Summer Showcase of Homes...Confessions of a Plate Addict

 Welcome to my home!

I am so excited that you have come by for a visit! There are lots of wonderful homes to see in our 2013 Summer Showcase of Homes, so be sure to check the list at the end of this post and continue the tour!

 I have shown you bits and pieces of my home, but this is the first time I have taken you for a real tour!

Sooo…come on in!

But first, let me tell you a little bit about myself and my style. As a French teacher, I have had the wonderful opportunity to live and travel in France over the years and to visit and be a guest in beautiful homes, like this farmhouse in Provence where I spent some time a few years ago. How could I help but fall in love with French Country style! But eventually the birth of my first grandchild drew me back home to Georgia. And I knew what I wanted to do…create a little bit of France in my own home! So I began to look for pieces that reflected what I had seen in France ...especially the warm, sunny colors of Provence!

When you enter, you are greeted by a little candle surrounded by thrifted vintage forks and tied with a Provençal print ribbon. My favorite frenchy Bonjour plaque welcomes you into my home!

In the living room, you will see lots of blue and yellow with accents of antique red…my favorite Provençal colors.

In the spring and summer, I add some pops of apple green to give the room a fresh look.

The colors continue on the coffee table where I have a stack of books by my favorite designer…Charles Faudree. For me, he is the master of French Country design.

On my mantel there are pairs of mismatched Chinese-influenced vases and stylized topiaries. I added a trio of plates to the mantelpiece to give it a little interest. You know I have to have some plates!

And in the center…one of my favorites…my frenchy sheep! I eyed him in an antique and interiors shop for a year before splurging and buying him. I am so glad that he waited for me!

On the opposite side of the room…subtle colors with a painted chest accented with fruit and fruit-themed art and plates to match. You can see more here. I have to have color but this corner is my experimental salute to neutrals.

But my favorite room is my dining room, starring a hutch to display my Spode Blue Room plates…thrifted over time, of course...and my double happiness jar collection.  I have added a French-style rush seat chair to my mom’s vintage table and Windsor chairs. But what I would really love is a French country table and a complete set of those chairs! Maybe one day...! My favorite antique Quimper plates are hanging on the wall.

On the opposite side of the room is the buffet with a few more pieces of my Quimper collection…a wall pocket filled with lavender and a poster topped by vintage Quimper plates.

I love to use a tablecloth...this one is actually a drop cloth...and layer it with a faux grain sack runner and lots of blue and white…my favorites! You can find a tutorial for the runner here and for the grain sack pillow that you see in the chair here. It looks like I am being photo-bombed by our co-host Baby Kitty who doesn't want to be left out of the tour!

The Provençal blue and yellow continue in the breakfast room where you can see my favorite light fixture…my frenchy rooster chandelier! If I ever move, he is going with me! And…of course…there are plates on the wall!

I have since added a collection of vintage Quimper plates to the hutch. You can get a closer look at my collection here. Are you beginning to notice that I love plates…especially French plates!

Under the hutch is my collection of clay cookers. I love their rustic look and whimsical shapes! I actually do cook with them and have shared a recipe here.

And for the first time I am giving you a little peek into my kitchen. It’s a small galley-style kitchen…just the right size for the Plate Addicts.

I have added some frenchiness here, too...with my French-style canisters and my recently-acquired French wire egg holder…just like the one in Monet’s kitchen in Giverny. That’s my grandmother’s dough bowl…a prized possession and family heirloom.

On the opposite side of the kitchen, I have displayed croissants in my frenchy DIY pastry dome. If you would like to have one of your own, you will find the tutorial here.

This frenchy rooster chalkboard welcomes you into the guest bedroom…

…where there are more roosters and layers of fabrics in black and white…ticking, toile and checks…

…and Provençal sunflowers along side a whimsical Eiffel Tower lamp. It took me two trips to the store to decide to buy this kitchy lamp, but I love it!

The French Country colors and style continue in the guest bathroom with big buffalo check Dupioni silk panels serving as a shower curtain…

…and an Old Britain Castles transferware creamer and sugar serving as little holders for French milled soaps. You can see more of my guest bathroom here.

In my Parisian master bedroom I went for a softer color palette with pink and green toile. To create some architectural interest, I added a collection of ironstone plates (what else?) above the bed and a carved piece above the windows.

A French cane-back chair with a flounced drop cloth slipcover…

…sits beside my great-great grandfather’s plantation desk. You can get a closer look here.

And on the night stand…a Victorian quadruple silverplate master sugar spooner that lost its lid serves as a vase and  a Victorian calling card holder keeps my earrings safe overnight. I seem to have a weakness for antique silverplate!

And I also have a thing about chairs! This one got a chippy paint job and a drop cloth seat as well. You can see how I did it here. And that’s my Pottery Barn inspired monogrammed pillow! It’s one of my favorites.

And the frenchiness doesn't stop there. I love vintage French table linens, but they can be expensive. So I create my own! You can see how I do it here.

I love pillows almost as much as I love plates, so you will find my French-influenced style in the pillows I create for my home. And...I love adding that French style to my thrifting finds as well.
If you want to try your hand at creating your own French accessories for your home, you will find these and lots more under the My Projects tab at the top of my blog. And free graphics are always included with the tutorials. I hope you will check it out!

And finally…let’s end our tour on my patio, all dressed for summer. Get a closer look at it here. It’s my favorite spot for morning coffee! I hope you will join me!

Thanks so much for coming by! I hope you enjoyed your tour! And…there are 25 more homes to see! I am loving this chance to have a little peek inside these beautiful homes! Here’s a schedule in case you missed any and to give you a look at the homes that are coming in the next few days!

Monday 7/22 
Atta Girl Says ~ The Happier Homemaker ~ Rain on a Tin Roof ~ Better With Age ~ Top This Top That
Tuesday 7/23
Mom 4 Real ~ Cedar Hill Ranch ~ Practically Functional ~ While Wearing Heels ~ French Country Cottage
Wednesday 7/24
The Lily Pad Cottage ~ Marty's Musings ~ Confessions of a Plate Addict ~ Town and Country Living ~  Adventures in Decorating
Thursday 7/25 
Good Life of Design ~ A Stroll Thru Life ~ Worthing Court ~ Back Porch Musings ~ The Rustic Pig
Friday 7/26
Our Southern Home ~ Stone Gable ~ The Everyday Home ~ Recreate and Decorate ~ Sophia's ~ Vignette Design

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed having a little peek into my home! Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants!
Under the Table and Dreaming for the Sunday Showcase Party , Thrifty Decor Chick for Before and After Monday  , Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday , The Stories of A2Z for Tutorials and Tips Tuesday , Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday , A Stroll thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday , My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia for Tuesday's Treasures, The Everyday Home for Home{work} Wednesday , Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays , The Shabby Creek Cottage for Transformation Thursdays , No Minimalist Here for the Open House Party on Thursdays , Stone Gable for Tutorials, Tips and Tidbits on Thursdays , My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday , French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday , Common Ground for Be Inspired on Fridays , The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday , Craftberry Bush for the Inspiration Gallery on Friday , Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special
See you next time! À la prochaine!

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