Decorating and "Playing House"

Moving furniture around, putting something on a bookshelf, then moving it and standing back and staring ... going from room to room analyzing how everything looks.  Should I move this?  Would it look better over there?  Should this table be in another room?  Maybe that chair belongs in the bedroom .... no, keep it there .... or better yet, push it into the guest room.   I am playing house on a bigger scale than when we moved 'pretend' furniture and cuddled our dolls!

I'll start with the kitchen.  These little lamps were moved from their usual spot on the bedroom dresser into the kitchen for accent lights in the evenings.  What do you think?  I haven't purchased anything new for the house and am trying to make do with all the little lamps and items I brought with me.  Already have made several trips taking things OUT and donating them to either the Goodwill or to the church for the rummage sale.  I have a stash in a closet awaiting decisions from the children as to whether they want anything I cannot use .... and before I moved when I was packing things up, I gave several items and furniture pieces to the kids and to other friends if the kids did not wish to have them.  Now it is time to find a spot for what makes sense to keep.

More views of the kitchen now that I am doing my decorating thing!!!!

There are still no pictures on any of the walls.  The thought of hammering a nail in the wall at this point just gives me the shivers!!!!

Now .... on to the study/library .... or as it is referred to in all the house plans "Bedroom 3".... so the next owner of this house can use it as a bedroom  There is a huge roomy closet in there to qualify this room officially as being able to be called a bedroom.

Below is a picture of the chair and table in the guest room (or in the plans it is called Bedroom 2).

Here are some shots of the great room - it is off the kitchen and looks out into the backyard.

After I took this picture I decided to try to find the fall decorations and kind of fix up the mantel a little bit with what I could locate from a box in the basement.

Then I decorated the glass front book case with the duck decoys and some 'fallish' decorations.

Onward now to the dining room.  Here are some shots of the dishes as they are arranged in the corner cabinet my Mister made for us when we were first married.  He made it so we would have a place to put the china Grandma Holton gave us for a wedding present.  I don't actually remember if Grandpa or Grandma ever saw this cabinet, but I think they would both like it.  I have always loved it; it has moved with us to every home we have lived in since that first little house in the early sixties.

Now for the other side of the dining room.  This is looking from the front hallway.  Yes, there are some unopened boxes to the right on the floor.  They contain the precious cut glass my Mister made and the Tiffany style lamp shade he made for the lamp that is sitting on the piece of furniture to the right.  The lamp won't be located there, as I plan to put it on an antique cabinet that is being refinished and will be put in the front hallway as you enter the house.

One of the things I thought would be very special when the decision was made to build a house .... was to have glass door knobs throughout the house to give the feel of a special older home.  I feared that knobs of that type might be difficult to find or way too expensive, but they were available and not out of budget.  First is the front door as you enter from the outside .... then on every door inside is a glass knob ..... take a look at a few of them.

 This is the outside door ..............welcome!

These are a few pictures of the glass knobs on the inside .............

Yes, Sandy is feeling right at home.

Awwwww.... Mr. Sandrew getting rather sleepy eyed!!!!

I will close with some of the pretty pieces of china we collected at antique stores and flea markets over the years ..... and the last one with a message for all of you.  Yes, you are LOVED.

This "You are Loved" plate was a Christmas gift from about thirty years ago.  When I was setting up the kitchen here at Holton House, I thought it was a shame to only bring that out for special occasions, and it belonged in a prominent spot.  So, it is now propped against the back splash wall behind the stove - where it can be seen every day!  

Blessings - enjoy the weekend.

Janet