the fabric for the curtains we chose turned out to

fake designer bags Balancing History With Making A Home

A few years ago, Rebecca Loree wore a gown made from the peachy pink foyer drapes, a la "Gone With the Wind" style, to a Hartford gala, suggesting the drapes were being replaced as part of a home renovation project that incidentally, benefited a good cause. She shares some insight into how one modern family Fake Louis Vuitton Replica Bags with young children struck a balance with respecting the history of the landmark home, which they purchased in 2010, while making it their own.

The Millstream mansion is the home of Jim and Rebecca Loree in Farmington's historic district. It also served as a hint into what you were doing when redecorating Millstreams. How did the redo journey begin?

A: It was a beautifully decorated home and the previous owners were really stewards of the home when we bought it. They had brought it back to a richness by putting a lot of love into getting it back to the luster it once had. I think our design styles were very different though. It had a museum feel to it and I wanted something lighter feeling and lighter looking. They had teenagers when we bought it. We hadn't started a family yet and anticipated a home for young children. We too wanted to be stewards for the house and preserve Discount Replica Louis Vuitton Bags as much as we could but we also wanted to fuse it with 21st century living.

https://mcnysea82956.blogspot.com/2021/07/nancy-robinson-senior-editor-at-home.html Q: replica louis vuitton handbags What was your vision and what are some of the decisions you made to facilitate that fusion?

A: Every room had very heavy drapes that covered the windows and so there was not a lot of light coming in and it was very dark home. And every room had various shades of pink and salmon in it. Those salmon pink foyer drapes that I had the gown made from were very dramatic. It was very special silk fabric loomed in England and was also used in the White House. The drapes were beautiful but they covered up the beautiful glass filigree work on the windows. The previous owner's taste was impeccable but it just wasn't our replica designer handbags taste. We wanted to open things up. We started with this wing where the foyer is, upgraded the kitchen and created more bathrooms. And then we addressed the dcor. My parents were both into antiques so growing up I had beautiful things to look at.

Q: As the renovations began one of the big steps you 1:1 replica handbags took was to hold an estate sale featuring the furniture, lighting, household items and dcor accessories that were being replaced. And it benefited a good cause. Can you explain?

A: I could not bear to not find new homes for everything we were not using, even the beautiful fabrics from the curtains. I have been a recycler since I was in third grade. My husband and I moved from West Hartford to Farmington and there was not only replica louis vuitton things in Farmington we knew we would not be using, but things from West Hartford as well. We also own the house at the front of the property here too that had things stored in it. My husband and I discussed donating the proceeds from the estate sale and my assistant Amy Sager suggested the Prudence Crandall Center. She did an amazing amount of work on the sale. The idea of making the sale a fundraiser for a non profit, I think it's just me. At a very young age my parents instilled in me that giving back is critical. It's something I continued in college and now as an adult. We want our three girls to also learn that lesson.

Q: It sure seems like a positive way to clean house.

A: It was. And it was a great way to clean out my closet. There were clothes and shoes and accessories from Prada, Dolce Gabbana, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and they were sold too. I am a perennial closet cleaner. But I do have emotional ties to my clothes.

A: Over $14,000. A lot of people pulled together and Lisa Goldstein high quality designer replica handbags wholesale who handled the sale gave up her commission when they found out we were donating the money. I think most people who came to buy were positive about what we were trying to accomplish. We had a lot of high quality items and we priced them to sell. And when we dropped off the check, the center was so very appreciative. I guess we could have just taken bags and bags of stuff and just donated the way we usually do. But this seemed like a better idea.

Q: So we all face that horrid purge dilemma whether we are downsizing or redecorating. How did you approach your project?

A: I am always on the hunt for things for the house. I am always thinking, "Oh, I'd like to find the right piece for that spot." Before getting rid of something that is part of the dcor, I give it a chance to make sure it is something that I really want to let go. I mean that's life. You identify something and decide "it stays," or "yes, it is ready to go" when there is no more emotional connection. I wait a year and come back to it, even the clothes, and then make the decision. I shed things over time. But you can't look back when you are get rid of things. Once you make a decision, be certain about it.

https://mcnysea82956.blogspot.com/2021/07/nancy-robinson-senior-editor-at-home.html A: My whole concept for any home we live in is comfort. And when we worked with our designer, Penny Drue Baird from Dessins in New York City. I like handsome things, not pretty things. I consider myself a bit of a businesswoman so I tend to err on more masculine things when I make choices.

Q: What are some of the changes you made?

A: As some examples, we kept the original woodwork in the library and the lime rock fireplace. It's interesting because you can still smell the tobacco from the pipe that Mr. Smith smoked in there when the doors were closed. Among the furnishings we added was a wood trimmed wing chair from Guinevere Antiques in London. In the dining room, we took a piece of our own history when it came to the ceiling, patterning it after the one at Jean Georges in New York City. It's where Jim and I had our first date.

I love antique chandeliers and light fixtures and have added those. We added heat to the atrium because it is one of my favorite rooms and I wanted to be able to use it all year. Some of the antiques we added came from Paris like the French game table and then other pieces, like the brass dogs on the mantle, came from an antique cooperative in Canton. Like I said, I am always looking.

As far as the living room, we didn't want a formal feel but rather something where people were comfortable. I had a vision and the designer created it. We cheap louis vuitton bags from china uk worked with the built in bookshelves because they are beautifully done. The fabric for the curtains we chose turned out to be an interesting story. Designer Louis Vuitton Replica Handbags The material was loomed in Afghanistan and transported by donkey. Delivery was delayed because of high quality replica handbags china a flood that slowed the trek down.

A: I do. We do. We do have beautiful pieces but I didn't want a showcase. I want places I can curl up with a book. We want it to reflect our personalities. We love antiques our home and want to enjoy it. We both work hard for a living and it's hard to find 1:1 replica handbags time to enjoy the house so when we do, we want it to be inviting. I want the kids to feel like they are part of it, that it is homey. I am however always tracking them through the house when they are around some of the antiques. But they are learning to be careful.

A: I love history and I love this period architecturally. We have a real respect for the integrity of the place. And I think the previous owners knew that. They interviewed us before they would sell it to us and I think they felt comfortable passing the keys on to us.