July 23, 2011

Rustic Gray And Tattered


Inspired by the French landscape and there beautifully weathered gray stone homes. Who can explain the nurturing, sustaining, and inspiring role art and design plays in all our lives? Perhaps it is the ability to engender ideas, that makes it so exciting to create!

"click on photos to enlarge details"

A French chest with little going for itself came to me with an out dated stencil job on the face of the drawers in a lattice pattern with tole painted roses in all the wrong colors. A weekend mission to create a little gray, with lots of added instant history to the piece making its presence important.

I never see beautiful home designs as a big investment, more often shopping for vintage junk can be a great bargain setting the tone for amazing French living. Let the language of the piece tell you what it wants to be and where it wants to do its job and it will all fall together authentically. This chest purchase was a beautiful find in shape and lines, yet a mess with its original busy out dated paint finish with all the colors one could imagine was painted to this piece, green, red, orange, pink, purple and yellow, I saw beauty underneath it all.

Don't let a great piece get away because you can't see the hidden beauty. Adding just the right painted finish will give character to the rooms pieces with a look that it has evolved over time.

I took and painted this piece an old aged French gray with the feeling it had been passed down from generation to generation. My French cottage fulfills a beauty for recycling pieces that find me. If a piece has worn out its welcome in one room I will hand it down to another room, while combining eclectic new pieces all in the celebration of French flea market brocante style.

You may notice the bottom drawer pull is missing a piece making it not match the others, instead of buying new hardware I opted to keep it this way, reminding me that not everything in life is perfect or needs to be.


"click on photos to enlarge details"

"Burlap luxe" has been busy creating for you, where you will find these birdcages in my peaceful etsy. Vintage in style wire birdcages constructed all by hand, adding a perfect balance of grace and beauty by altering each one making them one-of-a-kinds. French brocante pieces add to their sophistication charming them with flaking paint, bleached and weatherbeaten as if it was brought in from the garden. The patina to each one is layered with a technique that gives them a crusty build up to the metal wire form and the aviary wire mesh as if exposed to the elements with a lack of care. Tattered laces, fabrics and vintage embellishments to each one telling you a story of its own. Ephemera book paper and vintage book covers add to its gypsy-like spirit like non other.

"click on photo"
Taking notice of my hand made crown hanging at the bottom of the birdcage made of wire and embellished with little treasured finds. The cage topper was salvaged from a vintage chandelier, making a perfect crown and ring to hang this cage from.


Rolled edges, tears in the mesh, gaping holes add to the tattered charm giving them the feeling that these birdcages have been discarded and tucked away or tossed in an old garden shed with intentions to someday repair.




Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
and never stops at all.
~ Emily Dickenson




SOLD! and on its way to Jill in Canada, Thank you Jill!
Birdcages can be found in my... peaceful etsy!

48 comments:

YONKS said...

Beautiful images - glad I found your lovely blog. I'm your newest follower from the UK :-)
Dianne
YONKS

Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

Bonjour mon amie...

You captured well the idea of this attractive hue..the picture of typical French homes found especially in the Southwest/ Perigord region of France that I love so....there is something timeless, classic and sensuaul about the grays found in the textured and worn stones of these homes. Also, a peaceful feeling issues out from these colors for me!!!

ALL OF YOUR WORK SPEAKS PEACE TO ME DEAR ONE! ENJOY YOUR SUNDAY DEAR FRIEND and I look forward to NUMBER 7....Anita

Lori @ Katies Rose Cottage Designs said...

I love the picture of the French Landscape ~ It is absolutely gorgeous!!

Your birdcages are amazing!! You have such a talent to create beauty!!

awal.ny said...

I so enjoy seeing your use of gray. I tried it in my home and it just did not mix well with my colors, so I will contiue to enjoy yours. Those birdhouses are so darling, my favorite one is the one with the crown on top. You such an inspiration.

Rosemary@villabarnes said...

I love greys, as you well know. Thanks for transporting me with that lovely landscape. Your bird cages are so enchanting, each with a charm all its own.

