A charming 1930s house fit for a fairy tale

✯ Day 231 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

There are many books from my childhood that I look back on with immense fondness. From Robert Munsch's entertainingly delightful Pigs to the endearingly sweet Bread and Jam for Frances, by the husband and wife writing and illustrating team of Russell and Lillian Hoban.

I was very fortunate that my parents filled my earliest days with great books and that they read to me often. One title that I simply could not get enough of was a whimsically charming book of stories about fairies and other similar fictional sprites called Come Follow Me by Gyo Fujikawa.

Though not a vintage book (it'd earn the title of retro at this point though), there was a timeless quality to the sweet, gorgeously illustrated stories that this hardcover book abounded with.

As I grew up I really did not retain a passion of fantasy stories (veering more towards non-fiction genres, especially history instead), however anytime I see something that reminds me of one of the stories in Come Follow Me, I'm transported back to being a five year old again, a mythical world of fairies dancing on the pages before my young eyes.

It was, of all things, the November 1938 cover of Better Homes and Garden magazine that swept me back through the years and brought memories of a childhood storybook to the forefront of my mind.

 

With its bay window, rusty brown hued tile roof, and pale brick walls teaming with verdant climbing vines, there's something so perfectly fairy tale-ish about this wonderfully pretty vintage home (the image of which comes by way of paul.malon on Flickr).

I could imagine a sweet old woman living there who put out saucers of milk for the neighbourhood cats each evening, unaware that it was the "little folk" who were coming to lap it up, living there.

Or perhaps a young woman with a wicked step-mother, waiting for her prince to come dashing into town on a white horse.

While I don't profess to be an expert of architecture, I can usually peg a house's style well. This darling home leaves me a tad baffled though. Is it English countryside (a style I adore), mid-century Connecticut? The longer I look at it, the more I feel it has vague Tudor elements. No matter what style you call it however, there's no denying that this beautiful 1930s house would make an amazing home.

I could so easily picture myself tending flowers in its garden, stringing laundry in backyard, setting a row of pumpkin against those lovely bricks come august, building a snowman on the lawn come winter.

It looks like a house with a sense of whimsy and elegance. And the longer I gaze at it, the more I adore it. Perhaps that's because, if I try really hard, I can just about see a fairy or two fluttering around those stately climbing vines, beckoning me to come follow them.

Cream and blue 1930s kitchen shines with liveable appeal

✯ Day 216 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

It was the chairs in this classically elegant 1930s that caught my eye first. They're quite similar to the set (which was painted white) that sat around our kitchen table when I a little girl. Swooping backs, gentle angled legs, and solid wood construction saw us through countless meals, evenings spent doing homework, weekend afternoons of spirited board games, and the catch-all spot for years of family memories.

Beyond the chairs, there is a lot that draws you into this good sized, nicely arranged vintage kitchen. It's crisp, almost modern feeling palette of creamy ivory and serene dark blue is really chic. You could throw in hits of dark red, lush green, tranquil turquoise, sugary pink, chic chocolate brown, or punchy yellow, amongst others, if you wanted to expand the hues further in a similar room.

{Pretty, almost nautical hued 1930s kitchen image care of clutter shop on Flickr.}

 

I really like the open floor plan that allows for a very nice number of cabinets. The cute little pot-and-pan nook, charming pair of windows (with both curtains and blinds), and eye-catching (but not startlingly so) floor are all terrific touches.

What this kitchen lacks though, is an abundance of counter space, so if one was to model their cooking arena after this 1930s design, you'd probably want to make more room counters - and a dishwasher and fridge for that matter, too (unless you really, really want to go for an authentic 1930s look and feel! ).

These small cons are outweighed by the many lovely charms of this kitchen though, very much including those back-hugging wooden chairs, which all add up to a great image for your vintage home decor inspiration file.