Loving this Swedish Home by Marshall Watson

How would you like to have a summer home like this to go to for six weeks each year?

The clients (he's American, she's Swedish) sought the help of New York designer, Marshall Watson, to re-decorate their summer home and guest house for their family and guests.  Living in the United States, they summer in Sweden.

The main house is painted Falun red - a popular Swedish color often seen in local folk art.

Notice the high gloss ceiling and the antique foyer table that was scraped to allow the many coats of colors to show through.

The greens and creams in the living room work beautifully with the Swedish light.  The red trim on the drapery accentuates the library walls.

 

The bookcases at one end of the living room are also painted Falun red.  

What a lovely, sunny dining room!  Love the colors and the farmhouse table mixed with the antiques around the room.

The papered panels certainly accentuate the angled walls.

A delightful nook for a desk with shades of blue accenting the green walls.

And the guest house below in shades of grays and blues is as inviting and cozy as a guest house could possibly be.

The bottom of this sofa pulls out as an extra bed.

Absolutely charming!

French Country Christmas at the Cabin

Hi there,

I wanted to share this wonderful weekend home of the late Charles Faudree with you even though I know it's been seen before.  It's so perfect and cozy for Christmas, it's worth repeating.  And for those of you who haven't seen it before, it's an absolute treat.

This was an old, rundown cabin that became available for sale near Charles' previous cabin.  It wasn't selling as it was in such terrible condition no one was willing to take on the problems involved in updating.  However, once Charles looked at it and realized its potential, he bought it.  Once in his possession, and after a year of renovations under his careful eye, the cabin became the charmer you see below.

His detail is impeccable and his collections one of a kind.  

And now that he is no longer with us, we can only appreciate his wonderful work from the past......

Enjoy and have a wonderful day!

This foyer was once the 4th bedroom of the cabin.  The cabin didn't even have a front door, so Charles added the door and foyer.  Notice the planked and beamed ceilings and rustic flooring accessorized with his beautiful French antiques.

Such simple details, but perfect results.....

This was called the 'big room' with a raised, planked ceiling and a 12' tree covered with hundreds of Victorian glass ornaments.  Charles bumped the back of this room out another 10 feet.  Notice the dutch door.

The 'big room' fireplace with the white distressed Swedish look furniture.

The view from one of the four floor to ceiling windows Charles added in the 'big room'.

How can you go wrong with blue and white stripes and gingham....

The dining end of the kitchen with wallpaper mimicing barn siding.  The ceiling was formerly a fence from Charles' previous home.  Staffordshire chicken lamps on a 19th century pine buffet.

The kitchen accessorized with Charles' blue and white collection and a 19th century tole tray featuring a winter scene.

The master bedroom with the original log walls and ceiling...again with his blue and white fabrics and quilt.....gorgeous!  He originally planned to paint the logs white to have continuity throughout the house (as he usually recommends), but after living with the dark walls one winter, he realized they had to remain dark.....so cozy.

The master bedroom stone fireplace and antler chair.

Small but striking....

And I am adding this guest room of Charles' although I am not exactly sure if it was in this cabin or one of his previous cabins.....wherever it was, it is certainly too special to omit from this post on a Christmas cabin.

TBT - North Carolina Beauty

This is the home of Gastonia, North Carolina designer, Nancy Taylor Lynch.  As you will see, she has a definite love of color and the home is full of a pretty mix of chintz, ginghams, dog art and antiques......so warm, colorful and charming.

The kitchen window treatments caught my eye at the time and is probably what prompted me to tear out the article, although I really loved the whole house.   Some of you may recognize the kitchen from Pinterest.  Now you know whose house it belongs to.

Enjoy and have a great day!

Beautiful Southern Homes

Fall/Winter 2006

Kate Forman's English Country Charm

I discovered Kate Forman's designs a few years ago while travelling through England.  The first piece I saw was a sofa and it was a standout!  

A former antiques dealer, Kate took up textile design about ten years ago, and since then has established her brand by broadening it to include painted furniture, upholstered furniture, wallpaper, cushions, lamp shade covers, etc.

As you will see, she uses a lot of creams and rosy pinks with an occasional dash of soft blue or green thrown in.  All of it combined makes for a very warm and homey feel.

To see more of Kate Forman designs, check out www.kateforman.co.uk.

Enjoy!

KateForman.co.uk

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