Texture

Today is a sick day for me, and an opportunity to indulge a desire

to meditate on the use of texture in living spaces.

Using a variety of textures is a must

when pulling together a neutral color scheme.

If color is the body of a room,

then texture is the soul.

It elevates a room beyond the visual

and into the sensuous.

Softness, warmth, and comfort are all qualities that are derived from

smart use of texture.

In the main room of my house,

there is a multitude of textures.

Here you see gray velvet chairs

ultimately touchable and luxurious,

flanking a white painted table.

The table is decorated with fresh, fluffy flowers;

a chrome lamp topped with a linen shade;

a stack of woven boxes; a matted photograph; and frosted glass

votive holders.

On the wall above are an etched mirror and pressed

botanicals, also textural elements.

This photo shows the flooring change from glowing pine

to soft carpeting. The metal bed adds contrast in both color

and material.

Bookshelves are a great way to introduce texture and interest

to a room (although they can easily become a catchall, as mine seem to have done here).

Rustic baskets and books of all sizes line the shelves.

Books represent knowledge, escape, and relaxation,

begging to be opened and devoured.




A wool rug at the front door denotes a tiny entry.

Flooring sets the tone of a room and is one of the largest

sources of texture in the house. Paneled doors and routered edges

add texture and depth to furniture. Even video boxes provide

visual interest and invite you to spend some time in repose.

The close-ups that follow reveal additional detail.





Dried hydrangeas from the garden pair with a woven bee skep

and a black-and-white photo atop a bookshelf.

A vignette consisting of a potted, cloche-covered plant; crystal candle sticks;

a silver candle holder; a deer antler; a frosted glass votive;

and a thickly woven table runner sits atop an antique dresser.

Houseplants add living texture.

Fresh flowers delight all the senses.

The matelaisse spread on my bed feels delightful

beneath the fingertips (so does Igby's fur).

As a tactile person, one who is often running my hands over fabrics

and materials, having a variety of things to touch

makes spaces feel more peaceful to me.

I often run my hands up and down the arm rests on those

velvet chairs.

On cold nights, I snuggle beneath the fuzzy wool blanket while

watching movies.

And on hot days, the cotton canvas slipcovers stay cool to the touch.

I invite you to consider the textural elements in your own home

and to use this aspect of design to breathe depth into your own rooms

and comfort into your life.

Until next time...

Anne

My Campaign Bed

Oh, the joys of a room make-over!

The best make-overs involve some things old

and some things new; and in this re-do,

I have acquired the bed of my dreams .

In my last post, I waxed rhapsodic about the allure

of campaign beds and mentioned that I had recently

ordered one from Restoration Hardware.

Their 19th century campaign bed is as gorgeous in person

as it is on their website!

I adore this iron canopy bed, which now dominates our bedroom,

filling it with grandure, inspiring a total make-over of this

tiny space. A new mattress by Stearns & Foster provides support

for slumbering bodies.

This is my bedroom prior to the make-over.

The walls were VERY green and much too dark

for my taste. The headboard was simply slip-covered in white cotton.

I had made it to try to add more white to offset the intensity of the green.

No matter how much white I added to the space,

the walls felt oppressive to me.

In the process of the make-over,

I painted the walls "Toasted Almond" by Olympic paints,

and the room is now soft, even in the harsh afternoon light.

The new bed brings vertical lines to heighten the

drama of the room.

I have owned this dresser for 20 years and am

still in love with the voluptuous lines of the mirror,

which beautifully reflects the curving lines of the canopy

.

An old sewing machine table that once belonged to my

grandmother serves as a bedside table.

Wall-mounted, swing-arm, aged-bronze lamps

added to either side of the bed, allow more surface area

on both bedside tables.

This is a great space-saving strategy for tiny bedrooms.

So each night, as I lie in bed reading myself to sleep,

I gaze around this bedroom and bask in its elegance.

As a hopeless romantic, bedrooms are my favorite rooms

in the house, and I have a need to both slumber and

awaken in beauty, calm, and luxury.

Now the bedroom I live in satisfies these basic needs.

Sweet dreams, dear readers. May your bedroom dreams

also come true.

Until next time...

Anne

Campaign beds

image: Restoration Hardware

A 19th century campaign-style bed has long been a dream of mine.

When I was a little girl, I was often compared to the princess

in the fairy tale "The Princess and the Pea."

image: charles p. rogers

Having a confortable and beautiful bed is very important to me.

image: charles p. rogers

Campaign beds have a certain element of fantasy about them.




Image: quintessenceblog

When dressed with voile or organza curtains,

the bed seems as light as air,

the perfect place to launch a dreamer on her way to slumberland.

image: patricia gray inc.

The style of the canopy varies somewhat, but most of them

are bell-shaped, which ups the romance quotient.

image: anthroploogie

They are simple in nature and honest in form.

