Friday, May 10, 2013

Visiting with The Tartan Terrace!

The Tartan Terrace


Good morning 

and thanks for stopping by 
the Polohouse today. 

I am so excited to have
a guest "in the house"--- 
someone who is also mad for plaid! 
I first spotted Kathy and her Southern charming
style during one
of my late night tartan pinning sessions.
She collects so many of the same things
that I love and has very similar taste.
Was drawn to her instantly, we often joke
about how I kind of "stalked her" on Pinterest,
repinning every single thing that she had!

I asked her to come by and say hello
to all of you and share a bit of her home. 
She has such great accessories and knows
how to use them!

After you read this, I hope you will go visit 
and even follow
Kathy at The Tartan Terrace 
if you don't already. 
She is a doll!
On to the interview.....

TartanTerrace
Link with Kathy here



How long have you lived at the Tartan Terrace?  

My husband and I bought Tartan Terrace 
almost seven years ago.  It was built in the 1950's 
but the bathrooms and kitchen had already been remodeled, so we've only done cosmetic surgery projects.  

Here's a photo of the living room looking into the foyer that was taken before we bought the house:



Here's a photo of the same space after my husband 
and I moved in and had bookshelves built:



Because we weren't using our living room much, 
we added the shelves to turn the room 
into more of a cozy library space.

I became a little obsessed 
with the Welsh dresser 
and wrote three posts about it:
 HERE and HERE and HERE.


Who or what has been your influence 
through the years in creating 
your timeless, classic, traditional style?  

Both my mother's and my grandmother's decorating tastes were very traditional and quietly serene.  
As my mother said, "You can paint a room any color 
as long as you paint it white."  Although I don't have one white room in my house, I guess this concept of classic decorating must have been a big influence 
on my design aesthetic.  
I have many antiques and vintage items 
that I inherited from my family.  

Another influence would be the iconic Ralph Lauren:







When treasure-hunting, 
what 3 or 4 items do you collect?
I always look for anything tartan, whether it be a pair 
of shoes, a dog leash or a piece of furniture. I also collect Staffordshire, Majolica, blue and white china,
 and wedding cake toppers (among many other things.)








(Love this photo of Kathy's... it needs to be the cover of a book!)













How long have you had a passion for plaid?  

When my sons were little, I used plaid flannel comforters 
on their bunk beds and placed a few plaid lunch boxes 
here and there.  Scottie dog pictures along with old hockey sticks covered the walls, and I gradually became hooked 
on plaid.  When my boys finally rebelled against all of the cuteness, I moved everything to my laundry room.





Do you have a favorite paint color, 
and if so, what is it?  

It depends on where it's going.  I painted my dining room with Benjamin Moore's "Bold Blue," #2064,
 and love how it turned out.  
(Oh yeah, I forgot about my Imari collection.)






In our master bedroom, the walls are painted 
"Silver Sage" from Restoration Hardware.  
It's a very soothing color and makes a good background 
for all of the brown and white transferware 
I have in that room: 







When you are on vacation, 
what type of memento or souvenir 
are you most likely to bring home with you?

 I'm always looking for things for my house.  
I found this cow painting when my husband and I 
were in Cashiers, North Carolina; 
it's one of my favorite pieces of artwork:








I found this burnt bamboo chair 
at the Round Top Antiques Fair, 
which is between Austin and Houston 
and takes place twice a year:






And of course, I'm always on the lookout 

for anything tartan.   

When you are not blogging, 
tell us what about your favorite 
hobbies or pastimes?  

Being a former English teacher, I love to read.  
Gardening, DIY projects, needlepoint and swimming 
with my little white dog Bitsy keep me busy. 




Alison - Thank you so much for inviting me over 
to The Polohouse to guest post today.  
I've had a marvelous time and would love for you 
to come over and play blog at the Terrace anytime!


Thank you, Kathy, for sharing your lovely
home with all of us. It was so much fun seeing 
your collections and hearing about your home!
Thanks for allowing us to peek inside your door.

Please visit Kathy and Bitsy
soon and follow her on Pinterest
if you love plaid too!

LOVE this shot of Kathy's closet!!!


14 comments:

Sarah said...

Alison, you've spotlighted a favorite for me. I think I first discovered Kathy's blog through you and have been following her since. Both of you have beautiful homes and style. I'd follower either of you anywhere!
Hadn't seen the plaid Tom's shown. Wonder if they are new this season?
Thanks again! ~ Sarah

Elizabeth@ Pine Cones and Acorns said...

Allison, so nice of you to feature Kathy's beautiful blog. I have been a fan for some time now and also found her on Pinterest. There are so many kindred spirits there.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and a happy Mother's Day!

Cindy @ Dwellings-The Heart of Your Home said...

Thanks so much for the introduction Alison, will head over to pay Kathy and Bitsy (too cute!!!) a visit!
Blessings,
Cindy

Andrea said...

what a beautiful guest feature! Love her style =)

FABBY'S LIVING said...

Great guest feature Alyson! I love tartan, but have none, I guess it's hard for me to find it around here. When I get to the States I'll make sure I bring some material for a tablecloth, or for a throw! Have a wonderful Mother's Day!
FABBY

Pamela Gordon said...

Thanks for posting about Tartan Terrace, Alison. I've followed her blog for a while and love how she decorates with her plaids. Isn't that bookshelf wall in the living room/library beautiful? And yes, you and Kathy have much the same style and love for plaid. Hugs, Pam

The enchanted home said...

That closet shot is amazing and so are all of her collectibles..beautiful, love the plaid. Great post thank you ladies!

Rebecca said...

I'm not sure how I've missed Tartan Terrace! I can certainly see why the two of you play off of each other! What a wonderful post - and be sure that I'm going to check out Kathy's blog for myself.

Unknown said...

I love her blog - in fact, that's where I found out about your blog! My two favorites on one blog today!!!

Calypso In The Country said...

I recently started following her blog and love her style! AND those fabulous shoes!
-Shelley

Preppy Empty Nester said...

Thank you for introducing us. I will definitely be a follower of Kathy's blog!

Gail Peterson said...

Oh my... Are you sure you aren't distant cousins! I loved seeing her home too, you two could have your own store called Tartan House!
Happy Mother's day I hope you get something plaid!
xo,
Gail

Terri~terrileeauthor said...

Thanks for introducing us to Kathy. What a lovely home, I love all the same things she loves!!
xo
Terri

Grace Peterson Glover said...

As one of Kathy's siblings, I can personally vouch for her "serene style" and impeccable decorating taste. I can also highly recommend "Tartan Terrace" as the perfect venue for a wedding- I got married there in 2007! If you haven't visited Tartan Terrace yet please do. It's where I go for tips and sips (of Sun Tea).

thanks so much,
sister G.