Which Comes First…..The Chicken or the Coop?

We’ve entered the “dog days of summer” and don’t I know it.  My dog Daisy refuses to take her usual long morning walk and as such, I can feel the cellulite building on my thighs!  Clients go on vacation, manufacturers shut down their plants and time seems to stand still in a haze of high temperatures and humidity.  As I sit in front of of the AC vent fanning myself, my mind turns to the future.  I don’t fantasize about becoming rich and famous, starring in my own design reality show or getting the cover of House Beautiful!  I dream about raising chickens on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, living in a country home; living a country life and having the most gorgeous chicken coop in the Mid-Atlantic.  Here’s my dream coop, courtesy of William Sonoma Agrarian.  I think it’s so great, I may not wait for the chickens and just order it now!

The Three R’s

Reduce, reuse, recycle.  Words to live by and I do my best to reduce my waistline, reuse last night’s leftovers and recycle my now vintage designer clothes.  But I digress- you can follow the three Rs in all facets of home decorating too, from adding a fresh paint color too overly formal mahogany hand-me-downs to recovering a favorite chair to cutting down an oversized flea market rug to fit a smaller space.  If buying or installing new, look for the three Rs in flooring, furniture and building essentials:


This reclaimed vintage newel post really makes this small foyer!

 

My source for reclaimed wood is Second Chance in Baltimore, MD.

 

Don’t have time to look around for reclaimed wood?

O.co sells reclaimed items like this rustic side table, and you can’t beat their $2.95 shipping!

 

Decorating Small Spaces

Wow, this takes “apartment living” to a whole new level.  Click here to take a look at Christian Schallert‘s 258 square foot Barcelona apartment: a former pigeon loft re-envisioned by designer Barbara Appolloni.

Need more ideas for decorating a small space?  I have a few suggestions for you