Monday, April 29, 2013

Bloggers beautiful abodes.....Tina from The Enchanted Home

Good morning! Hope you have enjoyed my series, Bloggers Beautiful Abodes...I know I have so enjoyed getting to see all my talented blogging friend's gorgeous homes and learning what goes on during their own creative processes. I have walked away with a wealth of knowledge so thanks again ladies!   I had many requests for me to do one so here I am. Figured it would be a fun way to close out this series. So....I will spare you a sappy introduction and delve right in, ready? Let's go.......
 


1. How long have you been in your present home?  Is this it for the long haul? Anything you would care to change if you could?   

Just a little over a year, hard to believe! And though I like to take things day by day and not think too far into the future,  I think we will be here for a long time....would love to have an engagement or wedding here! (not that I am putting any pressure on my oldest son- he has plenty of time). At this point honestly no there is nothing I would change, we are still very much in the "honeymoon stage".






2. If you could only live in two rooms of your house, which two would they be?


Don' t have to think about this too hard.....the kitchen and now my loggia, since we just added the furniture, I can't seem to stay away from it! My kitchen..... I just love and to me, its the heart of virtually every home, people love gathering in the kitchen, I get such enjoyment from cooking and entertaining and I think I could easily live in these two rooms alone! (have taken a nap on the loggia and it worked for me,  doubled as a makeshift bedroom:)






Still haven't gotten my new stools...just visualize:)


And the loggia....











3. How would you describe your decorating style? 


 Traditional, old world, European (specifically French) inspired.




 
4. Do you have a favorite color scheme? What is it?
 


Well its no surprise to many I am sure, but  I do love my blue and white, think that's quite obvious. Love off white, and warm tans with blues. It is important for my environment to feel soothing, relaxing and serene. I think that palette works in almost any home, is easy to coordinate with other colors if you want to bring more in and it's very soothing and calming and absolutely timeless!




5. Favorite room of your house and why?

Lately my loggia! I think I could live there:) But I also  love my bathroom, love taking bubble baths, closing the door while the chaos ensues beyond my closed doors........





 



6. Best two tips you can give to anyone looking to tackle the decorating of their own home? Best two things to NOT do?


Yes! Take your time (I practice what I preach, only have one really truly "done" room...lol)! Go with your instincts and with what you love. Trust your inner voice. If it is telling you yes or no, listen! Don't be a trend follower, IF it just so happens its a look you are crazy about and it works, then so be it but don't fall victim to a trend because you are being told it's "in". Chances are you will fall out of love with it well before it's no longer a trend. Timeless classics are always a great idea!

When choosing paint ALWAYS paint a test swatch. You never know how a color will look in your room. It is amazing to me how different the same paint can look in two different rooms. Last,  invest in the best pieces you can, even if it means having only a few good things vs. a room filled with "stuff". Quality pays off in the long run.

If I may add one more quickie...there's no room a blue ginger jar cannot enhance! And I truly mean it, they just look great EVERYWHERE!



 


7. What do you think are the most important features for a kitchen?



Definitely an island (if the space allows for it), and if you can load it up with as much storage as possible, even better. At least two huge deep pot drawers, I love mine. A big roomy sink, for those big oversized pots, buckets and watering flowers. Windows! Good light is so important to a kitchen, if you are starting from scratch stand in your kitchen and see what kind of light you get in those hours you know you will be there a lot. 

Storage is key, and if you don't have built in storage, then you can get small wicker baskets and store them inside cabinets, they work beautifully for organization.  



  I like unique little containers for storage...like these beautiful brass ones I am about to start carrying, wonderful for my olive oils and spices.....

I love the wooden dividers we had our cabinet maker put in nearly all of the kitchen drawers.....



8. How do you like to dress up a cocktail table and console in a living room?


Definitely adding flowers (change often with the seasons) , an orchid always works. I also like stacks of pretty coffee table books, a small crystal object or bowl. I normally have a candle or two and on  occasion a small frame. Ginger jars or a blue and white tureen ALWAYS works.  I like to experiment and "change things up".




