French Country Style from the Foot of the Rockies: April 2017

Friday, April 28, 2017

Spring Garden Transformations

This giant allium is one of the first bulbs to bloom in the spring,
tempting me to visit the nursery and come home laden with annuals.
But I know it's too early, the ground too cold,
and so I look for some fun garden projects while I wait.

For now, three DIY garden transformation projects await!

This metal salesman's sample of a headboard was painted silver when I bought it at a yard sale.

It's a scaled-down bed measuring about three feet high by one foot deep.

These small salesman's samples were made to scale and appearance

so customers could envision what they would look like in their home . . .

and they were probably a lot easier for the salesman to carry.

Here's the "before" picture.

Last year, I painted it white and displayed it on the front porch.

I thought about putting it in this year's yard sale; I didn't really have room for it on the porch.

Then I realized it would look nice in the garden but the white was just too glaring.

So I spray painted it Stone Gray by Rustoleum. The softer aged look looks perfect in the garden.

The base has a one-foot open area (for a teeny tiny mattress?).

I positioned the headboard so the bleeding hearts would grow up through that open space.

I'm so glad I didn't put it in the upcoming yard sale pile. It's a keeper.

***

Another garden accessory I've been transforming is this cast iron lion fountain.

It was painted a bright creamy yellow color which I thought looked too new.

So I painted it the same Stone Gray paint.

Then I mixed the gray paint with a little black

and dabbed it on with a terrycloth rag to give it a weathered look.

I also used an artist's brush with the black paint to highlight a few areas

like the edges of the fountain and the raised areas on the lion's head.

It's now about the same color as the stone of the house so it feels like it's always been there.

***

The last project I've been working on is transforming this little bricked space by our storage shed.

I dug out about a foot of the dirt surrounding the ash tree

and replaced the space with old bricks found in the alley.
I like using old bricks because 1) it keeps them out of a landfill and
2) the aged appearance complements an old house.

We made a brick border by cutting bricks in two and laying them lengthwise along the edge.
We used a brick chisel and a shop hammer to make the cuts.
Sweeping dirt over the bricks filled in the spaces between the bricks.

I also moved some rocks from the garden to make a border around the tree.
This gives us a little more room to access the shed and it looks nicer too.
Hopefully, the vinca transplants will fill in the space.
So far, so good.

Apparently, it 's dog-tested and dog-approved.

So, what's on your garden to-do list this spring while you're waiting for the ground to warm up?

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Linking with:
Rustic & Refined, Dwellings, Botanic Bleu, Between Naps on the Porch, Coastal Charm,
Cedar Hill Farmhouse, A Stroll Thru Life, Savvy Southern Style, A Delightsome Life,
Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson, 21 Rosemary Lane, Peonies and Orange Blossoms,
Adirondack Girl at Heart, French Country Cottage, Little Farmstead

Friday, April 21, 2017

Touring a French Chateau

I can't think of too many things I enjoy more than traipsing through old houses --
marveling at the amazing craftsmanship,

feeling the soul of the house, and wondering about the people who've lived there before,

so, when I had the opportunity to explore the best surviving example of

French Renaissance Chateauesque-style architecture in Denver, I swooned.
Step into history at the Croke-Patterson Inn.

Chateauesque refers to a French style of design characterized by

steeply-pitched roofs, elaborate towers and spires.

Designed by architect Isaac Hodgson in 1891, the Croke-Patterson mansion was based
on the 16th century Chateau Azay-le-Rideau in France's Loire Valley.

Don't you just love the towers?

Inside, I was greeted warmly by the manager, Michelle, who was busy preparing breakfast

for guests. She turned me loose to look around

but not before I snapped her picture on the grand staircase.

The 12,000 square foot chateau was originally owned by Thomas Croke,
an early irrigation developer.

The Croke-Patterson mansion is now a luxury inn complete with

beamed ceilings, stained-glass and an attached carriage house.

The three-story Patterson Inn has nine bedrooms,

and a lovely dining room

where I drifted away in daydreams of a bygone era.

Here's the grand reception hall.

There's even a cozy pub-style room in the basement.

Over the years the chateau has been a dance hall, a boarding house,

a radio station and an office complex.

