DIY - Kitchen Cabinet Hardware Part I, Selection

Welcome back to Quince Cottage!
Today we're talking about a design detail that seems small, yet plays an import role in the overall look of your home. In our followup post (aka Part II), we'll be giving you tips for successful installation.
Knobs and pulls come in many sizes, shapes, styles, and materials. The selection can seem overwhelming. We scoured home improvement stores, specialty hardware stores, and the internet, looking for the ones that best suited not only #QuinceCottageStyle but also our budget.
We love the play of sparkle against rustic, so we chose two different knob/pull styles for our kitchen.
Here's the agrarian-industrial pull. The two part construction gives it a really authentic look.

Amerock Pull from coolknobsandpulls(dot)com

Amerock pulls © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Amerock pull © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

And here's the blingy glass knob from knobdeals(dot)com. They are real glass, which DOES make a difference, both in feel and appearance. They were definitely worth the princely sum of $3.95 each!

Glass knobs © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Glass knob © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

We just love this look! It plays really well with our island pendant lights too, don't you think?

Island Pendants © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Here's a closer look at those beauties.

Island pendants © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

And here are two views of our kitchen's off-white cabinetry...

Our kitchen © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Our kitchen © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

And one showing our charcoal gray island...

Our kitchen © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Yes, that brick backsplash/wall isn't quite complete, it needs mortaring, but when it's done, we'll blog all about it!

And in case you were missing the doggies, here they are taking a break from supervising the neighborhood...

Daisy and Buster © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Thank you for stopping by, we hope you'll come again soon!

Quince Cottage Style mixes old and new, rustic and opulent. 

Our goal is simple - make our new subdivision house look inviting, beautiful,

and as though it wasn't born yesterday.

DIY - Pillow Talk & End o' Summer Decor

Glad to see you here at Quince Cottage!

What's your favorite season? Ours is autumn. Crisp, sunny days, spectacular foliage, pumpkin everything!
It's still August, we know, but with all the stores trotting out their fall goods, who can blame us for wanting to get a head start? It began with an Instagram #mantel challenge. Speaking of Instagram, we'd love you to follow us there.
We're very fond of our mantel and were at risk for committing the sin of "overgramming" it, so we needed to change things up for the challenge. First we did a little home-shopping and then we hit Michael's for some faux-liage to arrange in our milk glass urns. We got those urns at a wonderful consignment shop in Raleigh called Inspirations. If you're in the area, check it out!

Anyway...here's a photo of our summer mantel

Quince Cottage Summer Mantel © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

And here's one of our late summer-early fall mantel

Quince Cottage Fall Mantel © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

A couple of close ups...

Fall Mantel Detail Left © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Fall Mantel Detail Right © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

And then the mantel thing led to a pillow thing. Yes, Rhiann doesn't like sewing, but she was fairly pleased with the way her summer porch pillows turned out, and this encouraged her to tackle living room pillows.
Fall says earthy natural colors, nubby textures, homey coziness. With that in mind, we hit WalMart (ticking fabric at about $7 a yard), Mill Outlet Village Fabric in Raleigh (Jacobean floral and wheaty linen, both on clearance for under $7 a yard), and TJMaxx where we found the black and cream striped dishtowels we used for the smaller pillows ($3.99 for two towels).

Here's a closeup of all the fabrics.

Swatches © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Something learned during the summer pillow-palooza is that by doing front and back in different fabrics, you can get a lot of different looks using the same collection of pillows.

With four different fabrics, we got four different combinations.

 Quince Cottage Fall Pillows Combo 1 © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Quince Cottage Fall Pillows Combo 2 © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Quince Cottage Fall Pillows Combo 3 © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Quince Cottage Fall Pillows Combo 4 © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Which combo do you like best? How do you decorate your home for fall? We'd love to hear!

Quince Cottage Style mixes old and new, rustic and opulent. 
Our goal is to make our new subdivision house look inviting and beautiful,
 and as though it wasn't born yesterday.

Daisy and Buster are ready for some cooler weather, and so are we!

Buster © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Daisy © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Make a Great First Impression!

Whatever you call it--entry, foyer, front hall--it makes an impact, for better or worse. We're not just talking about guests. If you enter your home through the front door, the foyer has an effect on you too.
In this post we'll discuss the interior space, because "curb appeal" (the front of your house, including your front door) deserves its own post.

With the help of Pinterest, we've analyzed the features we believe can help anyone's foyer set the right tone for the rest of their home. What do we mean by "right tone"?

An entry should be welcoming and give visitors a sneak peek of your personal decorating style.

1. Neatness - yes, entries always attract clutter, especially if they're the family entrance too. But the last thing you want is a guest tripping over a jumble of shoes and backpacks. Utilize hall trees, peg boards, closets, baskets, etc. to corral the mess. An umbrella stand isn't a bad idea either.

2. Mirror - it's not absolutely necessary, but certainly handy for last minute checks before leaving the house.

3. Greenery - connect outside and inside with real or "faux" plants. Color, shape, and container can all reflect your overall decorating theme while adding the fresh appeal of Nature.