Kathy said...

I will be honest, I never would have thought gray would be that pretty. I was way wrong...I love these examples you have shown us. Beautiful photos...

Laura Venosa Verbena said...

Hello My dear Dore. I don't have to tell you again & again how I much of a connection & love I feel for you.. so I will just say...french grey horray!!!! Love you. xo Laura

Laura Venosa Verbena said...

Oh P.S. your Bird cages are amazing. my favorite creation at this time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tamra said...

That dresser was lucky to have found you, it's beautiful!!

Love your work Dorie girl, as always!

Tracie~MyPetiteMaison said...

Oh Dore,
I love your birdcages... so very pretty. Along with your beautiful music and images, I could dream away here for all this Sunday.

Off to look at your peacefuletsy store.
xoxo

Seawashed said...

Oh Dore I love your chest of drawers in french grey. I have several pieces you could work wonders with if only you lived nearby. I will have to try myself, but really do not know if I can do such a beautiful job as you. For this is Art and you are so gifted with wood. I saw your birdcage on the front page of ETSY last night!!!! Again, amazing creativity. The salvaged chandie piece for the crown delights my heart. Love all the delicate details. You just amaze me girl! Love you ox

Suz said...

You inspiration photo of the french landscape is beautiful and the second photo of the chest with the chandelier and the vintage door is my favorite. It's an inspirational image for me. The closeup of the chandelier and the crown, too. I could go on and on.

Shanon at Vintage Sparkle Chic said...

I love these cages! So beautiful!

~Shanon

Anonymous said...

Oh my sweet, you always amaze me with your beauty and talents!!! Just stunning!!
I hope you have a beautiful week my friend.
Sincerely,
Melinda

Anonymous said...

These are simply beautiful...I love them! Xoxoxo

Fishtail Cottage said...

love them! my favorite is the one right after the Dickenson poem! love the little wire nest in there! Gorgeous! xoox, tracie

Jenni said...

Dore, the dresser you worked on this weekend is amazing! It looks so dreamy and perfectly old now, and the color is gorgeous, too! :) I also love your sweet birdhouses~ you are so talented and creative, my friend! :)

I hope you had a lovely weekend, and that you have a good night!

Blessings and hugs,
Jenni

Barbara Jean said...

wonderful cages love them!!

blessings
barbara jean

Elizabeth Fay said...

All I can say is - how adorable! I love French goodness.

Unknown said...

...dearest Dore ~
very few souls light my spirit as you do...
i am always in awe of your serene beauty ~
they are like soft whispers that are resoundingly heard within my soul.

ADORE the wire birdcages...
they are sooooo very beautiful!!
a lovely winged friend would never feel trapped in one of these, and therefore, would delight in dwelling in any one of them ~ if only for awhile ~ imagine ~ a glorious fairy fluttering about within, her gossamer gown hanging off of a tiny chandie!
(ha! did you think i was talking about a bird?!)

love ~ one of your biggest soul admirers,
Rosemary

Unknown said...

p.s. love, Love, LOVE your ethereal music :)

Maria Vicente said...

Lindo demais, amei cada objecto. Lindo o tom de cinza. Parabens pelo trabalho excelente.
Beijo e boa semana

French Basketeer.com said...

Love the color of the grey, Dore....you are inspiring me to paint!

BonjourRomance said...

All your greys are perfect Dore. Love how you left the odd handle just the way it is, like life. Love your blog, so calm...we should talk more.
Bonne semaine!
Mimi

Bring Pretty Back said...

Gorgeous ans peaceful.
I agree with Mimi- so calm!
Have a PRETTY day!
Kristin

Erica said...

All of your work speaks peace to me! Adore the wire birdcages.

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Lara said...

I agree with your philosophy 100 percent! :-) Your pieces are so lovely - such soothing French Country grays. I love those French stone homes.. especially the Farmhouses in Provence... I am hoping that my husband will take me to Provence for my 40th bday.. in a couple years. ;-) We'll see.. one can dream for now. Have you seen the BBC series "A Year in Provence" ? - I just watched it & I think you would enjoy it! Have a great week!!

