Wallflower

Alabama home by Tracery Interiors

I found these pictures in one of my [numerous] folders and I just had to share. My younger sister makes fun of me for my addiction to chairs, but just look at all the possibilities for how to style even a simple side chair. Now, given, these incarnations illustrate a variety of exceedingly elegant styles. But still. You could use the most inexpensive piece purchased off Craigslist to make a similar statement.

Home of Ryan Korban via The Selby

See?

Foyer by Thomas Hamel

Okay, okay, so this look would be harder to just throw together, but you could still have a neat little moment in your own entryway using an unusual antique chair like this one, paired with a more modern piece like that concave sconce.

Todd Alexander Romano via Lonny

Adding an organized grouping of pictures is a perfect way to enhance a lonely corner of a room.

Home of Jim Aman and John Meeks via NYSD

Blarg. This is so perfect. The leather on the chairs, the sculpture, the pictures and they way they are hung. The bit of irreverence in the design. (See that skull?) Love, love, love.

Foyer by Victoria Hagan

And speaking of perfection... Victoria Hagan is a master. I love this serene, traditional look. Tapestry-covered chairs? Gorgeous!

I hope you all have a happy day!

Adams Style

Bedroom photo via Nuevo Estilo

Which is called "Federal style" in the States.

Parlor of Jagdgut Wachtelhof lodge in Austria via Lonny

Or some might just call it "symmetry". 

Vignette by Phoebe Howard

Adams style is something I first heard from my Mom when I was a kid. She was a decorator and the classic notes of this neoclassical genre were apparent in her work. It was actually started way back in the 1700s by three Scottish brothers, but it took on a life of its own as it was applied by different architects of the time. And certainly, when it crossed the pond, the Americans were bound to put their own spin on it. 

Living room by Victoria Hagan

 

Although one of the more common associations with this style is symmetry, most of the rooms here would not look like a true Adam brother space. There would be far more medallions, scrolls, and swags. 

Home decorated by Robert Adam in 1777

See what I mean? I love Federal style. Give me a good pilaster over a plain wall any day. My Mom even had arched pilasters installed in the doorways leading to our living and dining rooms. So pretty. 

Floral frenzy by Tom Scheerer

 

What is interesting to me is how these old decorating tenets can permeate through to today's style: in furniture arrangements, furniture design. 

Design by Jackye Lanham

Something as simple as the curve of a chair leg, for example, could have been brought to us by people who lived thousands of years ago. 

Another Adam brothers design

 

The chairs in the picture above hark back to the ancient Greek klismos chairs, with their swooping back legs and curved backs. An old style, even in the 1700s, made new by a different perspective.

Design by Suzanne Rheinstein

And isn't that what continues to be wonderful about design today? Things made new by a fresh approach? Innovation in the details?

Design by Westbrook Interiors

Too deep? Haha! Alright then. I hope you all have a great week!

 

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!

A Woman's Touch



Dining room in home of Raina Penchansky - Photo courtesy of Lonny


I don't want to be too prejudiced here, and maybe it's just all the time I've been spending with my sister and her precious new baby, but I think women have a different outlook on a home and, therefore, cultivate it in a different way... a softer way.

Living room by Madeline Stuart

Whether it's using a hint of pink, a cozy furniture arrangement, or accents that soften sharp angles (like pillows, lots of upholstered items, or billowing curtains), women can create warmth in myriad ways (and recognize the importance of that creation).

Home of Erin Fetherston - Photo courtesy of Vogue

So, with that in mind, here are a few examples of interiors that have that woman's touch. Enjoy!


Foyer by Susan Ferrier

An antiqued mirror reflecting the warm glow of light from underneath pink silk lampshades? Who wouldn't love to come home to an entryway like this one!

Living room by Chris Barrett (who is a "she")


Looking at Miss Barrett's portfolio, you could confuse her work with some of her male designer counterparts like Martyn Lawrence Bullard or Jesse Carrier, but, if you look closely, you can find softness in even the most modern of her projects, such as in the floral fabric on a banquette or the curved leg of a metal stool. She is amazingly versatile and you must give her website a look!

