from our home to yours...

Thank you, thank you, thank you to all who left your calling card! 
Dan and I have read and reread (multiple times) each and every comment and email!  It has been so fun to learn about you.  Thank you for sharing yourself with us. 
Thank you also for your very generous compliments-  I laughed, I cried, I blushed ;) - I loved every single one of them.  It has been an overwhelmingly amazing gift of blog-love and I am so very grateful.



Our most sincere thanks to each and every one of you...

Sharon in France, Susan in Fort Worth, Mary Beth in Pennsylvania, Laura in NY, Nancy in South Carolina, Pearls in Dallas, Becca, Agneta in Arizona, Sharon in England, Elizabeth in Ottawa, Razmataz in Ontario, Jane in Chicago, Andrea in Canada, Marianne in Ontario , Cindy in Massachusetts, LauraC in NY, Tracey in Australia, Amy in Washington, Liz outside of Chicago, Jessica in Washington, Kathy in Michigan, Kat in Maryland, Elizabeth in Ontario, Sarah in Indiana, Steve in Cambridge, Kim, Diane in Maryland, Kathleen in Oregon, Vicci in Oregon, Leonora in Virginia, Janet in California, Donna in Massachusetts, Ashely in Pennsylvania, Maria in Dallas, Christian in Virginia, Kristine in Kansas, Debra in Texas, Lynne in Washington, Wenda in Utah, Melissa in North Carolina, Tiffani in Texas, Lisa in Ottawa, Miss Flibbertigibbet, Heather in Ontario, Lisa, Kirsten in Georgia, Jenni in Australia, Beth in North Carolina, Vanessa in Florida, Karen in Wisconsin, Nicole in Florida, Audrey in Massachusetts, Dianne in North Carolina, Jessica in North Carolina, Mary in New Hampshire, Bonnie in Wisconsin, Karen in California, Lisa in Vermont, Barbara in Georgia, Jennifer in California, NB in Ontario, Gwennie in Wisconsin, Karen in Ohio, Anon in Florida, Kim in North Carolina, Samantha in Australia, Lillian in Australia and Hong Kong, Terri in North Carolina, Sondra in Colorado, Sandra in New Hampshire, Kat in Pennsylvania, Heather in Kansas, Maggie in Tennessee, Stacy in Alabama, Lizabeth in Michigan, Mary in Massachusetts, Virginia in California, Nora in San Antonio, Carolyn in North Carolina, Victoria in SW Florida, Karen in Australia, Chris in New Hampshire, Karen in Nebraska, Paula in Florida, Alison in Illinois, Lori in Oklahoma, Carolyn in Indiana, Megan, Mary in Ontario, Janell in North Carolina, Jen in Massachusetts & NY, Cathy in NJ, Joyce in Pennsylvania, Verlan in Oklahoma, Mary in Georgia, Lisa in Texas, Maryann in Pennsylvania, Rhonda in Florida, BethA in Texas, Gina in Virginia, Kathy in Georgia, Anon in North Carolina, Ellie in California, Brooke in Alabama, Carmen in Ohio, Jamie in Tennessee, Pinky in Pennsylvania, Ann Marie in Texas, Layne in Nova Scotia, Connie in Tennessee, Lindsay in Massachusetts, Kristen in Texas, Martina in New York, Maggie in California, Stacy in New York, Mystica in Sri Lanka, Diane in Tennessee, Chris in California, Shine in Tennessee, Angelo, Onescrappychick in New Hampshire, Cate in North Carolina, Linda in Florida, Kathryn in South Carolina, Lindsey in Portland, Diana in Maine and Texas, Dotti in New York, Jane in South Carolina, Kim in California, Roxanne, Anon in Japan, Parnassus in Taiwan, Michelle in California, Kimberly in Virginia, Barbara in California, Maura in Kansas, Zolane in Pennsylvania, Becky in Arizona, Tammy in Washington, Kathy in Australia, Dawna in Alberta, Millie in Australia, Carrie in California, B in Texas, Pat in Virginia, Brenda in California, Gail in Texas, Jane in Alabama, Adriana in Australia, Calliope in Greece, Elaine in Alabama, Lisa in South Africa, Penelope in California, Sharon in England, SusanT in England, Jenifer in Germany, Tina in New York, Jennifer, Lori in Texas, Jen in Indiana, Alaina in New York, Patricia in New York, Kirsten in Pennsylvania, Jacqueline in Pennsylvania, laney in Georgia, Erin, Donna in Georgia, Linda in Tennessee, Jeanette in Michigan, Angel's Mom in Texas, John and