The Simple Striped Rug

I love looking at interiors as I watch movies. I saw the new Star Trek movie this past weekend. It offered me nothing. :) I have been thinking about the rug in "Something's Gotta Give" lately. (that movie had fabulous interiors!)

Consider the timelessness of a simple striped rug. It is a classic look- that does not date itself in the least.

What a great way to introduce color and pattern to an interior. The rugs in this post are from Maine Cottage and are wool. Similar looks can be found in cotton to hit a lower price point.

I find them charming and inviting. The look can be very transitional in different interiors. What do you think of the simple striped rug? Is anyone else a fan? Which is your favorite in this post?

A Post for Sandra

Today I will interject in orange.

Christine,

In the room we call the library, I would like to have built-ins on both sides of the window with maybe a window seat. My question is: would this look out of place with the arched window and if not, how high up should the built-ins go? I want the shelves for both books and to display special items. No- I don't think they will look out of place. I would bead board the wall up to the angle in the ceiling. Add your shelves and window seat. Enclose the sides of the shelves where they meet up to the window- including the curve in the arched window. Do not treat it like it doesn't exist- going straight up- but rather follow the curve. Finish with crown moulding- following the line of the ceiling where the angle begins. Put some greenery on the top of that last shelf.Lastly, do the wall hangings look too cluttered along the back wall? They have somewhat of a relationship, except for the shelf. I haven't found the right item, yet. I'm looking for wild life. Am I too far off target?
Sincerely,
Sandra

Sandra- you know in your gut that something is off- or you wouldn't be asking me. Let me tell you what is off.

1. You very carefully lined up everything in a straight row on the bottom. I would have you carefully balance your different items, some higher, some lower, the lowest being somewhere in the middle- not on an edge.
2. You have more small items on the right- I feel a lack of balance there.
3. Do you see how all of your wall art is above the chair line. We need a visual overlap. I discussed that in this post- and this post.
4. If this were over a sofa- it might work better- but- you have two chairs and a table- then you have the multiple items above. There are a lot of different items here- You need a unifier. (If this were over a sofa- the sofa itself would be the unifier.) I would add one large item to the wall. Perhaps a mirror. Add an item large enough to go lower than the chairs, and wide enough to encompass both chairs in the overlap. I would move the large bird picture to another wall, and finish your wall with four of your pictures- one small and one large on either side of the mirror. There is nothing inherently wrong with adding the shelf. I like where you were going with that- I took it out just for balance. Play with which items to put on which side by laying out your collection on the floor. Not too symmetrical- but still balanced.

The mirror below is 43 x 35- by Uttermost. This is probably a good size. Is it clear what I mean by adding a unifier? Can you see the difference even just with my black sharpie unifying mirror? You are one Saturday away from a terrific wall! Good luck Sandra!

Walls are Going Lighter

Christine:

What a delightful surprise. Thank you for responding so thoughtfully to my inquiry. It really does help. I think oftentimes people like me can just think waaaay too much about something and your post really helps to focus.
Christine, I am going to ask you, and you do not have to reply, but I thought I would ask...we are going to remodel our 25-year-old house this year. We will be putting in hardwood floors basically everywhere except for bathrooms. My husband and I have mostly cherry and mahogany furniture throughout our house. We also have a large dog so we are trying to find a very hard floor that fits in a budget. That being said, I am looking at hickory and acacia flooring prestained. I tend to like a more brown Brazilian cherry look, but then took a couple floor samples into our bedroom (which has a cherry sleigh bed, a cherry dresser, armoire, lingerie, etc) and then started to wonder about my choices. I do really like this color choice (as opposed to e.g. Brazilian walnut), but am really stumped. Also, we have 8 ft ceilings so I think I would have to paint all the walls with very light colors (b/c the floors would be pretty dark). What are your thoughts? This is a big ticket item at 2000 square feet plus, so I want to get it as right as I can.
Thanks again for your blog and post.
-Michelle

Dear Michelle,

If you have read my thoughts on hardwood floors- I really like Brazilian cherry. I like how it has a lot of variation in color- which ties in different woods. I remember the first time I used it- my client moved into a home with oak doors and baseboards throughout- oak kitchen cabinets- and yet they were bringing with them lots of cherry furniture. I brought many samples to their home- and we went with the Brazilian cherry-- I could not have been happier- so much so that I have used it on many jobs since. It is also one of the strongest, most durable woods. Keep in mind that different sources (brands) for your Brazilian Cherry will have different shades- look at several before selecting.

