Skip to main content

My English Country Mom Cave

Susan, at Between Naps on the Porch is hosting a Home Goods Mom Cave contest with four lucky winners. 

Come on in to my little niche I've carved out of my house.  This is where I work, create, relax, read and chat with friends and family.

This is one of my favorite spots in the house to read about one of my favorite subjects...English transferware or poetry, and drink tea.  I often start and end my day right here.

Next to the chair is an antique dumbwaiter which holds some decorative items as well as lots of poetry books.

 This is the view of the room from the wing back chair.  This cozy room serves as a small living room, although it's not uncommon to have 8 or 9 of the girls in here during family gatherings.  It's usually where we all wind up to have coffee and visit.
.

On either side of the sofa I display some of my vintage Canine figurines on Spode meat drainers.




Above the sofa are some of my favorite paintings.  The one directly over the sofa my Mom painted and to either side are dog portraits in oil.   Shelves with dog figurines and transferware pieces are also displayed here.





In front of the sofa is a large square glass topped coffee table where I display a vignette of transferware, books, family mementos and candlesticks. 
  We've even got the Roberts Rules of Order book here. ;-)



I had a glass bottom made for the table years ago...just to hold my collection of decorating, art and Staffordshire pottery books.  I can easily get to this from my desk, the sofa or my wing back chair.  Guests like to peruse the books too.


Next to the sofa is more seating with two chairs and a large, octagon shaped table.  This table was a game table in my home when I was a little girl.  I had a tablecloth and glass top made for it.  The French chairs on either side were also family pieces that I refinished and had recovered.


Another of Mom's paintings is displayed over this table.


You might recognize this piece from my header.



Lastly is my desk, which faces the window and is directly across from the sofa and to the left of my chair and ottoman.  I incorporate transferware into my work area and use different items to hold various office supplies I use regularly.  I also keep a stack of books related to transferware on my desk for easy reference.

 A covered butter dish is perfect to conceal a roll of Fragile stickers which I use all the time for shipments
 A mustard pot holds paper clips

 My business cards fit perfectly into an old cigarette holder
 A child size coffee pot is great for pens and pencils


 and a toast rack is used to hold envelopes, bills, etc.




If I were lucky enough to win any of the prizes from Home Goods I could definitely go for some extra lighting or decorative accessories like these shown, from their site, below.



In addition to BNOTP I'm joining the following parties
The Shabby Chic Cottage
French Country Cottage
&






Comments

  1. What a gorgeous, gorgeous room. I can see why you are drawn to it. I adore your mousepad, too. :) And your mom is very talented.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Such a beautiful room! Why do I find myself suddenly craving a cup of tea? :) Visiting from Susan's mom-cave contest.

    Jane from frugalfineliving.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. I use a toast rack to hold mail too! Other than that, my reality bears no resemblance whatsoever to this lovely, ladylike room. So pretty, Nancy. Thanks for inviting us in.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Nancy~ ~I just love your home its so cozy and warm feeling. The feeling comes right through your pictures. I would love to sit on your lovely sofa and have tea with you.
    ~ ~Ahrisha~ ~

    ReplyDelete
  5. Such a lovely cosy room to snuggle down in Nancy - hence in the UK it'd probably be called 'the snug'!
    So nice to be surrounded by your favourite things.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Stunning and such wonderful eye candy to see. Since I've drooled over everything in this room, not much left to say. I truly love it all. Hugs, Marty

    ReplyDelete
  7. Exquisite!! I love all the paintings your Mom did. So cozy and charming!

    Mary L

    ReplyDelete
  8. Very pretty! Love all of your decor pieces!

    ReplyDelete
  9. So lovely! that toast holder is perfect! I love your spot with the chair, so cozy! Lezlee

    ReplyDelete
  10. Your space is so inviting. OMG I love your mothers paintings!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Beautiful room, Nancy.
    I love the French chairs, they are absolutely fabulous.
    And using the transferware to hold your office supplies is a genius idea!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh wow, what a beautiful room. Love your transferware and your fabrics!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi Nancy,

    Your room is stunning. So beautiful! I love all of the textiles, paintings and china. I look forward to reading your blog and learning more about transferware.

    Thanks for stopping by my blog today too.

    Kathy

    ReplyDelete
  14. Lovely room and so many wonderful collections. It must be cozy and nice to sit here and read a good book.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hi Nancy, This is my first visit and your home is very beautiful. You have some wonderful ideals and your creativity for repurposing objects is just amazing. Stop by sometime for a visit and thanks for sharing all the wonderful ideals. Good luck!
    Sandy

    ReplyDelete
  16. Very lovely room! Thanks for stopping by my place, I love your place too!!! I love all different vintage and old world styles.
    Sherry

    ReplyDelete
  17. Nancy...that room is gorgeous! Wow, you have some lovely things in that room....

