wallpaper borders

we are (finally) having our front and back exterior doors painted! i am pretty excited. since this is such a small area, i really don't have a design plan for it---just an idea of what i want...what i like to call an action plan!


door color:
the color choice for the back door was an easy one for me--onyx by benjamin moore.
it is my favorite black--dark but soft, and with a neutral tone to it.
all of the other doors in the house are a slightly softer black called "blackjack", but i want the exterior doors to be just a little bit darker and shinier.



art:
i have a set of these vintage guache paintings that my dad bought in brazil in the 1960's. i think i will hang a grouping of them on the small wall adjacent to the door.





 it is 2' x 2'9", and fits perfectly in front of my door.

 i really love the texture and pattern that it adds to this little area of my house. i am also so impressed with the quality and feel of this little area rug! it is tightly woven, and the colors are so deep and rich.


new hardware:
like the rest of the doors in the house, the back door will get this knob:

(the andover series from schlaage)


everything should be all wrapped up by this weekend! i am excited to show you.



thank you to medallion rug gallery  for collaborating with me on this post!

i just finished painting the ceiling of my teeny tiny vestibule black and installed my new spotlight.
i love that the light is more directional--it gives the dramatic feel i was hoping for.


i am a little weirded out my the pink streaks from the bulb---i am trying to figure out if i can buy another  style of this bulb (an M16) to avoid them? feel free to chime in if you know more about these type of bulbs than i do!

as you may well know, i am a fan of black.
in fact, just over 6 years ago, i painted the walls of my study black. (benjamin moore onyx. my all-time favorite black) it was my favorite room in this house.
you can see the before + after of this space here.

i also painted my kitchen cabinets and interior doors black.
(you can see before/after pictures of the kitchen here)

here are a few of my other favorite spaces with black...
i ADORE this bedroom designed by one of my favorite fellow design bloggers, dayka robinson:

i want this bedroom in MY house!


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are you getting tired of seeing black walls? how about black doors?
or do you feel they are classic enough to last through the recent trends?

Chinoiserie and black are an ideal combination of elegance and sophistication. Black may be in the form of black painted walls, Chinoiserie wallpaper, a piece of black and gold lacquered furniture, a black and white toile fabric, a Chinese screen, or perhaps Chinese Chippendale chairs. Even if you adore color, an element of black in a room is a great way to ground the space and add contrast. Check out my Pinterest board on Black and Chinoiserie for more inspiration and ideas.

A look I am seeing more and more is window frames painted black, either left bare or dressed very simply as in the Ellen O'Neill apartment just below. Although one can find many examples of this trend, I especially like black windows juxtaposed against Chinoiserie as here - with blue and white Chinese porcelain above, Chinese toile fabric just below (Cowtan and Tout's Siam), and Chinoiserie wallpaper in the bottom photo. It is also a perfect choice if one has very tall windows that are difficult to do window treatments for that don't look awkward.