House Update

The weekend was refreshing for us, how 'bout you?  Me, Will, and the babies went flea marketing and found several area rugs for the downstairs.  That's my favorite kind of family day, what about you? 

This rug above was a good find.  Will spotted it with his good eye.  I love that it's so finely detailed, hand knotted, antique,  not a 'rumpler', and it has some black in it. Our floors are currently being sanded, and the cabinets, leg-kicks, moulding, tile work, and walls are still a work in progress, here in the kitchen.   We are waiting on the custom made brass etageres, and reworking some of the hardware to match them.   We will probably have a small free-standing island on the rug.  Can I tell you how happy I am that this kitchen has plenty of free walking space?  I see a lot of kitchens with monster islands that are way too big for the space.  They 'lock' people in at parties in a claustrophobic way.  Kitchens seem to be where people gravitate when entertaining, so I really wanted this space to feel open enough to throw back some wine, feel welcome, and make people want to linger.  By having a free standing island-table, we can move it in or out to make accommodations.

Here's the back hallway rug we found too.  It's hard to see what it looks like with the lighting, but it's going to pair well with our other downstair rugs.  

              Doesn't Bubs look like he's a poor peddler from the Oliver movie?  "Looking fo some bwead", he says.

I couldn't be any happier about the honed marble slabs we got.  

These two colors have been a source of great debate.  Will and I have always wanted ebony floors, but after hearing from everyone [including other designers], how hard they are to keep clean looking, we're now unsure of what to do.  I understand the hardships of cleaning, but I still want the ebony.  Will wants to go even lighter than the one on the right.  That's when we really got 'into it'.  HA!! I finally gave in and said, 'Whatever you think, honey.'  We'll see what happens. What would you choose?  

Thank you for following, and thank you for your comments!

Pickwick House is a full service design/build company in the heart of the Midwest!  {Springfield, Missouri's Rountree Neighborhood}.  We handle all aspects of residential renovations from small to large projects and are available for full service and consultation design, and/or stylizing from East to West Coast.  Call or email us today.  We may be on location, but we'll get back to you in no time.

 417-459-8988 *sharontaylordesigns@yahoo.com

xx

sharon

Art Collecting

I'm always inspired by the vintage art I find while flea marketing and in travels.  This is Jay Jeffers design studio/shop Cavalier in San Francisco.

Yesterday I found this boat picture here on a local flea market jaunt. It was a steal for less than $150.  I've started my own collection.  You should start yours today.  Need art guidance or a helping hand with arranging your walls?  Give Pickwick House a ring:)

Have a nice day!

xx
sharon

Sneak Peak at Rosie Winstead

I'm so excited to share a snippet of a an amazing author/illustrator's home, that happens to be my sister's.

As many of you know, I'm the fourth of nine children, with a sweet bouquet of sisters by my side (my brothers are another story). In that bouquet, is my sweet, amazingly talented, giving, inspiring, cute, funny, stylish, and I could go-on and-on-sister, Rosie. Rosie Winstead. She's good as gold at everything she does, but most notably, she's an author/illustrator, flea market maven, interior decorator, sister, wife, and mother to one of the cutest little girls in the world...Goldie.

Rosie has recently refurbished an old bungalow home here in center city Springfield, MO. It has taken her no time at all to make a once-ragged home into THE coolest story-book house ever! It's not completely done, but she was kind enough to let me take a few snapshots of her sweet little abode that's filled with the same decorating sense that carries over into her playful illustrations in her books.

The rest of her home and studio is sure to be a spotlight here in the very near future. I can't wait to show you her kitchen that's outfitted with a viking stove and fridge that I covet. Meanwhile, she is busy being mom and working away on her latest book due out 2010.

The bludot dining table is paired with lacquered black antique chairs. Her chandelier is usually trimmed with her fab "Rosie-Made" creations. I love how she cut out vintage magazine dew drops to hang for her husband's birthday party. Goldie is pictured above with her cat named, Carl. I'm pictured on the left, and Rosie on the right.

And, as my nieces and nephews always say..."I love you Ro-Ro!"

Enjoy!

x's and o'sies,

sharon

Cinderelly-ish Taylor-Made Table Top Style

The pumpkin vines are starting to take over my whole back yard. I'm so excited to see that we have lot of white pumpkins coming on. Jillians of pumpkin blooms are hiding beneath the oversized foliage and they have been catching my eye too. I've been wanting to use the beautiful blooms for a fall table scape. I stopped by Ozark Treasures flea market today to see what I could find prop-wise...and could NOT believe my eyes when I saw this amazing ceramic trojan horse! What a find!! I instantly knew he was JUST the thing that was needed to make it a hip and stylish table topper. So I brought him home, picked some pumpkin blooms, found a necklace to attach him to his oxidized vase (a wanna-be-pumpkin-ish styled Cinderella carriage), and sunk some other blooms into an oxidized box from my own collection. That's my crazy spin for the day. I think it would be fabulous for a table scape or for a side table top decor.

Above the Grub

I'm obsessed with beautiful things, but I'm even more obsessed with finding the beauty in the overlooked and under-appreciated things. Our Grandma was a dumpster diver who rode around on her bike looking for "treasures" in her dress and high heels. She found some dandies along her alley way.

"Above the grub", as our good friend Charlotte says when we arrive for tea at her house wearing our smocked dresses and Mary Janes. She knows what we've been up to.

Here are some Taylor-Made Do It Yourself projects. The pub bar was found at a local flea market for free. Will has to be given the credit for this project. He chiseled the grubby stuff off, painted it, edged it in copper and added lighting. I will be sharing more of his DIY projects on here as well. He just built a rustic (and I DO mean rustic, cold-water) open air shower in our back yard. You won't be seeing me out there in my skivs today.

The sofa was a flea market "nana". It's been thru several re-do's. It was photographed as a DIY project for Better Homes and Gardens. I've used it for a weddings and events and for retail merchandising.

Alright folks, the fridge photo up top, is from a fun photo shoot I will be sharing in a few weeks. I just threw it in here because it's one of the latest simple DIY projects that I just love, love, love... and I knew you would too. It's a vintage fridge that was a rusted, chalky, and all scraped up on the exterior. Will painted the outside of it, a yummy shade of green. More to come on this one, but Whatta ya think of what you can see of it thus far? I just want to stock it up with sweets, sweets and more fun festivities.

I hope you all had a lovely weekend and am hopeful of the same for you in this new week!

x's and o'sies.

sharon