The Living Room

I should be blogging about our Christmas decor.  Except we don't have anything yet!
Instead, I'm just going to share our new living room since it's one of the few rooms that feels done.

Luckily, when we moved in, our furniture fit perfectly.

There wasn't much to do here but paint the walls a neutral cream that matched the existing woodwork like I did in the dining room.

Here is the before photo.  

Thank goodness, the floor is in really good shape. although I did have it buffed and a new coat of polyurethane was added.

I considered having bookshelves custom built on either side of the fireplace, mainly because there were built-ins originally, based on the floor patch.

Instead, I ordered two matching bookcases from Restoration Hardware.

We have so many books, so these were clearly a necessity!

I had fun organizing our books and staging the cabinets with favorites objects.

The fireplace mantel is a work in progress.

I had the electrician install the sconces because this room needs all the light it can get.

I can't quite commit to hanging the paintings yet.

This room is constantly evolving.

Adding books, candles, pillows, as well as rearranging here and there.

Here is the room right after we moved in....

....here it is now.  

I just keep layering!

So glad I saved the draperies from the San Francisco house as they work perfectly in both the living and dining room.

We actually use this room!  It's cozy and that's what we like.

What's next?

I'm currently working on converting the fireplace to gas so we can sit in here by the fire during the winter months.

Hopefully, I'll get around to decking the halls before Christmas!

Collecting My Thoughts

 The problem with being a collector is that eventually it all must be dealt with, either when you downsize into a smaller home or apartment, or later on when your family must absorb it or sell it.

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about collections and what to do with them when the time comes to move into a smaller home.

I have helped my mother-in-law downsize four times already so you would think I would be an expert at it.

When she sold her large family home which was packed with collections and furniture, I helped her downsize to a two bedroom condo.  Several years later, she entered a retirement home and downsized again--this time to a studio apartment the size of my living room.

 Then last year, she fell and broke her leg and I had to take out rugs, chairs and clutter to make her room safe and easy to maneuver a walker.

Bless her heart, she still has some of her Belleek and Hummels that she collected over the years.

They are part of her and they make her happy!

I inherited some of her Belleek and have enjoyed using it.  It has sentimental value and I don't think I can ever sell it or donate it.

Which brings me to my point.

Downsizing in the near future and what to do with all my stuff, plus my mother-in-law's stuff, plus my grandma's stuff, plus my grown children's stuff.

You get the idea...

My name is Delores and I'm a collector.

Is there a 12 step program for that?

Step one: Do not buy more stuff!

Do not add anymore to your collections.

Ok, I can do that because I'm truly ready to downsize.

I look forward to narrowing down my collections to what is really important to me, to keep something either for its sentimental value or because I simply love it.

Books are the one thing I refuse to get rid of though!  

I envision our next house with built-in bookshelves just waiting for my book collection!

As we prepare for the inevitable job of a future downsize, I am being mindful of the stuff in my life and look forward to decluttering, organizing and simplifying our home.

And so the process begins!

The Books At Boxwood House

"A room without books is like a body without a soul."  ~Cicero

I couldn't agree more.  One can design a room with fabulous wallcoverings, luxurious fabrics and elegant antiques, but if it doesn't contain books, then something is missing.

 When staying at The Boxwood House, I had time to notice all the details in the house.  There are many, but what really stood out were all the books in every room. 

Oh, and glasses!  Every nightstand and side table had a stack of books and a pair of reading glasses.

Many of the books in the dining room are about San Francisco or California and its history.

For those guests visiting from another state or country, this would be fascinating.

I find it fascinating and I live here!

There are books about the 1906 earthquake, books about the gold rush, books about the wine country...

...and books about Abraham Lincoln.

The owners of The Boxwood House are obviously interested in history, both local and American history and have been collecting books for years.

How wonderful to have a place to lovingly display them.

For a home that isn't lived in day to day and used as a vacation rental, the books have given it warmth and also a soul. 

 

As I wondered around during my stay, noticing all the details of this home, so beautifully decorated and curated, I imagined other guests staying here, enjoying the view, enjoying special events with friends and enjoying life. 

I thought, The Boxwood House truly represents all things home!

"Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience:  this is the ideal life."  ~Mark Twain

The Ultimate List For 2014: #4 Read More

As a self-proclaimed "bibliomaniac," I have no issue with number four on the Ultimate List.

As long as I can remember, I've been an avid reader.  

We moved around a lot when I was a child, so books became my refuge, my loyal friends.

"I was raised among books, making invisible friends in pages that seemed cast from dust and whose smell I carry on my hands to this day."  ~Carlos Ruiz Zafon

However, reading hasn't been as much of a priority in the last couple of years, likely due to the time I spend on the computer.  

Even belonging to a book club hasn't inspired me like it used to.  

Don't get me wrong, we've read some wonderful books and I've enjoyed them, but I used to read at least a book a week before.

That is all going to change in 2014!

"It is likely I will die next to a pile of things I was meaning to read."  ~Lemony Snicket

In fact, I'm on a roll right now!

I read an interesting article which led me to an amazing book that I read, which led me to another similar book which I'm reading, which will lead me to a book that is sitting, waiting for me to read.

Kind of a trilogy if you will about a subject I never would have been interested in.  North Korea...

"The more you read, the more things you will know.  The more that you learn, the more places you will go."  ~Dr. Seuss

That's the thing with books.
They inspire us, they educate us, they open up our minds to worlds we could never know about otherwise...


...they take us back in time or into the future.
To lands across the ocean or out in space.

An adventure is awaiting.

Just open the page!

If you're also looking to read more in 2014, I have a few recommendations to get you started.

"One sure window into a person's soul is his reading list."  ~Mary Tabor

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt is a big, juicy, ambitious novel that I could not put down.

It was our last R.E.A.D. Bookclub choice, and it held me until the very end.  Amazon named it the Number One Book in 2013!

I just finished this amazing book about the only person born in a North Korean concentration camp who escaped and lived to tell about it.

I normally do not read non-fiction, but this man's story of survival is amazing.

I'm in the middle of this one.  Another non-fiction, it's a book about ordinary people trying to survive in North Korea.

It's a great supplement to the book above.

 

This book is waiting for me to read.

A Pulitzer Prize winning novel about, you guessed it, North Korea.

And finally, this is our current R.E.A.D. Bookclub choice.

A book about ordinary lives in a fictitious Colorado town.

I'm finding it very boring, but am hanging it there.

Perhaps, the lives depicted here pale in comparison to the lives I'm reading about in "Nothing To Envy."

 Now I want to hear your recommendations.
What books are on your nightstand, waiting to be read?

Do you also want to read more books in 2014?

Well then, let's do it!

Libraries of the Rich and Famous

This enormous and beautiful library belongs to Karl Lagerfeld, proving that celebrities can be bookworms too!

A follower and friend of Vignette Design sent me these photos since I have been on the subject of books lately.

I just had to share.

I love this photo of Frank Sinatra enjoying a good book in his library.

Of course, Oprah has a beautiful library!

Diane Keaton's is very interesting, don't you think?

This is Woody Allen's library. I would love to sneak a peek at what is on his book shelves!

Joan Rivers' book shelves.

Greta Garbo's looks like it is just for show.

My favorite celebrity library though is Jimmy Stewart's.

Just gorgeous! I don't think I would ever leave this room!

What's your favorite?