Salvage

I've always loved a salvaged door (as the barn door in my former living room above will attest). A great old door can separate two spaces or fill the role of headboard for an otherwise ordinary bed. When hung from the ceiling, windows can act as room dividers without blocking light. Or when propped on a console table, they introduce height to a grouping of found objects. Old signs that have nothing to do with a room's purpose add a bit of whimsy and fill the role of art at a fraction of the price. A room that otherwise leans toward the feminine finds balance when factory pieces are introduced. Chipping paint, cracks and rust are part of the appeal -- perfection is over-rated.

railroad sign

railway sleepers

English pub sign

garage door

architectural columns

 

 carnival ride & industrial baskets turned upside down

Images: 1) L.Gaule. 2, 3 & 4) Country Living, May, June & November 2012. 5) Elle Decoration, May 2012. 6 & 7) Flea Market Style, Summer & Fall/Winter 2011. 8, 9 & 10) Vogue Living, July/Aug 2011, Feb 2012 & July/Aug 2010. 11) Cote Est, Sept-Nov 2011. 12 & 13) Flea Market Style, Winter 2012 & House Beautiful, July/Aug 2012.    

Film Interiors: Easy Virtue

 

What's not to love about a wicked comedy based on a Noel Coward play and centering on the war of words between a glamorous American race car driver (Jessica Biel) and her deliberately hideous mother-in-law (Kristin Scott Thomas). Add Colin Firth, a decaying English mansion full of antiques and Jessica's Chanel-inspired wardrobe and the result is definitely worth a rainy afternoon's viewing.

 Foyer

Conservatory

Nursery

Libraries

Sitting room/games room

Images: Sony Pictures Classics.

Summertime Blues

 

For those of us who aren't lucky enough to own a beach house, adding a bit of blue and white to our interiors provides the soothing backdrop needed to take a mental vacation. In warmer climates (Morocco, Greece), cool blues are a nod to the ocean -- a way to integrate outdoor and indoor living. In colder climates (Scandinavia), washed-out blues provide a welcome respite from bitter temperatures and days without light. But for me, pretty patterns of blue and white remind me of Provencal farmhouses -- my ideal holiday.

 

Images: 1) Maisons Cote Ouest, December 2011/January 2012. 2, 3 & 4) Maisons Cote Ouest, October/November 2011. 5) Maisons de Campagne, September/October 2011. 6) Campagne Decoration, May/June 2011. 7 & 8) Country Living, British Edition, September 2010 & April 2011.

Chevron

I'm finding myself gravitating toward the chevron trend in home and fashion this season. Though my own personal taste veers more toward the colorful boho version of this pattern than the clean, modern version, all incarnations feel fresh for spring.

Images: Sunbutter & Jelly.  House of Turquoise. Amber Interior Design. Matchbook Mag Blog.  Flytrap. 100 Layer Cake. Apartment Therapy.