Vintage Valentine | Home Tour

A weak-in-the-knees combo for me?  Romantic vintage treasures + a historic 124-year-old house + a little humor on top always equals hyperventilating excitement for me.  It all started innocently enough.  My new friend Chris invited my daughter and I over for an afternoon Valentine’s Party.  Fun!  A party!  But when the front door swung open I realized I wasn’t in just some ordinary house.

Soulfulness enveloped me immediately so that 1) I immediately wanted explore every nook and cranny; 2) I decided I never wanted to leave; and 3) I instantly lost my manners.

Because in the midst of pouring punch from a vintage bowl and leading the children in a toast, Chris had to fend me off with my pressing questions of “Can I blog about your fabulous house, can I, can I, can I?”

Graciously she agreed to my crazed, wide-eyed request.  Even though I gave her no advanced warning.  What you see here is a much-loved, personal, quirky, soulful, beautiful family home with young children.

After dining on yummy treats (she even had vegan cheese cubes for us, so thoughtful!), the kids moved into the dining room to make and exchange valentines.  Vintage hobnail milk glass lines the fireplace here–nearly every room in this house has a fireplace!

Although I don’t have a photo, a Western Union Telegram hangs on the wall here, a Valentine’s message from her grandfather to her grandmother.

Chris has arranged her large collection of retro wedding cake toppers on the distressed vintage sideboard in the dining room.  ”Because marriage is important,” she told me.   Isn’t that the sweetest decoration for Valentine’s Day?

The front of the house is divided into two sitting rooms.  One is for lounging and TV.

The other is a tribute to her Florida upbringing:  palm tree paintings, a seagrass ottoman, breezy white drapery, baskets of shells, and shell-encrusted boxes.

On the way back to the center hall of the house is this armless lady.  Chris described how she gets done up for every holiday, occasion, birthday, or party.  She has been the Queen of Hearts and an air traffic controller, among others.  I love her playfulness!

This center hall feeds to all the other spaces, but it also has space to relax, play the piano, or grab a book from the fireplace for a good read.  Stack them up like Chris did!

I like how the staircase is here in the middle of the house instead of front and center.
The old trunk that serves as the coffee table belonged to her husband’s grandfather.  The trunk once held all of Grandfather’s belongings as he traveled from Oklahoma to finally settle in Georgia.

Can’t you feel Florida again in the master bedroom?  I think I even saw a Malibu Barbie on the mantle, for real!

The little alcove at the entrance to the girls’ room pulls out all the girly stops–crystals, charming rose paintings, fancy pink mirror.  It’s called enchantment, folks.

Each bed has a scrolled gate headboard–topped by a paint-by-numbers ballerina.  I didn’t ask Chris, but I’m sure she made the mobiles above the beds…because at this point I’m just ambling the house all by myself.  Yep, lost my manners.

Swashbuckling anyone?  The boy’s room.

Each window is topped with a vintage Peter Pan panel–aren’t the illustrations wonderful?

The nursery is a tiny little hideaway…

…where PEZ friends keep watch of sleeping baby.  Oh my goodness, I love it!

Many thanks to Chris for allowing me to show the beautiful, personal layers of her home.  It was such a rich experience for me to see the love and care she has put into creating this very unique spot for her family.  And, the girl can throw a party (and appear relaxed at the same time!).  I wasn’t the only one who had a memorable time.

Thank you, Chris!

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Happy Valentine’s Day to you!