Mary in Montevallo

About 35 miles south of Birmingham is a cute little town called Montevallo. American Village is located here, as well as an older college that was founded back in 1896, The University of Montevallo, a pretty college campus that sprawls over 160 acres. I've shown you a few pictures of this area when I wrote about The American Village last year and the countryside down there is just beautiful....peaceful countryside everywhere you look. It's a quaint little Southern town with a wonderful feel of days gone by, a slower pace and small-town charm.
My friend, Mary and her hubby, live in Montevallo and I recently visited her at her home of less than 2 years. I think you'll really enjoy seeing Mary's home. Even though it's a new home, it oozes cottage charm. Mary's done a wonderful job with putting it all together, incorporating her family antiques passed down to her from both grandparents. She has collections of old and new items and the feeling is definitely cozy and cottagey. You would feel right at home in Mary's house. We visited at her house and then had lunch at a new restaurant in the little downtown of Montevallo, the Alabama Coach Company. It's set in an old train depot and we had hamburgers and talked decorating. See above pic. The livingroom is warm and cozy with a chaise lounge in the corner. I love this piece. She said she splurged on the Karastan rug, but otherwise she loves a bargain just like I do.
Mary and her daughter painted this window canvas one day after getting inspired to create something of their own. It's a cute piece that looks great with all of the colors in Mary's home. She recently added some new draperies in the diningroom as well as the livingroom, after I picked up some fabric swatches in Atlanta last fall when I was over there visiting. She had told me she was looking for an inspiration fabric to make some drapes and I came back with several to show her in the colors I knew she was looking at. She found this pretty blue/green/chocolate check and had them made up by a friend who also has her own drapery business. I was anxious to see the drapes in person and they really do make the room.
She made some matching pillows to go in the chocolate leather chairs too. This fabric was really perfect for her room.

View into the kitchen. The paint color is ICI 474 Stone Harbor. It's a taupe shade, but even though her colors are on the cool side, the house is very warm and inviting.
She has many family pieces in her house, including this buffet and mirror that were her grandmother's. She collects shells and has them beautifully displayed here as you come in the frontdoor.
She found this piece of driftwood at the beach and had to bring it home. Next time I'm at the beach, guess what I'll look for?
Here are the diningroom drapes in place. Aren't they beautiful. Just like a ballgown. This pic is dark, but you can see them better in the next pic. They have goblet pleats at the top.
Diningroom table and chairs.

Vignette over the china cabinet. She said the oil painting came from her mom's house and she added the other pieces that she already had. I love how she pulled the old white ironstone pitcher and blue bottle from the painting and put them in front for added effect.
Old telephone table from her grandmother behind the sofa.
She added some pretty stained glass in the windows of the breakfast room.
Her beautiful kitchen.
Cottagey guestroom. This was her furniture when she was a little girl, as well as the cute chandelier.

Note the red/white toile chair.
Guest bath is spa-like with a bamboo Roman shade under a custom fabric covered cornice board that she made. I love the little iron piece used as an accent on front. Bathroom color is ICI 556 Dakota Land.
She used the same fabric stapled over trim that was cut to fit over the mirror. Very clever!
Another guestroom with some custom pillows she sewed.
Covered her grandmother's old rocker with some pretty toile herself.
And here's the master bedroom with soothing blue walls, chocolate browns & creamy whites. Bedroom and bath color is ICI 1444 French Silver.
Along with the up to date gorgeous bathroom in the same shades.
I'm totally going to copy them on the patio that her hubby built out of pavers and pea gravel. Isn't this a wonderful spot for a cool drink outside on the patio? Check out the vintage chairs and glider.
I love this area. She's got some vines growing up on the posts that will eventually cover the top of the arbor.

These pics were taken with my hubby's camera and not my new one.

Hope you got some great inspiration from Mary's house!