GINGHAM CHECKS

My gingham kitchen...circa 1994

 

Timeless or Hopelessly Granny? When you're my age and like to tell yourself that you're still hip to what's happening now. . . you've probably gone through your fair share of decor STYLES.  My first house (circa 1972) was one big tribute to all things Early Americana.  It was easy as pie, back then: mix your box pleats on plaid furniture and stir in EAGLES, EAGLES and more EAGLES.  And yes, I had the then-ubiquitous Mr. Plastic Eagle over our front door!  Don't laugh at me -- you know your mother had one!
 

 

My almond refrigerator with magnets!

Anyway, somewhere around the early 80's, thanks to Mary Emmerling, I switched to my country phase.  THAT was easy peasy too, you had your blue and red (but NEVER the goose with the blue scarf! The horror!) Add quilts, baskets, homespun anything, and last but not least, way way WAY too much primitive stuff, everywhere!  Check out my primitive kitchen, circa 1994.  Okay, so I cringe a little at it now (check out those almond appliances and all those refrigerator magnets!) -- but at the time, it was happening!

  

So what STYLE do I favor I now?  You ask?  Well, I'm not sure!  I did purge a lot of my smaller antiques and most of those baskets on eBay, but I still REALLY like old stuff.  We call it "VINTAGE" now, but of course.  I do like industrial style, and I'm trying to go more modern, all at the same time!  Maybe it's modern country . . . I don't know!  Suddenly, it's not as easy as it used to be!  I used to be so inspired by Cottage Living magazine, but it went belly up, as my sister likes to say!  Now I find myself alone, adrift, if you will, and winging it, which sometimes means decorating dilemma's!  Sadly.

Pintrest inspiration courtesy of
Rooney Robinson Antiques

So here's a dilemma I currently have -- gingham checks!  I loved them back THEN (see that wallpaper in my long-ago kitchen!), and I still love them NOW!  Are they timeless or hopelessly granny?  Well, look at this photo I spied on Pinterest, just yesterday!  I nearly swooned!  You see, for months, I've been yearning for a red gingham check skirt under my kitchen's farmhouse sink!  CAN I?  I think so, but I have to go big, don't you agree?  It's the large scale which makes it modern.  Look at those huge stripes!  Perfection!  What are your thoughts?  Are you pro or anti gingham?

- Kay Holsted, Guest Contributor 

Kay Holsted is the owner of RedBird Vintage Home. Her amazing pillows are available at Lola's. RedBird Vintage Home was recently selected to set-up a store in West Elm in Lincoln Park, IL. <read entire post>. You can also view Kay's entire line of Pillow's in her Etsy store.