New dining room chairs

This is how our new dining room chairs look like at the moment. We got them from 't Gemakje in Leiden. Basically all furniture at 't Gemakje is painted white. When I told my boyfriend I want to buy chairs from there, he was quite thrilled. He thought GREAT, we just buy four white chairs and he does not have to do anything. Well... as you can see things did not go quite as he planned.

These chairs were the best of them all. Though being old, they are very solid, comfy and... brown. My feet even touch the floor when I sit on these, which was not the case with our previous chairs (yes, I am quite short). Now there is just that wee job left which involves sandpaper, paintbrush and a bucket of white paint. And I know just the right man for the job ;-)

Candle stick frenzy

I have a problem. I am a candle stick addict. I see a pretty candle stick and I end up bringing it home. We have them in every corner of the house and one cupboard is about to burst. I really have to stop buying them. Anyhow, this one is my latest find. I got it from a second hand shop in Leiden. I think it is fab and it fits amazingly well with those two old "costume drama" pictures I bought couple of weeks ago. Funny, I did not used to like brass/gold that much but suddenly our dining room is half filled with those colours.

The Dunes

Not far from us we have the dunes. A vast nature reserve inhabited by hares, bunnies, birds and deer. It is a lovely place to go for a relaxing walk, especially during weekdays when it is not crowded. I enjoy the peace and quiet every single time. But I have to say that for me the main attraction lies behind the dunes, the sea. But more of that a wee bit later.

What a difference!

We are slowly making progress with our dining room (it is about time). Our teak buffet cabinet has finally been painted. Job is not completely done yet, as the inside still needs to be painted. Outside was painted with a bit warmer white and the inside is going to be creamy off white.

This is how the cabinet looked before:

And this is how it looks now. What a difference already! Dining room looks so much brighter and I am loving it.

Romantic scenes

Romantic scenes and sweet nostalgia. In general we like quite modern art, but there was something about these old print/ watercolour pictures that attracted me. I had seen them several times before at our local antique shop but this time I decided to bring them home. I reckon they will end up on our dining room wall. I have always liked costume dramas (like Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice) and now I have a piece of "costume drama" on my wall.

Glasses and goblets

Challenge continues. I found these pretty glasses from a second hand shop in Lisse. This set of six was just few euros, so a real bargain. I like the old fashioned look fo them. I think I will use them for sweet liquors, yum. The metal goblet is from the same shop and that one I will use for flowers.

Choosing curtain fabrics

Oh what a difficult job it can be to choose fabric for curtains. I want to get new curtains to our dining room as once the furniture has gone through their makeover, our old curtains will not do anymore. I collected few fabric samples today and now I am drawn between two options (beige and blue). I can not seem to be able to decide, I like them both so much... Wish me luck.

Ready for the challenge?

I am taking part of a challenge set by Anja from My New Classic Home. The aim is to hunt down "treasures" from second hand shops and then present them on your blog during the following week. I certainly did not waste much time as this is my first "treasure". I popped at 't Gemakje in Leiden yesterday and found this pretty coral.
I would like to point out that we all should be worried about what is happening to coral reefs all over the world, especially the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. They are very important part of our ecological system and should be well protected. This coral was already dead when it was taken out. I definitely do not want to encourage people to destroy reefs by ripping parts out of them.

Blogging awards

Yesterday I received this award from Marja from Rosabeer. What a nice surprise. Dank je wel Marja :-D There is an enormous amount of lovely inspiring blogs out there. I discover new ones (new to me) all the time. I can hardly wait to be able to explore them all properly. Something to look forward to.
There are many blogs I would like to give this award to, but it looks like most of the blogs I visit have already received this award. But I am more than happy to pass on this award to My Treasure Box. That is truly a blog with a purpose :-)

Orchid

Usually I prefer cut flowers, but few days ago I bought my first ever orchid. Never dared to try one before, though I like them a lot. I have always had the impression orchids can be tricky. I am pretty good with plants, but I am not sure if I have enough green fingers to keep this one alive. Time will tell. It sure looks pretty at the moment.

Always in motion

The interior of my mother's house is always in motion. You blink and a couch or a chest of drawers have changed places. Interior decorating is her passion and favourite past time. These are updated photos from my mother's living room, but I have a suspicious feeling things have changed already ;-) But one thing is guaranteed, it always looks fab.
By the way, the artwork on the shelf is made by my father-in-law.