Tobacco Baskets - Part 2

Welcome, Spring!

We spent a little time down at our beach house recently, and while the weather was pretty it was an unusually chilly week for the first days of spring. It was too cold for my taste to venture out on the beach, so I enjoyed the fresh air by opening up and the doors and windows and getting a few simple projects done inside.

Last week, I wrote about my love of tobacco baskets and some simple ways to use them in home decor. I bought two smaller versions to use in the beach house.

I'm freshening up the look of the den (which is the family hangout) with a tropical look for the spring.....fresh greens, burlap, jute, baskets, botanicals, and lots of neutrals. The small tobacco basket is perfect for a few magazines and a small plant for a touch of spring green.

I've also posted about my vintage post card collection.....the tobacco basket reminded me of a bulletin board, and I thought it would work well as a way to display a few of my favorite post cards.

It was easy to just slip the cards underneath the slats without damaging them.



Hope you are having a wonderful spring, and thanks for stopping by Sea Glass Cottage!



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Decorating with.......Tobacco Baskets

Hello, friends!

Things have been very busy at Sea Glass Cottage getting some much needed updating and remodeling to the outside of the cottage and the grounds. I am looking forward to showing you the final results, but it will likely be a few months before all is complete and ready to show.

In the meantime, I have turned my obsession -- I mean attention -- to the beautiful and rustic look of tobacco baskets.  Just when I thought I had enough collections going with wicker demijohn bottles and baskets of all sizes and shapes, I discovered I love the look of tobacco baskets in home decor.

 I've already purchased two and know exactly the DIY project I will create with them at the beach house!

Vintage tobacco baskets come from the North Carolina area of the U.S. and as you would expect, were used to hold the cured tobacco leaves when the growers took them to market. You can find newer replicas, but I love the look of the weathered and worn baskets -- even the ones with broken slats. They have a history and a story.

Besides being an interesting piece of wall decor on their own, you can use your creativity and dress them up seasonally or to display them in unique ways that reflect your decorating style. Here are some ideas:

1. Add a Wreath

Of course, the wreath could be changed out seasonally.

                                
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2. Create a Vignette on a Shelf

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3. Hang over a Bookcase 
  
       I like the way a framed photo was added to the basket.

                                                         The Endearing Home


4. Hang above a Fireplace

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5.  Display on a Coffee Table 

           Put plants, books, and other decorative items in the basket.

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6. Hang above a Bed

                                                                Coastal Living





Do you have tobacco baskets? How do you use or display them?  I'll be going back to the cottage soon to work on my own twist on this awesome piece of decor.

Thanks for visiting Sea Glass Cottage!

Decorating with......Beautiful Bottles & Demijohns

Question: What is one decor item that looks beautiful in many style homes -- modern, traditional, french country, farmhouse, coastal, rustic, and shabby chic?

Answer: Beautiful bottles and demijohns! (Demijohns are large bottles encased in wicker).

Regardless of your decorating style(s), bottles and demijohns bring color and texture to the home and can be used in so many creative ways.

Since we are transitioning into the fall season, I've put away some of my bowls of seashells and coastal pillows to bring in some warmer tones for fall. Sea Glass Cottage is our home away from home, so I'm keeping things low key-- just a few earth-toned pillows in the den and a demijohn vignette on the coffee table.

Since I'm keeping things very simple here, I've turned to a few of my favorite home decor blogs for more inspiring ideas, and I'm happy to share with you some stunning ways these creative bloggers have used demijohns in their homes.

Fabulous Kim from Savvy Southern Style has a gorgeous home with a mix of comfortable vintage and french country style.  I love the way she used these beautiful bottles to add height and style to a bathroom hutch.

                                                                           (source*)

Kim also uses demijohns as lamps, both the glass bottle and wrapped in wicker. Do yourself a favor and go do a search for "demijohn" at her blog. You will be in heaven as she is a collector and uses demijohns extensively in her design style -- she'll even show you how to make an inexpensive and fabulous demijohn lamp!

                                                                        

                                                                           (source*)

Next, we move to the rustic beauty of Kathleen's gorgeous home at Faded Charm. She features a demijohn in her entrance hall ~ don't you just feel a warm welcome into her home with the charming and vintage styling in her entrance hall?

                                                                             (source*)

                                                               

Wonderful Jenna at The Painted Apron is an extraordinary artist, entertainer, and designer who sets the most creative tables for her parties! Her blog is a gold mine of themed parties, decorating, and out-of-this-world recipes. Just look at this beautiful tablescape she created with elegant wine bottles and a large demijohn as the centerpiece.