    ReplyDelete
  18. What a wonderful, warm, & inviting room! You have made it a great Mom Cave!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Beautiful space! You have so many wonderful pieces. I could enjoy spending time in this room.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Nancy I love your living room - Mom Cave! I was thinking of entering my living room or my bedroom in the Mom Cave contest, but worked on the rooms all weekend and still didn't finish enough to my liking - so I'm going to use those rooms in future Met Monday posts I think :) I especially love the wall collage behind the wing chair, the mix of the paintings and plates and other items. I need to add more things like that to some walls in my rooms!

    Thanks for sharing!

    Michelle
    www.jamiesoninteriors.com

    ReplyDelete
  21. Dear Nancy, such a stunning room you have! very English and classic! toile and transferware can never go wrong when decorating one home! I am awed at all your collection! You are queen of transferware!

    ReplyDelete
  22. I LOVE your mom cave, Nancy! I love all your furniture and your accessories. I could stay there all day!...Christine

    ReplyDelete
  23. I forgot to add that your mom is a very talented painter...Christine

    ReplyDelete
  24. Nancy, You have so many gorgeous things to look at. Beautiful vignettes and you know I love the transferware.
    xo, Sherry

    ReplyDelete
  25. Sweet Mr. would have to come get me out of the chair to go to bed many night....I would fall sound asleep in that wonderful easy chair. I can envision the laughter that ensues when your sisters join you in your Mom Cave. Thank you for sharing your delightful room and for stopping by my post. Come visit any time. Cherry Kay

    ReplyDelete
  26. Hi Nancy...

    Well my dear, you certainly have a fabulous place to call your own! Ohhh...I really just adore this sweet room...and I love the English Cottage style! Red transferware is my favorite and I have a very small collection...especially small in comparison to your lovely collection! You have some really beautiful furniture pieces and I loved getting a peek at all of your wall art! Your mother's paintings are gorgeous...what a talented artist she is! I also enjoyed your dog figurine collection...sooo beautiful!!! Nancy, your home is simply gorgeous...this was such a treat!!!

    Warmest autumn wishes,
    Chari @Happy To Design

    ReplyDelete
  27. Nancy, I am relatively new to your blog but I have enjoyed reading everything you have posted. I love this room and how you have incorporated your love of transferware, dogs and your family treasures. It's so warm and cozy that I could browse for hours. This room has given me inspiration to do some re-decorating in my own home! Good luck in the contest and I hope you do win!
    Maureen

    ReplyDelete
  28. Oh Nancy, I love your style. I could happily borrow just about anything and be tempted to never return it.

    :)
    ButterYum

    ReplyDelete
  29. I love your collection of dogs!

    -Rene

    ReplyDelete
  30. What a nice little spot you've carved out for yourself. Great idea to get glass cut for the bottom of the coffee table. And I can see myself sitting in that comfy-looking chair reading a magazine.
    Brenda

    ReplyDelete
  31. Just love all of your red transferware ;) Lovely space and very cozy and inviting. Best of luck in the giveaway, fondly, Roberta
    http://con-tain-it.typepad.com

    ReplyDelete
  32. Thanks for stopping by my blog. You have some very lovely collections. I love all of the toile accents. This is a very cozy place!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Your chair is wonderful! I love the fabric and I would love to sit and read in it.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Nancy,
    This is a very beautiful room. I love how you use and display your transferware everywhere, and it's all just right!
    I think I could spend my days here!

    ReplyDelete
  35. the little violin on the wall and the table with the round shelves have both cmpletely stolen my heart :)

    ReplyDelete
  36. I could so imagine sitting in your favorite chair with a cup of tea and a good book for the evening! Your 'Mom Cave' is just so cozy. I love your dog collection and all of your transferware. What a great eye for detail you have, Nancy!!

    XO,
    Jane

    ReplyDelete
  37. Nancy, I love your cave, I could burrow in there and never come out! You have such a beautiful style. I love your clever uses of unique pieces. Comfort and charm galore!

    ReplyDelete
  38. Hi Nancy! Thanks for stopping by and following! I'm your newest follower, I've tried before but it was "busy". I love all of your transferware, you have such a unique style!

    ReplyDelete
  39. Hi Nancy,

    Wow that's some elegant Mom cave!!! So many lovely things to look at in each picture. Your collections are just amazing! Your desk accessories are just so pretty hiding all those essential but not so pretty items like paperclips. I also love all the furniture and fabrics you chose. So English country and soft looking. I so enjoyed visiting your special Mom cave!! Hope you are enjoying our fall weather!
    We are headed to the Ozarks this weekend to enjoy some fall foilage...although things are still rather green here...hopefully the sugar maples have turned flaming red! Have a great day!
    Miss Bloomers

    ReplyDelete
  40. Nancy, you have created such a beautiful environment. I love all of your beautiful touches of china, and I love your dog figures and the way you've displayed them. laurie

    ReplyDelete
  41. I just found your blog, Nancy, and love it. I am in love with English decor and your transferware is beautiful!

    Donna

    ReplyDelete
  42. Very cozy, makes me want to curl up with a good book, and a warm dog.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

I love hearing from my readers. I appreciate the time you take to post a comment and I read them all.

