{Our 'GREEN' Bedroom}

As promised yesterday, today I will show you our bedroom itself. Maybe you get an idea for keeping the planet Green, by conserving energy... We at least tried to reach that goal. Too bad that those Historic Windows indoor shutters from Virginia are no longer available. We fell in love with them and had them already in our previous home in Georgia. My brother Harry than even made a set for us, for the guest bedroom; proving his woodworking skills successfully! So we were thrilled when we built this house in 1990 to find once more those solid oak Historic Windows indoor shutters. We painted them white however! But come on in...

This is where we left yesterday, the new 'Green' indoor shutters hung by Pieter himself. These are ready made Masonite bi-folds from Home Depot. 

Our floors are Bruce solid oak planks of 5" width and we're very pleased with that quality. Consumers Report gave them the highest rating at the time we were doing the research.
Our furniture we did ship 3 x across the Atlantic Ocean and due to the solid French oak, it survived each time, without any damage.

Here you see those solid oak (painted white) Historic Windows indoor shutters. The six panel is called 'Charleston'. The same hand crocheted filet lace valence, in French DMC, for the window as I had on the shades for the French door. We both love the unobstructed view without curtains and yet have privacy with the shutters and they're the ultimate for Going Green for saving energy!

When opened, they fold away to the side and they close with a magnet that you see at the top.

Closed view

Our six pound Tiggy Tiger, she loves the French Yves Delorme bed linens... We've been lucky with an Yves Delorme Outlet in Chattanooga, TN; a four-hour drive for us. They also sell the lightweight batiste down duvet and down pillows. We have on all our beds the European squares and the standard down pillows from Yves Delorme. That makes you sleep like a rose... while being watched by wooden Cherubs from Italy.

The double oak armoire with tassels from Yves Delorme...

The door to the hallway, of the same Masonite with six panels and matching the solid oak indoor shutters in Historic Charleston raised panels.

Our build-in closet with the very same Masonite bi-fold doors that Pieter got the idea from! Except that he needed to add a third one to each folding unit.

Above the TV hangs an authentique antique letterpress drawer for my silver, silver plated and other little treasures.

My Dad did clean them out, removing the ink and staining them.

Husband Pieter made with tiny hinges an acrylic sheet cover hanging from the top and being closed with clips at the bottom. You can see it entirely here: {My OPA - GRANDDADDY} click link

The door to our bathroom and again back to the balcony...

Our walls + ceiling are painted in Benjamin Moore® Natura® 2096-70 Early Sunset an eco-friendly choice.

The all cotton Vista area rugs in natural are from Solutions and are very practical and hygienic.

Hand crocheted filet lace rose doily in fine DMC thread and cross stitch alphabet letters are done by me. Not the tablecloth. The braid on the ombré silk in the shadow box, is of course mine and not Pieter's...

Hand embroidered silk doilies on the table are from China. Pieter did bring them back from his trip as Citizen Ambassador.

Our Balcony with teak table and chairs...

Vintage Woodworks balustrade in wood...

Home is where the heart is...
Heart shaped bird feeder with pull out drawer

Related link:

{Going Green for our Bedroom + Confederate Jasmine in bloom} | previous post about husband Pieter installing the French door's indoor shutters...

{Going Green for our Bedroom + Confederate Jasmine in bloom}

Just before we went to Florida on vacation, Pieter did complete quite a job. Last year in August I had been searching for the possibility of having sliding shutters for our bedroom's French doors. Well, due to Pieter's open heart surgery on September 3, that ended the entire plan... Let's have a look at our bedroom and balcony.

These sliding French doors exit onto our balcony and right now, the Confederate Jasmine is blooming at its best. This Jasmine is making a pretty evergreen arch and if you could only smell their perfume as well! This is also the south west side of the house so in summer when temperatures are between 35°C and 42°C it can really get hot. So that's why we do have solid oak indoor shutters on all our windows except in the kitchen and veranda. Also this French door had the linen shades that we did buy in The Netherlands and I added a hand crocheted filet lace border.

This photo lets you see my hand crocheted filet lace border and also the highly fragrant Confederate Jasmine Trachelospermum jasminoides, more in detail.

Two birdfeeders for chopped peanuts and nuts...

From the inside looking at the linen shades with my hand crocheted filet lace edging. I used French DMC Cébelia size 20 thread.

Removing all the old molding to fit a new molding for the sliding shutters in order to go Green. That will have quite an impact on our electricity bill as well for cooling in summer as heating in winter.

