G'day lovelies, hope you all enjoyed the weekend. Mine included sport. More Sport. And Sport.
Including me and can I just tell you that I could barely get out of bed this morning – you know that feeling when you exercise properly after a bit of a break and then the next day you feel like someone went over you with a steam roller. Yep that was me, I had to lift my leg with my hands to put the foot brake on the car…
But back to old pink dressers that have not been morphed and seeing as so many got in touch to see whether it had been shipped off to the dump I thought I'd show you where we were at.
Hmmm, are you surprised to see it still pink?
Well I don't know if you've noticed but I've got a bit of a colour thing going on here lately, inspired by a new interior/decorating book that blends using vintage thrifty things with white and simple elegance and it's got me all revved up for a bit of nostalgia in the cottage.
And, to be utterly truthful, after the message from the reader Susheela Myers, (you can read what she said here) I just couldn't stomach painting her white to have her 'slumped in the corner' and then dismally regretting it. And besides that's how this whole journey started using old vintage chippy furniture with a faded patina against a backdrop of white and neutrals with a few nautical inspired things thrown in for good measure (and go here for more).
Recently we had a move around…this got me to thinking about the lack of storage all around in the kitchen and how, though I love open shelving, this can look somewhat messy unless you are sergeant major-like in your putting-away and seeing as three kids have chores of dishwasher putting away while I lie idly around on the sofa, this is not the best recipe for ummm, aesthetically pleasing style.
Soooo, I saw a dresser in a magazine article on kitchens, right next to some very modern units, used to store tea towels and napery, it said. So I thought I would give mine a go in the breakfast room, to store napery and my much thumbed, some looking a bit daggy cookbooks and those oh-so-annoying plastic things that you seem to accumulate and not use until one day when you desperately need a plastic storage container and then realise that you threw them out in a de-cluttering fit.
And so I'm thinking it's not too bad – a decorating storage solution for 20 odd bucks?
What about you, and seeing as a whole load of you lovely gals took the time to let me know last time (some even coming out of lurkdom, woot woot) what you thought and had me in absolute quandaries over what to do, I'd love to hear what you think?? But more importantly, are its pink days numbered? wink*
oh and remember the burlap sack love I experienced, well go and visit Petit Coterie where you will find these lovely oh-so-rustic pillows for your beach cottage, all expertly hand stitched – I came across these in blogland this weekend and don't know anywhere in Australia where I might find such beautiful hand crafted real French delights…but these are spot on, the Ampersand ones are maybe even better, if, of course, that is possible
…and no I am in no way affiliated , just sharing the positive love, as per the powerful post at French Essence,
blogged to participate in Rhodas thrifty event at Southern Hopsitality and taking part in Susans Metamorphosis link up
It’s gorgeous! You’re so talented at styling and photography too. Glad you kept it pink!
Mel x
Swooning here over this perfection!
LOVE your decision and ALWAYS love your home… everything that you do is dreamy.
xo,
Kim
It’s just not a pretty color.
I have come out of lurkdom to say – don’t paint it! keep it pink! if you don’t want it i’ll take it off your hands for you
I think you might have just found the perfect place for this. Your bedroom stays totally calm but living areas can do with more. Love it.
Loving the pink. I used to use a 2 drawer dressing table to store all my table linen in my dining area
Alison
I like the pink… I like that it has a rustic feel and plenty of charm.
Actually it looks nice in that corner.. Adds some color, white of course would be safe/ predicable… But I think doing the unusual is good too… Glad u kept it pink..
There is something quite lovely about that dresser in it’s pink state. I cannot quite put my finger on it, but I like it. Loving that you put it in the breakfast room!
Okay, now I’m off to find me one of those precious pillows. Can’t buy one, but I can dream.
LOVE IT!!! I feel like a kid who has just discoverd a new candy shop!!Can’t wait till your next post…..could you hurry please!!!! All the best,Chrissy
I like the pink…though everything furniture wise in my house is painted black. Love the burlap pillows too!
