Light and Dark

Has it been too long? Why, yes, yes it has. So let's get a move on, then!

Sunlit Alabama home by Tracery Interiors

One of my friends recently repainted her home and she was worried over whether or not the color would be too dark. This is a reasonable concern if you're going for light and get dark by mistake. But, if you just can't decide between the two schemes, then lets do some comparing... 

Gallery style arrangement by Eric Cohler

Dark means cozy and sexy. Dark rooms have an instant ambiance that bleached interiors just can't imitate.

Bedroom by Hallberg and Wiseley

But, man, bright rooms sure are nice! Isn't this bedroom fabulous? I love the African accents, like the Kuba cloth pillow and chief chair, alongside the modernist headboard and wonderful Artemide Tizio lamps.

Living room by Dan Carithers as featured in Southern Accents

Are you looking for cozy....

Living room by Jesse Carrier

Or open and airy?

Salon by Katie Leede-McGloin for Veranda's Greystone Showhouse

Saturated color....

Spanish style interiors by Mark J. Williams (I think)

Or totally white-washed?

Den by Elaine Griffin

This room is nice because it gets so much light during the day, but don't you just know that, at night when those wonderfully textural shades are drawn, it just comes to life in a different way, with those chocolate walls just enveloping you?

Living room by Christina Rottman

I love this space. It is simple, but comfortable. It has an artist's loft sort of look, and I love how the window showcasing that amazing greenery looks like a piece of art itself.

Study in home of John Dransfield and Geoffrey Ross

Another fabulous room from one of my favorite houses EVER. It was featured in Elle Decor a few years back and the interiors of Dransfield and Ross' lovely home amaze me still. (Yes, I still have my 2010 copy. Don't judge my packrat ways.)

Bedroom by Mark J. Williams

Umm, yes please. I want this bedroom. Although I am obsesssed with canopy beds (see here), a true canopy bed can be a bit much. (Have you ever slept in a true, totally upholstered one, because it gets HOT!) However, I love this incarnation. Hanging the fabric from the ceiling gives you that same canopy-like cocoon, while accentuating the height of the room and leaving the space feeling airy and light. I also just adore that furry carpet... What better way to hide the sheddings of your own furry creatures!

Over the years I have done light and dark. My bedroom in a previous home was a pinky-chocolate color whereas my house now is coated with layers of glossy, quarter-formula Cliffside Gray from good old Ben Moore. I think different phases in life need the appropriate alterations in the home. That way your home always reflects you and stays your own personal haven.

Anyway, I hope you all have a good remainder of your week, and I will be back again soon!

The Real Living Room: Part II

Kitchen by fellow Alabamians Richard Norris and Mark Leslie

Again, the holidays have swallowed up a good deal of my time, but isn't that time well spent? I really do love the holiday season: the music, the decorations, the presents under the tree (mine are wrapped in a multitude of festive papers). To me, it is so much about time with family and celebrating what you have in your life and, in that way, I have a lot to celebrate.

But, enough about the holidays, let's get back to the pretty! The photos above and below are from a Montgomery, Alabama home featured in House Beautiful. Norris and Leslie did all the architectural and design work on the place, but did have a little help from Norris' employers, McAlpine Tankersley Architecture.

What a wonderful room! Norris and Leslie said that the kitchen was originally a dining room and so, in honor of its origins, they dedicated each piece in the new kitchen to a piece of furniture found in a traditional dining room (i.e., the sink is like a buffet, the island is like a dining table, etc). Quite creative! I love all the Gothic touches found throughout the home. (Check out those bat prints!)

I love, love, love Tom Scheerer. His interiors are so bright and interesting; eclectic at its best. He has used the same tile (shown above and below) in several of his projects and I just love the color and texture it brings to the spaces.



Kitchen by Kathryn Ireland

To me, Kathryn Ireland is the queen of colorful interiors, and this kitchen is no exception. It is part of a 1920s Spanish-style home that was my dream home for a while (when I thought a move to sunny Arizona was in the cards). I love the color of the cabinets in this room. I think, if this were my home, I would only do the green on the bottom cabinets and white on the top, but it is lovely either way. Note how the window opens out to the patio by the pool as well. What a fabulous touch!


