Trimming the Tree, Literally

Hoarding has its privileges.

                                                                                mrs. V

I’ve said it before and I will say it over and over again. It pays to hold on to things.  Well, maybe PAY is a bit ambitious.  My husband wholeheartedly disagrees, vociferously.  But if I didn’t have a fabric or Chinoiserie addiction, I would not have been able to trim the tree this year or deck chez V’s halls.  Well, maybe NOT is also a bit ambitious, so let’s just say without spending mucho dinero.  And that is a lot like paying, no? 

With that in mind, I have taken the whole ‘trimming the tree’ bit rather literal this year.  Rather than buying new trimmings, as I often do each year, I raided my stashes to pull off a fresh look for Christmas.  Armed with loads of extra yardage of my very favorite Greek Key trim, I literally trimmed my tree with it.  Additionally, I used remnants to make up some new stockings, complete with lining and trim! These are now officially my most favorite things ever.  I may never take them down.  Cheers, it’s Christmas every day of the year!

In true chez V fashion, I corralled some of my blue and white collection together, pairing ginger jars and cache pots with bright accents and greenery for a very colorful Chinoiser-V Christmas look.  Much like my very Chinoiser-V Easter look from last year.  Blue and white is a lot like bacon and animal print, in my book.  Makes the everything better. 

It also makes linking up to Jennifer’s blue and white bashes over at The Pink Pagoda very easy because blue and white is a staple at my house, like bacon and animal print.  Thanks for having me, dear!

To further prove my hoarding resourcefulness, I fashioned my own Chinoiserie ornaments using sharpies and extra white ornaments I had on hand, which, as it turns out, seems to be all the rage this season.  Tons of great examples floating around.  I used my own collection as inspiration and simply free handed them.

I have yet to tackle my fresh garlands or the rest of the house, but I think this is off to a smashing start.  Check back in the next few days for a proper holiday house tour when I’ve gotten things buttoned up and photographed in better light.  For a taste of last year’s holiday shenanigans, go here and here.

Cheers to a great and colorful holiday season!

All design, styling, and photos by Emily Vanderputten

kisses,  mrs. V

Living - Our Table

Enjoying these last days of Summer.  My late blooming hydrangea bushes are still going bonkers and our table is all the more beautiful for it.  These will dry beautifully.

In other news, I finally got around to adding tassels to one of my Fantastical Beastie pillows that is long, long, long overdue to a dear friend.  I printed this pillow more than 6 months ago.  Sheesh.  Now that I have proper time, I am devoting more energy to my block prints.

Off to roast a chicken for that table.

All photos and styling by Emily Vanderputten

kisses,  mrs. V

Cocktailing with Mrs. V - Palm Beach style

Been a bit of a whirlwind since I last left off in May.  Summer has been super busy with work related projects but I am finally able to come up for air and give chez V some much needed love. 

So let’s get right back to it, then.  Y’all know the mister and I spend a great deal of time social cocktailing on our patio.  Patio perching is a favorite pastime.  Many of my IG posts involve some sort of perching situation as seen under my hashtag #patioperching.  Also noticeable is the amount of time I spend on the hunt #scoutreport.  I scour for vintage finds like nobody’s business.  I have been known to create entire rooms around a found item. 

So when the fabulous folks from Chairish, an amazing online vintage marketplace that makes fueling my hunting frenzy that much easier, asked me to style up my idea of the perfect home bar using inspiration from their vintage bar stool collection, I jumped at the chance.  And you know I am going to take that bar situation right to the patio chez V style.  

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While scouring the vintage bar stool selection, I immediately landed on a pair of woven wicker and rattan stools which spoke to my Palm Beach perching dreams.  With the woven bar stools as my inspiration point, I designed a patio situation that reflects my approach to outdoor living – bring the indoors out!  I will drag my dining table out to the back yard in a minute and set up a table fit for a queen.   Our patio is truly an extension of our indoor spaces and I tend to gravitate toward pieces that do double duty indoors and out.  Next, I found a dark Ficks Reed sofa, which I envision with stripey cushions, a brass pineapple ice bucket, because I still heart everything brass, and a super fun tribal fringe pillow that is the perfect side of crazy.  Oh, let’s not forget the bar – a leggy lil lass.  Anchored with some great vintage pieces from Chairish, I mixed in some of my favorite accessories to create a chic outdoor cocktail area fit for C.Z. Guest.

