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!

Why so blue?

Living room by Peter Dunham

I really like the color blue (even more so now that my two-year-old nephew goes around declaring that "bwoo" is his favorite color). It really is suitable in a range of interiors, but its soothing effects are universal.

When paired with a neutral color scheme, it creates an atmosphere of cool and quiet....


Bedroom in home of Katie Couric by Eric Hughes



Dining room by Dan Carithers

But, when paired with gold accents, it is the epitome of sophistication.


Living room by Lisa Sternfeld



Living room by Robert Couturier

Whether streamlined traditional....

Design by Angele Parlange

..... Or fresh and funky (love that Frances Elkins chair!)....

Bedroom by Sara Tuttle

... Glammed up with Hollywood-regency style....

Vignette by Robert Couturier

.... Or punctuated with drama-inducing colors like black and red....

Seating area by Robert Passal

This leopard actually can change its spots!

Have a happy Thursday, everyone!

Worldly Wise

Home of Madeline Weinrib

Whether kuba cloth pillows or tribal masks, Moroccan rugs or Indian block prints, I love a bit of exotic flair in a home!

Guest bedroom by M. Design Interiors

Home of Theory's Istvan Francer

One of my favorite rooms ever! I love the accent colors (lavender and orange - so unexpected), the kuba cloth pillows, the glass lamps, the portraits, the accessories... I love it all!

Bedroom from the Viceroy Mayakoba - Design by Kelly Wearstler

Dining area by Peter Dunham

Typical Dunham style: colorful, cozy, and classically eclectic. (Yes, yes, again with my alliteration!)

Bedroom by Westbrook Interiors

Isn't this room so bright and so interesting? What an amazing combination of pieces.

Library by Tom Delavan

I love the traditional seating mixed with modern (aka, the Saarinen table and zig-zaggy task lamp) and exotic (antique suzani and tribal masks) elements. So sophisticated!

Bedroom by Martyn Lawrence-Bullard

Sky-high mosquito netting? How dreamy!

Living room by Thomas Hamel

As you can see, exotic doesn't have to mean wild or over-the-top. These spaces are comfortable, sophisticated, and sure to intrigue both guest and owner alike!

Here's to a great week ahead!

Global Warming

Living area by Molly Luetkemeyer of M. Design Interiors

Don't you just love a home that has that far-away flair? There is something so energizing about interiors that can create a fantasy, making you feel like you are a world away from everyday life.

Molly Luetkemeyer does just that in the living room above with a carefully selected mixture of modern, traditional, and exotic furniture and accessories. I love that rug and the fabrics on the sofa pillows!

Bedroom by Greek designer Tetty Stefanou

From the suzani on the wall to the antique curtain fragments that make up the bed cover, this room's design is sure to carry you away to distant lands. (It's location in the Greek isles doesn't hurt either!)


Bedroom by Peter Dunham

Designer Peter Dunham has been a world traveler since he was a child, and his sense of the exotic is certainly reflected in his interiors and fabric collections.

Bedroom by Kemble Interiors

How great are these vintage suitcases? The pairing of chocolate brown and blue is quite classic, but the pattern of the fabric and texture of the wall gives the room a more modern allure.

Jacques Grange gets playful in his own home, displaying a wild assortment of art and objects.

Could you work a feathered headdress into your interiors?


Bedroom by John Robshaw

I originally came across the bedroom above when I was looking for inspiration for a friend's bedroom, but I fell in love with the room's combination of patterns and wall color (and green is not something I would normally gravitate to). Travelling to places such as China, India, and Thailand, Robshaw has perfected the art of creating exotic, block-printed textiles.

Bedroom by Lisa Fine

Here is a bedroom by yet another textile designer, Lisa Fine. Aren't those green bed posts intriguing?

Vignette by Schuyler Samperton

Love the bone-inlaid chest, love the blue and white vases, and love the fiddle-leaf fig tree peeking in the side of the photo!

Living area by Sara Gilbane Interiors

I think this last room of the day perfectly illustrates what exotic accents in interior design can achieve in a room: interest and warmth. Combining a rich wall color, an unexpected light fixture, a zebra rug, and some striking textiles gives this room a cozy, yet worldly look, and creates quite the romantic reverie!

Walk the Line

Bedroom design by Peter Dunham

One pattern that keeps catching my eye recently is striped. I love how many variations it comes in, and how, even when saturated with color, it can still provide such a solid base for a room.


Bedroom by Peter Dunham

Ticking stripes are a popular option right now and I love the casual charm they possess.


Living room by India Hicks

Note how the lines of the wall panels are mimicked by the ticking on the cozy sofa, creating a tidy, but comfortable, look.

Carolina Herrera takes stripes in a much different direction, creating calm and order in her very elegant living room. Note how the vertical stripes on the wall really accentuate those soaring ceilings!

Bedroom by Tobi Fairley

I love how playful stripes can be, as well. Despite the boldness of the colors on the bed above, it still remains orderly and refined.

Design by Tobi Fairley

Alternately, in this sophisticated color palette of red, white, and blue, this foyer still feels fun and energetic.


Living room by Jay Jeffers

Don't those chair pillows look just like candy?


Pic courtesy of Pink Wallpaper blog


I love this very simple, yet quite lovely, dining area. The color and width of these stripes is, to me, just perfect!

Design by Chad Eisner


Chad Eisner uses a similar wide-stripe style above, but in a much more traditional setting. I love that etagere, painting, and the plaid window shades paired with the reserved stripes.


Bedroom by Katie Ridder

I love how Miss Ridder carried the smaller stripes all the way up the vaulted ceiling and then used bolder, more variegated stripes on the rug. Love those ikat drapes too!

Our last photo of the day is from the fabulous Mr. Gary Spain. His designs are so original and innovative, bold and engaging. (You must look at his website.) I get so much inspiration from looking at his designs! Anyone that can use Bertoia and Biedermeier, French country and modern, all in one space (and so beautifully) has my heart!


Living room by Gary Spain

I want to call this chair stripe "Venetian" although I'm not sure why. I guess it just seems to have that playful European style so embodied by Venetians!

Have a great day!