Other items that I also did not buy…

- bat skeleton - wild boar wearing feather cap - black crow and preserved insects - oh so many crazy things!

Urchins best of all. So happy skeleton is still resting in peace there! Fun trip. And that fabric is way too creepy!! Bad Feng Shui too!

You all are hilarious! K L - how did you ever find the source of that fabric?? I’m familiar with Hieronymus Bosch the artist - mostly due to Michael Connelly’s book series on Harry Bosch - but still. The fabric is truly the stuff of nightmares. Sea Urchin cookies! Yeah!! Little Bird you’re so clever at the way you’re displaying them. It sounds like Jilly & I would love to go shopping with you - I think we all like the same kinds of stores. But, I have to say I think that for awhile when I see Jilly’s pretty icon picture I’m going to flash back to her head on this skelton playing a harp in your music room…😉 I must tell you all that I searched about the legality of human skeletons - thank you Olychick for that idea 😱 - and my recommendation is to not look it up. It’s definitely in TMI category.

Wow, that is quite an amazing collection of things that I can't imagine anyone wanting, lol!

Oh, I forgot to show you guys what I got last week - a pair of brass foo dogs. They’re supposed to protect your home against evil spirits. Only one is shown. The other one is our chihuahua, who protects us from squirrels and chipmunks.

How cute your live Foo dog is!! She’s so alert & such great ears. Did she alert / bark at the foo dogs? The brass foo dog is the nicest one I’ve seen. Looks like it’s laughing. Is it sturdy enough to be outside in a protected area or too precious & house only?

Oh. The Foo Dogs might be great on top of the Secretary! Did you see it again today?

Little Bird, I've been following from the beginning and admiring your beautiful home filled with so many treasures. When you mentioned your library filled with sea creatures, I decided I need to ask to see photos, please.

Well, the part focused on in the blanket and the chair is part of a depiction of hell. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Garden_of_Earthly_Delights

The rest of the work is equally disturbing to me. From the article above, I think it might have intended to be disturbing and even rupulsive. Art as reprimand.

@littlebird it is the antithesis of your beautiful, happy, sprite-like decor. If you got that chair, I'd plan to reupholster it.

K L - Little Bird said the upholstered chair was sold. I agree with your description of her home! One does have to wonder why the chair was upholstered in that ghastly fabric…

Was it a chair?

KW, I think you are supposed to put the foo dogs outside your front door, to ward off evil spirits. But these are really tiny, so probably more for indoor. They’re supposed to be snarling, but you probably perceive it as laughing because you aren’t an evil spirit!

Flo, good idea for on top of the secretary. Something black on top might help balance for the big black piano across the room.

dsimber, here are some of the sea creatures in the library. My kids painted the box fish, sea turtle, and anaconda. I got the coral in an antique shop, which I think is ok to buy, since it was harvested long ago?

I LOVE your house! Swooning here. :)

I don't know what's happened with this thread but there are some comments missing at the top (and yes I clicked onto the 87 other comments) but they didn't all come up. ANd now there are a lot of duplicate comments starting from when Little Bird "dropped the kids off today....."

It's a really fun thread to read but now getting confusing.

Jilly - did you notice the harp on shelf in library? Little Bird - is that a tiny Foo dog on shelf to left of harp? The Temple bell (?) is to die for! I think you’re correct about the coral. Your collection of items on the shelves is truly wonderful!

blfenton - my view of posts / comments seems ok. Might be a Houzz functionality issue which seems to happen often.

Amazing room. You don’t really need any of us. Your rooms are exquisite! Your family is really talented. Amazing artwork!!

I did, KW! Fabulous! :)

I am late to this discussion (found it just today) and I, too, am confused by the missing comments, and so disappointed to not be able to see the presumably previously posted pictures of Little Bird's amazing home. It is so refreshing to see rooms that so tastefully and thoroughly reflect the personalities that inhabit them...too many rooms seem to resemble lovely, but generic, hotel lobbies. We were fortunate to inherit this beautiful secretary (along with many other pieces). The desk drops down, is supported by a pull-out, and we have the keys to lock it, but it can be pulled down easily with fingers. I hope the OP decides to acquire the secretary she found; from the photos, I think the height adds an important element to her music room.

Decorpatti, what a stunning secretary! Love your leopard pillows, too.

Decorpatti, what a beautiful home! Thanks for the tips on how to open the secretary. I called the owner and told him I wanted it. He’s going to make minor repairs, and I’ll get it when it’s done. Very excited!

I think the previous pictures of my home that people were referring to was from an older thread “Bench or foyer in entry”. I wasn’t able to add any more comments to that one, so I started this new one. Maybe I need to update the app on my phone.

But Flo, you are wrong - I DO need you guys. Some of you have been helping me since we moved into the house, with no furniture at all! You guys gave me really good tips on how to arrange things on my shelves. The best advice was to remove items that were “generic decor”, and not of any meaning or sentimental value. I’m so grateful to all of you! ❤️

KW, you’re right - that is a foo dog on the shelf! I never realized I already had one. It’s actually a bottle of alcohol that a friend gave us, and I just stuck it up on that shelf without thinking about what it was. Good eyes!

