Winter Blues

Winter blues is prime for reinterpretation when warming up your home decor for winter.

If winter was a dance imagine it a December to March waltz keeping ³/₄ time in a slow and graceful step.

Wintertime weather coupled with shorter days often leads to extended periods of time spent indoors hibernating, if you will.

This exact time of the year and season naturally slows the pace of our day to day presenting an opportune time to recharge and refresh self and home.

Time spent in the company, cozy comfort, and beauty of our home is time well spent.

Better Homes & Gardens

Feathering one’s nest in this time between the end of the holiday hustle and bustle and spring’s arrival in winter blues offsets the harshness of the actual winter blues.

Small touches in seasonal splendor will do the trick.

My winter blues estate sale find that made getting up at the crack of dawn on a cold dreary February morning worth it.

Perhaps it’s time to add to the collection with this trio of framed Mosa Holland Delft blue tiles.

Trio of Mosa Holland Delft Blue Tiles Framed Bridal Couple Shoemaker Windmill

Southern Home Magazine – Photography by Julie Soefer

Fresh or faux florals and/or stems placed in a blue and white porcelain vase or ginger jar brings in seasonal elements and elevates the tone and tenor of the space.

Blue & White Peony Temple Jar With Lion Handles

micheile dot com

Mid-winter blooms of pink and white camellias floating in a blue and white porcelain bowl is a mid-winter tabletop centerpiece tradition in many Southern homes.

Handmade 14″ Blue and White Ladies Porcelain Bowl

“In the winter she curls up around a
good book and dreams away the cold.”

— Ben Aaronovitch

CharmingTreasurFinds

Veranda – Mark D. Sikes – Photography by Amy Neunsinger

Real Simple – Photography by Addie Juell

Blue Chinoiserie Toile PIllar Candle
SAFAVIEH Lighting Blue and White Color Swirls Glass Table Lamp (Set of 2)
Persian Pouf
Roses Still Life Painting Printable
Blue Hydrangea Wreath
Ceramic Chinoiserie Decorative Jar
Devon Cottage Dinner Plate
Lauren Ralph Lauren Handmade Olivier Floral Wool Rug
Sutton Tufted Robbins Egg Blue Arm Chair
Mainstays 300 Thread Count Easy Care Percale Pillowcase Set of 2

Chinois Complete Stencil Set

So many of us who enjoy interior (and exterior) decorating know it to be an absolute labor of love.

Decorating home and hearth in a manner which best reflects the current season focuses on warming up your decor with an item or two depicting nature inspired colors, patterns and textures visually aligned with this time of year and pieces that simply speak settle in to the senses.

Gracious Farmhouse

Softer lighting options.

Scents of the season.

Layering with fabrics of cozy and comfort.

Warm spot accents in shades of calming winter blues.

Chatelet Blue Chest

Katerina Floor Clock
Jesse Printed Jute Rug
Isla Block Print Pleated Chandelier Shade
Leighton Pleated Chandelier Shade
Limited Edition Riverbed Drum Lamp Shade
Foo Dogs – Set of 2
Piedmont 4-Light Lantern

Sometimes it does seem we are settling in for a long winter’s nap.

Warm to winter blues with spot additions such as a new set of pillowcases, throw or duvet.

As the thaw of winter initiates the need for lighter weight linens sherpa gives way to chenille for evening air perfectly balanced between crisp and cool.

Printed Design Cotton Collection 400 Thread Count Light Blue Toile Duvet Set

January treats include these late winter into spring blue and white pillowcases and a pretty in pink chenille tufted throw from Walmart.

300 Thread Count Easy Care Percale Pillowcase Set of 2, Blue Floral

All in for a little under $25.00, and let me just say they are quite lovely and a perfect preview of spring things to come.

Madison Park Off-White Chenille Tufted Throw

Curb appeal discovered with this distressed blue embossed tin mailbox sure to put a hint of spring in your step out to porch or street on a winter day to get the mail routine.

Creative Co-Op Distressed Blue Embossed Mailbox

Addition and subtraction; the decorating formula for seasonal decorating.

Warm additions welcome comfort at fall into winter.

Rich.

Cozy.

Xenial.

Before you know it spring days turn to oh, those summer nights where pastels, prints, and pretty naturally lighten the aesthetic and the ambiance.

Spaces and places in the home welcome style home year round when character and charm enter the equation.

Decorating In Shades of Green

Befitting St. Patrick’s Day, today’s post shines the spotlight on decorating in shades of green.

Powerscourt Waterfall ~ Wicklow, Ireland

Decorating in shades of green associates a natural beauty with a tangible balance that easily flows from space to space and shade to shade, complementing the core elements of design and decor.

Lismore Castle – House & Garden- Photography by Andrea Jones

History proves blue the color originally associated with St. Patrick’s Day under the reign of Henry the VIII who claimed Ireland a kingdom in 1542.

With the formal creation of a new Kingdom, Ireland was appointed a coat of arms in the design of golden harp on a blue background.

