Aug 4

Carolyn’s new house Part 3

I mentioned I’ve been thinking about blues and purples a lot this week; well turquoise and greens have also been on my mind, as things progress on my friend Carolyn’s new house. You might remember I posted some inspiration for this project here and here. Well the plans have been approved and we’re just working on some final little tweaks before it all gets rolling. Little things like how wide doorways should be (and therefore how long walls will be to accommodate furniture), what sort of windows and doors to use, where we’ll need power points and lights, tiles and benchtops, and what sort of architraves and skirtings to use are all under serious scrutiny (or will be soon)! It’s great fun. Here are a few more ‘inspiration’ pics; none completely capture what I’m picturing but there are elements in each that might work:

A small-ish, open-plan living/dining/kitchen with a white sofa and some pops of colour, and a round dining table are all what I’m thinking. Love the big mirror in the dining area. Something like this only with a little more colour and a little less feminine..

This living room is a little less fun but more sophisticated, and I love the greens and golds and the flexible seating. The walls have a little more colour to them (it’s a bit cosier than the previous living room I think). Also, Carolyn loves classic architectural trimmings and chunky skirtings and architraves, so I want to use some timber mouldings to look like wainscot paneling in her entry way, then have all the cabinetry and doors tie in with it, similar to this room. Like this:

 


I like the dark timber floors against the white high skirtings in this bedroom, as well as the colours and the comfort factor: an armchair or ottoman/bed end stool is what I’m hoping we can include in the main bedroom.

brooke giannetti

I just love the colours and the luxury of these bedroom sitting areas (above and below)!

 

(Ashley Goforth)

The second bedroom will need to work as a guest bedroom but also probably as a library. I love this classic look and colour palette for a guest room (above).

Subway tiles for the kitchen are the preference!

But I’m also wondering about running a strip of the benchtop material along the back wall of the kitchen, where the stove is, with the tiles above. I like the look of this but it also helps with cleaning.

 

We’d like to be able to incorporate a freestanding bath in one of the bathrooms, and I want it to feel really luxurious and beautiful. I like the square-edged bath below against the classic wall paneling and quite feminine wallpaper and light.

 

And so, it continues!

Mar 2

Loving green again

I have to admit that I went off the colour green for awhile. I’m not sure why, but for years I just felt it wasn’t ‘me’, and I’d gravitate towards blue and neutrals. But for one reason or another, I’m back on green bigtime. Not so much khaki green, and not an insipid spring green, either. I am just loving bold, bright green at the moment. Like this amazing chest of drawers designed for Century Furniture by Jonathan Adler:

I love the combination of blue and green, but these drawers are my favourite because they incorporate another of my faves of the moment: greek key and geometric patterns.
Green wallpaper makes a bold statement in a small space like a hall or bathroom: (and of course more greek key in the mirror!)

house and home

 Green wallpaper in the back of bookshelves or to back kitchen cupboards is a great idea, too. The geometric design here is so modern and fresh, I love it.

lonny

 I like this green upholstered bedhead, and appreciate the way the straight lines of its design counteract with the off-centred round mirrors. I can’t decide about the big jade lamps, though. Are they beautiful or ugly? – (or ugly-pretty for ANTM watchers!)

samantha pynn

 Thought I’d throw in this bit of green loveliness – green Christian Louboutins are definitely on my wish-list.

It doesn’t take a lot of colour to make an impact. Love the emerald green pop of the chair and lamp in this dream-worthy dressing room:

can't remember this source sorry!

 Another little pop of green (below). I’ve had this picture stored for ages, the saarinen tables and black-and-white rug offset the otherwise classic style of the room in a way I like. And I always love a double-height living room!

jan showers

Green is a really fresh colour for a kitchen:

apartment34

The famous hallway belonging to Chloe Sevigny lined with green trellis wallpaper:

But of all the shades of green, Kelly Green is my favourite. I absolutely love this green bedroom: the tall padded headboard, the green-trimmed linens, the beach-style tables and glass lamps, it’s fun and serene at the same time.

christina murphy

domino

 It’s all about texture, as well as colour. The wet-looking green vinyl on the chairs, the raw zinc of the table, the softness of the rug, and that light fitting! It all works together so well (below).

hgtv

Finally, something on my current must-buy list, a monogrammed tray (in Kelly Green of course- email me for details).

Feb 24

A little bit of Regency Style

I am in the process of ordering these chairs for a client:

I love faux-bamboo chairs (and real bamboo chairs!), but of course we have all seen them before. And it got me thinking about a recent post on Little Green Notebook about being overexposed to some elements in design. The question was whether, by seeing - and from the point of view of decorators, using – the same pieces over and over again, do those design elements become cliche? Should you not do something because it’s been done before? And should design bloggers aim to only post things that nobody has yet seen?

My feeling is that something- a piece of furniture or a fabric for example – that we consider beautiful doesn’t become less so just because someone else has it or because it’s ‘been done’. You like the things you like, irrespective of how many other people like the same thing. For my part, starting this blog was motivated by a simple desire to document the things that I like in interiors and houses, to put ‘onto paper’ my current decoration musings, and to record things I might be doing in my home or in my work. I certainly have no pretentions to being a design groundbreaker!

(How gorgeous is that purple rug (above)? The way the colour is picked up in the vases, tulips and artwork is so beautiful).

All of this got me thinking about how Hollywood Regency style- and often faux-bamboo chairs – is everywhere you look these days. Does that make it any less gorgeous? No way!

A little bit regency, a little bit retro (above). Brown, white and green works, but those pink vases make this space great.

(pics fom decorpad)

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