I would not worry about your walls. The "dark wall color trend" is on its way "out" and walls are lightening up. Go to Borders and look through Metropolitan Home and Elle Decor- I bet you will only see light walls. I have started going a shade or two lighter on my clients' homes than I was four years ago. Go with your Brazilian Cherry- your walls will be great. Interior Photos from Decor Magazine- Fall- Winter 2007.

Wallpaper Wednesday goes to London

I wanted to introduce you to a source that I haven't spotlighted yet for wallpaper- Osborne and Little. They are available through interior designers- these are not papers that you will find at your local paint store. :)

What do you think? I am fascinated with the dogs... :)

They are a European company- big in London, Paris and Munich. I can always tell a difference in style with companies based in Europe rather than the US. I love how they are so much more unique than the papers that flood every big box hardware store.

Do you have a favorite? I think the Zebra is awesome- and check out this purple and tangerine number below... So tell me- do you want your home to be unique? My DH stresses out when I want to do things to our home that are out of the ordinary. (dark painted mouldings...etc.)- Is this out of your comfort zone- or do you search for the things that will make your home like no one else's?

Sandra's Window Treatments

Christine:
This is our second home after living in our first for over 40 years. It has been harder than I thought to make it our house. I have not been able to work out a plan for the windows in my living room which face the south. I love the sun in the winter, but in the summer I need to block the sun's heat as well as protect my furnishings from fading. As you can see in the photo there are blinds for the lower portion of the window, but I don't know what to do for the upper section. I have given plantation shutters consideration, but they are so costly and again I like the openness and I think shutters may be too restrictive. Also, if I went with shutters which wood color would I choose since our crown is painted and our window trim and base is stained? If I use a drapery it would have to be drawn to the side because the window is too close to the fireplace. I'm a visual person and I don't want to take an expensive risk. What do you advise?
Sincerely,
Sandra

Dear Sandra,
The first thing I'd like to point out is that the sun's rays that come into the room from the higher windows are actually the most damaging. I frequently see these windows left untreated- but for protecting your flooring and furniture- these are the first windows you should tackle. I think many times people would rather pay the price of the 84 inch drape rather than the 100 inch drape- but the real cost comes in the sun-damage that is left behind.

I have two different suggestions for your windows.

1. Use a woven wood or fabric Roman shade- like the photo below- in conjunction with drapery panels. I would have the Roman shade lowered past the top window all the time.
   

(photo from Southern Accents)

2. A second idea would be to use very long drapes- hung right below your crown, and draw them to the side- completely covering your top window. Use medallions to hang the drapes from rather than a rod. This keeps them in a permanent position- right where you want them. This looks best with drapes longer than your length- so they don't get too short on the side where they are drawn.- Which means they will look best with a more formal fabric like a silk- or a sheer. (Less formal fabrics- like cotton- look silly when they "puddle," in my opinion.) I drew this on your picture with a green colored pencil and black Sharpie :)

By the way- your fan needs a down rod-it is installed too high, and your wreath is too small. See these posts on how to decorate the mantle. :)

What do you think, readers- do you prefer option A- drapes with Roman- or option B- the draw-back ?

Photo Gallery

Hello Christine,

I have a wealth of new photos from my very young children. How do you hang your pictures up around your house so they look like timeless artwork rather than a photo display everywhere you look? I would like to arrange in a very transitional manner (traditional yet contemporary). We have two girls, ages 2.5 years and 10 months. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated. This really has me stuck, and the pictures remain in drawers.

Here's an example of something that I like:

I do however, have a very traditional home so not sure how to integrate this into our decor. Also, I have more pictures than would go on the track type display, so would need photos to hang in our master bedroom. I have a real problem with things getting too cluttered, so shelves seem like they would take over our bedroom. Please help!!

