My former office.....now a giant chunk of square footage we don't need

So after 7 years, our home, Casa Real was ready for a little facelift.  Thanks to a horrible hail storm in April of 2011, we ended up with a long list of things that needed to be done.  The major projects were to replace all the windows and exterior doors, as well as the slate roof.  Our contractors, Schmid and Rhodes in Knoxville, TN, asked us if we would clear out some of our “stuff” to make the process a little easier for them…..and we thought that was a fantastic idea in order to provide the most protection for our artwork and antiques.  It also opened the door for the list of things that needed to be done. 

The Den….all empty

 The list grew, as most projects do, and now includes the following:

*Reconfigure the former office and create a media room, office, and entertainment area that services the pool

*Create a new storage and display piece for the new media room that will house part of our collection of antique accessories as well as new components for television and sound

*Create an updated mantle and overmantle for the new media room

*Eliminate the horrid track lighting in the office, and in so doing, create a sensible lighting plan, and install a new wooden ceiling

*Replace the marble floor in the kitchen….which continues to crack despite our efforts to correct it….with antique heart pine, and while in the process, replace the parquet floor in the den with the same flooring; thus unifying the entire main floor.

*Replace interior door hardware with lever handles appropriate to the style of the house, and add detail to the door painting

*Fresh paint colors for the green guest room, master bedroom, and laundry room

There are probably other things that will pop up along the way, but this is the bulk of the list.  My goal is to document the project as it goes along, and provide before, during, and after photos of the work. 

Our goal is to give our home a fresh look.  As a designer, it is easy for me to look at a client’s home in a fresh light.  Since I am so attached to this place, and spend so much time here…..it is really hard to do that with my own home.  The repair work forced us to remove the majority of our “stuff” and it is giving us an opportunity to “re-think” exactly how we want spaces to function, and to really look at how things can be put together differently.  We are adding some new pieces into the mix as we go along, mainly with the goal of creating more storage space for a growing collection of antique accessories. 

Foyer into dining room

One of the first things we did was to remove all of the artwork and accessory pieces.  We packed many of them, but there were two bathrooms that were getting no work at all other than fresh paint on the doors and trim….plus the new door hardware.  A few weeks before we started on the major project, we had those areas completed, so we could start packing them with “stuff”.  Next, the movers came and packed up what was left and we carefully moved everything to a climate contolled storage facility.  Then, up came the rugs which have gone out for cleaning and any needed repairs, and finally, Prestige Cleaners came to get all the draperies to get them back into tip top shape and to store them for us until we are ready for installation.  The process took time, but it was a well organized plan, and we worked on it a little bit each day for about a week, it became a manageable task that way, and it did get completed.

The above photo is of the upstairs hall bath filled with paintings and lamps.  It is best to store paintings vertically, and when you can, put them back to back and front to front.  This really helps minimize frame damage from hooks and wires rubbing on the finished part of another piece. 

Today was the first full day of work, and most of what happened was protection for the surfaces we were not changing.  The upholstered walls in the dining room were covered, floors were covered, and the few pieces of furniture we were able to leave in the house were covered with foam board to protect them.  This will be an exciting process, at least for Bobby and me, and I hope that you enjoy reading about our newest adventure.

The Foyer

The living room

A beautiful room in the Palazzo

Another view of the main salon

The beautiful studio of Bruno Vianello

A favorite stop in Venice is the studio of Bruno Vianello on Calle De Pistor in Castello.  Bruno is a painting restoration specialist whose work appears in the Accademia, the Hotel Danielli, and in many private Venetian collections.  Currently, he is working on a group of Biblical paintings from the 16th century in which he has beautifully restored the canvases; erasing years of soot and dirt; water damage; and bad patches by previous restoration.  Bruno typically deals exclusively in restoration for museums and private collections, but always has a few “treasures” available for purchase in his studio.  It is a treat to see such a talented craftsman.

A work in restoration for a private collection

Through the years, Bobby and I have been fortunate enough to have purchased a number of paintings from Bruno that are still in our private collection.  We are always inspired by the beauty of the art here, and it is easy to find pieces to love.

A beautiful antique French iron lantern

Lighting is an integral part of what I do as designer.  It has the power to be one of the most important elements of a design because it can control the mood of a room.  Bright light promotes activity, while dim light promotes relaxation and conversation.  Lighting also is important because it is a great way to continue the look of a space.  

Finding lighting fixtures that are appropriate to a space can be difficult.  A lighting source like New Metal Crafts takes a lot of the work out of the process.  New Metal Crafts is a Chicago resource I have used for years.  On our recent Chicago visit, I was finally able to go to their showroom and was blown away by the depth of their collection.  They have executed many custom pieces for me in the past, and any time I have an antique fixture that needs repair or rewiring, they are the only place I will send it.  Their work is always first rate, and their knowledge second to none.  Lighting is often overlooked as a design element, but after a trip to New Metal Crafts, you will realize how important it can be.  Following are some photos of the showroom and warehouse.