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Pour in some vintage 60s prep over a little pink flair shaken with some Chinoiserie and you have the patio cocktail of mrs. V’s dreams.

Layouts by Emily Vanderputten

kisses,  mrs. V

One Room Challenge - Sources

Holy cow, thank you for all of your support on my ORC room.  Makes the 6 week mania all the more worthwhile.  To see the entire evolution of the room from beginning to end, click the following links below:

WEEK 1:  Plan & Inspiration

WEEK 2:  Progress Report – Floors

WEEK 3:  Electricity

WEEK 4:  Upholstery

WEEK 5: Paint & Wallpaper

WEEK 6:  The Reveal

Before I get to the sources, let's talk tablecloth.  THE. TABLECLOTH.  Be still my beating maximal heart.  This fabric kicked off my entire color scheme for the kitchen and I was seriously bummed when I found out it would not be completed in time for the reveal.  But it was oh so worth the wait.  I could not love it any more if I tried.

chairs - IKEA | pillows - custom | candles - Caspari | tablecloth - custom | tablecloth fabric - (no markings) Fabric Shack

  

rug - Ohio Valley Antiques | pendant - Ballard Designs | chandelier - Ohio Valley Antiques | blue and white porcelain - my own collection | butcher block island - handmade by my in-laws | pagoda mirror - Treasure Barn | wallpaper - Scalamandre Parapluie | floor stain - Zar wood stain in Walnut |  wall paint - Sherwin-Williams Emerald paint in Great Green SW 6430 |  cabinet and trim paint - Sherwin-Williams ProClassic Interior Acrylic Latex paint in white

Seriously.  I was so smitten when I picked it up from my seamstress that I briefly considered ditching the whole tablecloth idea in favor of wearing it like a caftan, in a gloriously  insane Scarlett O’Hara meets Auntie Mame kinda way.  It checks every box for me.  Chintz – check.  Chinoiserie – check.  Bright colors – check.  Vibrant pattern play – check.  Dressmaker details – check.  My incredibly talented seamstress turned my vision into reality.  I came to her with gobs of fabric and an idea of a floor length skirt including Greek key trim and a contrast welt to ground the pattern.  She, in turn, worked her magic and created a stunning masterpiece.  The pleating alone quickens my pulse.  Soooo worth the wait.

monogram napkins - Celerie & South | brass rhino napkin holders - vintage | china - vintage Alfred Meakin Pastoral, Spode Pink Tower, and Johnson Bros from my mother's collection | silver - vintage german silver from my husband's grandmother | etched glass - vintage from my mother

sconces - Lamps Plus | leopard prints - The Pink Pagoda | rattan chair frame - Ficks Reed | cushions & pillows - custom

nude painting - vintage | acrylic pedestal - Pedigree Consignments  | ginger jar - vintage

marble backsplash - Ventano marble tiles from Lowes | oil painting - vintage

pineapple print - The Pink Pagoda | mirrored frame - Threshold for Target

A huge congratulations to my fellow participants for creating such amazing spaces and living to tell the ORC tale!  The caliber of work this round was crazy good.  Bravo!

Abby M. Interiors 

Because it’s Awesome 

Bijou & Boheme 

Calling It Home 

Chez V 

Chinoiserie Chic

Copy Cat Chic 

The Decorista 

Design Crisis 

Design Indulgence 

Design Manifest 

The English Room

The Glam Pad 

Little Black Door 

Mimosa Lane 

My Notting Hill 

The Pink Pagoda 

Simple Details 

My Sweet Savannah 

Verandah House

A special thank you to the following sponsors and supporters of Chez V and The One Room Challenge that are graciously providing items to help me bring my vision for this room to life:

Sherwin-Williams

Lamps Plus

The Pink Pagoda

All photos and styling by Emily Vanderputten

kisses,  mrs. V