Sally in Massachusetts, Vicki in Iowa, Michelle in Oklahoma, Amanda in Georgia, Angela in Virginia, Jill in Georgia, Rosie in Illinois, Marie in New York, Betty in Mississippi, Sarah in Indiana, Kara in Iowa, Terri in Missouri, Lauren in Georgia, Betha in Alabama, Amy in Kansas, Jen in Canada, Kate in New Jersey, Marcie in Georgia, Kristincita in New Hampshire, Kinley in Connecticut, Corinne in Louisiana, Zoe in UK, Book in Iowa, Jennifer in Pennsylvania, Irene in Scotland, Carmella in Wyoming, Kristi in Utah, Tami in South Dakota, Cassandra in California, MarySue in Arizona, Spring in Washington, Judy in Alabama, Marla in Ohio, Gerry in Missouri, A-M in Australia, Mia in Washington, Tima in Tennessee, Kathy in Massachusetts, Jennifer in Georgia, Julie in Kansas, Jenny in New Hampshire, Bev in Canada, Candice in Argentina, Janice in Illinois, Jo in Georgia, LL in Kansas, Mary in Connecticut, Dawn in Eden;), Carol in Kentucky, Lee in Maine, Rebecca in California, Pamela in News Brunswick, Karla in Tennessee, Cathy who had lived in Alaska, Sara in Ohio, Nicolle in New York, Mary in Maine, Delivered in Kentucky, Mary in Massachusetts, Leslie in Illinois, Theresa in Nebraska, Victoria in South Carolina, Tara in Ukraine, Pondside in Canada, Leah in Australia, Vicki in France, Susan in Pennsylvania, Prahlad in Australia, Vicki who asked after my pillow, Maria in New Hampshire, Anon in Switzerland, Cheryl in California, Rebecca in Montana, Charlotte in Georgia and North Carolina, Kate in Maine, Michele in Pennsylvania, Jacqueline in Japan, John and Mandy in UK, Kim in New Jersey, Linda in Texas, Katherine in England, Wendy in Florida, Melanie in Illinois, Paddy in Australia, Elizabeth in Virginia, Maria in Spain, Anon who's son is gutting grandparent's farmhouse:), Amy in Tennessee, Liz in Indiana, Peggy in Michigan, Vicki in Australia, Robin in Kansas, Trina in Oregon, Wendy in Australia, Kathy in Ohio, Sandy in Virginia, Mary Lauren in West Virginia, Susan in Florida and Pennsylvania, Ruth in Massachusetts, Pam in Colorado, Pam in Texas, Shilpa in Connecticut, Katherine in Canada, Andrea in Michigan, Ginny in Colorado, Claudia in Indiana, Xenia in New York, Angélique in Holland, Patricia in Texas, Alie in Australia, Anon in Oklahoma, Shawne, Jeff in North Carolina, Mary Carol in Kansas, Rebecca in Virginia, Jo in Australia, Janette in Kentucky, Kate in India, Donna in South Carolina, Lumen Drops in Virginia, Bethany in Virginia, Susan in New Hampshire, Annie in California, Nina in Virginia, Jennifer in Massachusetts, Lauren in France, Erin in Illinois, Kathy in Arizona, Julie in Virginia, Angela in Nebraska, Di in Australia, Jeanette in Sweden, Piritta in Finland, Nadia, Theresa in Maryland, Eleanor in New Jersey, Gretel , Sheila in Michigan, Patti in New York, Sally in Washington D.C., Joelle in France, Janel in Kansas, Anon in South Carolina, Donna in Massachusetts, dmw in South Carolina, Angela in Mississippi, Marcie in Utah, Kathleen in Virginia, Amber in Kansas, Nancy in Virginia, Jaybird in Texas, Haden in Tennessee, Alana in Canada, Meagan in Vancouver, B.C., Susan in Colorado,  Rita in Texas, Anon in Texas (no, it isn't Coquille;), Jones in Texas, Regina, Mary in Massachusetts, Elizabeth in New York, Julie, Shanna in Florida, Donna in Virginia. Laura in Alabama, Kathysue, Michelle in Washington, VintageBeachGirl in Alabama,  Kim in Houston, Pamela and George in Greece, TDM in Australia, Karen in Rhode Island, Karen in California, Debe in Texas, Elizabeth in Florida, Roberta, Carol in Texas, Julie in Alabama, Delores in California,Gwen in Tennessee, Vinitha F in Sweden, Anon in Washington, Teresa in Washington, Beth in California, Tammie in Tennessee, Lisa Perry in Texas, Brooke in California, Marisa in Portugal, Dee Dee in Ohio, Randy in Georgia, Gwyn, Debra in Kansas, JamieK, Donna in Florida, Lisa in Oregon, Barbara in Massachusetts, Heather in Oregon and Heidi.