New Metal Crafts

A fabulous pair of Italian lanterns waiting on the perfect home

An endless array of smoke bell lanterns

Detail of one of many "walls of sconces"

More crystal than Versailles

Antique railroad lanterns awaiting conversion

Walls of bronze sconces

Beautiful mica shades on iron sconces

The third floor attic, a treasure trove of antique parts

More treasures in the attic

 

Bobby and I are collectors to the core. Our shop, Bobby Todd Antiques, was born of the things we had no more room to house. Wooden boxes, tortoiseshell, Imari porcelain, Rose Medallion, 18th century French furniture, 16th and 17th century Italian paintings, Persian rugs, Staffordshire, silhouettes, Italian wood carvings, and anything quirky that has genuine artistic value. That is just in the foyer! These are things that we move around, use, and re-use, and they continue to look good and fresh. Years after we started, we are still drawn to the same genre of items. There must be something that is ok with that.

Anyone who would like to see our collection can go to http://www.toddrichesininteriors.com and look at my “portfolio” and “Casa Real” to see what we love and live with every day. Thanks Candace, for bringing this to your readers.

Free Pass for All Us Pack Rats

By Candace Manroe

Every time I start to houseclean before a party, I’m confronted by my collections. The dust they gather. The clutter they might represent to a more detached eye. The statement they haunt me with—you know, that one about hanging onto baggage and what-not.

But the fact is, I love them. The old black-and-white family photographs in Victorian seashell frames or in smaller micro-mosaic frames collected from travels in Italy (first trip, first frame, trip to Rome with Mother when I was 14; Mother’s been gone 9 years, I still have that first frame) and to antiques shops and flea markets everywhere else; all my books—antiquarian full-leather-bound and otherwise (just short of trade  fiction), that  started as gifts from both grandmothers and have grown to a houseful since—every room book-lined,  each with a different category of books: poetry in entry, family room, and master bedroom; history and art in living room; crime novels, first upstairs bedroom; and so on); my father-the-painter’s brilliant art; turn-of-the-19th-century whimseys (I’m like an ostrich: anything that glistens, sold!); seashells, especially cowries; Victorian seashell boxes and art; Staffordshire; ironstone; etc.

Here’s how bad  the book collecting alone has gotten. My BFF, neighbor, and fellow collector Andi Kunert once had a nightmare about me. Books had so overtaken my home in her dream that my sofa literally was reduced to nothing but stacks of them. No fill, no fabric, just books as form. Quite uncomfortable, she assured me the next Saturday, as we were out antiquing together, me scouring the shelves for more great old books I would enjoy both reading and treasuring as objets d’art. Andi suggested that, based on her nightmare, maybe it was time I backed off the book collecting. I knew I was in trouble hearing any such heed from her. When we watched  GRAY GARDENS (the made-for-TV movie about Jackie O’s increasingly eccentric aunt and cousin whose Long Island home ended up a collector’s and cat owner’s nightmare), separately, in our own homes, and later discussed it, we each pointed fingers at the other and said, “I thought of you!”  (I’m eccentric, she’s a crazy cat woman. We’re both collectors. Maybe that’s why we get along. But, truth told, she’s the one tottering on that slippery hoarder slope far more precariously than I.)

All of which is to say, you can imagine how relieved I was when I was at my TRAD HOME desk one day and flipped through an unproofed copy of a new book, OBJECTS OF OUR AFFECTION, by Lisa Tracy ($25, hardcover, 2010, Random House’s Bantam Books). I haven’t had a chance to read it all the way through, but I was immediately intrigued. It’s a vindication for all of us pack rats.

The book is Tracy’s account of her and her sister’s task of emptying their mother’s brimming-with-objects house after her death. Tracy writes: “Even as we know we should be winnowing, we’re wallowing.” She and her sister ran across an inventory that included silver gewgaws, dueling pistols of Aaron Burr’s, a Chinese chest, a chair G. Washington perhaps sat in. All in all, good stuff.

Here’s what the dust jacket has to say: “Tracy chronicles the wondrous interior life of those possessions and discovers that the roots of our passion for acquisition often lie not in shallow materialism but in our desire to possess the most treasured commodity of all: a connection to the past.”

That’s good enough for me. I would love to know what you think of the book—and about your own collecting experiences.

However, if you would rather not have your television exposed, there are stylish ways to disguise it. Many companies offer this type of product. See below for a small sampling, and to get an idea of what is available, visit links to my vendors.

Mark your calendars for Thursday, October 8 from 5 to 8 p.m. for Bobby Todd Antique’s annual holiday open house. “Making Spirits Bright” is this year’s theme. Shoppers will find red, green and gold decorations with extra sparkly vintage flair as we unveil this year’s window. We will be closed Monday, October 5, Tuesday, October 6 and Wednesday, October 7 to pre- pare. The open house continues Friday and Saturday, October 9 and 10 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, October 11 from 1 to 5 p.m.

This holiday season, you’ll find Lori Mitchell collectible figurines at Bobby Todd. Full of whimsy and charm, her characters have won a place in the hearts and collections of folk art enthusiasts worldwide. We also have high quality Christmas sculptures from Round Top Metal Art. These hand- painted items are beautiful, fun and inspirational.

When you think of Bobby Todd at Christmas, you think of our signature ribbons. This year, our customers will have a chance to buy ribbons off the floor or special order them in time to make their holidays merry and bright. There are ribbons of all kinds including solids, silks, sequined, mesh, velvets, printed, embroidered and more.

Be sure to look for the Bobby Todd commercial that is airing on Bravo, Oxygen and the Travel Channel on Charter Cable.