Happy New Year to you all! We are spending a quiet evening at home watching football and eating veal bolongnese. I hope this new year brings you love, health, joy and meaningful and new pursuits! {image via michael devine}
Labels: Random
I'm wearing green today. Happy St. Patrick's Day!!
Some friends and I have decided to have a last minute sale this weekend. If you are in the Nashville area be sure to stop by 4420 Warner Place (37205) anytime between 9-12. There are lots of fabulous goodies for sale including antiques, home accessories and yards and yards of designer fabric. Hope to see you there!
Labels: Interiors
I am sure you have noticed that most of the bathrooms featured in today's shelter magazines are spacious spa-like oases with glass encased showers and free standing tubs. These personal spaces are beautiful, and many of them have made their way to my inspiration files. But they cause me to beg the question, what are those of us with small, humdrum bathrooms to to spruce things up without ripping out walls? Shower curtains are quick easy and affordable way to give your old or generic bath a new and affordable lease on life.
This is probably one of my most favorite "small" bathrooms. With all white walls, polished nickel hardware and a Porthault shower curtain (made from a sheet!) and matching towels who needs a personal spa?
This pre-war bathroom, belonging to Ralph Lauren executives Tom Bezucha and Margaret Hamilton, was given a fresh look with a cheerful red and white striped shower curtain and an antique side chair. I do love seating in a bathroom!
This tired tub was perked up by designer Sara Gilbane with a shower curtain made from Raoul Textiles fabric. Creating a custom shower curtain out of your favorite fabric is an easy way to personalize your private space.
This distinctly feminine bathroom was featured in Domino Magazine several years ago. It is hard to see but the shower is framed by two curtains that tie back on either side. This gives the tub a more finished and room-like feel. 
Kate and Andy Spade's guest bathroom is punctuated by the bold black banded shower curtains that so beautifully complement the Scalamandre Zebra print wallpaper.
If you are searching for a shower curtain to bring new life to your bath, here are a few suggestions:
Target sells these polka dot shower curtains in black, red, or green. They have a "Kate Spade" feel at a fraction of the price. These would be prefect in a child's bath as they are fun without being too juvenile.
I am loving this red damask shower curtain offered through Amazon. It would be a stunning statement in an otherwise all white bath.
This Greek key embroidered shower curtain is a handsome classic. For a similar look you could apply a Greek key tape trim like this one to a plain white shower curtain.
Home textile company, India Rose offers this smart seersucker shower curtain.
John Robshaw offers a variety of beautiful block-printed shower curtains with a global flair.
Anthropologie is another great source for unique shower curtains with a romantic vibe. This Flamenco curtain would be perfect for a teen's bathroom. Labels: Design
"What is the use of a house
if you haven't got a tolerable planet to put it on?"
Henry David Thoreau
Happy Earth Day!
{image via vogue: people parties places}
Labels: Inspiration
Yesterday, Things That Inspire, wrote a fabulous post entitled "Trendy Elements that Scream 2000's." In it, she lists design elements that might be likely to date our interiors to the past decade. Things such as oil rubbed bronze, open floor plans, and granite counter tops were listed as possible "of the moment trends."
The truth is, almost everything that we see in magazines today will look dated to our eyes in the next decade. Just open a Southern Accents from 1999 and you may be surprised by how "tired" many of the interiors look to your eyes. Unfortunately, our American culture gets bored easily. The design industry capitalizes on this, and new trends are formed, causing individuals to want "the next great thing."
The question remains, what will be the trends of the 2010's? I am no market expert, but I have a few guesses. We will have to wait and see if any of them come true!
Scale of HomesGiven the current economic climate, I predict that homes that are built in the next decade will be smaller and more intimate. Maybe this is just wishful thinking, but I hope that homes will be designed in a manner that allows families to interact in meaningful ways.
Eco-Friendly The government is mandating that more and more building materials and appliances be environmentally friendly. In many states you can no longer purchase oil based paint because it is harmful for the environment. LED lighting is is improving and more and more builders are using these energy efficient lights.
I predict that in the next decade we will see a large increase in sustainable building and design elements. I also predict that as sustainable materials become more mainstream they will become more aesthetically pleasing and more able to compete with their non-eco-friendly counterparts as well.
