I have to say, I am really pleased with how this room has evolved.
Although we moved into this home just over a year ago,
designing this room was challenging. Because our home is essentially a great-room
style floor plan, this room, just off the entryway could serve as either
a formal dining room or formal living room. I took my time and sought
input from my family on how we would ultimately use this room. I was the lone
vote for a dining room, everyone else wanted a living room, for various reasons
but mostly because we had two living spaces on the first floor of our
Minnesota cottage {just one with a tv} and my family enjoyed having a room
to sit and read, talk on the phone, playing a game in etc...that didn't have a television
in it. How can a momma argue with that?
Basically the room was decorated around the granny-sofa. The damask Waverly
fabric had originally been purchased for curtains about three homes ago. When
we were leaving Minnesota, I had a talented slipcover maker in Minnesota
make a slipcover for the quality Restoration Hardware sofa I had but was not really
digging the fabric anymore.
The two chairs were a Craiglist purchase - $40 for both! The chairs
had great 'bones' but very tired fabric. I had them reupholstered in a
beautiful cream chenille fabric. I could have simply done a cream linen
but I love the warmth, comfort and texture that the
chenille brings to the room.
The room originally had carpet which I loathed but couldn't
justify spending the $$ on new hardwood. My dad put down
the whitewashed Ikea laminate for me for just about $500. The
9x12 'Heathered Chenille Jute Rug' from Pottery Barn covers
a good chunk of the room and almost looks like wall-to-wall sisal.
I have said of myself, "I have never met an accessory I didn't like" and this room
speaks to that! In addition to my love of collecting, this room has everything I
love: decorating books, vintage tortoise bamboo furniture, beach collection {driftwood,
coral, shells, starfish}, vintage walking sticks, vintage suitcases,
vintage books, vintage glasses, old silver,
Asian blue & white pieces and vintage prints {see below}.
I guess that's what you might consider the "country" parts of the room
{yea, 'cause I used the word 'vintage' about 58 times in that last sentence!}.
I began to stray a bit in this room at one point.....reading blogs can do that sometimes.
I began to think I needed to go more toward a 'designed' room direction, even
modern {gasp!}.....I began to question if using
vintage things was growing tired and perhaps over-used.
I'm glad I stayed true to myself and I believe I was
able to successfully mix in some more contemporary elements,
like the 'Bengal' Schumacher fabric covered pillows on the chairs -
just enough for me.
The vintage tool caddy pictured above is filled with driftwood
collected both in Oregon and Hawaii.....I look forward to adding to
this collection over the summer!
"hello pretty bowl!"
"hello pretty chair!"
I hesitated to show you this vintage shelf......
"hello, my name is Jill and I am addicted to collecting....EVERYTHING".
This old stool found recently at
Monticello in Portland sits
next to a chair and is a good place to set a book or glass of wine!
I loved the old leather top.
And finally......the rock n' roll element in the room - the framed
collection of vintage egg prints. I am going to do a separate
post on these later this week. I had the egg prints originally
framed in a traditional style with dark frames about 9 years ago.
When I realized this wall needed something BIG with a BIG
impact, I decided to re-mat and frame the prints in a more
contemporary fashion - large mats and white Ikea frames.
And I will leave you with these thoughts - this room may not
meet the approval of many designers but this room is 'me' and my family;
it has things in it that we value, have collected and speak to the way
we live, to me that is the essence of a well designed living space.
Sources for this room:
Paint "Duxbury Gray"BM
Curtains: Ikea
Rug: Pottery Barn
Coffee Table: World Market
Frames: Ikea
And finally, I did not 'design' this room alone......I sent out an SOS to the fabulously
talented
Holly Mathis who flattered me with compliments and guided my choices,
and offered loads of options and advice - most notably, the paint color choice
and the ticking fabric on the french chair. It has been a treat to chat via email
with Holly. I have the article that Better Homes and Gardens {about 2002?}
published of her home still in my "Ideas" binder {I'm old like that - this was
BEFORE Pinterest, peeps!}.
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