Lara

Ann said...

Thanks for sharing such lovely pics...

Sad but quite true,
Only a few people with a skillful eye and true love of beauty can see beautiful possibilities in simple objects and furniture. One must be immersed in beauty and style to tap that talent and skill... You are one of those people.

Sandi~A Cottage Muse said...

OMGoodness Dore...this piece does look like it has been loved by many family members and looking forward to being cherished by many more. Gray is a peaceful, soulful color and you have made it proud! Loving your birdcages too ~ the lucky birds to call them home would be singing their happy songs in french!

Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

Doré my sweet friend,

THANK YOU FOR COMING TO VISIT ME!!!! Yes, courage..it is something that lies dormant within ME, but I have to wake it up every time I try to do something that I WANT SO BADLY TO DO (write) but am often times intimidated to really practice! BUT that is the only way to do it, isn't it? TO DO IT....then the mistakes come, the repairs of our mistakes and then starting all over again! THANK YOU FOR REMINDING ME to BE courageous!

LOVE TO YOU DEAR ONE....looking for that mailman....Anita

Kimia Kline said...

i love the gray paint on that dresser. it really does give it a worn in french look. and birdcages are always so beautiful.

Kate said...

Oh Dore
What beauty and inspriration you always give to all of us. I love the imperfection of the drawer handles so true. The bird cages are simply just divine. Your talent is endless and you are precious. My best to you always

xoxo
Kate

Elizabeth Maxson said...

I had to come back again and take another looksie... just so lovely. You have such an eye for the wonderful.

Wish I could go through your scrap pile of "wonderfuls" you must have!

Big hug,
Elizabeth

cathypentonatelier said...

Just dropping by for a peak!!! Your blog is just so lovely...take care c

Christel said...

Dearest Dore..oh, once again I am so very late in getting here! I saw the beautiful garden shelf, with roses! Love that piece so much. I'm a firm believer in the expression "if it ain't broke don't fix it!" as well as less is more,..what may seem flawed to some, is perfect to others. I think a missing handle piece, or a scarred table top gives the piece much character, not unlike the wrinkles, and age spots on my hands.It tells a story, has a history. Your work does that masterfully my dear friend! Wonderful post Dore, I always enjoy everything you do. Have a great week xoxox Christel

Vintage Home said...

..love the grey!

michelle said...

Another gorgeous piece that made its way to you dear Dore. Your bird cages are so worn and beautiful, everything made with such thought and love.
Have a wonderful day!
xoxo

Mélanie A. said...

Love the ambiance of your vignettes . beautiful

Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

Meric mon amie pour ta visite.....on parlera plus tard????

Anita

Burlap Luxe said...

Anita,
C'est formidable d'avoir un ami comme vous.
bisous
xx
Dore

Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

Ahhhhhh..et c'est MAGIQUE d'avoir une collègue du théâtre comme toi!!!!

BISOUS! Anita

Karena said...

Dore love your chest the color is wonderful, as are your works of art!

xoxo
Karena

Art by Karena

Exciting New $150 Giveaway from Dr Perricone! Artful Beauty from the inside and out! Come and Enter!

Tiff said...

Dore, your artwork is always so gorgeously whimsical and beautiful! Your creativity is always so inspiring! Happy week! X

Pamela said...

This dresser turned out amazing!

Anne Marie said...

those birdhouses you are making are really stunning!! So unique! They remind me of this French designer that Laeriss posted on a long time ago -

happy weekend!
xo+blessings,
Anne Marie

Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

Darling friend,

THANK YOU for your kind words.....AND when you are ready for the theatre..just let me know. I will give you photos but let's SKYPE and talk about it!!!! Email me with a good time this weekend. I will be out today from 1:00-6:00 my time....LOVE TO YOU DEAREST! Anita

a quiet life said...

what wonderful creations!

Design Dork said...

I love the dresser! And your birdcages are wonderful!