What I noticed most about the Inn now was the attention to details, lending it an authentic feel.

Rumor has it that the house was haunted.

According to legend, Croke only entered the mansion once and was so shaken

by whatever was there, he never returned.

He sold the house two years later to U.S. Senator Thomas Patterson

who owned the Rocky Mountain News and the Denver Times.

Incidentally, the Patterson Inn is located at 11th Avenue and Pennsylvania Street,

just a couple of blocks from Molly Brown's Denver mansion.

If you missed my post on the unsinkable Molly's house, you can read about it HERE.

Oh, and by the way, no ghosts were encountered during my visit!

You can learn more about this luxury bed and breakfast at
www.pattersoninn.com.

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Linking with:
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Cedar Hill Farmhouse, A Stroll Thru Life, Savvy Southern Style, A Delightsome Life,
Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson, 21 Rosemary Lane, Peonies and Orange Blossoms,
Adirondack Girl at Heart, Charm of Home, French Country Cottage

Friday, April 14, 2017

French Country Farmhouse

I have a soft spot for cows.

Those soulful brown eyes.

That velvety-soft nose.

Those floppy ears and knobby knees.

A little cow creamer, a primitive painting or a milk jug. I just can't resist them.

Not to mention the farmyard adds something special to a French Country kitchen.
Since French Country originated in the country,
it makes sense to have a few farm animals in the mix.

The trick is not to go overboard with the little darlin's.

A calf here, a chick there.

Mix them in with your rustic baskets and your copper pots

to warm up a room of stainless steel appliances.

Roosters and French Country just seem to go together,

whether it's in a real farmhouse or a modern farmhouse kitchen.
(I won this painting by an elementary school art teacher in a silent auction.)

Maybe it's their bright yellow, orange and black colors.

Or perhaps it's their cocky strut that says, "Look at me!"

I've been searching for just the right ceramic rooster forever.
They're either too big, too colorful or too expensive.
But, at the recent Vintage Whites Market, I found him.
Love at first sight. Sigh.

Roosters not your cup of tea? Try chickens.

Cuddly chicks or hefty hens, they instantly warm up a cool room.

You can spice up your French Country kitchen with other farm animals,
whether it's sheep, geese, pigs or goats.
I have a set of four of these outdoor placemats with a different farm animals on each one.
So darling!

They'll make you smile every time you look at them
or at least until the cows come home!

***
If you enjoyed your visit, I hope you'll follow me by email.
Just subscribe (it's FREE) in the upper right column of this page.
You can also follow my Pinterest boards to see all my favorite photos.
Thank you!!!

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Linking with:
Rustic & Refined, Dwellings, Botanic Bleu, Between Naps on the Porch, Coastal Charm,
Cedar Hill Farmhouse, A Stroll Thru Life, Savvy Southern Style, A Delightsome Life,
Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson, 21 Rosemary Lane, Reinvented Collection, Adirondack Girl at Heart, Charm of Home, French Country Cottage

Friday, April 7, 2017

April in Paris . . . or is it?

April in ~~Paris~~ Denver

This lovely white-blossomed allee could easily be lining a sidewalk somewhere in Paris.

But actually, it's in Denver, Colorado.

Everywhere you look in the city at this time of year, these white crabapple trees are at their peak.

Puffballs of pure white against old bricks make me think of the French countryside in spring,

while this lovely tree framing a private courtyard

reminds me of some of the hidden gardens of Paris.

Here's a little test.
Is this photo in France or Colorado?
(No peeking at the answer).

Answer: It's actually in the Denver Botanic Gardens.
Did you guess correctly?

One need only stroll down a street in Denver's historic Baker neighborhood

to be reminded we are not, in fact, in France

but, on a quaint street in Colorado in early April.

Lilacs are just beginning to open and share their intoxicating scent

next to this stately Victorian in Baker.

It's still a bit early here for perennials to bloom

but these gorgeous red tulips in my own garden have sprung to life already.

I have to remind myself that, although it was a lovely day for an early spring walk in Denver,

I could wake up to a foot of snow tomorrow.
And that's exactly what happened in the mountains!
This photo shows a fresh April snowfall on Mt. Evans,
elevation: 14,240 feet rising above our neighborhood.