R & R in North Carolina

Hi.  I didn't fall off the face of the earth, I'm just in North Carolina suffering from technical difficulties with my laptop!  I hope to be back tomorrow with some great color inspiration from a model home I visited.

Please stay tuned!  I'll be posting these gorgeous pics on Thursday morning.  In the meantime, I've been enjoying some R & R with one of my best friends and her family, who recently left us (layering on the guilt) in Massachusetts for greener pastures down South.

Talk to you (very) soon,
Carol

A Dining Room Makeover in the Works

What do you say when a friend you've had since you were 12 asks for help re-doing his dining room?  You say yes!  And then you ask -- can we blog about it? :)  Man, did I underestimate how much fun this would be!

In my recent post, A Peak at a Friend's Edgy Home, I introduced you to my friend Glen and the home he shares with his partner, Mario.  Now, here are a couple of shots of the room in question.

Glen and Mario recently took most everything out of the room, and got rid of the chairs that were far past their prime and not worth reworking as they were really uncomfortable.  With an initial plan for new window treatments, wall decor and chairs, and a color pallet of black, white an maybe taupe, we went shopping for inspiration.  I had only a teeny idea of what this shopping "field trip" was going to be like!  Glen is, and always has been, a bit of a ham. 

After going through HomeGoods and coming out empty handed, a visit to Pier 1 was in order.  Jackpot! 

We were so thrilled with the funky wall decor we found,  Glen made the young guy helping us take a picture of our excitement.  That was just the beginning!  With our fabric swatch and wallpaper in hand, we continued our hunt.  And there, by the door, was more magic...

Here's Glen modeling a fab little chair we're thinking about using...doesn't he create a great little vignette?  The poor Pier 1 girl holding the mirror was such a sport!  I think the whole store heard about us, and is hopefully tuned in -- Glen made sure to tell them to follow the blog.  He is definitely not shy. :)

This is about all I can share, for now.  Everything we need has been ordered, and now the fun, cheap labor (he and I) can get to work.  I'm hoping for late November or early December for the reveal (we're having a party -- he's a foodie, like me), and any excuse to entertain is a good one!

By the way, Glen is a highly creative guy -- he is a Master Makeup Artist -- check out his website here.

Talk to you soon,
Carol

Are You Balanced or Artfully Mixed Up?

No, this is not Psychology 101.  I'm talking symmetry vs. asymmetry.  It seems that we humans have an innate tendency to fall into one of  two camps -- keeping things very orderly and balanced (in our decorating) or preferring to mix things together without the need to have things match.  Successful design keeps a foot in both camps.

Since I mentioned Psychology 101, I will say that in my experience, some people really are wired so precisely that they would be physically uncomfortable in a room where the chairs didn't match, the lamps flanking a sofa were different, or a vignette didn't seem orderly.  An entryway like this one, above,  from Country Home Magazine may make a "symmetrical person" flinch, because things are "off".  In fact, it is a charming, welcoming vignette.  But, my point?  We are who we are,  and in decorating, neither is wrong.  Both symmetrical and asymmetrical design can have a purpose, evoke a feeling, or set a tone for a space.

To keep this post focused and orderly, :) I'm going to show you images of symmetry in design, and save its counterpart for another day.  Symmetry, along with providing balance in a space, also invokes a feeling of formality, even in the most casual of spaces.

Southern Living

This dining room, above, is fantastically symmetrical.  Notice the chandeliers, the trees, and everything on the table.

Southern Living

 The symmetry in this dining room, with its rough-hewn wooden chairs and table legs, is instantly more formal because of the balanced arrangement of accessories.

Country Home Magazine

 Check out the art wall and it's asymmetry -- it lends a casual feel to the room, while the matching, symmetrically arranged chairs bring instant order and formality.  Same with the matching chairs, below.

Country Home Magazine

 Both of these living room images artfully mix the symmetrical and asymmetrical to give a funky vibe.

Southern Living

 Gorgeous!

A healthy mix of both styles in a home is what keeps it interesting.  Too much symmetry, it feels stuffy and uptight.  Not enough, it can feel disorderly.

So, do tell, what innate camp do you fall into?

Talk to you soon,
Carol

A Peak at a Friend's Edgy Home

Do you have a friend who makes you laugh so hard, you sometimes question getting together because you know your cheeks will hurt for hours after?  That's my friend Glen.  We got together this afternoon to talk about doing his dining room over.  My face aches.

But the dining room makeover is for another post.  I want to share a peak into the home he has created with his partner Mario.  It's cozy, masculine, and a bit edgy.  I love the way he's done some things, and I thought you'd like to see it.

The house is done in strong, dark colors like black, brown, and gray with relief from white trim and other things throughout.  Here is a shot looking from the kitchen into the entry room that greats you when you come in the back door.  I love the continuous reflection in the mirror.

