FF - Toby West's Ebony & Ivory

Hi there, Everyone!

Time for Flashback Friday again so thought since I was on the subject of Toby West yesterday, I would finish the week with his own home that was featured in Veranda magazine back in 2000.

In what Toby described as an "elegant bungalow", he has kept with the ebony and ivory theme throughout the house - with tone on tone ivory papered walls accented with the beautiful ebony antiques.

When I first saw this house at the time of publication, it stood out in my mind as one of the most perfectly arranged homes I had ever seen.  It appears small, although I don't know what the square footage is - it could actually be quite large (there are a lot of rooms, as you will see), but the important thing is the rooms are cosy, quaint, charming and very livable.  Totally unforgettable, frankly.

Enjoy!

Veranda

September-October 2000

One more note of interest about Toby West's designs.  If any of you watched Chrisley Knows Best last year and admired their beautiful Atlanta home, I just found out yesterday that Toby West was the designer.  If you would like to see more of that, go here.

Have a great weekend!

Kay

TBT - Now and Then with Toby West

Good morning, Everyone!

I can hardly believe it's Thursday again.......seems like it was just yesterday.

I have a real treat for you today.  How many of you remember Toby West?

Toby West is a southern interior designer whose work was published in many magazines during the past twenty years or so.  However, in recent years he seemed to have disappeared from the media.  I tried to find out more about him a few months ago and discovered he had opened (and since closed) an antique shop in Cashiers, NC.

I had a few of his homes from some old issues of Veranda magazines that I wanted to share with you.  I picked one, at random, off my shelf last night and there was a Toby West home in it.  Later, as I was catching up on some of my usual blogs, I found his current home in Cashiers on 'A Ribbon in my Journal'..........a blog by Phyllis Hoffman who happens to be the publisher of Southern Home magazine, Victoria magazine and others.  So, Toby's current cabin is in the latest issue of Southern Home which is on the stands now.

I absolutely love his cabin in the mountains of Cashiers.  His warm red interiors (I'm a red lover, too) are so homey and inviting.

Now:

Apparently, Toby designed a number of interiors in Seaside and Watercolor, Florida over the years. So, in the past, his look had softer, coastal colors - but always a very traditional and comfortable vibe. 

So, here we have his cabin in the mountains and a cottage in Florida.

Enjoy!

Then:

Which would you choose - cabin or cottage?  Let me know!

Have a wonderful day!

Decorating with Red

Red!  The color of passion, fire, power, stimulation, energy and romance!

Unlike most colors in a palette, red evokes emotions.  What other color can you think of that can bring out so many different responses or describe so many situations,  such as a 'red hot' romance celebrated with red roses, a scarlet woman, 'red carpet treatment' just to name a few.

When a woman wears a red dress, she is noticed and remembered, just as a man will wear a red tie to standout and exude a semblance of power.  Red indicates danger and is the color of fire...... is used on fire engines, stop signs and, of course, red lights.

In decorating, just as blue is calming and green is serene, red is stimulating.  Whether to use a lot of red in a room, or just a splash of it here and there, can be determined by the use of the room, as well as the personality and emotional wellbeing of the homeowner. 

This color not only stimulates our appetites, but our emotions, in which case if you feel you need a lift or want stimulation, then by all means, use red.  If you feel your life is already in overdrive and you want to relax when you get home, red would definitely not be your first choice of color.

I'm sure you've heard before that restaurants often use red to stimulate their diners appetites....well, that's true. And I have heard 'never use red in a bedroom or you'll never be able to unwind!' and whatever you do, never use red in a nursery or kid's room if you want a calm and happy child!

Having said all that, take a look at the rooms below and see how many red bedrooms there are.  As stimulating as they may be, they are also warm, cosy and welcoming.  

Some of the world's greatest artists, designers and decorators use red with abandon - just another indication of their passion for life and living!  From rustic to regal, it's a knockout!

Enjoy!

Carolina Herrera's daughter in family living room

Traditional Home

BHG Cottage bunks

Cath Kidston's kitchen, London

Charles Faudree's living room

A Charlotte Moss guest room

A Tom Scheerer bedroom

Framed fabric BHG

Galen Weston's Florida home

Katrin Cargill design

Gingham and toile bedroom Toby West

Red vignette

Katrin Cargill design

Lynn von Kersting dining room

Michael Smith design

Red frames Tumblr

Mary MacDonald living room

Real Simple

Sue Ellen Gregory

Carolyne Roehm vignette

Carolyne Roehm