Country French Magazine - We're in it!!

Imagine my excitement when I received a call last July 2017  from Bonnie Broten- a veteran stylist and producer for Meredith publishing!  She wanted to submit our new home for publication to the magazine.  She asked me to take several shots of specific rooms and send them to her. It took about 4 months to hear back from the editors, but we were chosen for Country French and it's just hitting the newsstands!

Bonnie and crew arrived last February to style and photograph our home. It was a wonderful learning experience and a fun and hectic  time. 

Here is a look at the pictures of the gathering room  that I submitted to Bonnie, so you can see the before pictures.

Here is the shot that went into the magazine!

Bonnie lightened up the bottom shelf and exchanged the glass samovar with the French wine bottle.

She explained that dark objects on the bottom shelf don't show up and she was right!

I have kept it this way and enjoyed changing the flowers or greenery in the bottle.

For this shot, Bonnie lightened up the coffee table and the mantle. She also removed the urn and candlestick from the hearth area.  It too has stayed the same with the exception of a pair of iron stools that  I placed on the hearth for additional seating.  

                                           Below are the before pictures of the kitchen.

 Note the lamps on the island and the black tole tray over the range.

Following is the shot that was published.

Bonnie felt that the white alabaster lamps were distracting, so we removed them.  She also felt the black tray was too dark and we needed a lighter picture.  Since the shoot, I have replaced the lamps with a carved wooded lamp, and kept the old oil painting behind the range!

Current island with different lamps!

                                                         

 The dining hall before the shoot!

The magazine shot!

One of my favorite pictures in the magazine.  

I love the way Bonnie tossed the ranunculus  petals on the table surface!

Another shot from the dining room hutch.  This is the final picture in the magazine. 

 Bonnie added the flowers and grapes for the photo.  I loved it!

My submission picture for the prep kitchen (larder).

The magazine picture- brighter and more interesting with the cart pulled into the center of the room instead of against the window.

The master bedroom before shoot!

Bonnie removed the black cherub statues and replaced them with a simple bouquet of queen annes lace. The fur throw on the bed was replaced with a cashmere throw. She added the pink pillows for a pop of color.  

Magazine shot-

Master bath in the magazine article

Here are some rooms  that did not make the magazine.

The sunroom didn't make the cut!

Neither did the powder room

or the elevator

or the entry

or this great vignette styled by Bonnie.

or one of my favorite things in the house- the front door!

Bonnie Broten editing my stuff- a hard task!

Bree Williams the photographer and her wonderful assistant - Charlene

Bree lighting the candles for the table shot!

As it was February in the mountains of North Carolina, landscaping was a challenge. 

Our wonderful team from Dream Escapes dug holes in frozen ground and put in hellebores and heather.  Camelia bushes were planted too!

This was a wonderful experience.  I am thankful to have had the privilege of working with these very talented ladies for several very cold days in February.  It was a memory that I will cherish forever and I am very pleased to see the results in print!

Here's to Country French in the mountains of North Carolina!

Celebrating Nature

I am just returning from the Appalachian Antique Show in Boone, North Carolina.  H and S Antiques had a wonderful booth filled to the gills with special finds.  They set a table that stopped me in my tracks and I spent several minutes admiring it.

These are a few pictures of the display by H and S Antiques located in Charlotte, NC.

Using a mixture of majolica, depression glass and pressed glass, he created a visual feast for the eyes.

Adding another natural element, a pair of antler candlesticks added darker tones.

 It was these two majolica fish pitchers that grabbed my attention.  Dark shades of green and pink interiors were beautifully painted on the exteriors.

 A special touch was the small sherbet glasses filled with small fresh bouquets.

Inspired by the display from the show, I decided to set a table with a similar aesthetic. Of course, I had purchased the two fish pitchers at the show and couldn't wait to use them.

We love to enjoy dinner on the screen porch overlooking the river.

I pulled out turquoise and yellow asparagus plates and used yellow service plates underneath.

Mother of Pearl flatware seemed to pull out the white accents of the plate 

and added another natural element.

Yellow and turquoise depression glasses were filled with David Austin rose blooms.

The fish pitchers were a wonderful addition to my majolica collection

 as my husband is an avid fisherman.

 David Austin roses and mint were arranged in a blackberry inspired pitcher.

 Purple antique napkins from France and an artichoke inspired table cloth were used on the table.

A majolica compote holds sweet cherry plums.

 Pink depression glass wine glasses emphasize the pink accents in the mix.

Light the candles and dinner is served!

Apalachicola Old Historic Home Shines

I am just returning from Apalachicola, Florida where I was visiting my  friend, Mariterese.  She has recently furnished a grand old lady built in the late 1800's.  While the house has been meticulously maintained through out the years,  Mariterese has put  the pizazz back in the old home.

 You enter the home into this breathtaking entry hall with its grand arched staircase. 

Barnacle encrusted urns sit on the stair landing with a turquoise and cream settee.  A pair of red velvet settees sit in the grand entrance to welcome visitors.  

 Peering from the parlor into the entry hall through the beautiful portieres. 

 A shell encrusted bust sits on the gilded and marble library table in the foyer.

 The rustic blue sideboard is a great contrast to the pristine original wood walls in the dining room.

 Italian leather and gilded chairs provide a luxurious contrast to the rustic farm table.

 Every evening during our visit, dinner was served with dramatic flair.  

Even a peanut butter  sandwich tastes better this way!

 A cozy breakfast nook in the kitchen with colorful paintings and majolica on the walls.

 I found it hard to photograph this beautiful bedroom.  But I wanted to share this gorgeous bed with a headboard fabricated of an antique tapestry upholstered to a tall simple frame.  Dark gray draperies hang from the tall ceilings to the floor to create this dramatic room.  It is filled with antique religious oil paintings, sculptures, and votivos.   

Another guest bedroom is French inspired with a raised platform bed.  Antique mirror chests are used as night stands.  The rooms are  large and the ceilings are high, so light floods the room.

 Specimen sea shells fill an antique gilded vitrine.

Driving over the bridge away from Apalachicola, I became a little sad.  This is one town where time stood still and the old ways still rule.   The sheer beauty of the landscape makes me hope that it stays that way.