This post is part of series called “31 Days to Rebuild Your House and Heart” and I’m writing it to chronicle our rebuilding process after we lost everything in a house fire last December. You can start here and read the whole series. Thanks for visiting!
***A little nesting news—–the schoolroom bookshelves are almost organized and the queen chair is hogging all the space. I think I’m gonna have to get a smaller table because of her. I’ll tell you all about her journey across America and her broken leg soon!
I know with Pinterest and Tumblr and all the other bookmarking sites, it seems so last year to have a flesh and blood design book.
But I’m old school like that.
I like things I can hold in my hand.
As a matter of fact, as much as I love to read, I don’t own a kindle yet.
I can’t let go of having real books with real pages to dog ear and mark in and on which to spill coffee.
So, I have a design book, full of inspiration pictures and paint chips and fabric swatches.
I’m beginning to think I really should have been a designer because I LOVE that stuff.
My good friend Polly, who’s beautiful home you’re gonna be lucky enough to see tomorrow was so kind as to loan me her design book when I started the building process.
I poured over it and took lots of inspiration from it.
I copied the paint color of her farmhouse (white dove) and had an armoire made for my kitchen based on photos of hers.
Here’s a page from her book…..
(Wasn’t it so generous of her to let me use it?!!!!!)
I’m so thankful for my book but it fell into dreadful disarray during the house building. I’m trying to get it organized for ongoing projects or for others to borrow.
I printed the following screen porch from Pinterest and was able to paint my ceiling that yummy blue and my kitchen pendants are very similar to the ones in the ‘white’ kitchen.
And I’m working on a page in the front full of paint colors and swatches. (I’ll share them all next week)
If real life books aren’t your thing, you can follow me on Pinterest here and on tumblr here!
I love real books. I like to take them with me and dog ear them. I enjoy flipping through the pages. I don’t have a Kindle either. Hubby keeps telling me libraries will be extinct soon and I tell him I will save all the books. your design book looks beautiful.
Love that queen chair- just gorgeous!!
Hugs,
Ruth
that picture is such a tease! and so inviting. i know you said you are going to do a post on lighting resources. i hope you will include where you found that task lamp. 🙂
We love real books. I can see how a kindle or some such thing would be great for my oldest son. He constantly has a large book going and it goes everywhere with him. He doesn’t mark or dog ear–only b/c he’s too young to have developed such habits.
Here’s a question for you. I’ve wondered if it would be worth our while to try to get homeschool text books on one of those, for example, Apologia Science–the text book, not the journal. How would your girls feel about digital text books?
I still smell my books every time I read them. Can’t wait to see more pics as you get settled in! -Megan
you’re such a tease with that first picture!!! 🙂
I am right there with you on having real books. I just don’t think relaxing in the bathtub with a kindle or ipad would be quite the same! Your home is absolutely beautiful, and I am so happy for you all!
love real life books….still have my real life inspiration notebook, but I have to admit, I think Pinterest is GENIUS.
that red chair should have a name.
love that chair but me loves the books on the shelf even more. Hello, Clive! “I can’t let go of having real books with real pages to dog ear and mark in and on which to spill coffee.” Ditto that, Edie! I have a design book I made for my wedding. I love going back through it, such sweet memories.
xoxo michele
Yes, that red chair should have a name. I can’t wait to see the rest! Totally agree with you on the book thing!
The blue porch ceiling has been in my head…but I couldn’t remember from where it came. And now I know!!! Will you share your paint color? I have a porch just begging for a blue ceiling…and I’ve been searching for the “right” blue.
Love your blog, thanks for sharing!Laura
I wil be glad to share Laura but that’s one of the things I’ve got to find in my pile of house stuff! As soon as I find it, I’ll post it! xo,
edie
Call me old-fashioned but I’m with you 100% – give me real books with paper pages and real magazines from which to tear inspiration that I can hold in my hand. Plus I’ll take libraries any day over downloading what I want to read – ugh!
Love the bright colors of the room with the books, chair and table. so clean. so fresh looking.
I love you – and your blog, kindred spirits of strange sorts – I have a ton of blogs I’d love to read more often, but I find a few people just match better, and I’ve got to say, you’re great! 🙂 This post just confirmend it, b/c I also would love an inspiration book – havent even been on Pinterest yet – love the idea, but I love print and hard copy. I LOVE books, the library on Dr. Doolittle is to die for, with ladders and spiral staircases, holding, touching. I also have a real font problem – very picky about fonts! All that to say, so glad you dont have a kindle either! 😉
I love, love, love holding a real book, no electronic gadget for me!! Your new home looks amazing!! Can’t wait for more pictures!! So happy for you!! Ok, the books pictured above in your header, the ones on a shelf under the horse heads, they are different colors and look like classics, where are they from??
Regarding the blue porch ceiling…did you know there is a reason to paint the ceiling blue besides just liking blue? Back in the day, porch ceilings were painted blue because flies don’t like the color (or they think it’s the sky…or something?) and won’t leave specks all over the ceiling.
I love the old school design books too! I opened a Pinterest account, and I pin a few things now and then, but I do much prefer to have a big book in front of me.
My husband and I also always ask each other (a little fear-filled) “will books be completely replaced someday? will we not pick up a book and hold it in our hands?”
That would be a shame. A great big shame indeed.
I love my design book {well, really more like a huge accordion file!}. ooooh! The chair!!!!! I love how the desk looks in front of your bookshelves! {I wonder if you cut out a nook and slid in your desk, if the green table would fit??}
i don’t know ms. darlene, i’m thinking it may have to be round.
but we’re still in the adjustment phase so i haven’t completely made up my mind. it’s quite cozy in there—-just like I like it.
funny though, there’s more room in the living room than i thought?!
i was afraid it was gonna be too tight but not so.
it’s so fun figuring out the flow of this house!
xo,
edie
I have always loved the idea of a round table in there! Can’t wait to see everything as it unfolds!!
I love your blog and have followed you since your 12 Days of Christmas a couple of years ago. Your new house looks fabulous. Could I suggest that you also put the paint formula by the paint brand and name. Now that Martha and Ralph have redone all of their colors the old formulas are non-existent unless you find someone that has saved the formula book.
Love to you and yours,
pat burns
yes, when i get to that section i’ll try to take a pic of the tops of the cans! good point 🙂
xo
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