Creating Interesting Vignettes in Your House

With not much to do other than walk every hour, exercise three times a day, change out ice pack and lie in bed, I have had time to think about the blog again.  There really isn't much to think about other than how quickly bored could I make a reader.

This is the view from my bed perch and one I may eventually get tired of before the month of March expires; however, right now I am not complaining.

Several weeks ago, I went around my little house enjoying a few of the vignettes I've created.  I love groupings of favorite things that have something in common and are repeated somewhere else in the room or house.  I find this creates continuity. Since we have such an open living space, it is important to have a flow.  I also want to have items I like where I can see them.

Our mantel is situated at an angle in our living room and is part of the focal point seen upon entry into our house.  It is heavy white stone that requires anchoring.  I have chosen to do that with a large gold framed picture above and a wrought iron fireplace screen below.

To further create balance, I layered a black wrought iron framed mirror in front of the painting along with a matching candlestand to the side.  I love the idea of layering and the depth and interest it creates.  Because I am using deep teal pillows on my sofa, I added a lovely decorative plate in front of the mirror.

The colors of the plate also repeat the colors of the vase to the left and other gold touches throughout.

 

The grouping below is part of a focus wall that includes some of my original paintings and the TV.  I love the two antique English pieces on this corner and how they play off the colors in each of the paintings.  Again, you will see gold being used.  On the opposite end is a single large abstract gold sculpture that anchors the weight of the console.

Behind the dining table is this vintage pie safe that holds china and special crystal bowls.  Above it are two more of my paintings that continue the color scheme.  I love the large red vase.  A smaller matching piece is also located in another part of the room.  The painting to the left has gold highlights that reflect and further repeat that theme.

This final grouping is in a corner between my sofa and the sunroom.  

The red velvet patchwork cloth, with sprinkles of tiny sequins, really anchors the overall color scheme of my house and fills this otherwise empty space.  The large gold framed mirror is an interesting piece upon entry in the room.  Again, I have used gold accessories.

Once I am able to be up and moving around in April, I will bring in some spring accessories and who knows, may even paint something new.

I hope you have been inspired to see how you can create groupings using something unexpected already found in your home in unusual ways.

Getting Ready for Fall in the South

Recently, I read a post by a fellow blogger who is just not comfortable with the traditional colors of fall - reds, oranges, and browns.

Although I happen to love those colors and put a few little touches in my house using the oranges, etc., I realized that there are no doubt many women who don't share my love for these colors any more than KathySue does.

So, I decided to visit some of the local stores who decorate for the home and just see how they are decorating for FALL.

Getting Ready for Fall in the South!

The first store I visited was

The Red Door Interiors

 The Red Door Interiors is a Louisiana business with stores in Baton Rouge and Shreveport.

In 2003, Erin and Matt DeBosier began Red Door Interiors as a side job creating home accessories, furniture and sink vanities out of architectural elements in their own backyard. The couple grew their small business and in just 2 years, in October 2005, turned their dream into a BIG reality. With their creativity and hard work, they opened their first store in Baton Rouge which consists of 18,000 square feet offering you just about every kind of home interiors you would need - and sometimes you can still find furniture that Erin has recreated!

So, why is it called Red Door? While Erin and Matt were on their honeymoon in France, they took a picture of a quaint red door on the front of a countryside cottage. That door is still the logo of Red Door Interiors and symbolizes all that Erin and Matt dreamed of.

Personal Design Services are available.  In Shreveport ask for April Faries.

I hope you will enjoy your Fall tour of The Red Door Interiors in Shreveport and when in town, please make plans to stop by or pay a visit to their website.

 Upon entering the double RED doors of this stately building, you are greeted by this over-sized rustic table all dressed up for a Thanksgiving meal.

Other table setting ideas are throughout this huge store.

Isn't this a great idea for someone who isn't crazy about orange?

 Now, KathySue might appreciate the use of sea green on this table with the rustic charger.

Every where you look are signs of Fall and beautiful decorating ideas for all tastes and style.

 Beautiful linens and napkin rings

 

 If just want to add a touch of orange in a small dose, try this lovely pillow or a flower pot.

