A Peak in the Office

Remember I said in my last post that two of the blue/green silk panels were in my office? Well there they are. Jeff is installing photos of my work. Wow, my office is a mess! I did straighten it though. The bookcase I bought is too small. I'm going to move it to the basement. I'm in search of the perfect piece for my office now... always something!

Come On Upstairs...

You may recognize these drapes from my old house. I really like the way they compliment the mirrors above the bed. Those mirrors use to be in my old dining room. Its always fun to see where things land when you move. See the chests and lamps? They use to be in my living room. So pieces from three rooms ended up here in one of our guest rooms!

This is the second guest room. Love the blue! The drapes conveyed with the house. The previously homeowner made them. They were in the sitting room on the main level. There were actually six panels in this silk. Two are in my office; two are in this guest room; and two are in my assistant's home :)

This is the master bedroom sitting and dressing table area... large silk panels for extra yum!

And my daughter's room complete with wide black and white stripes, a fuchsia ceiling and drapes to tie it all together. The black and white portion of the drape was in my daughter's old room. Her windows then were in an alcove. We still loved the peace signs so all I did was add fuchsia silk to the bottom to lengthen and add a few more baubles. I love the way they turned out!

We still have to put the fuchsia paint splatter decals on the walls. All is good time... all in good time.

More Drapes at Home...

What about other rooms in the house?? Drapes went up in the living and dining rooms, and the room formerly known as the music room. I now call it the sitting room since there is no longer a baby grand piano in it. Above is the living room where Joe meticulously finishes the drapes.

Simply linen drape panels everywhere on this side of the house. Above in the sitting room...

and in the dining room. Here's a detail...

Instead of just leaving the drape panel inside the bay window, I brought it out. I did this to soften the corner and fill the negative space a bit more. I don't like something on every wall so the eye may rest in between interesting things. The walls that flank the bay are a bit too large to leave completely alone so bringing out the drape is just the ticket to soften and frame the window.

Next, I'll show you upstairs....

Up Goes the Family Room Drapes

As you may know in my neck of the woods two story prevails! My home is no different. We have a lovely large bay in the family room. I had drapes from my previous home that would work wonderfully in this room but I had to think of how to connect them with new drapes to soften the two story windows. See the detail border on the lead edge and bottom of each panel?
I had the same detail on the original drapes. However I did not want to have dark two story drapes so I chose silk very similar to the wall color. The detail border though is in the same silk as the border on the original and...
where the original and new drapes meet, the bottom border continues the line.
And that's how the old and new connect! That and the fact that they are both in neutral silks. Rolling, rolling, rolling...

More is Up on My Walls ~ YAY!

Let's start at the beginning... the entry. I took this picture above standing in my foyer looking into the music room. Those are my favorite wedding pictures. Candid shots of Jim and I dancing and of us with our bridal party ~ laughing. I love that one. These are front and center on a column as you walk in the front door. The shot below is what you saw when you look up at the second floor hall from the foyer.

Before the art was installed.

Here is is with the artwork. You may notice a theme with almost all of the artwork in my home. Can you see the theme? There will be some exceptions.

Above is my art installer's ladder complete with tools. He just keeps moving it around to the area he's working rather than carry a tool chest. One never knows when the ladder will come in handy.

While were upstairs, let's peek into one of the guest rooms. Above is the room minus any wall adornment.

I used the mirrors I had in my dining room in my old house here. They will have a strong connection with the drapes which have a circular star-like motif on them. I cannot wait to get those up. The two together will bring a wonderful rhythm to the space. I love that!

Here is the back second floor hall that over looks the family room. This art has been waiting a while to be hung.

There you go.

This is the view from the family room. I have a gorgeous mirror planned for in between the floor vase and artwork...

Isn't she a beauty??! This is an amazing John Richard mirror 96" tall and 48" wide. I ordered it but it will not be in until the end of December :-( I did visit it when I was a Market though :-)

Below is the creme de la creme... ready??!


A blank wall! BUT...........

I commissioned an artist to paint a trip tyke for me. I am looking forward to seeing the drawings and seeing them come to life. Each will not be quite that wide. I think they need to be slightly thinner. I am leaving the tape up to remind me of what's to come. As soon as they arrive I will show you and tell you all about the wonderful artist. That will be a happy day!

Did you catch the theme to the artwork?

What's on the Walls Paula Grace?!

The one thing that Jim and I wanted was to get our art and photos up. The bare walls were making me crazy! We started that process in the family room ~ where we spend much of our time together.

