She Shed Dreams

 I so intended to create my She Shed this Summer. I envision a bright space created using recycled materials. I have been collecting antique doors and windows for the exterior for my oasis.

Creating a place fit for a queen for the day! Fresh fruit, croissants and freshly squeezed juice served on an old vintage silver tray  sounds divine.  

Mostly creams and white accented with wood tones (worn and aged, of course) will give the inside a vintage hideaway retreat. Will keep collecting antique furniture and architectural pieces and shoot for next year!

thanks for visiting!

A healing weekend

Spent most of my time in bed this weekend, healing from an outpatient procedure that

wore me out,

 but, feeling much better now.

Cocooned under my canopy ( above) I rested and read my newest Aunt Dimity series book,

Have you read any of Nancy Atherton's books take place in the Cotswold's of England?

link is here to her books: http://www.aunt-dimity.com/

When Krumpet, my yorkie, was not on the bed with me, he rested right where you see him here!

also added new items to my Shop, 

shameless promoting, yes.

link is here: http://braytoncottage.com/Cottage shop.

looking out into my living room (above)  forced me to start thinking about dressing the room up for Fall... 

My homestead, (above) all dressed up.

looking forward to the holiday weekend. Have not dressed for the fall yet.

Have a great week.

Karen

* top image from Google

all other images are mine of my Brayton Homestead

Book away the summer

My living room's books have company with another

 dog under glass.

You may remember my dogs under glass cloche on a 

silver tray on my coffee table...

This is my favorite dog figurine of all. It may be a copy of the

RCA dog.

Surrounded by paperweights, a pleasant vignette it make,

hope you enjoyed !

Karen 

So excited and honored to be featured at 

THE DEDICATED HOUSE.

check out her beautiful blog here: Dedicated House

Bedroom mantle for summer

These hot days are perfect for relaxing. My chaise lounge calls me 

when I want to read but do not want to unmake my bed.

The bedroom is visible from the parlor so I try to keep it made up. 

clearly I am not using the bedroom fireplace in this weather

 but is always nice to look at.

A vintage hat I bought on Etsy for a wedding I attended a

and  was also the wedding planner, accompanies 

a handmade deer box and vintage candlesticks and candle followers.

An etching I created of my son, pillows I made of leftover fabrics

and a huge tapestry pillow fill the corner...

thanks for visiting the homestead,

always appreciate the visit.

I am so grateful and flattered to have my last post featured at the beautiful

blog

IVY AND ELEPHANTS

thank you Paula!

My Spring Homestead Table

My Spring brunch table, tea with a nest? My Mom and Dad's 25th anniversary coffee pot, now an antique is one of my favorite possession.

Bead springs make perfect egg holders, no the eggs are decorative only, but I guess your could polyurethane them. Um, my next project! Piled up vintage linens and burlap jumbled  are nest like too...

Raffia and lace everywhere!

Rustic and elegant materials just belong together!

Enjoy,

Karen

Ode to School Vacation week

This is my ODE TO SCHOOL VACATION week.

From my years of teaching art I fondly remember how much I loved the vacations! These are items past, present and those to be listed from my Brayton Cottage. To those  in the midst of it, enjoy...

Karen

Time...

Whites cast rich reflections, 

enhance textures and exude warmth... 

An ivory handled pocketknife in the shape of a ladies' shoe...

and a Bakelite terrier amid vintage textiles

all at the

BRAYTON COTTAGE!

Linking with:

KNICK OF TIME

MARTHA'S FAVORITES

ROSE CHINTZ COTTAGE

FADED CHARM

COMMON GROUND

THE CHARM OF HOME

sorry for any confusion, I have 2 Brayton Cottage shops

one on Etsy- Brayton Cottage 

and my own.com- Brayton Cottage 

thanks,

Karen

Brayton Cottage

Thank you to my blogging friends for your excitement and purchases on my new 

Brayton Cottage shop.

Sales have been so good I needed to order scarves of all three colors.

The ivory color especially, so easy to wear, I have mine on nearly every day and I have a closet full of other scarves!

Antiques and collectibles are doing very well too.

new items like this lampshade above still need to be added to the shop...

come say hi 

and stay tuned for a giveaway?

thanks

Karen

New Collage, New venture

You may already know that I love to make collages. Not having Photoshop or another great picture editing program, I use Picture it that came with my computer. It has limitations, yet it works. 

Photos represent items have available at my new shop, 

Brayton Cottage

braytoncottage.com 

I am so thrilled to be a sponsor on the beautiful blog

French Country Cottage,

thank you Courtney!

check out her lovely blog party that I am linked with.

Karen

Sunlight and color

Shopping in Paris part two

I know just where I would love to go again in Paris... 

where I want to dine...

with someone very special... 

how I would dine...

and what I would select...

always prepared for a day, at least, 

for casual shopping...

and what I would purchase.

More elegant shopping, 

wait, what in Paris is not elegant?

a splurge of a lifetime...

my retreat at the end of a Paris pink day, and coming back to the apartment with

more drawings to add to the wall that I sketched that day....

Ready to go?

Karen

all pics from Brayton Interiors on Pinterest

I am in Christies Auction House Catalog!

Yes, My Brayton Homestead, circa 1796 is in

CHRISTIE'S  AUCTION CATALOG!

A very lovely woman from Christie's Auction house in

LONDON

contacted me that she has seen old pictures of the homestead on my blog and that Christies would be auctioning a table that was traced to have sat in the my house for over a hundred years.

was I thrilled that she asked if she could include a photograph of the Brayton Homestead.

This is the one I sent her.

Here is the gorgeous table that will be auctioned on January 20th. It had been on exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of art in 2005. I am  mentioned along with Brayton Homestead Interiors in the subtitle. I am still pinching myself, how exciting, do you agree?

thanks,

Karen

love it you had a moment to help me choose a header for my new online shop in last post, thanks...