My Return & Barn Wood Fireplace Surrounds

 Time has raced by and I'm happy to be back to blogging!  We finished renovating the beach house and spent the summer enjoying the ocean and the beauty of Cape Ann.  

I will post photos of the transformation in the coming weeks. But until then, above is a photo of the Annisquam Lighthouse at sunset that we took on our last night at the beach.  Wasn't the sky amazing? 

Here is a photo of the house with the new roof and all the new windows installed. The roof lines are all rounded and curved, which is difficult to do.  I am so glad we found a master roofer to take that challenge on.  We have done so much to update it - I will give you a tour when I get back up there and take some proper photos.  For now I wanted to share with you a new project I am working on.

I am designing a new fireplace surround for a ski house in Colorado. It is a renovation project of 1970's townhouse with very boxy rooms and almost no architectural detail. The furniture is going to be modern, but I want introduce some rustic design elements. The current fireplace is gas and we will be replacing it with a new gas model. We love the look of the fireplace above. I have been searching for old barn board and corbels. We love the whitewash of the wood. The hearth looks to be stone or copper and is rounded. We decided to start with this as our inspiration.

Here is another shot of the same fireplace surround.  This photo is from the Serena and Lily catalogue.  In fact, their current holiday catalog also has another wonderful shot of this fireplace.  Here you can see a closer view of the hearth.  I love the roughness of the wood and the texture it adds to an otherwise plain room.

I found this fireplace on Pinterest. Sorry for the photo quality, but I included it because the surround has a very similar feeling.

Another example from Pinterest, but this fireplace doesn't have the heavy corbels on either side.  I think it may be better scaled for my project.  I do like the natural, aged color of the barn wood.  Again, you can see how much architectural interest it brings to the room.  Also from a cost perspective, I am able to find relatively inexpensive wood in the barns of New England.  My finish carpenter is so talented and has assured me it can easily be recreated. 

Unfortunately we haven't addressed the placement of the TV.  My plan is to somehow incorporate doors to hide the TV.  Here is an example, but I still haven't quite figured out how to work it into the design.  

When searching for wood for the project I hope to find some interesting doors.  I like these above -  but they are not exactly right. I may have to design them myself out of the barn wood scraps.  Either way, it's an exciting project and I am thrilled to begin the process.

It's wonderful to be back blogging.  I have missed hearing from you all and I do hope you stop by and let me know how you have been.  I've been keeping up with my favorite blogs, and of course, like everyone else, spending too many late nights on Pinterest.  Please feel free to follow me there, I have so many fabulous inspiration folders. You'll also be able to view some of the projects I worked on while I was gone!  

Hope you are enjoying the fall!!
xoxo Gina

(all photos property of Willow Decor, unless specified, and are not to be copied or used without permission - all other photos from Pinterest)

Aspen Beauty–An Imaginary Dream Tour!!

Finally we have some snow on the ground in Boston. It’s getting me excited for our ski trip to Aspen this year.

As you know Dave and I are always scanning the real estate listings and we happened upon this gorgeous property for sale in Aspen. Of course at $39 Million USD, we couldn’t even get in the door, but its fun to dream. I thought you would enjoy a cyber tour of a home which caters to the rich and famous. So lets pretend it actually is my house and I am taking you on a personal tour. I would first bring you to our stone wine cellar to have a yummy glass of wine, before we started our imaginary home tour!

We would then make our way to the extraordinary great room. I would point out the antique hand hewn beams and we would admire the craftsmanship of the stone work. Notice the arch in the fireplace and the how it mimics the entry arch to the left. We would also take in the spectacular view of the slopes.

Next we would make our way into the kitchen, I would point out the floor and how we used limestone and antique wood for a wonderful effect. We would laugh about which center island to stand at because of course there are two!!

Then we would head into the dining room. We would talk about the gorgeous faux paint techniques and we would compliment the artist on his excellent fresco work. I would point out how the faux painting really enhances the arch in the dining room, making that architectural feature even more impressive. You will say how you love how it mimics the arches in the great room and I will be so impressed that you noticed.

Then we would pop into the pantry – You know I love pantries and this one is spectacular. Notice the beautiful wood ceiling.

Then we would meet the boys in the Billiards room! It would be so cozy and inviting! Notice the wood work and the stone arch entry – love the juxtaposition of those two materials.

We would head to the master bedroom and you would “ooh and aah”. We both would love the beamed ceiling and the faux fur throw on the bed! You would ask about the big ottoman. I would say the kids love to lay across it!

We would head outside to enjoy the sunset – I would point out how much I love the herringbone brick patio – You would tell me how much you love the interesting mantel around the fireplace which mimics the ceiling. We both would laugh at the animal heads and antlers. I would say they creep me out, but Dave likes them!!

We would head to pool area and take in the spectacular mountain views. We would both say how we didn’t want to put our bathing suits on in March!!

You would say the exterior is breathtaking and I would agree! Then we would head back to the wine cellar for another glass of wine. Of course this was just a pretend tour, but if you want to see more of this exceptional property click HERE to see the real estate listing. The new owners are going to be very lucky people!!

(All content copyrighted by Willow Décor and not to be used with out permission. All photos Sotheby's)

Swedish Winter Retreat in Vail

Several months ago a reader sent me these photos of a beautiful ski home in Vail, Colorado. She thought I would love the Swedish decor which is so unusual in a ski home. The dramatic entry immediately caught my eye.

Of course I fell in love the hand painting on the walls and the beautiful Swedish Mora clock.Most ski homes are predominately wood and stone, but I loved the lightness of this space. The cathedral ceilings and natural wood floors are enhanced by the pale green painted cabinets and soft yellow painted furniture. Notice the chairs are each embellished with the birth dates of owners and their children. I love the gorgeous natural light streaming into the kitchen area. The living room also has incredible light. The blue delft tile fireplace is lovely. Again notice the painted furniture, lace curtains, light upholstery and rugs - so unique for ski house.


I like how designer, Jan Chenault, mixed antiques with reproductions, like this amoire with a mirrored front to disguise the weight of the piece and to reflect light around the room. Very smart!

But my favorite is the Ski Locker Room. I love the paint combination on the ski lockers.
It also looks like the owners names are painted on them in blue. What a wonderful retreat for a lucky family.

To see more of this beautiful home click HERE

(All Photos Mountain Living )