Blue and White Inspiration with a Bit of Wood

It's time for me to get some inspiration for a family room redo.  It's the last room on our first floor to get some serious attention, and that's going to change this spring.  I'll show the room as it is now in another post, but here are some spaces that convey the feel I want the room to have...

Marshall Watson Design

I know this is a bedroom, above, but I love how it makes me feel.  I connect with it, and I want to have that connection with my new family room.    The only things I know for sure is that I want blues mixed with creams and wood.


This chair detailing slays me, it's so beautiful.  I believe the fabric is Cowtan & Tout, and I know that I must have either a window pane pattern like this one, or a check of some sort.

Lucy Williams Interiors

I love the wood mixed with the blue in the room below.  In another home, I would do blue and white in a nano-second,  but my home is in the woods, and doesn't have bright light, especially the family room.  What would white do in that room?  Look cold and shadowy.  Using white walls and furniture, in this designer's opinion, demands a lot of natural light.

Found on TG Interiors blog

I'm after a causal elegant vibe, much like the rest of the first floor.  Above is a bit too dressy, overall.  This is another gage on the feeling I'm going for...

I just adore this wallpaper and the mood it gives.  While wallpaper is not in the budget, I may do some on the back of my one bookcase.  We'll see how it all shakes out when the fabrics are decided.

Another element I know for sure -- baskets.  I love the texture and earthiness they bring to a home. They are just timeless.
Some like these...

found on Beneathmyheart.net

One of the reasons I'm starting to think about the details of this project is that I will probably do the One Room Challenge link up this spring over at Linda's blog, Calling it Home.  Not only do I need a plan, but I need to get my husband to do a few things with me, too, so planning is key.

If you follow me here or on Instagram, you know that this picture was the inspiration for my kitchen re-do last May...

It inspired my kitchen to look like this...

You can find out more about this kitchen makeover here.

Well, these snowy New England days of late have given me the opportunity to slow down and give the family room some thought.  Let's hope for a few more snow days so I can at least think about this project, even if I'm saving starting it for the spring ;-)

Hope you all are safe and warm,

The Love for Blue in Design and a Coupon

  I never cease to be amazed that my 6 Wilson shop stats consistently tell me that my customers love blue pillows.  Every shade of blue, every style, whether it is mixed with white or other colors.  I believe that in design, blue is the most decorated-with hue, and there's no wonder why.  It's just plain pretty.

Take a look...

via ApartmentTherapy.com

Sarah Richardson Design

via Savvy Southern Style

In keeping with the blues, I added some new pillows to 6 Wilson.  There's some traditional, a bit of elegance, some French Country, and a dash of modern, too. 

There's so much blue in the shop right now, and most all of it is done in high end, designer fabrics.  Many of them are only available through designers.  I am a firm believer in having things in your home, like pillows ;-),  that reflect your style, and not every neighbor on your street.

And if you'd like a chance to win a pillow cover of your choice, hop on over to The Enchanted Home and visit Tina (who's love of blue and white is hard to top).  She's hosting a 6 Wilson giveaway, and there's a 20% off COUPON you can use.  Just sharin' the love!

Hope you have a fabulous weekend, friends!!

Chinoiserie Trays in Classic Blue and White for Sale

UPDATE:  BOTH TRAYS HAVE SOLD.  I WILL BE ORDERING MORE AND ADDITIONAL PIECES AS WELL.  STAY TUNED!

  Are you a lover of blue and white chinoiserie?  Then you've got to see these porcelain trays...

I am going to be carrying this Chinese porcelain line when I launch 6 Wilson.com, and I am so excited about it.  These trays are handmade in China by local artists who mold them and then hand paint them.  They are heavy and substantial, not really for serving, and definitely make a statement.  I have styled them a bit to give you an idea of scale (mind you, the lamp below is only 10" wide). 

Here's the rectangle...

And the octagonal...

When I discovered these pieces, I learned that a lot of the mass produced blue and white porcelain you see in stores everywhere is actually produced using blue decals, while some is painted.  That is why the price can sometimes be very inexpensive.  I believe I will probably offer both variations -- mass produced and hand done, because each has it's place, and each offers a different aesthetic.


What I love about this more rustic line of hand done porcelain is the rich character the pieces contain,  making no two alike.  These are done in a pre-industrial setting with the rich clay of the region, where up to 8 or 9 potters and painters can collaborate to form just one piece.  These pieces are definitely not the perfect, crisp white and blue porcelain of the modern factory.  And that's what gives them their charm.  They are regional and proudly made.

If you look closely at the images above, you will see markings from tools, the imperfect lines of the painter's brush, and what I love most -- the occasional and sometimes densely spaced, tiny brown markings that appear (bottom center) in the piece after it is fired.  I'm told this is actually iron from the rich iron content of the local clay.  Some pieces will have a lot of it, some barely any.  It's all a natural process.  Here's another look.

The rectangle measures 17" x 13" x 1 1/4" and the octagonal is 15 1/2" x 15 1/2" x 1 1/4".

The bottom of these pieces is unglazed, and looks very rustic, but it so smooth...

Because the 6 Wilson.com shop won't be up and running for a few months, and I can't sell them in 6 Wilson on Etsy because I didn't make them,  you can buy them from 6 Wilson via a PayPal invoice.  Shipping is $20 (and if you are a Massachusetts resident, sales tax applies.)  You just need to email me if you want one.

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope your week is off to a great start!

Email me at Shop6Wilson@gmail.com to purchase or to ask questions.

Blue and White Rooms

Blue and white rooms are just plain classic.  I never tire of looking at them, admiring them, wishing I had one.  I've used a lot of blue over the years, usually mixed with green, but never have I done it with white.

So, to start this week, I thought I would start with the blues (in the very best sense...)

Source: johndd.com via Carol on Pinterest

This image above is just so gorgeous,  I love every single thing about it.  The scale of the pattern on the host chairs is just perfection, isn't it?

Source: niagaranovice.blogspot.com via Carol on Pinterest

See those checks above?  I don't care what trends come and go, I will always, always, love checks.  I think the casualness of it here is a perfect balance to all the elegant porcelain.

Source: johndd.com via Carol on Pinterest

And the wallpaper above, can you even stand it?  To die for.  Seriously. And the leading edge blue on the drapes is stunning.

The profile on the chair below makes me take a breath.  It is startling, don't you think?  Makes you say "wow" even if you're not crazy about blue, I think.

Source: thehuntedinterior.blogspot.com via Carol on Pinterest

Source: flourishdesignandstyle.blogspot.ca via Carol on Pinterest

So this is what I think is amazing about the image above -- that chest is so authentic, so slightly humble, and it's against a wall with high gloss navy.  And of course, I'm loving those drapes peaking in to the picture (my first love will always be window treatments, even if I'm into pillows, too).

Source: wonderfulpalmettolife.tumblr.com via Carol on Pinterest

Being a topiary freak, I'm blown away by this mantel vignette, above.  Simple and elegant.  I'm all over it.

This final picture puts me in such a serene mood, just looking at it.  Even with the season of greenery behind us, I am smitten with this image, and I want to stay in this room in a bed and breakfast in the mountains.

Source: blueroomlady.tumblr.com via Carol on Pinterest

On Sunday nights, like tonight, I am always a bit blue about starting the week.  Two days off from deadlines and schedules is never enough :)  But, I hope these blue images bring a happy start to your week!

Carol