Mar 14, 2021
Architectural French Scrolls
Architectural French Scrolls SC 54 are similar to SC52 just a little shorter.
Efex easy apply furniture moldings are bendable latex moldings that mirror historic wood carvings. These modern reproductions have all the intricate detail of the original designs. You can add our moldings and appliques to furniture you are upcycling, or almost anywhere in your home.
Other moldings don’t bend, so they can only be applied to flat surfaces. Because Efex are poured with flexible latex they can wrap around furniture. Simply glue your molding with contact cement. No nailing or clamping needed.
Efex can be applied to wood, plaster, metal, glass, and terra cotta. Use them on furniture, walls, doors, mirrors, or to create picture frames and boxes. They can be painted, stained, even gilded.
The molds for our Efex reproductions are hand carved with painstaking detail to bring life to striking details. Handmade in Maine for flawless quality, Efex are a symbol of style.
Oct 26, 2020
Paris in the Fall is always a good idea. to paraphrase Audry Hepburn.
2020 has been a bad year for travelers like myself. Now as Europe and England go into another lockdown and the rest of the Northern Hemisphere settles into our long winter’s nap I have become slightly obsessed with traveling. Or should I say the lack thereof?
I was reading the lockdown news along with worrying about who has more cases of the virus and the safety of our little pod and family here in New England when I came across this photo on Tumbler.
Crisp cool sunny days, crunchy golden leaves underfoot, steaming cups of hot chocolate, and the magnificent light. Facebook reminded me that In 2017 my husband and I took a fall trip to Normandy with a few days just wandering the City of Lights. It was only three years ago but seems like a lifetime. I
I was thinking about five of the great things we loved about that trip to Paris.
1 – The colors and the light. Ok, the light anywhere is great in the fall but Paris? Is just a little bit extra special. Even the Parisians think so as fall is the rentrée – the re-entry – is when Parisians come back to the city after summer at the coast. Businesses reopen and Parisians claim the city back from the tourists.
2 – Walking – the entire city is made for walking but the fall is cooler and fewer tourists, a brisk walk that turns into a ramble and lasts for hours. I highly recommend wandering the city on foot and exploring new neighborhoods. Pick a café for a glass of wine and people watch. You will never feel alone even sitting by yourself at a café. Be it chatting with the table next to you or reading a book all options are open in Paris.
The Jardin Des Tuileries is your postcard-perfect Paris garden. Located between the Louvre art museum and Place de la Concorde here you can see glorious fall foliage in Paris backdropped by chic buildings, historic fountains, statues, and urns. The park is laid out in the formal French style with plenty of places to rest and savor the scenery. Or stop for a hot chocolate and Tarte Tatin at the Cafe des Marronniers.
Or as we did some time for a flower arranging class. Notice the rosette on the marble fireplace is very similar to our Rosette 114. 🙂
3 – Cruising down or up the Seine…The Seine is extra atmospheric at dawn or dusk on crisp, cool autumn days, when a fine mist hangs over the water. Along the riverbank, you’ll find street stalls with roasting chestnuts sitting next to the bouquiniste booksellers.
4 – Museums…Autumn is also a good time to check out The Louvre. While it is always busy fall is best. Even if you just wander around the exterior and the I.M.Pie pyramid. It never gets boring. While I love the structure, I do remember when it was first unveiled and everyone hated it. Not so much anymore it has become iconic all on its own. One wonderful walk we took started at the new Louis Vuitton Museum which also seems a little radical.
From here you can ramble through the Bois de Boulogne. French Royals once hunted in the forest, now these vast green lungs are the perfect destination for discovering a different Paris. Formally home to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor when in exile, a wander down the streets and across the park is a joy. The area is also home to a large national equestrian center.
5 – Shopping… While the high-end stores are always full. Until the pandemic, there is a two-hour line at Louis Vuitton every morning… really! Shopping the side streets is far more interesting. Every little boutique has its own style and they come in all price ranges. Of course
Of course, we couldn’t miss stopping at Laduree for a box of their famous macarons. Even if you don’t sample anything, it’s worth popping in just to see the charming interior! And look at these lovely packages with swags and bows.
Until we can all travel again stay safe and healthy everyone.
Oct 24, 2020
Make Furniture Elegant Bendable Moldings by Efex Shop Moldings and Appliques Our Story From New Zealand to Maine our company has changed and grown over its 40-year life. Today we travel the globe, from South East Asia to the gardens of England and the Palace at...
Oct 23, 2020
Journal Follow Along Paris In The Fall Paris in the Fall is always a good idea. to paraphrase Audry Hepburn. 2020 has been a bad year for travelers like myself. Now as Europe and England go into another lockdown and the rest of the Northern Hemisphere settles into our...
