My sweet Southern Mama is a gentle soul. And one fine cook. Just like her Mama and I’m sure her Mama’s Mama…. cooking runs in her blood.
I was blessed to have the love of cooking passed along to me….and I am happy to say it looks like our sweet Roo loves it, too.
There is no rhyme or reason as to why we are good cooks… there isn’t a culinary degree to be found hanging on our walls.
But, we all have one thing in common.
We love our homes.
Our homes reflect who we are, what we feel, what we believe and who we love.
Our family has a saying… “I cook to show you how much I love you. You eat my food to show how much you love me.”
So, why am I talking about our family’s love of cooking when this is a Home Tour?
Because when I think of our home – I want it to be that kind of place that is more than bricks and wood and carpet and tile.
‘Cause to me – that’s nothing more than a house.
But, when you add family heirlooms and wood blocks and legos, and passed-down iron skillets and a fridge full of silly magnets you
picked up on your travels…then throw in some juice stains on the carpet and fingerprints on the glass doors…and cat hair. LOTS of cat hair -
Then, and only then… do you have a home. A home that love built. A home that anyone is welcome in.
A home where you want to visit…and stay for supper.
Welcome to our home…
Mr. Boo-Boo Bunny, one of our three cats, has come out to greet you. At 17-yrs old, he is the patriarch of the family. Or so he thinks. 
I like to call our front porch “The Little Porch That Could.” It’s small…
But, we love it. It’s been through a lot of changes, and it’s one of the places I love to decorate with seasonal changes. I was going to paint
thered door a pretty blue just before the Spring, until someone told me why Southerners love their red doors so much.
For one thing, a red door was always a sign of welcome for weary travelers. But in Biblical times, it was meant to ward off the
Angel of Death. So…red it shall be.
White rockers are the seat of choice. The pillows change out, too. It’s a great place to sit late afternoons when the sun is on the other side of the
house, and watch the world go by.
A colorful Summer-themed wreath hangs in a chippy white metal container… a sure sign of things to come inside.
So, come on in. I’ve got fresh, sweet tea with lemon waiting for you. It’s hotter than a wet setting hen out here.
The Foyer
Our Foyer is long and narrow and has two areas on each side of the front door. If you have followed The Everyday Home for a while, you
will remember that over the past year or more, I have been in the process of “de-redifying” our home. Our entire home used to be entirely
red, gold and sage. But, I longed for lighter and brighter and different after almost 20 years of marriage.
No, in my house – not my hubby.
So, ever so slowly – I have been changing areas to better reflect the new blue+white+tan color scheme. I recently added this fabulous mirror to
this vintage chest. I had been searching for the perfect mirror for months and months, and literally stumbled upon this one day.
You can read more about that here at “When Pigs DON’T fly!”
I really don’t make a lot of changes during the Summer months. But, if you stop by – you’re going to see a lot of fresh-cut vines and stems from our
almost 5-acre yard. I have decided that I have O.C.D. (Obsessive Clipping Disorder)
If you see a wild-looking, barefooted woman with garden clippers in her hand…possibly even in her Hello Kitty! jammies… its ok.
It’s just me. Clipping and gathering. Cave-woman style.
There are two windows on each side of the front door, and each window has an upholstered cornice (which I just recovered literally a few days ago)…
and a cream striped roman shade. Don’t you love this fabric? Birds and flowers and vines. Swoon!
On the opposite side of the door, there is a vintage bench made from an old bed.
Again, I just recently made some major changes to this area. (I promise to blog about it later.) This bench was purchased when we lived in
Brussels, Belgium. A very old and dear Flemish neighbor made these. You went into his 300-year old barn, chose a bed from the stacks and
stacks of antique beds…and he turned it into a work of art.
I love it. It is not a family heirloom, but it will hopefully become one one of these days.
I also made new pillows and a new cushion… using some of the same fabric from the valance along with a coordinating plaid. Love!
Our home has a great circular pattern that flows from one room into the next. It is great for parties – and we are blessed to have most
of our family live near-by so we can enjoy birthdays and anniversaries and “just because” get togethers.
Just off to the right of the Foyer is the Living Room or what I like to call the “Room with a View.”
It is not unusual for you to hear me call this The Morning Room. This room has the most beautiful glow in the mornings when the sun
shines in through the large arched window. It looks out onto our front yard, and I cannot tell you how many times we have seen
a family of deer or a fox strolling through the yard. It’s a wonderful place to sit in the morning and read or drink coffee… or blog.
This room holds one of our most cherished pieces. My husband’s grandmother’s English hutch with the original glass. Being in the
military, we moved every 2-3 years. I always held my breath until this piece was unwrapped and I could see that it had survived intact.
It has its own bruises and scars, but that’s what I love about it.