 
9. Any advice on the subject of lighting?



Yes, am a huge fan of lamps and sconces. We put high hats in some of rooms to have the extra lighting if we ever needed it but truth be told, with the exception of the kitchen and my boys rooms, I can count on my left hand how many times we have turned them on. We always turn on the lamps, sconces and chandeliers (way more flattering too)! Dimmers are a great idea to control the mood, love gas lanterns for outside.


 
10. Have a favorite paint color? Do tell!


This is boring, but Linen White from Benjamin Moore has gotten us through many a paint dilemma. It's a creamy white, very neutral and just works. There's a reason its so popular! When it feels too yellow, we cut it with one part white Dove and its a toned down version. Its a great staple color.



11. What are a couple of really simple inexpensive things you can do in your home to make it feel "homey" and inviting?



For sure, flowers and candles to start! Even getting a bouquet from your local market and putting them in a vase somewhere you spend a lot of time. Lighting a candle or two whose scent you love, nothing is as wonderful as walking into a home that smells good! 

Make a powder room feel special and dress up the vanity or whatever shelving you have with special touches like a beautiful candle, pretty soaps, elegant finger towels, these little touches really add a touch of elegance.  I think starting at the front door, a beautiful welcome mat and pretty planters planted with some kind of greenery and flowers makes a wonderful first impression to not only you but your visitors.










12. Fill in the blank- If money was no object, the very first thing I would buy for my home would be.............

This was easy! A beautiful  conservatory. I am dying for one! It would double as my greenhouse, office and secret playhouse (where I might even keep a daybed) lol.




 
So there you have it. Thanks for stopping in and paying me a visit. Hope you enjoyed the series, I certainly did and will hopefully bring it back again in the future. Wishing you a wonderful Monday and a fabulous start to the week! Hope the sun is shining wherever you are:)

69 comments:

  1. I still cannot get over how beautiful and ornate your home is. Dying!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Tina- what an unbelievable post to wake up to and start my day with. Talk about a dose of beauty! Wow how fun to see your gorgeous home all on one page. Love it and just can't get enough. The outside as beautiful as the inside, and I always die over that kitchen!

    Now the loggia and every other room, your bathrooms are pretty enough to hold a party in:-)

    Beautiful and loved and very much agreed with all your advice, I have learned the hard way to buy quality over quantity. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Tina-
    I would have to constantly pinch myself if I lived here! You have a done an outstanding job designing and decorating. I am in love with your new loggia. I can understand why you spend time there.
    Your blue and white looks amazing everywhere. It is just all so perfect!
    Thank you for sharing your home.
    Happy Monday.
    Teresa
    xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Tina, Thank you for the beautiful tour. I adore every inch! Amanda

    ReplyDelete
  5. Gorgeous! Gorgeous! Gorgeous! There aren't really the right words to describe just how elegant and beautiful this is. Hard to believe its new, Tina.

    I LOVE your kitchen, loggia,living room, bathrooms and would love to be your overnight guest in that guest room. I also enjoyed reading tips "from a true pro". Thank you for opening up your exquisite home, insightful mind and sincere warmth to us all.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This has been a wonderful series Tina, each home as lovely and elegant. Yours is even the more special since we watched it go up! Rather like watching a child come of age.
    Wonderful pictures as ever

    Sharon
    xx

    ReplyDelete
  7. While, I love lots of decorating styles I have to say if I had to pick one I would have to go with yours. It really is relaxing and serene, but more than that, it is breath taking.

    ReplyDelete
  8. You saved the best for last! I loved each and every one but really nothing can top your house.Every inch just takes my breath away.

    Thanks for this post, I will be sure to come back again and again.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Drooling...... :-)

    Tina... you're home is perfect and trust me, that's not easy to achieve! It's a BIG place, but you managed to make it cozy and so welcoming.

