Summer Flowers

White wicker on a porch with flowers. A classic.  My sister gave me the little yellow birdhouse and it is perfect in this planter.  I am eager to plant and weed now that the weather is warmer.  Porches and decks are the perfect way to bridge the gap between indoors and outdoor gardens.

Tripartite Wall!

You can imagine the dirty look I got from the painter when I told him I had yet another shade of green for the ceiling which you can not see in this photo but trust me, looked great. (We can discuss   working with contractors at another time.) The room was surrounded with greenery outside as if all the glass in the room provided yet another wall paper. The fern plant is a nice touch but it also has historical reference.  Nineteen century individuals of economic means (those who could afford it) were enamored of foreign lands.  Especially the British who were not only enamored with other countries but busy trying to concur them. And exotic plants that came from far away lands became all the rage.  If you ever get to visit a historic home from that time period - like Mark Twain's house - you will see rooms and atriums devoted to cultivating and keeping rare or warm weather plants alive.
The wall paper here is from the William Morris collection and designed by him. It comes in lots of colors.  I did not put any paper in the frieze (top part of the wall) and I chose greens that can be found within the paper.

Spring is here!   Well, this winter was a disappointment to those of us who enjoy the  blankets of snow,  But spring is always welcome and I started buying flowers already.  I need the colors.  But because of my deer friends, I can not plant them in the yard among the daffodils as I would like.  So I will have to make up pots and window boxes for the deck.

Three-part Walls

Common in the 19th century was the tripartite wall treatment.  Dado, fill and frieze.  Here, the frieze on top is an acanthus leaf pattern that rolls along and moves your eye around the room.  The fill is a small print paper from William Morris and the dado is a paneling stopping at around chair rail height.  This elaborate wall treatment is not often used these days.  But it is a good thing to know about in case you ever find yourself in a home that has the wooden paneling like this house did.  A contemporary room might benefit from a border or frieze - maybe paneling.  Stealing ideas from the past is one of my favorite ways to get decorating ideas.

a place for the fairies to live ...

This was the part of my garden I did not really tame.  I let the wild roses grow.  I had read somewhere many years ago that if you want fairies in your garden (and who doesn't?) you need to let a piece of it be wild.  I am quite sure the fairies lived here and were very grateful.  : )

Rules and Rooms

This is my living room, and I must tell you that I think I purr when I walk in here.  Especially when the sun is streaming in the window this way.  The french doors lead out to a little porch. (Which, by the way, needs some work and when I get it done, I will post a photo.)  Otherwise this is a great place to be alone for a nap or quiet reading or to with a group - and yes, that is a television against the wall beyond the fireplace.  I heard Bunny Williams speak once at a Ladies Club (of which I am not a member) and she said if you want people to use a room put a t.v. in it.  I could almost hear the doyennes gasp.  I wanted to kiss her.  Maybe you have the type of family that gathers to talk or play games (and yes, we do that in this room also) but having the option to pull the flat screen out to face the sofas and watch movies has been delightful.  Consequently, the room gets tons of use and is not just a show piece.
Notice the red Bokhara rugs - a very strong color.  There is little color elsewhere - only dots of red here and there, but still it is a warm, lively, and colorful space. (See other COLOR posts)

So people ask me now and then about rules of decorating,  There are very few - Because it is in the breaking of rules that new designs are born.  BUT if you want to hear a few things that should be avoided.... this room is a good place to discuss them.
1.  Avoid placing the back of sofa to be seen when you enter a room.  Sofa tables are made for this.  Done.

2.  Avoid having seating without a place to set a drink.  End tables and coffee tables should be available for each place someone sits.
3.  Don't make someone reach more than is comfortable - a table set about 18-24 inches away from the chair seat should be fine.
3.  Allow for walking space around furniture but major pathways need about 3 feet.
4.  Think about the room as a whole.  For example:
Look at the table behind the sofa that is against the wall.  The reason that piece is there is because the room is long and narrow.  If the sofa were against the wall, the coffee table (which is centered in line with the smaller sofa as well as the center of the French doors) would be too far away to reach when sitting there.  And if I pull the sofa away from the wall, the room is not wide enough to create a 3 foot walkway behind it - the small sofa and the coffee table would be way off center and the room would be unbalanced.
5.  Think about balance - not only left and right but high and low - you need some tall, some low pieces.  Not only size but color, and texture and pattern add visual weight.
6.  Don't overlap seating pieces.  In other words, the arm of one should not end in front of another arm.  Almost common sense but I see people do it now and then.
But the end result is that this room says, "Come in, sit, and for goodness sake, smile!"