Hello friends! It’s that time of year when I join Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for her Spring Home Tour extravaganza. It’s always a joy to be part of these tours that are packed full of such a wide variety of styles. I would also like to welcome everyone coming over from Sarah, at Grace In My Space.
For those of you new here, we live on a fifth-generation property my great grandfather bought, and you can read about that in THIS post. I love color, dark and moody everything, and I’m currently loving anything Victorian/Edwardian from the time period of the original buildings on the property. I use what I have, can make, sew, build or borrow from my mother and make it all pretty. Rescuing something someone else would throw away is what I’m all about. So let’s dive in!
For this spring, the color yellow was my inspiration and I sprinkled it around our main living areas along with lots of plants, and blue and white china.
Of course, the yellow Victorian chairs I got last year kind of set that particular tone in a most fabulous way.
I always like to use kilim pillows for a bit of texture and pattern, and to keep things from being too stuffy as well.
The dark gray wall color, Kilz Color Collection Dark Umber, is a favorite, and I love how it looks paired with red and yellow.
I love plants, and in addition to adding yellow, the plants really add a spring feel.
All the Victorian wood trim here, including the mantel, is from the original house here, which I lovingly and painstakingly restored and installed over the last few years.
Another favorite, year round, is the Mountain Fire Pieris, which I love to clip from for Christmas decor and in the spring. We really don’t have anything blooming yet, so this was a perfect to combine with some Nandina leaves. Bringing the outside in is one of my favorite ways to decorate.
A couple of Victorian-era Flow Blue plates adorn the mantel along with a 1922 clock and a dime-store Italian vase I bought my mother for Christmas when I was a child. I made the velvet mantel scarf before Christmas and loved it so much I left it for this season.
Yellow fringed pillow covers add a more modern touch to the Duncan Phyfe sofa.
An afghan made by a family friend in the 1970s adds more texture and spring colors.
The painted photograph of my great grandmother is from 1921, and her 1940’s Zenith suitcase radio is a favorite found in my parents’ attic.
I like to keep my decor to things that are actually useable – books, art, plants, then add color and texture with fabrics that I can change seasonally.
On my inherited buffet, I added a floral runner, an antique green glass decanter set, and changed out the glass and silver lamp I had here for brass. I’ve been using the old wagon wheel hub for a while as either a vase or plant stand, so for spring I like to have ivy in this spot. People always ask about the antique printing/book press underneath, and it is also from the property here.
I have several paintings I rotate here, but I really loved the window from the old house along with this sweet painting by the relative from whom I inherited this buffet along with many other items I use. The cabin and the setting remind me of this property.
I’m sure you noticed the yellow portieres, how could you not? I was really determined to bring in yellow wherever I could, and y’all know how I love my red, but I *made* myself try the yellow here, and they really do add such a sunny and bright look to this doorway.
For the table, I used an inherited vintage yellow damask tablecloth, my Cherokee river cane egg basket along with two oil lamps from the old house. I also decided to bring out the drop cloth slip covers I made years ago just for something different on the chairs.
If you’ve been here a while, you know I made the table from wormy chestnut from the property and had a local craftsman make the base I designed from an antique book of Victorian railing patterns.
Again, adding yellow was really all I did to bring some happy spring color to this room.
These shelves are made from stairs from the old house, and the wormy chestnut bead board I restored and installed was in the third floor room. On the shelves, I combined Flow Blue plates with inherited vintage brass pieces, painted plates I bought in Turkey, grandmother’s Chinese tea set, rice bowls I bought in Japan and some newer ceramic bowls.
I also used a lot of brass, and that’s just something I’ve started doing, especially in Spring.
I do realize most people don’t have grand pianos sitting in their dining areas, but it is what it is when you’re a musician, right?
What actually inspired me to add yellow with the red for spring was the floral drapery material my mother used to make these beautiful pinch-pleated draperies in the late 1970s. They were in our dining room growing up, and I have used them in my bedroom here. I’d love to run across more of this Cohama Karachi fabric online, but I have not had any luck finding it so far.
I haven’t mentioned this cabinet in a while, but my husband built it for me out of a walnut tree my dad cut in the 1970s and wormy chestnut from the old house. It is a treasure for sure.
I switched out the red velvet portieres here for the yellow I also rescued from a historic building. They’re so pretty, I can’t just let them hang in a closet.
Y’all I really thought this round chindi rug would be so cute here for spring, and I loved it until I looked at it one day and determined it looked like a sun rug for a kid’s room. Now I’m not so sure about it but it’s here.
