This Old House

Once upon a time, long, long ago, I was a Civil War widow....If you look at the older posts, you will be able to read about it....Actually, I was a Civil War Reinactment photographer...went on to have a gallery - "Widow Weeds" (the grieving attire of a Civil War widow). I came across this the other day, and thought it would be an appropriate photo to accompany the ones of a house in Louisiana that I was involved in restoring.

This house was built on a hill in a tiny town called Washington, Louisiana in 1830. It was built by a sea captain -de la Morandiare. The floors are hand-hewn planks, such as those used in ship building at the time, and the trim under the eaves is a "wave" pattern. This photo was taken in the 1920's. It had fallen into hands that didn't love it...in fact, painted the trim pink...poor house.

My clients live in Wisconsin, but bought the house and asked me to come to Washington and help with the restoration process.....I had a wonderful time, and found out the tiny town is chock a block full of fantastic antique stores...one of which brings over containers full of wonderful armoires.

The rotting porches were replaced with new, cypress planks (termites hate cypress), new plantation shutters were added, a new kitchen was built. Homes of that era, especially in the South, had kitchens that were separate from the main house...mainly because of the heat generated. Finally, painted and lovingly restored, my clients sold the home. Sad that they didn't keep it..

I wish I had bought it...sigh....

Faux Finishes Faux Real

There was a time when I was young enough, nimble enough, and dumb enough, to climb out on a scaffolding, consisting of boards on ladders, over a two-story stairwell, and glaze 1,000 square feet of walls - with ten-foot ceilings. I couldn't reach a particular spot, so I resorted to taking my "booties" off, and utilizing whatever method was needed to do the job. My client caught me in the act with her camera......those days are gone. I think it was all those years of lifting, ladders, glazing, pouncing, and feathering, that led to a bad back, shoulder problems, and ruined wrists...but, I am/was a hands-on designer, and actually enjoyed the process..

This client wanted stripes, but no wallcovering, so I did them with paint...the trick was to make sure that, in the end, I didn't end up with two, very narrow stripes...a bit of math, which is always challenging for me...alot of taping, and about a thousand trips up-and-down a ladder, and this colonial-style dining room turned out just fine.

I love to and still do gold and silver leafing.....these are wooden candlesticks, which I found at the Goodwill (no kidding) for seven dollars for the pair. (I love the Goodwill, thrift shops, etc.). I also silver-leafed the photos of my son...the large one when he was very young, and the smaller was taken during boot camp (he resembles a serial killer in the boot camp one, but is truly a pussycat). It's a time consuming process, and never try to do it when the heating or air conditioning turns on, or you will have a "snowstorm" of tiny flakes of gold or silver wafting around (pretty, but messy). These are in my living room - there's a third one on my mantle.

This giant fireplace mantle, along with the columns and hearth, were all plaster...very,very white plaster...The client wanted a brown marble (and I always strive to give my clients what they want, within reason)...I will tell them if I think they will regret a design decision...but, I am not the "Design Nazi", forcing clients into making decisions that they later hate..

I am a photostylist, and these are two sets, which are glazed with an orange-toned base coat, and then, glazed with burnt umber glazing. It's all an illusion, as there are only two walls, a laid in floor, and we used computer tricks to fill in the windows.

I love photostyling, as it becomes a big scavenger hunt for all the right props, linens, furniture, accessories, etc....lots of work, and then, tearing it all out...oh well..

We just "flipped" the set.........................................I still have many of the props - never know when they will be needed..which leads to a very crowded garage.

This is the home where I was on the scaffolding.....I do know how to do glazing in other colors, just that this is my favorite, and I don't want to show so many that you begin to glaze over...

I designed the fireplace, but it is real stone and stucco...no faux there....

These columns were just drywall and plaster columns...I didn't want to do faux marble on the entire column or base...just touches...

I did this niche just about a month ago....a builder hired me to design a rehab...took a small house down to the studs, and started over...He's on a strict budget (this is a "flip" house), so we used alot of left overs...as in the tumbled marble tiles on the face of the fireplace. I just copied the pattern in the stone in the niche...

There are several tray ceilings in my Texas house; one in the dining room, a double tray in the bedroom, and one in the kitchen...all calling out for a treatment...maybe soon. I started the foyer, and it is still not finished...I have to get another cortizone shot in the wrist before I can finish it...Getting old is not for sissies...

My World and Welcome To It

I loved James Thurber's wonderful book by that title...sadly, he passed in 1961, but if you are not familiar with his wonderful cartoon drawings, please look his work up. This is my world now...we have lived in so many places; Boston, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and now, Texas....just outside of Austin.
Anyone who is a Texan knows this photo was taken a couple of months ago, as the bluebonnets have come and gone, but now, the wildflowers are everywhere (thanks to Ladybird Johnson).
I awoke early this morning, and stepped out to feed our deer....We are on three acres, and have chosen to keep the back (lot's of cedar, a few live oak, tall grasses, cacti) wild, as a sanctuary for the deer, who the moment they hear my door open, are right there, ready for thier morning corn and fresh water. This morning, the first fawn!!! What a beauty. And, yes, they truly do "frolic"...it was leaping and kicking up it's heels, and occasionally, falling down, but there's a lesson there...even if you fall down sometimes, don't forget to "frolic".

I went for a drive the otherday, chasing the rising sun....Babies and new life are everywhere...even little, baby longhorns...

Texas has it's own rough and tumble beauty...blooming cacti (just past their prime), live oak, that keep their leaves all winter, and shed them in the spring, juniper, cedar, barbed wire, and tall grasses......I don't think I will ever tire of it.

No matter where you live; be it city or country...take a little time on your usually hectic Saturday to stop and smell the cacti, or the roses, or just breathe!!!