Making Zambia Home: Part 2

Well today I took some more photos of our work in progress! I decided I should wait until the house keeper came to take photos since the kitchen was a wreck! Once Patricia worked her magic, I busted out the tripod and took some more photos. I still did not get to the whole house, but here's part two of the Zambian digs.

I love the green we chose for the living room! I knew exactly what color family I wanted prior to heading to the paint store. I learned a vital lesson in paint choosing while I was there. Right before they were about to mix up the green paint, the painter told me that he had calculated the cost wrong. He told me that the shade of green I had chosen was going to be over a hundred dollars just for the green pigment alone. What the heck? Apparently some greens are greener than others. I opted out of the pricey paint for literally the shade right next to it which was normal price. I'd like to think I have a special talent for always finding the most expensive item in the store, case in point. That my friends is champagne taste on a beer budget!

So some of my favorite items in this room are below...I always say it's the little details that count. I'm on the hunt for a gorgeous, colorful, Zambia piece for the mantel piece. Meanwhile, you guys can dream with me!

These two lovely pieces were done by the oh so talented, Stephanie Thorton of Abracadabra Glass in Abilene, TX. Stephanie did several shows at the gallery I worked at in college, and whenever I'm in Abilene, I always stop by her shop. We purchased both of these pieces this summer, and I was lucky Dom didn't fill up the entire car. The disc is his favorite! 

Speaking of glass, I've long been a fan of this fantastic medium! There is a little glass blowing shop in the glass museum at Oglebay Resort in Wheeling, WV. The top piece came from that shop, and we got to watch the glass blower make it. It is a frequent stop on my visits to my grandfather. The piece below came from the glass gift shop which is located above the museum, it is filled with treasures from the beaches of Haiti.

 

I have a new obsession with throw pillows, specifically throw pillows from Etsy. How fantastically, amazing are these guys? The two jungle themed pillows came from Carlos Santiago's spectacular shop, this man knows his pillows!  The darling, little snoozing dog came from RobinandMould in the UK. 

Moving on, one of the best functional spaces in our house is the kitchen. It is by far the largest kitchen I've ever had, and quite a change from Dom and I bumping into each other ever two seconds. It had so many lovely, existing neutrals so I thought it could handle a bold pop of color. Boy did it ever!

I get so much pleasure from all the little details! Dominic purchased this key rack for me this christmas (from Etsy...where else?). And I love these vintage-esque flour and sugar holders. They have been living in my storage unit virtually since I bought them. It makes me happy to see them out in all their glory.

Did I mention that we might of splurged on a couple of high end appliances prior to our arrival? Oh be still my heart...never mind that's just all the pastries and caffeine!

 

Just for fun, I thought you might want to see how the other half lives. You remember the pre-apocalyptic shopping excursion I did prior to my departure from the states, where it looked like I was outfitting a bomb shelter? All those goodies have to fit in this house too. Luckily, I have a pretty big pantry, and a guest closet.