Happiness is...White and Willow

The White and Willow Green House

Finding an estate sale full of thoughtfully priced treasures is a dream come true....but do you ever stop to think about the people who first purchased the house, picked out the paint colors, and planted the garden?

I do.

"I met her, you know?" said the lady beside me...as she crouched over and shuffled through a box of sewing supplies in the front yard of the "Willow and White" mid-century ranch style home. "She was such a nice person. She loved angels and hearts...and so do I....yes, she was really nice..." I simply smiled in reply...listening...happy that she cared.

I began stacking my finds...one after the other...in shallow fruit boxes...one after the other...as I continued to comb through the seemingly never ending boxes full of the "nice ladies" life.

Then I saw this...peeking out from under a stack of fabric...

I am currently restoring and working on the design plan for 2 historic houses, a small barn, a carriage house, and a garden....to me..the dear lady's design scrapbook was a treasure indeed!

Shall we sit down and take a look?

Some of the pictures are a little tiny and dim..just double click on each photo to enlarge the picture...get a better view...and some pretty nifty ideas!

I rescued a built-in shelf like the one pictured above...(minus the green paint and fold-out table) just as a couple was disposing of it at the dump! For the best pop of color...shouldn't they have painted the Windsor chairs red?

I love this built-in shelf idea.

My paternal grandparents had a perfect mid-century home in Edina, Minnesota with a little phone corner in the kitchen just like this!

This would be a sweet way to have an herb garden just outside your kitchen door.

I collect traditional maple furniture to use as storage pieces in my kitchen, and throughout my home.

My grandparents had a full basement in their Edina home. A couple of its design features included a complete kitchenette..and a ping pong table.

What a cool idea (Below). They removed the upper panels from a closet door, replaced them with glass, and inserted a bookcase into the closet. Neat! I have a little round table just like the one in front of the "bookcase," beside my bed.

Does this remind you of the Bradys' backyard...and the Bradys' den?

My brothers' room had this red, white, and blue color scheme when they were little. They built model airplanes and boats too...along with a built-in desk! I still have the desk...and their maple bunk beds.

What a cool "Flame Red" door! Isn't it happy with the "Enameloid Pastel Blue" trim? And how about that trompe l'oeil "Flame Red" frame in the bedroom as an accent to the "Flat-Tone Orchid" pink? Wow! That's a brave choice!

As a germ freak...this is my least favorite kind of faucet handle...but isn't this a neat sink? Oh...wait...it is MY bathroom sink...but mine has a pedestal...and not a funky cool green on green cabinet.

When I was little, this was pretty much the color of our bathroom. The tub and sink (minus the legs) are very much like this in the bungalow we (my mom and I) rescued and moved to restore and expand into my shop. We will be replacing the old tub with a claw foot version I found at a garage sale. (It came in perfect condition with the feet and all of the fixtures for $150! : )

My friend Alice has a sweet dresser like this in her daughters' room...and that green...to me that is, "Alice Green."

And speaking of green...

Someone who lived in my home...at some point in history...really...really...really...LOVED...seafoam green. Pretty much the entire main house was painted with this breezy color...the siding, the walls, the trim, the floors...and THE ENTIRE STAIRCASE...railings included. Oy oy oy! You'd better believe I let out a giant sigh of relief when the carpet was removed from the family room....and we found that the old fir floors were stained...not painted! Like the door in this picture... the bathroom door and all of the cupboards in my kitchen...were stenciled with pink roses and teal leaves...

Can you see why I was so excited about finding this idea book? Can you see why I was so happy when I asked the cashier, "How much?" and she responded...."Um...75 cents."

I ended up spending only 16 dollars at that estate sale. I'll have to share the rest of the scrapbook entries and the other treasures I found that day...another day.

In the meantime, please stop by Southern Hospitality to see Today's Thrifty Treasures!

All pictures provided by the nice lady's scrapbook..and a vintage Sherwin-Williams "Home Decorator" Catalog.

After seeing this idea book, I realize that it's about time for me to show you my kitchen...look here for a glimpse...and stay tuned!