Still Tweaking This Living Room!

Do you notice anything different about this room?  The profusion of beige has given way to another accent wall...

There were reasons why our living/dining rooms had been completely cloaked in a monochromatic shade of camel.  (Not all of those reasons were necessarily well-founded, mind you.)  Of course, using a neutral color throughout a space and punching it up with texture is a valid design technique.  So let's go with that for my reason, haha.  Actually, that was what I told myself when I covered a gorgeous mossy green paint with beige.  I thought I was reacting to years of vibrant color by changing it to a sophisticated and restful neutral.  At the time, there were many lovely variations of white rooms "out there" in print and on social media, influencing my choices.

But, in hindsight, I think I had regressed to safe thinking and planning for the eventual resale of our house, which was silly because we have no immediate plans to move.  We'll be here in Nebraska for more winters - YEA!  (...sarcasm intended.)  Also, when I bought this beige sectional, the other option that I strongly considered was a luscious leafy green velvet.  But, you guessed it, fear set in and I just couldn't commit to years of saturated color on a major upholstery piece.

You know, it didn't even occur to me until writing this post that those decisions to remove all of the cheerful and lively color from the main living spaces absolutely coincided with some of the darkest, most frightening and sad years of our life.  It makes sense now that I was psychologically replacing happy hues with safe, bland ones, because much of the joy had been stripped from our life, and I was subconsciously responding to that, even in my decorating. 

Whew, that got deep for a bit, didn't it?  I'll switch from my therapist voice back to my designer voice now, haha.  But, really, color psychology is a compelling science.  Do you ever try to figure out why you are drawn to certain colors at any given time?  It can be fascinating and can bring up all kinds of emotions!

Anyway, we recently refinanced our home (cha-ching!) and it looks like we'll be here for a few more years.  Also, life has stabilized at least for now, and I seem to have gotten tired of living in a desert of sand-colored paint, carpet, and furnishings. 

The designer in me really, REALLY wanted to do wallpaper on this long wall that connects these rooms.  But practicality prevailed, and I settled for an easy and budget-friendly gallon of paint to jazz up this space.  It can be seen from the kitchen and also from the front entry, so that was also a consideration.

As you may know, I've had a recent love affair with teal, as seen here and here.  This summer, when my girlfriends and I were at IKEA, I went gaga over this velvet pillow cover (on the left) and decided to use it as my paint inspiration.  I didn't take it to the paint store for matching, but I got pretty close by playing with swatches and using a trial-and-error approach.  The color I ended up with is Behr Hunters Hollow, and I love it!

Per usual, my hubby had to tease about how much paint has been applied to our walls in the 12 years we've lived here.  He says that soon our noses will touch the tv screen when we're sitting on the sectional.  He's such a card...ugh.

I'm still trying to add some color to my coffee table styling but, as you can see, old habits die hard, haha.  I really thought I was going out on a limb last spring when I bought a pottery bowl with its teal insides; but it has become the perfect repository for coasters, so now you can barely see the teal...oh well.  This pretty glass pumpkin came from Pottery Barn.  Of course, the hands are permanent fixtures in here - I never get tired of them, and it's fun to add seasonal décor to the black one.  This mirrored tray is new from HomeGoods, along with the fur pillow that is peeking out from behind the others.

Abbie is enjoying a fluffy new deep teal throw and one of the green velvet pillows.  I got the pair of pillows at a tag sale a few years ago for a song.  She does make a pretty prop there, doesn't she?

Now that some more color has successfully been added and livened up this area of the house, the wheels are turning in my head about upcoming projects.  Shhhhh...don't mention it to my other half.  :)

Julie


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Color Crush - Burgundy and Orange

With Fall comes a migration toward warmth and coziness. We crave thick, woven textures and layers of rich color. Our tastes often follow Mother Nature as she transforms our surroundings from chartreuse, watermelon, and sunflower to moss, oxblood, and cinnamon. Textiles in velvet, wool, cashmere, and faux fur give us tactile comfort.

I'm currently crushing on the combination of burgundies with shades of orange. These hues together are artfully bold and fearless. When muted down with less contrast, they evoke a feeling of luxury and sophistication. I am swooning over the velvet sofa and ottoman, below, paired with the deep wall color and hits of grey and white.  The richness of these tones envelope the room in a warm glow.

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To enhance this already-luscious pumpkin and cabernet color scheme, in the photo below, lavender adds just a hint of femininity.  Textural wall coverings and antique gold accents suggest luxury; while white, lavender, and a playfully-shaped headboard keep this bedroom from feeling too weighty or serious.  

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Shades of bordeaux and spice also make fabulous fashion statements.  Classic silhouettes and simple, elegant styling create gorgeous looks in the next photo.  Who wouldn't love to wrap themselves in this lush fur jacket or arrive in style in the beautiful ensemble and coat?

