Chinoiserie Follows Me ...

Main Street Apt Version 1

So a lot of you were curious as to whether or not I sold the Chinoiserie wedding cabinet from the first decoration of the living room. The answer, is yes. And I'm not at all sad about it. Firstly, it went to a great home. Secondly, it was too big for my apartment, and each and every house that I looked at that was in my budget. 

I'm still looking for houses, I've just slowed my search. Instead of looking multiple times a day, I look once a week. I've become less obsessed with the process, and I figure like everything else - the perfect house will find me, I won't find it. 

Still, I found myself missing the beauty of Chinoiserie in the house. There is something just really lovely about handpainted furniture in that style, and the sophistication of the shine of light off that lacquer. You'll remember I gave a sneak peek of fabrics a few days back: 

A ton of different blue fabrics, and a peek at a tabriz rug in all blues. A blue and white garden stool, and that tiny little glimpse of Chinoiserie, which was actually my bedside table:

Once I brought it into the living room to take that photo, I knew that it had to stay there, and it sparked a fire to find more beautiful pieces. It also helped me finalized some layout plans, which I really needed. I may have mentioned I am doing this on a budget, right? I mean, I really want to design this entire space for less than what I spent on that Hermes blanket! I don't know if I can - but I'm trying.

I hopped on Craigslist, hoping and praying that something would pop up. And boy did it! 

I found the most perfect little dining room set, complete with a four foot wide lighted china cabinet. All hand-painted, this time with some colorful figures, the piece is in excellent condition as are the chairs (two arm, two without) and the table. I'm still waiting on curtains (they'll be done Friday) and slips and covers, but for the most part the room is finally taking shape. 

A happy accident for sure, the back of the cabinet is painted in a beautiful burgundy with an orange hue. I had no idea before I picked it up. A few days ago though, I had fallen in love with a piece of photography, and I ordered it, knowing that I'd make it work somewhere:

Isn't that wild!? This is printed 24x36 but will be framed much larger, and will hang behind the rattan sofa that has settled in the nook, all of which has yet to be photographed. But it's coming! I promise. 

I'm not sure what it was about this photo, of a monk in Myanmar holding his hands in prayer. Maybe it was the aged hands, or the repose, the tattoos that spark a quandary of past lives lived, the colors - maybe all of it, but it's something I was immediately taken by and that's how I justify all of my art purchases. 

What's left? Oh boy, what's not left? Touch up painting, curtains, and repair of some flooring (yeah - that happened). Moving the tabriz rug down toward the fireplace about an inch, which requires moving EVERYTHING. Upholstering, or slipcovering the new Chinoiserie chairs, creating the bench seat cushion for the rattan sofa, and coordinating pillows, buying some fun accessories (I have my eye on some Ostrich eggs) and buying/hanging the art. 

Now that I've got things pulled together in a way that makes sense to me, I'll be showing off more of the space and the progress I'm making here and on instagram. So if you're on IG - follow me there! 

Hope you have an excellent day. It's my Birthday-Eve, so I'm off to do some shopping for my birthday present!