indigo dreams

blue: the pure color of a clear sky; the primary color between green and violet in the visible spectrum...

over the last few years i have incorporated more and more of the color blue into the chalet design. there was a starting point and it was this shower curtain. i love stripes - man do i - i have more than a few Boden Breton t-shirts.

i remember working on a piece like this in my high school art class. the pattern the color - it conveys so much in it's simplicity of form.

my childhood bedroom which i originally shared with my older sister was yellow for years; it had - green curtains and pair of kelly green bedspreads with a small white floral pattern; then in my Laura Ashley phase the walls became white - accented with blue and pink patterned bedding and lastly it was this lovely blue. i was looking through albums and i'm bummed there aren't more images of the room i called home for more than half my life.

you can see i had a bit of art and had already started my @saynotoemptywalls obsession - two of these pieces are hanging upstairs in the chalet and the smallest is my treasured pen and ink of Edinburgh mom brought back for me from her trip. oh look at the plants -  i miss those wide English Tudor window sills.

these scrumptious Hedgehouse headboard cushions were the catalyst for introducing blue in the master. these pillows are life-changing. i can't tell you how much like royalty they make you feel. the marvelous linen fabric is dreamy and the down feathers extremely heavy and dense - they are amazingly supportive and the tassel ... so fun!!! you need these in your life!

then i started in the livingroom. the couch and carpets give off a taupe vibe, (ok very taupe) but i do love them and i'm not sure what i'd do if i could scrap them - which i can not currently.... a blue couch? maybe... different rugs maybe? in my piece style love you saw a pattern: the designer's spaces i'm loving have an airy quality usually light colored accented with blue. not exactly the same sort of feeling as the chalet. but, that is exactly why i really like them... it's the opposite of the what i live with. i have this mid-century modern all white walls and dark sectional thing floating around in my head for the basement re-do (whenever that happens). this Target striped blanket was a fun addition. it's 100% cotton with fringe. i spy it so often all over IG and in the blogosphere.

this image... the corner of the mantel from last spring. this was when the blue light-bulb really clicked for me - i gathered images from Jane at Home, The Pink Clutch, Sue De Chiara and Pencil and Paper Co. and used their inspiration to pull this together.

i let my blue flag fly on the porch just look at it all!

i love it!

don't you adore the faux fur footstool i picked up recently at Home Goods. it was just what the porch needed a bit of whimsy - and honestly i have been sitting on it working on my puzzle - it's comfy too!

yes, i am an orange enthusiast, but give me navy all day long!

my recent trip to Home Goods yielded all these goodies!  the new throw has found a home on the back of the beige velvet chair in the livingroom and for the first time in the kitchen i swapped out my regular orange dishtowels for some blue love. not sure why i waited so long.

my current obsession is this vintage chinese vase. i just started using it for flowers. isn't it great!

sometimes it's not just about what we live with in our homes, but seeing the color around us and finding joy - that's why i titled this piece indigo dreams.

the rose window in the Basilica of the Scared Heart in Newark NJ - stunning.

what is your favorite color? do you incorporate it into your decor?

til next time.

the chair

it all started because i wanted a chair... well, really it started because i wanted to redo the porch... wait - i guess if we start at the very beginning it began with the chair.

yes - this chair... it's a family piece. it was my grandparents. it was in our den when i was growing up. oh it's grand - it's a brick S***house - heavy as all get-out - built to last - 100 years old.

it looked like this when my brother delivered it to the chalet. Yikes! it was rough and one of the arms was loose - with  the same heavy floral fabric Mom had done in the 1980's which i actually still liked.

the upholsterer Andy, who's such a great guy, told me the chair was french. i never knew.

oui c'est tres chic.

here i am with my nephew Emmett circa 1988. 

for 2 years it sat in the basement. because we knew it would be more than a bit of $$$ to redo. so it sat and all the while i kept thinking and talking about how it would end up in Liam's room. a sturdy chair he could grow into.

everyone agreed - it's divine. Andy did an amazing job - completely rebuilding parts. i chose a hard-wearing high quality microfiber. my son was happy.

