To Tole Or Not To Tole?

Tole
/tōl/ noun
1. enameled or lacquered metalware (usually gilded and elaborately painted); popular in the 18th century

 My love affair with tole began years ago when I found this old tole fixture at an estate sale I was working in San Francisco.

It was hanging in the breakfast room of an enormous home in Pacific Heights and came with two sconces.

I was smitten!

 There were many knock-offs at the time that just didn't cut it, until I found this tole chandelier for the dining room.  

Eventually, it was replaced by a less ornate one, but this gem still hangs in the garage with the other cast-offs.

My tole obsession began to wane as I began to feel that the look was just a little too much!

Of course it's too much!

That's the point of tole...

Intricate, painted and gilded metal flowers and leaves creating a work of art.

Your opinion please.

To tole or not to tole?

That is the question!

Lighten Up And Declutter

 Do you ever feel like you have too much stuff? 

I do and have finally made a commitment to deal with it.

Last week I began the process of decluttering my house and life!

Down came the majolica plates and half of the oil paintings that I've collected over the years.

I took down the plates and the Dijon colored paint.

Tommy the Painter thinks I've flipped my lid! 

 He painted the walls Dijon over ten years ago and can't wrap his mind around my plan.  I told him to think of it as going from Dijon to Mayonnaise!

The result is a cleaner, uncluttered look.

Now I'm questioning this light fixture. 

It certainly was love at first sight but that love affair is over.

I'm looking for something less......foo foo!

 The Dijon color was at its best around the mantel as it gave a warm, cozy feel to the room.

But not so much next to the green cabinets. 

Here's the cleaned up mantel in its preliminary staging.

I like how important the black mantel looks now, much crisper and cleaner.

Lightened up and decluttered.

Stay tuned for more before and after of the kitchen as it goes from Dijon to Mayonnaise!

The Wine Stave Chandelier

We hung the wine stave chandelier all by ourselves!

Of course, no wiring was involved....

....But we did have to use a drill to repair one of the slats as well as drill a hole in the candles to fit over the spikes.

The hard part was attaching the rope and tying the knot. We stood on a chair on the table to reach the ceiling.

At first I wasn't sure about this fixture. I was afraid it was too big, but after it was hung, I realized it was what the room needed. It has presence, where the other one didn't.

Sunday morning, I am still loving the new chandelier!

Now, let's hope Big Daddy's Antiques remembers to send the wooden ball that hangs from the bottom......

I'm joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday.

Be sure to visit and see all the other participants.

Buy It!

Reese has a new word: "BUY IT!"

It was a beautiful sunny day in Alameda last Sunday--perfect flea marketing weather!

We headed across the SF Bay to the monthly Alameda Antique Fair with #1 daughter, son-in-law, and grandkids in tow, as well as her mother-in-law visiting from Colorado. It was a very fun day.

What my daughter Melissa soon found out is that you don't have your 19 month old child "try something out," if you aren't prepared to "BUY IT." Reese had a melt down when she realized she couldn't take the tricycle home. Needless to say, her mommy had to "BUY IT."

The only thing I was looking for was a pair of crusty, chippy fanback chairs for the reading room balcony. This one was too fragile and there was only one. Darn.

This was the busiest show yet. There were so many great booths too.

Big Daddy's Antiques is my favorite dealer here. He never disappoints. Just back the truck up, because you want to take everything home! I was coveting these columns!

And these wicker barstools.

Oh, be still my heart! A wine stave chandelier for candles! My heart was pounding as I knew this was a one of a kind fixture. Most of them are electric and this one would be perfect in our dining room at the Asti house. People were circling. I knew we might have to fight for it!

After much negotiations with Shane, Big Daddy himself, a deal was made and we decided to "BUY IT"

SOLD!

And so the chandelier obsession continues......

(I think I need an intervention!)

It's Outdoor Wednesday over at A Southern Daydreamer. That's where you will find me and others with our outdoor posts.

My Chandelier Obsession

I'm obsessed with chandeliers, and have quite a "collection."