Oct 21, 2020
Make Furniture Elegant Bendable Moldings by Efex Shop Moldings and Appliques Our Story From New Zealand to Maine our company has changed and grown over its 40-year life. Today we travel the globe, from South East Asia to the gardens of England and the Palace at...
Oct 2, 2020
My Story My StoryMy love affair with moldings and appliqués started when I owned and renovated a mansion in Newport Rhode Island. No sighing here, it sounds so much more glamours than it really was. Honest!You see the word stuck in there “renovation.” Read that...
Dec 14, 2019
Twas two weeks before Christmas and…I had failed to set up the tree. Ouch… sounding a little like the grinch instead of Santa Clause here.
Every year we try to do something different with our holiday decor. However, the lead up towards the holidays has been hard this year. We lost our beloved Labrador Hooligan right before Thanksgiving, and I have had a hard time becoming motivated.
Hubs pushed me forward by bringing up our lovely Balsam Hill tree and arranging new lights. Slowly with Vince Giraldi playing the songs from Snoopys Christmas past, I have finally started to get in the holiday groove. So…. With less than 12 days to go before the big event, I finally decorated!
This year I wanted something a little light and fun, so I decided to stick to light colors with a few tried and true family heirlooms mixed in.
The rest of the decorations. You guessed it. Efex.
The project was super. quick and easy.
Just paint, run a string through with a needle and thread and hang. Really a 1, 2, 3, project.
We used Marzipan and Boxwood two colors from the Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint line for most of the shells, and ornaments.
For the rest, we just used colored paint and silver gilding wax.
Super easy and super fun.
And yes, I feel better now that I have decorated the tree. Finally, in the mood and holiday spirit.
Even though I still miss my little girls.
From our home to yours Happy holidays everyone!
Now I urge all of you to hop on over and see what all my friends are doing this holiday. It will be a fun trip around the internet.
Nov 8, 2019
I have always dreamed of finding an old run-down house or in this case, an abandoned stable and turning it into a manor home?
This week on our Instagram feed, we are traveling to Normandy, a trip we did last year with @Sharonsantoni of My French Country Home. While there, I spied this abandoned relic — an old stable block.
Rather than just showing a pretty picture of which I have 100’s, I thought this could be what we imagine might happen if we/any of us owned this pile of plaster and brick.
First, a little bit of information about Normandy. It is the wild and stunning countryside region of northern France.
An iconic region of France, located in the northeast corner of the country it shares a border with Belgium and the lowlands. From its windswept beaches and bustling small ports to the countryside where apples and calvados reign supreme. While most people think of the grand monuments like Mont St. Micheal, there is so much to see in this region; it will usually take you more than one trip to get a feel for the area.
One year I took a trip to Dinard, with a group of my best friend girlfriends where we toured the coast and the iconic walled city.
However, last year, my husband and I delved deeper into the countryside. And there I fell in love with this abandoned stable — part of an equally abandoned manor house. Deep in the Normandy countryside yet just an hour or so from Paris we found this abandoned stables and manor house.
Imagine what state the inside must be in with old wallpaper falling off the walls, abandoned furniture, and old peeling plaster.
It would be covered in ivy, which turns a vivid red in the fall.
The kitchen garden was overgrown when we arrived. But careful pruning of the orchards and vines started us on a path to sustainable food for the manor.
The interiors would be filled with texture but more minimalist — no clutter. Inside, you would need at least one maybe more large fieldstone fireplaces for the library, sitting room, and bedroom.
Photo’s @carmargueofficial and moi.
Normandy is full of fabulous brocante’s and fairs, so you would have a fantastic time finding both major antiques and other not to precious pieces to paint and restore.
A veritable flock of trumeau mirrors would be necessary for almost every room in the house, as well as exotic lighting fixtures.
A lot of work, you bet it would be. During most days, you would don your blue jeans and repair the crumbling plaster, paint furniture, and do specialty finishes on walls. Oh, how much fun it would be.
But like any project big or small we undertake, in the end, it’s the sense of accomplishment and the pleasure we have at creating something unique.
Once finished, you would have a cozy place to spend the harsh Atlantic winters. With the hunting dog at your feet carving models or doing needlepoint. A glass of red wine to add comfort on a dark stormy night.
You could pretend you’re the lady in red, dreaming of a lover out to sea, or on his way back from Paris. And during the day, you could don your blue jeans and repair the crumbling plaster, paint furniture, and do specialty finishes on walls. Oh, how much fun it would be.
