Birch + Bird Vintage Home Interiors

Another busy weekend accomplished! Rachel and I spent Saturday afternoon taking pictures of new inventory for the shop….brrr! We take our photos outside as the lighting inside each of our homes isn’t ideal but this past session was by far the coldest we’ve attempted…it even started snowing! Our husbands were away on a dudes dirt biking extravaganza to Oregon’s sand dunes so we figured it would be the perfect weekend to tackle some shop business. It was and, despite the temperatures, we managed to make a dent in photographing our latest finds (we hadn’t taken pics since before Christmas and our stockpiling was starting to get out of hand!) and the kids played peacefully inside  while we worked. We spent the evening planning our next big project but I’ll talk about that a bit later. The entire weekend could have taken a disastrous turn but thankfully my parents saved the day! My son started complaining of a bad stomach ache Saturday morning (the last thing I wanted to hear at the start of a busy day, after 2 weeks of sniffly sick kids) so I called my mom to see if he could hang out with them for the afternoon and evening. He ended up with the stomach flu and slept over there, sparing the rest of us from contamination! Crisis averted, he seems great today, and I am so thankful that my wonderful family lives so close and loves us so much!

Here’s a little sneak peak of some new items ready to be listed in the shop…

So, the big project that Rachel and I spent the weekend (and the last couple of weeks) planning is…drumroll, please…The Old School Market! We will be hosting our first ever vintage and handmade market at the end of May and we are so excited! We were vendors at The Ivory Vintage Market in White Rock, BC twice last summer and loved the experience. It was so wonderful to interact with our customers face-to-face and to network with other sellers. Our hometown of Abbotsford is dubbed “The City in the Country” yet, despite it’s country ways, it seems to be a little behind when it comes to markets and craft fairs. We do have a good farmer’s market in the warmer months and big craft shows do come to the huge convention centre, but we thought it would be great to showcase vendors of specifically handmade and vintage goods. The last big craft show I went to felt like a giant informercial and was very disappointing, to say the least.

Alec Vanderboom via Mary Ruffle

Rachel and I are both lucky to know of so many talented local craftspeople, several of whom are also on Etsy, and just knew we had to move forward when we found the perfect venue. The Clayburn Schoolhouse is in a little heritage village on the outskirts of town and the one room schoolhouse has been restored and turned into a rental hall. It is absolutely adorable inside and we fell in love at first sight! We have a number of amazing vendors lined up already and are looking for more. If you live in the Lower Mainland area and are interested, please contact us for details. We set up a quick little blog here, that we’ll be updating regularly with market information.

The Schoolhouse, Clayburn Village, BC.

With the market on my mind and a display of our own to plan, I set out in search of other great market tables and inspiration. Here are a few lovely examples of the overall esthetic we’re going for…

Seabold Vintage Market

Hitched via The Found Blog. Photo by Amelia Lyon.

Hitched via The Found Blog. Photo by Amelia Lyon.

Hello, Friend

Barn House

If you’ve hosted or been a part of a market like this in the past, we’d love to hear any tips….once again, we’ll be learning as we go! We’ll be keeping you posted here and on our market blog with vendor updates and more so stay tuned…

I was lost on Pinterest the other day and came across Brittni‘s inspiring collection of DIY projects.  I’ve never seen so many fabulous ideas all in one spot!  I have to say I got a little excited.  You should take a look for yourself.  And since it’s Friday and it’s fairly cold outside, maybe you’ll be tempted to take on a project for the weekend while we’re all staying warm and cozy inside.

Apothecary bottles are quite popular in our shop, quite a number have come and gone.  Lily and I are attracted to their colour, shape and quirky features, like an old label or an embossed emblem.  Bottles add a little sparkle to displays on their own or with some greenery.  I especially loved this idea of displaying old and new photographs.

Apartment Therapy

Staying on top of things and maintaining some sort of organization is always on my mind.  How about you?  I’m constantly rearranging a shelf or a closet or my dungeon of a basement.  And I always have an “out” box for the second hand shops.  I like to use items I have around the house already to keep “like” things together.  I appreciate all these do-it-yourself ideas for their simplicity and of course, their vintage factor.

