Creating a New Old House

Kay Stanley and Curt Seymour referenced history and built a brand-new Daufuskie Island house that looks as if it has endured centuries of salty air and sandy feet.

"In this wonderful book, widely acclaimed architect Russell Versaci tells the reader how to capture the character of an old house in a new house, tailored for today's needs. The author, who is well known for this sort of designing, starts out with his "Eight Pillars of Traditional Design", and then shows you how to put them into practice. Taking eighteen houses found throughout the country (and reflecting the traditional regional style), he uses a combination of brightly colorful pictures and highly informative text to take you around and through the houses, giving you an insiders look into what was done and why.

Having grown up in an old house, I have always found the boxy/characterless/styleless post-World War 2 houses to be nothing short of depressing. My wife and I now own a 1916 house, and wish to add in the character that makes an old house a gem. Well, we found this book to be a great source of ideas and inspirations. If you like the style and grace of well-made older houses, and want to incorporate that style and grace into your own home, then you must read this book!"

7 Ways To Make a New (Old) House

2.) Maximize the Impact of Wood

“There is not one single sheet of drywall in the entire house,” says Kay. “Every wall and ceiling is wood plank.” To achieve a nostalgic feel, Kay and Curt held off on the gypsum wallboard and opted for natural wood, leaving the beams exposed whenever possible. “Wood brings warmth and character that simply can’t be matched by any other material,” says Kay. Whether it’s board-and-batten, beaded board, or single planks, wood guarantees instant impact, even if the budget only allows placing it on a single wall or ceiling.

The foyer’s oil-rubbed electrified kerosene lanterns were originally attached to the sides of wagons that were headed west during the gold rush.

Read all seven steps

Backyard Pizza Party

Party-Worthy Pizza

Make your own gourmet pizza in 5 steps.

1. 1. Start with Dan's Pizza Dough. Place a pizza stone or baking sheet in oven. Preheat oven to 500° for 30 minutes. Stretch dough into a 10- to 12-inch circle on a separate lightly floured baking sheet.

2. 2. Spread 1/2 cup Fresh Tomato Sauce on each dough circle.

3. 3. Top with 4 oz. of shredded, sliced, or crumbled cheese. Some favorites include Decimal Place Farm goat cheese, Atlanta Fresh Artisan Creamery's Fresh Mozzarella, and Sweet Grass Dairy's Thomasville tomme.

4. 4. Choose the toppings. Get creative by mixing and matching your favorites. Try assorted olives, fresh basil pesto, thinly sliced radishes, fresh peas, sliced fennel, spring onions, and cooked and crumbled pork sausage or ground beef.

5. 5. Season pizza with desired amount of salt and pepper. Slide pizza from baking sheet onto hot pizza stone or baking sheet in oven. Bake at 500° for 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are golden.

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Antique French Desk W/ Bookcase

We are in love with this beautiful antique French desk w/ bookcase on top. You rarely find them together like this and in such perfect condition. Such a sweet set-stop by sometime to see some of our antiques or at least just smell them...and pretend you are in France or somewhere wonderful!

Old Antique Doors

Love these old antique doors-what interesting things you could do with them. I think framing out a potting shed door or maybe around a collection of prints and old plates on a wall. The possibilities are endless you just have to use your imagination!
On another note love these soft hydrangeas-pretty any time of the year!

Summertime

Nikki Spain & Derrick Boedeker Bridal Shower

Bridal Shower Honoring Nikki Spain & Derrick Boedeker

June 25th, 2011

Shown above is Vietri Dinnerware and stainless Taos Twist...

Beautiful Linen napkins, antiqued cream clock, and other decorative accessories...

Antique Chinese washtub and small antique Chinese chair, beautiful decanter and glasses shown above...

Feel free to call us at 1-806-293-3588 to place an order and to inquire about items selected. Gifts will be wrapped and delivered to shower.

Catherine Leubner & Kirby Dunn Bridal Shower

Bridal Shower Honoring Catherine Leubner & Kirby Dunn

June 16th, 2011

Vietri aqua bowls & platter, cream dinnerware and mugs...

