It's a Marshmallow World ...

I saw this fantastically cool retro sofa in my most recent Interior Design magazine and have to share.

It's the Draper sofa (named after Don of Mad Men, perhaps?) by Armen Living. It's made of solid pine, and is covered in a poly/cotton chenille fabric.

In addition to the sleek silhouette and fab oblong back cushions, what totally makes it is the contrasting piping. It gives added definition to its sexy shape. I could also see this covered in white terrycloth with lime piping. Or maybe orange leather with cherry piping — delicious, delicious!

It also reminds me of George Nelson's iconic Marshmallow sofa, which I've always had a soft spot for — even more delicious, delicious!

Vintage Wonderland Part III

Here's my 2011 Christmas tree, imported from South Windsor, CT. Special thanks to my Aunt Lucille for helping me choose it.

The large papier mâché angel hanging from the window molding is from Filene's Basement back when they used to have their annual Christmas in August Sale (so sad to see the Basement go this year).

This year's tree color scheme is blue and gold. The lights are all vintage C-6 sets with some bubble lights, Reliance Krystal Stars (1930s, made in Rhode Island), and plastic stars from Japan (1940s). 

There are also metal reflectors on some of the regular cone-shaped bulbs, also in blue and gold.

Most of the ornaments are vintage with some new ones mixed in. 

The real miracle is that I managed to stuff this 7-foot tree into my Honda Civic (it's not a hatchback or SUV!) and drive it from CT to Boston without completely destroying it.

The plastic angel light on top was purchased at the Brimfield Antiques Show a few years ago. 

Her halo is broken but she's otherwise in very good shape. I'm guessing she dates from the 1950s, but I'm not sure.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!

Vintage Wonderland Part II

Last holiday season, I started my vintage wallpaper collage series, debuting with these three pieces.

This one is entitled, "The Abominable Snow Monster on Vintage 'Cockington Farm' Wallpaper."

This one is "The Abominable Snow Monster with Ornament on Vintage 'The Woodstock' Wallpaper."

And this one is “Pixie Elves on Vintage ‘Laurentian’ Wallpaper.”

Creating these has become a fun hobby, and I'll no doubt create more in the coming year. 

Merry, Merry, Merry!

Vintage Wonderland

This is my new vintage Christmas-motif kitchen tablecloth ...

Most often I see these with poinsettia designs or with lit candle designs. I chose this one because I love the wavy-line border and the fun geometric trees. And, the light blue, gray and black are non-traditional colors for Christmas, so all the better to coordinate with my blue, white and yellow kitchen.

Here's the tablecloth with my vintage Star Glow cream and sugar set as centerpiece:

And here's how I have the table decorated for the holidays, featuring my vintage Mt. Pleasant glass bowl filled with vintage blue Christmas ornaments. Jolly, jolly, jolly!

November's Color Scheme: Burnished Harvest Cornucopia

Inspiration:
My vintage potato salad bowl, still beautiful and useful, chips and all.

Though the bottom of the bowl says, "Made in Japan," the painted colors make me think of the Mediterranean in summer or autumn. I pulled out the colors from this bowl to create a beautiful palette of warm hues in yellow, rust, and berry rose, which I envision working equally well in a living room, kitchen or dining room.

If I were designing a traditional living room with this palette, I'd use Mountain Peak White for the ceiling, Limon for the walls, and a combination of Rust and Yellow Highlighter for the trim, depending on what the moldings and other room features look like. If the room were lucky enough to have a fireplace, I'd use the Roseate, Italiano Rose, and True Pink for the fireplace area.

I'd use these fabrics to tie the room's color palette together:

I'd use the yellow gingham for Roman shades, the burgundy for a sofa, the variegated color fabric (which cools down the color scheme a bit) for a loveseat or chairs, the boxed velvet for a large ottoman, and the copper crushed velvet fabric for pillows.


Elements:
Benjamin Moore Paints (clockwise from top): 
Mountain Peak White, Rust, Yellow Highlighter, True Pink, Pilgrimage Foliage, Delightful Yellow, Limon, Roseate, Italiano Rose.


Fabrics (clockwise from top): 
Newfield Check by Lee Jofa® in 100% cotton. Daffodil.
Pattern 180569H Highland Court Exclusive in Viscose/Cotton/Polyester. Copper.
Boxed Velvet™ by Beacon Hill® in Rayon/Cotton/Metallic. Hazelnut.
Gymkhara Weave by Lee Jofa® in 100% cotton. Chestnut.
Mingle by LoomSource in Polyester/Rayon. Passion.

Design Pile-up

Books are awfully decorative...

It was no joke when Gloria Upson quipped, "Books are awfully decorative, don't you think?" in Auntie Mame. Despite the current prevalence of clicking or scrolling to read your favorite book, I have to agree with Gloria.

There's a lot to be said for a coffee table displaying a neatly stacked collection of books ... it just looks, well, neat.

Books are displayed this way in just about every shelter magazine spread you see, so it must be the correct way, right?

But, why not try fanning the very same collection of books?

It adds visual interest to have the books fanned, and helps you to see parts of the front covers for the whole stack. It also makes for a less uptight, more casual look. I think this technique tends to work better with magazines, but if you don't have too many books in one stack, give it a whirl.

Step On It, Joe!

I once had a GO AWAY doormat in my first Boston apartment, and someone stole it.

Now I have this:

Barnboard Doormat

Though it's still off-gassing, I have it in my kitchen in front of the sink. I especially like its trompe l'oeil effect. My only minor quibble aside from the off-gassing: I wish they hadn't rounded the corners so it would look even "rawer." In any case, I think it was an excellent update, and it complements the new natural shade I installed on my window this past summer.