Popular posts from this blog

English Cottage Living Room - Before, Partly After & Still a Work in Progress

I am sorry for not posting more pictures of the progress we've made settling into this new (to us) home.   It seems life rushes by so fast and that at times, doing little things, even those that I love and enjoy, often get pushed aside and onto the back shelf of my mind where I tell myself, "I'll get to this later".  Well, it is later and though I don't have as much to share with you as I'd like, I'm going to at least share my favorite spot in our living room.  I promise to show the rest of the room soon but for now the opposite half of the living room has been occupied by my daughters boyfriend who has been staying with us for the past 7 or so weeks until his apartment is ready for him to move into, and so the couch is usually made up for him to sleep on!   Here is a photo of the current living room just as we found it, a small room just off the entry of the house with a nice marble and wood fireplace surround, hard wood floors, beautiful crown mouldi

The History of Johnson Brothers and The Friendly Village Tablescape

Last week, Shawn and I popped into a couple of estate sales and I picked up over 100 pieces of Johnson Brother's The Friendly Village .  I think I may have to hang on to 12 of the dinner plates and use them this year at Thanksgiving but the rest of them, including this 48 piece service for 8, will be you know where. I don't know about you all, but I have had enough of Summer and I am down right ready for the cooler temperatures of Autumn.  I've been doing a lot of rearranging around the house….I'm in one of those zones where I've got a zillion projects going on, even if half of them are just in my mind that I'm contemplating!   We've also been moving kids out and around.  Three of them are out and the three still at home are moving or rearranging their rooms around.    Since I am yearning for Fall, haven't posted any tablescapes in a while and just got these Friendly Village pieces I decided to set the table with them.      Oh great, I

More Traditional Red White & Blue Rooms with Transferware

A couple of weeks ago I shared some pictures of beautiful rooms in red and blue color schemes decorated with transferware .    Here is another roundup of rooms that I adore, all with red and blue color schemes and all with transferware!  Enjoy!  (via Traditional Home) (via enchanted home) (my old living room) Joining some of the following parties: Between Naps on The Porch Transformation Thursday at  The Shabby Chic Cottage Feathered Nest Friday at  French Country Cottage Friday Inspiration  At The Picket Fence Cindy at  My Romantic Home Funky Junk Interiors Charm of Home No Minimalist Here WOW  Amaze Me Mondays  Making Monday Link Party  Motivational Mondays  What'd You Do This Weekend?   Inspire Me Monday   Make It Pretty Monday   Monday Link Party  Inspire Me Monday 

Decorating with Brown Transferware & $100 GIVEAWAY

Brown was introduced as a transferware color around 1829-30 and is the least expensive of colors to make. Therefore it is fairly common, so far as transferware goes, to find.  It is also one of the most collected colors and it is probably the most versatile of colors in my opinion.  Brown is neutral and looks good with any color scheme from pastels to rich jewel tones, but it is with the ushering in of Autumn that I see it popping up in home decor and vignettes the most.  Though, most of these rooms and vignettes are decorated with brown pieces year round, it just seems the perfect time to share them.  I may have to do another post because there are so, so many more equally beautiful spaces that have incorporated the use of displaying brown transferware  and I can't fit them all here. So, check these lovelies out and then stick around for the giveaway at the bottom of the post. This vignette just stole my heart the first time I saw it.  So many of us have vintage luggage

The Aesthetic Movement and Transferware

What is the Aesthetic Movement? The Aesthetic Movement refers to a period of time in the late 19 th century (1870-1900) which was a backlash to the formal Victorian years.  Artists and writers of the Aesthetic movement period maintained the belief that art should provide refined sensuous pleasure, rather than convey moral or sentimental messages.  They believed that art did not have any didactic purpose; it need only be beautiful.  Japanese art had a great influence on Aestheticism. Aesthetic interiors were often decorated with Japanese prints, screens, fans and other objects. An appreciation of the art of Japan is seen in the work of many Aesthetic artists and designers such as James McNeill Whistler and E.W. Godwin. photo credit Country Living The Aesthetes developed the cult of beauty, which they considered the basic factor in art. They ascertained that life should copy art and considered nature as crude and lacking in design

Decorating with Blue Transferware and a GIVEAWAY!

   If you haven't already been over to Enchanted Home , you'll want to go over after you finish this post because the wonderful Tina, who authors the incredibly gorgeous blog,  has a great post up about decorating with dishes plus she's hosting a giveaway to my online shop, English Transferware !  Details at the end of the post! I know Tina loves blue and white (just look at her header and you'll know!) and has a collection of her own. In honor of Tina, I've decided to share some of my favorite images of rooms decorated with and often around blue transferware collections.  You can see more rooms decorated with blue transferware on my Pinterest board . To me, Charles Faudree is just about as synonymous with English transferware as he his with French Country Decorating...he seemed to always find a use for it in his incredibly detailed decorating schemes.  Isn't this bedroom charming? I love this next image from Decor Magazine.  Look how the blu