Okay, I have been reluctant to show you anything inside my house because I rent (and for starters the walls are a very pale pinky beige—yuk—anyone who reads this blog knows how much I dislike that colour) but to paint it, I would have to include a very large textured ceiling in the living room so I haven’t done it yet. It is the most adorable 50’s style house with huge, bay windows in the living room and all around to show off the view of the city and the beautiful gardens surrounding the house! I would love to buy it and completely renovate (on my list for next year’s goals) but until that happens, I have to live with some things. . .
It was my good friend Tami Rode’s birthday last week so she was over for brunch on the weekend, and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity for my first Tablescape Thursday Post, hosted by Between Naps on the Porch!
My dining table has 2 different alternating styles of Queen Anne chairs (4 in total), the one on the left is from William Switzer, and the one on the right is from a garage sale years ago (the pair) for $14 dollars I repainted in cream and re-covered them in the textured leaf fabric.
What I really want now is a Saarinen table and I’m still debating if I should keep the chairs, paint them all the same colour (something fun) and re-cover them.
The placemats from HomeSense were $3 dollars, they only had 3 which is why they were such a good price but I loved the colours so I thought I’d use them when it’s dinner for 3! I’ve had these little frog place card holders forever and I just love how playful they are, I use them a lot in the summer.
This is Tami’s up close. I also have a million colour chips lying around my home office so I thought I’d pick a colour that was somewhere close to the placemats!
You can see the rounded bay windows of the house through the 2 front bushes, I decided to pick some orchids (I think that’s what they are) for the centerpiece (below). I’ll show you what the house looks like soon.
Then I thought it needed some green in the arrangement (okay don’t judge me too harshly it’s not an Eddie Ross arrangement 🙂 so I went around to the back garden to clip some.
Here you can see the dining room through the back window and also see that this house is full of windows. When it snows it feels like I live in a snow globe! Really it does, here is the view from the side of the house (above).
Test question for anyone that’s been paying attention? Ideally what colour trim should a white house have (not the gray shown above)?
To the left is a view that includes downtown Vancouver, but I don’t have a picture of it here! This is what I get to look at every day from my living room, I get happy just walking into it every day!
Vancouver had a huge thunderstorm last Saturday night, the entire living room was orange from the lights of the storm, it was quite fun to watch! (See the textured ceiling? *sigh*) Here’s an official photo of the storm:
Before I started decorating for a living, I would spend the entire day decorating a table for a dinner party, now my guests are lucky if they get a napkin!! I’m sure there are others that can relate to this phenomenon!
There are so many beautiful tablescapes waiting at Between Naps on the Porch – go take a look!
Related posts:
What Everyone should know about Beige
Three ways to describe Colour
Being-on-Being-on-Beige
Maria, what a cheery table and I love your home. What a view too!
What a fabulous view! Your pictures of the storm are breathtaking! Cute idea with the paint chips. I'd move buying this house to #1 on my "to do" list!
Keep the chairs, they are all so pretty!
I'm tired and was just about to give up on tablescaping for the night, but I'm glad I clicked on you, thanks for the tour! Amazing pictures and pretty tablescape!
All the best,
Eileen
Whoa! What a wonderful view that is. How are you surviving this heat? You set a very fun summer table for your friend. Love the napkin rings.
I love those orange place mats! Your view is spectacular! wow!
Maria your place is darling and the view is devine!
i am a sucker for beautiful tablescapes.. and i love large windows.. 🙂 ur house is lovely.. u knw its really lucky that u are living in such a pretty place..:) dspite the wall paint.. 🙂 n i love ur table setting.. its gorgeous
Thanks for taking us inside your house — even if it's only a small snippet of your dining room 🙂
Love all your windows, and LOVE your view even more!! Wow!! I'd feel good walking into your living room too!!
Your little frog place car holder is adorable 🙂 And I like how you used a paint ship for the card 🙂 The planters on your back steps look great too.
Kelly
I like the place mats the best.
I want your placemats and your view!!
What a place . I hope you enjoyed Australian vine.
X
V
The ideal trim colour for a white house should be black, correct?
I wish I had a white house because it'd be easier to pick a colour for the front door.
Great tablescape. Love the orange. The little frog place holder is adorable. Your view is killer! Get photos of the sky and the changing weather!
Tina
The table setting is precious. Love the orange placemats AND the beautiful orange sky. Your views are gorgeous. Fun post!
marcie
1) Check out the Saarinen knock-off at IKEA
2) Penfolds Koonunga-good wine!
3) White house, black trim
4) Great house, fantastic view!
5) Fun post!!
Don't know why I numbered those… too many mixed up comments to form sentences around, I guess!
hey darling!
great shots of the storm! did you see the pictures from the soccer game i was at? i wish the link wasn’t encrypted with private security… you could have shared it with your blogger friends (it sure was spectacular — a true light show!)
i’m no interior/exterior designer, but i can’t imagine any trim colour that would look good on a white house. so i’ll agree with the others with the black! (and lots of flowers to give it the 'happy' feel)
looking forward to take care of your house next week and enjoy the beautiful view… 😉
Refreshing! And not over done! Lovely – and the placemats are to die for!
Maria ~ I bought a funny little 3-set once with dishes – not every dinner or lunch will be 4 people, so I thought it was okay, too. Love your view! I like a lot of windows myself {open all my shades and curtains first thing every morning}, I love natural light in my house.
oh come on maria, the trim?? not cloud white right!!! haha
let's see, something creamier… hmmmm
haha, love the house, so gorgeous, you could showcase that alone on your blog every week! Can't wait till you buy it! Go do colours for your bank manager!