We have a dresser similar to yours that my husband picked up at a yard sale. It was a mottled pink/purple sponged on nightmare. We stripped it, painted it black, and added crystal knobs. It is now in our guest/kids bathroom and holds hair doo-dahs and such.
LOVE it! And you found the perfect spot for it. I’m so happy you kept it pink. I have a little dresser I just picked up and had decided after painting it to use it in my living room.
Toni
It is a great spot and it’s pretty however I still think I’d like it white. That’s your trademark. And yes, I’d like that basket beneath the dresser white too. Sorry, but you have me loving the white for your place (I still can’t get the picture of those lovely white suitcases out of my head as they are just PERFECT in the bedroom.)and I am just not willing to compromise:)
LOL on the sitting idly on the sofa! You always make me laugh.
The pink works! For me, it just sets off your lovely white decor – I love the idea you suggest of beginning to mux vintage stuff with the white, and I look forward to seeing more of how it works for you…
love the pink…love it in the dining room.
What is the book that inspired you to bring in some color??
Connie
Love love love this little touch of pink!
It’s beautiful!
very cool, very nice, very you!
xo
It’s beautiful and looks right at home. I am dying to know the title of the open book…we can’t see the spine!
I love love love this pink beauty:) Can i borrow it for always?:D
I also love your home.. or at least what i happened to see in these pics and on your blog a bit.
Oh and thanks for commenting on my blog the other day!
Happy Sunday!
Oh it definintely fits! Keep ‘er pink! Excellent.
Oh…Your little pink dresser is so thankful you kept her pink! Loving it in the kitchen. Unexpected. Cool!
g’day, friend!
love the pink!
and where you put it!!
The Pink Dresser is absolutely charming in that spot – I love that it is serving a practical purpose as well.
This has to do with open shelving…I think it looks wonderful in the magazines and your comment about keeping the order as a concern makes sense. What I wonder about is the dust! I would have to wash my dishes before and after using them, it seems. How come they don’t talk about that?
Great location for storage and stand in side board.
It is a nice shade of vintage pink, not a too sweet confectionary tones and there is some merit in keeping it authentic in it’s shabbiness, but it does jump out of your pallet of shades of white, natural, wood, taupe, and beachy blues.
Open shelves, only put big things on display or big baskets and buckets to put all the bits and pieces in, I admit as a matchy matchy kind of gal it always felt like our open shelves needed a tidy up.
looks lovely..keep it pink, it’s a great colour!
i’ve spotted the french burlap pillows on etsy too. i’d love to know how to print fabric like that.
also love your kitchen. is it ikea or custom made?
So happy that it’s still pink, even though in these photos, it doesn’t look as pink as I remember from before. You’re not trying to pull the wool over us are you?
I really like that last photo, where you see your dining table with the pretty slip-covered chairs with the dresser in the shot. Lovely.
Really, that dresser would look good in any room, in the bath with fluffy white towels stacked on top, at the end of a hallway, in an entry way with a pretty bowl for keys, even on a front porch.
Its kind of not as pink as I first thought it was or maybe its because its not in your bedroom it doesn’t looks as pink. I like it where you have put it and I think I have changed my mind and think you should leave the colour…..for the time being anyway!!!
I have just read the end of your post and wanted to add that I am sorry if there are people out there who don’t know how to play nicely in the schoolyard and if they are leaving their not so nice messages on your blog please leave them so we can all have a go at them and make them feel as childish as I am guessing they are behaving…..I guess those bitches that we all encounter in the playground never really do grow up do they……..
I like the dresser in the kitchen. In the old days, when your pink dresser was just a chickie, I’m sure she might have been in the kitchen, once in awhile.
Have a wonderful week!
Oh I do love the home you gave this dresser and it’s purpose. The size of those drawers are just perfect! Great idea!!
Just beautiful, and practical too!
Well friend, I do believe that you have found the perfect place for her!
I still love her as is as…pink and all! 
Blessings,
Rachel
Oh, Dear One! I believe you make this gorgeous even if it had polka dots on it! I do love the pink. When all your white, the pink still is a soft color and just precious!
