Wishing I was in Florida

Well.....................

I'm still up in Massachusetts.......

Now don't get me wrong.......

I love my family.....

I really, really, really do!!!!!

It's just a little cold.

And there's white stuff on the ground.

Now I know I've always said that I like stuff.....

but I don't like this white stuff!!!!!

NO NO NO NO NO!!!!!

Sooooo.....

To make us all feel better.....

let's look some more at my buddy Connie's Florida beach home.

On Saturday I was milking the story telling you all about 

her living room.....

SO LET'S CONTINUE!!!!!

The cottage has an open floor plan, 

with the living room, dining room, entry and kitchen all together.

There is a hutch in the dining area that backs up to the kitchen that 

TPD (the previous designer) had sold to Connie and Chris.

Here's a shot of how it used to look.....

This was just after Connie had moved into the house, and we had started looking for accessories to goose it up.

I felt it wasn't tall enough for the space, so I found stuff to put on top of it,

to raise your eye, and give it a better scale.

I mean.....

TPD had these wonderful tall ceilings.....

and she chose a short little hutch?????!!!!!

OY OY OY OY OY!!!!!

I know lots of you guys love the distressed look.

But I felt that this piece looked too fake.

I only like realistic looking distressing.

My technical description of the finish above is: Sucky!!!! 

I particularly disliked the stained finish on the serving top.

soooooooooo...........

I had Chris prime it in white, to prepare it for a better paint job.....

(he's not the biggest dIYer, but he was a trouper....)

and I loved the look of the simple primer!!!!!

So I says to Connies, says I.... 

"Let's leave it just like this!!!!!"

and being one to go for the cheapest, least expensive, lowest price,

 easiest way to do something (not) she said "OK"!!!!!

Now it really looks oldish and beat upish.....

(yes, I'm making up my own words.....)

(It's my blog, I can do whatever the @#$ I want!!!!)

Here's the way it used to look on the wall.....

before the wallpaper was added and it was painted white.

Here's how it looked after.....

It's graphically stronger, crisper, more of a pop.....

When you choose furniture, think of how it relates to the wall it's going against, how it relates to the colors in the room....

See how the white refers back to the white upholstery?????

It's almost as if a designer was involved!!!!!

Then when you're arranging the stuff inside the hutch, 

again....

think of how it will stand out against the background, the shapes and colors.

Sooooooo.....

TPD really chose a beauty here.....

There isn't enough distance between the lower shelves for a dinner plate to stand up.

Now this is OK if you want to display your tea cups and saucers.....

BUT IF YOU WANT THIS FOR A PRACTICAL PURPOSE.....

IT DOESN'T WORK!!!!!

So.....

when life gives you lemons.....

what do you do?????

you shop on ebay!!!!!!!

Connie had me look for a collection of pottery that would reflect the coral color of the kitchen and living room accents.

So I went trolling for ceramic seashells which

I mixed it in with the real thing.

I found Catalina and Poole pottery from California and England.

I was pretty psyched about finding these pieces with the coral color....

I mean.....

WHO KNEW THIS STUFF WAS OUT THERE?????

LET'S HEAR IT FOR ebay!!!!! 

Now, while I'm trashing TPD.....

Notice where the switches are to the left of the hutch?????

I had them moved there.....

She originally had them on the wall

behind the hutch.....

HOW THE HELL WHERE YOU SUPPOSED TO TURN ON THE LIGHTS?????

I really wasn't initially crazy about this cupboard.

The columns on each side didn't make any sense.....

I mean.....

THEY WEREN'T HOLDING ANYTHING UP!!!!!

WHY THE #$% WERE THEY THERE?????

So Connie and I added these iron sea shells as embellishments.

Now they make sense!!!!!

OK, that's all my complaining about this piece of furniture.

On Thursday I'll complain about something else.....

Later, Gator