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[Oznell]

"Canterbury Cottage" blogger was able to pull together a small, rental house for a young couple with little money that she knew well.  VERY well-- considering the man in the couple is her son!  So she had a grasp of their style, which I think she described as "grandmother chic".    Cozy, vintage.

These were their "inspiration" photos--

And, this was the brief for the room they were tackling:

The most exciting thing about the project?   NOTHING in the living room was purchased new, except the curtains. (It was too hard to find curtains in a thrift store that would exactly fit their windows.) 

EVERYTHING else was all thrifted, or hand-me-downs.

BEFORE:   The couple's landlord let them keep the previous couch and chair.   

Pretty cold and lackluster.

AFTER:   Canterbury Cottage contributed the pair of houndstooth chairs she had stored in her basement.

All the thrifted decor is cozy and enhances the feeling of warmth.  Madison is clearly a maximalist, and has no problem with a variety of objects around her.

Of course, 'Canterbury Cottage' (sorry, I don't know her real name!) helped them work wonders.  She painted and repurposed, and sewed cushions.  They found an old cabinet, and with a coat of green paint, newly stained top, and vintage pulls, it makes a great TV stand--

Madison got her wish of collected vintage mirrors-- 

That bookcase was one of a pair they thrifted--

They got this lovely, misty oil painting for a song, b/c of a tiny tear in the canvas.  They will try to have it repaired, but it looks great!

Given the young couple's style, and their inspiration photos, do you think their budget thrifted outcome is a success?   I think they did fantastic!

Rajiv Surendra is also a non-designer, but sort of a Renaissance man, living in a small New York apartment.

He's more of a very selective "curator",  or collector,  who savors the quality of what he has in his relatively tiny space.

He gave a tour of his galley kitchen--

Over time, he's filled its narrow confines with what he loves.

He started with it like this--

But he wanted an old world look.  Bathed it in a unifying blue-gray paint, installed marble, undermounted sink, and brass faucet and fittings.   ( I'm sorry the images came out rather dark-- the video wasn't that dark, so these pictures are not quite an accurate portrayal of the kitchen.)

In studying antique kitchens, he noticed that knobs were smaller than today, and they were often centered in the middle of the cupboard door.  So that's what he did--  here, below he shows them.   LOVE that attention to detail.

His well-used copper pots shine.  He turns out typical Tamil family style meals on that skinny stove ( similar to Indian cuisine), and gives recipes for them too.

He's collected his beloved white ironstone for years, but given space constraints, keeps it to a manageable minimum.

The charming small Chippendale style mirror normally hangs on the wall behind him-- positioned so that it will bounce sunlight from the window around.    It has a lot of meaning for him, since he made it himself in a long-ago project.

While the styles and colors in these rooms wouldn't necessarily be mine, what I admire is the consistent vision of these renters for bringing about spaces that are personal to them.

[spiderw]

Many years ago I used to go to thrift stores, , Salvation army and check out the furniture.  I bought some book shelves, lamps and decor.  I think this place is lovely and the couple did very well with their choice of furniture and different pieces.  I especially love that painting, and the mirror collection.  I can appreciate the two places and how they are decorated. 

I have an antique painting which had a small tear .  I had it restored and you cannot tell it had a tear at all.  I'm glad the couple kept the art work.

[Somertime]

Thoroughly enjoyed seeing both!  The all thrift apartment was a delight and shows it does not have t be all new, high-end to become a welcoming, comfortable home.

I have a collection of antique copper, pots, pans, tea kettle, molds from Russia and France.  I do use them a lot especially the pots and pans.....the trick is to polish them after each use when washing them.  A few I need to have relined which is not as easy as when I lived in New York.

Thanks, Oznell!

[wagirl]

Still way too much clutter----wonder if they will live with it all, or clear most of it away. Probably just for the photo op but I never would leave most of it around. I do like the mirror wall but all the other fluffy stuff needs to go. the rooster and the books with the bowl of pinecones on that tray on the table--has to go---

[wilma]

I like most of the pieces in the first space. It does look cozy and comfortable. A bit too many accessories sitting around. I'm not a fan of all those mirrors grouped together, but I understand it's a way to display her collection. 

I like the warm colors of the cabinets & countertops in his kitchen, but I don't like the black & grey backsplash. I don't like open cabinetry or hanging pots. That's a dust, grease, and cleaning issue for me. 

@Oznell 

Thank you for your interesting posts. I always enjoy reading and looking at them. Have a good day! 🍁

[Enufstuff]

@Oznell   How wonderful that the couple were able to achieve

the cozy look that they were after, by using thrifted items.  They avoided getting into debt as so many do, by only buying everything new. Much of what is new is so cheaply made and not lasting as long as some well made vintage pieces.

  There are so many great things available and even some free,

like the pinecones. I love using things from nature. In the summer, seashells and driftwood provide some free seasonal

accents.

  I like the inspiration pictures too. But, I think that the coffee

tables would be more functional with fewer accessories.

[Oznell]

@spiderw ,  I was very curious about that, and am glad to know from your experience that repair can be undetectable.

@wagirl ,  you have a valid viewpoint.  I'm not quite as much of a maximalist as Madison is, but I was looking at this as more of an exercise:  given what their particular style is, did they achieve what they wanted?  It's so interesting-- some people require minimal visual stimulation, while others are seemingly comforted by preferred objects. We all seem to fall in different places along that continuum.   

@Somertime ,  your copper collection sounds fabulous.  I love the way his pots beam and sparkles against his dusky walls.  I didn't know that about polishing after every use.  You are ambitious, but it pays off.

@wilma ,  thanks, I'm glad you read and contribute!

@Enufstuff ,  I was also taken with the ingenuity of young people starting out, and putting things together pleasingly to them,  without blowing a bundle.