restoring the roost

What Would You Do? – Dining Table & Hutch

July 29, 2011 · decorating the roost

Last week we found a new dining room table, two benches and hutch for a steal off Craigslist. Both pieces together with the two benches were only $300. Pretty good for solid, sturdy pieces, huh? We were in need of more seating for family gatherings and the hutch happened to come with the table. Who can resist more space for storage and display in your kitchen?

I plan to re-design the display and storage in the hutch; what you see here was placed
temporarily for fun and to see what various colors look like with it. So many options to
choose from: whiteware, vintage brown transferware, jadite, or a combination?

The dining table can easily seat eight, despite the photo giving the illusion of it being smaller.

I love the lines of each piece, but I am unsure if I want to keep the wood finish as it is or paint/stain/refinish. I think I like a more natural color for the dining table….maybe sanding down and refinishing this would be the way to go? Or stain it a dark walnut color? As for the hutch, I am toying with the idea of painting it a light and creamy color with some distressing, but I don’t want to be disappointed with the results (it is a rather pretty piece as it is now). Perhaps I could just paint the the backs of the inside cubbies for some contrast?

What would you do? I need some help, please!

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Day Trip of the Month: Hillsborough, NC

July 26, 2011 · Day Trip of the Month

This past weekend we took a little day trip to one of my most favorite places in all of North Carolina: the charming, historic town of Hillsborough (formerly spelled Hillsboro). If you are a history buff, enjoy North Carolina Colonial architecture, or love quaint beautiful southern towns, then you will adore the town of Hillsborough. I must admit I am a little biased since I used to work in Hillsborough both for the Burwell School Historic Site and at the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough…..can you tell I miss this town and its people dearly?

Founded in 1754, Hillsborough was an early political and cultural center in the state of North Carolina. The town has served as home for several royal governors, an original signer of the Declaration of Independence, a former enslaved seamstress who became a successful businesswoman and the personal dressmaker and close confidante of Mary Todd Lincoln, and countless elected officials and educational leaders. Key events of both the Revolutionary War and the Civil War occurred in Hillsborough. Named one of the “Dozen Distinctive Destinations” by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2007, today Hillsborough is home to a number of artists, famous writers, and a variety of other townfolk who appreciate the charm of a small town with a vibrant and healthy downtown with lots to offer. For more on the town’s history, click here.

On our walk through Hillsborough’s historic district, we visited the Old Town Cemetery, containing the graves of some of the town’s most noted individuals and families. The cemetery sits behind the Presbyterian Church, which is believed to be the oldest Presbyterian building in continuous use in the state of North Carolina.

Old Town Cemetery behind the Presbyterian Church

Old Town Cemetery

First United Methodist Church of Hillsborough

Hillsborough contains fabulous Colonial and Antebellum architecture, which, is sometimes rare to find intact North Carolina, especially for a small town. Most of these early homes have been lovingly restored and cared for, many with early gardens and heirloom English boxwoods still flourishing.

“Twin Chimneys” (notice the lovely blue color of the porch ceiling)

The Colonial Inn (formerly a restaurant and inn, it is undergoing rehabilitation work)

The Masonic Lodge, a stunning example of Greek Revival architecture in Hillsborough

The Burwell School Historic Site, (c. 1821, 1846) home to Margaret Anna Burwell and Robert Burwell, their twelve children and the enslaved members of their household. They operated a school for girls at their home in the two-room brick building behind the main house. Elizabeth Hobbes Keckly lived as a young enslaved woman at the Burwell household who later went on to purchase her freedom and became a successful businesswoman, talented seamstress, and personal dressmaker for Mary Todd Lincoln.

I encourage you to make the day trip to visit Hillsborough, NC. Visit here for more information and a calendar of events. If you don’t live close enough to visit Hillsborough, then get out and discover a historic town near you!