from our home to yours...
we wish you a very Merry Christmas!

dan, joan
and
ella
(wearing her red velvet Christmas collar!)
 

please leave your calling card...

I think Christmas is the perfect time to tell you thank you.

I want you to know how very grateful I am that you visit us, and that you are interested in the happenings at the farmhouse.

Your presence here is a gift, and for that...

 I thank you.

It is that time of year again when I bring out the antique brass "Christmas" tray and place it on the living room coffee table.  The tray would have been originally silver-plate, but when we found it many years ago only hints of silver remained.

It is engraved:

MA

from
Mary and Nannie
Christmas
1881 

As I wrote last year...

  Over the years I have spent hours wondering who was MA?, who were Mary and Nannie?, what was their Christmas like the year this beautiful tray was given as a gift?, where did they live?, and on and on... . 

Just as I wonder about these three people whose names are engraved on an antique tray that has a presence in my home, I also wonder about you, who also have a presence here.

Some of you I know, as you leave me dear comments or send me emails.... but others of you remain a mystery. On my site meter I get visits from places that are near and dear to us, and places that are far away and magical. Dan and I always talk about and wonder who all of you are!

Last year I mentioned a regular visitor from a tiny town in Oregon.  It is the small town where Dan's father (who died when Dan was two) is buried.  I wrote that we would love to know who that person was. 

Several days after Christmas, I received an email from this woman.  I cried as I read it to Dan.  She lives within walking distance of the cemetery where Dan's father is buried.  Her son learned to ride his bike there; she and her husband often take walks there.  To know that someone across the country just happened to find my blog, and now visits our home, and to know that that person lives so close to Dan's father's resting place, and that this all happened because we share a love of houses is a sweet and dear connection that makes the world seem that much smaller. 

You just never know the connections that we all have to one another... . 

 

Last year one of the things that surprised me the most when I did this calling card post was that so many of you commented that you were surprised that I wanted to know about you!  I was shocked!  Of course I want to know about you!!  You are our guest and I want to know all about you... who you are, where you are, what makes you return to visit!  Anything and everything you wish to share.  You might share something that resonates with another reader, and thus another connection is made. 

As was the custom in the period of this Victorian tray, people would leave their printed "calling cards" in trays at the homes they visited.
(click here to see images of Victorian calling cards)

On the tray is a collection of antique tortoiseshell and sterling calling card holders.

Dan and I are hoping that in the spirit of the holidays that you, too, will drop your "calling card" in the tray and let us know that you stopped by to visit!  We would love to hear from each and every one of you- those who regularly visit and leave comments, and those of you who usually come and go quietly!!

