A few of my favorite things

The silver star mirror in the first picture was on back order and the silver bureau was supposed to come.  So of course the mirror came and the bureau is on back order.  Furnishing from the Internet can be an adventure

The second is my first picture with my parents. I was adopted so I was four months old.    The mantel is made out of both bamboos as are the “decorative shelves”These are examples of Oaxacan pottery.  I have had them since I turned sixteen and lived in Oaxaca for the summeer.   The woman on the right is an example of Oaxacan “Black” pottery.   The process was “invented” by Dona Rosa Each summer her husband would come, impregnate her, and take much of the pottery to Mexico City to sell.  His other family lived in Mexico City.  In the 60′s Dona Rosa had no idea that her work was in folk museums throughout the world and she was famous to devotees of pottery.  The person who did the center woman also did my collection of tiny animals that comprise a Mariachi band. I will take them out when I find a place for them.Scotland has perfect sand for making glass.  The three large paper weights have “worlds” in them.  Behind them is a plaster silver leafed angel my best friend made for me

Oaxacan black pottery.  They have bells them in them.  My mother “borrowed” them to use as placecards for dinner parties. I love silver trays and they’re on a serving table that goes with my dining room table.

I have read that you should never buy dining room tables or couches over the Internet.  I did both.  The couch is the most comfortable I have ever owned and the dining room table has wood that almost exactly matches the downstairs bamboo floor.  The chairs are incredibly comfortably.  I love having furniture and hate shopping for them.  “Things” I would only buy in person, usually.

Almost all my art (not up yet) has a personal connection in that I or my father knew  (or in my case still knows) the artist.  I want some of my sister’s fantasy illustrations and my mother’s paintings copied from great Impressionists.These are from the great Upper West Side glass and pottery shop Aventura.  I go through hoops not to pass the store as I could buy everything in it.

I feel so strange putting my house and its furnishings on the Internet.  For many reasons I photographed everything in it and have more pictures to put in

Single Woman Renovates Beach Cottage

The before pictures

In some ways renovating this house has been the most difficult thing I have ever done.  I’m renovating at a time when I want to save. When I bought my coop I knew that it cost less than comparable rent. Buying the house was different.

Frankly I could have gotten a luxe townhouse for less per month.

But I own the house–not me and the coop board or me and the bank.  Please don’t think that’s bragging.  I live in fear of a decade from now….For the first time in my life I have to seriously budget and it’s not easy.

I bought it when American everything seemed to be melting down. Owning a house felt, and feels,  stable.  Most of the foreclosures in North Myrtle are in the oceanfront hotel/condo’s.  There are foreclosures in surrounding towns, and other parts of North Myrtle.  I know I could have waited and probably gotten it for even less but…..

I made a great profit on my coop.  In that spirit I wanted the former owners of my house to make a good profit also.

I’m learning a new culture and while most people, especially the Eldons’s are great; some do try to take advantage…I think it’s because I’m a single woman.

The woman who used to own the house was just over.  Showed me some things.  Loved, loved, loved the house!

The original owner was a much divorced woman who had little money but her last husband left her some land.  She built six patio houses.  Mine (hers then) was the last built so it’s younger than I had thought.  Love knowing the history.

The house now

The front porch

My parents had a red door and it is the traditional symbol of welcome–it was that or a giant pineapple on the door

Oh the sunroom!  Right now it’s the catch all room.  Soon it will be all white.  In winter it will be home to all my plants that can’t make it outside and my friend’s plants.  They, but not the plants, live in Atlanta during the rest of the year

Remember the toilet in the side yard?  Here’s the side yard now

The hammock seat is going on the deck past the barbecue,  The table and chairs are Kroger’s finest

Two views of the guest room

The room that leads to the second floor deck.  Cleverly called the deck room or office–not so clever.  The couch is fuchsia and my Upper West Side couch–couldn’t get rid of it

The desk.  This picture was taken while there was construction

A view of the deck and from the deck

I hope the flowers grow!  Have vegetables in the side yard

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I’m not sure if I should have gotten a black faucet and a red sink.  The sink is cast iron and looks like patent leather.

Love the slightly retro look to the fridge etc.  Love the cabinet space.  I never owned a Lazy Susan; now I have four.The floor is Miso Bamboo on a  diagonal.  Hope Ty Pennington is proud!

The back kitchen walls are lipstick red

The bed was a floor model at Jensen Lewis a kind of iconic New York modern home store.  I had to have it as it matched my radiator cover and the door to the building storage room.  The bed is unfashionably high but I love it and wasn’t ready to get a new one.

I have had this table forever.  My mother and I bought it together.  She encouraged my love of metal in furniture which was actually daring then.

There’s no window in the first floor bedroom.  It leads into the sunroom.  I tiled the room but have done nothing else.  It will have all white country type furniture.   I had to get used to this bed table.  It’s silver but because the floor (miso) is so intense it picks up the color

The walls are ice blue but look gray in photographs and when the weather is gray or in certain other light

A mirror that was supposed to be back ordered but it turned out to be the bureau (silver) that hasn’t come.  The glass leads into the sunroom

The bottom of the staircase

The stairs are a clever combo of Miso and Bordeaux (the upstairs floor color)

Half of the first floor

The cord to the shades is of of course the high point.  All new cabinets, floor, back splash and appliances.  The appliances are kind of retro–the handles, and are metal and black

If you look at the before pictures, it looked like mud and the fireplace mantel was gross.  Don’t like pink?  Hey I invented it; I’m Courting Destiny

Sink partial unveiling–wow there’s a tool bar in WP–when I clicked over it, it said “show hide kitchen sink” nowhere did I write “kitchen” in this post. Wow.

I love metalMy first burglar alarmTwo shower headsThe upstairs bathroom.  Someday it might have a whirlpool  For now it looks normal and clean.  No weird wallpaper.  No gross carpet etc.a sconce and preping for the second coat