Instead of having some costly sliding shutters, Pieter worked out his own, more economic version!

Bye-bye linen shades after serving us for almost 18 years. But they never darkened the room at mid-day when Pieter needs to take his nap... One more reason for replacing them and going Green!

The new made-to-fit frame is on, and the Masonite bi-fold doors are hung from their rails.

Tomorrow I will show you photos of our entire bedroom so you can see how these six panel bi-folds go perfectly with our solid oak indoor shutters. We also have them on our build-in closet.

I felt mighty proud of Pieter for being able to manage such a project again, after his open heart surgery!

The third panel is being attached with two hinges each and folds outward on top of the bi-fold. On a cloudy day we can leave the center section open. It is even more romantic than having the shades pulled up partly, as that only worked for the full width. Clever design by my dear Pieter and for a fraction of the cost from those offered on line.

These photos I made yesterday while the Confederate Jasmine is still pretty.

It is so romantic to wake up to such a view... Two bird families have a nest on top of the pergola, in the Confederate Jasmine. They are protected underneath the roof extension and gutter. Often we get an early morning bird-concert when they want to express their happiness.

Tomorrow I will show you the bedroom itself! See link below...

Related link:

{Our 'GREEN' Bedroom} | All done...

{Our Home in the SNOW -- January 2002}

Once in a while we have seen a winter-wonderland here in Dublin, Georgia. In 2002 on January 2 and 3 we had for two days snow and it really did stay! So we got some great photos from these two days; very unusual for us. It looks pretty though! So have a look around our home in the snow...

This is eight years ago and some trees are no longer there. Like those weeping ilex in front of the house, they're gone. They hid the house and it was no longer pretty. In the beginning we got carried away by them and had our Christmas lights hung in each of them. Tiny white lights; very romantic.

The solid oak indoor shutters inside of the windows are closed here. Those have proven to be a very wise investment as they keep and the cold and the heat out! Never having to mess with curtain cleaning and dust free. Very light when opened so we love them!

The photo below shows the dining room shutters (l) open as well as those from the office. The guest bedroom is shut. 

 

From our front porch, overlooking the brick walkway to the mailbox and the road. 

Our Vintage Woodworks from Texas looks lovely now...

The antique copper ship's pump on the wall and the oak bench with wrought iron 'roses' in antique green to the left.

This is to the side of the kitchen bay window. This photo is from the first snow day on the 2nd of January. 

Gazebo is visible here as well.

We do have lots of evergreen trees and shrubs, as can be seen in these photos.

We never again will be able to make photos like this as the Southern Magnolia has grown so tall and wide...

Here the gazebo is visible and the pond below. Our property is on a slope.

This is on our driveway and it's the second day of snow on January 3.

Our Magnolia Grandiflora 'Namnetensis Flore Pleno' is still small here...

The balcony to the right and again the gazebo with the pond area is visible.

This is our our young Quercus Virginiana 'Grand View Gold' covered with snow.

Taken from the other side of the pond.

Our Scarlet oak (r) keeps its leaves on quite long and they still have some color here. The other oak (l) is a semi-evergreen. There is a feeding house for the wild ducks under the semi-evergreen oak.

The greenhouse in the back and to the right is our triple-stemmed river birch. We lost it in one of the hurricanes, it got ripped off and only one 'ugly looking' stem was left... So we had to cut it down.

Here you see our third bridge across the creek into the wood garden with walking trail. 

From the balcony towards the pond. The Virginia live oak tree on the left is huge now. 

That's it!

Who knows we will again get snow like this? 

We at least do treasure these photos. 

{6 Gorgeous 'Ann Cousins' Peonies in Baccarat Harcourt Pitcher}

• Today we were lucky to have a full Peonies bouquet of gorgeous Paeonia 'Ann Cousins'! 
• They are really heavy and the perfect way to hold them with enough counter-weight is by using the heavy crystal Baccarat Harcourt Pitcher. 
• I was lucky to get this one from an estate sale on eBay, for a better bargain than at Neiman Marcus (now sold out...).
• It is 6.25" tall and just perfect for such huge flowers. 
• Promising the widower to take good care of his wife's prized possession. 
• She will be so proud, looking down from heaven onto such perfect flowers!
• And taking good care of the pitcher; I WILL!

• Picture taken on our balcony on the round teak table...

• Our Confederate Jasmines are blooming, as seen in the back...

• What a beauty this Paeonia 'Ann Cousins' is!