DecRenew Interiors and English Style Decorating

I've always LOVED English cottages and a touch of English decor!  With the current trend where any style goes as far as mixing different styles in the same home,  it is always nice to have a little touch of English somewhere in your home.  Of course, for me, I love it because I'm English and grew up with some of this style in our home. 
English Farmhouse

English homes are usually set around their gardens. Lots of seating and beautifully kept grass and rambling roses everywhere. Thatched roofs, stone fences, neat herb gardens, and soft, washed-out colors.

There are some clever ways you can give your home or apartment the feel of the English countryside without breaking your budget.   In English Country decor, the colors are taken directly from nature, and are seldom bright or loud. After all, English cottages might be several generations old, and continued use has caused colors to fade gently over the years.

There are always blooming flowers outside cottages in England.
There might be a fireplace in every room or only in the "main rooms", and furniture is comfortable, eclectic, and a lot of time mismatched.
The main living spaces will be cozy, with scattered area rugs and dark woods. Family heirlooms (or reproductions) add an antique feeling: old silver or pewter, mismatched picture frames and mirrors, a footstool with a needlepoint cover and old brass fireplace tools might be seen.

Anywhere you could "whitewash" a fence, an old garden bench or an interior wall, for example, isn't a bright white but more of a thinned white which allows the surface beneath to show through. Autumnal colors of greens, cream, and golden yellow are one color path to follow, while a bedroom might be pretty in soft pinks, light green, and pale yellows accented with white.
Love the rustic fireplace.  Oh, you could make this so comfortable with two wonderful slip covered wing back chairs facing this fireplace. 
Soft lighting is important when creating an English style – table lamps, floor lamps, and candlelight is preferable rather than overhead lighting or recessed lights. Light a fire in the fireplace, if you have one, and add fresh wildflowers in a crockery pitcher.

Lots of charm here and I could go to town on making this even more beautiful.
Great bones to work with in this room.
This house could look something like the pictures below inside. I'd love to take my morning walks and pass by houses that look like this, wouldn't you?
Love all the stonework.

Love this chair!  I could enhance this window seat with some beautiful down filled pillows and a new paint color.
Bookcases should be plain, filled with not only hardcover books (look in used bookstores for classic titles with gently worn bindings), but also mementos of your travels or collections of shells, teacups, or smaller framed artwork.

Love how English homes have beautiful antiques and stunning woodwork on their banisters.
Cozy kitchen.
Farm table and chairs make this so inviting to have a cuppa tea with a friend.
Simply casual.
Beautiful antique bed.  Can you just imagine what you could do with fresh new crisp linens and some accessories! 
The thatch roofing has such great texture and blends in so nicely to nature.
Oh what you could do with this courtyard.

Adding English Oil paintings to your mix adds so much character, color and warmth to any room.  Grouping several of these paintings like these makes an even better impression.  These are two of my favorites.

Artist:  William Hogarth
Artist:  Reynold, Sir Joshua

 Make or purchase slipcovers using soft floral prints of the "cabbage rose" or chintz variety, and add pillows with soft fringe, buttons, or braiding trim.  These are a few of my favorites

If your furniture doesn't match, don't worry – you can give various pieces a distressed paint finish or leave them as is, with perhaps a table skirt covering the most modern odd pieces. These are nice places to use your vintage linens.

Found this picture in my files of an English home that has been updated and made more modern.
My whole house isn't English that's for sure.  I love to mix it up!  By adding one ottoman, one painting, one antique, you can add a touch of "English" to your home.
Shake it up a little with a touch of English style.  You will be surprised how much you'll like it.
Ruthie

Old doors become coffee tables.

I've always been in love with old doors!  Especially old rustic ones that have history!  If life weren't so hectic right now, I'd love to transform a door into a coffee table.  I've been committed to keeping the balance between family and work so this project will have to wait.  I'll share my dream with you.

