Saturday, December 5, 2015

A Country Homestead Christmas


My Homestead front door is completed; do you like it? 


Inspired by my recent visits to Colonial Williamsburg, I kept the decorations simple and authentic!


So fortunate that the woodwork is original, circa 1796. Fresh greens, red berries and a Tartan plaid ribbon bow is all that is needed at the Brayton Homestead!
  

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Presented at FORT ADAMS, my 2nd fashion show



Hi,  I am excited to tell you that my Brayton Homestead Collection of clothing I designed was featured in another fashion show! The setting was perfect for my military style presentation at the famous FORT ADAMS in Newport, Rhode Island. I am just back for vacation (after the show) so I will post more photographs later.
thanks for visiting the homestead,
Karen



Sunday, April 5, 2015

Published in Country Sampler magazine 1 year ago!


I cannot believe it has been a year since my home, the Brayton Homestead, was published in Country Sampler Magazine! Boy does time fly. It seems like yesterday that Fifi O'Neil, the fantastic stylist and author of Prairie Style was here!


The house, built in 1796, has most of the original woodwork. These pictures are of one of the rooms, the bedroom, that was featured. The kitchen and sitting room were also in the magazine. Yes, I love pink, chenille and pillows!


Another wall in the bedroom has the original fireplace with  my favorite wood work in the house. Painting detailed woodwork in an off white shows off all the curves. I love mixing shades of pink and maroons with brown to keep the colors grounded. My favorite vintage leopard hats adorn the mantle along with an angel watercolor I painted. Symmetry on the mantle works here in a room that is off- centered with a door and a chaise lounge.


Thanks for coming to the Homestead. Hoping you enjoyed  pictures from Country Sampler Magazine!

Karen
thanks for visiting friends!

linking with:

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Chartreuse , Tapestry & Recycled Wood



Thank you for visiting Brayton Homestead. Our homestead was built in 1796 and it a wonderful home to live in. Rich textures and materials create a a warm and inviting feeling. Hope you enjoy the tour of our front entrance. 


The front door entry,circa 1796, boasts original wide pine floor boards, antiques, tapestry and lots of the color chartreuse.  I found this Victorian rocker with it's tapestry upholstery at an antique auction. The background color of the tapestry inspired all the hall's collectibles. The pillows are made from old carpets. Mixing patterned textiles is one of my decorating signatures in my design business. 


Upon entering the hallway there are doors on either side to enter formal parlors. Straight ahead is a stairway that leads up to the second floor bedrooms. Two old white chippy corbels sit at the edge of the stairs. They break up all the wood tones while adding color and texture. I love adding recycled architectural salvage to any space.
    

More chartreuse! More tapestry! I had the corner cabinet made from old floor boards from another part of the house that were too damaged to repair. That is very unusual at the Homestead, we save and restore everything, but these boards were too damaged and weak. We recycled them to have a new life as a piece of furniture.


Vaseline glass pieces, Kewpie dolls, a bird's nest and photographs all mingle together, inspired by one color! 


You never know where your decorating inspiration may come from, here it was a tapestry rocker. I added an old footstool near and a tapestry throw for more texture and pattern.  I love the bohemian, yet Victorian look a mix of textiles create.


Inspiration is everywhere! Explore and enjoy
and
Thank you for visiting the Brayton Homestead!

Karen

Linking with :



Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Do you love to PUTTER?



Do you love to “PUTTER” around your home, apartment or room? I do. My homestead living room is the perfect room to putter. Puttering to me is rearranging your decorating items to please your sensibilities at that moment. My circa 1796 is always easy to change things around in. Perhaps because the room's style is English Cottage. In an English home you might expect to see family treasures that have been passed down through the generations all together.


“ Puttering is really a time to be alone, to dream and get back in touch with yourself… To putter is to discover."  Alexandra Stoddard 



No matter what or where your personal space is, I think "puttering" is rearranging your belongings to create a space that reflects your needs and wants at that time. “ 


Rearranging personal mementos, creating a floral arrangement, switching lamps and art work ,  makes us decide on what is important to us at that time.  I use a small bureau in my living room as an end table. Here I placed it in front of my window.  Sometimes I use it as a nightstand.
 Anywhere I place it , the bureau gives me additional storage, a great trick for small spaces where space is limited.


My collection of glass paperweights, vintage and new art pieces, sparkle with the light behind them. Old books and a ceramic piece my sister made spoke to me to be together. 
  


So go ahead and putter. When you move your favorite things to another room or give it another purpose you appreciate and love it even more. You can always move things back where they were. 
So can ahead and PUTTER!

Linking with these blogs:
Have a Daily Cup of Mrs Olson
Elizabeth & Co.
Kathe with an E
Ivy & Elephants
The Dedicated House
From my Back Porch to Yours


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Monday, February 9, 2015

RED CHECKS are so in! Happy Valentines Day


Happy Valentine's Day friends!
Have you noticed that red checks are in style right now? They are especially so in Country Living magazine, my favorite magazine. So Brayton Homestead Interiors is right in style! 
I have always wanted to create a "STAY CALM" poster; so here it is! I If you have visited my blog before you know that I love red checks. I am sharing some red check pictures from older blog posts and Pinterest , enjoy..


Here at the Homestead we celebrate all holidays with red checks. Krumpet, my yorkie, relaxes in style on his own check cushion. Checks items are available in so many stores now so it was easy to coordinate his dog bed into our kitchen. He is always ready to pose for the camera!


Red checks match my country kitchen decor, but tI have always loved them-they say old fashion gatherings to me. I like the fact that checks have a homespun look that reads no fuss. My new red check mason jar lids add extra charm to selecting a tea bag .... 


