Thursday, July 21, 2011

Gorgeous Garret Getaways

I've had an affinity for attics since I was a little girl.......what other room in a house could be so out of the way, so invisible and yet, hold such treasures?  I spent many a day in the attics of a friend and cousins dressing up in their mother's old dresses and high heels and wrapping myself in an old mink stole with the head on one end and the tail tossed casually over my shoulder!  What a glamorous life I could lead in those attics!

Then, as a teenager, my parents bought a farmhouse and it, too, had an attic......and, once again, I was drawn to it as a complete and private getaway.  It was completely unfinished, mind you, with nothing more than a window, an old victrola and a brass bed with stairs leading down to the kitchen.  But, what a retreat to read a book in, or just to be alone and dream about it's possibilities. 

Yes, even then at 14, I was dreaming of interior decorating and even though I had completely redecorated my own bedroom in our new (old) house with blue and white striped wallpaper, floor length blue drapes that I had sewn myself, blue bedspread, painted wood floor and antique furniture with a white faux fur area rug on the floor with pictures symmetrically arranged on the walls and lamps in all the appropriate places.......I still escaped to the attic.  When I think back to that time, I had a Laura Ashley like bedroom, but it was only 1964 and I hadn't really heard about British interior designer Laura Ashley in small town Nova Scotia......we didn't really find out about her until the late 70s or early 80s.  (In fact, in 1964 Laura Ashley was still experimenting on her kitchen table with silkscreened dish towels!)  This was completely my idea of how I wanted my room to look......all that was missing was the chintz.....I hadn't discovered that yet!

So, when I came upon the rooms below, they brought back memories of good times, coziness, comfort and possibilities!  A place to dream.........!













Love the dog art theme going on in the last four rooms

All photos courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Canadian Coastal Chic

For those of you who may have missed Canadian designer Sarah Richardson's personal cottage reno on HGTV last year, here is a run down of her project.

She took a dark, dreary rustic cottage to new heights by adding an extension on one end, which became the new living room, and installing large windows throughout, painting all the interiors white, painting floors, buying old furniture and re-painting it, recycling old painted wood in parts of the kitchen, and embellishing it all with wonderfully bright, fresh fabrics, old quilts, lots of pillows, candles and fresh flowers.......a winning combination!


















All photos courtesy of Country Living

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Shabby Chic Cottage

I wanted you to see the interior of this cottage that I posted about last week.......hand built by a woman as her private getaway in upstate New York.

It is a perfect example of a shabby chic cottage......recycled materials, everything painted white and feminine details such as the chandeliers, gauzy curtains, slipcovers, old bottles used as vases, pink roses, fresh flowers, silver teapot, red rubber boots, books recovered in white to match the decor......what fun she must have had putting this whole look together with found windows, corbels, window boxes and all.

A pure delight and very inventive!  What woman would not love such a getaway?




Click on photos for greater detail

Photos via New York Times


Monday, July 18, 2011

American Coastal Retreat

In keeping with our international cottage and country decorating theme, I am today featuring the summer home of Galen and Hilary Weston, who are the owners of Canada's Loblaws Grocers, Atlantic Superstores, Holt Renfew in Toronto and Selfridge's in London, to name a few of their retail establishments.  Galen was named by Forbes magazine this year as the second wealthiest person in Canada with an estimated fortune of $7.1 billion.  Understandably, this is not a 'typical' coastal retreat......this is something only the very, very wealthy would have access to, so it is definitely worth a peek!

Galen began his career as a bag boy in his family's bakery business and through hard work, education and determination salvaged the floundering company in the 1970s and went on from there.

So, when their latest home appeared in AD this week, I was fascinated.  It was built in their own community in Florida which was developed in the 90s called Windsor 'A Village by the Sea' ....... and the interiors were designed by John Stefanidis, who has worked with them on several of their other homes.

Enjoy!  

