"The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" House, and Other Seaside Inspirations

The movie "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" is one of those films that haunts me for reasons other than plot:  The house is its own character, like the ghostly sea Captain (Sir Rex Harrison) who is far more refined than I would imagine a real sea Captain should be, although I am not complaining.  Lucy Muir (the beautiful Gene Tierney) falls in love with the house, "Gull Cottage," before she does the architect, who is also the deceased Captain.  The house reminds her of the lines in the poem "The Nightingale" by John Keats: "magic casements opening on the foam of perilous seas and fairly lands forlorn." Even the musical score is hauntingly beautiful, and so the movie is pure magic.  Here is a closer look at the house and a few rooms that I would consider a modern day version of this seaside treasure.

Images from "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" courtesy of hookedonhouses.com...thanks again!

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, house.

The backside of the house not used in filming. You can see the greenhouse.

Gull Cottage

What's not to love? The entryway of the house.

The living room off the entry. The doors lead to the office.

Check out that collection of ship paintings! To die for...

 

Cottage kitchen

The upstairs hallway and solid rail stair cases.

The Captain's bedroom

The deck off the Captain's bedroom.

Bay windows (doors) that lead to the deck with a full ocean view.

View of the ocean (notice the lack of neighbors) off the front lawn.

A Few Things Inspired By "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir."

My new (old) ship painting that my mom got for me from "The Barn."
It will eventually go in my son, Britton's room, but for now I am
going to enjoy it over the mantle.  I love all the ship paintings in the movie,
and this is as close as I will probably ever get to owning a seaside cottage.

Beautiful Federal style mirror.

I really love these mirrors.  I know some people think they are ugly, but this is exactly the kind of piece that gives a room personality.  I think it would be perfectly suited to "Gull Cottage" or my entryway.

Rooms For A Modern "Gull Cottage"

The difficult thing to mimic, in a house like this one, is the collected- over -time appeal.  There is nothing "decorated" about it, so it is hard to duplicate.  I think the best homes have this in common.  The houses, even empty, are beautiful because the craftsmanship and quality stand alone.  The collected pieces are good and sparse; they serve a function and are not only decorative.  There is so much to be learned from an "honest" house.

Classic kitchen with minimal fuss. The lantern is perfect.

Simple and masculine study/sitting room. I think the captain would be comfortable here.

Corner of a breakfast room. The dark walls contrast beautifully with the white and nautical details.

This bedroom has a similar feel to the captain's: very simple, with only the necessities present.

Again, simple.

Inspiration is everywhere, including a viral youtube video.

I really like the original version of this song (by Gotye), and then recently I saw this video over on epbot.com.  They are playing the song on one guitar- all five of them are playing with the same guitar.  (They are the band Walk off the Earth.)  It's pretty awesome.  If you aren't one of the 20+ million who have already seen it, you should definitley watch the video and check it out. 
Plus, how great do Sarah Blackwood's bangs look?!  Now instead of always showing my hair stylist a picture of Reese Witherspoon's bangs, I can show her this style, too. 

~Lori

Jacqueline's Nursery

You may recall my post in December called "Faith's Room."  Faith now has a baby sister, Jacqueline, and I am so proud to show you her completed nursery.  The above picture was taken mid-project: we had added chair-rail and painted the walls, but nothing else.  From the beginning it was important that both rooms (since they are right next to each other) relate to one another, while at the same time maintain their own unique design.

And just like Faith's room this one has an unusual color palette of coral and red.  I LOVE the red crib, and so do Jacqueline's mom and dad.  They were slightly hesitant at first (at least dad was) but this red does not scream or detract from the over-all peaceful feel of the room, but it does create a focal point out of the crib. The same color red was then sprinkled around the room to keep the eye traveling and keep it consistent.  

This is the view of both rooms from the hallway.  I love that the same cream paint is used for both rooms, they both have chair-rail and the same color value is used for the colors below the chair-rail (the medium tone on the paint chip).  One room has more cool tones, the other one has warm, but both rooms have some of the same colors as accents.















The coral color in Jacqueline's room is just a lighter version of the rust tone in Faith's room.  There are just a few hits of yellow and blue in Jacqueline's room that also "speak" to Faith's room.  While Faith's room has an animal motif, Faith's room has birds.  Both rooms have a fresh, light feel with white furniture and textiles.

The little bird hook was a TJ.Maxx find.  I love hooks that are mounted in unusual places.

Just like Faith's room, Jacqueline's mom found this perfect door knob
but we still need to find a way to make it work in the existing
door.  It is the perfect coral shade too.

