The Foyer : Lanterns

Foyers are typically small rooms, but one way to make a big impact in the room is with a light fixture of WOW material. One of my very favorite fixtures for a foyer is a lantern. In fact, in my own foyer, I used the Corinthian Iron Lantern from Shades of Light with silicone tipped bulbs.

Designer Credit: Artie Vanderpool - Buffalo Spree Home/Photographer: KC Kratt

P.S., check out that chair, will ya? I worked so hard making the slipcover and cushion for that thing!

Designer Credit: Artie Vanderpool

Found: At Home In Arkansas

Found: Decorpad

Designer Credit: Windsor Smith

Designer Credit: Alex Papachristidis

Designer Credit: Phoebe Howard

Found: Southern Accents

Found: Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles

Designer Credit: Sally Wheat / Found: Cote de Texas

Tomorrow:  The Foyer : Console Tables

Our Buffalo Spree Home Feature

Buffalo Spree Magazine, is Western New York’s only city and regional magazine, and has been focusing on the arts, entertainment, fine dining, local history, local events, and local people for 45 years. For the last 4 years, they branched out into the shelter magazine market, and bi-annually print their Buffalo Spree Home feature publication.

I blogged about the photoshoot this fall and anxiously waited for the magazine to print all winter long. Then got my copies last week, and was pretty pleased. You never quite know what to expect with this sort of thing. The photographer, KC Kratt, took so many photos while they were here, and although I knew there was no way I would have a 25 page feature (wouldn't that be nice) I had my pics for what I thought they'd choose.

For instance, I had hoped this shot would make the cover of the magazine. A vignette on our dining room table that I styled for the photoshoot. It didn't make the cover, but the editor did choose to put it in the front of the magazine as a "First Glance" to my feature on page 62.

There were other shots of the dining room that didn't make the final cut. But you can view my shots of the dining room here: http://niagaranovice.blogspot.com/2011/11/our-home-tour-dining-room.html.

A rarely seen room on the blog, our foyer. The chair is the lone armchair to our old dining room set, which I turned into a sort of bergere chair with the square down seat cushion. The pillow is axis hide, and came from a very dear bloggy friend. Fabrics are from Calico Corners. The gilded footstool is covered with an antique red rug remnant, and the lantern is from Shades of Light.

The article was written by Nancy J. Parisi, a free-lance writer for the magazine. She did a wonderful job.

Our sunroom. Or a corner of it, anyway. The hand-carved warrior was a purchase Scott made long before we met in Miami. I'm not a fan of televisions being turned on in photos - but it's something the the photographer does for Buffalo Spree Home. 

The living room and sunroom seating areas. I was surprised that these two photos were so small, but again, it's an article - not a photo spread.

Our front facade and pergola area in the backyard. It's a spring magazine, so I suppose I understand why they used exterior shots - but I hate that photo of the front of my house. The photographer showed up when the sun was in the wrong spot, and the tree shaded the front of the house, making the house appear so dark, and the garden almost unrecognizable. I knew that his shots of the front were going to be this way - he did too, so I took a photo of our house when the light was right ... but I guess the layout didn't accommodate the portrait composure. Here's my photo:

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining. Not at all! I just think for the magazine this shot was better given the light that was available when the photographer shot the front of the house. 

And that's all they wrote, folks! They also post the magazine online, but it hasn't updated yet. As soon as it does, I'll let you know. If you're interested in seeing more photos taken by me of the house you can click on the photos on the sidebar, or see

our living room here: http://niagaranovice.blogspot.com/2011/11/our-home-tour-dining-room.html

our sunroom here: http://niagaranovice.blogspot.com/2011/11/our-home-tour-sunroom.html

and our dining room here: http://niagaranovice.blogspot.com/2011/11/our-home-tour-dining-room.html

I've thought about disabling comments for this post. Of course, I want to hear what you think - but part of me knows I'll be disappointed that so many of you don't have the time to comment. Trust me, I know how little time we all have in the day, I rarely get an opportunity to comment on blogs, too. But if you have the time - I'd love to hear from ya!

And last but not least, if you're looking for accessories for your photo-worthy home, give our cross bottles a look. Just click on the photo to head over to http://crossbottleguy.blogspot.com.

The Photoshoot - Plus Glimpses at the Tour to Come

Well, just 5 hours later, the photographer and his stylist/assistant left and I couldn't be happier with the way it all turned out. Here I thought the process for this home-town magazine wouldn't be nearly as exciting or dare I say, professional, as the shoots for Better Homes and Gardens publications - but boy, was I wrong!

They showed up, right on time, with a cart filled with multiple bags of camera equipment, most of which turned out to be additional light sources.

While they set up for the first shot of the foyer, Scott wooed them with tales of being a million dollar real estate agent, before he left in the middle of the shoot to get back to work. The camera, a super awesome DSLR with multiple lenses has a port and cable which hooks to the laptop so that the photographer can see what they're shooting on a large scale to point out any flaws or to help adjust lighting, etc..

They moved the bags from room to room, making sure they were completely out of view when the photo was taken. My tiny little house felt that much smaller with all those bags in here! Note to self: take guests luggage immediately to the guest room.

There were a few of these can-light-on-tripod jobs in different corners of the room to give the light necessary to take a proper photo of the staircase.

Isn't this cool? I love this program! Being able to immediately see what you've shot on the computer screen means you don't waste time uploading image after image after image, only to see that you have to run over and reshoot it. Don't get me wrong, there were multiple photos taken of each room until the right one was chosen, but doing it this way sure saved a lot of time!

The photographer and stylist would go over the photos to make sure that the light was accurate, and that the composure was just right for the picture, and then he'd take the first shot. That's when I was given the opportunity to see what they were photographing, and make suggestions for styling that might make the picture better.

Thanks to my best good friend Margaret, and her handy dandy Kirby that she let me borrow after Scott broke ours trying to suck up leaves in the front yard, the house was beautifully clean, so the only thing we had to worry about in the photographs were little tweeks, like the fan of the tassel attached to the key, and the greens in the flower arrangement. P.S.,  ... That's not how he broke the vacuum, but it sure could have been! (Doesn't he know that you can't always use a vacuum to do a broom's job?)  

They took 6 shots that could potentially make the magazine, most of them vignettes, but a few others, and a large room shot of the living room looking into the foyer and sunroom to convey the relationship of the rooms in the house.

I got very little sleep prepping for this, so I'm wiped out! I'm off to bed, but would love to wake up tomorrow morning with lots of comments on the shots you were able to sleuth off the screen!

A Picture is Worth ...

While I collect the requests for where she should start our tour of CDLV, I thought I'd share this snapshot I took after styling the dining room table for today's photoshoot. Here's hoping it goes smoothly!