More of My Florida Guest Room!!!

I added shutters to the sliding doors, just like I did in my master bedroom.

Here's what they looked like before the shutters.....

Bare feeling, not cozy. I had been thinking about changing the doors to look like French doors, but in Florida, to be practical because of warping...

you need to use fiberglass, and I don't like the way the grills are held in the fiberglass doors.

So, I didn't know what to do, until I saw what my neighbors did, 

sooooo....

I did it toooooo!!!!!

I find the transformation amazing.

Even after all these years of decorating,

I still get a rush when something so simple makes such a 

dramatic difference!!!!!

Here's a full view....

('cuz I really love how this turned out!!!)

It opens right onto my postage stamp pool!!!!

Looking straight across to my bedroom, with its own set of

 new plantation shutters!!!

Quite a change from when I first saw this house!!!

The view out the door has certainly improved!!!

OK, on to the next wall,

THIS ONE IS DONE!!!

At the foot of the bed is an armoire that has the acanthus leaf turnings of the West Indies style I was going for.....

I had it hauled down from Massachusetts along with the monster I put in my living room.

IT GAVE ME ANOTHER SURFACE FOR MORE

STUFF!!!!!

So, of course.....

I had to cram some more birds and vases in the room...

I had an opportunity to collect another color!!!!

Yippee!!!

YELLOW!!!!!

I thinks its pretty.

Just a bunch more McCoy and Abingdon pottery with Royal Copley birds

I swear, when I'm sleeping, the damn things are multiplying.

But who wouldn't want some of these!!?????

OK

I'll come clean.....

The reason I showed you so many pictures of the collection on top of this armoire....

IS BECAUSE, IT TOOK ME TIME TO TAKE THEM,

(I had to get up on a ladder)

 SO I'LL BE DAMNED IF YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE TO LOOK AT THEM!!!

I lucked out, and found a pair of split reed small barrel chairs to flank the armoire.

You know how I love split reed.

I WAS ABLE TO GET THREE PIECES IN ONE ROOM!!!!!

The starfish is made out of plaster, I think I got it from Pottery Barn.

I wish I could find another one, 'cuz when I had some work done in the powder room that backs up to this wall, the vibration of the hammering caused one to fall off its nail and break, now I only have one.

WELL I NEED TWO.

The prints are more birds by John Gould, the same guy who painted the birds over the bed.....


NOW...
Before I go.....
Here's a picture of one of the birds on the side of my armoire....

This guy is different.....
He was made by Roselane in Pasadena Ca.
Probably from the 40's.
THIS IS MY PROBLEM!!!!
I now have two of these off white birds, one on either side of the armoire.
I also have two in green on the chest of drawers that I will show you tomorrow......
OK, now that makes 4 by this company......
WHEN HAVE I EVER STOPPED AT 4 OF SOMETHING?????
I'm running out of space, and I feel a compulsion to add more @#$ birds!!!!


HELP!
I'M COLLECTING AND I
CAN'T STOP!!!!!


Later, Gator

Short Term Guest Room

Let's continue the tour of my Florida guest room....

I put a king size bed in the room, so the couples that visit me would get a good nights sleep and not be grumpy in the morning.

I DON'T WANT NO GRUMPY GUESTS!!!!

I would have preferred using a pair of twins, since I think they make a prettier guest room,

BUT!!

Being the gracious hostess that I am.....

I put my guest's comfort before my decorating urges.

King size beds are a pain in the @$$ to make!!!

The sheets are the size of a football field.

JUST ANOTHER REASON TO BE HAPPY THAT I'M NOT MARRIED!!!!

As you can see in the photo below.....

I have a few more ceramic birds in this room...

Some go this way...

Some go that way....

And some just hang out in the middle

In the morning I check to see if there are any droppings on the pictures under the shelf.....

So far, so good.

Most of the birds are more than likely made by Royal Copley;

 a company whose motto was:

"Gift shop merchandise at chain store prices"

They sold figurines at 5 &10 cent stores in the 40's and 50's.

The pieces were hand-painted using air brushing. 

According to the Seabring Ohio Historical Society webpage...