    Well, you already knew I'm gaga over your homne, right? :-)

    You're amazing, my friend!

    xo

    Luciane at HomeBunch.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. Tina,
    What a visual treat!!! This post is a keeper! You have created inviting, warm and welcoming spaces in a beautiful large home, not an easy task! Of course, I covet anything blue and white and you place the porcelain to such dramatic effect! I have a catalogue collection for conservatories, mostly English, as I will have one when next I build, come h--- or high water, so I completely understand the desire for one. A lovely, lovely home and so happy to see your dream home come true to such stunning results. Hugs!

    ReplyDelete
  11. This post is incredible! My dream house come to life. I would never ever want to leave, as others as said, you have taken a huge house and made it feel inviting and warm and elegant. I just adore your style and know when its all said and done we will see this in all the magazines.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Tina....your home is lovely...you have done a great job on capturing a warm and inviting home...Love all the blue and white pottery....

    ReplyDelete
  13. I think we need a new word to describe your home Tina. I love that even though its over the top beautiful, you can feel the warmth (thanks to you) coming out of it. Every foot of this home is perfect. Congratulations on a job so well done. And thank you for sharing your thoughts on the decorating process, I am self taught and always enjoy learning. I have learned SO MUCH from your blog alone, not to mention added to my blue and white collection by leaps and bounds.

    Thanks for such a beautiful and inspiring job.

    ReplyDelete
  14. A beautiful way to start my week! So fun walking along with you in your lovely home. So many gorgeous pieces and areas to see!! Love the new logia and your powder room is AMAZING!!! Too many beautiful rooms and pieces to mention in one comment. So I will say Love it all!!!
    I have some blue going on over at my blog today, just a little something in the house and garden.
    Happy Monday,
    Kathysue

    ReplyDelete
  15. Good morning dear Tina!

    That family room of yours with the beams? SPLENDID! I would spend many a day and night in there, reading, looking up at the beams, dreaming, writing and holding poetry readings!!!!!!!! I too would love a conservatory, but we don't have the space, but for now, my lit up studio is filled with sunshine and I love it.

    Your kitchen is I'm sure a place where great conversation and fabulous meals issue from! Enjoy your spring day dear one. It is finally spring here!

    Anita

    ReplyDelete
  16. Tina, your home is absolutely breathtaking..heck I'd throw MY wedding there! The beamwork is my favourite part!

    ReplyDelete
  17. You know I love every square inch of your home, but the bathrooms are just gorgeous to me - such beautiful tiles, marble and attention to detail. Thanks for my Monday morning tour!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Amazingly phrased poetry; heavenly harmonious chords; continuous symmetry; candy for the eye! What else can I say? Thank you again for giving us a glimpse into perfection.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Sooo enjoy all of your gorgeous pictures and updates - can't get enough. All I can say is - WOW,BEAUTIFUL!!!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I think a conservatory would be the perfect addition Tina;) So glad you took us on a tour this morning. I never tire of your HOME photos.. keep them coming! Everything is stunning and your bathroom is a dream. Love the tub and I'm glad to hear that you use it! I have a large tub as well and I think I've only been in it a few times. It's one of those things I say I'm going to do and never take the time. The containers you are considering carrying are lovely.. what a great idea! Your consoles are lovely (blue and white is my personal favorite) .. also have Benj. Moore white linen in my home (long with white dove) Great colors. Enjoy your day! xxL

    ReplyDelete
  21. It is always a treat to see your beautiful home! I agree, linen white is one of the best whites, and I love your tip of toning it down with white dove (which is also a favorite).

    I always love seeing your Ralph Lauren chandelier. I would love to know what size it is - it is so perfectly proportioned to the room!

    Holly

    ReplyDelete
  22. Its always such a please to see photos of your home and garner great advice. I'm with you on lighting--love lamps and sconces--they add beauty and are functional too! Wishing you a great week!
    Barbara

    ReplyDelete
  23. I am quite certain that I could fit the all of my home into just your two favorite spaces alone. ;) Everything is lovely, inside and out. I am your latest follower, thanks for the visit over at my place.