Eclectic DecorThis trend has already taken off but I predict that it will continue well into the next decade. No longer does everything need to be "matchy- matchy" or formulaic. Rather interiors are becoming more eclectic: inspired by travel and history. Interiors that reflect one's individual style and tastes rather than following some uniform formula, are the most stylish of all.
Return of BrassI don't know when, but I predict that brass will re-emerge the finish of choice sometime in the next decade. Given the cyclical nature of design, brass is due for a comeback. It may not ever reach the status it did in the 1980's but I am betting it will regain popularity again.
The use of Ceiling Lights Instead of Canned Lighting
I think that canned lighting has seen it's heyday instead of "swiss cheese" ceilings and we will see a return to hanging lanterns and chandeliers to add overhead light to a room.
Readers, I would love to hear from you. What do you think will be the trends that emerge in building and interior design over the next decade?
{images: 1 - via david netto, 2- via small place style; 3- via lee industries; 4- via lonny magazine; 5- via elle decor 6- via cote de texas}
Labels: Interiors
We hope you won't misunderstand our thoughts behind this post. Yes, it's Valentines Day and we are sharing some soft, romantic bedrooms. But we are worn and weary after the Antiques and Garden Show and we would be happy to climb into any of these beds and sleep...alone! Maybe if we receive a foot massage and a glass of bubbly we can be persuaded differently (hint, hint boys). Happy Valentine's Day!
Labels: Interiors
Our new home had chair rail throughout the first floor. Chair also known as dado rail was traditionally used in older homes to protect plaster walls from chair backs and other furniture contact. Over the years the need for chair rail has become obsolete with the use of dry wall and washable paints.Many people still use chair rail for decorative purposes to add interest to rooms or to keep their homes historically accurate. When I saw our new home for the first time, I knew right away that I would remove the chair rail throughout our house. Our chair rail was was placed quite low on the walls. The horizontal lines running through my 9 foot ceiling rooms made the interior of the home look squatty. Once the chair rail was removed, the rooms looked more elongated and elegant.
{our walls just after the chair rail was removed}I don't always recommend removing chair rail. There are many interiors in which the chair rail adds, rather than detracts from it's surroundings. When wide, classically shaped chair mold is used in a light colored room, it looks timeless.
In this Michael Smith entry hall, the horizontal line of the chair rail is used to diminish the feeling of height of the 20' high room. When rooms are two stories tall, a grandiose effect is achieved but the space often feels cold and uninviting. Chair rail is a perfect antidote in spaces like these.
I love the use of wainscot, paneling applied between the baseboard and chair rail, to add interest to a bathroom or hallway. Wainscoting was historically used to cover the lower part of the walls to keep dampness out. Today it is used for decorative purposes to add interest and texture to a room.
If you have chair rail in your home that you don't particularly care for but don't want to remove, there are many creative ways to improve it's appearance. To start with, unless you have very tall ceilings, you should avoid painting a room with chair rail a dark color as this will make the ceiling heights look even lower. When ceilings are standard height, try painting the walls and the trim in lighter shades. Sheila Bridges paints her walls, chair rail and wainscot all the same color. This elongates the appearance of the walls and creates a sense of uniformity in the room without losing the interest of the moldings. 
The owners of this dining room, stepped outside the box and hung works of art over and under the chair-rail. What a creative way to work around what is can be a limiting decorative element!
Charlotte Moss does a lovely job accentuating chair-rail as well.
In her former Townhouse, she used the chair rail to frame a collection of chinoiserie panels.
In this New York apartment, Moss created unique fabric paneling to create a textured look above the chair rail. 
Chair rail when accentuated well can add a lot to a room. When used incorrectly it can detract greatly from a space's appearance. Are you a fan of chair rail? If you have chair rail in your home, I would love to know how how you have decorated around it. {images: 1- via gil shafer; 2- via sarah bartholomew; 3- via gil schafer; 4- via michael smith; 5- via gil schafer; 6- via kate spade; 7- via sheila bridges; 8- via sheila bridges; 9- via stylecourt; 10- via charlotte moss; 11- charlotte moss via habitually chic; 12- charlotte moss via veranda}
Labels: Interiors