Better Homes and Gardens Images

I just drooled over the images of designer Barbara Pervier's home in the March issue of Better Homes and Gardens.  They are just so darn pretty. I thought I'd share a couple of images from her website, because it's snowing here and her home makes me long for spring and lovely things...

You have to go to the magazine to see the pictures I'm talking about, but these from her website are the same rooms from different angles (they were in New England Home in the past).

designer: Barbara Pervier

designer: Barbara Pervier

designer: Barbara Pervier

How pretty are those pictures??

Unrelated, I was also reading Nancy's Daily Dish (okay, so it's snowing for the first time since October and it's making me feel lazy tonight.  I'm doing all kinds of reading instead of sizing my walls for wallpaper :);  I digress.  Nancy just did a post on Irish Potato Rings.  I'd never heard of them, but they look like this...

Go check out her story on them -- pretty things with history.  Love learning something new!

Random post, I know.  Just inspired by a bit of pretty tonight.  What's been inspiring you?

Talk to you soon,
Carol

Beach House Colors

A few weeks back, Barbara, one of my blog readers, called me to ask if she could hire me to work on her beach house.  She has a beautiful home on Cape Cod, Massachusetts.   Been there?  It's gorgeous.

Of course, I told Barbara I would make the drive (don't hesitate to ask me, I will come!).   The only things in place in her house are some slipcovered upholstery pieces in natural duck, bedding in every room, a couple of rugs, and the pieces you'll see in the dining room.  First on the list, she wanted a paint palette for the entire house.  Here's a look at what I've suggested...

First, the foyer...

The entire house is light, airy and has a fairly open floor plan.  I wanted the colors to be light and reflective of the ocean surroundings.  I began by suggesting a much needed runner and small rug in the entry.   I'm suggesting this wool stripe, which will take a beating under sandy feet, as well as ground the color palette.

For the foyer, I'm suggesting Lighthouse Landing (all colors, Ben Moore).  It's a light, warm neutral, sort of like sand.





When you come in the front door, immediately to the left is the dining room, where I'm suggesting Sea Glass (okay, seriously, I didn't choose the colors based on the names!).  It works great off the rug, and will be beautiful with the natural linen drapes in this space...

Don't you love the chandelier?  I can't take credit -- this was all done by Barbara.  I think the Sea Glass looks a bit darker in this computer swatch.  It does have a bit of intensity, and it will pop off of and highlight the beautiful wainscoting in this room.

Barbara loves blue, as is evident by all the shades she has already put in the house.  At the end of the hallway from the foyer is the very casual living room, where this lovely rug beckons bare feet...

The wall color here will be Morning Dew, working off the blue/green/gray (depending on the light) of the middle square on the bottom row of the rug...





The light, bright white kitchen/family room is going seaside with Pale Smoke.

We are also planning window treatments for this large space, going back and forth between woven woods and fabric.  I would love to see woven woods on all windows, in a warm tone that has some lighter threads in it.  Texture in this space is an absolute must have.

That's it for now.  I'll post the bedrooms soon.

I am so ready for an escape to the beach (in warm weather!!).  How about you?

Talk to you soon,
Carol


How I can help you define the look of your home?  Check out my Design Services for the answer.

Oliveira Textiles

My sister sent me a link to Oliveira Textiles, which was highlighted in the Providence (RI) Journal the other day.  It's totally eco-friendly, and I was taken with the gorgeous fabrics.

The company is headed by Dawn Oliveira and her twin sister, Deborah Olson. (Okay, the twin thing got me, as you all know I have identical teenage girls.)  Anyway, they are native Rhode Islanders (so am I), and they have something great going on.

pillow from their Etsy shop

All of their fabrics are made from organic cotton and hemp, which you can read abut here on the website.  Really interesting stuff.  Their statement about sustainability is "Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, or simply put – don't do things today that make tomorrow worse."  These forward-thinking women are meeting their mission head on with gorgeous products.

one of many sea-inspired patterns

In addition to fabrics (which are available retail and to the trade), they make products like women's belts, hats and small bags from the fabric waste when fabricating window treatments and upholstery.  They try to use every scrap.  Impressive!

