Saturday, May 28, 2011

Summer Decorating in Red, White and Blue


Happy Memorial Day! Is there any holiday more refreshing and full of anticipation of great things to come?? Winter is finally over, and the lazy, hazy (and currently rainy?!?) days of summer are definitely here.....beach days, picnics, gardening, and lounging on the deck or patio. Although I've never been the owner of a summer/lake home, if I was, I'd definitely want to keep it fresh and "cottage-y". Nothing says summer better than red, white and blue. Bridging all three patriotic holidays ---Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day ----summer is definitely the time to decorate with our country's colors. Here are some of my favorite pictures decorating with the colors of the flag!




Love these twig beds!


Notice that almost all of these rooms use simple stripes. Here they combine a vertical one on the sofa with a horizontal stripe on the chair. Fun!


Very "Ralph Lauren-y"!!







A special Memorial Day sale for all of you blog-readers ----next week (May 31 - June 4): All jewelry and watches 50% off!! One week only!

Hope you all are having a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. See you soon!

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Totally Toile

I have never met a toile I didn't like!! Oh, there are some that I like better than others, like the many that feature farm animals or charming Provencal people... but overall I think any toile can be the starting point for a fabulous room. And although toiles can be used in any room, with their monochromatic color scheme and repetitive designs, they are particularly calming for the bedroom. Here are several pictures of lovely bedrooms decorated with toiles, each one prettier than the last!

The room above with its dark coffee walls uses toile only in the bedding, and dilutes the dark wall color with lots of filmy white. Simple, but very striking!


Using picture frame molding and a "crown" to highlight the bed wall, this room also uses toile primarily on the bedding, mixed with a matelasse coverlet, and checks and stripes for contrasting pillows.


I love bedrooms that use white on the top of the bed, and accent it with a toile. Even though the toile is used only on the dust ruffle and headboard, the room is interesting, but crisp, clean and tailored.


Here a combination of toiles is used ---- a busier one for the drapes and wallcovering, and an open toile for the top of the bed. Once again, mixing a check with a toile is a fool-proof combination! Contrast this room with the one above --- also done in black and white ---but this one is accented in bright and cheerful coral. Love the upholstered headboard and back curtain with canopy behind the bed, as well as the monogrammed shams!!


This room mixes several toiles together to create a charming, cozy bedroom. Using two different toiles, but reversing the background color, is also a formula that almost always works to create more interest. Note the great tri-fold mirror used as the headboard!


What a simple, clean look for a summer lake house! The wide stripes on the walls keep it neutral, but interesting, and accenting with sky blue gives it pizzazz! Think how easy it would be to change the accent color with a new throw, slipcovers on the two benches, and changing a couple of accessories.


An iron daybed, matelasse spread, and mixing checks and dots with the toile makes this room very French indeed! A great guest room that anyone would enjoy sleeping in!


Once again, the unbeatable combination of toile and checks, white on the top of the bed, and a bright accent color makes this bedroom fresh and welcoming.


Note the bamboo blinds with toile side panels on a bamboo rod. Folding a blanket across the foot of the bed always breaks up the long expanse of bedspread, and gives you a place for an accent pattern. Did you notice that every one of these beds has 5-7 pillow shams or accent pillows, which makes the bed look luxurious and inviting? Also, I love having a chandelier in the bedroom as this one does.


The classic of all bedroom combinations ---- blue and white toile with snow white bedding! Check out the sisal rug and fur throw at the foot of the bed --- both adding texture around the otherwise solid white bed.


And last of all, my own bedroom-----done in blue and white toile, combined with mustard walls, and a mustard, blue and white toile as an accent. If you look closely, you will find 8 distinct patterns in my bedroom --- two toiles, two checks, a plaid, a damask like design, the diamond carpeting, and a diamond/dot on the desk chair. No one ever accused me of being a minimalist!! I love pattern, color, and accessories, and tend to use lots in every room in my own home.





Don't forget that we are having Girls' Night Out this coming Thursday evening (May 12), from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Join us for peach bellinis and snacks featuring our Stonewall Kitchen products. Door prizes will be given away every hour, and of course, everything (excluding antiques and clearance items) will be 20% off!! Come party with us!

Hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day!!