 You may prefer the touch of yellow on brown.  This still says Fall!

 Don't you love this old door partition decorated with cashmere scarves?  You could even adapt the idea for sweaters or jackets.

 Did anyone say color?  Oh my, so many color choices.

 If you only want decorating ideas, there is inspiration everywhere you look.

 Accessories galore!

 Wouldn't this orb be a lovely centerpiece?

 We can't leave out decor for Halloween.

They even cater to those folks who bleed Purple and Gold every fall!

Upstairs there is a floral design center.

 I couldn't get over the purple hull peas!

No Southern door need be undressed for the seasons and this wall is full of prepared options, or you can request a specially designed door dressing just for you.

Thank you for visiting The Red Door Interiors with me and I trust you got lots of great ideas.

Thank you Red Door ladies for making me feel so welcome and allowing me to browse and shoot.

This how we

Get Ready for Fall in the South!

Random Thoughts, Silver and Yellow

Miscellany Monday with Carissa

Okay, stay with me here.

I warn you that my train of thought gets hard for me to figure out, so don't think its just you if you get lost.  I'm like the lady who went to the kitchen to do something and ended the day doing everything except what she initially started out to do.

Perhaps because of my recent "Syncope," I have begun to think about what will happen to some of the items that have been passed down from Mothers and Grandmothers, and would anyone appreciate them when I'm gone.  So, I've talked to both my girls and we agree that at some point it would be a good idea for the three of us to spend some time going over things that they will inherit.  There is very little monetary worth but there is an emotional attachment because of their history.

Hold that thought.

When Hubby and I moved into our Garden Home we made the decision to keep only what we loved and to use our "good" stuff.  We have done pretty well with this except for the really good sets of china. I just can't see us using them while eating off our laps in the den.  Maybe one day.  But again I digress.

Hold that thought.

This past Saturday, Hubby and I took down the few Christmas decorations that we put up before we left for the month of December; we only do the minimum in order not to be seen as the neighborhood Scrooges.  So, as you know, when something comes down, something else needs to take its place and we were ready for something fresh in the way of accessories.

Hold that thought.

Are you looking forward to the new series of Downton Abbey as I am?

Hold that thought.

As I was putting some things away on Saturday, I discovered my securely wrapped and stored silver tea service.  Now, if you are a fine Southern Lady or of British Royalty, you will probably have inherited a silver tea service from your mother or grandmother or were given one as a wedding gift.  Ours was a gift from a dear friend who was astounded that we did not have one already in our possession.

I must admit that it was nice to have in the day of teas and receptions and nice social events when I also pulled out the crystal punch bowl and cups.  However, I have not had an occasion to use any of these in several years and last saw it when I polished it and stored it before the big move.

Okay, lets start tying this story together.

I decided to take the silver service out and see if it needed polishing, which it did. While doing so, I began to think which of my daughters and/or granddaughters would be interested in inheriting it at my demise, or would someone be relegated to taking it to the closest consignment store.  I came up with only one possible candidate based on how I see them now.  One granddaughter would never remember where she hid it much less spend time polishing it; another would find it very pretentious and superfluous; another would be dumbfounded about how to fit it in with her tie-dye; and another is only six and impossible to imagine with anything other than a Barbie.  So, that leaves only one remote possibility.

At this point in my all-over-the-place thoughts, I remembered our decision to use what we loved.  Okay, but where does one display a silver tea service if you aren't having a tea party?
Here is where Downton Abbey comes into the picture.

I decided if they can do it, so can I.  So, I put it on my living room coffee table and added a couple of my favorite demitasse cups.  Also a must for a southern bride.

Since I was in the silver decorating mood, I decided to pull out some other silver pieces that are also favorite items that I must remember to tell my daughters about.  While doing this, I remembered reading one of my favorite blogs, Good Life of Design and that KathySue said she intended to use Yellow as her personal color in her home this year.

This sounded like just the touch of color to revive my wintery decor.  So, this is the result of all my splintered, and totally unrelated thoughts of late.

All that to say, I love my silver and crystal and touch of yellow.  Now, all I need is a parasol and someone with whom to share a delightful cup of tea!

What has inspired you to do something different in your house this new year?