Here are the other sides of the library. My kids played each of the instruments at some point. Except the row of brass at the top - some of those aren’t actually instruments. They’re old car horns that I found at a junk shop. They were all black and greasy, but I liked the shapes so I polished them up. These shelves get changed out as my kids make new art. The orchids are fake decor, but I actually like fake flowers

Little Bird, thank you for sharing your library, so filled with beautiful objects. The paintings are particularly wonderful!

Little Bird. That room is Architectural Digest ready! Simple sublime!

Gosh! Your sense of style, color, texture and clever attention to detail is superior. Are you kidding us!

Dsimber- notice the rug In Little Bird’s room. I think something like that would be great for your living/dining room! The tone on tone geometric would also draw the eye from the flooring you don’t like. Even if you had to butt two rugs together or get carpet company to come and actually joint seam them. It would be fantastic.

I agree, Flo. Little Bird, perhaps you can tell us the source of your area rug. I'm interested in the rug material, too. (Funny, Flo, that peeps have advised against a pattern.)

It’s the diamond cowhide rug from Design within Reach. It’s a lot lighter in person than their online photo. It happens to be half price right now (use the extra 20% coupon on top of the 40% off). I had mine cut down to size, which is easy to do along the grid. Also easy to put 2 together because of the grid pattern. It’s a really cool texture. However, I would not get it if a pet goes in the room, or with kids, or if you want a fluffy feeling - it has to go directly on the floor. I started with a pad underneath, but it retained dents, so I took it away. Also note that the hair on the diamonds goes in different directions, so you can’t use a regular vacuum with a brush, unless you can control the height. So kind of tedious, but I still love it!

Little Bird, those 2 walnut? chairs in the library are so beautiful.

You have such a wonderful design style, truly beautiful! Each room is unique and the way you incorporate your children’s artwork makes your rooms so inviting.

Dsimber. A subtle pattern would be lovely. I wouldn’t do a hide rug but something with triangles tone on tone is what I see. Then offwhite sofa would stand out beautifully. I will look around and post on your thread later. Thanks for your resource Little Bird.

Lovely doesn’t begin to cover it; it’s such a personal and eclectic space done by somebody with a fantastic eye… I guess that would be you? Who did the artwork over the fireplace? ❤️

Thanks for all the supportive comments. Don’t be afraid to voice your opinions if something looks off to you, though. That’s how I got this far - by listening to you wise folks on Houzz! Liasch, I’m not sure who the artist is. It just thought it looked really cool, like a different kind of world where the land and the sea and the air all come together harmoniously.

Your library is incredible. You have wonderful taste and now I want to see more of your home. I'm curious, the shelves in the library, did you have them custom made that color or were they stained wood that you painted over? If it was existing shelving you painted, I'd love to see your before and after!

Kendrah, the library shelves were already painted the dark blue color when we moved in last summer. I do have some of their old photos from before they painted the wood in the dining room and family room. The living room is very traditional. It all looks so different!

Here’s their old library in wood, and their sun room before they removed the wallpaper. They painted the whole house white before listing, so we never saw this in person.

I adore that blue with what looks like a satin finish in that room. Simply stunning. Great house and you have elevated it to another level. Can’t say enough.

Wow. What an amazing transformation!

I tracked down that artist for you. Her name is Julia Pinkham. She has quite a definitive style and her own website.

The red circle in the middle of my screenshot of “Island Life” is just my phone being slow. It’s not actually part of the image.

What a gorgeous house. The next time everyone balks at wood being painted, they need to see examples of your before and after. I'm guessing the home was built in the 1920s and the wood library shelving was added at a much later date.

Kendrah, you are correct! The house was built in 1926, and the library shelves were added by a previous owner around 2006. So at least they didn’t paint over precious old oak cabinets.

Little Bird, thank you for sharing specifics about the area rug. Like everyone, I'm in awe of your creative style!

Hi Little Bird!

I've been following along quietly over here, bc your rooms are fabulous and I know nothing to add. :)

Just saw your library photos and wondering how you mount your instruments in the shelves? I have a few that were my parents I'd like to display but how is the big question. Thanks!

Justcallmepool, I used String Swing hangers for the violin and guitar. They also make them for wind instruments, but I just placed mine on the shelf with a block behind them to hold them up. The cello is on a foldable stand. You can find all of these on Amazon. Which instruments are you planning to display?

Thanks! I'll look that up. I bought something similar for my dad's trumpet but it's not as visually nice looking haha

I have that trumpet and a dulcimer I'd like to display. The dulcimer may need to be horizontal though.

Seach Etsy for guitar wall hanger. DD2 purchased three for her DH's guitars. I helped her install them (easy) and they look great. Her choice, here, but there are other options by other sellers.

Is your dining room ceiling wallpapered? You have such great taste and my curiosity about your home continues to unfold.

Kendrah, I wanted to wallpaper the ceiling, but it was going to be very complicated, requiring removing each of the 100+ bubbles on the chandelier by hand in a specific order, and re-assembling in backwards order. I was not up to the task, so instead we just had the ceiling painted green, and the artist who painted our foyer got up on a ladder and painted swirly gold flowers on top. It just took a couple of hours; so much easier than wallpapering!

The only wallpaper in the house is in the powder room, which I don’t like at all because of the pea green color and strange color toilet. I prefer bright and happy colors, so hopefully you guys can advise me when I get that room!