There was a little girl who had a little burl

Hamptons home office by Carrier and Company

Hello, all! I hope everyone is having a good week so far! I got sidetracked recently, brainstorming room ideas after I saw the picture below. It is such an interesting color scheme and it made me think of the burl table I just marked down over on Chairish. That got me thinking about other ways to style it and here we are!

Living room by Barbara Barry

I like how there is not much color here, but the room has such depth. It manages a balance of warm and cool tones that makes for such an elegant room. I know y'all are going to get sick of me posting stuff about the items I have for sale but I chose them because I thought they were beautiful: in form, in color, in style. This table in particular:

Its smooth curves and combination of olive burl and macassar ebony woods caught my attention immediately. The colors on it are so lovely and it somehow manages to ride the line between modern and classic.

Pretty book matched burl tabletop

I could go on and on. Ha!

Michael Smith's Palm Springs home via Architectural Digest

I saw a similar table in the Architectural Digest article about the completely renovated Palm Springs home of Michael Smith and James Costos. (It's hiding there in the back of the picture above.)

You guys have got to check out that article. The house is so neat!

Vignette with burl wood console by Lilly Bunn

Palm Beach living room by Cullman & Kravis

I really think this table could fit in many different settings, but I kept coming back to the idea of it in a room with similar warm tones.

Phoebe Howard from her book Mrs Howard Room by Room

Then I started thinking how neat it would be contrasted against darker walls, but still in a more casual, comfortable color.

Room by CeCe Thompson Green (a Bunny Williams protege) via DiCorcia Design

And, coincidentally, an olive green room by Ms. Bunny Williams herself

So using these images and the nascent autumn as inspiration , I came up with a room of my own:

Foliage / Lamp / Table / Bird Prints / Sofa / Pillow / Pillow / Curtains / Chair / Chair Fabric / Paint Color

Unless you want a moody, enveloping room (which is fun too), it's good to keep the curtains and larger upholstery in the space light. I love these Anthropologie curtains; they really do make me think of falling leaves! I love hints of a theme in a space, so that's why I did birds on the pillows and the framed prints. You gotta have fun with it!

I hope this gives you some ideas for your own home! Have a great 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!

 

The Gilded Age

A little hint at things to come....

Just a couple more....

Because they're so pretty....

Design by Isabel Lopez-Quesada

Design by Isabel Lopez-Quesada

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!

Ingram Style

I only recently came across this article in Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles about the wonderful Bill Ingram's pied-à-terre in Midtown Atlanta. And, goodness, it is perfection.

Isn't it such a masterful collection of old and new, shiny and textured? There is so much to look at but in no way is it busy. What else could be expected from Mr. Ingram. So talented!

Photo via Mark D. Sikes

His Birmingham office in Mountain Brook Village is so pretty, yet unassuming. The trellis work on the door is such a neat touch!

View from inside the office - via Mark D. Sikes

That handsome young blur outside the window is Jimmy Laughlin, who works with Mr. Ingram. He and his equally handsome other half Jacob bought this (now) beauty in Forest Park, which was featured in Southern Living:

This was just down the street from where I used to live, so my dog and I would walk by there all the time. When the work started and the whitewashing began, I knew something good was happening. But, when they added that light fixture by the door, I knew there was an expert at work.

Pottery Barn Porthole Sconce

I wish you could see it better in the picture. It looks sort of like this one but bigger and cooler. Ha!

I always say that Birmingham is a small town disguised as a city. Everyone knows everyone just about or, at the very least, there's that whole six degrees of separation thing going on. I met Jimmy and Jacob once in Avondale nearby and they were so nice. We talked about their house and I remember them commenting then on the size of project they had taken on with it. I remember them talking about how if they could just get the kitchen finished, it would be smooth sailing. Jacob added that then, maybe, they could finally get a dog.

I'd say it looks like it all worked out in the end.    :)

I hope you all are having a great week!

Shed a little light on things

Living room by Studio Reed Design

Hello, all! I wanted to share another item that is currently listed on Chairish! I also wanted to give some examples of how this piece could fit in any room. Today, I'm featuring this gorgeous (and massive!) vintage drip glaze lamp:

Isn't that glaze amazing?!

Although this piece is mid-century, I don't think it necessarily has to be used in that setting. You could go all out with vintage pieces - barkcloth curtains and shag carpets - or you could take a different approach....

Living room of Aerin Lauder

I think it would work in all sorts of settings. Against warm, rusty peach walls, like in Ms. Lauder's living room.

Foyer by Bunny Williams via Veranda

Or in grand and glamorous entryway, mixed with classic and modern elements.

Chris Barrett

Home of Cece Barfield Thompson

I love the idea of the lamp in a lovely eclectic setting like the one above. So pretty!

Via House Beautiful

Image via Vogue

Barbara Westbrook

As you can tell, I like the idea of mixing it with other shades of blue and green! I think that combination - along with some warm woods and textural accessories - would keep the lamp, and the room, looking timeless. Here is how I might put it together with other pieces:

Wall Covering - Lamp - Table - Sofa - Tapestry Pillows - Velvet Pillow - Chair - Lantern - Curtains

It would be neat to do some moody artwork as well. I love the selection at Anewall on Etsy. For the room above, I might do something like this:

Or you could go more modern and graphic and do an overscale print like this one:

There are so many ways to blend an item you love with your own things and your own style. You don't ever have to let the age or providence or style of a piece dictate how you want your space to look and feel. Although this lamp may not be what you're looking for, I hope this post delivers some inspiration for your own home!

Madeline Stuart

I hope y'all have a great day! And keep checking my Chairish shop for more fun furnishings, and back here for more ideas and inspiration!