By Kathryn BechenFloral fabrics and wicker furnishings top this Texas bargain - hunter’s shopping list.
“decorating disease” runs in Tina Smith’s family. “We call it ‘pillow passion,’” laughs Tina. “We’re obsessed with having pretty vintage pillows all over our home, and we can’t stop buying them!” Sure enough, bright red accent pillows, many made by now-retired seamstress Louise Drain, dot the Smiths’ lovely Cherry Hill Cottage. “She didn’t even have to use a pattern,” marvels Tina. “She just whipped them right up.”
A veteran lover of cottage, country and vintage decorating looks, Tina feels the styles work well with her 1,600-square-foot home and make her feel like she is part of a simpler time. “I want my home to have a special feeling of coziness, welcome and comfort,” she says.
Make A Merry Mix.
Tina’s beloved pillows cozy up the wicker furniture in her living room for a truly gathered-over-time look.
PHOTOS: Dan MayersFinding Inspiration
A bargain hunter who scours garage sales, flea markets, Goodwill shops, estate sales and “great junk stores” near her home in Henderson, Texas, Tina also finds pieces online and in catalogs. eBay is a huge favorite, especially for her trademark old ceiling tins and painted floral trays. The Canton Trade Days flea market in Canton, Texas, is another favorite place to shop. Says Tina, “I was at Canton Days so much I asked my favorite vendor, Laurie Anna’s Vintage Home, for a job. I now work for her once a month.”
A large collection of decorating books and magazines also fuel Tina’s creativity and are her inspiration for display ideas. She is a home and garden blog lover, which she calls “another decorating disease.” She even started her own blog, CherryHillCottage.typepad.com. “It’s made me very happy to share my home and decorating ideas through my blog,” Tina says. “I’ve made e-friends from all over the country.”
Create Instant Art.
Vintage rose tablecloths were simply stretched and then stapled over artist canvases. They are used as inexpensive art on a hallway wall.
next page >>>