(oh and I love the true shopper that comes through when you say that the placemats you loved only had three, so you bought them for when you only needed three – this is ingenious shopping technique! It;s as if you have learnt your shopping skills from me! lol
Orange is a color I am really into right now. Even my breif case is orange. Excellent!
Hi Maria!
Lovely shots! You know how I adore orange! I thik orange on the table ignites conversation! I actually have some shots of orange today too! Your sky shots are exquisite too!
love, kelee
Delightful table scape, and such a good idea to use paint chips as place cards!
You MUST get around to purchasing that house. Don't let it get away!
I haven't been around long enough to know what color trim should be on a white house, but my first preference would be to paint the whole thing the exact same white, trim and all, unless the trim is really outstanding. Wimpy trim on a white house looks so "tinker toy" if it's in a different color. Anyway, I'm sure that's not the correct answer, so I'm looking forward to learning about the right way to do it.
It's so funny how hard we all are on our decors. Yours looks great. And with the wine, I'm sure no one ever noticed the ceiling! And, who cares? What a nice day to spend with friends.
Your table looks beautiful, I love the orange placemats and the frog cardholders! Your home is just beautiful, I can see why you want to buy it!
I love it ! Seeing such a nice table makes me want to take some time setting my dinner table next time we eat.
* Maria, this is definitely one of your most DELIGHTFUL blogs!!! What a treat (& honour!) for you to share some of your DARLING & CHARRRMING home with us!!!
PERSONALLY, I say "%^&#@*# the ceiling" for now, Sweetie! Just from the little I saw I loved your home~~~ I mean, with VIEWS like THAT, you just CAN'T go "wrong". my friend!!! And that lil' stone wall???~~~~ just d-i-v-i-n-e!!!
Life's short~ so why not try to buy this place NOW, and enjoy the process of truuuuly "writing your name all over it"?
Sooo enjoyable to see & read~~~ "ENCORE", please!!!
Warmly,
Linda in AZ *
Beautiful house with beautiful views. You are blessed. Love your table set up…so cheery!
oh, what a view! my husband and i visited Vancouver briefly several years ago and fell in love with it. i can't wait to visit again someday.
isn't it challenging to restrain yourself from renovating? we rent as well, and it's hard not to make improvements to the house when we know it's not ours. I'm dying t rip out the front yard and start over. Alas, our landlords won't sell. But good luck with yours! I'd love to see what you'd do to it.
Thanks for the peek into your home Maria. I say just paint the walls and enjoy your home. Don't wait another minute if it will make you happier. (ignore the ceilings for now) It will make a world of difference to you. Lovely post.
Roberta
Okay, I admit it, I clicked on the link to remind me of the answer. A white house with a black trim is so classic. Your view is astounding. You should post some pictures of the outside of house, I'm sure we'd all like to see the '50s style. Moving back to Vancouver this weekend, so happy to be back. I'm going to have a view of my own soon!
OH, I'd be happy too if I got to look at that scenery every day! Lucky girl! I like the tablescape with all the natural lighting and the windows looking out at the greenery. Very pretty!
Brenda
Hi Maria, I'm just a 1st-time vistitor popping in, skipping from blog to blog, as I am getting some hand sewing done! I am really enjoying ALL the charming and inspiring table settings on this Tablescapes Thursday!.. and I find myself aspiring to play along someday, perhaps! (0; Your table and home are beautiful, but I must confess, I think I got the biggest kick just seeing your little froggy placecard holders! CUTE!
Gorgeous view…wow that lightning is crazy! I love the color orange it has been my fave for years.
I hope you enjoyed you Penfolds Koonunga Hill. A great example of fantastic Australian wine. I love the table setting and the great view.
Your flowers are actually blooms from the (commonly known name) Yucca plant.
Love the table, love the yard, love the view. Elements of three a perfect post :o)
What a joy it must be everyday in that house. I pray that it will become all yours soon. As for trim on the house while black would be traditional I love it when people throw caution to the wind and do two tone colors. recently a friend did the trim on her dark grey house in teal and purple. perfect in hue and tone
Have a blessed day
your view is SO AMAZING! Beautiful table in such a beautiful setting!
Your table is so inviting! Simple and elegant. Your home is more like a vacation destination! Thanks for sharing!
~Liz
Such a cheerful table! I love the froggies!!! Your friend, Tami, is so very fortunate to have brunch in such a lovely location…with such a lovely friend.
Jane (Artfully Graced)
Uh! I am late with my comment but here it is: you have a very warm welcoming house with the most beautiful view and lovely grounds.
The flower is not an orchid but it is a Yucca (Agave family) and the flowers are not scented…until you put them inside…subtle fragrance. As for trims…?orange??? just kidding!
I want your view!!!! I'm not an orange fan, but for some reason I like the place mats.
Pretty tablescape!
What a wonderful view you have!
Katherine
Those of you that guessed black (or read my post 🙂
You are right, (well on this blog anyways because it is just my opinion), but I think any other colour but black on a white house just looks like; hmmm. . . we can't afford to paint our house so lets paint the trim, forest green? Or Blue? or who knows.
Black is classiest here!
Thanks for all your comments on my first tablescape everyone!
Maria
Love the orange, frogs, and the color chip idea! View spectacular! You will never move!
Hi Maria, the colour chip as a placesetting name tag is the fab…I love that..never thought of it that way…cool
Great post love your frog…
Maria!!! I see now why you want to buy your house!!! It's gorgeous!!! Your gardens – your views- your windows!!!! it's like a vacation!!!! We must see more!! 🙂
Anyway, now you've got a pregnant woman craving some fresh french bread at 1 AM and it's toally not going ot happen… hahaha your tables looks gorgeous & I love the orchids.
xoxo