wallpaper borders

when i opened up my latest issue of traditional home, i was really drawn to one particular home. it had a layered, casual elegance to it that i found really appealing. as i read the story, i was surprised to learn that the decorator of the home is the homeowner, virginia mary brown, a former corporate attorney and mother of 4 boys. she claims that she is "addicted to home design books and magazines and to decorator showhouses", and the design of her home is inspired by the many showcase houses she has toured. 

what i love:

the grey doors!!

the very traditional sofa upholstered in crisp white and paired with a sisal rug.
the blue chairs.

 the very traditional dining table and chippendale chairs are balanced with a textural, graphic rug. in fact, you can find similar ones right now at west elm. 

 i adore the sliding barn doors...we did similar looking doors in the basement of house #5.

what i am loving here:

the soft grey cabinets.

the lights over the kitchen window.

the metal chairs around the wood table.

oh, and that STOVE. me wants it.

 i think i spy some silk curtains! (yum!) notice all of the pairs in this room? 

 love this. every inch of wall space is used....i want to redo the portrait wall in our house to look similar to this.

 the accents of gold and lavender really make this room beautiful. 

so, what do you think? with enough time and money, do you think you could pull off the design of your dream house....or would you bring in a professional designer?

i am the first to admit that curling up on the couch with a stack

of home  decor magazines is one of life's perfect pleasures.

however, there are many times when i can get a little...intimidated.

a $45,000 rug? a 1.2 million renovation? an urn that costs more than my car?

i have nothing against super high-end design...but let's face it, most of us

have budgets that are far tighter, and will never own a couch that 

costs more than a college education.

 i am a firm believer in mixing high and low,

and making your house feel good for YOU. i always get asked questions like...

"but do you really think that "A" will go with "B"?

or..."if i put "A" on the wall, will it clash too much with the "B" in the other room?

almost all of the time i tell people that the more they mix things up and add

personal items in their home that tell a story about THEM, the more interesting,

unique, and beautiful their home will be. 

***

i was thrilled when i saw pictures of shelli's house. her house is warm and

inviting, but also has perfect little pops of personality.

there is a great balance of traditional, graphic and textural items that

create a sense of interest and comfort.

i love how the large, graphic posters take advantage of those high ceilings!

angled fireplaces can pose a lot of design issues in a room, but i love that shelli created a 

symmterucal, comfortable seating area that in a way "ignores" the fireplace.

well done.

 aren't her pictures great?

 

i am dying over this office! 

shelli painted the walls a soft pink, and brought in plenty of texture

and neutrals to keep it form feeling too girly.

the turquoise, blue and green accents are the perfect balance to the pink.

 the eames soft pad management chair is a favorite of mine...

real or "faux", i love them all.

shelli made this gorgeous bolster pillow from a table runner!

 blue and green are not commonly used in nursery's for baby girls,

but shelli brilliantly managed to keep the vibe light and playful and feminine.

ahhhh.

perfect.

in the breakfast room, the chevron love seat  "plays" so nicely with the slip covered

parsons chairs and traditional wood chairs. it's still traditional, but kicked up a notch.

love it.

thank you for sharing your beautiful home with us shelli!

to see more pictures of shelli's gorgeous home, click here.