We took the opportunity when we were at Lucketts to film a Design Ramblings “on location”. It was a little distracting, but it was really fun.  We had people waving and making comments from behind the camera and the band started playing…  I think we got some good information in there, though! I think the biggest thing Kriste and I tried to communicate amid the distracting environment, was to buy only what you really, really love.  You never know what you’re going to find at antique markets, so you have to make spur of the moment decisions when you see something that speaks to you.  That can often result in feeling pressured to buy, because “you might never find something like it again.”  I’ve bought and sold enough antiques to know there are some pieces like that, but it’s rare that a piece is so unique you’ll never find something

When I was first married, I meandered into an antique store that was tucked behind a grocery store in the town where we lived.  I had never been in an antique store as an adult, buying things for my home.  I realized within minutes that I had found my kind of place.  The very first thing I bought was an antique piece of linen and my love for old textiles has never waned. I now use vintage and antique quilts, pillow cases, grain sacks, tea towels, tablecloths, napkins, coverlets, bedspreads and even petticoats all over my house. In this episode of Design Ramblings, we chat about buying, using, and decorating with vintage linens… I love my work, but we’ve been pushing really hard to get things done for Lucketts and I am so ready for the weekend.  I need some good sleep and a couple of days where I don’t feel like

I turned the camera on and pressed record before Kriste and I even knew what we were going to talk about.  Kriste suggested something spring-related.  Something about flowers…  I chimed in, “Let’s talk about succulents.” So, that’s what we rambled about this week… (In case you haven’t been watching to the end of the videos, I’ve been putting the “bloopers” at the end instead of in a separate video.  Just an FYI for those who like that sort of thing.) Anyway, I know in the video, I was scratching my head a bit at succulents in wedding bouquets, but then I did a search on Pinterest for some and saw beautiful examples and I can see why it’s a trend.  Here’s one I thought was especially striking… photo source: Brandon Kidd Photography I think I like them when they are paired with flowers that are more delicate and feminine.  I also

In this episode of Design Ramblings, Kriste and I decided to answer a viewer’s question about her space.  Specifically, she’s stumped with what to hang on the wall behind her canopy bed. (At the end of the video, in the bloopers, I’m doing an impression of my friend Shaunna from Perfectly Imperfect.  Just an FYI.) As I was editing the video and looking for some examples of decorating around canopy beds, I found this picture of Emily A Clark’s bedroom.  The arrangement of the bed and the windows is almost identical to Jessica’s, so I thought it would make a nice “inspiration photo.” I was thinking that having curtain panels on both sides of the windows would be too much, but I really like the softness they add in Emily’s room.  It works with the curtain rods hanging much higher than the bed, which could also be done in Jessica’s

In this episode of Design Ramblings, Kriste and I talked about transitioning decorating styles.  More specifically, we were answering a reader’s e-mail, asking how to transition from primitive to farm house style.  I felt immediately drawn to that e-mail, because I really love primitive pieces and am buying them more often and putting my spin on them. I think they are very well suited to farm house style, so I thought this was an easy transition that could be made by simple changes like thinning out accessories and changing a wall color. So, that’s what Kriste and I rambled about today… I hope you have a wonderful Easter weekend with your families!  I’m going to hit the roller rink with the boys, do some antiquing with my mom, followed by a dinner at a nice restaurant with my family.  A day like that will be a nice break from upholstering and painting!

I just finished putting up the wallpaper in our upstairs bath, which is teeny-tiny, so decorating small spaces has been on my mind.  When I selected the mural from Anthropologie, I know I was breaking a “decorating rule”.  The one that says, “you shouldn’t use busy patterns in a small space.”  The funny thing about decorating rules is that amazing, well-known designers ignore, bend and break the rules all the time.  Who makes these rules, anyway?!  So, I just went with my gut on it and it looks really great.  I have been too swamped to get pictures, but I plan to snap a few early next week. Since it was on my mind, small spaces are what we rambled about this week.  We had a special guest with us, too…  Laura from The Ironstone Nest came into town for a photography workshop we’re hosting at the studio tomorrow, so we