    ReplyDelete
  24. All your rooms are beautiful but can see why you selected your kitchen as one of your favs. It's a beauty but the functionality makes it perfect in my eye!

    ReplyDelete
  25. First, I LOVE the new blog look! So pretty! Your house is to die for beautiful. Everything is just SO LOVELY. I think your design advice is spot on. Being true to yourself without consideration of what's trending is so smart.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Good morning Tina, it is alway nice to see your beautiful home, each room is unique, beautiful and filled with special treasures. I love every room, each time I see it from the outside I think of a country manor house from a Jane Austen novel.

    I love, love, love conservatories! I would love to hav one too!

    Have a beautiful, sunny day Tina...we have rain.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Hi Tina!! I can never get enough of your gorgeous home! The first picture in the fog looks like something from Wuthering Heights! It amazes me how you are able to make large spaces seem so inviting and homey - I think it is a reflection of your lovely personality that you are able to accomplish this. I also would spend hours in that "to die for" kitchen and would be living on the loggia.

    We have linen white and white dove throughout our entire house (maybe too much of it)...I love your tip of mixing the two to soften the yellowness of the linen white.

    Have a lovely day...where did our sunshine go?? xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  28. So beautiful. I would be hard pressed to pick a favorite room but can see why you chose the kitchen and porch. I think I would have to sit in each space a few minutes every day, love the decor, so elegant yet somehow it is inviting. I love the sprinkling of blue and white and you even carried it outside, fantastic!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Hey Tina, enjoyed reading your personal ideas on decorating as much as I enjoyed drooling all over my keyboard! Your home is like a beautiful hotel except best part is you get to live there forever!

    Love the kitchen, loggia, living and family room and of course all the bathrooms. That shot of the house in the fog is something out of a period flick. Would love to know more about the process of designing your home, we are building now and I have much respect for anyone who has been through it, its exhausting.

    Love those copper containers on your stove. Such a pretty way to use them. And of course all your florals are just beautiful. Thanks for putting this wonderful post together.

    ReplyDelete
  30. While everything is absolutely stunning, I just want to say I love how you've used balloon shades. I will always love them, they will always remain classic, and I think never go out of style. I think the average folk, either just don't use them, because maybe they don't come "off the shelf"? I don't see them as much in magazines, but I think they are gorgeous, and really quite easy to make!

    Linda

    ReplyDelete
  31. Stunning! Especially your kitchen. SO many special touches...and that range! LOVE. I just moved form a very French-inspired home in Houston a farmhouse in Tennessee. The thing I miss most is my kitchen and the black and copper French range. :) Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  32. Good morning, Beautiful home. Thank you for sharing. May I ask where your loggia furniture is from? Have a great day and keep on sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  33. While reading your thoughts in this beautiful post,you have given me some inspiring ideas.
    Thank-you for your personal suggestions on decorating. You have helped me immensely.

    ReplyDelete
  34. So beautiful Tina. Your home looks like its almost ready for a major magazine spread. I know you say you have plenty to do but from over here, it looks darn near perfect. I would be so happy cooking in that kitchen, then lounging in my loggia and topping it off with a soak in that gorgeous bathroom!

    All so beautiful. I really enjoy your blog, and your warm, witty and generous personality that shines through. Found you a few months ago from Pinterest and so happy I did. Thank you for opening up your beautiful home.

    ReplyDelete
  35. I can look at photos of your house all day! I love every room! Just gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  36. How fun - an autobiographical interview! We'd be sitting on that loggia with you all day long and eating your delicious food.
    xxoo
    C + C

    ReplyDelete
  37. Your home is simply marvelous! Elegantly appointed and wonderfully welcoming. Love the blue and white touches, and the classic decor. Congratulations on a stunning home.