Feel free to call us at 1-806-293-3588 to place an order and to inquire about items selected. Gifts will be wrapped and delivered to shower.

Oprah Meets Ralph Lauren at his CO Ranch

Thank-You Oprah for interviewing Ralph Lauren today on his beautiful Colorado ranch. Enjoyed thoroughly!!! Ralph just never gets old! (Well he is getting old but he still looks dang good! And so does Ricky!)

RL Ranch Again!

Occupying some 16,000 acres beneath the snowcapped San Juan Mountains is the Double RL Ranch, the Colorado getaway of fashion designer Ralph Lauren and his wife, Ricky.
Yesterday we were all visiting about the movie "Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee" which is a great movie-thanks D'Ann. Anyway I thought I would post one of my favorite issues of Architectural Digest (Nov. 2002) Ralph Lauren The Designer’s Sprawling Double RL Ranch in Colorado. Oh what a wonderful place-to be Ralph!
-D'Ann I hope you get to see the teepee at the bottom!
The ranch includes a main lodge, three guest tepees, beyond, and several outbuildings.

Main Lodge

The living room of the fourbedroom primary structure. Pieces from the Ralph Lauren Home collection, such as the suede sofa and club chair, fill the compound’s interiors. A work by Fritz Scholder is above the fireplace. The cowboy hat on the table in the foreground once belonged to John Wayne.

Master Bedroom

In the master bedroom, concho belts and an Indian chief blanket with an American flag motif, both 1880s, hang on a ledge holding an Apache olla basket, at right. The 19th-century breastplate with mirror, at left, is believed to have come from the Blackfoot Indian tribe.

Saloon/Screening Room

Art Nouveau-style lamps illuminate a living area that lies alongside a bar and dining area. On the mantel is a photogravure, left, by Edward S. Curtis, a chronicler of Native American culture. The canoe hanging above is a Canadian birchbark. Stickley wood chairs.

Saloon/Screening Room

Leather armchairs provide comfortable seating when the couple and their guests watch movies. “Although the ranch is a work in progress, there’s a real feeling of heritage here,” says Ralph Lauren. “Everything is authentic to me—and pleasing to my eye.”

Cookhouse

The couple often use the space to serve breakfast to family, including their three children, and the cowboys working at the ranch.

Cookhouse

The terrace faces the tack house. “After 20 years here, I still notice new things, depending on the time of day,” says Ralph Lauren.

Little Bear Cabin

The interior of the cabin, which is named after two curious bear cubs that frequented the area during construction, is lined with logs from an 1880s Montana barn. An Edward S. Curtis photogravure rests on the rock fireplace’s wood mantel.

Little Bear Cabin

The mudroom serves as a storage area for leather chaps, riatas, stirrups, early snowshoes from Taos and Native American-made fishing accessories.

Little Bear Cabin

Like most of the dwellings on the property, the space is equipped with accommodations for as many as eight visitors. Before the rock wall is a 19th-century painted stepback cupboard that was found in the South. On the table is a Santo Domingo dough bowl.A 14-foot-long Airstream, which was completely refurbished by Ralph Lauren, is one of four unique theme trailers previously auctioned for charity on the polo.com website. Under a pine ceiling stands a pullout peeled-log dining table. The floor is made from salvaged barnwood. (May 2001)

Guesthouse A pair of 1960s-style butterfly chairs flank the entrance to the 1960s silver Airstream trailer the couple offer to their guests. “The interiors are redesigned in an Army-surplus style,” the designer says. A canopy over the wood-plank platform protects visitors from the elements.

Tepee A collection of Indian blankets warms the inside of one of three guest tepees, which measures 28 feet in diameter. Since they have no heating or cooling systems, the structures are used in the milder months.

Tower of Herbs

Don't miss out on fresh herbs (or pay a lot for them at the market) just because you don't have a big yard. Situate this compact herb garden in a sunny spot near the kitchen door for easy snipping.