Post No.2: Front Entrance Concept

Here is the blank canvas I discussed in the last post.  I am attempting to decorate around this antique light fixture, without going purple-crazy:  

The chocolate brown rug doesn't work, but I found this affordable wool rug (below) at Sears (yes, I was shocked too).  I really like the neutral grey-brown colour and think I will order it:  

I simply could not find a plum-coloured rug without doing custom, which is simply unaffordable for a rug this size (you need to buy the entire 12 ft roll width, unless you can find a decent remnant, which I could not...I looked at several carpet and end-of-the-roll type stores and saw tons of cheap neutrals but very little in nice brown or rose tones or nice materials). Plus, I prefer the look and feel of wool, so this rug fits the bill.

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I am rather fond of mirrors and the space really needs one.  I admire this very affordable,  antique-looking one, which comes in either a silvery or gold finish from CSN Stores:

I also found this delightful wall shelf on-line (to go under the mirror).  The shelf is the perfect size, measuring 32" wide, about 10" tall, and only 5" deep, so it doesn't protrude too far into the room.  I ordered it yesterday!

And to top it off, I think this little print from Art.com that I blogged about yesterday really is the best choice.  It pulls together the browns from the wood shelf and the rug with the plum in the light fixture, and relates to the sage green and creams in my living room:

A few more elements (more art, something to sit on the shelf, a small sisal/jute boot mat) and I think I have a front entrance!

Any other suggestions?  Thanks for those that have already commented! 

Our Front Entrance: Help Needed!

I think a front entrance should be a magnificent intro

duction to your home!  And no, this isn't mine!

Unfortunately, despite our marvellous taste, we don't all live in architecturally perfect homes, and some of us have rather mediocre front entrances.  I don't think 

my front entrance qualifies as a "foyer".  It seems more like a lonely box.  I am a little embarassed to share this space, but what the heck...it's changing as soon as possible!  

Here it is from the outside:    

Nothing very exciting here folks!  Seeing this photo makes me realize that (a) we really need to change the raspberry door (we do intend to repaint the house, perhaps cream and white, and I will do a dramatic glossy black door, or maybe teal blue, like the top photo!).  Oh, and (b) that I need to ditch the wreath (I am a recovering wreath addict which I bet you never expected).  No comments about the lousy trim work please...we plan to re-do the entire house eventually.

I do have a lovely etching on the wall just inside the door, but seeing this photo makes me realize that I might need a pair of pictures on this wall...one is a little lonely:

Now, here's the inside:  

This silver mirror (which I just painted) is definitely not working.  It was always too small and now the colour isn't right.  And it could use some friends.  I don't think there's room for a table here, but maybe a small wall console/shelf?  I could spend ages finding a great wall shelf, so in the meantime I am seeking a dramatic, large, long, character-filled mirror to charm this space.

Now, the view from inside the house:  

The chocolate brown Pottery Barn Henley rug isn't working. But I love it because it's wool, soft and thick, and was very affordable ($119).  Plus, it's good for miserable Canadian winters with muddy, snowy boots.  I need to find a replacement and I'm now thinking of having a rug made, once I choose a colour.  I am so sick of searching for the right colour/size.

We have a lovely antique light fixture in this space, which is a rosy-purple colour.  Hence, I am considering a plum coloured rug, to reference the fixture.  

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I think that an interesting mirror in the right metal colour will be a great accent for this space.  

I like the curved mirror in the entryway below, the mirror to the far right of the photo, that you can barely see.  It looks long and tall:

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As far as the rug is concerned, I really like the plum colours in this photo:

A nice thick wool rug in this shade would be gorgeous with the antique light fixture.  I would prefer to run the rug down the hall, but the wall is offset and it wouldn't look right, sadly.  So I think I'm stuck with a 3x5 rug, or maybe a 4 x4 square.  

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Yet I wonder if the plum rug would reflect my mood for the rest of the house, which is more quiet and muted?  Instead of plum, perhaps I should do a rose rug, maybe an antique rose colour.  The adjacent living room is in more muted tones, so maybe a more muted rug would be a better fit:

Then I wonder if decorating around this purple fixture is the right idea.  But I like the fixture, and it gets a lot of compliments.  And if I replace it, that's one more thing to look for!