We are honored to have you all here, and we thank you for stopping by today!

Wishing you the Happiest of Holidays!

dan, joan and ella

the birthday bookcase

When I originally posted the master bath I had said I would do a whole post on the bookcase that Dan made.  I failed to do that, and a recent request (thank you Amy) brought that to my attention!






 Dan and I married on my birthday twenty three years ago. 

Not long after we married Dan started the tradition that he would "make" my birthday gift.  It began with Dan surprising me with a simple wood stand for an oriental Peking-blue porcelain duck. 
The gifts evolved into bigger projects like making a zinc-topped potting table,

making a wood garden gate,

 



making a beadboard vent-a-hood cover for my kitchen in Dallas from vintage beadboard we picked up off a someones bulk trash pile that was going to the dump,

taking out the small entry closet to make a larger entry,

and making a wooden driveway gate! 
(funny story.... just out of view at the front of these photos was our large air conditioning unit.  It was older, so I painted the ugly metal part the house trim color to make it blend in and go-away visually.  One day Dan was walking a contractor of some sort down the driveway and the person said "I've never seen a painted air conditioning unit,"  to which Dan replied..."And, you've never met my wife!" :):)

 


One year I designed this bookcase for our kitchen in Dallas.

The project was started, but took a little longer than planned, so it wasn't finished by my birthday... this is what I found the morning of my birthday!





Note the garage of an antiques dealer- three chandeliers hanging in wait!

I wanted the look of an antique piece that had been originally stained, but had been painted-over many times throughout the years.

I have painted the exterior of the piece Benjamin Moore's White Dove since we moved into the farmhouse, but the interior finish is the original French blue that I painted and waxed 9 years ago.  It turned out that the interior was almost the same color as the Benjamin Moore Horizon (OC-53) on the walls!
 The shelves are adjustable and their design was copied from antique furniture pieces we had seen in France. 

Antique glazed terracotta architectural fragment sits on top of the piece.

Collection of vintage alabaster compotes.  I love the birds!
I left the ceiling of the bookcase the dark stained wood, which is the base color of the whole piece.

Antique starburst mirror found at The Mews in Dallas.  Trio of antique mercury glass vases share the shelf with an "American Brilliant" crystal bowl which was a wedding gift given to Dan's grandparents in 1917.

Old hotel silver tray from the Adolphus Hotel in Dallas found at Round Top.  Dan found the decanter while we were antiquing one day- I envisioned it filled with bubble bath; Dan envisioned filled it with Glenmorangie.  The scotch won!  Antique French gilt wood fragment found at the Porte de Vanves flea market in Paris.  Dan found the coral on a beach in Aruba; the tiny shell fossil was found in a wonderful little shop in Creede, Colorado!

Large clam shell with Japanese fishing float and small piece of coral found in Florida.  The color of the interior is a little bright in this photo (the color in all the other photos is more accurate), but it gives you a good view of the cut out notches for the wood crossbars that run front to back that hold the shelf .  The photograph above with the starburst mirror shows the crossbars well.

Alabaster compote filled with collection of old silvered Christmas ornaments.  Antique mercury glass pieces share the shelf with an antique oil painting found at the Scott Antiques Market in Atlanta and an alabaster shell.

I found this large piece of blue coral at a consignment store in a nearby town.  I left it.  Then came back with a paint chip to make sure it would match the walls and the painted inside of the cabinet.   It matched perfectly!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my very creative and talented husband who makes all my designs and dreams come true.  Without Dan's creative vision and innovative designs my "ideas" would remain just that.... ideas. 

Thank you my talented Dan!

saving sweet memories...

This photograph captured a very sweet memory of one of the many dinners we shared with our dear (and much missed) friends and neighbors, Don & Michel, at our home in Dallas.   Judging from the glazed lemon pound cake, which was one of Don's favorites, I would guess this was his birthday dinner as I would always try to make their favorites.  I remember taking this photo at the end of the meal thinking it was such a wonderful night that I wanted to remember it forever.   I love how it is slightly blurry, and the table is in disarray-  just like a sweet memory, faded and softened around the edges.