4. Surface space - preferably with at least a small container or storage element. Despite good intentions, mail and keys frequently end up "somewhere" in the entry. If your foyer is large enough for a dresser or case-piece with drawers, GREAT. Use them wisely. If not, a basket, bowl, or tray will do. (We have a small blue bowl on the foyer console).

5. Lighting - Overhead pendant, sconce(s), lamp(s) - choose fixtures to match your style and ensure ample illumination. What's more depressing than a dark hallway? Not much. Guests shouldn't feel as though they're at risk for meeting a bear or something... We don't have much natural light in our foyer, and we're considering replacing the front door at some point with one that has a larger window.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

6. Color -  Here's a wonderful opportunity to foreshadow the décor in the rest of the house. You have a teal sofa in the family room? Why not choose wallpaper or a rug containing that color? Or create a vignette using a teal vase or candlesticks? Changing the ratio of your primary color scheme will make everything more interesting.

7. Art - Not only is art cool in and of itself, and reflective of your interests, it can spark initial conversation. Prints, photos, maps, ceramics, they're all good...

8. Softness - Foyers tend to be full of hard surfaces, which actually aren't warm and welcoming. Rugs, or a small upholstered piece, or a pillow on a bench--any of these can add a cozy touch.

Here are a few photos of our front entry at Quince Cottage. Below is the "before" (the only interesting thing is the hanging fixture we chose).

Foyer © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

And here's the foyer "after" we had our way with it!

The nest prints were $8 each at an antique store and we framed them with inexpensive ready-made frames.

The shadow box came from HomeGoods, and what's inside reflects our love of Nature, milk glass, and travel.

Here's the other side of the hall, and if you're curious about that rolling door, check out our earlier posts on choosing, refinishing, and installing it.

Here's a photo of the front entry in our former home in Kennebunkport, Maine.

For photos of other peoples' entries, head to our First Impressions Pinterest board.

Tell us what you think. What's the one thing your foyer can't be without?

Quince Cottage Design Mantra: Create a beautiful, comfortable home that reflects your unique style and personality. 
In our own place, patina is valued, rustic rubs shoulders with opulent (we call this "agrarian chic"), and you're sure to get a terrier-style welcome!

Here's Buster waiting for you to come back © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

A Modern Spin on Canopies and Testers

Princesses ALWAYS have canopy beds, and Rhiann desperately wanted one when she was a little girl. Years later, she still craves luxury and style, but with a more practical, modern twist.

We did this bed curtain treatment in our previous house, and it looked good. With the deeper, woodsier wall color in the Quince Cottage master, the result is fabulous!
Thanks, Capitol City Homes for letting us pick whatever color we wanted for our bedroom! FYI, this is Sherwin Williams High Tea.

If you're considering doing bed curtains like these...

Here's what you'll need:
Fabric (to get the necessary fullness we used two 54" wide lengths for the back curtain and stitched them together, and we used three 54" wide lengths for the front curtain). Make sure you buy enough to allow for hems at the bottom and turnovers at the top.
Trim for the bottom of the front curtain, if desired.

We got both fabric and trim in Goldsboro, NC at The Cloth Barn which has TONS of fabric and gorgeous trims at discount prices. 
Two curtain rods. We had to order the one with longer side pieces online, but it was very reasonably priced. Graber makes these and you want one that extends about 3-4".

Studfinder
Screws and wall anchors (because if you're not lucky enough to hit studs, you'll need anchors)

Starter nail
Hammer
Screwdriver
Screw hook
Tape Measure
Level (you'll need this only if you're not hanging at ceiling or crown molding level)
Ladder
Dogs. Well, you don't actually NEED them, but just try doing any project without them... Terriers make everything more fun, right?

Buster & Daisy © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

How To:
Careful measuring is key to successful installation. Fortunately, Ron's a Virgo, so he's a natural when it comes to precision. For our particular space, we needed the middle of the rods to line up with the chandelier. The tray ceiling made this a bit more challenging, but we measured the wall opposite the bed, then measured the same length on the bed wall and marked the center of that.
Next we measured the width of the bed. Because we wanted the curtains to show slightly beyond the edges of the headboard, we added two inches to each side when we measured out from the middle to where the first rod bracket would be installed.
Hopefully that makes sense. Writing this reminds me of a grade school assignment titled "Instructions For Tying Shoelaces".
Ron installed the rod for the back curtain first, using wall anchors to make sure the weight of the fabric would be fully supported. It's easier to use wall anchors if you use a nail to make a starter hole and widen it a bit by wiggling the nail around.

Next he put a screw-in hook in the center for even more support, so the curtain wouldn't sag.

(Yes, dark paint does scuff easily. In this case those marks will be hidden by the curtains, so no biggie).
Then he hung the first curtain, and installed the second rod's brackets about 2" out on either side.

Done! Doesn't it look great?

Bedroom © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Bed Curtains © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Unfortunately the bedding colors are a bit off in these photos. The sheets are Ralph (found at HomeGoods) and have little cream-colored polka dots, and the quilt isn't nearly as sage-y, it's more of a willow or spring green. Here's a closeup, at least you can see the dots, and the quilt color is better, but not 100% accurate. Sigh.

