February 24, 2021

Revisiting the Reimagined

February 24, 2021/ Meryl

I receive inquiries regarding the items we live with here in the Chalet so this week I’m sharing my thoughts about them and what, if anything - I’d do differently.

During the Summer of 2018 I got the itch to change things around. I started by completely revamping the Livingroom console table. Changing the orientation of the family photos and adding books to the top of the table made such an impact. Then I moved onto finding a new coffee table. I love this table from Home Sense with its brass accented legs and the round shape was definitely the way to go.

In October 2018 our new Montclair Sofa from Crate & Barrel arrived. I had to reorder it, when the original didn’t have fabric suitable to be scotch-guarded. We ended up with a microfiber fabric but, I do have a piece of the original heathered herringbone fabric that I will eventually sew into a pillow cover. The sofa is pretty stain resistant and comfortable but, truth be told the original fabric of linen and cotton had more give because it was natural fabric - the sofa was more comfy.

If I had known the difference would I have gone with a microfiber or maybe just have gone with a different color? I don’t know. Look at these side by side images taken 11 days apart - granted the time of day and light conditions aren’t exactly the same but, you can see that the white sofa did what I wanted - what I hoped it would do - it brought a feeling of lightness to the space.

Then I added a pair of matching lamps from Home Sense on the sideboard. I really love the balance in the space. I am tossing around the idea of updating the shades with fabric. And friends can I share - that I chuckle at the fact I have six lamps that are either green or turquoise!

In February of 2019 I swapped the beige and blue chairs in the livingroom! I was on my way to being wholly in-love with the room after our antique Bergère chair was brought into the space. The addition of the lovely New Zealand Wool Baxter rugs from Crate & Barrel left me absolutely gaga! And just this past weekend I unveiled the large abstract canvas I painted. This space is still evolving.

I will say the coffee table, sofa and rugs are holding up marvelously. The rugs shed very little from the get-go. So yes, I will give all of these pieces a great big thumbs up.

Like I said - would I have gone with a white microfiber again? I don’t know. Maybe I would have gone with color instead - a green or blue sofa. The idea of bringing in more color definitely appeals to me but, then the rugs would need to change and if any of you were here and read my article Chalet Design than you will remember it took me 6 months to find my Crate & Barrel Baxter Rugs. I even ordered rugs from a different company I sent back because they caused me to have one of my Vertigo attacks. The space is 10 x 24 and many don’t seem to notice I use 3 separate rugs to cover it. We have a 5x8, an 8x10 and a 6x9. Swapping the sofa for a color would cause a domino effect friends. So for now I am pleased.

I continue to crave color and I brought in more with the addition of my ever changing pillow collection, the new canvas and the new curtains I sewed for our kitchen once it was painted and recently with our new diningroom rug. I’ll be sharing a piece about the diningroom transformation in a few weeks.

If you’d like to read two articles dedicated to the transformation of the space please click the titles. Design Shift and Chalet Design.

Tell us what would you change about your space? Leave a comment below.

Til next time friends be safe and wear your mask!

January 20, 2021

Lovely Loo

January 20, 2021/ Meryl

During the past 10 months while at home many of us have made changes, we’ve painted, we’ve bought new pieces and redecorated our spaces - because either we were finally able to settle on what we wanted or out of boredom.

Looking back at this image from May - this update was motivated by boredom. I was tired of the old shower curtain and introducing pink to this space with a new curtain and towels was fun and fresh.

Fast forward to October and I wanted a bigger change. I wanted a less busy space and down came all the art. I missed my navy towels so I knew the color palette would be blue and white again.

“Loo is deriving from the French “guardez l’eau”, which means “watch out for the water” When the British adopted it they shortened it to the more pronounceable “gardy-loo”, which eventually became “loo” and was applied to the toilet itself.”

— Google

I used Rub n Buff to add just the right bit of glitter to this Parisian street print.

While we all know how much I love a big mix of pieces - this time I decided to focus on the single theme France and let that be my guide. I went around the Chalet gathering pieces.

I did order one new piece Ballerinas in Blue by Erisha of A Thing Created.

The curtain feels sophisticated, eventually I hope to purchase fabric - something in a modern pattern like the kitchen curtains or possibly something in a chinoiserie pattern but, at the moment I’m happy.

Til next time friends stay safe.

January 13, 2021

Showstopping Chinoiserie

January 13, 2021/ Meryl

My love of Chinoiserie started when Great Aunt Alice’s Cabinet came into our home when I was a child. It was the first thing you laid eyes when entering.

Great Aunt Alice’s Cabinet in the corner of the Livingroom in the Chalet

I enjoy sharing the history of color and design movements - The term Chinoiserie means an imitation of Chinese and East Asian arts - including architecture, decorative arts, garden design, literature, music and theater.

18th-century Chinese export porcelain, Guimet Museum, Paris

But, first came tea. Europeans were introduced to the China drink tee in 1610 by the Dutch East India Company. Tea drinking became popular, along with the porcelain cups the Chinese used. The Chinese porcelains were beautifully decorated with blue and thin in contrast to the thick, heavy earthenware of most Europeans. In 1709 one typical order required forty tons of China ware. These pieces are now known as Export China. These porcelains were expensive and the English potters wanted to manufacture and sell their own.

By 1790 a name we still know today - Josiah Spode developed a recipe that was easy to fire, decorate and known for it’s whiteness and durability.

1790 Spode Pattern

Boy on a Buffalo

Chinoiserie is the interpretation of the Chinese Culture and it gained popularity in the 18th century due to the rise in trade with China and France was the first embraced China and all her beauty. The dominant style at that time was highly decorative rococo – Asian motifs, ornaments and colors fit perfectly into this style. François Boucher’s artwork is a good example of Chinoiserie painting.

the Chinese Garden, Francois Boucher 1742

Lacquerware like my cabinet can be many different types of items: including containers, furniture and tableware. The surface is sometimes painted with pictures or has inlaid shells or carving before it is lacqured. True lacquer is not made outside Asia, but some imitations, such as Japanning in Europe or parallel techniques, are often loosely referred to a "lacquer."