Be a sweetie,
shelia
I really love the chippy pink paint color… it’s not too overwhelming pink like some… it’s subtle… nice…
If you visit my French Lique blog, you’d see that I like to mix rustic with cottage and sometimes throw in a little glam just for fun…
I think I’d add one of those small contemporary crystal/glass lamps that are so popular now… I think it would look quite nice with your more contemporary chandy in the background of the other room… but please… don’t paint it… not yet…
LOVE it in the soft PINK! Cute cute! And your photography is so great!
I’m tellin’ ya, girlfriend…this looks MORE than fabulous. It is just stunning in it’s new place. I LOVE the pink..it would get lost in white…Nope..surely it’s PINK days are NOT numbered..it is too perfect for a beach cottage…just like it is..
I think that lovely shade of pink can stay. You did a wonderful job in finding it and choosing its new location! Love it, it’s like the pearl in your oyster!
I LOVE it pink! Bur I know that’s not for everyone!
It would look fabulous painted white too!
m ^..^
Oh I am so glad you did not “sheer” your chippy, pink dresser. It is perfect the way it is. I really enjoy your photography and your way of showcasing things at different angles. But, I HEART that burlap pillow.
Love your styling. Keep up the good work and don’t let the Blog Trolls get you down.
Hugs, Barb
nothing better than a pink dresser on kitchen duty I think – its lovely
you didn’t tell us about constructing the wall for the perfect positioning of miss pink! she is lovely there, even pink. i love pink, but i did suggest she get white washed in the first post. i was WRONG. anyway, pooh on the nasties, whoever they are. and don’t be daunted by comments. most of us love everything you post. keep it coming! jkj
I luv the pink dresser. It looks wonderful the way it is. I also luv your way with words..I could read your writing all day.
Happy happy Joy joy!! So glad you decided to leave her pink! She’s perfect!
I love it! If it were a jolting pink color, then I would paint it perhaps, but it’s soft and dreamy and looks just beautiful with all the white. I also like how you are using it where it makes sense for you. Great!
I personally love the chippy pink cupboard and think its a grand idea to use it for the purpose you have in mind. I have one for my table linens and it works very well for me. Marilyn
I just adore your pink dresser.
Great find on that dresser.. I found a nice one this weekend also.. The paint on yours is in much better shape.
Debbie
I am ever so glad you left her pink. Looks absolutley wonderful.
I shall remove the needle from the phono- Mozart’s Requiem had been playing nonstop in the interim… Miss Pink Lives.
Cool. Love it used as something other than a Ladies Dresser. I have a white one (uh oh) that has been all over the house over the years- right now it has 2 old Sally Ann amplifiers & dozens of c.d.’s on it- & it’s a nice foil for all the technology. I notice it every time i walk by… Like when i’m out & about wearing something safe & boring & have the luck to spot a young woman wearing something very unexpected & it reminds me of the possibilities!
Wonderful blog, thanks
sush
Hi Sarah,
I vote ‘pink’. I think she’s perfect!
Your cottage is so dreamy….just beautiful!
Nola
* MY “happy guess”, Sarah, is that VERRRY SHORTLY (if not ALREADY), you won’t know how you ever got along WITHOUT that terriffic piece~ and specifically, where it is & how USEFUL it’s proving to be!!!
I find it not only uber-charming, but the color itself is sooooo soft & understated, that it shouldn’t “compete” with anything~~~~ I think it’s a lovely “marriage” with your home!
Warmest,
Linda in AZ *
I love the pink dresser. I’m glad you didn’t paint it. Sometimes things are better left the way they are. Love the pillows and keep on sharing. Happy Thrifty Monday.
I’m undecided about the colour but do love where you have put it. Now it has a use and will be treasured no matter what colour it is.