Here's a macro of the ball trim. Adorable, isn't it?

Daisy found this whole project boring and dozed off in the middle of everything.

At Quince Cottage we like to get a lot of "look" without spending a lot of money. We both love fern motifs and this fabric was the key to everything else in the room in terms of color. Lying in bed, it's easy to imagine we're in a cool forest glade (minus the bugs and snakes).

Thank you for visiting! We hope you'll stop by Quince Cottage again soon. Future topics include: what to do when your curtains are too short, a special door for our office, and a recipe for pineapple rice.

First Peek Inside!

While progress was being made on the exterior of Quince Cottage, THINGS were also happening inside! There didn't seem to be much point in sharing photos of framing, they don't translate well and usually resemble a hodgepodge of giant Popsicle sticks.

This past week our kitchen cabinets were installed, some trim was added to various rooms, tile went into laundry and baths--it's really starting to look amazing!

Here's a shot of the family room, with gas fireplace.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

And here's one looking from the kitchen into the morning/dining room. Those French doors lead out to the screen porch.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Finally here's one of the kitchen. Isn't it GORGEOUS? We were absolutely thrilled when we saw it...
Our current kitchen is very roomy and modern, with super dark cabinets, modern brushed nickel pulls and a standard beige tile backsplash. Wonderful, IF that's your style. It's not ours, but we were severely limited by both that builder's design choices and our budget. The cabinets in our new home are an upgrade, but we think they're really worth it. Capitol City Homes offers WAY more choices for cabinets and granite than our previous construction company. That's one of the reasons we chose Capitol City to build our new home.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

We've ordered all the cabinet hardware (for both kitchen and baths). Seemingly simple features, like knobs and pulls, can add lots of personality. If design is important to you, t's definitely worth the trouble to find something special.

We'll show you those knobs and pulls in an upcoming post. Sorry, hate to tease, but...

Now how about you? What would your dream kitchen look like? Painted cabinets or stained? Traditional or modern? All one color or mix it up? Tell us in Comments!

Quince Cottage believes in creating a beautiful, comfortable home that reflects the unique taste and personality of its owner. In our own place, rustic and opulent rub shoulders. 

Think gilded mirror against a ship-lap wall. 

Where We've Been...

Decorating a new home doesn't often start from scratch. Before deciding to get rid of a piece of furniture or accessory, consider whether or not it meets these guidelines:

a. it's broken or worn out beyond repair/upcycling  
b. you never really liked it (maybe you bought it because it was a deal, or you inherited it, or you bought something trendy that went out of style by the time you got it home) 
c. it literally won't fit anywhere in your new space

If the piece in question falls into category b or c, we highly recommend Craigslist and Facebook local on-line yard sales. Price your item to sell and be honest about its condition. If nobody bites, then donate it. Our favorite thrift store gives the proceeds to a local animal shelter. When we sold our Maine house, the new owners were happy to buy several of the pieces we offered them.

But, back to the items you're keeping. You might be surprised how fresh they look in a different setting. Here are photos of the house we owned in Kennebunkport, Maine. We built it in 2002, and remodeled it about ten years later. At the time, we figured we'd be staying a while. We didn't get to enjoy the improvements for long, but we learned a lot during the process, and the changes we made helped it sell. Honestly, I'd forgotten about those off-white wicker dining chairs--we could use them at Quince Cottage. Ah well, we made that decision knowing they had nowhere to live in our current house and didn't realize we'd be moving again so quickly.

Our Kennebunkport Home © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Family Room © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

That Oriental rug is a perfect example of something that looked great in a new space. I grew up with that rug and really disliked it, but we couldn't find a way to sell it for what it's worth, so we moved it and fell back in love with it!

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Yep, there are those wicker dining chairs I mentioned earlier. The sixth one served as a drafting table chair in the office.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

We had a pressed tin backsplash. It was awesome. 

Behind the shelves we installed beadboard to match the sink cabinet.

Entry © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Office © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

The braided rug was really cool. Unfortunately it didn't hold up well to terriers...

Master Bath © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

We loved everything about this bathroom. The shower was subway tile with a natural stone floor.

Master Bedroom © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Nothing says romantic bedroom like a fireplace and a chandelier. Also, that gas fireplace kept our pipes from freezing during a three day blackout following a blizzard. The house was so cold, we had to sleep with hats, mittens, and sweaters. All our fish died.

Screen porch © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

We spent a LOT of time out here. Our younger daughter used to nap on the sofa.

 Upstairs loft © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

One of our daughter's bedrooms © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Stay tuned to see some of these same pieces in our current house and a bit later, in their new surroundings!

Quince Cottage believes a vanilla subdivision house can be transformed into a beautiful home that reflects the unique taste and personality of its owner. 
In our own place, rustic, opulent, and exotic rub shoulders. Think gilded mirror, an embroidered velvet robe from Uzbekistan, and a ship-lap wall. 
Stick around, and we'll not only show you what we mean, we'll also give you tips on creating your own special style.