Thanks so much for stopping by y’all!! I’m normally not a spring kind of person – it’s just never been my favorite season, but the house is so cheery and happy, I’m going to enjoy it. It’s always fun to move things around and see what combinations I can come up with using what I have here.
Be sure to head on over to the next stop on the tour, Shayna at The Wood Grain Cottage , then click on the links below for each day of tours. And a big thanks again for Marty for all the work she does for these tours.
Monday March 8th
A Stroll Thru Life – Worthing Court – Town and Country Living – Hymns and Verses – Decor to Adore – White Arrows Home
Tuesday March 9th
Cassie Bustamante – Inspiration For Moms – Thrifty and Chic – Southern State of Mind – Clean and Scentsible – RemodelaCasa
Wednesday March 10th
Grace In My Space – Whispering Pines Homestead – The Wood Grain Cottage – StoneGable – It All Started With Paint – Monica Wants It
Thursday March 11th
Southern Hospitality – Pink Peppermint Design – 11 Magnolia Lane – Modern Glam – CitrineLiving – Our Southern Home
Friday March 12th
This Is Our Bliss – Cuckoo4Design – A Pretty Life – Up To Date Interiors – Chalking Up Success – Fox Hollow Cottage – Follow The Yellow Brick Home
your home always feels like being on the inside of a vintage red velvet lined jewelry box- it’s magical!!!!!
Author
Thank you so much Cassie for those kind words☺️☺️
Love all of this!! Yellow and red are two of my favorites!
Author
Thank you Aunt Jody☺️☺️ It’s certainly a happy combination of colors☺️☺️
The house is perfectly beautiful as usual. I do love those yellow chairs and the beautiful old basket.
Author
Thanks Mother☺️ I do love those chairs too☺️☺️
Beautiful as always Anita! And I have to say it again “your house needs to be in a movie”! Also love the drop cloth slip covers you made. They are stunning.
Author
Thank you Julia☺️☺️☺️ I’m so glad I didn’t give those away when I sold the chairs. I’ve actually used them on several different chairs since🙂
What gorgeous spaces!!! I, too, am drawn to the deep colors and it pulls it all together when they lead from one room to another. Thank you SO much for sharing – if we come away with a few ideas for our own homes it is such a help! Thank you again!!!! : )
Author
Thank you! Yes so many different ideas to think about incorporating☺️☺️
Your home and all your treasures and family heirlooms are so beautiful and I always love to see how you decorate your home with all of them. You have such fun stories about each piece too. I always look at each picture to see all the wonderful items you have and display so perfectly. Thanks so much for joining the tour again this season.
Author
Thank you so much Marty, and thanks for inviting me on the tour☺️☺️
That’s what I love about these home tours, every home is unique – Just how it should be! I love the period details and dark colours you’ve used in your home, you’ve created such a warm and cosy space. Thank you for the tour!
Author
Thank you so much Jayne!! I love that there is so much variety☺️☺️
It all looks so lovely!
Author
Thank you Sarah!!
Everything is so beautiful! I love yellow, red and blue together. Your photography is beautiful and the way you capture the light is perfection!
Everything is so beautiful! I love yellow, red and blue together. Your photography is beautiful and the way you capture the light is perfection!
Author
Thank you so much Penny!!
So beautiful! I love all the pillows you used… it really ties the space together! Your entire tour is just divine!
Author
Thank you Christy!! Pillows are such a fun and easy way to change a look for sure☺️☺️
The addition of yellow is just perfect for spring! I adore the mantel scarf that you made. Did you also make your chair coverings? I adore them!
Author
Thank you so much Laura!! Yes I made those☺️ I made pretty much everything – runners, curtains, etc., except the portieres and curtains my mom made😊😊
You have a beautiful home. I love the colors and the style.
Author
Thank you so much Deanna:-) I just try to make pretty what I have;-)
Thanks so much for another fabulous home tour, Anita! I love addition of yellow for spring. I always have to go back and check those pretty pictures again and again, so many treasures! Love the afghan and the chair slips you made. ❤️❤️
Your home is so rich and luxe! Those drapes your mother made are truly beautiful, I can see why you want to find more of the fabric..and I loved reading about the wood cabinet, amazing!
Loving the springy feeling those pops of yellow give to your beautiful and warm and cozy home! 🙂 Linda
Every space is so beautiful for the season! Fun to tour with you!
Oh how wonderful!! Your home is stunning…I love all the rich colours and meaningful touches you added. Beautiful.
I think your home is lovely