Homespun Style. I love it!

We are all crammed into the dining room as I write this . The table is piled high with books, computers, dishes, and sewing stuff, My daughters are making up a song called "The Greatest Mustache In The World, " while my son makes up a tune on his guitar.

I haven't done any sewing or any cleaning today.

This morning I decided I was going to paint our TV room, or den, so I got everything out and my son and I spent all day painting. Have you ever tried to paint a room with four kids hanging around? Total chaos.... my three year old got ahold of one of the paintbrushes and decide to "help". So of course I also started a major cleanout of the same room......you now how that goes....chaos.

It all started with a book I got in the mail called "Homespun Style", by Selina Lake. Before I got this book I was quite happy with the sort of French Country Cottage style my house is decorated in. But after reading it I realized what I really need is color! It was like a hammer that hit me over the head! I haven't been this excited about a decorating book since I got "Shabby Chic" over a decade ago! Remember Shabby Chic? Yes, I was one of those victims who painted all of my furniture white and scratched it up to look old.
Then there was my French Country phase. In 1998 we bought a small and ancient apartment in a tiny village in France and spent 5 years fixing it up slowly. I learned a huge amount about French antiques and old recipes for restoring terrre cuite tiles, plaster, and the wonders of linseed oil. When we sold the place in 2002 I shipped all of my antiques home and tried to make them work with my Shabby Chic stuff I already had. I think it worked and so my style morphed into what I call  French Country Cottage. I was really into those striped feedsacks, soft yellowy butter florals, and toile fabrics.

About two years ago I discovered British designer Cath Kidston and all of her amazing, colorfol fabrics, and prints. And Liberty of London. COLOR! I realized I LOVE COLOR!

And this new book epitomizes all of that.

From Homespun Style:

 I have to try to make work with what I have, because there's no way I'm going to buy any new furniture. But that's what's so cool about Homespun Style. It's about mixing and matching old stuff from the thrift shop with lots of different fabrics, vintage and new. I think I can do that!
Here are some photos of my house. I'm pretty happy with my decor and have done all of the painted pieces myself. But I'm hoping to inject some color into my scheme. These photos also remind me that my house is sometimes clean!

Our farmhouse.

The TV room on a good day. That slipcovere is so stained now. Take my advice: Don't make white slipcovers when you have kids!

The dining room table I painted.

Here is my sewing table which is in a corner of my dining room. I painted it to match the dining table.

 Some things I brought back from my French place. Those chairs are from an old Parisian bistro.

A chair I slipcovered which is all stained now.

My bedroom.

Kitchen cupboard.

As you can see everything is white! Stay tuned for posts which show my transformation to some color.

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