A Country House Foyer

Let's continue looking at my friend Connie's Vermont mountain hide-a-way.

Let's come in from the front porch.....

As I told you guys last week, we added the farmer's porch,

 and then inside......

we rearranged the rooms, because the original builder was clueless and had too many halls that were too large.

One of the really good points I was taught in design school was....

halls are a waste of space, 

so a good floorplan uses them sparingly.

Les Brown, the architect I used to rope into my work when my abilities were overwhelmed with the reality of structure and roof-lines.....

did an absolutely stellar rework of the downstairs interior layout.

Sooooo.....

Kudos to him.

Don't tell him I gave him credit though.....

we have an ongoing battle about who's a better designer.....

Anyway.....

come into the entry....

The following shot was in Traditional Home magazine in 2004, 

the rest of the shots are mine, taken when I didn't know what I was doing.

The angle is too high, and the lighting is a problem, and the composition is bad,

but other that that.....

they suck!!!!!

Traditional Home 2004

This shot looks into the dining room.

I used two of the dining chairs in the hall, so if more seating is needed at the table, they are easy to grab.

I had simple skirted slip covers made, that have a loosely gathered ruffle for a casual cottage flavor. 

The chairs are a rustic French country style that worked with all of the American antiques that Connie and I found locally in the Woodstock area.

Now.... 

below is my crappy shot.....

I plan on hauling my old rear end up to Vermont to take some decent pictures of this house.

Although the Traditional Home shots are nice, the house has a lot that wasn't shown in the magazine.

And I know how you guys like detail pictures toooooo.....

It's a three hour haul up there, and my hips don't like such a long ride.....

but I am a trouper, and I will do this for you you you you you.....

HERE'S ANOTHER HORRIBLE PICTURE!!!!!

This vignette faces you as you enter the front door.

Connie has a white rubber mouse that she moves around the house.

If you look closely, you can see it by the stairs.

Not sayin' she's strange or anything......

but after all....

She IS a friend of mine.....

The chest of drawers I had in my cabin on Lake Sunapee, but when I changed some stuff around, I sold it to Connie.

It's painted faux bois, (fake woodgraining), although it looks like real graining.

I think it's a wonderful old piece of Americana.

On top of the chest is a lamp I had made out of a piece of old pottery.

The shade is custom oil parchment that gives off a nice glow.

We found the deer print in a local antique/junk store. 

I really need to get back up to Vermont to shoot some more pictures.

I have come a long way since I took these shots in 2003.

That's it for today, I have to go back down into the basement and resume painting my buddy Kris's new/old chest we got at auction for a real steal.

Knowing how to redo a piece of furniture opens up a whole realm of possibilities.

 We now can bid on junk that no one else in her right mind would want.

I look at everything through Chalk Painted glasses.

The world is mine to paint!!!

On that note....

Latah, Gatah