If a Picture Paints a Thousand Words...

...then I wonder what mine say about me...

We stayed at my brother's house last weekend. He has been doing up his home for the last two years and is finally on the homeward straight. The walls are white and furniture is bulky and made of leather. The only possessions on display are large sculptural house plants and a few pictures, which I helped him to hang before we went out to the party. His choice in art for the walls is modern, very graphic, with bold areas of colour. (Could a brother and sister be more different?!)

On my return home, I saw our house with fresh eyes...and I enjoyed looking at the pictures that we have on our walls again. I admit that I don't have sophisticated taste when it comes to art and am of course drawn to vintage prints.

People and faces feature heavily, which I feel adds life and soul to a room. The picture above is a beautiful Victorian calendar print from 1909, which is entitled 'Our Boy'. Very chocolate boxy and uncool(!), but I love its romantic and nostalgic air.

An old French advertising board hangs in my workroom.

C1920’s prints with their dramatic colour scheme can be found on the walls of the back hallway.

An original portrait of a beautiful woman with a red rose in her hair has been with me for many years.

'The Four Seasons’ hang in their round Barbola floral frames above a doorway.

A newer addition is this collage on a tin tile made by ‘Sea Dream Studio’, which I purchased through Etsy a year or so ago.

Framed C19th toile de jouy features an angel and cherubs.

One of my favourite prints is this one; ‘Best of Friends’ by Raphael Kirchner. I’m often drawn to flapper girls in pretty hats, and the fact that I picked this one up for £2.50 was a bonus.

Also in our living room are these two small pieces. One, a mirror, with a cherub panel by Bessie Pease Gutmann; the other is an old photo postcard that I embellished with tiny millinery flowers and lace.

A German advertising letter rack is useful in the hall.

I found this old print at a flea market for 50pence and placed it inside a moulded frame painted white. I love the fact that it echoes my love of roses and hats!

Reclining ladies printed on silk from 1890 entitled ‘A Lullaby’, look at home above the slipper bath in our master bedroom.

More lovely ladies rest on the hook rail in the bathroom….

Along with this confident lass from the 1950’s!

A Victorian flue cover with another chocolate boxy image! And a tiny cracker tin has a child’s portrait on its lid.

Pretty girl and roses – perfect!

One of my tiniest pictures is the angel print above the dressing table…

Which ties in nicely with the toile panel on my bedside cupboard…

With more people and faces on the cushions.

A decoupage panel on the fire screen, again in the master bedroom, coordinates well with the blue tiled fireplace.

'The Bloom of Youth’ welcomes visitors to our home, in the porch.

My other love, as you may know, is roses…I just can’t resist a beautifully painted rose picture to add a splash of colour to a room.

A Victorian religious print in my workroom, with its simple reminder.

Catherine Klein floral prints in unusual oval frames…
and another in a rectangular frame for good measure!

Roses abound in the downstairs loo too!

Pink roses on an old calendar.

And more pink blooms, this time an original artwork.

Another favourite of mine is this large lilac and roses yard long (or yard tall!) on the stairs.

White milk glass painted with red and white roses with a wedding cake icing frame.

…oh yes, I love red and white!

And at night I gaze up at another original painting, this one dated 1927 and in a jet black frame.

You would also find framed embroideries of country cottages, Victorian cabinet photographs and family photos too scattered about our home, but I’ve probably bored you enough for today!
Enjoy the rest of your week,
Niki x