Hugs ~ Kerryanne
I love that she’s still pink and what a great storage idea for the kitchen! Hope you’re keeping warm in this freezing cold sydney weather. xx
hi there down under! i just arrived here, thank you for visiting my blog!
i’ve been reading about your story and i am amazed and inspired! i love it when people do things that make them utterly happy, if it means moving to another place, so be it. i myself moved from finland to sweden as a 19 year old, not too big of a leap but challenge for me anyway since my safety net, family and friends, were in finland. 2006 i moved to shanghai, loved it, but stayed only about a year. i am so inspired about your story and will be returning here to read some more! your house is beautiful too so i just add you to my blogroll and keep me updated on your budget finds. best of wishes from rainy and cold stockholm!
passed by from sits, liked the dresser…i love vintge furniture
My vote…definitely pink. It compliments the muted tones with a subtle addition of color. Very elegant.
Tina
Wow, reminds me of those we see in decorating magazines.
Have a terrific week, from a SITSta.
I am not really a ‘pink person’ but I totally love this piece! I think it is subtle enough that it works and it’s orginal-even better!
I really think you did an excellent job in pink. It looks really great. What great photos too!
As usual – beautiful and inspiring! Love the pink.
Sarah, it looks great tucked in that corner. I knew you’d make the right choice for it!
Hugs,
Gina
Not sure if my other comment went through or not. But I’ll try again. I really loved this blog as I stumbled upon it. I think your work in doing this pink dresser is wonderful. It looks very well done. I checked your other blog..inspiration..you have some wonderful talent. I’m really impressed. I have always loved thinking about living by the ocean. I’ve visited it a few times here in the States, but to have a beach cottage must be wonderful. Your pictures make it look like we’re really there with you. Well done!
Sarah, you know that is such a lovely shade of pink, so I’m glad you decided to keep it. It actually looks quite at home there in your beach cottage & I just think it’s fun to mix it all up and not get too predictable. Good decision on this one! Love that piece.
Sarah – love little “pinky’s” new home. And I’m happy she kept her coat. Great idea to house some of your kitchen things.
Blessings,
Marie
GOrgeous = simply beautiful! Your styling, the ambience, the rooms – it’s just gorgeous! Thanks for sharing !
don’t mess with perfection!!
Oh please don’t mess with it! The soft pink provides just enough contrast to your slip covered chairs and it is chipped to perfection! It’s beautiful and functional. How great is that!
I forgot to ask in my last comment. May I add your wonderful blog to my blog list “take me away blogs to read”?
Absolutely perfect as always! Your cottage is delightful. And, you’ve a wicked sense of humor. I always laugh out loud when I read about the pain you feel after having exercised ~ me too!
I vote yes! to pink…
I like the pink dresser! It’s so sweet!
I love the pink! Also, first time visiting your blog….and your beach cottage is my dream cottage. I love it! The colors, furniture, accessories are perfect. Well done!
Ashley
Please leave it pink. I love it.
I love the dresser and the pink. It’s different, you know. You could have a white dresser anytime!
Sorry I’m not loving the pink. I do love the piece itself though.
I think it looks great! You’ll get a lot of function using it near the kitchen! Really pretty!
Please, please, please….s t e p a w a y from your can of w h i t e p a i n t!!! Please leave her pink…she is so pretty sitting there in all her faded glory…let her continue to grow old gracefully. Like the beauty of an older woman’s gray hair and smile wrinkles (I should know)…let her be. Thanks for letting me vent…whew!!!!
You can’t imagine how thrilled I was to see my burlap pillow on your fabulous blog. Thank you for the kind words. Alison from sotreadsoftly sent me a wonderful note as I am having a giveaway and she wanted to enter you.
I love the soft pink and I think it looks wonderful right where it’s at.
Merci
I love the dresser! It’s just great! Pink is the only way!
Hugs,Lisa
Hi Sarah!
I think the pink it utterly Perfect!!
She’s the perfect aged pink! Keep it! Toni
it is just perfect, when will you come out with your own book or magazine…better then any home and garden…if I went to your home for a visit, my eyes would never shut, I love this pink dresser, so amazing….~janice
Where did you find that lovely French grain sack motif pillow?