A blog that features my easy-to-moderate, inexpensive, do it yourself home improvement projects in an effort to transform my 1,000 sq ft bungalow built in the 1970's into something with lots of cottage chic/shabby chic/victorian chic/traditional chic style.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Valentine's Day Heralds the Arrival of Spring Decor

I loved my pretty white Christmas tree in the window so much, I decided to leave it up as a Valentine's tree. Love. It brightens up a corner that stays fairly dark through the winter months. Come true spring, this corner will be lighted the natural way.
I have yet to get out the rest of my Valentine's decor (just two puny boxes-compared to 20 totes for Christmas--clearly I need to beef up) but since I already decorate with lots of pink, it's not a decor triage type of situation.
It was last February, (or maybe the one before?) that I put the finishing touch on my dining bench. A piece of gold trim I had purchased 15 years ago in a little antique store in Southern California was the perfect note--once painted to match.
The arms are corbels snagged at an architectural store in Santa Cruz California. The bench itself is just a plain piece that once lived in a snazzy restaurant in Carmel.
The cushions that came with it were just the right size to squeeze into a bed size pillow sham in one of my all time favorite patterns--Old Country Roses by Laura Ashley. The twin quilt (flung from my daughter's bed when she was still a wee tot--she's a black, white and red kind of gal) covers is wrapped around the cushion on the seat and hangs down to the floor.
The look you want is within reach if you are willing to do it yourself.