hey there friends! confession time. i had a neglected space @ the top of our stairs. it was home to a wall that i stopped painting half way thru. a light that was left by the electrician to be "temporary". a linen closet that lacked a door. not to mention the "easy" curtain treatment i had envisioned for it. so for those of you with those seemingly endless to do lists...don't lose hope. it only took me {7} years to replace that temporary light!
as the title indicates...this space was our hallway. a passage between the bedroom, bath and office. i wore blinders in this area. though it became increasingly harder to pass off the unfinished projects to guests as "work in progress" as each year passed. so rather than make one more excuse in regards to my lack of progress....i took charge and got to work!
out came the paint. barely enough left from the first round to squeak by. but i made do. then i brought together elements already in my possession to create an eclectic vignette @ the top of our stairs. here's a peek @ that...
some of you may recall the chick brooder / now mirror {above}. it graced my cottage @ shady hollow one summer. then i tempted everyone by hanging it up @ my event a couple years ago. it always sported my "EYE CANDY...NOT FOR SALE" tag. because i just couldn't part with it. and then i realized i had the perfect spot the whole time! my empty "passage"!
and it looks right @ home surrounding by a random mix of "stuff"...such as...
the heavy ol' bugger that would be a cabinet of safety deposit drawers {up close below}. i didn't open the boxes until i got it home but was tickled to find that many of them housed the old name labels that formerly pronounced each owners box. and those that didn't have the name tag got a paper treatment w/ scraps also found within their confines.
then we have a locker basket {below} propped on it's side with a what not book stack. and topped with my fun wood "skittles".
and a treasured nebraska find...a salvaged plaster column cap {below} that presently is the base to a glass cloche. now what well dressed cloche would be without it's accessories such as a branchy specimen + vintage silver cross necklace?! no naked necks in my home!
back to the mirror again...it's refection would happen to be that of a couple all time favorite finds. 1st would be the giant creamy italian tole chandi i happened on years ago. early in the building process...i knew we would have a big open staircase that required a statement piece. and there she was at a large flea market outing just waiting to become part of our landscape!
well she makes quite a statement now w/ the mammoth sized framed map as her backdrop. and that favorite find was actual a hubby find! yep. the guys got an eye. though he wouldn't admit it...he has helped "fluff" the decor @ my cottage on more than one occasion! oh yeah...better show the pic of what i am rambling on about! here ya go...{below}.
and a little closer {below} so you can appreciate the colors that are much showier than my overall comes across...
then there was the matter of that "temporary" light. well i actually had an old rummage sale find to remedy that. a cool school light that needed a little rewire detail {did i mention i moonlight as an electrician??} and a good scrub. now it's happily @ home hanging above that closet which also got the "door" it needed. a created curtain to house it's contents! {below}
that created closet cover was again a combination of scrap i had around the house. cutoff pieces of canvas drop cloth from chair redo project...twill ribbon that my rug arrived bound with...then some neat old wood electric wire insulators became the "rings" that i hung it all from! take a gander @ the collage {below} for some close up peeks @ what i did!
so my neglected space got the much needed attention it deserved! i no longer require them there blinders to walk in this passage. actually i find myself stopping often to enjoy the view!
and what was the fate of that "temporary" light fixture you ask?? well i did show it a few posts back but now armed w/ today's knowledge it may {or may not!} make sense to you how it came about! me and my bright ideas!
so there you have my way on the hallway! so if you show up on my doorstep i will happily take you on a tour! no excuses needed as to why that wall isn't finished in paint. sorry but...the chicken brooder is still only eye candy. and how incredibly sweet it is!
i hope your day is equally as so!
