My mom is a 5 foot nothing powerhouse! If I have any natural design talent it comes from her and I always tell folks ~ you will like me best, until you meet my mother. It is no surprise that when she moved here 18 months ago, I was thrilled. Like anyone scaling down and moving into new digs, mom wanted help in choosing what to keep, what to let go and how to put it all together in a new, open floor plan. We began the process and I quickly realized that my mother has a very "green" approach to design. She loves natural fabrics and textiles, is a big believer in re-using, recycling and re-purposing, and wants her home to be as energy efficient as possible. And so we began. The only room that I had total control over was the dining room. Interestingly enough, it made the cover of Drapery and Design Magazine.
In the foyer, an old chair got re-born when we refinished the wood from dated pickled pine to a distressed chestnut, and, added new Robert Allen fabric. An estate sale table purchased for $25, and given a new finish, sports some high end lamps and a piece of porcelain collected on a trip to Japan. A wool rug and a recycled mirror finish the welcoming entrance.
My mom loves her 25 year old petite love seats. The bones were good, so we covered them in Sunbrella fabric. Light control was an issue so they installed top down, bottom up shades on the windows, which we softened with sheers to keep the room light and airy.
I had nothing to do with the next piece, but it is one of my favorite things in her home. My dad's mother, my grandmother, had an old pie safe that she passed down to my mom. The thing was in terrible condition but my energizer bunny of a mom got right after it! She re-painted it, added some fabric, and it now displays treasures from the past in her guest room. Talk about re-purposing!
A close up shows the wonderful patina of age and an antique ironstone jug, family photo and my grandmother's iron that you held in the fire to use.
Working with my mom was a hoot. We laughed and went down memory lane about a thousand times, but, the thing that made me proud was that, at 80 years young, my amazing mother knows how important it is to use our resources wisely and to stay as green as you can. What would happen to our planet if each of us did just that?
5 comments:
It's rare that a daughter can work with her mom. My mom and I are complete opposites. She has gray, navy and burgundy in her Florida home! See how that wouldn't work?
Appreciate your discussing. Very simple to use and straightforward to understand. Well done!
Excellent data. We have undoubtedly realized something totally new today! Thanks.
Lovely, Jane Ann. Her home is beautiful, you did a wonderful job repurposing everything. It is so nice to hear about your Mother's approach and the good time you had together working on her home. A nice memory for both of you.
Congrats on having your room on the cover, it's beautiful ! I look forward to my magazine every time.
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