    ReplyDelete
  38. This is lovely + a fan of blue & white anything. You have done a beautiful job + your advise is spot one. xxpeggybraswelldesign.com

    ReplyDelete
  39. You have obviously spent many hours dreaming and bringing those dreams to life. So tastful, elegant and over the top beautiful. I simply cannot get enough of these lovely pictures. Thank you for sharing. Pat C.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Tina, it's no wonder that you have been and always will be one of my most favorite bloggers! You tell it like it is…you give us great advice and we can always count on visual wonder! Your home is magnificent! I could only dream of living in just one of your fabulous rooms in your home!! I LOVE the den or family room with the phenomenal beams! My son does this all of the time in clients homes and I'm dying for him to do them in ours as well! Spectacular! Your kitchen and loggia are amazing! I would take a nap as often as possible if I had a loggia like that and I would cook up a storm just to be in that kitchen! LOVE the dividers in the drawers! Our pantry literally collapsed while we were at church yesterday so I'm scouring pics for the carpenter that arrives tomorrow…I need some really functional elements added to it! Thanks so much for doing this post on your own home! I loved every minute of it!

    ReplyDelete
  41. What an elegant and spectacular home. Your taste is impecable. Boy what I would give to have a kitchen like that. It is a dream. I just imagine the wonderful meals that come out of it. And that loggia is just the pertect space to entertain. Thanks for sharing your stunning home with us. I am your newest follower. I hope you cn stop for a visit.

    Janet
    rosemary-thyme.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  42. i didn't realize how massive your beautiful island is! i adore it and think this is just the smartest thing to do even though you know i would be climbing all over it i'm sure to clean every crumb and speck of dust and would probably pull something so it's actually better and quite thre relief that it lives in your kitchen, not mine and that i just stick with a shallower one to stay clear of the hospital.

    also.

    i'm a big fan of all your decor choices which are so classic and timeless. just once, i would like to answer the phone and say AHHHHH, YES, I'LL GET RIGHT ON THAT AFTER MY NAP ON THE LOGGIA.

    smiles.

    michele

    ReplyDelete
  43. WOW! Spectacular and I can't stop scrolling up and down to look at the pictures again! I remember when you were just building! Wonderful job you've done!

    ReplyDelete
  44. this post brought me back to your building process and the sheer fun of watching it unfold. now, the lovely decor. enjoy that loggia which appears to rise high into the trees. lovely tina!
    xx
    debra

    ReplyDelete
  45. So glad you did the post - wonderful to hear all your thoughts on this. Your house really is looking amazing, just like a beautiful chateau in France. You have exquisite taste and your home demonstrates that.

    ReplyDelete
  46. Thank you Tina... you truly do have an 'enchanted' home... Watching you create your home has been such a pleasure... seeing it come to life so beautifully... Congratulations... and i look forward to all the little additions as it evolves... xv

    ReplyDelete
  47. Yes, you saved the best for last! (Veranda Magazine will be calling after seeing this).

    Every room in your house is amazing. And the Loggia is no exception (I did not even know it was called that!). What a fantastic spot for entertainment. I am sure that your guests last week were in total awe -- if they even left..! (:

    Hugs to you.

    Mon

    ReplyDelete
  48. I look forward in incorporating you designs and ideas to my new condo in pasig city Philippines. I'm moving in with my lovely wife and I'm sure she'll appreciate this THANK YOU !!!

    ReplyDelete
  49. Interior designing is perpetual point or it is like a never discharge well. In the event that you got something to impart about the last corporate carpets,kindly impart it to us.

    ReplyDelete
  50. Your home is really very nice. it's very interesting and beautiful.
    Modular Kitchen Collection

    ReplyDelete
  51. I ABSOLUTELY LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE your house. I check in daily to see the "house updates"!!! Your kitchen is truly a dream come true. The only thing I would change is in the magnificent breakfast room.....I would have put a built-in window seat at the bottom of that very large and tall focal window...covered in a rich, deep fabric, with loads of Ralph Lauren pillows...I would be curled up there everyday with a book. Add a fireplace where your tv is located, and I would NEVER leave that room:) Can't wait to see your library when it's completely finished with furniture and books, the stain you used in there is sheer PERFECTION!!!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  52. Tina,

    Everything looks stunning. Love a conservatory also. The loggia looks so inviting..you could rent out parts of your home to host weddings during the summer months to take advantage of your lovely home grounds. Naps always a great gift to oneself. Cheers!

