Pure Joy!

Hope you all have as great a weekend as this dog appears to be having - pure joy!

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Lillian August's Beautiful Retreat

OK......enough of nurseries for now.  Let's get back to some adult interiors.

I came upon this house in Traditional Home recently and I thought it was one of the prettiest and most comfortable houses I have seen in a long time.  I have followed Lillian August's work for a long time and have loved it, but I particularly love this fresh, light look she has incorporated into her newfound retreat in Carolina.

There are so many adjectives to describe rooms, but my favorite is 'pretty' and while there are lots of beautiful rooms out there in many different styles - modern, contemporary, traditional, shabby, country, mid century, vintage, etc........sometimes it's hard to find 'pretty', inviting, comfortable, charming and low maintenance all in the same home.

This house covers it all!  Pure charm!

To see more of this home and Lillian's story, go here www.traditionalhome.com.

What a lovely room - sisal rug, painted distressed furniture for low maintenance - no window treatments   - just lovely!

A closer view of the living room makes me want to paint, sand and pound all my dark furniture!  That's inspiration!

Love all the symmetry and colors.

Love the colors here, as well - can I say it again - so pretty!

Love it!

Wicker, sisal, birdcage, pink!  This is my cup of tea!

Love all of this and especially the stove!

A cosy corner!

How perfect is this?

And what house is complete without a furry little friend sitting on a bed of peonies?

Adorable!

All images from Traditional Home

Posh Nursery #3 - Ivory

OK......here's another posh (royal) nursery........and this time it is completely gender neutral.

In order to keep it neutral, besides all the ivory colored furniture, I went with a complete animal theme in the art and accessories.  Can't go wrong there!  What child wouldn't love to be surrounded by animals!

Now, from what I have gleaned from my internet research, Kate really loves this Notte Fatata furniture.....and I must agree, it is really beautiful.  Look at the back of the crib......it becomes a headboard for a single bed later on......it has lovely detail.........a little girly for a boy's single bed, but that's just a detail..........they'll get something else if they have a little prince.  Definitely need the heirloom armoires and chest that is also the change table!

I even went with a very tailored skirt on the bassinet.......nothing too ruffled or feminine.

The ceiling light is without bling and it is round, as is the mirror and the swirled fabric for the windows.

The wool rug is meant to cover the whole floor with some sheepskin rugs scattered.......one in front of the crib and one in front of that gorgeous child's Versailles chair.  Loved that!

Throw in some plush toys and a little bear rocking chair and there you go!

What do you think - is there a favorite among the three nurseries?

Let me know!!

(P.S.  I might still do a totally English country nursery with chintz and roses.......we'll see!)

Ivory Moodboard

The very neutral and beautiful Italian Notte Fatata furniture line

Notte Fatata change table

A neutral and tailored bassinet

A comfy nursing chair and ottoman

Animal art!

Child size Versailles chair

Ivory ceiling chandelier

Baby weathervane table lamp

A large, braided wool rug

Sheepskin rug

Swirl fabric

Plush giraffe family

A cute little bear rocking chair

White roses!

Petit Tresor, Restoration Hardware Baby, Pottery Barn Kids,

Quality Pedal Cars, Orangebeautiful, Poshtots, Art.com

A Joyous and Peaceful Easter to All!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Posh Nursery #2 - Blue

Here we are again!

Let's say a little prince arrives in the royal household this summer!  What is prettier and fresher looking than a blue and white color scheme!  Nothing, really!  And blue and white is one of (if not the most!) coveted color combinations in interior design......it works anywhere and everywhere!

And actually, this particular scheme and look could easily be unisex.........just as beautiful for a little princess.  Simply by changing the ride on toys to something girlier, it becomes a gorgeous girl's room.  If it was for a girl, I might switch to a soft floral fabric instead of the blue ticking, but not necessarily.  Everything else could remain the same.

When planning these moodboards, naturally I have the Kensington Palace apartment of William and Kate in mind, as that will be their homebase.  So, I am keeping with this very traditional look as I think the palace rooms might expect that...........you know, pure English country and comfort.

As for the artwork in the nursery, it's always fun to go with animal art and in the case of this Salvador Dali elephant giraffe, some whimsy is welcome, as well.  

I imagine the rooms at Kensington Palace are fairly large, so a lot more artwork will be required, but this piece is just an example of the direction one could go in...........

It's been reported that Victoria Beckham collects Damien Hirst art for her children's bedrooms and that little Harper has some Hirst butterfly art in her room.   Why not buy original art if you can afford it?  It's another lifetime investment and an instant heirloom. Remember, we are talking about 'very posh nurseries' here for people with unlimited incomes.

Speaking of unlimited incomes, Kate has proven over and over again that her style is not always about money - she has shown it is about comfort, sensibility, practicality and fun!  Whatever she comes up with for a nursery, I know it will be tasteful, warm, functional and a wonderful environment for her and her new little prince or princess!

I have one more posh nursery to come!  It will be completely gender neutral and gorgeous!  Be sure to check it out!

The Moodboard!

This furniture from Poshtots and Art for Kids is really beautiful with the chest and armoire long-term investments......solid, beautiful and will last a lifetime.  And the crib is just too beautiful to resist!  The upholstered, tufted head and footboards are just added comfort.

This is pretty special, I must say!

Isn't this a stunning chandelier?  Another perfect item for a regal nursery.

A necessary table lamp........beautiful colors.

A large damask area rug.

This is such a comfortable looking nursing chair for Kate.....the blue ticking indicating the cushion could be used for the window treatments, as well.

This child's chair is perfect for a little prince!

Love this elephant giraffe by Salvador Dali.  The elephant accessories are a nod to Prince William's work on behalf of saving the elephants and preventing poaching of these magnificent animals.

Some ride on toys and great art.

How about some original dog art - this piece by Mary Sparrow Smith.   It adds color and charm and what better time to start teaching children compassion and love for animals, but in the nursery.  Same as reading......you can never start too early!

Topiaries are a nice addition to any room!

White roses!

And more white roses!

And when the little prince is old enough, he's going to need a roadster to get around those long palace hallways!

Poshtots, Artforkids, PetitTresor, Art.com, Google

SpoiledRottenToo, Unitedbmonline, Steiff,

Mary Sparrow Smith Art, Salvador Dali

Carolyne Roehm florals

Posh Nursery #1 - Pink

This moodboard represents a pretty monochromatic scheme - not a lot of high contrast here.  While I'm not sure Princess Kate would be much of a 'pink' fan for her little princess's room, if she were to choose  it, the softness of the tone would be important.

Kate is so traditional and low key, I suspect she might choose something completely neutral......but, one never knows and she may surprise everyone!

Pink Moodboard

Soft pink Versailles furniture collection

Ivory and soft pink bassinet

Trumeau mirror in ivory and gold

Ivory change table

Nursing chair to be upholstered in pink toile fabric shown below

Small child's settee

Soft pink toile fabric for window treatments and nursing chair

Large flokati rug

Soft pink lighting with crystal and shine

Gold framed bunny sketches or nursery tale art

A large original painting over the crib, such as a Laurence Amelie tutu shown above

A Georgian doll house from Dragon's of Walton Street, London

Plush cuddly toys and rocking lamb

Plush toys

And always - fresh flowers

All images above from Art For Kids, Petit Tresor, Poshtots

Spoiledrotten, Bograd, Dragon's of Walton Street

Carolyn Roehm florals