One of my favorite personal possessions is my guest menu-book that I have had for the last 20 years- where I have kept the names of all guests/family that I have made dinner for with the date and menu,  how I decorated the table, what dishes, glasses, flatware and napkins I used.  I write down any notes about preparing the meal, any comments from the guests about the meal... .  It has become a journal of sweet, wonderful memories centered around the dining table and sharing meals.  Reading it transports me back to that memory and all the guests who have graced our table.

  I also will, on occasion, take photographs of the table before the guests arrive, but my favorite photographs are the ones I sometimes take after the meal, like the photograph above-  when the table isn't set and perfect, but the memory of one meal and one wonderful evening is captured forever.

I wish you the makings of sweet memories as you gather around the table with family and friends this Thanksgiving!

xojoan

the barn half bath: details

Thank you all so much for your wonderful, wonderful comments and emails on the barn half bath! 

I greatly appreciate them and am thrilled to know that you like the room.
If I miss any of your questions in this "details" post, please ask again.

The walls are new, random-width (8-12 inch) pine boards stained to look like old, oxidized barn boards.  (My custom stain formula can be found under "My paint and stain colors" on my sidebar, as is the floor stain.)

The vanity is painted Benjamin Moore's Ashwood Moss (1484) in semi-gloss. 
(This color is from their Classic Color Collection and isn't on the current color wheel, but sample chips can still be found at a BM paint store.)

The toilet to the right of the vanity sits in front of a full-size window.  I love the luxury of light from full-size windows in baths.  I use a simple paper cellular pull down shade for privacy.

The antique hand-painted bird prints with their antique birdseye maple frames and original antique wavy glass were found on the Oregon coast several years ago.  Having never found the perfect place to hang them, they sat in a drawer.  When I was decorating the room I remembered them, and thought they would be perfect here as I loved the idea of the contrast of the frames to the wood walls.

View from the window in late afternoon light.

As I mentioned several posts ago, the painting is one of our favorites and you've seen it leaning against the mirror on the mantel in the living room awaiting its place here while the room was being renovated.
The picture light was a steal (around $30) and is from Home Depot.

The last cuttings from my favorite coral-orange tuberous begonias from Summer in a vintage mason jar.  I love the blue of the jar.  The antique ironstone soap dish is marked "Hotel" on the bottom... the stories it could probably tell!   French Savon de Marseille olive oil soap sits in the soap dish. 

When we found the marble it had simple iron screws that (as you can see) had rusted on to the marble.  I had intended to look for a clavos (a large, usually round, decorative iron nail) but then remembered this antique brass-rimmed porcelain curtain tie-back that I had used in Dallas as a picture nail (I hung a painting on a chain from the tie-back).  I "thought" I actually had two, and after a hunt I found the second one.  Their stems were cut down and retrofitted to work on the backsplash.  They actually protrude just slightly from the marble, and I love the effect.  I also love how it mimics the porcelain piece on the faucet.  This one is cracked, which only makes me adore it more!

Leather wrapped vintage rack hangs over the vanity.

The small old iron lamp was found at an antiques shop for only $8!  I loved its lines.  It was so dirty that I had no idea it had this great gold paint on it until I got it home and cleaned it up!  The small, gold-lined, shade is from Cranberry Hill Lighting in Cape Neddick, Maine.  The real-wax sleeve covers are from Lumiere.  I found the flame-tipped light bulbs locally, but Lumiere sells them; and they sell the standard base bulbs, which are extremely difficult to find.  (See my sidebar for a 10% discount coupon code from Lumiere.  Also, thank you to all of you who have let me know that you have purchased from the company and love their wax sleeves!  I love sharing great sources.)