    Bette

    ReplyDelete
  53. Tina- your home is a true feast for my eyes. So beautiful. We live in Southport CT. another haven of beautiful homes but I must say your home might be the most beautiful I have seen. I love that it feels like its been there forever, not an easy feat. I think my biggest challenge would be figuring out where to spend my time, in the kitchen, the loggia, the family room with those vaulted beams or in my bathtub in that glorious bathroom! Every single room is a masterpiece. Thank you for sharing this.

    ReplyDelete
  54. Your home is so classically beautiful. I enjoyed reading your tips for decorating. Thanks for the lovely tour!
    -Shelley

    ReplyDelete
  55. I will never, ever tire of seeing new shots of your gorgeous home. It is just stunning. If it were mine, I might never leave, seriously. You have done such a tremendous job with it - a true labor of love, I'm sure. I can't imagine any famous designer doing it better - it's simply perfect.
    Stacy

    ReplyDelete
  56. Hello Tina!
    Your home is really looking very nice. and beautiful.
    Modular Kitchen Installation

    ReplyDelete
  57. I am still waiting for architectural digest to call you!!
    oxo

    ReplyDelete
  58. The first picture looks like an illustration from the wonderful classic novel. The "gothic novel" probably... ;-)

    Those kitchen are great. And the bathroom with the geometric pattern on the floor...

    ReplyDelete
  59. I agree with Elizabeth, you have such a wonderful design aesthetic, very much in line with Mr. Snyder. It is very elegant.
    The first picture looks like an illustration from the wonderful classic novel. The "gothic novel" probably... ;-)

    Premium Link Generator,

    Best Free Youtube Downloader

    ReplyDelete
  60. Dear Tina -
    Your home is truly magnificent! From the loggia to the kitchen to the setting, it is the kind of home / project any designer would love to work on. Thank you for sharing it with all of us. I'd love to see it in person one day :)
    Cheers from DC,
    Loi

    ReplyDelete
  61. Tina- so happy I didn't miss this! You are so talented and what a perfect way to showcase your talents than this magnificent work of art you and your husband have created. I am in awe of all you do and really enjoy sharing each and every step with you. Truly beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  62. What a lovely tour as always, Tina. I would spend all of my time out on the loggia, too! Such a tranquil a peaceful space. I hope you get your conservatory one of these days! I would look stunning with your home! xo

    ReplyDelete
  63. When it comes to house remodeling, you must get in touch with the best contractors. They will cater to all your needs of house improvement e.g. siding, interior, decks, windows etc.

    ReplyDelete
  64. The obvious product of a great eye for design, passion, and care to take time in planning. Beautiful home. Thanks for inviting us for a peak. Cherry Kay

    ReplyDelete
  65. Beautiful! I am a fan of a relaxing, calm house, too.

    ReplyDelete
  66. I just cannot fathom...I just...this is your HOUSE?:0
    O you must have a lot of good Karma on your name to have this in your life. Godbless and Wow:)
    ~Parul M

    ReplyDelete
  67. Tina my sister in law sent me over and said its the most beautiful house she has ever seen and I have to tell you, her house is pretty spectacular as well. But she did not exaggerate one bit, it is so incredibly beautiful and so tasteful even though its huge, it is done in such wonderful taste and with restraint, unlike so many "Mcmansions" that you see toady. I look forward to following along with you through your blog, so far I love what I see!

    ReplyDelete
  68. Can I marry your son and come live with you, please?

    ReplyDelete

Would love to hear what you have to say......happy thoughts only please!!