I'm in love with this coffee table from Wisteria.com
Here it is placed in a room.
I think this blue paint color in this living space is beautiful.  The cream slip covered furniture is stunning placed on top of these beautiful wood floors.  Love that this room doesn't need a rug.  So open and fresh!
I can feel my blood pressure go up when I admire this table!  I want it so badly!
Instead of buying it for myself..... I'm proposing it for one of my client's I'm working with!  Good idea right?
The picture above shows the coffee table placed on top of a rug, I think I like it without the rug, don't you?
In order for you to have a unique item in your house, you can simply reuse or recycle old things and turn it into something that you can use. For example, an old door which is still in good condition can be restyled into a very stylish coffee table for your living hall or patio.

Yesterday I was antique shopping and here are a few doors that I thought would make great tables or definitely wall art!

These doors are amazing.  They were screaming "take me home"
These shutters would be awesome as a coffee table.  Would have to be in a room where the coffee table isn't used functionally but for decoration.  Maybe for a patio?
Wouldn't this be a great coffee table with glass placed in each panel?
Etsy.com
Simple yet fun!
Here are some fun items/ideas you could place on YOUR coffee table. 
 I bought these while at the antique mall.

Old metal finials in a wooden bucket or petrified wood placed on a wooden stand.
Old weathered books are the best and add so much character and texture. 
I can't wait to see who use to own these bibles.  Imagine the notes in the margins.
You have to go to one of my favorite blogs, Velvet and Linen and read what she is doing with old books.
I read this this morning and went nuts!  I wanted to transplant myself into her living room to help her!
Well.......
I can't make a coffee table right now but I have just finished a transformation on some "red barn doors" that my friend was getting rid of.  I gave her an hour design consultation and she gave me the shutters/doors.  Fun exchange.
I stripped the red paint off the shutters (they were originally in her sons room for a barn theme) and painted them black.  Amazing what paint can do.  Of course a lot more had to be done to them (thank you honey, so glad that doing things for me is your love language).  I added the hardware to make them more interesting and less "barn" looking and distressed them to death so they would have a weathered look.   
I hung them on the side of our house (in the front).  We had a big blank brick wall as you drive up (it's the garage wall) and I wanted a "shutter" effect to make the wall look more finished and united to the house.  It works well with the black wrought iron gate.
Here's also a quick look at how our gazebo is coming along.
It's now stained, waiting to be roofed.  My patio furniture is waiting patiently as I bite my nails with anticipation.
Paint something or renew something this weekend!

A few favorite things!

Was shopping today and found these three items that I just absolutely loved and wanted to share with you.
I'm crazy about the way this lampshade has a light gold stencil over the hide. 
Isn't it gorgeous?
Up close and personal.

Isn't this rug a great find?
This pattern is so fun and classy!
Gorgeous canvas.  It's the same canvas but doesn't it look great together as a grouping?
All three of these items would look great together in a room!
Just thought you might enjoy some of my "treasure" shopping today!
Ruthie

Texas Capital in bloom

I recently took the day off work and went to Austin as a chaperone with my 7th grader to see the Capital of Texas. 

It was a colorful day in AUSTIN!

The sky was a beautiful blue and the weather was absolutely perfect!
We admired beautiful architecture inside the Capital building and outside.
These were the beautiful spring flowers that were on the capital grounds! 
Such vibrant colors!  Aren't they stunning?  What a beautiful combination, the white really makes all of them work together!
We visited the Texas State Cemetery and that was very inspirational.
I loved this picture with all the students walking amongst the Texas flags.
It's spring time and the grass and trees are so GREEN! 

Does anyone know why there are no flowers on military graves?  I was going to ask but didn't get the chance.

This is a sculpture that O’Connell, Robertson and Associates of Austin created of the Twin Towers. 
I found this fascinating.  These are actually metal beams from ground zero.

Simple and rustic but this sculpture spoke loudly.

