely make a statement.  I have styled them a bit to give you an idea of scale (mind you, the lamp below is only 10" wide). 

Here's the rectangle...

And the octagonal...

When I discovered these pieces, I learned that a lot of the mass produced blue and white porcelain you see in stores everywhere is actually produced using blue decals, while some is painted.  That is why the price can sometimes be very inexpensive.  I believe I will probably offer both variations -- mass produced and hand done, because each has it's place, and each offers a different aesthetic.


What I love about this more rustic line of hand done porcelain is the rich character the pieces contain,  making no two alike.  These are done in a pre-industrial setting with the rich clay of the region, where up to 8 or 9 potters and painters can collaborate to form just one piece.  These pieces are definitely not the perfect, crisp white and blue porcelain of the modern factory.  And that's what gives them their charm.  They are regional and proudly made.

If you look closely at the images above, you will see markings from tools, the imperfect lines of the painter's brush, and what I love most -- the occasional and sometimes densely spaced, tiny brown markings that appear (bottom center) in the piece after it is fired.  I'm told this is actually iron from the rich iron content of the local clay.  Some pieces will have a lot of it, some barely any.  It's all a natural process.  Here's another look.

The rectangle measures 17" x 13" x 1 1/4" and the octagonal is 15 1/2" x 15 1/2" x 1 1/4".

The bottom of these pieces is unglazed, and looks very rustic, but it so smooth...

Because the 6 Wilson.com shop won't be up and running for a few months, and I can't sell them in 6 Wilson on Etsy because I didn't make them,  you can buy them from 6 Wilson via a PayPal invoice.  Shipping is $20 (and if you are a Massachusetts resident, sales tax applies.)  You just need to email me if you want one.

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope your week is off to a great start!

Email me at Shop6Wilson@gmail.com to purchase or to ask questions.