The kitchen remodel at our homestead is proceeding slowly but nicely. Since we are trying to do this for little or no monetary output we are proceeding as planned. We have all of the doors on except for the sink area. We cannot rip this area out until we have a new faucet and a counter top. Since I keep changing my mind on this.....I guess I am the one holding the project up. So we have changed our mind on the floor....vinyl tiles that look so real you have to touch them to see that they aren't is what we are now leaning towards. We did rip the peninsula out and the kitchen looks bigger but with so few cabinets now. We moved the trash compactor to the area where the peninsula was. I lost a bank of drawers so we are trying to build the island along with customer pieces so that we regain some of the storage. I will try to send updated pix of this as soon as I can. Right now it is time for kickoff.....Go Cards.

vignettes

Vignettes are small settings that tell a story...pronounced vin...yet. When decorating, you can use these "little views" to create pleasing settings around your home. It is advised to always use an uneven number...I prefer three. Three different height candlesticks, perhaps in three different types of material make a better look than a pair of candles.
Place 3 books of similar subject on their side on a bookcase or three picture frames of similar but not quite alike material in a grouping on a tabletop, although with picture frames more look even better. If you browse magazines you will find many vignettes. Often a decorator will have a chair, a small table and a lamp grouped together to form a cozy area....this is a form of vignette.
The story can be made larger by adding a pillow and piece of artwork.

Another way of creating a vignette is to take a piece of artwork and bring it out into the room with material similar to the composition subject. This painting could easily stand alone, but i like to carry the greens and wildlife out onto the mantle. This can be done with any decor from contemporary to country.
So find a tabletop, mantle and play...collect things from other areas of your space and keep tweaking it until you have something...Have fun!

Some thoughts on color

Don't be color phobic...

Whether choosing a color for your new custom furniture, revamping your tired kitchen cabinets (more about that in a future post) or repainting a room, be open to the new, deeper color trends. At Stowebound, we use only Benjamin Moore for our painted furniture.

There are many reasons for this, but the main ones are coverage, durability and depth of color. We will gladly make samples for customers or you can log on to www.benjaminmoore.com for some more ideas. I also offer in home consultation once you become a Stowebound customer.

I offer specialty finishes as well.... Explore the possibilities of glazing or antiquing!
Think about putting a lighter tone of your wall color on your ceiling!
And every room should have one piece of black furniture in it!