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Inspired by these colors and photos, I designed a faux floral arrangement with thistle, succulents, and branches in a burgundy cachepot.  A vintage book and some fruits of the season complete my vignette.  

What color combinations are you loving right now?  I hope this post gives you some inspiration for looking at color in a fresh, new way.  Have a great week, Friends!

Julie

Sharing with: Vintage Charm

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Is Two Pieces of Art a Collection?

There are a couple of different approaches to the way in which we furnish and decorate our homes.  One way is to take a room and select pieces based on a design style or color, or some inspiration from a magazine, Pinterest, etc.  We gather our furnishings, paint colors, and accessories, and we put the room together...voila! 

The other way is to let the room evolve organically over time.  For our personal home, this is my modus operandi.  It drives my hubby crazy; and, I'll confess, it even drives me a little crazy sometimes, haha...partly because it allows time for changing my mind mid-project.  But this organic evolution also nurtures my desire to create spaces that don't follow a predicted style or trend.  I like rooms that tell stories about the people who live in them.

Take, for example, our living room/dining room.  Now, I'll admit that the color scheme has been influenced by what I've noticed online and in magazines.  So, in that regard, it is not really original.  But the eclectic juxtaposition of architectural salvage with contemporary, linear pieces clearly displays my personal design aesthetic.

I rarely commit to conventional "art" for our home.  But once in awhile, something will speak to my heart and I fall head over heels.  That's what happened when I found this top piece at an art festival in Chicago.  (Read more about it here.)

  

After some time, I came across another piece on Etsy that compliments it beautifully.  I knew that the framing needed to be simple in comparison to the ornate, chippy antique frame that I placed the first piece in.  This simple mirrored frame suits the art but doesn't compete.  It's hard to tell in this photo, but these drawings are hung pretty low on the wall.  The bottom edge is only about 2 1/2 feet off the floor.  This small area has a drop ceiling due to duct work.  I hung the first piece at eye level when standing (which is my default position.)  Rather than raising it to accommodate a second piece, I decided I liked the idea of going lower.  When seated, the second piece is at eye level.  It's more interesting than the expected height for art.

These pieces really sing against the dark paint, don't they?  I find ballet to be so breathtaking in its grace, discipline, artistry, and athleticism.  We now have beautiful, original, personal pieces that remind us of a part of our daughter's history.  To me, these are so much more special than anything I could have purchased "off the shelf."

Is two pieces of art a collection?  ;)

Until next time,

Julie

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A Mixed-Media Art Piece and Her Sisters

"Yes, I am unapologetically girly."

This quote is fun, cute, and appropriate for me...some of the time.  And other times, my style runs quite tailored, even bordering on austere.  That's what makes us women alluring, am I right?

Lately, I am finding so much joy in creating these charming pieces of art; and they are quite "girly."

But they could very easily be combined with other art in a collage that is not so gender-specific.  They would also add a soft, pretty touch to a more neutral-themed space.  After all, the mix is what often gives a room its personality and reflects its dwellers' uniqueness. 

Designing these floral still life pieces all began for me with this one that I wrote about before.  As I mentioned in that post, this gorgeous lithograph caught my eye in a Chicago antique store.  Once I got it home, the creative wheels started turning in my mind, and new delight was unleashed!  

There's just something about vintage jewelry...the sparkle and the nostalgia.  And on this lithograph, it adds dimension and interest and brings out the depth of beautiful colors in the art.  When this piece was complete, I was smitten!  Honestly, though, I considered this a one-of-a-kind item (well, it is that.)  But I hadn't planned to create more of these.  And then, I stumbled upon this piece while antique-shopping...

This time, I knew exactly what to do :)  The deep purple background lent direction to how I would finish it.  In this case, I decided to go bold and a bit more contemporary by using a wide, clean-lined frame and painting it.  

The jewelry I used for embellishment is a cheerful mix of shapes in yellow, green, and white hues.  This one is a small original oil painting, and you can see the layering and thickness of paint that was used.  It just radiates happiness, don't you agree?

Sooooo, what can I say about this next piece?

One more time, while browsing in an antique store (this time during a fun weekend in Des Moines as I attended a blogging conference) "she" spoke to me.  The retro vibes and lively colors of this pretty painting easily sold me.

I decided that the existing simple gold frame was perfect, and I left it alone.  I had some bold crystal brooches in pink and yellow that fit the scale of this larger piece.  From there, I played with shape and texture when adding more jewelry.

What do you think?  Would you use these in a collage?  Or hang them to make a unique statement on their own?

You can find this "Mixed-Media Art Piece and Her Sisters" in my Etsy shop:  RMDesignLoft 
Have a great week, Friends!

Julie


Sharing with: Thoughts of Home on Thursday, Vintage Charm, French Country Cottage, Shabby Art Boutique  , I Gotta Create, Between Naps on the Porch, StoneGable, A Stroll Thru Life, Domestically Speaking