So, let me introduce you to the chandeliers in my life!

Above is the crystal and tole chandelier in the dining room.

I know, it's a little over the top!

I bought it when I was in love with all things tole.

This is the French crystal chandelier in the entry. I found it at the Hillsborough Antique Show years ago. Love the crystal ball!

It's interesting that when we bought this house, there was only one chandelier--in the dining room. Everywhere else, there was a new flush mount fixture. In a 1906 house? Needless to say, it has been fun finding chandeliers and sconces to replace what we inherited.

I found this vintage Italian tole chandelier at an estate sale in San Francisco. It is perfect for the sunroom.

In the guest bedroom hangs this chandelier which I refinished myself.

It used to be brass until I spray painted it white!

My obsession with chandeliers also includes sconces. Especially ones dripping with crystals like this one in the living room.

In the kitchen, this tole basket chandelier hangs over the table.

And this little vintage fixture hangs over the kitchen sink, casting an amber glow.

This is the iron pot rack fixture over the kitchen island, dressed in little vintage provencal fabric shades.

In the upstairs hallway hangs this lantern that we found while antiquing in the wine country on New Year's Day. It replaced the existing fixture which now hangs in the new "reading room."

Speaking of the wine country: here is an over sized lantern that hangs in our living room in Asti. It came with the house, and I do like it. However, I feel there is another one that is waiting to be discovered.

The room is wired for an electric chandelier, but we opted for candlelight instead. Here is son-in-law Jason doing the honors of lighting the candles.

How romantic!

Even the sconces are candlelit.

This is what I'm really in love with now: This big burlap pendent hanging over the kitchen island. You can read about how we installed it here.

There are even more chandeliers in the garage! I bought them at flea markets, estate sales or junk stores for resell back in the day when I was an antique dealer. This one is a vintage tole piece that I hope to someday find a place for.

This funky little one was an Ebay find. I originally thought of putting this in a powder room. However, it needs rewiring so it sits in the garage waiting ....

This poor chandelier is French and used to hang over the kitchen table until I replaced it with the basket tole piece. It's now a reject!

Which brings us to this one: my header picture.

Yep, it's also boxed up in my garage waiting....

I think about hanging it in the dining room, creating a simpler look.

The best part about it is the crystals. They are acid washed to create the opaque look seen here. The body is a dark green. It needs to be rewired and there isn't any chain or cap.

It would be a project.

Can you see it in the dining room? With a white linen chain cover?

As I mentioned a few days ago, Kim at Savvy Southern Style gave me an award!

I was so flattered! She asked that I come up with seven facts about myself. So in the spirit of the award, here goes:

1. I grew up in Oregon, living the first 28 years there until moving to California for the second 28 years.
2. My husband and I have four grown children. Only one still in college. We also have two little granddaughters. And one dog!
3. Gardening is one of my passions. I love creating gardens for my friends and clients that are easy to take care of and won't cost a fortune to do. I'm lucky to have a wonderful gardener friend, Martin who has helped me with my projects since 1985!
4. I used to be an antique dealer. I had a space in an antique mall for years but retired a few years ago when Ebay got so big. It is in my blood though, and will eventually get another space or storefront so I can sell all that stuff in my garage!
5. Flea marketing and antiquing are one of my favorite things to do. I'm lucky that Mr. A enjoys the thrill of the hunt too. I'm very excited that in a few weeks, I'm going to Roundtop, Texas with three of my dear friends.
6. Travel is another passion of mine. My favorite place in the whole world is the South of France! Second is Italy.
7. My biggest passion is Interior Design. I've always loved change, and enjoy the creative process of creating warm, inviting rooms for myself and others. Even when I was a child, I rearranged my bedroom and my parent's living room constantly! I was always painting something or sewing something. Or drawing house plans! What can I say?

Thank you again Kim for the Beautiful Blogger Award! I will be sure to pass it on!

I'm linking to Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday. She has a new look for her blog and it's beautiful! Stop by, have a look, and

read the other participants and what they have to share.