1.   Better Homes and Gardens 2.  fitzsu 3.   Good Housekeeping 4.  Country Home 5.  Natalie Jost

My sister in law made an amazing blackboard similar to the one below that she’s hung in her kitchen.  She uses it to keep track of their schedule and it’s always interesting to see what they have been up to.  Old frames are a plenty at thrift shops, especially the gold variety, that look fresh and new with a coat of paint.  Did you know that Rust-Oleum makes a base coat primer that is magnetic?  Use it on a main wall for displaying your kids’ art or for that inspiration board that you have meant to get started on.

Design*Sponge

Real Simple’s book shelves are sweet, don’t you think?  If the brackets are sturdy enough, a tall stack of books would make a striking display.  A vintage tray becomes a magnetic note board or a place to display photographs.  We have a dartboard in our shop that I’ve always thought would make a fun bulletin board too.

1. Real Simple 2. Happy Go Vintage

I mentioned my love of chairs awhile ago and I often come across a beautiful chair that just doesn’t have any more life left in it.  It’s so disappointing when it’s far too rickety or has been repaired in a rather unappealing way.  These chair back hangers would be a resourceful way to let them live just a little bit longer.  They are far too pretty to hide away in a closet.  I think they would look  so charming near a front door on some pretty hooks waiting for guests.  Instead of just sitting around, these vintage chairs are put to good use as shelves and also look pretty too.

1. Resign via sfgirlbybay 2. Apartment Therapy

Our husbands are away so Lily and I thought we would get together and work this weekend.  I’m looking forward to it.  All the kids running amok.  It should be fun!

Enjoy your weekend because it is finally here!

I was beyond thrilled yesterday to see that the lovely Jen Ramos of Made By Girl had featured my home on her blog! I’m a big fan of her typographic prints and Jen contacted me a little while ago, after reading this post, asking if I’d like to send over a few more pictures for her to possibly include on a future home tour. As you can imagine, I happily obliged (more like kicked the kids outside, cleaned like mad and made the house look how it does when I’m home alone for a day!) and I was so excited to see the photos up and running on her lovely site! So many of Jen’s readers left such kind and flattering comments and it truly made my day…make that my last two weeks, after the ongoing bouts of coughing and colds going on over here! So I thought I’d share the photos with you as well and give a little history behind some of my favourite junk finds. As you can see, anything vintage rules the roost around here but I think it’s important to have a nearly equal amount of new items mixed in to keep things feeling like Grandma’s basement.  I’ll do my best not to point out the things on our renovation list (*cough*the too-light laminate floors to hardwood*cough*) and please feel free to ask me about anything I don’t mention…

Made By Girl

This is my little work station, where I spend quite a bit of time most days. It’s tucked into our Living Room, for lack of a better space, which actually works out really well for working amidst all 3 of my kids, husband and dog. I’d get pretty lonely otherwise! Our living room has big windows, nearly floor to ceiling, looking out to both the front and back yards so I get to sit in patches of sunshine now and then as well as keep an eye on the kiddos when they’re running wild outdoors. Rachel and I found the chair at a local antique shop on sale and I started refinishing it last summer but got lazy and decided that I liked how the raw wood looks so that’s how it has remained. The desk I found several months ago at the local Bibles for Missions thrift shop…half price for $30!!! It’s solid oak with dovetailed drawers, cool built-in dividers and extra work space boards that slide out at the top of each side. Score!

