Thursday, April 19, 2012

Nautical Themes and Lots of Stuff

Let's see........
When we left our story, we had gotten this far .......


I was helping Helene, my friend and neighbor decorate her front sitting room.
You can read the beginning of the story here.....

I got the room to this point and felt that the wall above the sofa was too
 2 dimensional, flat, boring, NOT ENOUGH STUFF!!!!!!!!!
I KNOW!!!!!
We needed some shelves to hold stuff!!!!

So, I did what I ALWAYS do, and poked around the internet.
Ballard Design had some pretty wall bracket shelves, in two sizes.
Suzanne Kasler Jacque Bracket

First I had Helene order two of the large ones, and when they came in, I felt.....
WAIT!!!!!
2 AREN'T ENOUGH!!!!!
So I had her order 4 of the medium ones tooooooo.........
But before I get into this,
 let me go over what we had previously hung on the wall, 
'cuz I haven't discussed that yet, and you know I have to share 
EVERYTHING!!!!!

 We got the two bottom pictures from our neighbor Nika.

The stuff in our homes seems to ebb and flow from one house to the next.
(ebb and flow....get it???? Nautical them!!!!)

Then we went to Home Goods, and found the three dry mounted prints of shells.


Then we went to a gift shop that sells just a bunch of @#$ to the tourists, and bought these small shadow boxed, framed shells...


THEN.....
I worked a little outside the box, and forced asked Helene to buy these snack trays, that we wired up to hang on the wall.
Now, there were only 2 ways to hang these fish. Facing to the right, or facing to the left. 
I wired the big @#$, and told Helene that my fish would face to the left. 
SOOOOOO......
hers should face to the right. 
She had a 50% chance to get this right, girls and boys.....
OK, you know where this is going, 
suffice it to say, she had to redo it.
She's a lawyer.....
'nuff said.....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Okay Doke.....
back to the wall brackets...
Now we needed to figure out what the @#$ to put on the shelves.
OY VEY!!!!


Had to be something nautical, 'cuz that was the theme of this room, and you guys know how I like my themes.......


So we went where tshatshkes grow, 
HOME GOODS!!!!
AND WE FOUND NOTHIN', NOTHIN', NOTHIN'!!
Oy Vey, now we were forced to go
(cover your ears)
SHOP AT A REGULAR RETAIL STORE!!!!!


THAT'S RIGHT, REGULAR RETAIL....
AAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
So we went back to the gift shop, just like a bunch of stinkin' tourists.
We found a pair of model sail boats in red and green. 
I plan on giving them a light dry wash of white paint, to soften the color.
BUT, I don't know when I'll get around to that, and I couldn't wait to show the room to you guys, so they're in their original colors in the photos.
I was very happy with the way this was turning out.
NOW WE HAD TO FIND SOME SHELLS!!!!
Oh Boy!!!
Back to a tourist shop!!!!!
This time a shell place that also sold T shirts.
Helene and one of her little girls just HAD to pose with the pirate....
We only shop in the classiest of places!!!!


There were lots of shells from which to choose.....


And a very happy proprietor to sell them to us.....


So then we hurried back to Helene's to get these babies up on the walls.....


I hung the lower brackets first.....
stood back......
 and congratulated myself on my brilliant ability as a designer...
Lovely, Lovely, Lovely.....


Then got on a ladder and hung the other two.....

Now, in case you're wondering why the photos seem to show two different greens....
THAT'S BECAUSE I TOOK THE FIRST SET OF PICTURES WITH THE CAMERA IN THE WRONG WHITE BALANCE SETTING!!!!!
This blogging business works all the sides (2) of my brain.


OK, now lets talk about tables.....
Helene found this end table at a yard sale....
I don't like it.
She does.
I don't like it.
I wanted the table next to the sofa to be taller.
This one is too short.
I don't like it.
So she moved it between the two chairs on the other side of the room.
At least now it's not so noticeable.....