And there is always the infinite potential for art to pull it all together, like these pretty little prints from Art.com:

Please, send your suggestions my way.  They are sorely needed!

The Masters: Mariette Himes Gomez

Recently I've developed an obsession with those gigantic coffee table books, especially those by the great interior decorators of the world.

One of the first big celebrity designer books I lugged home from the library a few months back was American designer Mariette Himes Gomez's lovely 2003 book, entitled "Rooms." Interior Designer Mariette Himes Gomez

In case you didn't know, Gomez was named one of Architectural Digest's top 100 interior designers and architects on their famous AD100 list. In other words, greater design minds than mine have blessed her with the keys to AD's inner sanctum and she now has job security for life (had that been a concern). Which it wouldn't be because she's a decorating goddess, a master decorator (if there were such a title), one of the reigning grand dames of classic design, in my humble opinion. Gomez is the Emily Post of good design etiquette, patiently following the rules with impeccable good taste and restraint.

I loved "Rooms" because it presented a lovely set of essays on various decor subjects to help you get your head around various issues. She divulges tons of great decorating tips and rules, if you will, that are less rules and more just hard-won learnings from years of practice and finally learning what works!

Gomez is old-school and believes in knowing the rules before you can break them. Gomez has a very particular point of view, even if her rooms seem familiar in their unerring and somewhat traditional perfection. She calls herself a minimalist, but looking at her rooms I think she means that she restrains within herself a desire to over-decorate. I don't consider her rooms minimal at all, but looking closely you do see evidence of restraint, that only perfectly chosen things find their way into her rooms. There is never too much...just enough in every room. Each element is painstakingly studied and worked-out. For a woman who is a master of decoration and a lover of art and furniture, I imagine that chosing the few key elements for a room would require such immense restraint that she probably does feel like a minimalist, even if her rooms aren't exactly spare!

Gomez is also an advocate of the white or off-white room (after my own heart, she is!). I think practically every room I've seen attributed to her is white or off-white (with the odd blue room for good measure). By the way, her favorite paint colour is Donald Kaufman #5, which she calls essentially a perfect white. White rooms are her canvas because her furniture and art selection are impeccable and take center stage.

She's also an advocate of getting your "shell" (i.e. the bones of the room) straightened out before decorating. Sort out and improve (or remove) mouldings and trim, re-plaster if you must, and clean up the architectural elements first. Once this is done, the canvas is ready for decorating!

Draperies and furniture placement can be used to balance "not so perfect" spaces. For example, she notes that two identical chairs used in a room, placed side by side, can add a note of structure to an otherwise plain or off-balance room. Drapes and valances can be used to help line up off-kilter windows. She's a fan of symmetry, but mentions that too much (more than 3 pairs of anything in a room) can be, well, too much!

Gomez, besides being an advocate of impeccable arcitecture and a perfect white shell, is an art afficionado. She recommends buying the best art you can afford, things you love, that speak of your character, to fill your home.

I could write more, but unfortunately I inadvertently returned the library book "Rooms" with all my Post-Its still inside and can't give you all the quotes I'd intended! That same day, I picked up her new (2007) book entitled "Houses", where she talks about all the elements of a great house. I haven't studied this book the way I have "Rooms" (which is on my Christmas list), but I will pore over it in the next few weeks.

Gomez's writing is enjoyable and approachable. She's a lovely writer and is frank in her point of view, but also quietly acknowledges that the reader might not be quite as well-heeled as some of her clients. She mentions places where you can save money (lamps, for example) but where a little extra expense is well worth it (down pillows!). She talks about buying great art but also loves the whimsical little objects and grassroots artifacts of bygone years that are precious to us, if no one else. So despite her sucess, Gomez seems to be utterly grounded.

Here is a quote from her book "Houses" that I like:

"I need to have my things around me. They speak to me in their own tongues. They have become the fabric of my life, as do yours. You put them in the house, and the house becomes a vessel, an anthology of tales."

I encourage you to read more about her and to look at her work and her lovely books carefully. This is a woman with a lot to teach us about great design. Her style is classic and restrained and somewhat formal to many, but I think she has a great philosophy to share about loving our homes, even if you don't love her style. And on that, we can all agree!