You can connect with me at: My blog - http://shabbyartboutique.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/WoodberryDesigns Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/woodberrydesign Or shop my Boutique at – http://www.woodberrydesigns.com.au
I’m Anita and I live in the historic Heights neighborhood in Houston, Texas. The farm is in Round Top, Texas, which is half-way between Austin and Houston. This is where the Round Top Antique show is held twice a year, which gives me a front row seat for every show. I live with my husband, two girls and our collie, Molly. The farm is a 30 acre farm with lots of open pasture, and back in the woods, is a spring-fed creek. To capitalize on the sounds of the babbling creek, we built a tree house out here and a deck that extends over the water. The back porch is probably my most favorite place to hang out, where I can see the deer frolicking in the evening, the mist in the morning, and the bluebirds through the day. The wildflowers blanket the pasture in the spring, bringing lots of color to the farm. I call my style farmhouse French, and although our city house is filled with French antiques, the farm is filled with bits of this and that. It has to stand up to much harsher wear, muddy boots and paws. My favorite piece of furniture here is the bed on the back porch where I like to read and nap. It's covered with a linen cover I made along with pillows made from vintage grain sacks. The back porch also holds lots of rockers, a very long antique pine table where we hold lots of friends for dinner, and my outdoor china cabinet. The house is small with only 2 bedrooms, a keeping room (a living area and a kitchen). My dream is to find an airstream to use as a guesthouse here. The decor is very pared down, and simple with a few French accents. Another favorite piece of furniture is the hand-carved Swedish bench in the keeping room.
My studio is a brand new addition added onto our 100 year old farm house on ten acres in Kansas. For budget minded construction purposes, the space was built as one big, rectangleshaped, box with a cement floor. To keep it from looking cold and impersonal or too modern, and to make the room look like it belonged with the rest of the home, I’ve tried to age the space with junk store and flea market finds. The room features four mismatched chandeliers, odds and ends pieces of old furniture that I’ve fixed up for storage, and all of my vintage supplies out on display.
www.karlascottage.typepad.com
The studio is one open room, but I’ve divided it up into different areas with the use of old doors hinged together, and large pieces of furniture back to back. I’ve also used a variety of colors to separate the areas, with faux finished walls in ivory and cream in the front of the room, where I have antique dining tables to use for parties or classes, and with pastels in the back area where I have my own, and my grand daughters’ work stations. To keep the room from being too chaotic with the various color schemes throughout, I’ve tried to tie it all together with a theme of roses.
A majority of my time is spent in the studio, and I love to have my little girls out there working with me, with our little dogs at our feet. The granddaughters have their own cabinet full of supplies, and we can while away hours creating together. The children’s work usually involves glitter paint by the bucket full, and mine revolves around my love of romantic, vintage supplies. Old, crumbling wallpaper, faded millinery blooms, and sweet ephemera are a big component of my art, and are also used in the dÊcor of the room. Old floral hats, or just the plucked flowers themselves, fill glass jars, bowls, and cabinets, while my very favorite wallpapers are patchworked onto the soffit and a door. Having the elements that I love in open view as I work, brings me joy as well as inspiration.
It is important to me that the supplies I use are easy to reach, or find. Paint brushes, markers, glues, all need to be at hand. But it is also of importance to have them displayed in a pleasing way, so I make use of old teapots, planters, and vases to hold the tools of my crafts. For items not in everyday use, I’ve collected vintage wallpaper hat boxes or drawers to tuck my valuables into. Labels help me keep track of where the treasures are hidden, and to remind me of what is waiting for me to make things with. I’ve found that “out of sight” very quickly turns to “out of mind” if I can’t see what I have stored away.
Since I live in the heartland of America, local garage sales and flea markets are full of great finds at even greater prices. It’s easy to go over board when I see a wonderful deal on things I love. My studio can overflow with too many good things if I’m not careful, so having the items on display helps keep track of my inventory. I also sell vintage supplies, as well as my artwork online in my website and my Etsy shop. For vintage supplies or my artwork, you can shop at: www.karlascottage.com or
www.etsy.com/shop/karlanathan
Throughout the year, I host workshops in the studio, or use it as a dining room for holidays. It’s easy to rearrange, set up extra folding chairs and tables so that I can seat about 30 guests. Every Spring, the room fills with students who come for my “Birdsong” art retreat, and that has led to a collection of bird themed items around the room. During Birdsong, I hang handmade birds from branches above the tables. I loved that festive look so much, that I have left the branches up year round, and now decorate them to suit the time of year, with old Shiny Brites at Christmas, lacy hearts for Valentine’s Day, etc. No matter the season, or whether I am creating, prepping for a workshop, or just coloring with the kids, walking into the room each day is like taking a step into a dream come true. I’m thrilled to have this space to call my own to fill it with the things and people that I love.
www.karlascottage.typepad.com Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/karla_nathan/
For vintage supplies or artwork, you can shop at: www.karlascottage.com or www.etsy.com/shop/karlanathan
"My little home is filled with color and pretty cottage, vintage finds. Most people who see my home say that it looks like such a happy place, and hearing that makes me very happy, as that is the intent of my home; to provide a happy, joyful space for my family. Our family of three lives in a 1940's Georgian style home. It's a cozy (i.e. definitely not huge) house, but it suits us perfectly and I actually prefer a smaller home. Over the last three years I have "cottage-ified" this house with paint, vintage and cottage style furniture, and colorful, happy accessories, both new and vintage. We have also added lovely cottage gardens to the front and back of the house. I am very influenced by English cottage style, and my very favorite place to shop and get inspiration from is British designer and shop owner Cath Kidston . You will find a lot of cute, quirky British items in my home for certain!
When not decorating my home, I am keep busy with my business, Cottage Industry, which is an online shop and also offers decorating/styling services. I specialize in the cottage, vintage look and offer items in my shop that are of that style. I learned how to crochet about 8 months ago and I absolutely love it! I am always making new crochet items for my shop from pillow covers to potholders. I also sew quite a few items for my shop as well, such as bunting and aprons.
magazine@woodberrydesigns.com.au
http://shabbyartboutique.com/magazine
Editor and Creative Director: Kerryanne English Email:
magazine@woodberrydesigns.com.au
Blog:
http://shabbyartboutique.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/WoodberryDesigns
Pinterest:
http://www.pinterest.com/woodberrydesign
Google+:
https://plus.google.com/+KerryanneEnglish
Copyright: All images and content contained in Simply Shabbilicious magazine are covered by International Copyright Law. Reproduction of any part of this magazine without prior written permission is prohibited.
Credit: The gorgeous graphics used in the designing of this magazine are by Raspberry Road Designs. Š Susan Darter, Raspberry Road Designs 2014. All Rights Reserved.
http://raspberryroaddesigns.net
With sincere thanks to the following people for their contribution to this issue of
Simply Shabbilicious magazine Anita – Cedar Hill Farmhouse: http://www.cedarhillfarmhouse.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CedarHillRanch Ewa - Minty House: http://mintyhouse.blogspot.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MintyHouse Karla – Karla’s Cottage: http://karlascottage.typepad.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarlasCottage Stacey – Cottage Industries: http://cottageindustryinteriorshop.com/blogs/news Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cottageindustryinterior Christine – Curried Cantaloupe: http://www.curriedcantaloupe.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/curriedcantaloupe Angie – Knick of Time: http://knickoftime.net/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KnickofTime
Kristy – Life n Reflection: http://www.lifenreflection.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LifenreflectionBoutique