[gmracket]

If you think you can't live without it and it brings you pleasure then by all means bring it. You can always sell it if it doesn't work out. I found over 35 years in living in Florida I tired of the light Florida look and now have some lovely antiques among my pieces.

[kagney123]

I love the few pieces you want to bring. I like the idea of the desk and the curio cabinet since they have the same molding details used in the guest bedroom instead of standard bedroom furniture setup. I would lighten up the curio inside by having towels etc. you know things a guest may want or need. I feel you can bring a few of your "pretties" too.
Ok thats my 2 cents, I am back to packing here in Fort Lauderdale. have a wonderful day.

[CassieInVa]

Thanks, and I didn't think about keep a few of the pieces for "alternative" locations like guest room or office. That is a good idea.

I have a guest room here with a gorgeous Victorian Eastlake bedroom set - it has the huge tall headboard, footboard, two marble top dressers - I love it but I think I will try to sell it to a Bed and Breakfast - it is just too heavy for the villages, I fear.

Thanks everyone, I've enjoyed seeing how you decorated your homes in the villages and the pics have inspired me! I can't wait to get there - hopefully within six months!

[Cobh521]

You have some beautiful pieces. I am sure they can be worked into the decor

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Cobh521

You have some beautiful pieces. I am sure they can be worked into the decor

I so agree. You have beautiful taste and you certainly don't need help. Whatever you do will be beautiful and welcoming.

Welcome home.

[CassieInVa]

Thank you for the kind words but I have to admit that I've had a designer (whose work I loved) that has assisted me over the past almost thirty years. Sadly, I am now on my own as far as decorating and since I want a different "look" than I've had for thirty plus years, I'm looking for inspiration. Also, being retired will mean relying on friends, magazines and websites for advice as opposed to hiring someone. So I appreciate all of you!

I really want to have alot less "stuff" and just enjoy entertaining casually. I have stopped entertaining in past years just because I've been too tired after working, etc. We barely know some of our neighbors here and we have lived her for over ten years! I am so looking forward to the Villages and new friends and having them pop over for a coffee or a glass of wine!

[CassieInVa]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

We brought our traditional dark furniture with us and it loves living here and we enjoy living with it.

A few new pictures of Florida birds and some light sea colors in drapes and accessories made it fit in nicely.

"Old Florida" is dark woods. It can be quite lovely.

I think you should bring it.

I am not skilled but if you need a friend to bounce things off of, I have a lot of decorating magazines and hours of watching HGTV.

I am not pushy and I am free.

Gracie,

I absolutely LOVE your dining room, especially the color of the walls. And your home is absolutely lovely. I absolutely would love your advice. I'm leaning towards keeping some of my pieces I think, especially the ones I love. I think putting a lighter color on the walls will keep it from being too dark.

No matter what my flooring is that I buy, I anticipate putting in laminate wood flooring in the main living areas. I would love a tour of your home when we finally arrive. You are a very sweet lady and certainly make many on the boards feel so welcome. You have a good heart!

[gingersnap]

This is my first attempt at posting pix. Hopefully this will show you how I used our dark/country furniture here in our Villages home.

[patfla06]

I don't know why people think dark furniture doesn't fit Florida.
It would be different if you're moving to a beach condo.

I think the age and condition of your furniture and whether it fits the size of your new house matters more.

We bought all new furnishings when we built our Tampa house because what we brought from the north were not the right scale (moved to a much bigger house).

If you love your furniture, it's in good shape and works for the house bring it!

I told my husband "the more we bring from our current house" the more the new house will feel like HOME.

p.s. At this age who wants to buy a lot of new furniture?

[patfla06]

Originally Posted by gingersnap

This is my first attempt at posting pix. Hopefully this will show you how I used our dark/country furniture here in our Villages home.

Looks beautiful!

[patfla06]

Originally Posted by CassieInVa

Here are a few more of the pieces I would like to bring... but I'm just not sure... the scale is small on some of these and one of the things I liked about the CYV that we stayed in was that the scale of furniture was bigger, which you would think would dwarf the space but it didn't.

Your furniture is gorgeous - I would bring it!

[LeeM]

Wow! These rooms are lovely!

Gracie, your dining room is beautiful. Now do you eat off that daily or do you have another area to eat at?

During our LSV we stayed at a really small cottage, but one thing I liked about it was how relaxed it was and how casual the furniture was. Regardless all these pics are giving me new idea.

[graciegirl]

I love these photos. Cassie keep us up to speed on what you are doing. It is so much fun to see a house become a home.

[CFrance]

We have lived in 9 different homes. Each one had a different flavor--from traditional to country to modern. Every time we move, we discard something and buy something. Our current TV home started out being a second home, and then it became our permanent home. I now think that we have 9 different decorating styles in here!

We are going to replace the living room furniture. My husband just doesn't know it yet.

Bring the things you love. See what you can make work. You can always change things out. We did that with our beachy dining room furniture from Lake Michigan. It just didn't work in this Mediterranean-style house. But I loved it and would have always wondered.

[CassieInVa]

Thanks everyone for the feedback and photos. It is great to see how you have all made your houses into homes. Ginger snap, lovely photos! Im leaning towards bringing my favorites and if they dont work, I will replace them.

As much as I love my home and furniture, Im excited for this next move to be hopefully one of the last. It is just not easy to do all of this as I get older.