Special Touches In My House

Cindy Barganier Interiors / architecture and design  / Special Touches In My House

Special Touches In My House

Yesterday I wrote about the little bungalow that we have called home for the last 8 years. If you missed it you can see it here.

 

Cindy Barganier at home

 

Today I thought I would focus on a few of the favorite touches that, to me, make it special.

1. Our Awesome Coffee Table

This is a love it or hate it kind of thing. People walk it and either say,

“That is soooooooo Interesting!” as in “I love it. Never seen one like it. Can you get me one.”

or they say,

“That is….. in…tresting.” Like, “Dumbest thing I have ever seen.”  LOL It’s Ok. I’m a big girl. I can take it.

You see it is an actual capital that came off the top of a column on a building in Huntsville, Alabama. We plopped a slab of glass on top and make it the focal point of our living room. We make up stories all the time about the life our salvaged pieces lived pre-us.

Here she is in all her glory:

coffee table in living room

coffee table in living room

 

Here is a shot taking in more of the room. Uhm, are those my toes in the foreground? Yep. Did I tell you it takes a gymnast to shoot this room?

 

cindybarganier at home

 

 

1.(again, because I just couldn’t play favorites).

This little door is the heart stopper for everyone who comes to our house. It was a house warming gift from the great folks up at Southern Accents. It conceals my pantry in the kitchen and I just don’t know how I will bear leaving it. We have never found another this size. Believe me. I could have sold dozens.

 

designers at home

 

2. Special Art

Art can make or break a room. We have really enjoyed the many different layers that went into this presentation. First the canvas is floated inside a shadow box frame. Then it is hung on top of a panel of antiqued mirror. Then that  mirror panel is hung on the wall. As the light shifts throughout the day this vignette changes with it. The mirror bounces light during the daylight hours and the painting itself comes alive at night with the artificial light.

 

custom art on antique mirror

custom art on antique mirror

 

3. Shadow play from the chandelier that turns our little center hall into a jewel box.

shadow play

shadow play

4. A Little Touch Of Paree

I was finishing the design for our daughter’s room while she was finishing up her internship. I wanted to do something special for her and knew that it included padded upholstered walls but was sort of stuck beyond that. A friend had just returned from Paris and told me about a little apartment they stayed in and I knew what I wanted to do.  Adding a chair-rail with beadboard below provided an easier to maintain bottom half of the room and also served to anchor it. The padding built the top half of wall out almost 3/4″ so to just have drywall below would have felt awkward.

Designers at home

A touch of Paris

 

You can see that we also added picture mould at the ceiling that we actually use for hanging art since we can’t nail through the fabric. The bonus here: it is sooo quiet. All sound is muffled in this room the minute you walk it. I love sleeping in this room and since it now doubles as a nursery that is a good thing!  In the last 8 years this room has been the center stage for a wedding, 3 babies and lots of Gigi snuggle time.

5. Antique hardwoods

Also seen in the picture above is the antique random width oak flooring that we used throughout the downstairs. Nothing adds warmth and character to a house like old wood. The upstairs has antique heart pine that came out of the old Helena Curtis building in Chicago.

All of our interior doors are salvaged solid wood 5 panel doors.

6. Using favorite family pieces/antique linens

 

designers at home

bath vignettes

7. Heart art

Some of my favorite works of art center around things the children have done. One such piece is the fashion sketch that hangs in our daughter’s room. She designed all of the dresses for her wedding party and this was the original sketch that she drew to depict how it they would look. Sweet memories.

Designers at home

special artwork

8. Little vignettes that make it home.

designers at home

bookcase vignette

 While I find myself editing more and more everyday both in my house and my client’s, I still think without personal pieces around that have been a part of your  family for many years your house can end up lacking warmth.  It is a fine line.

Well, there you have it. A little peek into my humble abode.

It’s about time for us to do it all over again so if you know anyone looking send them our way. 🙂

Have a great day!

C

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3 Comments
  • Nice post. I learn something totally new and challenging on blogs I stumbleupon on a daily basis.
    It will always be exciting to read through content from other writers and practice a little something from their web sites.

    February 2, 2014 at 6:37 am
  • I could have sworn I was following your blog but now that I think about it, I haven’t seen it in quite a while. I’,, re-subscribe!
    Beautiful post and lovely pictures!
    Cecile Hamblin

    January 31, 2017 at 5:34 pm

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