-mmc

Dear MMC,

1. I know your kids must be adorable- but every adorable photo does not need to be on your wall at the same time. It will be too cluttery- it will be "too much." I would select one location in your home to be a photo gallery- but as an interior designer I would not have more than one photo gallery. Maybe that's just me... Readers- what do you think? Maybe just one large picture of each child in your master bedroom. Remember beautiful frames on end tables shelves and nightstands can incorporate more photos.
   For some more traditional ideas- check out this post- for Tamlynn's photo gallery- a fantastic example. This post also had another good example. Tracks do tend to look modern- but how you use them makes a big difference. The track above is from Pottery Barn. Notice how sepia tones were used, and art was incorporated. Different frames were used on the track. Compare the photo above to the photo below. Still Pottery Barn- same track. Using all black frames and black and white photos- it is a much more modern look. I have seen this popular look in people's homes- and when the homes are more traditional- like you describe yours to be- it sticks out. It doesn't work. It is not the right feel. Use a track if you want to- but follow the example above rather than below.



2. Decide first if you prefer to use repeated frame styles- for example- the picture at the top (not photos- but shows what I am explaining)-- has only two different frames. You could decide to have one style, two styles, three, four- etc.- but then repeat them- (purchase 5 of each frame style, perhaps) or you could use all different styles- like the stairway below. If you are not good at this type of thing- go with matching frames (or sets of coordinating frames). Using all different frames takes more talent. :) (I have seen it very poorly done before.) Photo below from Southern Accents.



3. For a varied look, include mirrors and other wall decor items in your collage of photos. Perhaps large wooden letters. I was thinking of having made a large letter "F" for my kitchen wall. One large item with smaller frames around it is another way to display. I loved how Tammlyn sent me a picture of her photo gallery the last time this topic came up. Does anyone else have a good example to share? I personally don't have a "gallery." I go with the Mies van der Rhoe philosophy of "Less is More." I have four kids- and my four favorite professional black and white pictures- generous sizes- on a wall in my bedroom.

So- tell me- what look do you prefer- all different frames, all the same frame, or multiples repeated?

Today's Whitewash

I thought I would drill in the whitewash a little more this week- these are from Southern Accents April 2009. Today's whitewash is a smoky gray. It is the Karate Kid style- wipe on- wipe off.

Wallpaper Wednesday Take II -- The Photo Mural

Generally speaking- My impression of photo murals is a cheesy palm tree beach scene in a basement from the 70's- but I came across these from Komar Photomurals- and I think they are fabulous! What a fun look for an office- or a bedroom- What I like about these "Photo murals"- is that they are not actually photos. :) I especially like how in the examples they are the exact size of the walls... What do you think? Is the "photo mural" idea cool- or does that insanely large goldfish creep you out? Which is your fav?

Wallpaper Wednesday

Design Public is a great soure for contemporary and modern wallpapers. So - if you were to choose- which would be your favorite?

1. Neutral Leaves
2. Pink Glamour
3. The Wallband
4. Shiny Wavy Lines- (top of the post)

My house does not lend itself to it- but I love the pink glamour. My DH would hate it in every way- I bet most DH's would- maybe that is a paper for the single girl :)

Whitewash Revisited

Yesterday I posted about the "new whitewash." Today I want to clarify a little. Because whitewash is back- that does NOT mean that I am suggesting you keep your stuff from the 1980's. Your 80's bathroom is not cool- your whitewash 80's kitchen- should still be painted.. Your floors are still in need of refinishing:
The new whitewash floor looks more like the photo below and the photo at the top of the post- can you see the white in the grain? It is put on and wiped off (sometimes scraped off) rather than just painted on. I am not a "do-it-yourselfer"- so I can't tell you HOW to get his look. On DuChateau's web site- (the flooring in the top picture)- it gave us some hints- by explaining how they achieved their look:

DuChateau Floors produces top quality, wide planked hardwood floors that
are distressed, Hard-Wax oiled, smoked, and brushed to achieve a true vintage
look.

So- there you have it- distressed, hard wax oil finish, smoked, and brushed. Or- I can just tell you where to purchase it already done. :)

Cool New Source

Today I wanted to show you a super cool- and surprisingly affordable source called "Design Public." They have a contemporary/ modern style- that is transitional enough to fit into many interiors. They have everything from large wall art...

to nursery bedding...

cool lateral files (I have a hard time finding cool office furnishings)...

and fabulous lighting... you know how I like my butterflies :) Anyway- check it out! It has a little something for everyone!