Living room by Barbara Westbrook of Westbrook Interiors

Another fabulously talented designer (and fellow Southerner) is Miss Westbrook. The room above is one of my absolute favorites. It is structured without being overbearing, and engaging even when done in a neutral palette.

Foyer by fellow Alabamian Melanie Pounds - Photo via House Beautiful

I cannot say enough good things about this foyer. I am a big fan of juxtapositions and this space is full of them: the stone floor paired with the pale rosiness of the rug, the solid structure of the chair upholstered in soft velvet, and the dark plaster of the walls contrasted against the cool damask tablecloth. So lovely!

Living room by Suzanne Tucker of Tucker and Marks

This last photo of the day is another one of my faves. It is so well-blended with its plush upholstered pieces and graphic modern art, layered mirrors, and tidy layout. To me, it's just one of those rooms that grabs (and holds) my attention.

I apologize for my extended lag in posting, but I am back on track now, so check back often for more fabulous design!

I hope you all have a great week!

Al fresco!

Outdoor dining area by Rita Konig - photo courtesy of Lonny

It is a fabulously gorgeous day here in Alabama and it inspires me to work on my own outdoor spaces, specifically a large flagstone patio in the front of my house. It would fit a table like the one above just perfectly! Now, where to get a whole set of outdoor dining furniture for next-to-nothing?....

Have a great day everyone!

Anglophilia

Design by Carolina Irving courtesy of Lonny

Due to the overwhelming popularity of my English Country House post, I am working on another similarly-inspired post to come out soon. For now, however, all you Anglophiles out there will just have to sate yourselves with this lovely room above, created by the talented textile designer Carolina Irving.

Have a happy Thursday!

The Various Incarnations of Cozy



A welcoming foyer by Katie Brown


It is a bitterly cold and irrepressibly wet night here in Alabama. It looks like we are in for some snow after the sleet gives us a good chill. So, sitting here in my innumerable layers of clothing, I began thinking of how cozy my little house is and the methods I used to create that feeling. I am a fan of layers: layers of art, books, fabrics, styles. I love finding something new to throw in the mix, and seeing how it creates a new dynamic among the objects with which it's placed.

Vignettes create an attractive display while also providing an intimate look into a home's occupants and I think those kinds of personal touches are great way to make a house feel more cozy.

My most recent purchase was this vintage, painted ice bucket. I could not resist the pattern, colors, and texture of this unassuming little piece. I do not have many vintage items, but I do like the way they add playfulness to more serious traditional pieces (such as the marble-top, Empire pier table on which it sits).

I love this table. The color of the wood and the veining in the marble are so lovely and the curve of the legs so simple that this piece never fails to charm me when I look at it.

This little vignette is still evolving, but, since I do love having pictures casually set on the table top this way, I think the photos will stay. The largest photo on the left was taken by my very talented sister, the docking station was a Christmas present from her and my brother-in-law, and the mica shade was a happy find from my new favorite lamp store, Baker Lamps and Linens. I still need to properly plant the orchid in the ice bucket (doesn't that sound funny), but I think the items set in this manner have an overall pleasing look so far.

So what do you think "coziness" is?

Guest room by Eric Lysdahl

Is coziness... a daybed with fabric softly draped over its sides and plenty of pillows on which to recline? (I think the wall and ceiling color complements well the mood set by the elegant, yet comfortable furnishings, and creates a restful cocoon.)

Design by Sean McNally featured in Lonny magazine

 Is coziness... layers upon layers of color and trinkets and collections?


Design by Sean McNally



Bedroom by Delphine Krakoff

 Is coziness... a warm fur blanket to wrap up in at night and a plush surface under your feet when you wake?

Landing design by John Peixinho

Is coziness... lots of cut wood at the ready for a roaring fire on a snowy night? (Isn't this pinky-lavender wall color pretty? Lavender is a growing favorite of mine.)

Design by Michael De Perno

Is coziness... coming home to the pups you love?

Home of photographer William Waldron and his wife Malene

Is coziness... a roaring fire in a chunky stone fireplace?

Library photo courtesy of Cote de Texas

Or is coziness... being surrounded by the beautiful things you love? (What an incredible library!)

However you define coziness, I hope you are staying warm and cozy out there!