Kathleen's Cakes

Sharing my experience of attending the French Pastry School while managing CakeVase, my life, family and friends.
Showing posts with label decorating. Show all posts
Showing posts with label decorating. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Finally, a dining room table to seat everyone at the same time.

Believe it or not, we have crowded 12 people around this tiny table. I purchased this table from HomeGoods in 2001 for $100. It served us well and when I put it out on the curb it was scooped up, in the rain no less, within a couple of hours.
After scouring farmhouse tables on ebay for four years, I found nothing under $2000. I also found out that ten foot tables are rare and costly to ship. I finally found an affordable table, under $1000, at Restoration Hardware. It was on sale and I had to wait two months to receive it, but at ten feet long, it's perfect.
I wanted a table that was one piece without leaves. This table is reinforced underneath with metal rods. It has a rustic and refined feel.
I grew up using these antique chairs and like the mixture of solid and airy space.
I purchased the Parson Chairs, with slipcovers, at IKEA. Each chair was only $79, which is significantly cheaper than any other chair I found online. They can run $200 to $600 for a basic chair. We had problems with the hardware on one chair but IKEA sent us replacement parts immediately and free of charge.
So far, eight people have sat comfortably together for dinner and brunch, but I bet we can squeeze fourteen, albeit small children, around our new dining room table.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

What a difference one day and some paint, makes.

The living room the day before painting. It's bright, but the yellow does not pull it together.
7 a.m.
This is the living room with the furniture moved toward the center of the room. The ceiling did not need to be painted so only the perimeter was cleared.
The paint samples were painted on the far window (to the left) and around the fireplace mantel (to the right). The mantel is soapstone and has a light pink tint.
4 p.m.
It's a new room. Warm, cozy and looks like suede.