101: A Brief History of Home

...so this post is inspired by a commercial for the PA Renaissance Faire - I flashed through the changing utility of a household, leading to the concepts of comfort, privacy and a sense of home. Here, in the works of (mostly Dutch) masters, I give you reason to be thankful for electricity...

A household comingled work/ family and consisted of immediate family, assorted relatives, employees and apprentices plus servants. Furnishings were chests, tables, cupboards and stools...the term "make a bed" literally meant piling up some straw...

...needless to say, secrets were hard to keep



...and it took a lot of effort to feed everyone

Furnishings our Pilgrim forebears may have used in Holland prior to sailing to the New World -chimneys led to usable second storeys and some private space.  With the advent of upholstery, dedicated rooms for eating became a neccesity to save the precious textiles from greasy fingers...huh; still true...

Private space for the master and mistress went from this...

...to this...hmmm...no distraction from an argument anymore...

So while one room living for peasants didn't change much over the centuries...

...for the growing middle class, going off to work in a place of business, there was now a sense of private family life with creature comforts...

...and blessed domestic tranquility.

Need: Stylish Pet Beds



They're our best friends as well as family - why not give them a special spot so they will feel loved, even when you're not in the room?

cuteness overload...



inspired by Corbusier....

practical addition to the mudroom



who wouldn't love a chaise longue?



a Mission-style crate...



why did it take so long for someone to come up with this?



puppy condo



my favorite design; looks like my Stressless chair



double duty as an ottoman, too



fits right in with an Industrial vibe

Images: Google search

Love: Mixed Metals in the Kitchen

If you want to color outside the lines in baby steps, consider mixing metals in your kitchen - it's also a quick way to elevate builder-grade choices to add your personality in the space. I particularly love how brass contrasts with matte bronze; they were just meant to be together!

Nice mix of rustic and sleek

Minimalist space incorporating a shot of 3 metals

Black pendants and sink add the needed drama here

Copper a great contrast to the dark counters

This has it all; shouldn't work but does...unapologetically!

Without these gorgeous pendants...almost boring

The gold interiors of the pendants picks up the faucet for a subtle shot of glam

The warmth of the brass keeps this from being dreary; check out the brass-trimmed stainless doors

Copper, stainless and iron combine for a personal look

Bronze hardware balances the dark window muntins in this sweet space

Photos: google search

Series: Color and Mood - Orange "Nails/Fails"

Orange acts on both our physical and emotional levels (see aspects of red and yellow in prior posts). Positive aspects focus on issues of physical comfort - food, shelter, warmth and sensuality. Negative aspects veer to deprivation and scarcity. It's a fun color, but too much can tip towards the frivolous and immature.

Positive aspects: Physical comforts, food, warmth, security, abundance, sensuality, fun

Negative aspects: Deprivation, intellectual indifference

 Relaxed and confident; no wolf at the door

...gets stranger the longer you look

Nails fun

 Aiming for sensual...

This would look lots better if the lamps were on; that 'light to make color' thing...

The dreaded accent wall...

Great use for orange- a little goes a long way

Images: google search

Series: Color and Mood - Violet "Nails/Fails"

Violet has the shortest wave-length in the spectrum, often described as purple. As the last visible wave-length before the ultra violet ray, it has been linked with time, space and the cosmos. It takes awareness to a higher level of thought, encouraging meditation. As the color of royalty it has a long association of conveying luxury and quality, but too much or the wrong tone reads cheap and garish faster than any other color.

Violet: Spirituality
Positive Aspects: Awareness, vision, truth, quality, luxury
Negative Aspects: Introversion, decadence, suppression

Just a shot of a complex purple to energize the neutrals

...a little feminine, but works

A tolerable accent wall

....and this is where things go wrong....

Ditto

hmmm....

Hard not to make pastel versions a bit girly

Oh, stop...

Adorable girls bedroom

Great use of space! And check out the painted edges on the roman shade; love it!

Images: google search

Series: Color and Mood - Red "Nails/Fails"

Red has the longest wavelength in the color spectrum, so it is the easiest color to see - hence red stoplights. A classic in dining rooms, red is not for the faint of heart in living rooms and bedrooms. I leave it to you to determine if you have a "fight or flight" response to the following images...

Red: Physical

Positive aspects: Excitement, strength, courage, warmth, energy

Negative aspects: Aggression, defiance, strain

Great techniques run amok (lacquer and nailhead on walls)

...this is why I'm not a fan of the accent wall

Images: google search, AD, Elle Decor,Brian McCarthy