All in the Detail: May 2014

I am not much of a country girl – ask anyone… my idea of roughing it is checking into the Ritz and Room Service is closed for the night. But every once in a while, I run across a gorgeous ‘country’ home that just tugs at my heart strings. And thanks to Country Living Magazine, I found one in this little 18^th Century Farm.

With its Revolutionary War pedigree, this New York farmhouse is straight from a history book.

When the present owners bought this 1790s home eight years ago, they hoped not just to preserve history, but to make it. Constructed by Revolutionary War Lieutenant Jonathan Chapman, (who is now buried right across the street from the property) on land granted by George Washington, the center-hall Colonial in Old Chatham, New York, came with 17 acres and a 20,000-square-foot 1940s barn (pictured above)... but this required a big renovation.

The Kitchen is 'a little downstairs at Downton Abbey' admits the homeowner. The black cabinetry are limited to lower units, in order to install a bank of windows at eye level, after all sometimes the view is more important than storage in a home, especially this one.

Even fine antiques, such as the 19th-century Louis Philippe secretary, invite everyday use in the home. Made of Cuban mahogany, the piece is constructed with beautiful dovetailed joints, and yet is perfect for everyday use, like their son’s schoolwork.

The décor boasts a taxidermied pheasant and a vase picked up in Mexico, while a clip-on brass lamp from Gracious Home saves desk space. I LOVE this lamp, don't you?

The Master Bedroom four-poster pine bed wears linens from Pottery Barn.

The homeowner crafted a hutch for his wife's birthday and a farm table that once served as his desk (show in photo of bed). Personal ties trump period accuracy. To help make this space their own: An assortment of family photos hangs above the mid-century armoire.

In the Master Bath, antique tables store towels and toiletries. A vintage trifold shaving mirror and narrow wire shelf take the place of a medicine cabinet.

Isn’t this ‘Step Back in Time’ of simplicity a wonderful escape from a high-tech, crowded life? I can only image how this peaceful space feeds a loving creative environment for the homeowners and their family inside.

quick tip: homemade shower cleaner

Welcome to All in the Detail… I am so glad you are here!

Easy projects can freshen up your home & be inexpensive, too

I guess you can tell that I am on this ‘new kick” of Homemade Cleaners to help save money, to eliminate some nasty chemicals and to 'maybe' clean more efficiently than those store bought cleaners. (Really it’s the SAVE MONEY thing! I am becoming so frugal that going to the grocery store or the retail department store is just sickening… I can’t believe the money I spend at those places and the small amount of product that is loaded into the car afterward!)

Recently, I have been shopping at a grocery store called Aldi Foods. Do you have one near you? (Find out here.) Now I can’t always find everything that is on my list of groceries all the time, but boy the savings I walk out is so empowering!

Anyway, I'm getting off on a rampage and making this Quick Tip - a Long Tip! I seem to do that a lot on here, don’t I? I just get so excited to share so much with you that I just go on… and on… and on… ‘sorry’.

So here you go - Homemade Shower Cleaner

Ingredients

· 3/4 cup baking soda (slightly heaped)

· 1/4 cup castile soap (Dr. Bronner’s – yes, from Target)

· 1 Tablespoon water

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a bowl.

2. Mix completely.

3. Spread the mixture on the area you wish to clean.

4. Rub in lightly with a rag or sponge (I use rags for everything in my home. Remember, I am becoming Super Frugal and this is a great way to use towels and clothing that aren’t usable for anything else anymore.) and rinse off.
*This is really easy if your shower head is a handheld one… mine is not.

5. Store in a closed container.

for the love of a lantern

Welcome to All in the Detail… I am so glad you are here!

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I Love Lanterns.

I love lanterns on the outside of a home and on the inside of a home. I love them because they are the most beautiful 'cure-all remedy' for the need for lighting. They just work everywhere. And lanterns come in so many choices: the shapes, the sizes, the styles, the colors, and the materials – it makes a head spin!

FOR INSTANCE - SIZE: My personal preference when is comes to an interior lantern is Oversized! In most situations, the bigger the lantern, the better.

On the other hand, when it comes to the size of an exterior lantern, there are certain restrictions to follow (but I will get to that in a minute).

INDOOR LANTERN: Off the top of my head, I just can’t think of any interior spaces where a lantern would not work. They work in mudrooms, kitchens, bathrooms, dining rooms, foyers, living rooms, bedrooms, stair ways... In other words, when it comes to an indoor lantern, there is just no limit to their use!

OUTDOOR LANTERN: Lanterns work well in many exterior areas, too; Gazebos, patios, garages, pergolas, trees, gateways. Of course, there are rules when choosing the size of a lantern that will be attached to the exterior of the house. The lantern has to be proportionately correct to its surround fixtures or the whole facade of a home will be thrown out of whack.

How to Measure for an Outdoor Lantern

When installing lanterns beside an exterior door, the height of the lantern should be based on the height of the door.

ONE LANTERN When only one lantern is used at the door, it should measure approximately 1/3 the height of the door. The center of the lamp(s) should measure 66" above the threshold of the door.
TWO LANTERNS When two lanterns are used at the door, they should measure approximately 1/4 the height of the door. The center of the lamp(s) should measure 66" above the threshold of the door.