This tall shelf unit is perfect for display, books and
necessities placed right near the change pad on the dresser
for easy access.  

I found this mirror at a local antique store "The Barn"
and new it would be just perfect.  It is a large scale with
girly ornate details for only $37!

I painted the mirror coral, from the left over wall paint, and I think it is my favorite thing in the room.

The perfect little bird lamp from Potterybarnkids.com

I love these little bird decals ordered from etsy.com.  They provide a little hit
of the red to the right side of the room.

Here she is!  Sweet baby Jackie in her finished room.  She is an angel, isn't she?

I painted the crib with a spray paint that also had a built in primer.  I am very happy with the results.  It made a simple piece really special.  Anyone can do this!

My friend, Christine and I, gave Jackie's mom these embroidery hoops with coordinating fabric for wall art at her baby shower (Hello Baby!) and they look so cute with the wall clock mixed in.  

Min (Faith and Jacqueline's mom) added the red bric-a-brac tothese white Ikea panels.  They remind me of Valentine's day! So very sweet and simple.

Min already owned the shelf and wasn't sure where to put it.  We decided that it would
make the perfect spot to set a glass of water when she is sitting with the baby, instead of a table.

I can just picture big sister Faith pulling up this little stool when she wants to be with mom and
her baby sister.

I am so glad that I was allowed to be apart of this fun decorating project!  Congratulations
to my dear friends Min and Jin:  Your family is complete and completely beautiful.

(Some of) the Things I Need for Spring

The weather here has been really weird lately:  Monday it was freezing with gale force winds; Tuesday was cold and windy,but not as bad as Monday; Wednesday morning it was freezing.  Friday was a little windy, but it was a warm wind.  Warm wind is better than bitter cold wind, but that doesn't stop me from hating it.  It's annoying, blowing sand in your face, messing up your hair, making it difficult to wear dresses for fear of having the skirt blow up unexpectedly.  You would think after living in this valley for my whole life I'd be use to it.  Well, I'm not.  Actually, I am.  I'm just full of contradictions today.  I'm used to it, but it doesn't stop me from hating it.  And before you start hating me for talking excessively about wind, let me explain the reason I started complaining about it in the first place: it is making me really look forward to spring.  (Yep- that's it.  You should hear me teach.)  In the spring, it is still windy, but it is a warm wind that blows on a warm day.  None of this waking up to freezing temperatures crap and needing your wool coat one minute and a short sleeve shirt the next.  Now, don't get me wrong, I actually am not ready (not just yet) for spring to be here, because I am still enjoying wearing my winter clothes.  I love my boots and leggings and layers, layers, layers.  And I just bought a really cool pair of vintage wool Navy sailor pants.  What color you ask? They are navy blue, of course.  And they are awesome.  I got them at the Antique Asylum, which is the store that Rebecca talked about in her post with the yellow beads.  I know I should know how to do this myself, but the pants are too short and the hem needs to be let out.  I'm not good with a needle and thread, people; I safety pin buttons back on when they fall off.  Which is better than my friend Heather, who said she hot glues them on when they fall off of shirts and subsequently has to put said shirts on as slip-over blouses from that point on.  Anyway.  Wool sailor pants that are currently residing on the floor of my closet (that's another thing, besides sewing that I just can't seem to get the hang of- putting things away) that are begging to be worn at least once this winter are really the main reason I am not ready for spring to come just yet.

But.  When it does get here, I will be ready for it, with the help of these wants that are currently on my list of "Things I Need for Spring" (it is in italics because this is an important list, and important things should be italicized).  Ooh, and I'll be ready for spring thanks to this really cute vintage jumpsuit (navy blue, go figure) that I got the other day.  It also needs to be altered, because safety pins, even strategically place safety pins, just won't cut it on this one.

Libby Edelman "Liv" leather ballet flats
(available here)
I love the neutral taupe and pop of orange,
and that chain detail-- love!
I actually love them more in canvas,
but they aren't available yet.

Vintage Inspired Purse
from Loveculture

also available in brown!

Pleat Midi Shirtdress, Topshop

This would be perfect to add an extra pop of color
AND keep your hair out of your face on those
windy spring days.  Available at Topshop.
And the main color is orange.  I LOVE orange for clothes.

Harmony Wedge from Modcloth
This shoe combines the lace and clear shoe trend.
(Is there a prettier way to say "clear shoe trend"?)

Black Gingham top.  Wish is were in blue, and
then it would be perfect and on its way to my house.
Available from Modcloth.

~Lori