Summer Residence

Courtyard

Passageway

Living room

Living room
Pizza room (oven to the side)

Master bedroom
Hand painted lace design on walls

Master bath
Love the coral mirror, chandelier and color scheme!
Pink, green and white with a touch of gold and a splash of red!
Gorgeous!
Guest room

Swedish style guest room
Love this color scheme as well
Red, rose, pink (chintz curtains) and white

Veranda

Pool

All photos via Architectural Digest

Friday, July 15, 2011

French Country Decorating

I have often been asked what the difference is between English country and French country decorating and other than colors, not a whole lot really.

When considering French country decor, think about the colors of the south of France.....the sun drenched lavender fields, sunflower gold, terracottas, deep reds and cerulean blue skies.  And therein lies the French country color palette.

As far as fabrics go, toile is probably the most used in French decor, mixed with ikats, ginghams and stripes......as opposed to the floral chintzes of English design.  I'm sure the color scheme of yellow, blue and white comes to mind often when thinking about French country, and while it is a popular color scheme, there are many others, as you can see in the rooms below.  French ceramics are very colorful and oftentimes, a home's palette will be taken from a homeowner's collection of ceramics or china.

Also, as in English design, homeowners love their animals, animal art, pastoral scenes and overall animal themes such as dogs, roosters and cattle.

As mentioned yesterday regarding English country design, French country also involves most of the same elements as mixing old with the new, light woods mixed with dark woods, natural materials for floors, wall and timbered ceilings......and surrounding oneself with the collections one loves......whether it's books, ceramics, animal themed pieces, pillows.......it all adds up to comfy, snug rooms that are warm and welcoming.

The foremost French country decorator in North America is a man by the name of Charles Faudree, who is based in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  He is a French country afficionado and is the turn to guy for his expertise.....many of his accessories are authentic vintage items that he picks up on his regular shopping trips to France and he now has his own furniture line of French style bergere chairs and his own fabric line.

All of the rooms below are by Charles Faudree, the first five are from his weekend cottage, called "The Roost", and the rest are from permanent homes he has decorated......you will notice the difference between the cottage rooms and the traditional house interiors.  He has also published several books on the subject.

Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Notice the natural wood walls and ceiling, mix of beautiful fabrics - toiles, stripes and gingham, his quilt and his personal collection of books, ceramics - it reads French design in every way.

 Charles' beautiful blue and white ceramic collection and rooster in his cabin kitchen.

Again, beautiful mix of fabrics in blue and white and painted beamed ceiling.

Look how tiny and cosy this bathroom is and he has a vanity, a chest of drawers as well as a perfectly accented room with wall art and bath accessories conveniently placed.  Impeccable taste.

How much more inviting could this bed nook be for a guest?  Or a dog?

Another perfectly accessorized room with a tea table in front of the sofa.

This is the fireplace opposite the sofa above.  Dog art, ceramics, gilt frames.

An animal art filled foyer.

Rustic beamed ceiling and lots of animal art/ceramics.

Impeccable detail again - fabrics, books, collections and cosy furniture arrangements.

The wall opposite above sofa - stone fireplace, flowers, fabrics and animals.

Love this cosy little dining nook.

Love the sofa between the bookcases and again, the tea table instead of a lower coffee table.


All photos via Traditional Home



Thursday, July 14, 2011

English Country Decorating

This house is the epitome of English country living........to the manor born, mind you! 

Imagine returning to this home every day and having these 5 little faces greeting you......or curling up by the fire with a favorite book......or cooking dinner in this kitchen..........surrounded by all the things you love......including a large basket on the kitchen table to place one of your pet chickens in while you putter about.

This is a larger version of the English cottage look of yesterday.......same details, but larger rooms......wonderful colors, chintz fabrics, comfy furniture, lots of wall art, plates, lamps, area rugs......and still cozy despite the size of the rooms.....because the homeowner has surrounded herself with the things she loved!

As a passionate Anglophile, this is my cup of tea!












All photos courtesy of Traditional Home