Before I even begin, I am going to tell you this; that round Coffee Table! (that got quite abused during our move) drives me bonkers. With so many cute kids tables from Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn, and even flea markets -- I know we could do better. The thing is -my son, Asher, LOVES that table, just the way it is. And it IS his room. Can I at least paint it? No. So, that is that.

But there is plenty to love about this room!!!

There are some great mom DIY's, like this antique mirror I glued antique wood birds and wood bird calls onto. The shade, I simple unscrewed the old light fixture and spun on the shade. Easy. Both those jobs combine, cost me under 2 minutes. 

And speaking of cost...

My best deals? This East Lake antique small chest of drawers was an incredible score at a local Antique Mall for $60; already painted in that cool matte black! Originally bought for the library, but was the wrong scale, it works perfectly in Asher's room! 

The other amazing deal was his iron bed. i looked at beds with high price tags and was sure the higher the tag number the better the built. Not so. I stumbled into this when googling 'Iron Day Beds' or something like that. I actually had a local store close by and drove to see it in person. It was very similar to beds that were far, far more money. Its heavy weight and not one dent or paint scratch - did I tell you our move damaged many things? But not this guy - he is sturdy. In fact, we even got on for my other son. 
For $280 including the trundle underneath, just click the links on the bottom of this blog to shop. 

Let's not forget the obvious - that incredible wall mural from Anthropologie! Clickk the link to buy your own; it's called Enchanted Forest by Rebecca Rebouche. 
All the other details and items where found antiquing, at Home Goods, or little designer shops. 

What a busy season at Salvato Collection! Moving, assembling, purchasing vintage garments - it seems the days fly by without even as much as a nod.  As summer winds down and the hunt for holding on to every drop of 'the last green days' continue; we thought it great fun to discover our garden up close and beautiful. 

 Joining me was my littlest boy and he was a darling to watch as he stared in wonder at God's florals and critter artistry. As usual, he was delighted to add to his collection of bugs in our library.

 
The point here, is to remember to stop and look, listen, smell. It will recharge you and linger during a long cold winter. With 1 million and one reasons to get that extra work done, I must admit - I am more happy to know we took this afternoon adventure. 

I had so much fun visiting and even got a little jar of Confit of Jasmine Flower in the gift shop. It was relaxing, educational, and beautiful. I was surround by antique everything! How could I not be ecstatic? The horse drawn carriage ride was fun and the food might not have been 5 star, but its the experience you go for; no the fine dining. Next time - I'll bring an organic bar and save my appetite for a local restaurant. you'll find plenty of Antique shops along the way and a great atmosphere. recommended with or without kids! 

Normally, I can manage decorating my hoe without much need outside myself, google, and great magazines. when buying our big farm house, I wasn't feeling so confidient regarding the living room. I felt like I needed help. I knew there was a brilliant designer level space under all that dark wood.. I just had to find it. I told my husband, let's get a interior designer... he surprised me, "No. Im not paying anyone for something you can already do so well." Thanks for the vote of confidence, but Im feeling a little shaky on this one. 


I am not much into tearing down walls, moving windows and going wild on a redo -- especially with an antique home. there is this thing inside me that desperately wants to preserve and continue the beauty of anything ld. From fashion to living space - original beauty means a lot. 

My first moment of understanding where this room needed to go was when cruising paint choices for the painter. RalphLauren.com has some great choices and I fell upon this little image:

Especially since this is what I was starting with...

I could see similar bones! Time to order that Tibetan Jasmine! I was excited! I love white, I could have everything in life white and be perfectly happy. And the paint came out darling! Just look for yourself! 

I added in our sofa from our old home. i love the color in the room, but its Clearly way to large in scale. Since it was a $600 "staging" purchase and stiff as a board - Im pretty okay with buying a new one. That isn't the problem. or rather, it is a problem, but one I have a million solutions for. Small scale section in linen with down - filled cushions. 

My problem is the back. I am IN LOVE with this East Lake antique chest of drawers in matte black. The size is a bit too big, I admit. But what I really want is 2 COMFY CHAIRS that you can really sink into and read a good book. they have to be small and not over sized. So HELP! where can I get great chairs, that match my theme, and wont break the bank? I hate the idea of club chairs, not being able to rest my head as I read a book? No way?! So I turn to you, the stylish, the fab, the internet genius shoppers who were clever enough to find elegance and beautiful vintage here. May you be full of links, ideas, and the perfect library chairs for me to read a good book on!