The Humble Bungalow Below the stairs...

Greetings from The Humble Bungalow.
I took a very short blog break and I'm back...

In a recent post on wall treatments I showed pictures of the original dark wood interior of our arts and crafts home.
Stephen Andrew mentioned that he'd be tempted to paint the interior of our Humble Bungalow white and I have to admit that if it were up to just me I'd be wielding a white paintbrush.

Architect, Milo S Farwell designed our small home over 100 years ago...
it is a modest, small and very humble abode.
There is a historic value in these wee arts and crafts bungalows and many are being demolished in favour of larger homes. So restoration and preservation, with a nod to the integrity of the period seems appropriate...we updated the kitchen and bathrooms in the style but with new fixtures and appliances.
Our home is on the Heritage Registry which means that it can never be demolished.

We must take care to maintain the home and can apply for grants to help with big projects...
we did this with our roof and plan to apply for a grant to help pay for the painting that it so badly needs.

The interior of the living, and dining rooms of our home have also been designated heritage...
so I would not be permitted to paint them white!
In our basement it's a different matter, we went with white white and more white!!!

The quartz counter top in the laundry area.

Vintage enamel bread tin and colander.

The tools are black and white too...

this duo sports a touch of lime.

The bench by the door with an oar...

The LG washer and dryer are pewter grey and the floor tile is a mottled black.

(my goodness! I spy tan lines from my flip flops)

A basic black bamboo dress hangs to dry.

This hall would be very dark if it was not for the white walls.

You can see the guest room at the end of the hall.

The bathroom has a white tiled floor with black accents.

The bathroom shelf which I purchased at HomeSense.

Vintage mirror that I found on the boulevard...

Someones trash is someones treasure!

I threw in this picture of a black and white pillow that we have on our linen slip covered sofa in the family room.

I bought a new Cut Loose white top at Roche Harbour Resort .

We recently cruised to San Juan Island in Washington State, for a few days aboard our Sea Ray.

(Isla, our darling grand daughter is the artist behind the picture)

BTW grand baby number 3 is due any day now...

I am excited to meet the new little girl.

I'll be putting together a pictorial post of Roche Harbour sometime soon...

it's such a pretty spot and I'd like to share it with you.

In case you didn't know it's a destination for weddings.

Apparently there are over 120 weddings held in the garden every year.

While we were there for 5 days we noted 3 weddings were held in the gardens.

Loved the dreamy white gowns that the brides wore...

one wedding had 4 brides maids and they all wore white gowns and carried bouquets of white roses they looked so elegant...

It's time to relax and brew a pot of tea.

Until next time...

thank you for stopping by.

South of Paris ~ Auvillar.

After 2 fun filled weeks in Paris I headed south on the IDTGV to Agen... where I was met by friends and driven to the charming Village of Auvillar.

The quaint and beautiful Village of Auvillar is where our good friends John and Cheryl stay as host and hostess of the Virginia College of the Arts for artists staying in residence while working in France. This is the historic house that they reside in and it is so cozy that I can see why they want to return every year.

The 11th century Chapel next door...

The Romans influence is still evident today.

Colourful shutters...

Town square...

where grain was sold and traded.

Cheryl's garden shed...

What a lovely place to call home.

An elderly woman lives here...

I waited until she went inside before snapping this photo as I didn't want to be intrusive.

Lovely gates...

gorgeous gardens inside....

Loving the paint on the shutters and doors...

Outdoor Chapel....

Cheryl Fortier and the local school children collaborated on this Auvillar mural...

Pilgrims walk this route on their way to Spain.

Dining al fresco...

Cheryl Fortier is a very talented artist.

I love her boat series...

There were beautiful plants growing in the lush village gardens.

I walked every day and wove my way up the hill into town snapping pictures as I delighted in capturing the beauty of this wee Village.

I'll post a series in a few days of images on the flowers and roses that captured my fancy...

The Ugly Truth ~ Embracing Imperfection

Are you living a "perfectly imperfect" life...
I wasn't quite sure what that meant and you too may well ask what is perfectly imperfect?

The Urban dictionary offers this definition ~ "when someone has strong feelings for you they may tell you that you're "perfectly imperfect" basically saying that they accept your flaws, they like you enough that they see past your insecurities, a way of saying that you're perfect to them."

Our front porch is looking cheerful, almost pretty...but do not look too close!

These touches are meant to be a distraction as our front stairs are falling apart and the house paint is peeling.

We have several projects on our do list...but for now we must embrace the imperfections.

Is your home orderly, perfectly maintained and tastefully decorated?

Is there a sense of order or do you prefer disorder?

Are you a minimalist or do you subscribe to the "more is better" way of living?

I read with great interest Ellie's recent post about decorating and I am in awe of people who live in homes that look like they have been staged for a magazine shoot...

Our 100+ year old arts and crafts bungalow is imperfect and has many flaws.

The flaws are obvious, some even glaring.

Not unlike the face of an older woman...there are spots, wrinkles and laugh lines ~ evidence of the aging process.

"Nature gives you the face you have at twenty; it is up to you to merit the face you have at fifty."

~ Coco Chanel ~

Our home is small and is steeped in the arts and crafts style.

We opted for small scaled mission oak furniture and have collected many pieces of original old hand hammered copper pieces and vintage arts and crafts pottery.

First Nations baskets and Ojibwa duck decoys round out our collection.

Most of the wool rugs are new as are the window treatments.
With the exception of our two linen slip covered love seats and our bed all of the pieces are originals from the period from 1912 -1918.
I suppose you might call it "museum style decorating" because the pieces have their original patina and are worn, marked and distressed from years of use.

Two lamps are new, the rest are originals from Water Glass Studios.

This vintage chair was a boulevard freebie...

I carried it home and painted it then distressed it for effect.

It's been on our front porch for several years.

This tool box was treated to a coat of paint and distressed...

It often holds pots of geraniums in the summer and pine cones in the winter.

Check out those muddy footprints..."someone" needs to wash the porch!

This chair was a freebie too...

if you look closely you can you see the imperfections.

"Optimism - the doctrine or belief that everything is beautiful, including what is ugly."

~ Ambrose Bierce ~

"I never saw an ugly thing in my life: for let the form of an object be what it may,
- light, shade, and perspective will always make it beautiful."

                                                             ~ John Constable ~