Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint Workshop and New European Colors

Miss Mustard Seed has unveiled the new European milk paint colors which will be available at VanEch Studio in January. Haven't tried milk paint? Join us Sunday January 11th 9-12 to learn the basics of this wonderful paint. Call 571-398-2180 for more information or register at www.etsy.com/shop/vanechstudio

It's Time to Plant Paper Whites

Every year around this time I begin my indoor container gardening of Paper Whites.  Not only do I use these blooms in my own home, but I use them in my design work throughout the winter months and always have a few extra containers on hand for beautiful hostess gifts.   Paper Whites, also known as Narcissus, were named after the Greek mythological figure Narcissus, who was a hunter renowed for his beauty.  And beautify is just what you get when these white star like floral blooms grace your tables and mantles.

While you can pick up generic boxes of Paper White bulbs in the store already planted in containers, doing it yourself, in your own selected container, is easy. The fragrant flowers bloom within about 3 weeks of planting, for almost instant gratification. You can buy the bulbs in bulk at your local garden center.  See the how-to guide below for creating your own beautiful arrangements:

How to Force Paper Whites Indoors:

•  Choose a container that complements your holiday and living space decor.   A container that is about 4" deep and has no drainage holes works best.  If you want your blooms to be in a deeper container, such as a big silver bowl,  fill the container with peat moss to roughly 4" below the container's surface and follow the directions below with 2" of stone on top.
•  Spread an inch or two of stones, marbles or gravel along the bottom of the container.
• Position the bulbs, pointed end up, on top of the stone layer.  Get in as many as you can as they look so much better in a large group and the tight fit will keep them upright.

• Add more stone to fill in the areas around the bulbs.
•  Add water so that the level reaches the base of the bulb.  Allowing the bottom of the bulb to sit in water will help stimulate growth.  Too much water however will rot the bulb.
• The bulbs don't need light at this point but do prefer to be kept on the cool side at around 65 degrees.
• Check the bulbs daily to see if they need water.
• When you see stems developing move the container to a well lit window.  The sunnier the better but don't let them get too warm as they will grow leggy.  Once the plant flowers, they will last longer if moved out of direct sunlight to a cool spot with indirect light.
  
  
  
  
  You can add some moss for more greenery
  
  

Vintage containers such as this deep planter make for an elegant arrangement

Keep flopped over stems upright with a decorative ribbon

Happy Holidays!

Vintage Creative Holiday Indulgences

Soon after Labor Day I begin hoarding holiday craft and decorating ideas much like a squirrel hoards acorns.  This ritual has its early roots in my childhood when my sister and I would gather around the dining room table, elbow deep in found objects, glitter and glue, our eyes big as saucers as we followed our mother's instruction on how to create the most magical handmade Christmas decorations, all created from simple objects found around the house.  Fast forward to today,  one will still find me up to my elbows in glue and glitter, surrounded by objects that have lost their utilitarian value,  indulging my vintage holiday creativity.

One of my favorite projects is re-purposing vintage tart tins into unique tree ornaments. Each little tin provides a blank canvas to embellish.  Follow these simple instructions for creating holiday ornaments from vintage re-purposed tart tins:

Materials

• Assorted sized pastry and tart tins.  I can usually pick them up for cents at yard sales and thrift stores.
• Embellishments.  I love using old rhinestone buttons for a bit of bling, broken jewelry pieces, ink stamps with holiday motifs and German glass glitter.  German glass glitter is made from finely ground glass and very sparkly, unlike regular glitters.  Fair warning, once you use it, no other glitter will ever measure up.
• A good bonding glue.  I prefer E6000 for bonding heavier items
• White glue such as Elmers for gluing glitter
• Ornament hangers

 Instructions

•  Hammer a hole thru the tin with a sharp small nail to create a hole to hook the ornament hanger
• Glue on your embellishments and glitter

Recycle, re-purpose,  reclaim or salvage, whichever buzz word you wish to call it, indulge your creativity by making old stuff new this holiday season

Counter Intuitive

When a client asked for my help in selecting a new tile for their kitchen back splash we had a few criteria to work with:  The existing Uba Tuba granite; her husband's desire to have a "subway" type layout; and her desire to go with something not so predictable.  We were delighted to land on a stone and metal linear mosaic from Mosaic Tile in Lorton, Va.  The "circle" element was just the right added feature to keep this strong graphic layout from going too static.  The final challenge was to convince her husband to agree to a vertical installation as opposed to the intuitive horizontal layout.  With the kitchen counter extending a stretch of 9 over feet, the vertical positioning of the tile leads the eye up placing more emphasis on this fabulous modern tile work.  Both were over the top pleased with the updated look.

Kitchen Cabinet Makeover

There just was something not harmonizing with my client's existing kitchen.  The parts and pieces on their own were great however in unison nothing seemed to go.   Mixing wood and styles of cabinets work well in large kitchens, but this kitchen was just too small to handle the mix of cabinetry finishes and color tones.  For inspiration, on the opposite wall from the kitchen in the family room is a beautiful wall to wall stone fireplace.  Working with the stone colors as well as the granite counter tops, we selected Benjamin Moore's Taos Taupe and united all the cabinets in this color.  Working again with the granite, we pulled out the deep red veining and went with Benjamin Moore's Arroyo Red for the bead board back splash.  The results:  A more cohesive look with a positive impact on the flow of the overall space.