The experience is there, too.  After more than 20 years spent creating fashion and home textiles for brands such as Stark Carpet, Polo Ralph Lauren, and Dana Buchman, to name but a few, Dawn made the decision to leave New York and relocate back to her native state of Rhode Island.  Can't argue with that kind of experience.

I hope these two have great success.  I don't know about you, but I'm seeing more and more eco-friendly fabrics in the market, and I love it.  Check out their Etsy shop here.  (The pillows are great.)

Just so you know, I don't have any connection at all to Oliveira Textiles.  I just liked their stuff and thought I'd share.  Besides, their shop is in Bristol, RI, home of the oldest fourth of July parade in the US.  Brings back childhood memories!

Have a great week,
Carol

What's A Girandole?

I'm putting a girandole  in a client's bathroom and I am soooo excited about it.  They are not common as electric lights, and this one just stole my design heart.  It's going in a powder room, with grasscloth behind it...

 

 Okay, so what a girandole? Here's what Wikpedia says...

 A Girandole (from French, in turn from Italian girandola) is an ornamental branched candlestick or lighting device often composed of several lights. Girandoles came into use about the second half of the 17th century, and were commonly made and used in pairs.
A girandole has always been, comparatively speaking, a luxurious appliance for lighting, and in the great 18th century period of French house decoration, the famous ciseleurs designed some exceedingly beautiful examples. A great variety of metals have been used for the purpose. Sometimes, as in the case of candlesticks, girandoles have been made in hardwoods. Gilded bronze has been a very frequent medium, but for table use silver is still the favorite material.
Girandoles, or lighting devices, have also been attached to looking glasses and furniture. Some popular mirrors, especially the convex style, and some large dressing glasses of the 19th century were known as "girandoles" because of the lighting devices mounted to their sides.

 Here's an example of the convex mirror style...

When I was searching for images to show you, I also came across the one below, which lead to a great blog on antiques called Buzz on Antiques.  (Don't you just love blogland?)

So it might be a stretch to call my client's new mirror with lights a girandole, as it is is certainly not ornate, but I'm taking some artistic license.  It just makes it sound all the more fabulous :)

What do you think -- would you trade the expected mirror with bathroom lights on either side for an all-in-one style?

Talk to you soon,

Carol

Traditional Bedroom: Design Board Winner

Let me tell you, what a dream space my design board winner, Kitty, has!  She asked me for a neutral bedroom of grays and beige, with a pop of color.  Here it is, then I'll explain...

Kitty wanted something traditional, with slip covers for her existing chairs, maybe a sisal, and she has the round table that needs some refinishing (it's oak, and I'm suggesting she strip and wax it for a natural look).  She sent me some inspiration pictures that showed pops of color, but wasn't sure how to incorporate it.  Because she also sent me pictures of some beautiful 4 x 6 orientals she's collected in her travels, I went with red as the "pop."  What I see in this space is putting one of those rugs in the small area that you see behind that open door.  Then, the color gets picked up in the room with the pillows.

Here are some before pictures...

(This is where one of the beautiful orientals with red should go.)

How much would you love to have this ceiling??  A few of you asked, since you know I love to do windows, how I was going to handle the angles by the windows.  My answer to Kitty is to leave the rod she has, as is.  It really is the only option.  And, this room must have panels to balance the ceiling.

Being an avid DIYer, Kitty is going to be sewing the panels, pillows and slipcovers herself, along with redoing the table.  This will go a long way toward staying within her budget.

I hope you've enjoyed this process!  And, if you'd like me to tackle your space, click on Design Services here or next to my picture and let's get started.

