Monday, April 28, 2014

5 QUESTIONS YOU ASKED STONEGABLE




I get lots and lots of questions about StoneGable each week.
And many of the same ones keep popping up!

Here are 5 questions that StoneGable readers want to know and my answers...


1. Who makes are your leaf and berry dishes and where did you get them?





bottom and second to the bottom dishes


This is probably the most asked question by StoneGable readers. I have answered it a hundred times but never in a post.

The dishes I call my leaf and berry dishes are really olive branch dishes. When I first got them I thought the fruit was a berry. But upon closer inspection, I found that they were olives!

I have no idea the maker of my beloved dishes other than this marking on the back...


* UPDATE...

One of my wonderful readers, Cindee, emailed me with the maker and pattern of these favorite dishes


They are HOLIDAY BOUGH from BARREVELD.


Thanks so much, Cindee!

AND...

they are not olives and branches. They are "embossed holy and berries" according to the manufacturer.






The second most frequently asked about dishes are the other dishes in the picture above.

They are made by the same illusive manufacturer!

These dishes came from HomeGoods.



2. What are your kitchen counter tops and sink made of?







Our counter tops and kitchen sink are soapstone. It is a very durable, inert, natural stone. It does not stain, is not effected by hot and cold and is a breeze to take care of.

I chose soapstone slabs that had a minimum of veining. Some slabs can be very busy!

I had wanted soapstone counters for a long, long time... so when we updated our kitchen it was on our "list"!

I clean them with soap and water and to keep them black and shiny I wipe them down with mineral oil about once a month.









3. What are you paint colors?

The kitchen, living room, dining room, family room foyer and stair walls are all Benjamin Moore SONNET.







It is a very neutral and light off white/light bone color.








All the trim and kitchen cabinets in our home are painted Benjamin Moore ATRIUM WHITE.








And while we are on the subject of paint color, I often get asked...


What color is your front door?








The short answer is... I don't know!

It was supposed to be a dark slate grey/almost black, but it must have been mixed wrong. When we (and when I say "we" I mean Bobby) started to paint it I immediately knew it was a mistake. But a happy one! I love the color! It works well with our Pennsylvania limestone. I just hope I can match it as the door needs some touch up this spring.


4. Why don't you show your bathrooms, do you think it is too personal?

It's not that I won't share my bathrooms with my readers... but we have not updated any of them yet. StoneGable has 5 bathrooms. No one needs 5 bathrooms, believe me!

The main hall bathroom upstairs and one of the downstairs powder rooms hopefully will be updated before the end of the year.

We were going to gut the master bathroom and totally redo it, but we opted to build a new patio this spring instead. The bathroom will have to wait another year!

The bathrooms aren't awful... they just are not updated. And this blog is all about the diy's of updating rooms and decorating!

I'll show them to you as soon as they are done!


5.  Where do you keep all of your dishes?


I don't have as many as you think! I use the same ones over and over!

Here are two posts that show where the majority of my dishes are kept...







and...






There you have it! I hope this post answers some of your questions about StoneGable.

Please feel free to email me with any questions you  have and I'll do my best to answer them.






44 comments:

  1. Hi Yvonne, I have the same "olive" dishes and am always asked about them too!! I call them my "bridal wreath" whites--I don't know why but it seems to fit. I tracked them down in numerous HGs and I still wish I had more. They are a wonderful base for many tables, especially your beautiful settings. I also once lived in a house with shutters painted in a color I hand mixed. People used to knock on my door to ask the color. One day I arrived at home to find a women and her painter scraping off a sample to match at a paint store. Hmmm. I was flattered but not very happy about that. I do love the way your door looks in your pictures--soft, welcoming, but elegant. Linda

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    Replies
    1. Scraping your paint???? That was incredibly nervy to say the least! You wre much more gracious than I think I would have been!!!:)

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    2. Linda, excuse my ignorance, but what does HG stand for? I too love the dishes

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  2. Love the olive dishes so much. Your home is beautiful with all it's whites and neutrals. Deb

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  3. Great answers to some great questions Yvonne. I haven't shown my two full baths either for the same reason...they are sooo outdated and not in a pretty way at all! Like you they have not been on the top of our project list. This year it is about replacing our screens on the back patio and hopefully painting the brick in the front of the house. Your home is just gorgeous and I love the soapstone counter tops in your kitchen. You just cannot beat low maintenance in the kitchen!
    Have a great week!!
    XO Barbara

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  4. You know I love your gorgeous home, which keeps getting better and better!!!!

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  5. I couldn't say it any better than Pinky. My sentiments exactlly! Just beautiful.

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  6. I have a few paint colors in my house that I'm clueless about too! Sometimes they turn out to be the very best. Love your new emails by the way!

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  7. Great questions Yvonne! I want to say the dish ware is made by Barreveld but I may be wrong. I hunted down the maker of dish ware with that symbol but it has been a while and I have since forgotten. If I remember 100% I will be sure to let you know. I have a lot of dishes by them. I have always loved the paint colors you use in your home!

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  8. Thank you for all that you share, your home is just beautiful! Would you mind telling us more about the lovely monogram wreath you have on your front door currently? Thank you!