I just reupholstered the chair seat that is beside the hutch. I love the very Southern message…
Sitting on the hutch is a favorite Bunny that stays out all year. I have a “thing” for bunnies. :)
A vintage drop leaf desk sits in the corner. Above it is a self-portrait of my hubby’s late Aunt. She was a graduate of Julliard and was also
an Opera singer in NYC. I love the vibrant colors!
New hand-made window treatments using plain white linen, Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, painter’s tape and transfer paper. I love how they turned out.
And yes… I guess I have a “thing” for pillows too…because my sofa runneth over.
Remember a few weeks ago, how me and The Hubbs had a conversation about the old “rusty” coffee table? He didn’t think it fit into the room.
I guess I won out, cause it’s still here.
And you may be wondering, why is there an old, chippy blue door with a cotton wreath leaning against the wall?
It’s just one of those pieces that makes me smile. But, there is a great story behind it and how it came to be at The Everyday Home.
You can read about it HERE.
So, you can see that this room is a mixture of all styles. Just like the rest of our home. Some of this, some of that, a piece from here and a table from
there. Maybe it doesn’t make sense to anyone but us…. but isn’t that what “home” is all about?
The Kitchen and Breakfast Room
Let’s mosey into the kitchen, shall we? It’s where my heart is. My grandchildren help me cook, it’s where I pour through countless recipe books like
they are juicy romance novels, and it’s where – inevitably – everyone gathers when we are having a party.
This kitchen, along with the rest of the house, was a disaster when we bought it. But, I saw below the layers of really bad paint and horribly
placed tile, what a beauty she was underneath. I adore my kitchen. Oh, yes – there are some changes I would make. And slowly, we are. But, its
an incredible space to cook and create. When I think of our home, the kitchen comes to mind first and foremost.
The cabinets were painted white not so long ago, and I added a Faux Brick Painted Backsplash, as well as, some Corbels. The wood countertops
were supposed to be temporary until I could decide on what granite I wanted. That was over five years ago, and now I cannot imagine my kitchen
without them.
You may not wanna hear this, but this copper Farmhouse sink may be going in the near future. While I do love it, I do not love the care that is
required on a regular basis so it looks presentable. This is the sink my Mama warned me about. No, literally. It will be replaced with a ceramic
white farmhouse sink. I cannot imagine not having a farmhouse sink. It makes a great place to bathe babies, btw.
Speaking of silly magnets… I love my Scrabble tile pieces.
A newly painted (ASCP) drop leaf table holds a pot of herbs, which I like to have around as much as possible.
And I am happy to say that there is a new addition to The Everyday Home’s Farmhouse Kitchen!
Meet Cleetus…
Cleetus takes center stage on my new chalkboard wall I just added above my little blue chest.
Notice I added some cute little numbers to the front of the drawers? (Numbers from Lowe’s in the mailbox department)
Cleetus has a message for y’all….
Yup! Cleetus is a pig of few words, but when he does speak….it’s genuine.
Are you in need of a bit of refreshment? I am so sorry. Where are my manners? My Mama would skin my bottom if she knew I had not offered you a
cool, refreshing drink when you came in.
Supper isn’t quite ready yet. So grab your glass and we’ll go sit in the breakfast room a few minutes, to rest your feet.
The Hubbs thinks our breakfast room has gone to the animals. Farm animals, that is. I reckon he’s right. I added some beautiful
cow creamers to the black hutch. Now don’t get too used to this black hutch and table. ”A changes they be coming.” Stay tuned!
The Dining Room
“Pass the Victuals”
When we first bought this home, and before we added the large Family Room addition – this room was the Family Room. That would explain why we
have a huge brick fireplace in our Dining Room. But… I LOVE it!
It’s the one room that still has a lot of red, and probably always will. Because this is also where my cherished Pink and White Staffordshire
is displayed. On the walls, in the French hutches flanking the fireplace, and on the mantel…
Most of it was purchased during the three years we lived in Europe. I made many a journey across the English channel in my American van, to
a place I call Heaven in England – Stoke-on-Trent. Sigh! It’s a massive flea market filled with so much fabulousness, you cannot even begin see it all.
The best part! It was cheap! Sometimes “dirt” cheap because I had to wipe away the layers of dust and grime from where it had been stored in a barn
and simply brought to market. (gasp!) My van could almost navigate the trip to this market on auto-cruise. If you ever get the chance to go, take along
an extra suitcase (or three) – you’ll need it.
One of my favorite pieces is sitting on the chest. A Staffordshire Soup Tureen which still has the lid, drip platter and ladle. It makes my heart very
happy!
And speaking of my heart – this is one of my Mama’s favorite sayings, and I recently passed along this bit of advice to my own
grandson. I’d love for you to read about that story HERE.