BEFORE

AFTER

1970s Kitchen Renovation with Life Style Change

When the Cooks hired me to help them design the renovation of their Vienna home, I knew I was undertaking a project that would greatly enhance their life style.  The kitchen in the rear of the home had a limited view of the beautiful woodlands and outdoor living space.  Their goal was to open up the back wall with a large picture window to bring the outdoors in.  Additionally they wanted the materials in the new kitchen to reflect the natural elements of the outdoors.   The Cooks love their new kitchen and living space,  a floor plan with ease in entertaining from the indoors to the out. Take a look at the before and afters, a transformation that truly tells their story. 

BEFORE

 

The side door was completely removed and drywalled

  While this window let in a lot of light, it took up much needed wall space

AFTER

 

 

 

Credits

Photography:  George Brown, Rights Assist
Contractor:     Rob Van Den Assum

Vintage Olive Buckets at VanEch Studio

One of Thomas Jefferson's favorite food items. He referred to the olive as "the richest gift of heaven," and "the most interesting plant in existence." If you are looking for an accessory for the home that tells a story of Tuscany, a French Provence, or a Greek mountainside villa, get your hands on a vintage olive bucket. These galvanized metal buckets are full of function as well as decorative aesthetics. You can use them for storage, to display flowers, and also as a light fixture or accent lighting feature. We have vintage olive buckets for sale in our shop.

COLOROLOGY 101

 As a paint consultant for Certa-Pro Painters, I have helped many of their customers choose their wall colors and one of the challenges many face is determining where and if a paint color shift is appropriate. Continuity is important on the ground floor, but color can help "zone" a big open space, separating the kitchen area from the great room, for instance. There's no need to stick to a single color or even a single color palette that is either all warm (reds, oranges, yellows) or all cool (blues, greens, bright whites). How­ever, if  dustier, muted values of colors are selected,  there's a better chance the colors you choose will flow into one another throughout the space.  A good rule is to lean toward colors softened by a bit of gray.   Save those brighter saturated colors for accents and introduce them in small doses in the furnishings.

Vintage & Market Finds - Wooden Dough Bowls

Containers of all sorts fascinate and inspire me so when I recently came onto a lot of old wooden dough bowls in an assortment of sizes I scooped them up.   In the first half of the 20th century, Magyar bakers at farmhouses in Hungary and other Eastern European countries used these hand-carved, antique wooden bowls to make bread each morning.  Each bowl is an antique and bears individual marks of use and history.  So no two are alike and they come in all sizes and wood finishes.

 The enormous vessels shown above, some measuring 60" long, make fabulous outdoor centerpieces and that's what I had in mind before writing the check for my purchases.

 Find plantings and clippings from your garden or grocer.   I've used boxwood and fresh flowers, moss and antlers to create these natural outdoor arrangements.  Gourds and cabbage would be a lovely combination for a fall look.  The sky is the limit but keeping it simple and balanced can have the most aesthetic impact.

 Contact VanEch Studio for a custom centerpiece for your next garden party..

Slip into Summer with Slip Cover Couture

In the days before home air conditioning was available, it was common to put slipcovers on upholstered furniture in the hot months of the year to protect the upholstery fabric from sweat.  In some cities in the northeast, slipcover tailors were sometimes given the nickname "summertime millionaires" as their busy season was in the spring and summer.  In the 1960s, technology and production techniques made it possible to manufacture furniture that could be sold at prices at or below the price of a custom-made slipcover, and the practice of custom slip covering for a time declined.  In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in custom slip covering driven by the interior design industry and the popularity of the very casual shabby chic design style. 
 

Creating a beautiful slipcover for your furniture is akin to having a well tailored dress or suit.  Covered buttons, pleats, ruffles, epaulets and embroidery are some of the couture details I like to bring out on a slipcover the that can dress up or down your furniture. 

VanEch Studio now offers custom monogramming on slipcovers as well as pillows and table linens.

Crisp fabrics such as linens and cotton chitz hold up well in slipcover construction.  Light weight wools and wovens work well too.   In selecting a fabric consider the texture and color of the fabric on the upholstered piece to ensure that it won't show thru to the slipcover. 

The labor to make a custom slipcover is much the same as upholstery.  The cost savings may be in the fabric choice.

Repurposing Old Luggage

I recently handed down a vintage suitcase to my niece that my great aunt carried with her from Greece to Ellis Island.  I love the stories these old cases tell.  I recently picked up 3 that had the old destination stickers from depot stations.  These are not exactly pieces of luggage we want to check thru the airports today however due to their sturdy almost wood like construction, they make for wonderful functional accents in the home.  This chunky stack of three makes for a great end table, sturdy enough to hold a lamp, and let's not forget their storage features.  Check out these other ideas for inspiration.

A tower of vintage cases makes for an eye catching foyer arrangement

 Cutting off the back end allows for easy hanging with a couple of angle irons

Visit VanEch Studio in Occoquan for a selection of vintage luggage
for your decorating projects