Brown and white toile

 

In flipping through the September issue of House Beautiful I ran across this set of dinnerware, a new Juliska pattern called "Country Estates."

It's very pretty stoneware, but pricier than I could afford for a whole set ($22-$175 per piece).  I might be able to swing a couple key pieces.  I particularly like this hostess platter:

The set reminded me a lot of this vintage saucer I found a while back:

I use it to store matchbooks.  My dad travels overseas sometimes for work, so I ask him to bring back matchbooks from around the world; it's pretty difficult to find matchbooks in the U.S. since so many places are now smoke-free.

As I am trying to spruce up the living room a bit, I also bought a yard or two of this brown and white toile fabric:

 A few weeks later the whole bolt got moved to the clearance aisle, and I briefly toyed with the idea of buying it and upholstering some walls (an idea I've wanted to try for a while).  I figured my husband might be a little leery of my arrival with gallons of starch, yards of fabric, and an internet DIY tutorial to guide my plans, so instead I stuck with the idea of making a couple small throw pillows.

I added some brown ball fringe to trim them out (DIY tutorial coming soon!).

Making these pillows, in turn, got me thinking about grander uses of brown toile, such as those in these rooms:

Traditional Home

 via ArchitectsForLife - kind of a greeny-brown

Heather Chadduck

Colefax and Fowler toile via Cote de Texas

I do like other colors of toile, but I always come back to brown as the one I could probably live with the longest (ok, maybe blue too...).  I also think that toile looks good on a big scale, and I admire those people who can swath an entire room in the stuff: wallpaper, bedding, even lamp shades.

For now, I'll stick with my flea market china and my little throw pillows.  And maybe I'll start saving up for some Juliska.

Den inspiration

So, we're making some changes to the house right now.  We had a formal dining room that was VERY infrequently used, so we're turning it into a media room / family room.  I think it will be a temporary change.  Once we finish our basement, we plan to use the room as a dining room again.  So far, we've switched out the light fixture, removed the furniture, and moved in a TV.  Our sofa should be delivered soon, and I'm really excited about it.  We spent a lot of time visiting furniture showrooms and looking online but eventually settled on a custom sofa in a brown velvet.  I'm excited to see it in person!

I like to call this room a den because that makes it sound cozy and traditional, which is the feeling that I'm hoping for.  Here are a few images I've been looking at as far as inspiration for the colors, mood, and furnishings in our new den:

I like the modern art in this room and the combination of brown and red upholstery.

 

A very moody, dark den

 Palmer Weiss

The velvet sofa is great, and I just got a pair of similar lamps that I'm in the process of rehabbing.

 Another velvet sofa, plus an interesting arrangement of art

Another dark den in shades of navy and gray

 Southern Living

We have very similar velvet drapes in our living room, and I again like the combination of the oriental rug, modern art, bits of bamboo, and traditional furniture silhouettes.  I like pretty much everything about this room!

Jeffrey Bilhuber

Green velvet everything--looks so cozy!  Plus, I love blue and white ceramics and that unlacquered brass.

 

Elle Decor

I like the strong reds in this room, repeated on the curtains, rug, tablecloth, chair seats, and sconce shades.  Some people don't like red in large doses, but I really like a deep, strong red without too much orange in it; I find it a comforting color.

 Lovely lacquered red wall -- I wish I could do this!

This image is closest to the actual wall color in the room, which we probably won't change just because it opens up to another space and there's no good place to switch paint colors.  I like the various shades of tan and brown in this space.

Orange

Right before the end of the year, I hurried down to my new office to make a quick decision on paint since the space was going to be emptied and repainted over the holiday break.  I met my new office mate, and together we had about 15 minutes to decide on a color scheme.  I wanted some color but not anything overpowering as it is a smallish space.  We were given six colors from which to choose; he chose beige for three walls, and I chose orange for the fourth.  Orange??!  What was I thinking?  I literally own one orange piece of clothing and absolutely nothing orange for our house (except for some fall-hued items that get dragged out of storage every October).  This is strange given that Color Me Beautiful tagged me as an "autumn" back in the fifth grade.

