Wednesday, September 28

:: New Home & New Products ::


I've been MIA from the blog world for the past week moving and getting settled in our new home (which I am in love with, btw!) Moving is always so much harder than you remember it being the time before...probably because with each move there is more STUFF! It's been good to clean out and organize, but it just takes a while. The main living area is pretty much settled, but the bedrooms and playroom are still very much a work in progress.

Here are some pictures of the kitchen. The cabinets were dark wood before we painted them and I wanted to lighten them up, so I used Benjamin Moore Fieldstone paint on the bottom cabinets and island and then chose a lighter, blue tinted white for the top called Benjamin Moore Moonshine. I was worried that the cooler cabinet color choice wouldn't mix well with the warm granite countertops so I chose chunky antique brass hardware to pull the warmth of the countertops onto the cabinets.

Cannon hung the art deco pendants we picked up on a trip to Mobile above the kitchen sink and they pull the whole thing together. My kitchen just makes me happy when I walk in the door.
And here are my new bar stools. The only furniture we had to purchase for this house were new barstools and a new couch (it's on order). I really need a tall skinny china cabinet for the dining room, so if anyone runs across anything I need to know about, please let me know! Anyway, the barstools came from the Alabama Furniture Market in Calera and are the "Julia" barstool by Four Hands. I am so smitten with them. I love the lines, the tufted backs, the oatmeal fabric and the antique brass hardware. CC used several cans of scotch guard on them so maybe they'll stay this pretty for a while anyway! :)
I hung natural colored grasscloth wallpaper in the sunroom/office where I am sitting and typing this post. I love looking out the huge windows at the birds eating at the feeder I hung just out the windows. This house feels like a tree house nestled in the woods and I couldn't feel more at home. I love this room because of all the natural light and it's proximity to the rest of the main floor and porch. I saw the idea to hang pictures from you window trim in a magazine a while ago and decided my office was the perfect place to try it and I love how it turned out.

Cannon and Grandaddy "E" just had to laugh and roll their eyes at me when I told them I bought a light fixture with European wiring. Thankfully E knows a thing or two about electricity and was able to come light it on Monday. It's one of the first things you see when you walk in our front door and so worth all the extra work (at least I think so anyway!)

The half bath was red before we hung the grasscloth wallpaper and my favorite framed coral. When I was working for Southern Beauty Magazine they sent Cannon and I on a yoga retreat in St John, USVI. While we were there we met the nicest older lady named Ann who said we reminded her of her and her husband at our age. I told her I was on the look out for some coral on the beach that trip and to my surprise, when we got back to Birmingham there was a package waiting on us from her containing gorgeous coral fans that she and her husband found on a trip to Turks and Caicos years earlier. I had two of them framed in shadow boxes and they will always be a special reminder of Ann and that great adventure. The frames are dark brown so I had the mirror, trim and doors in the 1/2 bath painted to match them and the ceiling painted the same BM Wythe Blue of our porch ceilings.


Now that I've shown you some pretty pictures of the parts of my house that are unpacked, in the interest of keeping it real I thought it only fair to show you what the rest of the rooms in my house look like right now....
Yep, they're piled high with boxes and packing paper and stacked with artwork and pictures I'm trying to decide what to do with...just taking it one step at a time! A neighbor reminded me yesterday that we all rush to get it settled and then are disappointed when all the decorating is done, so I am enjoying the process and taking my time. The laundry/mud room is almost done and I'm excited about the fun ideas I have to share with you, so I'll post pictures of that soon.

Ceiling Tin Square $65 each with shipping or $50 in Birmingham

I feel like I've neglected Olivia Charles Antiques during this move, but I'm gearing back up to get the website live and FB and etsy shop updated with our new items for fall, some of which I've pictured above.

We're now offering antique tin ceiling tiles that have been fastened to 22" square wooden frames. I'm planning to hang a few on the exterior wall of my house under my screened porch but they also look great above a mantle or on a feature wall. We have different colors and metal finishes. I love the idea of grouping 4 of the same ceiling tile in 4 different finishes together. These are currently for sale in our etsy shop - shopoliviacharles.
Porch Bed Swing $895 with shipping or $650 with pick-up in Birmingham

And my most favorite new item for fall?? This fantastic porch bed swing that fits a standard crib mattress! The red one pictured here is on our front porch and it's fast becoming our family's favorite spot. Parrish read books there yesterday listening to the rain and at the end of the day I love to sit and swing and have a glass of wine to wind down. We'll have a peacock blue swing for sale at the Preserve and Mt Laurel fall festivals the next two weekends, but we can also have any color custom made for you and then shipped, so just shoot me an email if you're interested!

Also, please remember to pray for the families that have the prayer pagers and then dial 1-800-684-0998.


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