Happy Sunday,
Carol

Slipcovers And A Great Door

The design board for my giveaway winner, Kitty, is going to involve some slipcovers and a great door.  Here's a peak at the entrance to her master bedroom, the space I'm helping her transform...
I

I love that door so much I can't stand it.  I can't even concentrate on the space because I just want it (can't take credit for it, but wish I could!).  I have door envy.  But moving on, this is the stretch of windows in the room that we'll be dressing with something linen, perhaps...

Doesn't it feel like a treetop getaway?  Kitty has asked me for something traditional and European inspired.  Stay tuned, won't you?

Thanks for reading,
Carol

PS Again... The blog is in the middle of a makeover, looking kind of identity-challenged.  But as you'll see, I'm going to go orange -- my favorite color to wear for as long as I can remember.  (And no, Tangerine Tango had no influence!)  Love is love, and I decided to take my signature color to my blog. :)

Bathroom Floors

I'm working on three different client bathrooms, major cosmetic overhauls, and I've got bathroom floors on the brain.  Let's look at a few, shall we?

This floor totally caught my attention today when I was reading Conspicuous Style.  It's by Canadian designer Sarah Richardson.  Isn't this striping brilliant? (I'm all about that wallpaper, too.)

Sarah Richardson

(All the rest of these images are from the BGH Designer Showcase.)

One of my clients is considering a pebble floor (I'd call it smooth river rock, sounds more friendly), but she can't visualize it, so here are some images to help her  (yes! do it!  it will be gorgeous!)...

Andreas Charalambous

Beth Haley

 

 

Gail Drury

The one above is exactly the look of the one I am proposing, although we are considering it in a stunning blue-green, with white tiles and a border of sea glass around the tub.  My client's feet are a little cold, though, so perhaps we will seek alternatives (no....no.....noooo...).  :-)

Shelly Riehl David

What I love about pebble floors is that incredible texture beneath bare feet.  It would take me to another place every morning.

Would you do a pebble floor?

Talk to you soon,
Carol
PS  The blog is in the middle of a makeover, looking kind of identity-challenged.  But as you'll see, I'm going to go orange -- my favorite color to wear for as long as I can remember.  (And no, Tangerine Tango had no influence!)  Love is love, and I decided to take my signature color to my blog. :)

Design Project and A Giveaway Winner

What a great week this was, with lots of projects going on and a response to the design board giveaway that really blew me away.  I had so many nice emails from readers about launching my Online Design. I can't thank you all enough!
 
Just like any good cliffhanger on tv, I'm going to share a project before I get to the winner!

This dining room is on the opposite side of the family room that I designed online, here.  I am going through this entire home, main floor first.  Some online, some in person.

The rug is the inspiration, and I am tying in the entire first floor for great flow.  I don't want the rooms to match like twins wearing the same clothes, but I definitely want them to hold hands and get along.

Notice the wood floor -- a brown with a purple undertone.  This floor runs throughout the main level, except in the family room  (I'm going to digress a bit to show you my thought process).  Here's the family room, again from this post.  Notice the pink/purple undertones in the fireplace, and the pink undertones in the rug and paint.  The homeowner did a fabulous job coordinating her undertones when she chose the bones of this new construction.

Here was the Design Board (background color not the actual paint color we will use) that will get her started with the transformation of the family room...

Getting a feel for the first floor?  Back to the dining room. Here is the client's rug again, and here is the wallpaper I am suggesting...

Thibault Fiona in Bronze

Yesterday I found the drapery fabric, a silk with great texture and the perfect tones. I was so excited I jumped up and down, I really did.  I wanted a tone-on-tone look with great texture, so that no one thing in the room pops.  What do you think?

More details on this project are coming, but now for the giveaway winner!!

Using a random number generator...

 

True Random Integer Generator Min: Max: Result: 28 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Congratulations,  kdkmac!!!!!  Please email me at HouseandHomeDefined@gmail.com to get started.

Thanks again, to all who entered.  Have a great weekend, everyone!
Carol