Indecision

Design by Patrick Printy - Artwork by Robert Flynn

When indecision has struck hard on a Monday morning, all I can do is open my image library, close my eyes, and pick something beautiful to post. So, here you go: Louis XV-style armchairs in what I believe to be a Les Indiennes fabric, a Roost Pasha coffee table, and a fabulously colorful and quirky piece of art by the late Mr. Flynn.

Here's to a great week ahead!

Saturday morning around the house...

View from my front door

Spring has certainly sprung here in Alabama. The dogwoods, azaleas, and wisteria color the landscape against the backdrop of the most vibrant green. It really is beautiful, especially after the last couple of stormy days!

Sophie, my endlessly patient German Shepherd

And while Sophie spends her morning rolling in the grass (or getting her picture taken by the weather-beaten azaleas), I love to spend my Saturday mornings with a cup of coffee (preferably in one of my John Derian for Target marblized mugs), curled up with a recent shelter magazine or design book.

I snagged this lovely by the editors of Southern Accents at 2nd & Charles

Today's read was this treasure trove of Southern interiors from homes across Alabama and Virginia and everywhere in between. Can you tell I'm a smidge biased to Southern style?

The view from my fireside chaise

The flowers really are gorgeous right now, so I've been trying to bring the outdoors in with arrangements around the house.

A tiny arrangement on my bedroom mantle

How do y'all spend your lazy Saturday mornings?

Ode to JRD

Dining area in wine country estate

Some of you may not have heard of Jonathan Rachman Design yet, but I don't think that will be the case for long! He is a very talented San Francisco designer who has been featured in Sunset magazine, California Home + Design, as well as Better Homes and Gardens.

I wanted to feature him in my post today in honor of his One Kings Lane sale going on right now. If you haven't been over there to check it out, you really must go. His collection of vintage and antique items is so fun.

I love how Jonathan pays so much attention to detail. I mean, just look at all the tables, shelves, and such, and how artfully everything is arranged. Just lovely.

What a sunny space! I love banquettes! The chairs add that unexpected touch of whimsy.

There are so many different textures and colors here, but, not only do they not overwhelm, the space actually feels quite serene. What do you think about all that lavender?

Jonathan is also adept at working with a range of styles and on a range of projects. From modern....

To traditional...

From hotels and inns....

Lobby of Inn of Chicago

To boutiques...

Luxe shopping at Heidi Says

His designs really are beautiful, and I wish him the best with lots of continued success!

I hope y'all have a wonderful weekend!

A great, big Southern "hello"!

Driveway to Furlow Gatewood's Georgia home - Courtesy Veranda

Well it has been WAAAAAAAAY too long since I've posted! How has everyone been? My life has been all over the place. I'm not a huge country music fan, but I think a Keith Urban quote is apropos here: "I got no money in my pockets. I've got a hole in my jeans. I had a job and lost it, but it won't get to me." Hee hee! So that about sums up my last few months. I worked with a professional organization and design firm here in town and it just "didn't work out", as my ex-boss said. Oh well. :)

But, it won't get to me, because I can get back to some super fun posts for y'all! So, here are some lovely interiors from "the prettiest country from Georgia to Tennessee". Enjoy!

Dining room in Birmingham home of Melanie Pounds

Piedmont Driving Club bar by Jackye Lanham

Quiet simplicity in foyer by Texan John Phifer Marrs

Thoroughly eclectic living area by Atlanta-raised Miles Redd

Come on, you all knew I was going to have to throw in some Miles Redd in a Southern mix! Yes, I am a little obsessed.

Seating area overlooking kitchen in home of Birmingham architect Bill Ingram

Bill Ingram is a prominent architect around these parts, but his interiors are also quite beautiful. His homes (primary and vacation) have been featured in House Beautiful (photo above), Southern Accents, and Cottage Living. They are generally masculine, but have a soft, earthy feel to them.

Living room with hints of pink by Tracery Interiors

I had the lucky privilege of attending the Independent Presbyterian Church's home tour this past Christmas season (a tradition for many here in Bham). I particularly enjoyed getting to see the Tracery-designed Birmingham Home & Garden Inspiration Home, as well as the actual home of Tracery designer, Doug Davis. Tracery interiors are always warm and especially elegant, but I love that there always seems to be the tiniest undercurrent of playfulness. Like the flashes of hot pink above or the large needlepoint of deer hanging on the wall in the Inspiration Home, they deftly insert touches of the unexpected in all their designs.

Bedside vignette by another Texan, Richard Holley

Love the black, love the objets, love the chest, love the drooping greenery.... This is just such an interesting layout to look at.

Living room in Georgia home of Furlow Gatewood - courtesy of Veranda

And last, but not least, the living room of Furlow Gatewood, John Rosselli's associate and antiques buyer in the South. This house, every room, is magnificent. If you did not get to see it featured in Veranda (May-June 2011),  you can see some of the pics here.

I hope you all have a wonderful afternoon and, I must say, it's good to be back!


 

Persimmon

Foyer vignette by White Webb

Hello, everyone! I am so sorry it has been forever since my last post! But I am back and ready to dive right into some beautiful interiors!....

Packing the same intensity of orange, the warmth of red, and the subtle sweetness of pink, persimmon manages to add both energy and interest to any space.

Dining area by Carole Weaks

I love the unexpected pairing of this coral/persimmon upholstery with the exposed wood beams and walls of this cabin. Warmth and sophistication in perfect harmony!

Landing by Lichten Craig

Persimmon and green? Quite the bold choice for such traditional interiors!

