Grey Garden Blooms and Dreams...

There is just something irresistible about old faded grandeur --

a large, aged house that is past it's days of glory cosmetically, but still has the unmistakable bones of those grand old homes of days gone by ... I don't necessarily want it for my own home, but I definitely want one in my life

in some

form

or

fashion.

All photos can be enlarged by clicking on them.

*

What's the attraction?

Maybe it's because I live in coastal Southern California and there just isn't anything like that around here. Perhaps it's because it reminds me of the big beautiful old Southern homes of my childhood. Maybe it's the family I came from - seeped heavily in Southern folklore, tradition and colorful history -- and perhaps it awakens some of what I learned in the endless years of Art History and Anthropology throughout college and grad school -- or perhaps it's the Artist or just the romantic in me ...

*

whatever it is,

the pull is most assuredly

a

strong

one.

*

One of my biggest dreams is to have a retail store set in one of these old beauties -- not a warehouse type of store where things are stacked on top of, behind, and over one another -- but rather a store that is set up exactly as a home would be ... except each piece - each original and beautiful piece - would be for sale.


Some new, some old - but everything that can be carried out, would be available for purchase - the rugs, the curtains, the furniture ...


The artwork, the candlesticks, flatware, accessories ... all would be for sale.




How fun would that be to constantly be able to rearrange and refurnish the same home whenever you felt like it -- or whenever you found that perfect piece to add to the decor?



All the linens, pillows and light fixtures would be available --




I just can't think of a more perfect setting for the store I have in mind --

You could easily imagine how something would look in your own home as you happily wandered through the old beauty of a mansion...

Lovely scented bath salts in antique glass and gorgeously wrapped handmade soaps would line the window sill, and silver hairbrushes and hand mirrors on mirrored trays would gleam in the sunlight. Gorgeous French linens would fill the antique cupboard and be draped over these brass rods for display ... Gorgeous in theory, n'est pas?

Hard to find antique books of poetry, folklore and adventure would be for sale, as well as gorgeous new design and coffee table books, dripping with delicious photos of the most beautiful places -- as would frames of all sizes and materials... waiting to be filled with your treasured artwork or photos -- cabinets and drawers would be filled with hidden treasures that would possibly take your breath away --

Room after room, beautifully appointed with ever-changing eclectic finds from all over the world - at your fingertips ...

There would be a kitchen filled with copper cookware from France - etched crystal and hodge-podge silver - all for sale -- state of the art industrial appliances for the cooking classes on those Sunday afternoons ... oh the ideas are endless...

A little table could serve as a checkout desk in the foyer, and of course there would be a fresh coffee and tea on hand and homemade treats served from silver platters which sit on one of the sideboards for those that wished to linger and visit while shopping --

A dream I've been dreaming for quite a while now - Maybe I'll start this little venture in my Guest House ... who knows. But you can say, later on when this dream becomes reality that you remember when the shop was just an idea being spun ...

and hopefully

you

will be one of those that comes to visit

my

little shop

of

dreams.

Do old homes like this speak to you? What do they say?

photos 2 - 12 via Oak Mgmt.