Sooooooo.....
Helene, Lisette and I went to Home Goods, so that Betsy could find a 
GOODER table.
I found one that I felt had a beachy vibe, and forced, suggested that Helene buy the damn thing and bring it home.
I didn't go in with the two of them to see how it looked right away, and Lisette informed me later that it looked HORRIBLE.
HA!!!!!
No, No, No......
I couldn't fathom that I was THAT  far off.....
Sooooo.
I goes over dare, and checks it out.
THEY BE WRONG!!!
They had it turned the wrong way.
So I turned it 90 degrees, and set a straw picnic basket by its side, and then they 
LOVED
it!




Helene and Lisette are wild for monograms, so I suggested that she goose up this chair with a little personalization.....
We had chosen this fabric.....

And while I was gone over the summer, she  PAID  someone to make the cushions!!!!!

So now, my old wicker chair has a new home and new clothes....

That's not a baby on the floor in the back.
No children were hurt during the production of this story......

We will continue this saga probably next year, when we get off our @$$'s and hang draperies in this room.
Until then.....
Later, Gator


















12 comments:

Robin said...

I'm still giggling over this post! The room looks great and you have given her very good advice. I love the basket on top of the tall cabinet (sorry if this was discussed in the previous post). Funny how we have to force ourselves to go to the tourist traps to find good beachy decor!

Robin
Robin Flies South

Anonymous said...

I love wall bracket shelves. I never thought of adding that many. This has opened up a whole new idea for me!! Then coming up with the perfect thing to display on them will be the next obsession.

Your blog is so refreshing. I never started a blog because I can't come up with such nice sweet posts that are so popular. I don't call my husband pet names and if I started at this stage in my life referring to my children as sweet daughters or son they would think Mom's lost it!!! I'm from NJ for crying out loud people didn't talk like that when I was growing. OK enough about me.....I love your blog AND your style!

Kathy

Brenda Pruitt said...

Yes, the higher table next to the sofa is MUCH better. And I adore the color of the walls. You did a FANTASTIC job, my friend!
Brenda

ℳartina @ Northern Nesting said...

I LOVE "stuff" Betsy and I love everything you did to this room!! Wanna be my neighbor:)

Connie@Connie Nikiforoff Designs said...

I like this room! Ya know, you could always tell Helene to do a little paint magic herself on those sailboats :-D

I agree with you about the side table...yours is gooder ;-)

Katie @ Wildwood Creek said...

Love the beachy vibe and the brackets are just the ticket to give the wall dimension!

Vicki said...

This is one of my favorite posts that you've done. I like the shopping photos adding to the narrative...just like I'm there with you.

Zoe said...

Imagine my surprise while reading this post to see the shell shop right down the street from where I live and work in beautiful Hobe Sound. How cool to have such a creative and inspiring neighbor!

Karol

Chubby Chieque said...

Graciousness... I would to have those large consoles too?

Do they sell on the internet?

Lovely place. Happy w/end yáll.

Greetings from a snowy Stockholm on Springtime.
/CC

Shingle Cottage said...

Wow Betsy i just clicked on your comment link thinking "no way it can't be The Betsy?" and Wow it really is you! thank you for your kind comment on my tutorial i have a huge smile on my face,such a compliment coming from you.
I already follow you and i am a huge fan of yours,i bought your book after Amy at Maison Decor recommended it to me and i can now tell you i love it and it is fabulous,i am a rosey floral girl all the way,so i pour over your book often.

Those wall brackets really change the whole look of the room and the colour on the walls is beautiful x

Helene said...

As with everything else in my life, I am just now getting around to reading your blog (1 week late). I love, love, love the room!!!! I am the luckiest neighbor in the world living next to you Betsy (and I swear it is not because of your decorating). 1 room down...6 more to go. At the rate I move, we will be done about the time my 6-year old twin girls go to college. :)

Anonymous said...

I love your blog. Although I am just a lurker I so enjoy looking at others blogs. Your writing matches your decorating-loose, fun, don't take it all too seriously. I could move into either of your houses and enjoy either one of them. Thanks fort the blog. Iris

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