I placed the triptych from our last home's living room above the mantel. I like them there. The fireplace screen is being made and the drapes have to be hung and the side table that my friend Andie is painting needs to placed.... all in good time!

We love our family photos. I configured this arrangement combining three from our last home. It seems like an ode to Lauren. Wait, there's more...

Those are all Lauren below. Ok, so the room is a bit of a shrine to her but that's the way it is in our family. Lauren is the center of everything. In this photo, I particularly like the truck outside the window ~ nice (not)! Where are those drapes?! They are actually hanging in my closet upstairs but the hardware has yet to arrive. Soon, soon.

Oh yeah, like the dogs playing patty cake?! Those are book ends. Do you see any books? Some day everything will be in its place. Hopefully it will happen before I get to old and forget where everything is!

More art will be hung soon. For now, it is at least some of it is placed where it will live.

Don't worry fellows ~ you'll be able to see over the railing soon!

My New Home... Onward!

My dear friend, Andie, who's artistry will appear in my home, convinced me to show my home in process. She said "the wallpaper inspired me to something to my home." I'm all for inspiration! As you may know, I painted the entire house before we moved in. The wallpaper went up in the first week. Where did it go? On the ceiling of course.

I used a Candice Olson wallcovering from York. The metallic background is a silvery blue. The textured motif is real sand. I placed it is the cathedral ceiling in the music room...

It looks dark in the first picture but it isn't really. I also placed it in the dining room tray ceiling...

The ceiling color is Brittany Blue by Benjamin Moore. I love the softness of it all. The metallic and sand shimmer when light hits it. I am so looking forward to the drapes being installed ~ that is happening very soon ~ YAY!. That will make it even cozier. Fabric adds so much. I opted for linen drapes in these rooms one shade darker than the White Chocolate walls.

I am off to High Point Market shortly. I adore going to Market when one of the people I am hunting treasure for is me!

Sparkle, Sparkle

Jim bought me my 10 year anniversary ring one year early! Don't you just love it? Do you think its to big??!!

No, no... its not a ring. Its a finial!

A beautiful Swarovski Crystal Finial from JF Drapery Hardware. It is part of their Evolution Collection. Click here to view the online catalog.

I love crystal. I grew up admiring my mom's Waterford crystal collection. She had pieces all over the living room. I have the collection now and have added to it. What I love most about crystal is, like a diamond, it captures the light...

and bounces it all over the room. Take a look...



These finials will adorn my living room... once I finally the rest of the hardware and drapes are ready. But for now, I'll just play with them in the light.

I'm sure I am not the only one guilty of admiring my engagement ring when it rests atop the steering wheel with the sun bounces off of it. That gives my joy. I don't do that as much now as when I first received it but every once in a while, it catches the light and my eye just so and I feel happy.

What makes you happy?

Paula Grace's New Home Continued

So far, you know my paint colors ~ here's a review...



Brittany Blue, Sandy White, Shaker Beige, and White Chocolate. There is also a pinch of...


Plymouth Brown ~ coffer ceiling in the family room. All colors are from Benjamin Moore.

I have wallpapered the cathedral ceiling in the music room and the tray ceiling in the dining room. These rooms are extensions of each other so the wallpaper in the same...

A Candice Olson design from York Wallcoverings. I love the way it looks! The ceilings in the rooms with this wallpaper are painted in the Brittany Blue. It really is pretty. They go nicely with my existing chandeliers.

The chandelier in the dining room went from this...

to this.

In the music room from this...

to this.
Both from Fine Art Lamps. The chandeliers that conveyed with the house are beautiful and good quality but they are just not my style.

I'm hesitant to show pictures of the rooms at this point because they seem so far from finished. I'm going to Market later this month. My plan is to finish them further. Maybe then. Unless you really want to see it from beginning to end (gulp!), I'll show them to you.

To round out the lighting, the new chandelier over the kitchen table went from this...
to this...

A Visual Comfort beauty.

Now I am in the process selecting chairs for the music room (it had a grand piano in it before so it will forever be known as the music room), selecting and designing fabrics, finding the just right counter stools, a new console table... and pieces for my foyer. I think I found the table but I am designing the chest. That is always the fun part for me... designing my own pieces.

My window treatments are either up (woven shades) or being fabricated as I type (drapes). The hardware should be here... hmmmm??? I wonder where it is??!! I feel a phone call coming on.

Details, details......

I DO have a grand plan though, which intimately involves Paula Grace Designs, Inc.

Stay tuned.