antiques | A WELL LIVED HOUSE

5 Must-See Spots While Antiquing, Beach Combing, & Sightseeing in Long Beach, WA

by studiotullia | Jun 2, 2021 | MAGICAL MOMENTS, THE CREATIVE ENTREPRENEUR, TRAVEL & INSPIRATION

TRAVELOGUE:

WEEKEND GETAWAY

Hold onto your hats, people, Summer is here!

I made a vow to my dear friend who just lost her son to Leukemia, on Sunday, May 23rd, 2021: In memory of Sean, I would try to live the best possible year I could live. It has made me rethink how I spend each day.

Hopefully in another year, it will be habitual. Take more risks and seize life’s precious moments. You know how we all fall into our ruts. An event like this shakes your whole reality and wakes you up to the fragility of life. You realize just how precious each unique experience and memory with a loved one is.

So I picked up a pen and sketchbook recently and drew for the first time in years, just for pleasure. And I actually challenged myself to get in the cold water with my daughter, which felt wonderful.

1. A secret cove at FT COLUMBIA in Chinook, WA

INSIDER TIP: You have to park on the side of the road right before the entrance to the park and walk down to the right, through a field and then you will spot it on the right side, along the river.

An enormous tree floated down the Willamette River landing right in this charming cove that was a new discovery for us, just across the bridge from Astoria, OR on the Washington side at a park called FT COLUMBIA.

My daughter who loves to swim was determined to get in since access to pools has been non existent this past year. This is also where the Chinook Indians used to hide their canoes.

2. HISTORIC HOUSE RENTALS AT FT COLUMBIA ALONG THE WILLAMETTE RIVER

As you enter this historic park, you will soon drive up a hill to an overlook with bunkers and officers’ houses built at the turn of the century. This was once Chinook Indian Nation territory There are lots of trails and secluded beaches. Two of the restored buildings are available for rent – for reunions, retreats…the view is stunning, at Chinook Point, near the mouth of the Columbia River.

3. LONG BEACH, WA

Favorite spots in Long Beach include OCEAN PARK and LONG BEACH ANTIQUES TRADING POST just down the road.

Long Beach is a town known for its beach and boardwalk. The Long Beach Peninsula has a continuous 28 mile sand beach, one of the longest “driveable” beaches in the world.

Memorial Day Weekend is a great time to go for “The Longest Garage Sale in the country.” You really have to hit these events by Thur/Fri at the latest or the sales are rather picked over.

yard sale Long Beach longest garage sale memorial day

4. LONG BEACH PENINSULA ANTIQUES TRADING POST

I love all the maritime themed objects you come across like buoys, paintings of old ships, shells, sea dollars, oyster serving platters. Astoria (and the surrounding area) is the oldest town on the west coast so there is some good loot to be found.

marine_ antiques_long Beach_a_well-liived_house

I got this embroidered linen, GATHER TOGETHER, which will go in my dining room.

5. THE GRO DAMIT NURSERY

Another fun spot is this little nursery in OCEAN PARK that has antiques in the back. The owner, Judith, is a character, adorned with Southwestern jewelry including a bear claw necklace and this amazing bracelet.

Such a whimsical and lovely garden.

WHAT EVERY TEEN BOY WANTS IN HIS BEDROOM

by studiotullia | Jul 26, 2020 | DIY, HOME IMPROVEMENT, INTERIOR DESIGN, ONE ROOM CHALLENGE, SUZANNE'S DESIGN PROJECTS

HONESTLY, I don’t know what every teenage boy wants in his bedroom. And frankly, I really don’t want to venture there… I do know how to help you figure out what your teenager might want in his/her room though…

KIDS & OUR NEW REALITY

Kids are home a lot more these days, trying to make the best of their situation as we all are, right? Backyard use is a constant for recreation with all kinds of indoor activity happening as well, in places like the kitchen, dining room, living room and family room/basement. Legos, crafts, baking, reading, the inevitable screen time…whatever the activity, we all need SPACE.

INTERNET use is way up and that scares me, and it’s not going away with this generation. I recently moved a spare computer into the DINING ROOM so the kids can be in the center of the house if they are online, not lost in their room for hours. YouTube University can offer kids endless access to knowledge and DYI fun, but needs parental supervision for sure.

