Thursday, July 12, 2012

Summer Style


It's been a very looong time since I've shown you any changes we've made to our house so I thought today I would show you the new chairs we just bought for the sitting area off of our kitchen.

Truth be told we haven't really made very many changes to the house lately because I've been so busy working and I haven't been concentrating on things like making the house look nice.  But last week my in-laws were coming to town and having company is always a good excuse to spruce up your house!  Because we had given our son and daughter the blue checked chair and wooden rocker that used to occupy this space it was time we found some new chairs.




I knew what I wanted, but I was having trouble finding just the right chairs to go in this spot.  It's located right off of the kitchen and to the left is where our office is located which is open to the whole room.



The door to the back yard really prevents you from putting anything in the middle of the room,  and I knew I didn't want a couch or loveseat because I wanted people to be able to take advantage of the water views, be able to chat with Mr. Tide and me while we are working, and be able to converse with someone while they are busy in the kitchen...so swivel chairs seemed like the perfect solution.




Have you ever looked for pretty swivel chairs?!  Let's just say that the majority of them have those gawd awful bases that you can see below the chairs and they aren't what I would call attractive.  After searching for awhile I settled on a look from Lee Industries who makes beautiful high quality furniture which is still made in the USA.




And after visiting one of my favorite local stores, Traditions of Loveville, which just happens to be a distributor for Lee Industries in my area, I hit pay dirt!   I'm not known for being a big "plan ahead" sort of person, so it was serendipitous that Traditions had not one but two swivel rockers and in colors that matched my color scheme and the vision I had in my head just a few days before my in-laws arrived...score!  One of them was even on sale, so I ended up getting a great deal on these two chairs...thanks Becky!

These babies are not only comfy but they are also slipcovered so you can slide those puppies off and throw them in the washing machine in case another set of pups, ie. Misty Belle and Mr. Quinn bring a bit of their muddy fun inside and onto the furniture.  And if I decide to change the look of the room at some point I can always pick out new slips with different fabrics or colorways.

You may have noticed  Miss Misty in one of the photos above, she is the perfect photographer's assistant...and what you can't see in any of the photos is that Mr. Quinn is right beside her.  I think Misty was a stylist in another life, she's always right there helping me set up the shot.  Quinn must have been a male model in his former life, as he is always ready for his best shot!




After my in-laws left last Sunday I decided to do a little rearranging and I finally brought in an old Coca Cola cooler I had found in the attic at the farm property we own.  I cleaned it up and brought it inside to sit underneath the sofa table made from an old shutter that I've had for years.  That whitish swath you see on the cooler is actually an old hunk of masking tape that I'm sure bore our family's name on it once upon a time.  Growing up crabbing, boating, camping and picnicking meant having your name slapped on everything so that you could claim your stake if something fell overboard or wandered away.  I thought about trying to remove it, but I think it just adds to the piece, so I decided to leave it on.


 

I also decided to take down the license plates and horse pull and put up one of my images which is printed on metal and has a high gloss finish.  The seagull picture, which I took awhile ago at the beach in Chincoteague, has been sitting in a box for over a year and I just didn't know where I wanted to hang it until now.




Throw in a few summertime accessories like these old croquet balls from a set my parent's once owned, a pair of binoculars to help you see the herons, osprey, and eagles outside, and a few books about the Chesapeake Bay area and you are all set!

So here is the room before, last December complete with a blurry Mr. Quinn, the kitchen table which is now in the dining room, the old furniture, and previous wall decor...



 BEFORE

And after...ready for some summer fun!



AFTER

Hmm, now what other rooms can I rearrange and buy new furniture for... ;-)

I hope everyone is staying cool and if you are getting too much rain, please send some our way, we've been hotter than the hinges and dry as a bone!

26 comments:

  1. I love Lee furniture, my all time favorite sofa was made by them and it was soooo comfy. Love the new chairs they look great!!
    Kathysue

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kat, I love the new chairs and look. Love your bird picture on the wall. The chair and ottoman in our master is Lee Ind. Great chair and very comfy.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lee makes some very nice furniture. I espcially love the patterned one!. Your room looks fresh and beachy.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Your chairs are lovely and look great with your rug. I'm a fan of blue and even better that they are well made and have slips. Hoping your summer is going well. We have hot dry weather here too.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Kat, I like you're new chairs. I am in love with your coca cola cooler. I am stillin search for one . I need to get to Charleston again to shop around for them.

    We really need rain down here n SC.

    ReplyDelete
  6. It looks great, Kat. Love the Lee chairs- they make great furniture. It really looks nice. I know what you mean about being busy though...and not having time to do much of anything around home extra- xo Diana

    ReplyDelete
  7. Love the changes. The chairs are great...and comfy looking.

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a lovely re-do! Would you care to come to my house next?:) We finally have some rain and cooler temperatures!

    ReplyDelete
  9. The room is wonderful! It is so light and airy. The seagull picture is one of the first things I focused on. I love it. Bonnie

    ReplyDelete
  10. The chairs are just perfect for this space! I love your decor, too. I have a table in my entry that I just bought a bird to add to shells, candles, etc. I wish you were close to me and could help me make it look just right! How about a trip to FL? lol It's wet here!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Your bird picture on the wall is splendid. I had a vintage swivel chair form the 70's that we simple wore out. Yours are very pretty.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I meant to say that Joe was born in Chincoteague.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Kat, I love the summer/beach feel of that room. I wish I could sip a cup of tea with you there!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. So fresh and beachy! Well done!

    www.chattafabulous.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  15. Looks lovely and the colors are my favorites! What a nice place to enjoy with a cup of tea!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I so love the summery feel of it. It's quite relaxing and comfy. I'm sure your guests would love it too.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Your room has a cozy feeling...the chairs are great. I, too, love Lee furniture. The seagull painting, however, really caught my eye. It's wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  18. What a lovely room you made ! The seagull painting is great. I wish I could send you some of our rain . We have a very wet and cold summer uptill now. So your nice pictures give me a bit of a summer feeling
    Manon, Holland

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi, Kat -
    Love your new Lee swivels! They really look wonderful....thanks for sourcing them. Where did you get the stripes cotton rug? I would love one for my study / home office. I currently have an old sisal that I can put in another room. And, love your vintage coca cola cooler....nice! The red really pops in that room.
    Cheers,
    Loi

    ReplyDelete
  20. Kat, I LOVE the new look...so full of your personality...wish I could sit and visit with you there!

    ReplyDelete
  21. The new chairs look great, Kat!! The whole room looks just beachy.
    Nice job.
    xo

    ReplyDelete
  22. Very nice...I really love them!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Hi Kat, I love everything about this space! The chairs and rug are wonderful and the seagull painting is fabulous. Have a great week.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Sigh...perfect. Love the calming blues and your photo/art is the cherry on top.
    I had to laugh at your memory of masking tape and picnic supplies. I think my mother taped everything including plastic margarine bowls. She probably would've slapped one on us, but was probably secretly hoping someone would claim us!
    Great memories in your room.
    Deb

    ReplyDelete
  25. Kat, I love it!
    I also want to
    bring in swivel
    chairs, so thank
    you for the tip
    on the Lee's. I
    also love your
    colors....perfect.

    Happy Tuesday,
    xo Suzanne

    ReplyDelete
  26. You've achieved such a wonderful easy breezy coastal vibe in there and I noticed your seagull print right away. That is so awesome! xo ~Lili

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.