Baby Makes 8! Plus Using Antique Furniture in a Child's Bedroom

Baby Bella makes...eight! Our clients Bruce and Julie pose in front of their new antique French Brittany buffet with Bruce Junior and Bella Lynn.

When we last visited Bruce and Julie of Whitmire, SC, they had just purchased an antique French Brittany armoire from us to use in their master bedroom. When we visited them again a couple of weeks ago to deliver their new antique Brittany buffet for the entryway, we discovered another new addition to the master bedroom: a crib for baby number eight! Little Bella Lynn joins seven siblings, all under age 14. Congratulations!

Photographic proof children and antique furniture can peacefully coexist! Bruce and Julie's daughters' room is decorated with an antique bed and other furnishings. I love the pretty Barbie doll in a pink ball gown decorating the mantel!

On this visit, I was struck by how Bruce and Julie have successfully incorporated antique furniture into their children's rooms. Many people don't think children and antique furniture can coexist peacefully, but Bruce and Julie prove that's not the case. Not only do their children live with antiques, they seem to love them. I especially got a chuckle out of seeing the Barbie dolls neatly lined up on the mantelpiece in one of the girls' rooms. Charming!

Bruce and Julie's home is blessed with a large entryway, and they'd been making routine trips to our bricks-and-mortar gallery in Newberry to find a suitably scaled antique French buffet to furnish the grand entry. Luckily we just received a new container from Europe, and we could hardly get this particular buffet off the ship fast enough! Bruce and Julie snapped it up, and as you can see it's the perfect fit for their decor.

The antique French Brittany armoire Bruce and Julie purchased from us last year. Note how Bruce has embellished the original mantel in the master bedroom. Love the chandelier, too!

Bruce is quite a woodworker, and I admired all the embellishments he's made to the original mantels throughout the house. I also love the way Bruce and Julie use chandeliers throughout their home (because, really, who can have too many crystal swags near the ceiling?!). Note how they scale the size of the chandelier to suit the room.

Great use of color in Bruce and Julie's dining room! Red can feel overwhelming, but the white fireplace, patterned upholstery, and glass decor balance the burgundy nicely.

We've been discussing the use of color all month, and Bruce and Julie's home makes a great study in how to use rich paint colors and colorful furnishings in a harmonious design that's not overpowering. I love the fact all the fireplace mantels are white, for example. This technique unifies the design throughout the house and helps balance the vivid wall color. In the dining room, red walls are balanced by patterned upholstery and glass accents. In the bedrooms, red furnishings contrast neutral wall colors. Well done!

We appreciate the repeat business from Bruce and Julie and wish them all the best with their new little one, Bella!

If you'd like to see your home featured in a client spotlight, email me photos! We love to show off our clients' great interior designs.

P.S.: Did you know we've launched a redesigned website? Now you can shop online for antique furniture easier and faster than ever before. And you still get the great customer servie we're known for. Check out our new site today!