A Little Respite...........

Frank Roop Interiors

Vicente Wolf Interiors


Is there nothing more glamourous than a Barbara Barry room?

I feel as if I have been rushing around a lot lately; between work, my daughter's school, her activities and general household chores, it seems there is a lot of preparing and juggling to get to the end result!! I know that I am not the only one trying to fit a lot into a day, life is busy!! So I thought I'd take a few minutes off to dream of "restful interiors".

The photos above, to me, represent restful interiors, ones that soothe your spirit. They are rooms that beckon you to kick back for a moment, sit on a comfy couch, put your feet up and enjoy a cool cocktail. A room that gives the feeling of calm and serene when you enter it, like the busy world has stopped for a brief moment for you to take a deep breathe and relax!!

Looking at the rooms above I can imagine how luxurious the fabric feels to the touch. I imagine the clean smell of freshly cut flowers in the air. I imagine the temperature being just right for the season. I imagine feeling calm, relaxed and tranquil. I feel relaxed just to think about it!!

Rooms that put me in this spirit all have the same elements in common:

• Subtle color and fabric contrasts (I've blogged about my definition of these in previous posts)
• Luxurious and tactile fabrics, linens, velvets, silks and chenille.
• Warm color hues
• Lots of plush furniture
• Ottomans in place of coffee tables (I love ottomans!! Will dedicate a blog to my awe of them sometime soon.)
• Carefully chosen and placed accessories that pull the room together, but don't clutter.
• An air of sophistication
• Fresh flowers!!!!
  

I try to incorporate the elements that I find relaxing and soothing into my own home. I love having a respite from the busy day, even if it is waking up 1/2 hour early to have my morning coffee in my most tranquil room, I feel refreshed. Today's little luxury is to take a few moments to define the elements that you find soothe your soul in a room. Incorporate 1 or 2 into your interiors today. It can be as simple as a adding a vase full of beautiful, fragrant flowers or cleaning off a cluttered table and re accessorizing with items that make you feel calm. After all, in today's busy world, isn't the thought of feeling refreshed in your personal space the most luxurious thing of all?

Time for Bed!!!

All images courtesy of Canadian House & Home, one of my favorite magazines!!

I have had bedrooms on the brain lately!! I have 2 clients that are sprucing up their bedrooms. One client is having house guests next week and we have been getting their guest rooms ready. We have had curtains and roman shades made for the 2 rooms, a fabric headboard for one, new bedding and custom shelf tables, the list goes on and on. A lot of things to think about. This afternoon I will be shopping for accessories and early in the week pulling the rooms together. I will post pictures when they are ready. I always get excited when the spaces I'm working on are coming together.

I pulled the above "inspiration" photos from Canadian House & Home, one of my favorite magazines. These rooms have all the elements I like to incorporate in a bedroom

• A restful color on the walls
• White or cream bedding with a pop of color in a headboard, dust ruffle, coverlet or accessory pillows
• Carefully chosen and placed accessories
• Fresh Flowers!!!

Since the bedroom is the place you begin and end each day, I like them to be calm, serene and uncluttered. I like the bed to be dressed in white or cream, it always reminds me of rest and becomes hotel like, luxurious. I am not opposed to color, my daughter has a colorful set, but when I can use plain, soft, plush bedding, I do. Some of my favorite designers, Vincente Wolf, Barbara Barry and Mariette Himes Gomaz take the white bed to a great level of sophistication.

Can't wait to share the "fruits of my labor" with you later this week. For now I am off to find lamps and other accessories. Accessory shopping on a Saturday afternoon, now that is a little luxury to me!!