                                                                      (source*)

Here are some other ideas I've gathered from home decor blogs:

                              ~use as a vase with seasonal flowers
                              ~group on the hearth by the fireplace
                              ~on bookcases (on top and on shelves)
                              ~on top of hutches and kitchen cabinets
                              ~in a large basket or tray
                              ~as lighting pendants
                              ~on the porch
                              ~lined up a staircase
                              ~add battery operated white lights inside
                              ~on a mantel

And check out my demijohn pinterest board to see other great ideas for using this versatile decorating item.  I think I just might start a new collection!


(**Thank you to Savvy Southern Style, Faded Charm, and The Painted Apron for permission to use their photos.**)


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Decorating with.....Corrugated Metal

Lately, I have been seeing corrugated metal in many home decor stores, decorating magazines, and catalogs.

I love the vintage look that metal adds to my casual beach style, and I think it works really well with the fall items we're beginning to add to our homes.

My tiny powder room needed a few items as it was looking a little bare -- I found these two decor pieces at Michael's craft store and thought they would be perfect for this space.

This cute "Relax" sign (as if anyone needs to be reminded to relax at the beach!) fit perfectly under the window, and I loved the mixture of wood, metal, and rope. The frame was dark blue and did not go well with my sky blue and white decor. A quick coat of chalk paint was all it took to make it work.

This distressed frame with corrugated metal is perfect to hang a towel next to the powder room sink. 

I'm on the lookout for more galvanized or corrugated metal items the next time I go to a flea market.....always thinking about ways to add texture and variety.

Next week, I will show you how I'm doing a little bit of coastal fall here at Sea Glass using this galvanized metal tray from Pier 1:

And please check out my Metal Decor pinterest board for art and decor inspiration!

Thanks for visiting Sea Glass Cottage today!

Decorating with.....Simple Touches of the Sea

One of the most exciting things about owning a beach house is discovering new ways to decorate a home with coastal and cottage styles and decor.

Our home outside of New Orleans is a Greek Revival style home which is decorated in a traditional, Old World style in earthy tones. Switching gears at the beach, choosing colors, textures, fabrics, and decor for Sea Glass Cottage is a whole new world of light, bright, airy styles. I've turned to inspiration from the beauty of the beach and sea.

I wanted to keep my cottage simple, comfortable, and uncluttered.  When family and friends visit, I want them to feel completely at home and at ease when they sit down on sofas and chairs or gather around the table.

There is so much to be inspired by in nature......sea shells, sea glass, starfish, sand dollars, sand, and all the beautiful hues and textures. Without going overboard and making the decor too "kitschy" like a souvenier shop, I'm keeping to just a few simple touches.

My everyday tablescape (which can change for special occasions and parties) is simple and just a burlap tablerunner, a jute lantern, and two burlap wrapped candle holders. All are stamped with beautiful white shells. I love the textures and the colors remind me of the sand and beach.

My inspiration photo: The texture of the sand, the tan tones, and the simplicity of a starfish.

My tablescape based on this inspiration from the sea:

My inspiration photo: I love the beautiful blues of the water and the ombre effect -- from the deeper blues to the crystal aqua -- and the white, puffy clouds of the sky.

My translation based on this inspiration photo:

A wooden crate from Michael's craft store already painted and distressed with an ombre effect in chalk paint with the blues of the sea, paired with a hurricane glass filled with sand from our beach, a few shells and sea glass, and a candle with those same ombre blue hues makes a pretty vignette on my coffee table. The blue and white hydrangeas mimic the blues and white of the sky.

Another find from Michael's craft store, this lantern with a touch of blue is filled with sea treasures instead of candles. One of the most beautiful things to come from the sea is a sea fan; I don't use real sea fans as it is bad for the environment to remove (or purchase) authentic fans. I found faux sea fans in the floral section of the craft store, cut them to size, and placed them in lanterns and urns. I also use faux sea coral, and these are very easy to find in craft stores.

My cottage would not be complete without seaglass! Here is my inspirational photo:

My translation based on this inspirational photo:

Beautiful bowls of sparkling sea glass in colors of the sea.

Decorating and creating a welcoming home beach home is all in the details of the sand and sea.....and it's the little details that are so much fun creating. I hope you will come back for more of Sea Glass Cottage!

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