Set the Table

Now that we have enough seating it's time to set the table.
We have these clean white dishes designed by Susan Pryke from IKEA:



We are currently using this mirror finish flat wear:



We also have a variety of mismatched glass tumblers, glass water goblets, acrylic goblets, & acrylic juice glasses.
So I'm considering these lovely Bodega glasses from Bormioli Rocco:



They are crafted from tempered glass and are 2.5 times more resistant than normal glassware. They are even microwavable! I'm anxious to see how long these will hold up in our household.

I can not resist a bargain so I have to throw these in as well:



I found these Stonehenge glasses from Libbey Glass, Inc. at only $29.95 for a set of 30 glasses. Although they are not tempered, they are classic enough for everyday use & pretty enough for a Sunday morning waffle brunch.

Which leads me to the largest waffle iron I've ever seen & now want:



So it's not necessarily the biggest size-wise, but it makes 6 at one time! I like the fact that the lid locks in place and the entire unit can be placed on its side for easy storage. This Cuisinart waffle iron makes me forget that I was even considering this beauty once upon a time.

Pretty Over Practical

After months of searching for tile for our defunct powder room I've finally made my choice! After receiving estimates from a few general contractors to finish the whole room I've decided to start with a tile guy and go from there instead. For a while there I thought I was going to go with beveled subway tile & trim from the Soho line from Walker Zanger with a black & white basket weave ceramic for the floor.


image from Walker Zanger

After visiting yet another tile showroom this evening I think I've found a perfect combination:


white crackle 3x6 tile for walls


white Carrara 1x3 Herringbone for floor

White crackle finish instead of smooth beveled tile & white marble (marble!) instead of ceramic black & white mosaic?
There I go again choosing pretty over practical. :)

Table for ten, please!

Our dining room table was purchased with the best intentions. We selected the large Pottery Barn Francisco table in black about four years ago. It seats eight comfortably as a square table, but ten when both leaves are added. Perfect for our large family and when coupled with the kitchen table: Thanksgiving at our place! In the past four years that table has played the role of dust collector extraordinaire, default desk top, and hot wheels race track. We've never eaten one meal at that "dining" table. Why? Because we were never able to choose the right chairs!

Sometimes everything falls into place. Shortly after moving into our home we attended a local fair that showcased a few household items original to the inn. The first picture is an oak t-back chair with cane seat that they used in the inn's dining room.



About a year ago I found a set of 4 oak t-back chairs with upholstered seats on Craigslist at a great price. Each of them had different lines & legs, but still upholstered the same. A few weeks ago when I picked up the bamboo style coffee-table, I also picked up a set of 6 more oak t-back chairs at an even better price. These had leather seats with nail head trim. One of these chairs is shown in the second picture.

Yesterday the man & his wife who refinished & upholstered all ten chairs delivered them to our home. We could not be more pleased. They are perfect with the table, like they belonged here all along. Thanksgiving at our place this year, anyone?

Just Look at Those Legs!

Apparently Brocade Home is in the middle of moving warehouse & my order took a little bit longer to process. The console table finally arrived & is a perfect mix of modern & classic.

The front hallway is not very bright & needed something with legs to open up the space. The old chest was too dark, heavy, & not long enough. The space still needs some tweaking, but I think we're headed in the right direction.

New Coffee Table

Yesterday I traveled across the river to a consignment store in search of some old oak t-back chairs. They were there just as I had hoped and not only did I scoop up the chairs, I also found this vintage Lane coffee table. It was in the back room stacked in the corner marked down to $25. The bamboo-style frame was a little dusty & faded, but the glass was nearly flawless. Although it looks pretty good in the photo, as soon as I saw it I pictured this table painted in a glossy white finish. It's taking more than a few cans of spray paint than I anticipated, but it is well on its way.

One Hand on the Doorknob

Imagine if you will, sitting in a small dark space with your sense of sound impaired, literally on the edge of your seat for fear that someone could come storming in at any given moment while your pants are down.



When we first moved in our issues with the powder room were many: It's quite small, but has an almost 10 foot ceiling. One electrical switch worked both the ceiling light and the fan that sounded like a small engine. The ceiling had been painted black to match the Asian-themed wall paper. The wood floor had been painted ivory with a sagey-green pattern. The ivory color on the floor just looked dingy. All of the wood trim including the door and the water closet above the toilet had been painted a deep Chinese red. The lock on the door was nonexistent.

The powder room is one of the many bathrooms that need renovation. To date we have stripped off the wallpaper, removed the faucet, brass fixtures, toilet/water closet & torn out the painted red moulding & trim. The red wooden door has also been painted white. The motor for the ceiling fan has been replaced with a much quieter one. The ceiling has been primed. We had our electrician place a junction box for a light fixture to be placed on the wall above the sink.

Brocade Home Sale

(image from Brocade Home)

Last week I placed an order for a table from Restoration Hardware's sister company Brocade Home. As of this morning they still hadn't processed it. A few moments ago I received an email featuring their promotion of an additional 50% sale items. So I called customer service & the table should be arriving in the next week or two $175 less than expected! I like this table because of its classic Parsons-like proportion paired with unexpected turned legs.
If any one is interested in the sale, here is the promo code: SUMMER