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Oozing charm all over the place

October 14, 2013

After a go-go-go business trip last week, it was a go-go-go weekend here. We’ve been enjoying an amazing fall (which I feel we deserved after a less-than-stellar summer) but the weather is going to take a turn this week. The feeling that the time for outdoor projects is running out has created a mad dash of trying to get what needs to get done, done.

Of course nothing got finished. A lot was started and even more was continued, but as far as I can tell, not a damn thing was finished, which makes for pretty lame blogging.

I think I set a personal record, though. I bought five quarts of paint this weekend, four of them completely different colors (and one a fix of the another color). I didn’t actually need them all this weekend, but I will need them soon and I figured as long as I was paint shopping I might as well get them all at once.

Speaking of paint, I spied a Maine Cottage store across from our hotel in Annapolis. I love Maine Cottage’s (extremely expensive) furniture so I was eager to pop in and explore the store.

I don’t think I could live in a whole house decorated with this furniture. It’s all just a little too perfect and it’s quite whimsical, so while I think a touch would be great, if you did an entire house in it, it could end up looking like some kind of fantasyland. What I sort of love about Maine Cottage furniture is that it’s a great place to get ideas for DIY projects because basically everything is painted a fun color.

I love the Color Bar with cute little holders for swatches of all their paint colors.

The Impatient Gardener -- Maine Cottage

This bed is so charming and such an amazing color.

The Impatient Gardener -- Maine Cottage
This fabric isn’t really my favorite but I thought this whole seating area was just so cute. I love the side table (although all their side tables seemed a little on the high side to me).
The Impatient Gardener -- Maine Cottage

I don’t know where I’d put a little loveseat like this but I’d sure put it somewhere because it is so comfy looking.

The Impatient Gardener -- Maine Cottage
If I had a summer cottage to decorate (and lots of money to do it) you can bet this nightstand would be in it. I just love that fish.

The Impatient Gardener -- Maine Cottage
Cottage-worthy bar cart.
The Impatient Gardener -- Maine Cottage


The Impatient Gardener -- Maine Cottage
They had these amazing cutting boards that are painted and I just fell in love with them. These two kind of look like lobster pot buoys. I can’t think the paint would hold up to repeated washing very well, but I think these could be so cool hanging on the wall when not in use.
The Impatient Gardener -- Maine Cottage

They also had this shape with a leather strap on the top. I’d get one just to hang on the wall.

I loved the floors. 
These round cork boards and the oval coat racks with shiny hooks are so pretty and I took a picture because this is one of those things you could definitely do yourself for a fraction of the cost. I wish someone would start selling unpainting round frames though, because I like me some round frames.

The counter at the Color Bar was so intersting. It appeared to be concrete that an old sail had been embedded into and then painted. 
The Impatient Gardener -- Maine Cottage

 So what do you think? Is this kind of cottage charm up your alley or better used for a bit of DIY inspiration? Or maybe it’s just not your cup of tea at all ….

furniture paint tour
by Erin @ The Impatient Gardener 
1 Comment

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Comments

  1. Libby says: October 14, 2013 at 9:42 pm

    I've followed Maine Cottage for years.. and agree: a little goes a long way! They are, of course, very expensive. I can't imagine spending that kind of money on painted furniture (as opposed to say antiques…), but it IS charming and very well done and the colors fabulous. I've sent away for fabric swatches several times and well…they just don't look right when I actually get them in my house. Washed out? Sort of. I've never ordered any (aside from the price). But yes, as inspiration they are a terrific source.
    We were in Annapolis in July when it was hot hot hot, but I do love walking around there!

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The Impatient Gardener

Do you love gardening? Me too! I'm Erin and I garden in Southeastern Wisconsin, zone 5. The Impatient Gardener is all about real-life gardening: the good parts, the bad bits and even the funny stuff. It's part information, part inspiration and a little bit commiseration. Thanks for visiting.

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Erin Schanen 🌿 The Impatient Gardener
These sister dahlias are big, beautiful girls. Pen These sister dahlias are big, beautiful girls. Penhill Watermelon (first picture) and Penhill Dark Monarch are the best two HUGE dahlias that I grow. They share slightly twisty petals (Watermelon more so) and, when you look closely, subtle striations that add a beautiful depth of color. Watermelon grows taller than Dark Monarch (7 feet tall or more sometimes) and they both need serious staking, but it’s worth it because they produce a lot of flowers for a large-flowering dahlia. 

I like them both but if I was forced to choose (and who would make me do that?) I’d give the edge to Dark Monarch because it’s a little easier to manage size-wise, produces more flowers and has a bigger variation in flower color so it’s always interesting. 

Which do you like better?
I don’t love tools that only do one thing. But w I don’t love tools that only do one thing. But when there’s only one tool that does that one thing really well, I’m here for it. This pottery/container knife from Sneeboer makes it possible to actually get plants out of pots without breaking or damaging the pot. It’s also really expensive. 😀
A little snippet of a bouquet from the weekend. Zi A little snippet of a bouquet from the weekend. Zinnias, pycnanthemum muticum and bronze fennel shown here.
My love for Nicotiana is not a secret. I love tryi My love for Nicotiana is not a secret. I love trying out new varieties and I feel like they just work so well in my garden from both a design standpoint and a cultural standpoint (they are happy here). Because I grow so many, the ones that self sow can be surprises. 

All of these self-sown Nicotiana are probably at least partly the children of the F1 hybrid Perfume series, which grow to be about 24” tall or so. Last year I grew purple, pink, white and lime versions and these are likely new variations on those. 

Picture 3 is, in my opinion, a good example of how these self sown second-year hybrids can go wrong. I’ll probably rip that one out. 😀

And the last photo is of my favorite colorway, lime, popping up amongst the Zinnias. I find these self-sown Nicotiana popping up all summer, so there’s always a fresh-blooming supply. 

Are you as enamored with Nicotinana as I am?
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