Are Two Better than One?

When it comes to decorating I tend to favor pairs of items in symmetrical arrangements– two lamps on my buffet, two potted plants on the mantel, pairs of pillows on my sofa, pairs of candle sticks on my dining room table, and matching footstools tucked under a console table.   I could go on and on but you get the point.

Recently, however, I came across this ad by Hickory Chair and was captivated by the asymmetrical placement of a single large mirror.

It reminded me of another favorite photo – this one by designer Lauren Liess of Pure Style Home – featuring a large piece of art placed slightly off-center.

Pure Style Home

The asymmetrical arrangement in these two photos really has me thinking about how I approach design.  Perhaps two is not always better than one?

I would love to know what you think.  Do you decorate in symmetrical pairs or do you prefer a more asymmetrical look with a single large focal point like the photos above?

Gradient Dresser

There’s a trickle-down effect in blogland….and I’m the latest drip!

Cassie at Primitive and Proper showed this gorgeous dresser just about a week ago.

She was inspired by this dresser from Norske Interior (via Brooklyn Limestone):

And I….was utterly smitten.

I came across this dresser at Deseret Industries last week, and I wanted it. I knew it would be perfect for a similar treatment!

Unfortunately, it was priced out of my budget, so I waited patiently for a week (visiting it often, of course)…

… until I could ask them to mark the price down! It happily came home with me Tuesday, and I couldn’t wait to get to work on it. (You can tell because it’s now…Thursday.)

It turned out just like the picture in my head!

I painted the body of the dresser in a barely off-white paint I had on hand (Behr Ultra color-matched to Sherwin Williams Creamy), and I had fun choosing three colors for the three rows of drawers.

I bought a sample of Behr Ultra in each of these colors: Windwood Spring (top), Shallow Sea (middle), and Lagoon (bottom).

My teenage daughter graciously offered to help carry it up to her bedroom.

Too bad! She already has furniture. (I’m a mean mom.)

So there you have it…my version of the Gradient Dresser!

I do love these retro dressers. Two of my other favorites are Reverse Anthropologie and 38 Flowers !

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This project has been featured at Saved by Suzy, Day and Age Design, Mod Vintage Life, My Repurposed Life, and AtticMag.

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Linking up here and !

Southern Entry

Welcome to the south entry to our house! It is the second entry, which is more casual than 

the one on the west side. 

I found the antique hat rack years ago in an antique store. I hadn't been looking for one but the shape was so beautiful and the price so affordable ($45), that I knew I'd find a use for it. 

 Mike's tattered and stained work hat is shown, but we also hang our coats here from time to time. Mostly when we're too lazy to walk into the living room and hang them in the coat 

closet - which is often.

I've always loved this lantern, but it has spent most of its time on a shelf in our downstairs den closet. Though we rarely use it, it's not in the way and I like being able to look at it everyday. 

Below the hat rack, we have a stool to sit on while putting on our shoes. We also use the stool to get things off the kitchen shelves, or any other task that requires a high reach in this area of the house. 

On the wall next to the hat rack is one of my Great Great Grandmother's mirrors. Originally part of the tall dresser in our master bedroom, we've used it here because it does not fit beneath the sloping ceiling upstairs. 

Entering the hallway from the entry, the french doors on the left open into the dining room. On the right is the door that goes upstairs. 

Because there are two entries to the house, we decided to connect them in a more aesthetically pleasing way with a wraparound porch. In this way, both entrances are accessible, depending on the occasion (formal or casual).