You know how sometimes you notice something unusual to your daily life, and immediately afterward you notice that same thing again and again? (Mothers can relate to this. You become pregnant and start to see pregnant women everywhere.)
I noticed in last week’s House Calls in the Washington Post that the designers in the article flanked the fireplace with a pair of floor lamps.
I received a new book in the mail yesterday and this concept was on three pages in a row.
I have never seen this done in real life. Never even in the very unreal life of model homes.
I have clients in Maryland who are building an addition to their home. I met with them today to verify previously chosen exterior colors and to choose new colors for the addition interior.
We thought we had it all tied up. Until the sample we painted dried completely.
This particular taupe was nice and warm and brown when wet. When we came back to it, it was cool gray. The change was as severe as if the construction workers had snuck behind us and painted over it.
I have seen this with complex tones of taupe before. Use a large swatch or allow the paint to dry at least an hour before deciding.
Fasten your seat belts. What I am about to say may look like bragging–shocking, I know,–but bear with me as there is a point. I got this email today:
Denise, thanks for all your advice! I put my house on the market on Thursday and on Monday the stock market went down 770 points, but even so, it’s sold. The new light fixtures, the new stainless appliances and the changes I made on the lower level really enhanced the space and made a great first impression. All good advice from you. When it’s time to move, I’ll be calling you for more advice.
So here is my point. You can’t travel too far into the world today without hearing how terrible the economy and the housing market are. But they aren’t dead yet. People are still out there, buying things–even houses.
Especially ones that look good. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist!)
Furniture behemoth Herman Miller owes its success to one man.
Gilbert Rodhe was a cartoonist and department store illustrator before he began to design a new breed of furniture. Herman Miller was gasping for breath, an almost casualty of the Great Depression. Rohde convinced Herman Miller’s founder, D. J. De Pree, that sectional furniture would resonate with Americans living in cramped, overcrowded homes.
Rohde was right. Currently Herman Miller is one of the largest manufacturers of office furniture and owns the rights to produce many great American classics.
Sectional sofas are common with my clients to this day. Now, however, they are usually the answer to filling enormous rooms rather than their intended purpose of space economy.
To my knowledge none of his groundbreaking designs are being manufactured. Authentic pieces sell in the thousands. Perhaps our current economic conditions will spur a revival.
I was reading Easy Cottage Style by Liz Bauwens and Alexandra Campbell as I waited for my daughter today. Listen to this:
If you buy or inherit a grand country house, live with the rooms for a while before deciding which ones you really want or need to re-decorate. Because of their size, large country houses have been re-decorated relatively rarely, and it’s common to have paints and wallpapers that are up to a hundred years old.
New fabrics can make old paintwork look dirty and shabby, so collect and reuse fabrics-anything from old tablecloths to bedspreads and curtains-to cover chairs and sofas.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I love history, and all, but this is disgusting advice. Our family had a little hiccup 6 years ago. We moved back home to Ohio for 8 months. We bought a 60 year old house that TRUST ME had never been re-decorated. Or cleaned for that matter. I got this much dust off ONE wall with a broom.
If you want to use old sheets to recover your furniture, that is fine with me as long as you wash them first. But do me a favor. Leave the 100 year old paint for a museum.
Out of Focus
Be sure to give each room a focus and a purpose. Groupings of sofas and chairs make good design sense when they are placed with intention and are not shoved against the wall. Traditional rooms often have furniture arranged around a fireplace.
In today’s homes, it is appropriate (and realistic) for the focal point of a room to be the television. Ground your space by using an area rug. Just be sure it is large enough to fit under the front legs of your sofa and chairs.
My client, Mary, is building an addition to her home. The drywall is nearly done and I had to choose the color for the walls today.
Most of the new furniture has arrived and is in storage. As we peeked at it through the many layers of protective wrapping, I was literally giggling with excitement. Mary is concerned about all the mixed patterns. I am ELATED.
The rear wall and its opposite will have large furniture pieces so wood will dominate the space. The floor is also wood, hammered and dark with medium grain. Mary thought a sand tone would be best for the walls, but I disagreed. With that much wood, color is necessary. More neutral tones would be too plain and will not showcase the quality in the new pieces.
I chose a greenish bluish gray instead, about mid in saturation. The color is Imperial Gray from Benjamin Moore and is very complex. I am confident it will be a perfect backdrop for the casegoods as well as the upholstery, especially with clean white trim.
More doom and gloom in the news.
In fact, I heard a long piece on NPR today about how the media cannot even cover all the events occurring right now.
This is the time to cocoon. To create a haven where the world can be left at bay, if even for a few moments. The national end of my business organization is pushing buttons with the slogan, “I refuse to participate in a recession.” I have got to be honest–and I can, since this IS my blog–I think this is silly. What I mean is, a recession isn’t something you choose. It’s not a choice for us regular people. It’s an economic reality. The same people who are drinking the koolaid and regurgitating this stupid phrase are the same ones who have had to downsize their businesses.
Facing the world can be tough. But having a little corner to settle into for rejuvenation can make it easier. It is not escapism, it’s a coping mechanism. Spend the couple minutes it takes each day to make a portion of your space perfect for you. Neat, clean and filled with what you need to relax. The whole world will be better for it.
Tell me about your corner.
Black Skull Acrylic Tumblers and Melamine Square Bowl from Target, Rimmed Plate from Crate and Barrel, Klausser Tansu Sofa in Trys Char and Benn Opal from Sofa DirectCandelabra from Ballard Designs, Jet Vase from Crate and Barrel, Gray Foulard Tablecloth from Wiilliams Sonoma, Spooky Metallic Skull from Z Gallerie, Black and White Cookie Tin from Dean and DeLuca, Skull Shaker and DOFs from Z Gallerie
Faux Antler Moose Vase from Bellacor, Mica Pool Table Chandelier from Shades of Light, Museum Mounted Moose Horns from Wisteria, Moose Mount Stuffed Trophy from Best of New England, Inflatable Moose Head from Amazon.com, Duck Tape Moosehead from the Todd Scott Gallery at Duck Tape Club, Rangeley Embroidered Everyday Pack from L.L. Bean, Dakota Luxury Bedding from Eastern Accents, The New Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen from Amazon.com, A Caribou Forges in the Alaska Denali National Park by Joel Sartore from Art.com, Moose Antler Chandelier from Crooked Creek Antler Art