STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Hedvig wrote:

---

I love your dining/living room! The fireplace mantel looks amazing and I love that mirror!


We lived in Boston for a while in a very old apartment with a fireplace mantel in both the living room and the bedroom and I was always on the lookout for a mirror I could perch on the mantel. I never found one and, of course, now we live in a completely modern apartment with no fireplace and no mantel.


The wooden cabinets are so beautiful, and the cannibal eating instruments do sound like such an interesting conversation starter. And where did you find those pillars? They look so unique.

---

oh thank you! I know my personal decorating style is very different than most STers, so I was really apprehensive to share! I feel better now

the pillars are old house pillars - a friend of mine had them in her retail store for decoration. she moved her store and didn't have room for them so she gave them to me I love old architectural remnants...

Holy Moly, D, that is a gorgeous gorgeous room. I can hardly believe that real people live there and it's not some magazine spread, it's just that well put together and coordinated. But I must say though, that it looks extremely comfortable. Especially that striped chair next to one of the pillars, it looks great to just curl up and play on my laptop in that corner. Excellent, the whole thing! I am curious about people's houses all the time as well, it really does tell you a lot about somebody. Course, mine would just tell you that I like books and don't mind living in filth as the kitchen floor just got mopped today for the first time in two months.

NCshopper wrote:

---

Your house is beautiful.  I really like the style--it looks cozy, but it also looks like you could spend forever just wandering around your house, looking at some of your pieces. 

---

 

I agree..my style is bit different than yours..

but I can totally appreciate it...I really love the unique pieces you have throughout the house..

very cool !!

 

 

-- Edited by ayo at 16:40, 2006-11-10

D, where do you go antiquing around here? My tastes run more modern but I LOVE antique glass and crystal and I still find some intersting other pieces. I enjoy Knightsbridge in Northville but haven't been regularly since I moved outta town.

I love how your home looks so warm and welcoming while showing off your finds. That's a hard feeling to get. Most people stop while it feels museumy or go so overboard with stuff it looks like a swapmeet blew through.

I collect candlewick, it reminds me of my grandmother. Instead of hiding it in a china cabinet, I have it stashed all over the house. When it's time to use it I have to collect it from each room, but I hate keeping my favorite things hidden away, so I can really appreciate how you have all of your faves out for enjoyment.

You have what I call a "magazine home," because it looks like it came out of a magazine.  I love it all, but especially the dining room chandelier and the Staffordshire dogs.  It is so well put-together but still looks comfy.  I would love to see the rest of your home. 

Isn't it funny how people's style in both clothing and home can be so similar? Your house looks just like I would have guessed, because it reminds me of how you dress -- eclectic and decadent and whimsical and super-duper cool. This shot is my favorite. It reminds me of a parlor in Europe or something.

first of all, I'd like to clarify what I meant by "richer"  - not in a monetary sense, but like a rich cheesecake - only visual - does that make sense? the chairs that were there before just didn't have "umph" these chairs have more substance, and visual weight, helping make the room visually "rich."  I think I picked that term up from my mother who is an interior designer - it doesn't mean money.

ayo - thank you for having appreciation - it's just like I appreciate more contemporary design and enjoy finding more contemporary things for STers - I just didn't go down that path personally for my own home.

valenciana - the turquoise pieces are all late 19th century Chinese export figures. Most of them are foo (or fu) dogs (or lions.) A foo  dog has a little horn on it's forehead, other than that they look the same as the lions -- I call them all foo dogs to make it easy on myself. They're supposed to guard the home from evil spirits (Chinese folklore.)  This is a foo lion:

greendiamond -

I've been to Knightsbridge, and they have some nice things.  I primarily go to the Royal Oak flea market, estate sales (the burgundy wingback chair is the chair we found at an estate sale with our address on it - it was ordered by the first owner of our place in 1970 or so - it made its way into Birmingham somehow and wanted to come home! we didn't even see the shipping label on the bottom until we were loading it in the car - freaky!) ebay is a biggie for us too - you can find some great things there...  OH! and our favorite place to go antiquing? Treasure Mart in Ann Arbor - OMG -- we have found some really cool stuff there.

"I love how your home looks so warm and welcoming while showing off your finds. That's a hard feeling to get. Most people stop while it feels museumy or go so overboard with stuff it looks like a swapmeet blew through."

Thank you! I try to keep things in cabinets to make it feel less cluttered (cuts down on the dusting as well.)

"I collect candlewick, it reminds me of my grandmother. Instead of hiding it in a china cabinet, I have it stashed all over the house. When it's time to use it I have to collect it from each room, but I hate keeping my favorite things hidden away, so I can really appreciate how you have all of your faves out for enjoyment."

I love candlewick! I have a large number of etched 10 oz glasses (great for casual wine glasses or water glasses - we use them all the time) plus a pedestal cake plate (purchased at a church rummage sale) and a stack of small plates.  I really love how they look. I am also a big believer in trying to use my antiques. I have a ton of stuff in the basement though (I could furnish a whole other house) and am wanting to sell some things on ebay.

halleybird - "eclectic and decadent and whimsical and super-duper cool" - that's the best compliment I have received in a long time, and I'm so flattered that you think that of me 

everyone - thank you all for your nice compliments! and thank you for being accepting of my unusual taste

-- Edited by D at 11:51, 2006-11-11

greendiamond wrote:

---

I love TreasureMart! Have you ever been to the ReUse center? It's in Ann Arbor and a co-worker of mines swears by it. Basically, people donate stuff that is too good to throw away, and then they mark it at a reasonable price and sell it. Apparently you have to be there really early Saturday morning. The last find the co-worker was bragging about was a crystal chandellier. I have a sneaking suspicion that it's a lot of stuff that people get with their house that doesn't suit their taste.

I've never actually been, although it is all of about 10 minutes from my house!

http://www.recycleannarbor.org/reuse/reuse.htm

also, Materials Unlimited off Michigan Ave. is Ypsi is fun, while you're in Washtenaw County. It's just east of Huron Street, before the Honda dealership.

-gd

-- Edited by greendiamond at 12:54, 2006-11-11

---

I am definitely going to have to check that out. I see it's on south industrial hwy - I used to work at godfrey moving and storage as a receptionist a gazillion years ago...

I have been to materials unlimited (I like antiquing in depot town too) but their stuff is so overpriced IMO. There's an architectural salvage place in Detroit that I like - we bought a burl wood Baker table there recently (not architectural salvage, but it was there and a good deal at only $100!) http://www.aswdetroit.org/

 

-- Edited by D at 13:02, 2006-11-11

You have such a great stlye. I love those rooms they are so gorgeous and classy.