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    Replies
    1. Here's a post with the details...http://www.stonegableblog.com/2013/05/front-door-wreath-summer-2013.html

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    2. thank you so much, gorgeous!

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  9. I'm trying to think of some totally random question to ask you. I need another cup of coffee I guess before my random kicks in, cuz nothing is coming to me.

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  10. what a fun post. I have always been a fan of your dishware too. Bug hugs my friend Happy Monday!

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  11. http://www.classichostess.com/products-sweet-olive-fancy-scroll-dinner-plate-62074.aspx

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  12. Yvonne your posts are always just what the doctor ordered. Your color combination are just incredible and love, love, love those dishes. Pat C.

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  13. I am looking to put natural woven blinds in my kitchen and family room and noticed yours in your kitchen photo. Where did you get them? I have seen them at Home Depot and other home improvement stores online, but haven't gone to see them in person to check the quality. I have also looked at other high end options online but not sure if I want to spend that kind of money on them. I would love your thoughts. Thanks so much!

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    Replies
    1. I got mine from Lowes... and I love them! They were very reasonably priced!

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  14. LUV, luv those dishes... But then I luv most everything about your home Yvonne :)
    Hugs for a happy new week.
    Gee

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  15. You are so gracious to share all these details. Your blog is my happy place online where I can dream, be inspired and dream some more.

    With 9 people in our home, 6 of which are females, we could definitely use 5 bathrooms. For now, we will be content with our 1 1/2 baths. ;)

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  16. Fun post! Thanks for sharing all your details!
    -Shelley

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  17. Your home is one of the most beautiful on the web!!

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  18. Thanks for all the details. I am in love
    with your home and how beautiful it
    is decorated. You have done a fantastic
    job.
    I have always loved Lancaster and if I won lotto
    I would want to live there.

    Denise

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  19. Yvonne, your home is just beautiful. I pin a lot of your creativity. I love those olive dishes but have never seen them in the HG I go to. Thank you for sharing with us. I just received the olive bucket from Walmart. I hope I didn't miss your post about 'antiquing' it up..Happy Week to you..Judy

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  20. Thanks, Yvonne - never asked but this inquiring mind always wanted to know.

    You have such a remarkable home and talent for design, etc - always such a joy to visit your blog for inspiration.
    Thank you for that, and for being such a humble and sweet lady. God bless.

    Have a wonderful week!!

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  21. I love your home! I love your ideas and your style. What I love most is that I know Christ is resident in your home!

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  22. I thought your kitchen counters and sink were soapstone...!! I love them and glad to hear that they are an easy "upkeep"....We all have those areas that need updating...and I know you will have fun doing so...I am looking forward to the porch project!!

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  23. Hi Yvonne! I love your collection of dishes! Cream color dishes are my favorite! Your home is beautiful...I love viewing your posts! Thank you for sharing your great ideas and recipes!
    LuAnn

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  24. I love Stonegable ! Thank you for sharing so much joy of life and living!

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  25. One more question??? Are you a professionally trained stylist, or is there hope for the novice in the group???

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    Replies
    1. I got my design degree by the school-of many-decor-mistakes! I just love all things home and decorating! NO professional training!

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  26. The only way anyone is going to see our bathrooms is if they are visiting and they HAVE to use the bathroom. Those very useful rooms are hopeless and we don't foresee spending a fortune to get them redone. I mean, our house was built in the sixties with the dusty rose tile everywhere and the dusty rose tub and sink etc. My hubby wants to travel and fish -- the bathrooms are small and there is no way we can make them bigger :-(

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  27. I am thinking of using soapstone in our master bath...thanks for sharing the mineral oil tip. I'm glad to know that it's easy to care for. Your home is beautiful!

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  28. Thanks for answering the many questions! Very fun and interesting.
    Can you tell me about your foyer stairs? Were they all wooden? I'm wondering if you painted the handrail?
    I have all oak and really wanting to change.
    Thanks!
    Joanne

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    Replies
    1. Hi Joanne,
      My stairs were all oak too!
      Here are two posts that give you all the details...http://www.stonegableblog.com/2013/08/the-stairs-in-progress.html

      and ...http://www.stonegableblog.com/2013/11/main-stairs-reveal.html

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  29. Those are some fabulous questions Yvonne. I love your paint color in the kitchen. It really is the perfect color choice.

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  30. Yvonne,
    Your home is one of the most elegant, and yet most liveable of all the blogs I visit!
    You truly inspire your readers and followers with all the DIY's you share with us on a regular basis.
    I, truly, feel like a welcomed guest each time I open a StoneGable post.
    A more gracious host does not exsist in The Land of Blog, dear friend!!!
    Thank you for sharing your lovely home with us!
    Fondly,
    Pat

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  31. Enjoyed this post today. But my eyes went straight to your bar stools! Love them.
    Hugs and blessings, Cindy

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  32. So glad to know the name brand of you dishes. I have two other designs by the same maker and have been asked the same question. You'd think they would want their name prominently on them so it would be easy to search for more!!!!

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  33. Do you or any of your readers know if HG still carries the holly & berry white dishes?
    I would travel to get some...

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