 

 

 

 

...cut to the porch

if you're new here - you may not know we had a porch redo - a conversion - from outdoor to indoor space.

this image is from October. it looks perfectly fine - but after the Christmas tree was put away i wanted more. i wanted to balance the seating with the other end of the room. to get a great chair and utilize the ginormous  ottoman we have.

i went onto the interweb - and found a wingback - it landed on the porch last week. here's an image from my instastories.

let me add - i was in housewares design & product development for years and sold many chairs to catalogs. the idea of not being able to sit on something before i bought it didn't concern me.

but, it was not what i imagined. i sat and sat and it felt off - the room felt off - i was upset. what was the deal???

finally my husband asked me why i was fretting - we'd simple swap it out for Liam's; after all shouldn't i enjoy the chair. the chair i love - the chair we'd spent a gazillion dollars redoing? all i kept thinking was after all my build-up about how it would always be his - i was afraid my son would balk at relinquishing it.

of course my husband was right - he is only 6 years old after all and it was absolutely no big deal to him... he arrived home from school and happily assisted in the transfer.

after the switcharoo - here's his new chair - it has tufting detail.

here's mine!!!

it looks lovely in the space! it works so well with my new Target metal accent table. the very best part - it's super comfy! i'm sitting in it right now!

have you ever changed your vision for a space?

til next time.

style love

while i was redoing the bits and bobs around the chalet - putting Christmas away -  i started thinking about design styles - specifically mine.

it's pretty obvious i lean toward traditional - there are four inherited pieces in this image (and more on the other side of the room), but i enjoy many different aesthetics - i also have chinoiserie and mid-century in this room - along with trendy touches from the IKEA lamp and my Target bits.

it's a conglomeration - is that a style?   insert emoji with hand on chin? HA!

but, what if i could scrap it all? had a gazillion $$$  - what would i do?

so with that in mind - i'm presenting some of my IG friends whose styles i admire and desire.

Elizabeth @edbdesigns had me the minute i saw the expansive exposed beams in this lovely light-filled space and that wall.

well you all know my wish to #saynotoemptywalls. baskets on a wall=love to me!

Erin @francois_et_moi ability to combines neutrals and such delicious patterns - so effortlessly. resulting in a space filled with personality, not overwhelmed by any single element. 

that sectional is calling to me... it's saying momma come and relax!

aah Simone @honeyandfizz what's not to love about the stunning clean lines and brilliant pops of color!

don't you wish you had a surfboard in your livingroom?

Jane @jane_athome has all the blue and white a girl could dream of. her home is a study in luxury done unpretentiously. 

never letting her surroundings get stagnant Jane is constantly changing things up - furniture layouts, rugs, decorative elements.

it's so very enjoyable to watch! 

Jo @jogalbraithathome use of traditional pieces paired with rustic touches really speaks to me on a visceral level.

her use of blue throughout not only her livingroom but, her entire home is delightful.

Hayley @mumslittleloves has stunningly decorated her home with equal parts white and blue that only enhance the amazing pops of her favorite pink!

every room has a distinct point of view - but, all work together blissfully.

the secret is certainly in the @roomsauce Bev has layered all the ingredients together and the results speak for themselves. with a Julia Child inspired pegboard and a custom shelving unit - this space is wonderfully warm and inviting.

Nicole @sweet_domicile is a country girl making her second stint as a highrise dweller in Gotham.

her modern bohemian vibe is punctuated with tons of yummy blue and all her pretty plants. 

isn't it divine?

 

so tell me - would you chuck it all? build a castle around that heirloom piece or start a new aesthetic based on your latest curbside find?

make sure you check out the IG links for the lovely ladies featured.

please sign up for my mailing list.

til next time.