I had several people ask me about my coffee table after Jen’s post…it is another one of my top finds! I had seen it on a Sunday afternoon wander through our favourite junk barn with my family but hemmed and hawed and left it behind.  When I couldn’t stop thinking about it, Rachel joined me to hunt it down.  After some searching (the legs had been folded and it was stashed under a table piled with random junk), we came upon it, covered in bird poop and grime and I paid a whopping $40 for it (which I truly thought was way too much at the time!). Rachel later sent me a link to an online antique auction for a nearly identical table priced at $2600….woo hoo! The couch, rug, pillows and throw were all purchased new at some point and the majority of the art is thrifted, except for the bird poster which is actually a piece of wrapping paper that my sister gave me for my birthday one year. The hope chest was refinished by my mom and given to me on my 13th birthday…

My mantel decor changes almost weekly, depending on my mood and what new finds we’ve purchased for the shop. That’s one of the bonuses of owning a vintage shop, we get to enjoy our vintage treasures until somebody else decides to purchase them! The jar of shells are from a favourite family holiday to Saturna Island, BC with my side of the family last summer. The previous owners, who also happen to be friends of ours, had the fantastic idea of of upholstering the slate fireplace bench in faux leather. Safe for little heads to bump into, the perfect spot to warm up on a cold day and ideal for extra party seating…

The original fireplace brick colour was an odd salmon pink with sparkles throughout it and was one of the first things to be painted after we moved in. The walls were already the dark taupe colour so I chose to paint the brick charcoal, a choice I’ve been really happy with. We replaced almost all of the lighting in the house as the cedar ceilings make things look pretty dim in the evenings.  I’ve had the mirror since high school and it’s been painted many a colour since it’s original gold. I found the table at MCC almost 4 years ago and loved the claw feet! It was an ’80′s orangey oak stain so I gave it a few coats of black paint. The bentwood chairs are Craigslist finds and were made in the former Czechoslovakia…another score! I bought the cowhide rug off of ebay years ago and it has stood up to anything that’s been thrown at it…literally! From red wine to spaghetti sauce to other unmentionable things left by toddlers, it equals wool in how easy it is to clean without staining.

This battered dresser in our master bedroom was found on a spontaneous trip to the antique shop a few years ago. Brad and I were in the midst of crazy renos at our last home and were literally down to the last couple hundred dollars in our bank account…which just happened to be the price of this weathered beauty! He was horrified, to say the least…

Thankfully, my man gives me full reign when it comes to decorating but he couldn’t refrain from a few eye rolls while helping me hang the gallery wall in  our room! Almost all of the art is thrifted and several are old book pages. When I was 18, I bought the large Michelangelo print at the Vatican in Rome and  it travelled halfway around Europe strapped to my backpack, getting lost in random train aisles more than once!

Our son, Gabe, is into anything skateboard or hockey related but I managed to fit some vintage Atlas pages and other finds, like Donald, into his room as well. The desk was mine when I was a kid and the Little Prince Illustrations were made by my dear friend Julia as a shower gift when Gabe was born.

And, I’ve already showed you pics of the room shared by my 2 daughters, Sadie and Lilah, but may as well keep them in the family for this post! The wood bed is one of a pair made by my great grandfather from a fallen tree on their property and the dresser is from another antique store in town. My mom bought the little antique roll top desk (you can only see the side, by the doorway) at a garage sale years ago and refinished it in the hopes of one day having grandchildren…lucky me!

Well, that ended up being a lot more lengthy than I intended! Hope I didn’t bore you with the history of our stuff…have a wonderful day!

Lily and I love to pull nature into our homes any chance we get.  I’m waiting for my Japanese Maple tree to start sprouting it’s pretty red leaves so I can bring a few branches inside.  It sets off quite a display and is a good reminder of warmer weather that is just around the corner.  Another source of nature that is quite popular right now, is the use of shed deer antlers and animal hides in decor.  In fact, we have a few waiting in store for our shop and we found a couple more on our recent shopping expedition.  This quirky trend has been seen before, possibly in the homes of our parents in the 70s.

Papa Stour

I realize that antlers might not be everybody’s idea of design but you have to admit they are certainly interesting at the very least.  What do you think of this pretty feminine office and it’s very masculine display of sheds?  A little too much for you?  Or just right?

mixr

What about just one set then?   The soaring windows in this bright and lofty kitchen are to die for, by the way.

mixr

I love how the antlers bring this quaint living space back to reality.  This collage of antlers is displayed at the BOULEVARD – LEOPOLD, a historical vacation rental in Antwerp.  The details in this building are truly divine.  You should really stop by to have a look and if you are lucky enough to stay, please be sure to tell us all about it.

