I’ve got a lot of catching up to do, blogging and otherwise …  I don’t think I ever did share a few  ‘new’ additions to the study nook/dining area.  Study nook – ha – sounds good – but that’s  really stretching the truth  – a lot.  It is true that this is where the teenager spends much of his time on the computer.  Alas, I don’t think he’s doing much study,  unless of course he’s majoring in computer gaming.

Firstly, is the little black and white ‘french’  desk I picked up at the local antique/collectibles centre.  Perfect fit, I like.  Next, harder to see, is the wooden horse head to the left.  Not something I would have imagined hanging on my wall, but I absolutely love it.  I found it my Dad’s shed, during their recent move.  It was made by my Dad’s Uncle Wayne, who died as a teenager,  when he was a boy growing up in rural Pennsylvania.  Apparently my Dad had it hanging on his bedroom wall as a kid.   It is so familiar to me, and is so special now that I know it’s history.  It belongs.

Finally, is the blue bench  – I can’t resist anything that colour – to the right.  Not that it’s in that spot anymore.  It moves around a bit.

In other news, I am totally intoxicated by the scent of gardenias.  Is there anything as divine?

And am listening to Sarah Jarosz‘s new album Follow me Down again and again …  only 19 years old!

Just thought I’d share my latest treasures, they could be my last.  This time I mean it.  I think I might be tired of decorating. I know, very odd.  I must be sick and will probably be back to my normal self soon. However, I bought the latest Vogue Living on Thursday and haven’t even opened it?  Friday I got terribly excited and raced in to look at/buy one of those gorgeous cockatoo lamps I saw on the latest Black and Spiro post, but left empty handed.  I  realised I had no where to put it.   When did that matter?

So, before I care even less, take a look at this cute little table from the local nursery/antique shop/cafe. I am glad I saw it before I got over homewares because it does add a little je ne sais quoi to my living room.  Non?

See those leaves?  Here’s another angle so you can appreciate it’s full cuteness…

Now for that essential piece, the wall vase, in pink. And you know, I almost didn’t buy it. ‘How many pink things can you have?’ I did ask myself. Clearly not enough. Seriously, how adorable is it? If you look closely you can see the teenager’s growth chart pencilled on the wall.

And because I was running out of room in the house for other pink things and non essentials,  I recently picked up this cupboard which looked better in the shop than it does on my verandah.  But it does the trick…

It’s time to stop don’t you think?

Last week I was going to out myself as a junkaholic, set up a support group and swear off  collectibles forever.    Good thing I didn’t, because on the weekend, I found some beauties.

How cute is this little cupboard?

Not just cute, it’s also practical!  That’s always a bonus.  I’ve put spices in it for now but think I might make it the tea and sugar cupboard as it sits above the kettle.  I would zoom out to show you where the cupboard sits in the kitchen but maybe another day, the kitchen’s a mess.  I want to be ‘real’ here at My Pink Door, but …  Some things are best not shared.

I did leave it real in the bedroom  though (unmade bed – well it is 4.00pm – too late to make it today!) where you can see my other little treasure.  The light is better in here than in the guest bedroom where I’ll use it as a desk chair.

I just love that this chair is painted black and white – too perfect.

How about you – any good finds lately?

I think I remember why I haven’t (yet) developed my regular outside yoga practice – my new (year) disciplined approach to better health…  Leaving the house is too bloody tiring… unless it’s to visit the local antique/junk shop of course.  That’s different.

What do you think?

Finally …

This was the kitchen when we first moved in earlier this year.  Not only did I think I could  live with it, but I quite liked it and I can’t say that about many kitchens.  It seemed small but functional, and I was all for downsizing  – you know, a simpler life (ha!).  Real wood cupboards and bench tops, old enamel sink and taps, the original stove  (no exhaust fan) – very quaint, and I do like quaint.  At least I thought I did …   Until I had nowhere to put things, the stove was a nightmare to use – impossible to control heat, and the enamel (cracked) sink began to leak, oh and I realized I had very little lighting.

That’s where I started.  I had five down lights and a pendant light installed so we could see.  Then, though you can’t really tell in the photos, the putty coloured walls,  were painted white (as was the rest of the house. And don’t get me started on how to choose the right white?)  I also decided pretty quickly that I really didn’t like the floor tiles and that I needed black and white linoleum tiles – badly.  No small feat however – as you may recall.  This was also the logical time to get a new stove, one that I could cook on.

Looks better already …

I can honestly say that I tried to live with the silky oak cupboards.  I really did.  After all  Silky Oak is a Queensland timber.  The thing is, I really don’t like Silky Oak, and the minute the cupboards were painted white, the whole room opened up.  It looked clean, fresh and much bigger.  I could breathe!

The more recent addition of my new round table has also made all the difference.  What do you think?

Do you like my knobs?  They’re the ones I ordered from Anthropologie (and unlike my shoes, they fit.)  I’m pretty thrilled with them.  They’re even better than I imagined.  Here’s a closer look …

And here’s the new ceramic sink and mixers – I did want to keep the old taps but they didn’t fit and I’m quite glad to have a few things shiny and new.

I’m very happy …

Of course all of this didn’t address the lack of storage, but a few pieces of freestanding furniture – plus converting an alcove in the landing adjacent to the kitchen/dining room into a cupboard -  have done wonders.  So has chucking out heaps of stuff I might add.

It looks better in real life, but check out the knobs! (and they’re not from Anthropologie – I bought them down the road at Lily G!).

My very useful kitchen dresser and storage baskets …

Now for a few more close ups …

And before I bore you senseless, I’ll quit.  That’s all folks!

P. S.  Thought you might like to see the old stove where it now lives on the deck.

My life is now complete.  I found (or rather it found me, because I wasn’t even looking) the elusive perfect dining table – round, a perfect 135 centimetres in diameter – painted white – (supposedly) antique Swedish – on casters – and – a bargain.   I don’t care what it is, I just bloody love it.  Thank goodness I didn’t listen to the naysayers (you know who you are) – who said “no, no, round won’t work in this room”, ” it’s too big”, “it’s too small”, “I thought you weren’t going to buy any more furniture?”, “what will you do with the old table?” Blah blah blah…

She, and there is no doubt about that, is elegant and curvaceous, yet understated and gracious.  Warm and welcoming she works the room, no, all the rooms well.

Even the chairs are happy.

Bingo! Yesterday I finally stopped by the collectables/estate furniture shop near my house that I’ve been dying  to explore/restraining myself from exploring for a while now.  Not that I really had time to explore (I had to get home for the internet cable guy- who I missed anyway – that’s another story) but I was there long enough to spot this very cute table, which is now sitting on my front verandah.

It’s a Depression era  games table,  and I’ve never seen one before.  Apart from the fact that it’s so quaint, and I do like ‘quaint’,  I just love the honesty and simplicity of Depression furniture.

I plan to keep it pretty much as it is, maybe a light sand and wax to remove the remaining varnish, but repaint the black squares.   Then again, maybe I should leave them faded as they are.  Here’s a closer look, what would you do? 

I picked up this vintage fabric and the flowers at my local plant nursery/antique shop/cafe. Yes, that’s right … you couldn’t dream up such a great combo.

Don’t these colours just make your heart sing?