Inspiration

This weekend I had the opportunity to visit a historic house in Caroline County, VA.  Though lived in, I felt like I was walking into a museum...these walls (and some of the impeccable furnishings) had seen the likes of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.  Most likely, we will never be in a position to live in such splendor, but this is the type of thing that inspires me to find free or inexpensive ways to make my own house a home.

(Pardon the images - I took them rather quickly and they're not the best quality.)

Antique cabinets used under the (soapstone) counters, and above, instead of traditional cabinetry. I love that the colors complement each other.

Farm sink...a modern addition but it seems like it would be easy to retrofit a cabinet for a sink like this.

An idea we're going to imitate: retrofitting an old wash table or cabinet for the bathroom sink.

Another bathroom sink, using the same concept.

Some color inspiration - red and teal.

A humble beginning in my own parlor...I had struggled with an accent color for my red walls until I saw this house.  I repainted a frame I already had with paint I had in the closet.  Cost = free!

A close-up of the photo: Byron as a baby, being held by the Greens, his great-grandparents who built this house!  Maybe in 50 years someone will take a similar photo of us!

Just to make myself clear, I am not into replacing what doesn't need to be replaced with expensive, trendy items.  If you've been following this blog, you'll know that there are things in this house that absolutely need attention, with the bathrooms being the first on the list (thanks, Dad, for fixing our toilets last weekend!), followed by the warped kitchen counters.  Byron and I continually look for deals and ways to either inexpensively fix or repurpose what we already have.  Being that we both have a touch of "design diva," we like to live in an aesthetically pleasing home, but aren't willing the break the bank to get there.  Case in point: we needed a buffet for the dining room...so here is my $35 Salvation Army special:

Did you know old dressers can make fabulous buffets?

Not the original hardware, but kind of cool.

I'll post photos when this is refinished!  In the meantime, here are a couple design blogs with great, inexpensive ideas:

Homemade Ginger
Young House Love

I'd love to hear of other ideas/inspiration from you!