With part time online school a most likely scenario this FALL, we all need to make sure our kids’ rooms function well for their needs.

ASSESS, PLAN, & DESIGN

SO, on to BEDROOM DESIGN… One must ASSESS the room before PLANNING and DESIGN begins. Take pictures and dimensions of the room and try to think in new ways about the use of the space. What can you get RID of? Have a conversation with your kid about what is and isn’t working for them in their room. What are their hobbies? Interests? Favorite things? Will they need a new desk? A comfortable chair? A laptop? A good mirror? Adequate lighting in bed? A way to store books, games, etc? Do they want to display any awards, ribbons, posters or art that they love?

Watch a few TIDYING UP MARIE KONDO or QUEER EYE episodes together. They’re are so motivational and heart-warming.

Creating a mood board together is a great idea…and believe me, it will change over the course of the project. It’s all part of the process, but so worth it in the end.

1. RUG 2. START PENDANT 3. BED LINENS 4. MURAL WALLPAPER 5. PAINTING 6. PAINT 7. PENDANT. 8. CUSTOM CURTAINS 9. ANTIQUE BED 10. PILLOW 11. PILLOW

EVERY GOOD ROOM TAKES TIME AND ENERGY TO COMPLETE

Once its all done you can truly enjoy it. The hard work really pays off.

I’ve been refreshing my girl and boy teens’ bedrooms this past year so let’s delve into that process, shall we?

WORKING WITH YOUR KID

The process of working with your kid to create a room they really love is such a rich experience. Delve into their interests and get to the root of what they like to have around them and how they want to use their own space. It lets them know that you care. And it’s important for them to feel good in their space…

BOY TEEN BEDROOM #1 (ARTHUR’ S ROOM):

A LITTLE BACKGROUND

Arthur had an awesome room to begin with. The second floor location looks out over an ancient cherry tree (so it feels like a nest), has beautiful muntin/lattice trimmed windows, and a huge walk-in closet. The unusual roofline and crazy room dimensions, although challenging to work with, make it unique and charming.

START WITH A COLOR SCHEME

Arthur insisted that he wanted green walls as GREEN is his favorite color. Together, we considered many greens before we picked the right one. It helps if you have the beginning of a color scheme to work with, like this owl painting by local artist, ELIZABETH SEE.

We used STOKES FOREST GREEN by Benjamin Moore on the walls. It brings a lot of happy energy into the room.

NEXT, ESTABLISH A THEME OR A FOCAL POINT

In the case of Arthur, A LOVE OF OLD THINGS

The focal point of the room is the ANTIQUE ROPE BED from the late 1800’s that was his great, great grandparents’. Mr. Can Fix Anything reinforced this bed to last forever. It was once literally held together by rope with a mattress made of hay. Hence the saying, “Sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite.” I found this in the attic of an old house in Flat Rock, NC. called CHANTELOUP, that once belonged to our family. Arthur loves that it is the oldest object in our house.

Arthur has always loved pirates and the sea, so when we came across this wallpaper at a local boutique (PICNIC NW), we thought it just might work. It’s inspired by the old-fashioned copperplate illustration technique, full of hand-drawn lines and a real sense of the time taken to produce such a work.

HIGH SEAS MURAL WALLPAPER

Sometimes the most challenging aspect of a room turns out to be its best feature. That was the case with this room. The slanted wall from the roof line was a big design dilemna. Rather than ignore it, we decided to do something notable.

ACCENT MURAL WALL DEPICTING OLD SHIPS AT SEA

The HIGH SEAS in Henderson Blue wallpaper mural was done in partnership with REBELWALLS. It was our first DIY wallpaper installation and it went pretty well. The design was based off of an antique etching but the scale and color gives it a modern edge. The blue is a little softer on the eyes than the black and white version we almost went with. I was afraid the green wouldn’t work with the mural but somehow it does. The mural really lights up the room. It stands on its own. I kept the color palette on the bed pretty toned down, mostly blues, whites and browns, to tie in the blue in the mural.

Once we’d identified the HIGH SEAS wallpaper and the old ROPE BED, it felt natural to go in the direction of an old captain’s quarters on a ship.

THE DUDE’S RUG!