Here's an angle of that entry room.  Isn't that Robert Allen fabric on the door gorgeous?

.  

Now the living room...

I love this eclectic wall on the opposite side of the room, although, being the control freak that I am, I told him the mirror has to come down a little to relate better to the space. :)

Now, check out how Glen created a "headboard" out of drapes...

The headboard wall of drapes was an inspired idea, because this is the window behind it...

In the morning, to let light in when they want it, there are drape holdbacks on either side of the window.  I wish these pictures showed the true, rich gorgeous colors of this room!  Here are a few more angles.

Great texture goes a long way in a home, doesn't it?

I'll be posting from time to time about the progress on the dining room.  I know we'll have a lot of laughs along the way -- I hope we can get it all done!

Talk to you soon,
Carol

Creating Interest at Different Levels

My client's family room is the perfect example of needing to decorate, accessorize, and add texture at different levels within one space.

Look at all the planes in this one room.  After the highest point was dressed with artwork that the client fell in love with (over an exceedingly high mantle), the windows in the room were all treated to great texture with woven-wood blinds.  At the next level -- the hearth.  Keeping accessories at eye level or below in any room  helps establish a relationship between furnishings, those accessories, and you.  It helps envelope you with atmosphere. 

Here, I rearranged her furniture so that her matching chairs flanked the fireplace.  Before, the very high hearth was empty, offering a cold, not-so-cozy feeling in front of the fire.  A beautiful chaise was to the left, and there was no chair to the right (they were flanking the entrance to the room, making it easy for your eye to miss them as you focused on...the focal wall!).

Now, by adding a mossy green velvet ottoman, a plant, some books and a candle stick at eye level (and easily accessible), the once empty and chilly hearth now feels like an active part of the space.  It serves as a table, inviting you to grace it with a cup of tea. 

Above each chair, on the side walls, are beautiful floral giclees.  Make sure to hang artwork low enough so that it maintains its relationship to the furnishings nearest it.  Too often, we see artwork floating out on a wall, lonely, desolate, not talking to anything around it.  It feels adrift, and that can end up being the feeling you get in the space -- unconnected.

While my client isn't fond of a lot of "stuff" on her surfaces, we did have fun gathering some items from around the house to style her new bookcase (with a remote lift-system tv hidden in the middle section!  Lucky girl!).  Here is a peak...

When you consider your own space, look at all the different levels, or planes, within it -- do they talk to each other and contribute to the atmosphere you're after?

Talk to you soon,
Carol

Happy 80th Birthday, Dad!

 My Dad.  My best memory is of him taking me to the movies on a bitter cold, snowy day after my morning session of kindergarten.  We went to see Lady and the Tramp.  It was the 70's, and my dad was laid off, so he was around a lot.  I remember him taking me into the theater and as we were just about the only ones for the afternoon show, he left me under the watch of the older gentleman behind the popcorn counter, as he went out with borrowed newspaper to cover the car windshield.  I wasn't afraid, standing there at the window, watching him by myself.  It was the 70's after all.  A different world, then.  I remember the feeling of how he just took care of everything. He was so smart not to let the windshield freeze.  My dad could do anything.  I can recall every minute of those few hours.  Special.  Just. So. Special.   And now, he's 80 and I'm still 5  (ok, not 5, 20....). :)

Dad and my Mom, his bride of  54 years.

So, for two days last week, you endured my Party Prep posts, and I thought I'd show you a bit of what I served.  Cooking is a joy for me, and an extra one for this occasion.

My Butternut Squash and Crab recipe you can find here.

I did some petite croissants filled with lobster (a favorite of Dad's).  I used only a teeny bit of mayo to hold the meat together, some salt and pepper, and then drizzled each sandwich with warm butter before serving.

Veal Saltimbocca also made the table, and I did some with chicken, as well, as my girls don't like veal.  The recipe for this can be found at the bottom of my very first post, Welcome to Sofas & Sage, here.

Then there were some oven roasted potatoes with garlic and parsley, along with a few other dishes.

Thanks for following along during the party prep, and for helping me to say Happy Birthday to my Dad, who turns 80 today, October 13th.

Here's to many more!!

Dad, at 80, me, still 5.

Talk to you soon,
Carol

Tree House Escape

Gotta love a good friend who thinks about your blog when she's out driving with her kids!  Here are some tree house pictures from a yard in Rhode Island, in a town by the water.  She stopped to ask the owner if she could take some pictures, and he offered a tour.  Enjoy!

Can you imagine the joy this would bring to your family?  And, what a great place to escape to when you can't take another minute of the craziness of life! :)

Have a great day.
Talk to you soon,
Carol