“Birds were among the most popular figures, it is estimated that about 500 dozen birds were made each day. They sold at chain stores starting at 25 cents retail, having arrived at the store for around 15 cents each. Currently, the more embellished and large items are selling for $50-150!”

All I can say is that now I own 

ALL OF THEM IN AMERICA!!!!

To continue the bird them, I found John Gould prints of parrots and macaws. 

I found them on ebay of course!!!

when the smaller parrot prints arrived from the Australian seller...

they were TOO white. 

Looked brand new...

Probably were only a couple of years old....

Didn't work.....

SOOOOO.....

I did what any self respecting DIY decorator would do!!!!!

I made a tea bath and dipped them in it!!!!

Then scrubbed the tea bags around on top of the paper a little more.

It came out uneven, but good enough for me....

After all, I wasn't selling these suckers....

Things don't need to be perfect in my house.

ESPECIALLY IF I'M THE ONE MAKING IT!!!

According to Wikipedia:

John Gould (14 September 1804 – 3 February 1881) was an English ornithologist and bird artist. He published a number of monographs on birds, illustrated by plates that he produced with the assistance of his wife, Elizabeth Gould and several other artists including Edward Lear, Henry Constantine Richter, Joseph Wolf and William Matthew Hart. He has been considered the father of bird study in Australia and the Gould League in Australia is named after him. 

Not to let you know how clueless I am, but before I went on ebay looking for parrot prints, I had never heard of him. 

WHO KNEW???!!!

You may recognize this chair form Chloe's visit!!

It's more of my lovely split reed. 
I just LOVE this stuff.

At the time I posted this, I hadn't realized that there was a framed photo of her on the table behind the chair!!!

Think I'm just a little obsessed with this dog???


The vase is a piece of McCoy

the bird is from Italy

and the plate is a piece of my Wannopee pottery collection.
I have these plates on the walls of this room and hung 
in my Massachusetts family room.
THEY IS ADDICTING....
so if you buy one, be ready to buy more.
These plates are called lettuce-leaf ware, although a cabbage leaf was used to make the mold. 
They started making them in America in 1901, and were based on Italian majolica.
They come in lots of sizes, so if you decide to collect some to make a wall display, you can create something wonderful by using different sizes.

I found the pair of lamps at a local antique show/flea market.
I love these guys, they are truly funky.
I used shades from Pottery Barn to top them off.
I really lucked out by finding green shades that worked with this room.

The whole lamp is make out of grass or pine needles
 (I don't know what it is) 
and dried leaves.

I still have to recover this little bamboo style footstool I found.
I'll probably do it in the floral fabric I used throughout the room.

I tried to use fabrics with tropical flowers in their design for this house.
This creamy yellow pattern is full of magnolias.

I used it in the draperies and the three chair cushions.....

It's spring here in Southern Florida, 
and the magnolias are blooming.
Their perfume fills the air and the blossoms are gorgeous.
So, if you are stuck up north.....
EAT YOUR HEART OUT.....
but if you come to visit......
MAKE SURE IT'S A SHORT ONE!!!


Later, Gator

Partying at:

A Guest Room in a Tropical Cottage

Welcome to my guestroom!!!!!

Please note:

Maximum length of stay is to be: 

NO LONGER

than 2 days!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't let the door catch you in the......

(oops, I mean....)

HELLO!!!!

WELCOME!!!!!

When are you leaving???!!!

(No, No, I'm doing it again!)

What the #$%, just come on in, but don't plan on staying too long.

This really fries my goat!

(I just made that expression up!!!!!)

Just because I like to decorate, and made a pretty guest room.....

DOESN'T MEAN I WANT PEOPLE TO USE IT!!!!!

I just had fun decorating it......

This is what it looked like when I viewed the house before I bought it.....

Here's the view in the other direction.....

Here's my view in the other direction.....

And.....another view of the wall at the foot of the bed...

The before.....

And MY after!!!

This is just a teaser of what's to come this week....

I am still tired from visiting my folks in Massachusetts.

There are two more walls, a bathroom, and lots of closeups and vignettes to share with you guys.

I spent all today working on the photographs of this room, so I hope you enjoy them!!!!

Later, Gator

Partying at: