Piece de Resistance: 20 Patterned Settees for a Bohemian Space

19 Jun

I think it’s probably an unwritten rule that you MUST have a patterned sofa/settee/sofette in a bohemian style room…or it should be a rule.  The darling settee in the Room of the Week is definitely the piece de resistance right in front of that gorgeous window.  But, its petite size and soft pattern keep it from overwhelming the room.

Here are a few scene-stealing settees that could add just the right amount of pattern to any space:

a-patterned-settee-for-any-style copySOURCES: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20

Can you pick a favorite?  Or do you prefer no pattern at all?

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Applied Design: Using the Golden Ratio

18 Jun

I mentioned in my post about the Room of the Week yesterday that I would be doing a little lesson on the Golden Ratio, and specifically how you can use it to decide where to put a chair rail.  That means there is MATH involved.  If I completely lost your interest, then please come back tomorrow for a prettier, less brainy post!  But, if you’re still with me…here we go:

using-the-golden-mean-to-install-a-chair-rail copyThat wasn’t so bad, right? If I can do it, ANYONE can.  I promise when you walk around your house today you will start to notice the rectangles in your house and if they follow these proportions…

Also, I’m NOT a math whiz…if you can explain it better, or have a good example…please share!

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Room of the Week: A Bohemian Room by Windsor Smith

17 Jun

When I see photos of rooms decorated in a bohemian style I always love them.  The mash of colors and patterns and textures and layers, layers, layers.  They seem casual and fun and inviting, but at the same time they always feel like a little too much, until I saw the Room of the Week by interior design Windsor Smith, which she titled on her website “Eclectic Boheme.”  I think she did a great job creating a bohemian room without it feeling too busy or overwhelming.

Here’s how I think she did it:

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Do you have a style you love, but can’t imagine doing in your own home?

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Applied Design: How to Identify Traditional Furniture

14 Jun

Just a quick little post today…our electricity went out yesterday afternoon so I had less time to put one together.  To finish out our week talking about a more traditional style Room of the Week, I put together a simple how-to that explains a few common characteristics of traditional-style furniture, though of course there are exceptions.

how-to-identify-traditional-furniture copy

  1. Pleasing proportions – Traditional-style furniture isn’t big, boxy, lounge-y, fluffy, overstuffed, etc.  It is always proportionately pleasing to the eye, and is neither too big nor too small….but just perfectly in-between.
  2. Attention to details – This style of furniture always pays attention to the smallest of details.  There is always piping trim on the cushions, proper pleats, nail heads to define the shapes, etc.
  3. Tailored upholstery – Traditional style furniture always seems a little more formal and refined to me, most likely because the upholstery is much more tailored and taut.  The backs of the sofa aren’t covered in down-filled cushions, but are tightly upholstered.  And, the cushions aren’t plump, but still comfortable.
  4. Rich, dark wood tones – When I think of traditional furniture I definitely always picture darker wood tones, just like the wood on the furniture in the Room of the Week.
  5. Curvy lines – Modern furniture is made up of a lot of straight lines.  But, traditional furniture can be very curvy.  In the Room of the Week both the backs and arms of the furniture are very curvy.
  6. Shows a little leg – You can see the slender legs on all the furniture in this room.  Showing these slender legs definitely adds a delicate, formal feeling to the furniture and the room.

Do you own any traditional-style furniture?  I love the graceful lines and feminine proportions.  I passed up the most gorgeous traditional sofa in a stunning navy blue velvet at an estate sale a few weeks ago, and I’ve been kicking myself every since.

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Color Palette: An Analogous Color Palette

13 Jun

Analogous color palettes, which use colors that are next to each other on the color wheel, can be very hard to pull off.  But, the Room of the Week does it perfectly.  The reason it works so well is that two of the colors in the palette (red/blue) are bold, while the third color (purple) is light.  If all three colors were bold can you imagine how intense the room would feel?  Plus, the colors would compete with each other instead of working together.

Here are a few red/blue/purple pillow combos in various bold/light combinations to illustrate this little recipe for pulling together an analogous color palette:

analogous-color-palette-recipe copySOURCES:

scenario 1: red | blue | purple

scenario 2: red  | blue | purple

scenario 3: red | blue | purple

scenario 4: red | blue | purple

scenario 5: red | blue | purple

Which scenario is your favorite?  I’m partial to #4 with that gorgeous faded floral pillow.

And, for a little extra reading….Nicole of the blog Making it Lovely did a great series a few weeks ago about color palettes that work with a traditional red rug, just like the one in the Room of the Week.  Check out her posts here, here, here & here for some other color palette ideas.

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