Good-by Pennsylvania

This posting will be my last about Pennsylvania architects and designers - for a while.  I'm sure a Pennsylvania home will appear as absolutely blog-worthy again, but for now I'll end with the following ones and move on to the next chapter of my decorating life.

The picture below of John Milner, the architect discussed in my previous post, with his restored home in the background and the following pictures are all from Architectural Digest, July 1997.

The brick part of the house is original and from 1724; his new clapboard addition joins the old seamlessly.

Doesn't this staircase remind you of the one in sculptor Andre Harvey's home?  Different color but still very similar.  Milner and his wife, Wynne, saved the bannister for many years before finding this perfect place for it.  The paint colors used here are true to the period.

This kitchen contains all the elements I love - fireplace, eating area in front of windows, copper pots, Garland stove, antiques.  What it does not contain is that Pottery Barn-look so many so-called "great rooms" have today with pillows and lanterns and too many accessories.  The kitchen belowis simply a great room in its purest form.

Another view of the kitchen's table and clock.

Dining room with new paneling suited to the age of the house.  Beautiful table and chairs with a sculpture by Andre Harvey.  The chandelier is not electric, but has actual candles.  Love it all.

Guest bedroom.

The paint color in the sitting room is from original paint chips found in the home.  (One of the books on the coffee table is entitled Brandywine and is a wonderful addition to your library.)

Milner-designed summer kitchen.

View of his home in its countryside surroundings.  (Don't we think all electrical lines should be underground??)

We move on now to a Pennsylvania home appearing in American Farmhouse (written by Leah Rosch and published in 2002), a home restored by designer Laura Bohn and her hsuband, builder Richard Fiore.  

This home has a less true-to-the-period decor than Milner's, but is very interesting.

I always liked this chandelier which Bohn designed long before Restoration Hardware had anything similar.  

Bedroom with great eaves and a cute corgi.

This same house appears in the magazine, Country Home (Spring, 2012), which I bought in an airport en route to friends in the south.  Notice the similarities and differences.   Our tastes all seem to change over the years.

Chandelier, table and chairs remain the same.  Artwork, cowhide and bench are new additions.

Designer Laura Bohn, herself.  Looks like she still loves corgis.

Wish I could see more of her kitchen - really like her paint colors.

Could this be a change from the earlier eaved bedroom?

Did the earlier bedroom become an office?

The bedrooms have a different feel from the earlier versions, yet somehow are still the same.  You can tell they have the same designer-owner.

I love this powder room vanity.

The terrace looks completely different.  How much do I love this fireplace?  How much do I love any fireplace??

 

A view of their Pennsylvania countryside.

And finally, "kitchens I have loved" from the same issue of Country Home.  (If I had gotten a tax refund this year, I planned on purchasing stools similar to these.  Alas, the stools must wait.)

Love the copper pots in the next kitchen.  (I always love copper pots), and doesn't this kitchen look so sunny and inviting?  You just want to sit at the table and have a cup of tea.

So, my dear reader, I hope I have not bored you to death with my love of Pennsylvania.  This indeed will be my last posting about it for quite a while.  Next phase of my decorating journey (including its kitchens) will continue with something I call my cozy phase.  And it starts with the English homes and kitchens I have loved there.  Till next time.

b

P.S. By the by, I cannot seem to get "blogs I follow" to appear on the side of my blog.  They appear on my lay-out page, but never appear on the blog itself. Any suggestions of what to do would be appreciated.