Been Trying to Get Some Primitive Decorating Done

We built a new home back in 1985 and I decorated it in the country style that was so popular back then. That decorating choice is what actually lead me to start my small home-based craft business 24 years ago. I started making items for my neighbors home, then started doing craft shows and opened a country shop. But 14 years ago, we decided to move back to the town where we grew up as our families were all still there. I thought when I moved back home that I wanted my house to have a different look and started decorating in the lighter colors of the country cottage style. Then about 4 years ago, I was starting to be drawn to all the primitive folk-art items that were showing up at craft shows and country shops. I realized that I truly missed my old country look and was falling in love with the feel of primitive country. And when I purchased my first issue of Mercantile Gatherings Magazine, I was hooked! If you are a prim lover, you need to check out this magazine. I have every issue and love to look at them to get ideas for decorating my home.

Because I had gotten rid of a lot of my country items (which I could kick myself for now), I had to find a way to fill my home with prim goodies and not break the bank. So I started by painting lots of things black and distressing them with alittle sanding for that aged look. I feel that the color black just makes things look old and can make a piece feel country even if it was not a country piece to start with. I also purchased some cheap baskets from Goodwill and a local craft supply store. I painted some of them a mustard gold and then rubbed antiquing gel on. Others I painted dark brown and let some the the original color show through. I went to garage sales (got some old wooden rolling pins at a neighbor’s garage sale for $1.00 each) and thrift stores to look for primitive wares such as crocks, jars, old water pitchers, and wooden pieces. I’ve also purchased some primitive patterns and made alot of things myself.

The decorating is still a work in progress but the house is looking more primitive style everyday. I don’t think I’ll ever be totally finished decorating as the hunt for those perfect primitive treasures has become addictive, plus the hunt is half the fun. I found some old wood pieces for the kitchen today at Goodwill.(I believe they are old small dough or cheese boards.) I’ve always loved to decorate and I believe that the country primitive style is so appealing to me because it adds history, charm and such warmth to my home. This is a picture that was taken when I first started to switch over to primitive decorating and needed to have the 2 styles look good together so that I didn’t have a empty looking house while collecting all my prim goodies. I will post some more recent pictures soon.

Prim Blessings for now.

Redoing my kitchen into a Primitive Country kitchen

I’ve taken a break from crafting to redo my kitchen. It was one of the things that I loved about this house when we purchased it 14 years ago, but I didn’t realized until we moved in that it is always dark. There are dark cabinets on every wall and only one small window. We have to turn the lights on even during the day. So I’m finally getting around to redoing it. I decided to paint the cabinets a creamy white, then distress them by rubbing on a dark stain and sanding them in places to give them an aged feel. I’ll post some pictures in a few weeks when I’m finished with this major undertaking.

I’ve been getting and making some primitive folk-art goodies to put in my kitchen. I found a small old ladder at a local craft shop that is perfect for the prim dish towels that I’ve been embroidering on. There is a ledge between the kitchen & dining room and I placed the ladder on that ledge against the side of the refrigerator. I’ll post a picture of it when the kitchen is done. Until then, here are a few pictures of some the prim dish towels that I’ve sold online or at my craft shows. These towels would also look great hanging over the edge of an old ironing board and from a basket or old crock.