In the Style of Saarinen

Nantucket beach house dining via Elle Decor

I love to see a mix of modern and traditional pieces in a home. That tension, as some decorators call it, helps give balance to a room the same way pairings like warm and cool tones, and smooth and rough textures do.

Living room by Jesse Carrier of Carrier and Company

The Saarinen, or Saarinen-style, chair was really one of the first mid-century modern items that I was interested in. The undulating lines of the chair are a perfect foil for the straight legs and sharp edges of dark metal bookcases (like those above) or wood tables (like the one below). The smooth lacquer finish contrasts perfectly with nubby linen or wool boucle.

Via Nuevo Estilo

I could see that the chair was a piece that could not only fit in myriad settings, but give that setting a twist, a fresh slant to the design.

Via Apartment Therapy

Kitchen design by Ashley Putman via Lonny

The pictures above and below touch upon how I would style these chairs in a room. I love the sleekness of the chairs mixed with the rough-hewn wood of oak tables.

Via Fashionably Living

This is a gorgeous version of an oak table I saw in a local Birmingham, Alabama shop called At Home (not the junky big-box one).

Zurich dining room by Steven Gambrel

This combination of pale wood with black tile is fantastic! And adding some greenery and plants is always a good idea. It brings life to a room.

Via Elle Decoration UK

I am not a minimalist by any stretch of the imagination, so I would have to go a bit further with furnishings: adding things like paintings and candlesticks, pretty cushions and rugs.

Chairs / Dinnerware / Artwork / Curtain Fabric / Foyer / Table / Succulent Arrangement/ Rug / Flooring

The Saarinen-style chairs shown above are part of my collection for Chairish. The cushions that come with them are actually the original red-orange corduroy, so I would update them in an interesting new fabric like this faux shagreen:

Faux Stingray Vinyl in Quartz

From all white minimalism to French flair, there are so many decorating approaches you can use to combine pieces of different styles and eras. How do you all handle mid-century in your mix?

I hope you enjoyed the post and will visit back soon!

Collective Elegance

Maienza-Wilson Design

I've got a project I'm working on that's going to involve me painting the rest of the day (hopefully I'll have pictures soon), but I wanted to post a few pictures for you guys first!

Miles Redd

Stephen Sills

Richard Holley

Carrier and Company 

Ralph Lauren

Home of Jeff Lincoln via NYSD

White Webb

Patrick Printy via Elle Decor

Can you tell that I love eclectic-styled rooms? 

I hope you are having a great week and enjoying the first buds of spring!

Invaluable - Plein Air Provincial

Welcome to the third and final edition of my Invaluable series where I've been illustrating how to incorporate artwork into the home! So far we've looked at two very different spaces: one featuring old school landscapes and one featuring colorful abstract works. Today I want to look at my favorite genre of painting: plein air! 

Dining area by Peter Dunham

"En plein air" just means "in the open air" in French, but it is often used to describe a style of painting where the artist is capturing not just the landscape, but the atmosphere of the place where the piece was painted: the salty air, the warm sun, etc.

Painting by Lovell

I think one of my favorite types of decorating is what I consider to be California style. But, really, it is more likely California designers' interpretations of French Provencal/country style. Whatever you want to call it, it usually features colorful fabrics, comfortable furniture, and plenty of these "plein air" paintings.

Paint - Curtains - Loveseat - Lamps - Rug

I would start out with either white or pale blue walls. Then I'd start layering on some texture, like these linen curtains and a nubby striped rug. A floral is a prerequisite for any good country house (especially one with a French accent). A pair of bright green lamps would bring a pop of color and a little unexpected crispness to the room.

Reese Witherspoon's living room by Kristen Buckingham via Elle Decor 

The artwork is so subtle in spaces like this, but it is setting the scene and creating a mood in the space.

Invaluable Painting by Albert Namatjira

I would love to have this pair of paintings! Just look at the light in them. You really get a sense of being in the middle of the Australian outback.

Invaluable Painting by Albert Namatjira

Living room by Kathryn Ireland

Suzani by Ayatcreation

I would add in a colorful throw like this since it has such a lovely balance of cool and warm tones.

Chair - Table - Paint

An old farm table, bistro chairs, and fresh flowers add to the bright but casual look.

Sitting area by Schulyer Samperton

Eric Stonestreet's living room by Nathan Turner via House Beautiful

This slightly masculine room by Nathan Turner looks so stylish but, more importantly, how comfortable does it look?! I just want to dive into that corduroy couch!

Invaluable painting by Maslanka

Now it's time to pile on the pillows!

Dining area by Schuyler Samperton

And I mean LOTS of pillows....

Stripe - Lotus - Quadrille - Fig - Floral - Dot

I created this combination of color and pattern because, like with the suzani above, you are balancing the warm tones (i.e., reds, pinks, browns) with the cool tones (i.e., blues, greens, lavender, grey). You also want to balance modern prints (i.e., lotus and fig leaf) with cozier, traditional ones (i.e., stripes and cabbage rose).

One more by the fabulous Ms. Samperton

Again though, it's all about what you love, and what makes you happy and comfortable.

Thanks so much to Invaluable for all the artistic inspiration! And I hope all you readers visit again soon!

Too long

Here it is: I have no excuse. I have not posted in forever, and it is no one's fault but my own. My apologies. So, with that said, let's get back to it!

Living room by Genevieve Faure - via Architectural Digest

I love this style. Some people have the ability to make each piece, every object in a room, look like a work of art. Your eye happily hops around looking at this thing that is grand and that thing that is diminutive. Just lovely.

By Katie Stassi Scott of Katie by Design

Darryl Carter says, "It's about curating things I love that you wouldn't necessarily think go together." 

Darryl Carter via Elle Decor

Despite the monochrome of this room, it seems like a very usable and comfortable space. Carter certainly has a knack for restraint and the ability to edit. He says that his design is about "discipline and subtlety". I believe I lack both in my own interiors. A friend once entered my house and immediately stated, "Whoa. You have so much.... stuff!" Ha! Although it is not a philosophy I can live, I can certainly appreciate it.

Foyer by Yvonne O'Brien of The Private House Co.

Texture and sparkle and color all in one lovely vignette!

Timothy Whealon

Can you see how each piece holds its own?

Home of Ronald Bricke - via NYSD

Boys bedroom by Sarah Richardson 

Bunny Williams

Doesn't this chair fabric make you think of a sketching by Matisse?

Victoria Hagan

Hallberg-Wiseley Designers via Architectural Digest

Kay O'Toole of Houston via Cote de Texas

This one is a bit grainy, but what a wonderfully rosy glow! I love that Aubusson rug thrown over the table.

Suzanne Rheinstein via Elle Decor

The pic above has probably been posted a million times, but for good reason! The layout, the color scheme, and the classical furnishings are all done in what feels like a decidedly non-traditional way. 

Suellen Gregory via Veranda

Contrast seems to be the key to this room. I love that she decided against symmetry here and did black lamps on one side of the fireplace and white on the other. It creates that wonderful tension that is so visually arresting.

Frank Babb Randolph via Veranda

I could seriously go all day posting these gorgeous pictures. It really is amazing how many original designs that people can come up with. I love the subtle warmth of this particular room. It also reminds me of how my little sister once told me that I had a serious chair addiction.... Looks like I'm in good company with Mr. Randolph here!

I hope you all have a great week ahead and I will post again soon!

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!