We bought this antique rug on EBAY while drinking way too much Two Buck Chuck back in the late 90’s. We later discovered that it was just like The Dude’s Rug featured in the classic film, THE BIG LEBOWSKI. It has worn like steel over the years and Arthur wanted it in his room. So, that was yet another design component to work into the mix.

LIGHTING

The room was lacking light but after we put in the sconces on either side of the bed and the lamp on the desk, it seemed to provide enough light and cozied up the room.

FYI, sconces should be hung approximately 5 feet from the floor and 8″ away from the bed.

These sconces were from IKEA and not bad for $17 a piece! We just needed to drill holes and hide the wires which was a quick fix by my husband.

The chandelier and lamp are also from IKEA. I love the way the light shines through the holes in the copper lamp shade on the desk at night.

MEANINGFUL ART

The original paintings are by local artist ELIZABETH SEE, who is a favorite of mine. We have various paintings of hers all over the the house. We have been to her studio where the kids picked out the art from Elizabeth themselves. I also framed his birth certificate and included some antique ship prints and a vintage carved deer head.

LINENS & COZY PILLOWS

The duvet cover and sheets are from IKEA and the decorative pillows, plaid throw and bedskirt are from STUDIO TULLIA (the fabric is from PENDLETON). I often use ticking on the backs of bedding pillows because it is so comfortable and utilitarian. If one side is too hot or itchy you can just flip it over. I also used it for the bedskirt.

I used two different duvet cover sets and layered them on the bed.

Henry seems right at home in Arthur’s room.

STORAGE IS KEY

In the case of Arthur’s vast lego collection, we donated this ANTIQUE CURIO CABINET to the cause. I wanted to paint it bright red but my husband wouldn’t allow it. It was a wedding gift from my Aunt Donna. It really was the perfect solution as you can see the entire beautifully contained collection within the confines of this cabinet.

The STAR LIGHT on top of the cabinet is from POTTERY BARN and is a wonderful light at night.

HOBBIES

The VINTAGE MODEL AIRPLANES are from a dear neighbor and I thought I’d try hanging them up in his room. They are pretty delicate so I am hoping they hold up.

CURTAINS

Here is a detail shot of the curtains. They have the ribbon work which STUDIO TULLIA is so known for. They used to be in my dining room but were in really good condition so I held onto them. Glad I could reuse them for this room. I ended up using four pleated panels which works really nicely for this double window.

BIRDS AND BEES AND KIDS

When I think about what my teenage brother had up in his room in the late 70’s, I’m happy with legos and pirate ships for now.

NOW WE HAVE THE INTERNET, WHICH IS ANOTHER BALLGAME ALTOGETHER

Safeguarding what’s out there on the internet for them to find, is another thing altogether. A recent webinar I attended about kids and pornography held by local author of the book, BIRDS & BEES & KIDS, AMY LANG, was a rude awakening. Her website is a great resource for parents. Two great takeaways from the webinar were 1) establish house rules around internet usage and 2) install the Circle app that lets you manage content and time online for your family’s as well as enable you to manage all the devices on your home Wi-Fi.

THE ONE ROOM CHALLENGE

This room was completed as part of the ONE ROOM CHALLENGE in 2019, which is a bi-annual design challenge in which you have 6 weeks to overhaul a room of your choice. REBEL WALLS was kind enough to partner with us on this DIY project. As a ORC designer/blogger guest participant, you are required to share your progress each week. The accountability piece and the collective spirit of the event, help to pull you through. If you haven’t heard of it, check it out. They have a whole section on KIDS ROOMS.

FALL 2019 ORC – ARTHUR’s ROOM – “Ahoy, Matey”

by studiotullia | Oct 3, 2019 | DIY, INTERIOR DESIGN

We are toying with the idea of a mural-size wallpaper on one long slanted wall in his bedroom. Who doesn’t like a good ship/boat theme. We were drawn to this gorgeous design by REBEL WALLS. Arthur has long been a fan of pirates and boats. He’s not sure he likes the black and white so we may have to negotiate the color. It also comes in gray and blue.

We first spotted this wallpaper at a fabulous new fashion/lifestyle store in Portland called PICNIC.

They had wallpaper installed all over their new store and it looked fabulous!

Here is an example of a large installation, however, you can order whatever size you want as they will scale it to you wall specs and budget. Below is my quick mood board with the color we have been thinking about for a long time. Green, his a favorite color.