It made me feel a little better to see that orange is Pantone's color of the year for 2012 (so I guess my choice was trending, not haphazard?).  Grant Gibson's new Hermes-orange bathroom was further comfort, as were these posts from Heather of Habitually Chic, in which she compiled a set of wonderful orange interiors and fashion.

I still very much prefer the color red, but I am trying to convince myself that orange will be okay and that it is in fact a good thing to venture out of one's tried-and-trues sometimes.  I am also hoping that the color turns out looking more "rust" or "paprika" and less "radioactive tangerine."

I will try to post photos once I get settled in a bit.  In the meantime, a few images I keep looking at to assuage my regret...

Christina Murphy

Robin Bell

Gwen Driscoll

Courtney Coleman

Ron Marvin

Also Ron Marvin

Windsor Smith

Kristen Buckingham

Jeffrey Bilhuber

What about you?  Do you like orange or not?
 

Beyond the kitchen

I am just wondering:

Does this kitchen...

 Celerie Kemble Black and White and a Bit in Between, scan via delight by design

...remind you of this kitchen...

Brooks & Falatico

The overall layout looks very similar.  I think I am drawn to them mostly because of the openings on either side of the range leading to a room(s) beyond, a pantry or laundry room of some kind.

The idea of a walk-in pantry is so appealing to me.  I could probably do a whole post on walk-in pantries!  I am immediately reminded of this room in a Southern Living idea house:

They called this room a "scullery," but it was a walk-in area off to the side of the kitchen and usable for actual cooking, mixing, etc. and not just for storage.

Previous two photos: Southern Living 2010 Georgia Idea House

From what I recall, the designer used IKEA cabinets here, which I think is a great reminder that 1) you can use a less expensive product that still looks terrific if you fit it into a cohesive design scheme and splurge on some other elements, and that 2) IKEA products do not have to be uber-modern in their application.

Check it out

The floors, obviously.

Hotel Recamier 

Windsor Smith 

Photo credit unknown 

Unknown

 via DecorPad

Unknown

 Lorenzo Castillo

The diamond checkerboard pattern is so classic and so versatile, I think!

Industrial style

Some days I like to look at online real estate listings and think about what it would be like to live in one of those big, airy downtown lofts.  Maybe one with brick walls, exposed ductwork, large commercial-looking windows.  You know the type.

Then I come back to the world of reality and the fact that this style of living might not be the easiest with a little child and, more so, a dog who thinks he needs to go outside to go to the bathroom every half hour.

So instead, here are a few pieces to add a little of that industrial style to your home without moving to the heart of the big city.

Vintage Belgian factory pendant - Restoration Hardware

Despite being based on a pendant that used to hang in a factory, I think the design of these lights is really pretty.  These would look great hanging over a kitchen island.

Industrial garment rack - Urban Outfitters

An easy way to solve a lack of closet space.  I like the orange-painted base!

Aluminum low table wagon - Muji

An ideal coffee table, and the wheels make it super easy to move around.  Would make for good extra storage in a closet or the corner of a room as well.

Midcentury shop ladder shelving - Restoration Hardware

A sculptural-looking piece, or you could actually use it as shelving.

Beacon floor lamp - CB2

There are lots of these types of lamps on the market, but I like the round drum-head shape of the shade on this one.

Commercial grade chrome 6-shelf storage unit - Home Depot

These are great for the garage, but I also dream of having a walk-in pantry with these shelves lining the walls.  I would love to have all my cookware and pantry items out in the open like that!

Loft chandelier -  Z Gallerie

The cluster of light bulbs looks really cool!

Also, if you like this style, you have to check out this brilliant IKEA hack by Dan at Manhattan Nest.  You will never guess what he made out of this IKEA mirror:

First image: Andrew Rosen and Jenny Dyer, Elle Decor, photographed by William Waldron

Second image: Alexander Deutsch, Loft Living magazine, photographed by Tom Ackerman