Kitchen in home of John Dransfield and Geoffrey Ross

Our last kitchen of the day is from a home I think I have posted excerpts from time and time again. And with good reason! It is gorgeous! The talented duo used a deep paint shade (Chelsea Gray by Ben Moore) and antique rugs and furnishings to create this supremely elegant kitchen.


One thing I find truly amazing about this kitchen is that Dransfield and Ross didn't gut the whole thing and start from scratch: the floors and countertop are laminate and the cabinets are original. I love that they created such sophisticated style without feeling the need to tear everything down first.

I hope these interiors give you some inspiration for you and your own kitchen-design challenges!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

You are my sunshine

Unknown design

 Well, it is a gray and dreary day here in Alabama and I am needing a little pick-me-up. So, I thought good spaces to feature today are those that are lit from within, doused in sunny yellows.

Entry by Katie Ridder

I like the idea of leaving the cold, dark, and damp outside, and retreating into cozy, cheerful interiors like these. The yellow wallpaper that Ridder uses above is done in a warm tone, making for an inviting entrance.

Robert Passal uses a pale, buttery yellow to lighten up this large bedroom. I like how he contrasts such a bright hue with plush velvets in darker tones.

Jay Jeffers uses a hefty dose of lemony shades in the living room above and, again, in the second floor landing below.

I absolutely love this swing! It was one of my dream items to have in a house when I was a kid! (Along with a spiral staircase and a walk-in closet with a huge tufted ottoman and chandelier. I dreamed big!)

Dining room by Kelly Wearstler



Yellow is certainly a go-to color for coastal interiors, such as this living room in a Palm Beach condo by Aman & Carson. It keeps things light and cheery, and reminds you to smile cause you're at the beach!



Dining room by Leslie Klotz

With yellow, a little goes a long way, as Klotz illustrates in the dining room above in a lovely Hamptons beach house.

Stephen Shubel takes a more reserved approach with his use of this sunny shade as well, featuring it only in the drapery fabric surrounding the crisp white bed. (Don't you just love that stack of books as a nightstand? It makes the room feel so casual and lived-in.)

Our last photo of the day comes to us courtesy of the talented design duo John Dransfield and Geoffrey Ross from their fabulous Somerset County, New Jersey home.

I love everything about this house, featured in the July/August 2010 edition of Elle Decor, and this room is no exception. I love the black leather sofas, the driftwood table, the collection of sketches surrounding the mirror. Purely great design!

Hope you're having a sunny day wherever you are!

Fabulous faux bois

Chair from Williams-Sonoma

One of my absolute favorite fabric patterns is faux bois (and its close relative, moire, as well). For you non-Francophiles, "faux bois" simply means false wood and aims to simulate wood's grain (as opposed to the bark/trunk of a tree). These fabrics come in a variety of colors, but, I think, the neutrals make the most of this fluid pattern.

Room by Lichten Craig

Although, to me, an interesting and modern pattern, it is still hard to find examples of its application in the mainstream design world. I think this will soon change as this fabric can bring such subtle depth and movement to a space.

John Dransfield and Geoffrey Ross use a small Saarinen table and one faux bois throw pillow to make a sweetly traditional settee more modern in their gorgeous New Jersey home. (You must check out the whole house at Elle Decor!)

In the living area above, Jesse Carrier uses the wavy fabric to give warmth to a modern space.

In this gorgeous dining room by Andrew Raquet, the faux bois chairs and striped rug provide a casual touch that contrasts with the rest of the glamorous space. The pattern reminds me of rain dropping on the surface of water, again creating quiet movement.

Glimmering Gracie wallpaper, Greek key-trimmed curtains, delicate faux bois dining chairs, and a four foot pagoda? How could you not love this room?!

I am all about interiors that are elegant, but I think there needs to be interest and intrigue in them, too. Finding things that make you smile and keep you thinking are invaluable to an happy, and engaging, home!

Let me know if you can find more examples of this fabulous fabric!

Happy Tuesday!