Family Treasures

Recently I told Jenn at The Thrift Shop Romantic that according to my husband, three of anything makes a collection. Boy, do I have collections! I will be telling you about them.

I wanted to start this blog with a project that was a huge undertaking....much more than I anticipated. With my son in his own home, I wanted to re-do his old room. With everything finally moved out (including my own clutter), I started with the ceiling. The paint had peeled away under and around the base of the ceiling light fixture. A little sanding might work to smooth out those edges, but it didn't. I had to do some patching. Then the ceiling took 2 coats of paint to make it look good.

With that done, I went to work on the walls which were a deep red. Two coats of primer and two coats of the color of green I chose and that was complete. All the trim work also required two coats. I was bushed from just the painting.



The hardwood floors needed work, but I didn't want to splurge on a professional to come in, so to my hands and knees I went. Cleaning with mineral spirits, staining with Minwax and also using an old fashioned Johnson's paste wax like Mama used to do. I also had to install quarter round moulding, which included learning how to miter corners and do some coping for proper fit. With my back aching and my knees bruised, I stood back and enjoyed the view of my nice clean shiny floors and newly painted walls.




I had my husband help me with a new ceiling fixture. This is the first piece of my family treasure to go into this room. It is a decorative glass cover from a ceiling fixture in my paternal grandmother's house which was sold to a family member a couple of years ago. When I was young and visited my "Granny" I always loved the ceiling light in her living room. I particularly wanted this light cover to go with the "Gone With The Wind" lamp that belonged to "Granny" and would display prominently in my new bedroom.



With the room basics completed I could move in the inherited bedroom suite, which belonged to my late mother-in-law. It is more modern than other furnishings for the room, but I don't mind mixing styles at all.

In one corner is an old oak rocker with a leather seat bottom which belonged to my paternal grandfather, who I never met. The seat is brittle and pulling away from the upholstery tacks, so I don't sit in it. The small smoking stand was also his. The cute little vintage "Asta" style terrier was found recently at the local Goodwill. I had to give him a home.



I added my "Granny's" treadle sewing machine with one of her lamps (notice the flower...part of the room's color theme) in the center and a picture of her and another of my grandfather on either side. The cup of silk violets was a gift years ago from my mother.



Atop the chest of drawers is the "GWTW" style lamp. Under it is a vintage thrifted doily with mauve rosettes and green leaves. On the dresser I have family photos, a not-so-vintage mantel clock on top (gift from a late aunt), thrifted candlesticks and vase in shades of purple, my "Granny's" Hull Art vase, a pair of Hull pottery cornucopia in pink with purple grapes which belonged to my late mother-in-law, a few other trinkets which belonged to family or pertain to family, and a thrifted crochet doily with purple trim.




The night stand has a small milk glass lamp (from my mother-in-law), recently thrifted Federal Glass Petal saucers and small bowl in sun gold , a small ceramic red cocker spaniel (the kind and color of the first dog I had that I remember, "Poochie", who was a gift from an uncle), and monkey bookends (monkeys...another collection) with some sentimental books.


The white chenille bedspread is new, but a gift for my birthday last year from my husband. (It's what I asked for!) The purple throw pillows were thrifted at the same time as the purple vase and candlesticks.



In the closet, I have made a small sewing nook. The table is actually HALF of a dining room table that belonged to my maternal grandparents. The table is tri-legged so with it braced on the wall, it is very stable. The chair matches it, but I had to cut a new wooden seat, pad and cover it. This is all that is left of that dining room except the buffet , which belongs to my husband (my mother gave it to him years ago and he won't give it to me). I have thrifted some louvered bi-fold doors for the closet which used to have sliding doors. I have never installed bi-fold doors, so that will be another project for me.




At a flea market I saw a sign stating all rugs $5 each. I looked down and was standing on a runner that would fit perfectly into the decor of my bedroom. There was also a small octagonal one in the same pattern that I could use. I questioned the price and snapped them up. The fringe was worn, so I will eventually be doing something about that, but I think they blend in perfectly.
The window valances were thrifted just after I got the walls painted. If I remember correctly it was a half price day and I got them for a total of $1.50. The slightly lighter shade of green was perfect and the purple grapes matched my Hull cornucopias.



That takes care of the basic redecoration of my bedroom. I'll look closer at pieces from my Family Treasures collection soon.