BOULEVARD – LEOPOLD via Honey Kennedy

Are you scratching your head as to where you would find a set of antlers?  Well, if you spend any time in the forest, your best chances of finding your very own are between the months of January and April when deer naturally shed.  Of course, there is always Etsy.  This screen printed pillow is hot off the press at o’Darlin.  This shiny black pair is guilt-free and vegan.  If black isn’t your colour, there are pink, blue and yellow options too!  And Modish Vintage has the real deal, vintage of course.  If  having antlers in the home really doesn’t suit your taste, then maybe I can tempt you with this Deer In Love necklace. 1. o’Darlin 2. Pedal Your Blues Away 3. Modish Vintage 4. Rachel Pfeffer Designs

I stumbled upon Jamie and Larry Oliver’s home in The Etsy Blog’s Get the Look Decor feature and fell in love with their space .  Their choices are unexpected and definitely humorous.

The Etsy Blog

I came across Rachel Denny‘s cashmere, cable knit taxidermy awhile ago now.  What do you think?  These hand cast mounted antlers are available individually or as a set.

1. Rachel Denny 2. Ballad Designs

So, tell me…antlers, yay or nay?

Rachel and I often daydream out loud about what it would be like to move our families just outside of town…to find some acreage and build dream homes in the country, Lotto Max win permitting of course! It would be so amazing to have space for the kids to run wild and explore, room for sprawling patios and gardens, all topped with quiet nights and unobstructed views of the countryside. Bliss! I don’t know if the busyness of life would actually decrease…I imagine there would be a lot more maintenance and upkeep involved…but one can dream!

Over the past few years, I’ve watched many an episode of the British real estate show Location Location Location. I’m always so blown away by the picturesque properties that seem to abound in rural areas of the UK and I have fallen in love with many of the barn conversions that they’ve shown and proposed to various clients. Reusing an existing building is way up there on the recycling ladder, which is great, but I really love the thought of living in a completely unique space with deep sense of history, or at least a good story behind it! My husband’s Grandfather and Uncle took apart an old exhibition barn many years ago and painstakingly rebuilt it on their family property out in Chilliwack, where my in-laws live now. They think I’m crazy, but I’ve often dreamed of converting it into a family home like these…

Fresh Home via Inside Stoop. Built by Shed.

I first saw the following stunning home in Architectural Digest and was so happy to see it recently featured in the Canadian magazine, Style At Home. I love the mix of fine and rustic materials…isn’t that bathtub gorgeous? The surrounding property is truly the ultimate location for me…

Architectural Digest. Photography by Scott Frances.

Style At Home

Using barn doors in interior spaces has been on trend for several years now but I can’t say that I’m tired of it yet. In doorways or as room dividers, modern or rustic, they add such a unique touch to a room without making it feel closed off entirely…

Dillon Kyle via Desire To Inspire

1. Design Sponge via You Are My Fave

Feldman Architecture via Remodelista

Not ready to move to the country? There are many accessories out there for you to bring home and add that touch of the simple life to your space. Vintage finds, like the antique drill bit case from my father-in-law’s old shop, abound at auctions and rural estate sales. Or there are many reproductions of heritage pieces also available, many within budget…

Canadian House & Home

1. Baileys 2. Sadie Olive 3. Birch + Bird 4. Canoe

We had a lovely outdoor wedding reception at my in-law’s farm (nearly 10 years ago, wow!) and, thankfully, it was a hot and dry summer. But if it hadn’t been, the above mentioned barn would have been perfect (with a very good spring clean!) for a covered reception. Aren’t the following barn wedding tables so dreamy and romantic?

Style Me Pretty. Photography by Jamie Grenough.

Style Me Pretty. Photographed by Abby Ross.

Feeling the pull of your country roots? Or do these images have you hoofing it back to the city? Love it or hate it, I’d love to hear your thoughts on my love of the barn!