Decor | Lifestyle | Design
I love decorating with baskets. There is something so wonderful about the texture they add to a room. Plus, how practical are they? Not only do they add great style, but they add function as well! And though I have many different baskets in my home, I have to say, that antique baskets are the ones that really speak to me!
So, I must admit, I’m having a bit of an “orange crush.” Last week I talked about how much I’m loving pops of orange for summer, wardrobe-wise. But when I was researching and looking for inspiration for that piece, I started seeing some interior spaces with pops of orange, and can I say? I’m still crushing! I love neutral interiors with just a few pops of color (something I talked about here), and what I found was, these interiors are exactly that. Except that where I’m usually gravitating toward cooler colors of green or blue as the “pop”, here orange is taking center stage. It’s not nearly as loud or garish as I would’ve first thought. See if you agree…….
I was finding this week to be a rough one. One of those where I’m not sure why, but everyone seems out of sorts. The kids are bickering, my work is behind, the chores are piling up, and the house is a mess (I guess that’s why!)
Anyway, I’m trying to focus on the positive today so I put some of my favorite flowers in a pretty pitcher, poured myself a glass of iced coffee, and starting looking for design inspiration, both for myself and for a house I’m working on for a client. And just looking at these inspiring spaces made me happier! 🙂
I don’t know that many people who have a kitchen banquette, but the one friend who does have it, loves it! And can I say how adorable it is?!
They are utterly charming! Kitchen banquettes, along with things like dutch doors and butler’s pantries, are thought of as somewhat old-fashioned. But I’m all for bringing them back. They are practical; a great use of space, look and feel cozy, and work wonderfully with kids and families. Plus, did I mention the charm factor?!
Today, I thought I would do the final installment of my series that I started a few months ago on how to get a “collected look” for your home. So far, I’ve touched on four essentials for achieving this:
1. Have at least one modern piece in a room 2. Have real antiques or vintage furniture, not just newly made pieces 3. Have some sort of collection 4. Have at least a few pieces of real art Now I’m going to touch on the fifth (and possibly, final) thing I think you need to give your house that collected look, and that is a “style mix.” In order to get the depth and character that you want here, you have to have a collection of different furniture styles and finishes. That means no dining room or bedroom “sets,” and that you should definitely not care if all the woods in the room are matching. In fact, it’s better if they don’t match. The best rooms, and probably most of the ones you admire in magazines, are a wonderful mix of eras, styles, and woods, creating a personal and eclectic space that is unique. And by it’s very nature, if you mix styles and finishes, it will look like you’ve acquired the pieces over time, something that buying a “set” could never achieve. Let’s look at some examples of a style mix….| A favorite room! I see two different brown woods, gold and glass, and a gray wash on the chairs – but it all works beautifully together! Design by Billet-Collins. |
| Dark and medium wood here, as well as painted white chairs and a grey table. Home of the artist John Monks. |
| One of my all-time favorite rooms! Designer Donna Temple Brown’s spaces feel so collected and lived in, as if they’ve always been there. French and Swedish styles as well as different finishes all meld into one beautiful room. |
| Love this contrast of the antique gold mirror with the clean modern lines of the coffee table and side chair. Via House Beautiful. |
| This room seems so approachable to me! Couches are clean lined as is the modern console table, but then they have a dark brown wood traditional demilune table and an antique French barometer. Love, love, love this mix! Via Veranda magazine. |
| Via Veranda magazine. |
| Designer Dana Lyon. |
| Via Veranda magazine. |
| Via BHG. |
| There is literally every shade of furniture in this room! White painted surfaces, greys, dark woods, gilt chairs, as well as different styles and eras. Via House Beautiful. |
| By Madeline Stuart. |
| I’ve included this photo to illustrate my point about timelessness. This room could be today, but it was designed in 1999! Would you ever have guessed that?! I love it, and I think it all still looks as good today as it did then. Designed by Babs Watkins. |
| By Suzanne Kasler. |
| Here designer Tara Shaw uses two different night stands, as well as several different wood finishes and a very contemporary canopy bed. |
| Designed by Tara Shaw. |
| Two different night stands again, and both different than that gorgeous bed frame. By Suzanne Rheinstein. |
| Very pretty! Luxe Living Interiors. |
| Design by Shannon Bowers. |
| I’ve always loved this bedroom! An antique armoire mixed with a vintage painted wood wine table and a metal nightstand. |
| Via Elle Decor. |
| Just stunning! Design by Tara Shaw. |
| Yawn Design Studio. |
| Designer Jane Moore. |
| This is another image that is very old. I have an actual paper tear out of this from years ago (I’m not even sure of the date, but at least 10 years ago!) Love the mix of the white painted chairs, the burl wood buffet and that glass table. Via House and Home. |
| Love light chairs with a dark table. Design by Loi Thai. |
| This dining room is so cute! Love the mix of finishes in this room. From the blog Nubury Lane. |
| Via Ballard Designs. |
xo
Joining at these fabulous blogs this week:
One of my all-time favorite ways of decorating a wall is by creating a “gallery wall.” They come in all shapes and sizes, and frankly, that’s the beauty of it. You can use everything from a collection of vintage paintings all painted in the same tones or of the same subject, to a grouping of black and white framed photographs, to a collection of your children’s artwork, to simply leaves pressed between inexpensive frames, or even a group of mirrors. In fact, some of the most successful gallery walls mix it up, with a selection of art mixed with photography, maybe some shadow boxes, collectibles, even letters or numbers…. anything goes. A gallery wall is an excellent way of covering a large wall, and it looks particularly good going up a stairwell or along a hallway. But truly, they work anywhere. You can use ledges and lean your art on them, or simply hang your pieces on the wall, either way, you get a lot of bang for your decorating buck!