Living room by Elaine Griffin

Aren't these chairs so inviting? Their wide cushions give off that "have a seat" feel, while their frames politely declare "I'm a classic". Even more perfect is that they're situated directly below Elaine's homemade collection of pop-art prints.

Library in home of Matthew White - Photo courtesy of NYSD

White goes all the way with color in this small library...

Dining room by John Phifer Marrs

While Marrs takes the drama up a notch with chocolate and black accents.

Living room by Jesse Carrier and Mara Miller

Here you can see how just a touch of this color can enliven the most neutral of spaces. Goodness, how much I love Carrier and Company: love the patterned pillows, love the giant portrait, love it all!

Today's last space comes from a designer whose personality is as lively as the color she uses here....

Foyer by Bunny Williams

I hope you all have had a great weekend and have a great week ahead!

Spanish Colonial... with a twist

I love the fun mix of patterns and textures Madeline Stuart uses in this beautiful Spanish Colonial home. The bold colors, plus the modern artwork, combine to create something really unexpected, fun, and beautiful!

Lovely!

Americana

Dining room by Wendy Meredith

The weekend before last I went to Scott's Antique Market in Atlanta (which is fabulous, by the way), and, although there were beautiful antiques of myriad backgrounds and styles, it was the early American and English antiques that grabbed my attention.

Maybe it's because my interest has been piqued by this style recently (think Darryl Carter and Bill Ingram) because I was working on my traditional, masculine study (pictures to come), but, either way, I have a new and growing appreciation for the classically blended, English-inspired "American" look.

So, today, I thought I would pay homage to that style with some photos of homes that are modern incarnations of classic American design (where Windsor chairs and Wedgewood abound). Enjoy!

Bedroom by Eddie Ross



Breakfast area by Phoebe Howard

So much character in such a small space (with the beadboarding perfectly punctuating the style). 

Grand foyer by Diamond Baratta Design

The formality of this grand foyer is played down by breaking the space up into smaller seating areas and by using durable, unpretentious materials like the embroidered pillows and the braided rug (which was an early American staple since carpets from Europe and Asia were not available - or affordable - to colonialists).

Den by Tom Scheerer

What a cozy but fun seating area: the bold coral of the upholstery against the white walls and wood accents. It is modern without seeming overtly so (especially when Scheerer throws a sculptural high back Windsor and pair of bobbin corner chairs into the mix).

Bedroom by Stephen Sills

Again, another cozy room, this one complete with fireplace, quilts, and those lovely black-and-white lithographs. So warm and serene.

Photo courtesy of Country Living

Classic, a little cluttered, but comfortable!

Bedroom by Chad Eisner

Love the stripes, love the quilt, love the trunk.

Dining area by Windsor Smith

What a lovely room. I am not usually a fan of the Windsor chair, but, here, it is the perfect, graphic counterpoint to the clean white walls. The rustic wood table and interesting artwork so casually propped on the mantle, all handsomely complement this delightful space.

Here's to a great week ahead, everyone!

Amalgam

Living room by Katie Ridder

As much as I love traditional design, I also adore the unexpected: that feeling of when you peek into a room and immediately want to see more.

So, today I am featuring rooms that are an amalgam of colors and styles. Whether it is a blend of mustard, moss, and purple hues (like the room above) or campaign chests living in harmony with graphic abstract art, I appreciate the energy and fun that these adventurous palettes and pairings bring to these spaces.

Family room by Windsor Smith

I love how Windsor Smith can do rooms that are so over-the-top glamorous and then do a room like this one that is so decidedly cozy and pretty. Don't you just love those ruffles on the ottoman?


Pillows in room by Windsor Smith

Here is a close up of the pillows placed on the banquette under the far window. What a lovely (albeit, girly) mix!

Design by Miles Redd as featured in House Beautiful

You know what is funny about this room? The palette that Redd used here is so vibrant that the "unexpected" color, to me, is that creamy apricot on the armchair! Redd's creativity and fearlessness are just endless.

Bedroom in home of painter Kolene Spicher

This is such a cozy space, not just due to the canopy and slightly rustic furnishings, but the combination of patterns and the softness of colors (like the almost untraceable pink on the walls and chair and the mauve-lavender of the rug). They all combine perfectly, creating interest without seeming busy.

Den by Sara Gilbane

What a happy room. It is just so cozy and interesting with its mixture of patterns and worldly accents, paired with such classical pieces as the Louis Philippe mirror and matching urn lamps. Just lovely.

Great room by Martyn Lawrence-Bullard

Mr. Lawrence-Bullard certainly does not shy away from a bold palette, as is illustrated by the room above with its mustard yellows and bold blues, combined with some mossy green and (why not) red for punch!

Unknown design

What a gorgeous layout. I love how the chaise is positioned in an unusual way: parallel to the entertainment console as opposed to facing it. A very creative plan for a small space!

Bedroom in home of Jamie Meares of Furbish Studio

Now talk about unexpected! Candy colored walls, bold artwork, a dalmatian print pillow, and black bedside tables all collide in this festive bedroom. Miss Meares often works with what clients already own, mixing high and low, modern and traditional, to create something new - a talent that, as her website says, is "a rare combination of good taste and accessibility that could only be born in the South". I totally agree.

Home of Sara Tuttle

I think this last photo of the day perfectly encapsulates the idea of how bold pops of color and irreverent combinations of styles in rooms can make them so fresh, happy, and perfectly personal.

(And I just cannot end the post without pointing out the fabulous gilded barometer, malachite box, and footed orchid bowl! Just gorgeous!)

Here's to happy spaces for all! I hope everyone is having a great week so far!