Campaign beds were designed to provide European military officers

some measure of comfort while out fighting their campaigns

for world domination.

image: patricia gray inc.

Mine will be associated with a much gentler purpose--

restoration of mind and body, along with a little indulgence in fantasy.

image: LA design concepts

As you can see, headboard styles vary somewhat, from a panel

to a simple bar stretching across the head and foot of the bed.

image: marie claire maison

They stand as the focal point in any room they inhabit.

image: restoration hardware

Last night, I ordered this one from Restoration Hardware.

It is an early holiday gift my partner and I are giving one another.

He had wanted to buy me jewelry, but I would rather have a bed.

There is nothing more romantic to me than a curvacious bed,

a place to spend our precious nights together.

I am so excited!

Last night I dreamed about beds all during my slumbers.

Hoping there is sweetness and the realization of long-held

dreams in your life.

Until next time...

Anne

Reflections on a frosty morning

Our first real frost occurred last night.

I awoke early, despite having a day off.

The sun was beginning its ascent into the eastern sky,

as I peeked through the open window to see that the hand

of winter had waved over the grasses and trees while I slept.

The thick frost was spread over the farm fields to the north...

And westward toward the road, where the cypress trees

are holding fast to the last of their leaves.

And out across the back yard to the northeast, where a stand

of pines in the distance marks the edge of the arboretum.

The leaf cover to the southwest is almost gone now.

Sculptural branches and trunks reach skyward.

I welcome the coming of winter this year,

looking forward to days spent inside with endless cups

of Constant Comment (an old standard), squashes roasting

in the oven, art supplies scattered upon my desktop.

Winter affords the luxury of staying in, of time spent in

reflection, of down comforters and nubby sweaters.

Let the snows fly, let the winds howl, let the cold set in....

Until next time...

Anne

Homage to books

Rainy days and grey skies make me want to

leave the outside world behind and retreat

to a space over-flowing with books.

I love books-- the feel of the heavy paper as it slides

through my fingers, the heft of the binding,

the texture of the cover, the march of words

across the page.

Electronic readers just do not afford the same luxury

to me as picking up a book and getting lost in its pages.

Wishing you warm, cozy and magical days this fall.

Until next time...

Anne

image1: Restoration Hardware; Image 2: Coastal Living; Image 3: Country Home

The Charm City

Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.

~ Seneca

I just got home from a visit to Baltimore,

where I spent 3 days walking around the inner harbor,

taking a multitude of photos.

There is an extensive paved walkway all along the harbor.

It winds around shopping areas, restaurants, hotels, condos,

and, ultimately, into the very old neighborhoods.

Fells Point, seen above, was established in the mid-1700's.

It is full of charming, cobblestone streets and brick buildings.



This statue stands erect in front of the grandest city hall

I have ever seen.

This is street scene from the historical Mt. Vernon area.

A monument to George Washington presides over a square

in Mt. Vernon.




This gothic church impressed me with its incredible detail

in the stone and brick work.

Statues of revolutionary war heroes abound in the Mt. Vernon area.

A view of the harbor from an industrial pier across the way.

The top of the condominium building at the left is crowned

with a lighthouse.

Luxury living is abundant along the harbor.

Federal Hill, where this photo was taken, was once a civil war lookout.

It still stands guard over the inner harbor.

A mosaic egg seems to have fallen from the nest at the American

Museum of Visionary Art, where I spent a good part of an afternoon

wandering and getting inspired.

The inside of a weathered, wooden tower in the museum

garden poses nicely for me.

The entrance to the museum, where all that glitters is not

just gold.

More harbor views from my hours spent wandering...

Upscale living accommodations are seen along the right,

overlooking the harbor.

A sailboat drifted past as I walked.

A closer view of the beautiful boat.

The Fells Point area has more of a Bohemian feel than the

other parts of the city I had seen;

it is full of art galleries, taverns, and eclectic shops.

This is the entrance to the old pier, a building whose fate is

uncertain and controversial, as it is on prime waterfront

real estate, and many opposing interests are vying for it.

A pretty, private courtyard overlooking the bay.

A water pumping station and former public works

museum...

I fell in love with this building and photographed

it a dozen times, from all different angles.

This is from across the harbor, looking toward our hotel.

Dusk is gathering at Pier 5.

The USS Constellation, a ship docked permanently,

is part of the Maritime Museum.

Behind the USS Constellation is the World Trade Center.

An old lighthouse was moved to Pier 5 where it now presides.

Wandering through this city helped me to stay present in my experience

and rejuvenate my spirit. Traveling enables us to see the subtlety and

nuances we often miss in the course of our hectic lives.

It allows us to slow down and to breathe.

May your travels be safe and happy as this busy

season nears. May you also be re-invigorated and restored.

Until next time...

Anne