All the students were really quiet as we honored these Texans. 
You totally get the sadness because we all experienced that day.

I would have love to have been sitting next to Joanna as she sewed this flag.  Imagine the conversation that went on?  I wonder what inspired her to do this? 
Joanna (or Johanna) Troutman, designer of an early Texas Lone Star flag, was born on February 19, 1818, in Crawford County. This is her portrait that hangs in the Capital building.  The flag was made of white silk, bearing a blue, five-pointed star and two inscriptions: "Liberty or Death" on the obverse and, in Latin, "Where Liberty dwells there is my country" on the reverse. 
Fun was had by all the students in the Bob Bullock Museum.
Taking a day off to be with my daughter was a great reminder of how the simple things in life are the best.  We had a great day enjoying the crisp spring day and it made me feel fortunate and blessed to be a part of this beautiful state!  If you haven't been to Austin, it's a great weekend trip and well worth it. 
ONE LAST PICTURE...and QUESTION FOR YOU...

I may have taken the day off but my designer eye was still at work.  We passed this construction site while on the bus going to the cemetery.  What in the world are they building?  My guess was an art studio?  Any guesses?
Oh, and....
HAPPY EARTH DAY TO YOU ALL TODAY!

Ruthie

Using what the client has - BEFORE and AFTER

I had a fabulous day today with a client who is about to have their first baby and wanted their home to be all ready for this new little package!
The best part about this client is that they have moved 4 times and each time I've come in and made their home beautiful with the things they already own.
Today I moved furniture pieces from room to room, hung pictures & mirrors, placed accessories, stole throw pillows from other spaces in the house, hung draperies (from previous house) and shopped throughout the house to find things I needed.  
See what you think! 
BEFORE

AFTER
Much more conversational.  Moved the two chairs in from their office. 
(we had to use plants next to the armoire to cover up some ugly speakers)
BEFORE
Plain and boring, needs some definite interest.

AFTER
Now it has personality.  I moved the chair in from their guest room. 
BEFORE
These pillows were too "copy cat" so we neutralized them with new pillows from the guest room.  The pillows coordinate nicely with the draperies we hung.
AFTER
(sorry for the blur)
BEFORE
This looked okay, but we needed the big picture in the office.  The client had these wonderful wrought iron gates so we placed them on the mantel to create an unexpected look to this room.  I love adding casual elements to a room that tends to feel formal.  These gates immediately made this living room feel more relaxed and approachable. 
AFTER
My suggestion to the client is to paint the mantel black so it makes more of a statement.
BEFORE
There is wallpaper on this kitchen wall but right now they can't remodel the space.  So instead, we hung these draperies in the kitchen to take away from the small floral print.  I worked!

AFTER
The draperies are now the focal point and the artwork takes away from the floral wallpaper.  Amazing how you can do small things with accessories that totally transform the space.  The client is going to update the chandelier too.
BEFORE
AFTER
Layering photo's always makes a nice look.  Who says you have to hang them on the wall.
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE

These candles are plain so I added some candles that are still "natural" but add some color.  It's time to say goodbye to the dried rose potpourri.
AFTER
Added moss to the candles and also added this writing pad underneath this grouping to make it more interesting.  Layering always makes things look better.  The color of the candles with the wood is now fantastic. 
Immediately this vignette is delighted to be alive!

BOOKSHELVES AFTER
No clutter, just simple, full of texture and color to coordinate with the rest of the room.

Loved this old typewriter (used as decoration) next to a big armchair in their office.
It was a busy but fun day!
The house is ready for baby now, full of color and light!

Here's the comments that my client sent me:
"Hi Ruth - I wish you could have seen my husband's reaction when he got home. I can't tell you how many times he got up to look throughout the house, amazed again at what you were able to do considering what you had to work with! "
Call DecRenew Interiors if you would like to have a "One Day Room Rearrange" it is the best money you will ever spend. 
Ruthie