Milk + Honey Home Stalking

My husband and I love the look of a wooden farm table, just like this one (below) in Julie's house on Milk and Honey Home.

 

It would be perfect in the dining room of our new house (more on that later) since that's where we will eat all of our meals--it's a working kitchen, no room for a table. I honestly don't mind having one place for meals--so often the Dining Room is a seldom-used room and basically just wasted space. I've begun my research into where to find the right table, of course I would prefer a second-hand in-keeping with my sustainable philosophy. I might have to be patient until the right one comes along.

I also love the bathroom in Julie's house--very "shabby chic". I'll admit I am a sucker for Rachel Ashwell. Even her stuff at Target is adorable. It is an unpretentious refinery, the likes of which you might find in an old English manor, like the one in the movie version of Atonement.

I think what I respond to in Milk and Honey's design aesthetic is the organic nature of her home--none of it is contrived, it feels authentic and filled with things she loves rather than following some sort of trend or design edict. Such is with the manor in Atonement, where Keira Knightly's character lives and floats around like a ghost.

Don't you think this Anna French wallpaper (above) could very well have been in the home of Briony Tallis and her sister, Cecilia (portrayed by Keira Knightly)? Nothing in the home is new, everything has an element of value, not like the throwaway items we all populate our homes with today. Wallpaper went up and there it stayed until it became water-stained, peeling away from the wall as if to escape certain death. 

Granted, it does takes extra effort to go beyond the easy as 1-2-3 furniture options you can find in catalogs and at the mall. I'm trying to avoid the "fast-food" approach to furnishing my home--McDonald's fries taste the same wherever you go, right? The same goes for certain furniture makers. When I'm more thoughtful (mindful) about what I bring into the my home, I tend to spend less, purchase less, and feel less guilt and anxiety. Keeping this in mind, I know my farm table is out there, and I'm going to make the effort to find it "off-the-beaten-path." Do you have any secret resources you think the world should discover?

(Take a look at this option I discovered online.)

 Image 1: Image by Patrick Van Robaey's via Alis 'le Cilga Cay Partisi

Image 2 & 3: Milk and Honey Home via La La Lovely Things

Image 4: Movie still, Atonement

Image 5:  Anna French

Image 6: Handmade farm table by Zephyr Tents for Martha Stewart Weddings.

 

This is part of a series entitled Eco Chic Home//Again which features content from my book, Eco Chic Home.

 

Comments

[Emily]

Hi Julie!
I'm so honored you found my site. Yes I know the feeling, sometimes I think my style is a little too out there for people, but really the whole point is have your OWN style...even if no one else gets it. It's your home after all, right? I look forward to many more visits to your blog! I happen to love your style.
Thanks for visiting me :)
Emily

[Milk and Honey Home]

How fabulous to stumble upon a wonderful site then see my own home there? So fun and surreal...and thank you for the kind words, really. Not everyone "gets" my style, and that's okay. It sure is nice when someone does :)

I hit a lot of antique stores..(greener & cheaper)

all the best, Julie

[Emily Anderson]

Hi Kristen,
I think it's all about mixing and matching--creating your own personal space, using basic design principles for proper balance and form, but then just going with what "feels" right. I found the best composition is never really explicable--like a photograph, you just know when you hit that sweet spot. I am a big fan of the hand-me-down. I almost never say no when it comes to old furniture--any style, as long as it's a well-crafted piece--can be reinvented.

[Emily Anderson]

Thanks Amy,
I agree--slow home is the way to live. Just like a relationship--it takes time to uncover the nuances and understand the ins and outs :)

[Kristen]

I want a home where that kind of style would look organic and natural in! How do you make a new home look old, I wonder? Wish I knew!

[Parks]

Ooo I'm loving the reference to Atonement, and the other pictures fit in with it so nicely!

[carrie leber]

wow - what gorgeous images! love Kiera Knightley's green dress too.

[ABC Dragoo]

I *LOVE* that green dress. Ever since I saw that movie, I have loved that green dress - gorgeous!

As for the post, this is wonderful - I agree with you wholeheartedly. I like the idea of a slow home. Living with things you love, taking time to furnish it with items you love rather than popping over to Pottery Barn and purchasing what EVERYONE else is buying.

Fact is, furniture that was made 50 years ago is likely to be around 50 years from now because of the good, honest construction. You can't say that about Pottery Barn (or other mass furniture outfits for that matter) as their furniture will be found in a land fill when a family is done with it in a few years.

Great post Emily!
xoABCD