I know it’s not polite to take someone to see their Laundry Room, but I am tickled pink and the project my son and I started while The Hubbs was away
one week. It was supposed to be a week-long project, and would be completed in its entirety so I could surprise The Hubbs when he got home.
(aka surprise = I bought a new washer and dryer) Well, it took much longer than a week (like THREE) and my sweet hubby pitched in to help
complete the job. So, before we head into the Family Room… let’s step into the laundry room which is right off of the kitchen.
The Laundry Room
It’s not a huge space. But, before we ripped out a useless closet and added more pantry shelving, it was a disaster. I hated the room, and had absolutely
no storage. A gal can only take so much, so one day Mr. Sledge Hammer came home to play. And play he did!
(you can see the Laundry Room Before HERE)
If its possible to love a washing machine and dryer… I do. They are by Samsung, and laundry is still a chore…but the pretty little buzzers
that sing to you when a cycle is done makes it so much more fun! Ladies, diamonds are pretty – but give me a fabulous Washing Machine and
Dryer anytime.
Almost the entire room was covered in bead board, to include the ceiling. And I know its hard to tell here, but the ceiling is painted a soft, pale blue.
We also changed out the light fixture to this cute little one we found at Lowe’s.
The wall opposite the washer and dryer received a half-wall treatment. I used inexpensive lumber and mouldings to create a
this look. You can read how we did that HERE. The metal numbered signs are from my shop, Farmhouse Decor. (sorry, they are
no longer available.) I have big plans for this wall, and it involves that blue chippy door you saw in the Living Room. :)
The upper basket shelf was another inexpensive project, and it gives me so much storage I have extra baskets to spare! I bought the baskets at Kmart.
Yes, Kmart. Who knew?
We also replaced the floors, but since I was not impressed with this product – it shall remain nameless. (lessons learned!)
And when you need some inexpensive art…
Ta-da! Art board, paint and ole’ fashioned clothespins. It doesn’t get any easier than that now does it?
So, let’s head on back through the kitchen and go into the Family Room. Honestly, we should refer to the Family Room as the
LIVING Room because it’s where we spend most of the time outside of the kitchen. It’s a borderline between my hubbie’s Man Room,
the Kids Play Room, and best of all – the Party Room. And it’s all done…. English-style!
This room is where we have amassed our collection of English landscapes, and my husband’s collection of British military art. Oh, I know it sounds a
little formal and stuffy… so we added some hand painted Royal Feline plates to take the edge off some.
Who doesn’t love Cat Royalty, right? The other thing that keeps this room from becoming formal and stuffy is this…
Meet The Pub! You know how I said that everyone tends to gather in the kitchen when we are entertaining? Well, this is where they head when
Supper is done! I can’t even begin to tell you how much fun we have had gathered at this spot.
This is a big room, as we intended. Generally, the large open space is filled with Legos and dinosaurs and a princess tent. But, that was the
intention all along. A room that would hold family and friends and allow us to grow and enjoy being together.
And as much as I love my lighter and brighter blues and whites and creams throughout the rest of my home…the rusty-red, gold and brown color
scheme of this room fits the decor and the style. I love the “Fall.” And this room makes me feel like I am wrapped in a beautiful Fall day.
A Belgian marble-topped chest holds an assortment of European crystal decanters and glasses…
- and one of my Stoke-on-Trent finds is across the room…
An English Mahogany fireplace surround. I hauled it back on top of my van all the way across the English channel. The sweet British
gentleman who sold it to me also helped me load it and tie it on top of the van. It was a nervous drive home back to Brussels.
Above it are some of our artwork, and the tall, strikingly handsome Bubba you see in the center is Lord Kitchener. My hubby could tell you
all about him and his military endeavors (maybe because he majored in British history and Military Strategic Planning and retired as a Marine Colonel?)
All I know is that he looks really “purdy” hanging above our “Faux” fireplace.
Okay, I hear your tummy grumbling and I know you’re getting hungry. Supper is ready…cause I hear the smoke alarm going off. Ha!
Just kidding…. there was one more thing I wanted to show you before we go sit down to eat.
It’s a small little tag I added to a terrarium I made. Three small words… a simple message which completely conveys our home.
I hope you feel the same way…
Thank you for joining me for our Home Tour. I have so enjoyed having you and hope you come back again soon.
Now…let’s go eat shall we????
xxoo, Barb
Please make sure you visit all 26 homes from the Showcase of Homes Tour. The remaining five homes for Friday’s tour are:
Our Southern Home
Stone Gable
Recreate and Decorate
Sohpia’s
and
Vignette Designs
If you missed out on any of the other tours throughout this past week, you can find them all HERE!
We all appreciate you visiting us and touring our Homes. Look for special Holiday Tours to be announced in the neat future!
The post Come to Visit, Stay for Supper! {Summer Home Tour 2013} appeared first on The Everyday Home.