I like the darker color which is CEDAR GREEN,but we might end up with ACADIA green. We’ll get the samples going this weekend.

This is a little introduction to what we are dealing with here.

The walls, lighting, and bedding all need work.

The desk area needs to be cleaned up and the computer removed.

I’m not sure what we are going to do with the windows yet. The drapery rings stick and are not super functional.

This chest needs to be removed as it takes up too much room.

I like this rug but I am not sure it will still work. And as much as I love this old ottoman it either needs to be removed or reupholstered.

I’ve been playing around with dressing the bed in a few different ways.

So, that’s kind of where I’m at with this project. Oh boy, here we go. The ORC always helps me get my rooms done though. I intended to get this done this Summer and well, that didn’t happen.

There are a lot of great designers and DIYers working on rooms for the next six weeks so you should check it out:

Thanks for following along. The rooms never turn our how you think they will so should be fun to follow along and see how it goes. Let’s do this!

THE ASTORIA COLLECTION: an extraordinary Mid-century find

by studiotullia | Mar 17, 2017 | INTERIOR DESIGN, STUDIO NEWS

These richly patterned textiles in nostalgic hues, once owned by an upholsterer on the Oregon coast, were left untouched for decades. Now they are being given new life in a curated collection of decorative pillows called The Astoria Collection.

I stumbled upon an extraordinary estate sale (one of my favorite pastimes) this past Summer. The estate was the business and home of Ray’s Upholstery in Astoria, Oregon. (Astoria is a charming coastal town and also the oldest settlement on the Pacific coast).

Apparently Ray’s was one of the few upholstery shops in the area for decades. As you can see from the pictures, the exterior of his shop was less than extraordinary.

The contents, however, were quite the opposite. Upon entering his shop, which was like a time capsule into the past, I found shelves and walls stacked with hundreds of bolts of fabric.

The textiles were largely Mid century and included heavy duty, upholstery grade velvets and complex wovens. There were some amazing bolts of Naugahyde used for marine upholstery which I opted to leave for someone else.

As a rule, I only purchase natural fiber textiles from the past so I was able to rule out a good portion of them. Natural fibers endure the test of time much better than man-made polyester type textiles which tend to become brittle and less durable overtime.

What struck me the most was the intensity of the colors and patterns which were strikingly bold. Not what I have would have imagined in a coastal town four or five decades ago. However as I’ve had some time to ponder this collection I realize it’s innate connection to the brilliant colors and patterns found in nature.

Some of the patterned velvets have a very craftsman-like, botanical quality to them. There’s no better place than the coast and rich ancient growth forests surrounding the historic town of Astoria to appreciate the immense beauty and color found in nature. I also realize that the Oregon coast is full of historical homes, with grand, ornate, elaborate wooden architecture, featuring bold paint choices, stained glass, paneled libraries, etc. The winters are long, gray and damp and these fabrics are a welcome comfort.

I have chosen to combine natural cottons and linens with these heavy weight textiles in an effort to freshen up the storied collection. I also decided to use heavy duty gold zippers which work nicely with these fabrics and offer a touch of glamour.

I hope you enjoy the Astoria Collection as much as I have. I love the idea of bringing Ray’s Upholstery to life again. Mid Century Design has certainly been having a Renaissance as the timelessness of its sleek lines and nods to nature with acid greens, mustards, oranges and funky patterns and textures still apply to today’s modern interiors. What’s particularly fun about this collection is that it is authentic Mid Century and somehow embodies that nostalgic, layered, storied essence that only comes with true objects from the past.

For now I’m offering ready made 20 and 22 inch squares and a couple of lumbar sizes. Of course I am always open to custom sizes as long as supplies last.

And of course I always offer 10% off with the purchase of two or more of my soft goods. Please use coupon code TAKE10 at my website https://awelllivedhouse.com/ and coupon code TAKE10THX at https://www.etsy.com/shop/STUDIOTULLIAPILLOWS.

BARN HOUSE MARKETPLACE – JULY 28th, 2012

by studiotullia | Jul 10, 2012 | LOCAL PORTLAND EVENTS, PORTLAND PLACES

This looks like a fun event featuring vintage and antique goods coming up at Battle Ground, WA. I have heard about this in the past and am going to try to go this year.