The charming little village of Glen Williams is home to one of my favourite antique haunts, The Beaumont Mill. Across the Credit River and around a bend sits the very large and very old Mill, and though somewhat impressive in size, pass by too quickly and you will miss it as its quiet and unassuming façade blends quite discreetly with the beautiful surrounding scenery. And what a study in contrasts! On the other side of the old wooden door of the Mill lies an antique hunter’s paradise. Three levels are consumed by an endless array of treasures propped up on the wooden floor, teetering on shelves and hanging from the walls and ceilings. Schlepping up and down these aisles nursing a lukewarm coffee is one of my favourite ways of spending a quiet Sunday morning. And I almost always walk out of there with something under my arms.

On one of my recent trips I came home with these treasures. The first is a picture of an old frame I snapped up. I took the frame and a black and white photo to De Serres and rummaged through their matte selection, looking for something in a pale gray. They suggested layering the mattes by adding one in a deep purple, which I think works beautifully with the photo. The second is an old flower picture I found which I love for its rich, warm colours and weathered frame. I displayed the two pictures together because although they hardly match, their weight balances each other, and their frames both have that same aged patina, which I think works well. In an otherwise plain corner of my living room, they add an element of character and depth and a focal point in the space.

I also found this wooden mirror whose frame is covered with a similar weathered, golden patina that complements the two pictures. It was its perfectly round shape that initially drew me to it. But I love mirrors in general for their versatility (they can be used in almost any room from bedroom to front entry to living room) and their talent for reflecting light and creating the illusion of space.

De Serres has a great selection of scrap booking paper that I’m sure has many uses, but I have yet to find one for this beautiful damask pattern I bought several months ago (besides scrap booking of course, which I don’t do). My intent was to somehow adhere it to the back panel of my china cabinet, giving it a little glamour and light to better showcase the china within. However, I’m bothered by the seams between the sheets and don’t know how to hide them. I still love the paper, though, and am determined to find a use for it somewhere, somehow, someday… 

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