A Dance Through Paris

 

I have been busy writing all weekend – working on a new blog post that I was hoping to have finished by Monday for you – but no such luck.    Needing a diversion, I thought I would catch up on some blog reading, when I noticed that my friend Olga Granda-Scott from Coral Gables, Florida had finally posted pictures of her new house.   You remember Olga, right?  I ran into her and her  husband at Round Top where they had a booth.   At home in Coral Gables – they help run the family  antique business  - Alhambra Antiques HERE – one of the better antique shops in their city.  They had packed up a huge truck, filled with all kinds of beautiful things to sell, and headed from south Florida to Round Top, Texas – not an easy drive.   Olga wrote about the trip HERE and HERE.   Luckily she spotted me in the crowd (who could miss me with the ridiculous blue boa?) and came over to say Hi.   Olga is absolutely adorable and I was so surprised to see how young she is.  She looks like she is about 15 – but with three children, I’m guessing I’m off a few years.  

 

Here are just a few of the antiques Olga sells -  to give you an idea of their look.   French, Swedish, Italian – they carry it all and then some.  I’ve been lusting after their crowns – they have a wonderful collection of them.  In fact, Olga is wearing one in the picture of us if you look close enough.

 

 

So, tonight while I am trying to ignore the blog post that has been making me slightly insane all weekend, I see that Olga has finally put up pictures of her new house.   

 

 

You see, they just sold the house they bought when they one child.  Today with three, they need a little more room.  So after spending many years fixing up this charming house that was built in the 20s – they are moving on.   They sure don’t build houses like this in Texas – it’s so adorable!!   Olga and her husband put in all the lush landscaping during their remodeling. 

 

 

This is their new house (well, old house – it’s a 1926 Spanish style stucco) – as they found it – overgrown and in need of some new paint and a good landscaping trim.  I think it looks pretty cute as is.    But wait until you see what they did with the inside.   After I pulled my open jaw off the keyboard – I thought you would love to see how beautifully Olga has decorated her new house.   Makes me wish I owned an antique store too!  You will too, I promise.   To read Olga’s story about the house’s redo, go HERE.

 

 

When you walk through the front door – this fabulous antique clock greets you – along with a marble topped scrolled Baker’s table.  The floor here is river rock – so great looking!   As with most antique dealers, their furniture is always changing.   On Olga’s blog, the pieces that are for sale are linked to the store’s web site.  Hmm – the clock is pretty hard to resist!!!!

 

 

 

Every entry hall needs two clocks, don’t they?  Of course they do, especially when they are this beautiful.   Here a Danish tall clock rests next to the front door.

 

 

 

The living room – you can see the dining room through the two arches.   Notice how thick the arches are – they don’t build houses like this anymore.    The table is a vintage Italian gear with an added glass top.   Scattered throughout the house are industrial pieces, along with all the French and Swedish antiques.   Maximize your view setting to see the entire picture.

 

Looking the other direction – there’s a beautiful pier mirror and two chairs.  The cow hide rug was bought at Round Top!   I love the fireplace – it’s gorgeous. 

 

 

 A close up of the carved stone mantel perfectly accessorized with an assortment of antiques. 

 

 

 In the dining room, an antique Spanish table with painted chairs is mixed with a crystal chandelier,  painted console and another industrial piece – just out of view.  I love the pop of the red shades here. 

 

 

Upstairs in the master bedroom, Olga hung two Italian fragments instead of using a headboard.  The bed is made with French linens and is flanked with two different night tables.  The gilt framed chair adds the glamour. 

 

 

A collection of Royal Vienna porcelain stands on the night table.  The lamps were made from an iron gate found in an old church.  Be sure to read Olga’s blog story for all the details of the furnishings HERE.    With three children and a business to run, Olga doesn’t get to post to her blog that often, but she promises she is going to show her yard soon.  Olga, don’t make us wait too long!!   OK, I’m back to work on my post.

The Skirted Roundtable: Accessorizing – The Last Frontier

This week the Skirted Roundtable tackles accessorizing, primarily focusing on how we furnish shelves – do we fill them with books no one reads – and  never will – or do we fill them with worn out, well-read books?   What do we do when we have a client with lots of empty bookshelves – and no books in the house?  Do we fill those with newly bought books just for the job – or do we fill them with decorative items instead?   How do you decorate bookcases and mantels, and by the way – what do you think of those cashmere throws all the stylists put over every arm chair?  Have those jumped the shark?   And while we are asking you all these personal questions, how do you really feel about real flowers versus silk flowers?   Listen and hear what Linda, Megan and I have to say about all of the above, and more important – whether we think you should use frosted  or clear bulbs in chandeliers.    HERE.

 

 

 An anonymous commenter accused me of not showing my own work to be judged on The Skirted  Roundtable – well, here is how I decorated my bookshelves with three different criteria in my own house.    Here, in this desk’s bookcase  near my foyer – I used only leather antique books and white decorative objects for contrast.   As is obvious, these are books that were never read – rather they are used here as accessories. 

 

  

In my family room shelves,  I used a combination of antique books, my collections of globes and iron dogs, paintings, urns,  and design books.   Some books here were read, others are decorative.   I tried to keep to a color scheme of brown, black, green and a touch of gold.    This will all be changing soon – I recently won a pallet of antique books on Ebay, so I plan on redoing the shelves with more of those Ebay books and less of the decorative objects.

 

 

 

Where are my “real” books – besides being scattered around the house in stacks here and there?   The majority are on the landing/library bookshelf upstairs. 

 

 

When I filled up the built-in shelves, GJ Styles was kind enough to deliver this on-sale bookshelf by accident.  I kept it and quickly filled it up – including the shelves inside the cabinet.   The remaining books without a home are waiting on the tarmac in the garage.

 

Where are your books – on display in your public areas, or tucked away in shelves, like mine?   Listen to how we decorate with books on this week’s Skirted Roundtable HERE.   And coming up in the next few weeks – we have some popular guests slated to visit us on the SRT!   We are so excited – and hope you will be too.  As always, Linda, Megan and I sincerely thank you for your continued support – without you, we are nothing!