Roosters rule on my Homestead spring time table, here set for light lunch with my sisters and friends. Old glass bottles that I collected hold an hydrangea at each setting... 


A vintage cake mold in the shape of a lamb boasts a red check bow tie made from check ribbon. I layered the table first with a check tablecloth  then added vintage crochet pieces on top. My antique coffee pot with it's matching sugar and creamer have wonderful red Bakelite handles,  I think it makes the set extra special.


Here, I placed my cookies in red check bags for our Christmas time cookie exchange. I painted checks then glittered a small wood sleigh that centers my table .,. Boy,  I could eat a gingerbread cookie right now..


The Fourth of July was not left out from the red check love!  My dad's old tackle box became a holder for fresh flowers and flags. I just had a tuck in some fabric; you guessed it, red check !


I just purchased these red check cupcake liners from Sweet Estelle. I saw them featured in Country Living Magazine recently. I am sure I will be ordering more as red checks are always present here. 



I am thrilled to be featured at Cozy Little House blog party!

Thank you for visiting Brayton Homestead
and HAPPY VALENTINES DAY
Karen

(all pictures are from Brayton Homestead blog and Pinterest except for cupcake liners)

Linking with these great blogs: 



Monday, January 26, 2015

Skates, my favorite winter door accent


We are anticipating over a foot of snow here in Massachusetts. We expect that at least once a season in New England, but that does not mean we welcome it. It is charming to look out the homestead windows.But someone has to shovel it!  In this post I am sharing some older pics where I decorated the homestead with ice skates. My go- to winter icon in decorating my doors is vintage skates. My front door here boasts black skates with a plaid scarf , silver balls and silver stars. The silver reflects nicely with a spot light directed on it. 


I painted these skates picturing a snowman on a blustery day for my friend for Christmas a few years ago.A bit of fur and glitter sparkle placed in front of the fireplace. 


I am not a gifted skater but plan to try it again this winter. I should probably stick with watching the skating competitions, but am going to try.


Here, I simply added big red pompoms to the white skates. They remind me of  the red fur pompoms I had on my skates as a girl. A little fake snow was attached with a glue gun and accented with red check ribbon bow. A great bonus for decorating with ice skates is that you can keep them up all season long.
Stay warm and
thank you for visiting the homestead.

Karen

Linking with these great blogs:

Friday, January 16, 2015

BLOG DECORATING CHALLENGE




I was asked to take a BLOG CHALLENGE with the great online store, CHAIRISH. The challenge was to create an inspiration board around one of their vintage furniture pieces. To my delight there were many painted/ distressed beauties that I love ! Their vintage painted furniture perfectly reflects my decorating style at my own home, the Brayton Homestead, as well as being a furnishing accent I incorporate into many of my client's home at Brayton Homestead Interiors.




There were so many fantastic painted cupboards to choose from.  As I had recently presented my recycled jean skirts in a fashion show at the East Bay Chamber of Commerce in Warren R.I., I was drawn toward furniture with a faded denim patina!
  Doesn't this cabinet remind you of your favorite blue jeans?



 Here I am at the end of the fashion show wearing one of my plaid skirts with a lace insert and gold tone buttons purchased from my trip to Williamsburg . I walked with a handsome and sweet male model wearing my designs. I made the ascot  and cuffs he is wearing and accessorized a vintage jacket with an authentic tricorn hat and reproduction haversack. In the pixture in the top right corner on the inspiration board, a young female model struts her style in another of my one of a kind jean skirt designs with a vintage blue stripe fabric bottom with trim. 


Pictures left to right.
row 1:  1. mirror from Chairish, 2. my pic from Williamsburg, 3. flag chest from Chairish, 4. model in Brayton Cottage show,
Bottom row 2 : 1.cabinet  from Chairish, 2. Elle Decor and shirt Google.  


Not to mention my farmhouse, the Brayton Homestead, circa 1796, has many painted furnishings. It is full with red, white and blue tones, especially checks. .(This picture was of my kitchen in Country Sampler magazine this year.)


Small patina pieces are easy to be found (some  in my online shop) but it is harder to find larger pieces. My dream family room (below)  would contain many perfectly worn furnishings.  Vintage furniture adds a warmth to any space. Here, blues, gold and lots of comfort!



Crazy for this carpet too, also from Chairish; bold in color but still soft in tone and pattern. Both the chair and carpet are now on my wish list.

Red always make me smile, I hope that is the feeling when big red gates welcome visitors 
to my homestead ;they never fail to get noticed. 



So, what inspires your decorating ? 
Family, home, patina, color and texture inspire me. 
Distressed pieces take the worry out of a ding or scratch ruining your furniture. They make it more loved and comfortable -like your favorite pair of go-to  jeans! Entertain and welcome  your family and friends into your homestead, and enjoy!

Thank you CHAIRISH  for presenting me with this blog challenge
and
Thank you for visiting the homestead
Karen
   



Thursday, January 1, 2015

A Beautiful & Exciting 2014!


WHAT A FANTASTIC YEAR!!
2014 brought great family time, national recognition of my interior design work, 
my clothing in a fashion show and a class reunion 


Of course I must start out with the most important things, the ones I love. 
Here, my handsome and loving son Doyle with our yorkie, Krumpet. 
This year also brought a significant other to my life, more love! 


The recycled clothing, mostly skirts that I design , make and sell on on my online store, BRAYTON COTTAGE,  were part of a fashion show with 2 other designers. I presented the show with a revolutionary era  look inspired from my recent trips to Williamsburg; also the theme for Christmas decorating this year.
                                                               Yes, a wonderful year!
                                                Thank you for visiting the Homestead,
                                                                          Karen