More about Flowers and Renovation Update

You all watched so patiently as our porch/studio renovation progressed this summer. I heard from so many of you about your own renovation stories and nightmares. It was fun to share this with you all. We've been really enjoying the new porch which opens off our kitchen. It gives the three of us more space to mess up! Although I wanted to have only screens on the porch, I was advised by so many people to spend the extra money and put in windows with screens. Now that it is October, I'm glad we did! We can still sit on the porch and read and enjoy the new space, although it has been downright chilly this past few nights. A sign of things to come!

All the furniture was on our old porch and I basically just moved it back to where it was downstairs before. I'm not much for changing furniture arrangements. I know some people do that all the time but I just like keeping everything in the same spot. My furniture is a sturdy wicker that has an antique-y finish. I wrap the cushions (which are a rather hideous print) in an assortment of faded Indian bedspreads that I have collected over the years, mostly from Adivasi in Brattleboro (one of my favorite stores in the world).


You can see that we have raw studs on the walls. It is a porch you see. Maybe one day we will finish it off but for right now, we'll use this room when it is warm.


Here is the view into the kitchen with the table. I have been collecting old chairs and I painted them in all different colors. They make great props for photos and they just are so cheerful.


The porch table bowed up on the end while it was under the tarp outdoors for 2 months. I wonder if it will ever go down the other way. Right now I have a couple blocks of wood under it so it doesn't shift when you are eating at it. Kevin told me I should put a few cement blocks on top of it this winter and see what happens. You can still take photos of it though. Here's the scene after breakfast the other morning.


And here is a close-up of some of the last flowers from the flower garden. The little brown vase in the front is one of my favorites. It is actually wicker that is woven around a little jar. Must be some craft from the old days. I love this vase. The tablecloth came from Anthropologie this past summer. It makes the whole room look cheerful. It looks like they still have it on their website.


Here is a little detail shot of a project I just sent away. I figure I can preview this much of a close-up since you can't tell anything about what it is from the photo. And the flower pattern fits in perfectly with this post.


Now I have to re-organize the studio and get some nice shots of that for you all before it gets totally trashed.

Check out this article in the NYTimes about a creative soul down in North Carolina named Patrick Dougherty. I actually saw a couple of his structures a few years ago in Brattleboro. What amazing work!