For this lamp I did something a little unusual... I used regular sized sleeves with chandelier bulbs.   I wanted the "weight" of the regular sleeves for the lamp base, but also wanted the delicacy of the smaller bulbs in the room.   I then had my electrician (Dan;) lower the sockets so that you can not see in to the larger sleeves down to the socket.

A small iron hook, original to the property, was used for the towel hook. The dark gray towels are Thomas O'Brien from Target (they are deliciously soft) in Fighter Pilot Blue, which is really a dark slate grey. 

We also had an original extra-large version of the iron hook that I realized would be perfect to use as the toilet paper holder. But, no matter where I tried to place it, it was like a bright white blinking light when you walked into the room. I just couldn't do it! I finally came up with the solution for the t.p.- it now sits in a small antique iron urn next to the toilet, hidden from view, but perfectly functional.

Wood switch plate cover (and electrical outlet covers) stained to match the walls and go away!  Switches are brown instead of the usual white. 

A simple hook found in the barn is the lock for the room.

 


I loved that so many of you know me so well that you knew I had a reason for putting the mirror behind the door!  I did. 
I had initially "thought" I wanted a mirror above the vanity, and I found a beautiful antique frame with this mirror in it.  Sadly, it had been painted an awful green color and as I worked for days to gently strip the finish I realized that a mirror there changed how I wanted the room to "feel."  For one,  it seemed expected and that didn't seem right for this space, and two, and this is big...  the man-sized 65" plasma is directly across from the vanity in the barn room.  That meant that you would have the constant movement and flashing of the changing images in the mirror.  It was in that second of realization that the mirror above the vanity was axed! 
Knowing I did need to have some kind of a mirror in the room I placed several small antique shaving mirrors from a collection we have on the vanity.  Loved it for a day or two, and then it felt cluttered.  I removed the shaving mirrors.  When designing a space I'll often just sit or stand or walk-it for hours to see/feel/study different angles/lines of sight/elevations and it was during one of these studies with the door closed that the thought of putting the mirror behind the door popped into my head as the perfect solution.  I mean, that's when you would use a mirror, in the privacy of the bath with the door closed since you really don't have to watch yourself wash your hands;)!  I checked clearance and the mirror alone would just work on the wall behind the barn door... perfect, problem solved!  I used the antique, beveled oval mirror from the frame that I had initially found for over the vanity.  Now, instead of the constant changing images from the tv being reflected in the mirror, you get a glimpse outside!  Much better and I love the surprise of finding the mirror as you close the door.

The wood tassels were painted to match the vanity.

The faucet is solid brass with a "living" oiled bronze finish that will naturally wear in the most used areas with use. It is made by Kingston Brass.  It is a "wide-spread" faucet- something to consider when retrofitting a faucet to an older piece, which is determined by the measurement between the two handles.  You don't want to fall in love with a faucet only to find it won't work in your application.  I had initially wanted to refurbish the original brass faucets (which I loved) that came with the sink, but our plumber expressed great concern about their condition-  i.e. they were goners!  Dan was also not a fan of having the cold water come out of one faucet and the hot out of another.  Because the original holes were so far apart,  I had to find a "widespread" faucet .  We then had the plumber drill the center hole (using a diamond drill-bit) for the spout.

The old French chandelier masterfully wired by my very handsome in-house electrician (though not by trade;) with a little peak into the barn room.

The original barn door hardware.






Notice how the barn bath floor is a different color from the barn room. That is not a difference in lighting, but a random coincidence- all the boards the carpenters grabbed to lay the half bath (which was the first room to be laid) were this same color! After my initial "Guys, you have to mix up the different stained boards!" I actually loved it, as it is very authentic detail.  If this little bump-out had been original, it would have been an add-on and the wood used for the floor would have been put down at a different time, and would have been a different color from the barn room.  It was a serendipitous mistake!

A peek into the kitchen!  You can see the kitchen-to-barn room steps and how the rooms relate.  The barn room is 3 feet down from the farmhouse.

In case you missed the "befores" click  HERE !

the barn half bath

click HERE to read the "detials" post on this half bath