Gillianne's Profile

So much charm! But yes, the apparent access by ladder over a rafter is a bit daunting (invite only nimble, fearless guests?). I can see what sold you on this space, and you've amplified the architecture's appeal with your furnishings.

Terry in Silver Spring is right. Those velvet "no slip" hangers do the job for everything, and the angle doesn't even stretch sweaters. They hold heavy jackets and spaghetti-strap tank tops equally well. In fact, I just picked up a couple of 25 packs at TJ Maxx for $12.99 each (they also come in multiples of 10 and 18). I stick with an off-white, but you can find them in black, tan, and a rainbow of bright colors as well. They're so slim and sturdy that they increase the usable space in our small closets.

For no. 13, I believe you mean "refectory" table? (Wonderful color on those cabinets, and it does indeed set off the table nicely.)

Is that wall terracotta? I'm very much a texture-and-neutrals person, but the warmth of a tiled roof is so attractive. And <smile> a round of applause for what looks like an awning stripe treatment for your range hood.

Wonderful and interesting and oh, that view! (and that sofa that faces it) Your attachment to your little corner of paradise is totally understandable.

Chic and hip and elegant at the same time. Oh, that sofa and chair! Great examples of when it pays to reupholster. The black and white throughout is classic and timeless.

Delightful.

Thanks, Rick and Janet! Long ago, in what I thought was a polite manner, I commented about an "it's" that should have been "its" in an AT post--the apostrophe that turned a possessive pronoun into a contraction. (I also explained the easy way to tell the difference, because I really did want to be helpful and maybe, just maybe, cut down on that error.) I was slammed, and my comment was deleted. Gotta hope contributors to AT take these comments in the spirit in which they're meant, which is to educate, period.

Thrift stores, rummage sales, moving sales are good sources for inexpensive frames of all sizes (and quality); spray paint is a cheap and easy way to give them a uniform look. Many retailers have stylish designs on their paper shopping bags. Many holiday cards and calendars have handsome photos and images. Pressed leaves, ferns, and flowers are easy. And I second MrsMoe's suggestion about estate sales. If you like DIY, for mats you can paint thin cardboard (the back of ruled notepads and similar thickness), use Washi tape on it, glue on fabric from lightweight clothing you're ready to pass along. So many places to download free printables and design your own. Your gallery display looks great.

We left a major metro area for rural life outside a New England village. We were entranced by the quiet, the wildlife, the beauty, the neighborliness--the human scale of everything. I rediscovered my early love of gardening, but we slowly realized how car-dependent we were. So we're moving on, to a compromise between megalopolis and hamlet: a small college city with many amenities, decent public transit, bike paths, and walkable neighborhoods. No real regrets about this interlude, though. It's how we came to know what mattered to us. Good luck to you!