It wasn’t until years later as a result of the Irish Rebellion in 1798 that green officially took notability as the color associated with St. Patrick’s Day.

“What color should be seen
Where our fathers’ homes have been
But their own immortal Green?”

— Author Unknown

House & Garden – Photography by Simon Brown

Here’s a bit of color trivia:

Emerald green, a brilliant blue-green color, dates back in popularity to the mid-1800s.

Inexpensive to manufacture and therefore cheap to purchase, emerald green was a popular choice of household paint, and was widely used for patterned wallpaper.

Ceara Donnelley Charleston Home – Photography by Brie Williams

Soon it was discovered one of the main components of the paint was arsenic, a chemical element when in an inorganic state proves severe.

Better Homes & Gardens – Photography by Adam Albright

Damp spaces promoted the mold living in the wallpaper paste together with the arsenic to turn into a gas, creating a toxic environment.

It’s believed Napoleon’s death in exile on St. Helena quite possibly was accelerated by his exposure to the Emerald green wallpaper decorating his favorite room.

Some perceive the color connection between St. Patrick’s Day and the color green to the lush landscape of the Emerald Isle.

“A color is as strong as the impression it creates.”

—Ivan Albright

House & Garden – Photography Robert O’Byrne

I reached out to The Irish Aesthete, Robert O’Byrne, to ask his permission to use his photo of the marquetry floors in the grand salon at Ballyfin.

The Irish Aesthete: Ruins of Ireland by Robert O’Byrne

He could not have been more gracious, and his knowledge of Ireland coupled with his visually stunning book, The Irish Aesthete: Ruins of Ireland by Robert O’Byrne, is quite impressive.

Marquetry Floors of the Salon at Ballyfin, County Laois – The Irish Aesthete

The Ruins of Kilcrea in County Cork – Robert Byrne

Sarah Winchester Studios

Decorating in shades of green lends versatility and depth to the primary palette choice.

Martha Stewart

“Mere color, unspoiled by meaning, and unallied with definite
form, can speak to the soul in a thousand different ways.”

— Oscar Wilde

Gabriel & Co.

“Green is the prime color of the world,
and that from which its loveliness arises.”

— Pedro Calderon de la Barca

“A color is as strong as the impression it creates.”

—Ivan Albright

Clifden Castle, Ireland

May the sun shine all day long
everything go right
and nothing wrong.
May those you love bring love back to you,
and may all the wishes
you wish come true.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day.

Lemon Influenced Home Décor

Lemon influenced home décor pieces lend a bright and fresh energy to a space, showcasing natural beauty and inspiring a simple yet elegant design style.

Parkes and Lamb Interiors

Nature’s wonder citrus fruit, the lemon inspires a zest for befitting colors, fragrant aromas, delicious tastes, and divine home décor finds.

Lemons Note Cards with Envelopes

With spring in the air the beauty of lemon influenced home décor and home furnishings spring to mind and space.

M House Development

Isn’t there a saying about life, lemons, and lemonade?

Lemon Balm Lemonade

Citron 3-D Lemon Pitcher

6pc Acrylic Drinkware Set 19oz Fresh Lemons

Shades of lemon brighten mood and space.

Bright Yellow 2022-30 | Benjamin Moore

Domino – Photography by Kevin Miyazaki

Sherwin-Williams Lemon Twist SW 6909

Not feeling the bold and bright of traditional lemon?

Houzz

Opting for softer shades, hues, and tones remain close to the color family and allow for broader decorating interpretation.

When you realize the spaces and places in our home have a unique personality you discover the design style to highlight.

EBTH

Accentuating a fresh and bright personality is easily accomplished by adding fun, chic, classic, and new-traditional lemon influenced home décor accents and accessories to the decorative scheme.

Meyer Lemon Platter

Royal Norfolk Lemon-Printed Stoneware Salad Plates

Meyer Lemon Napkins

Lemon Citrus Live Wreath

Lefton 597 Lemon and Orange Canisters
Fresh Lemons Giclee Canvas Art
Hello Sunshine Lemon-Print Kitchen Shears, Created for Macy’s
Lemons Comfort Kitchen Mat – Threshold™
Grove Co. Ultimate Dish Soap Lemon & Eucalyptus
Lemon & Mint Liquid Hand Soap – Everspring™
Tempered Glass Counter Saver / Cutting Board Watercolor Lemons

Southern Living- Photography by Hector Sanchez

Soon it will be spring, and with the arrival of a new season comes seasonal updating home and garden to reflect the fresh, new, bright, and color awakening nature and retailers gift the decorista with.

Small touches make big visual impressions.

Cake stands, porcelain bowls, silver compotes, a simple dinner plate all perfect for displaying a “bouquet” of fresh lemons.

deVOL Kitchens

Simple in form yet sophisticated in natural beauty, the lemon embodies the best and the brightest taste and aroma of spring things to come.

Now on to…

Lemon Twist Print by Barry Seidman

Lemon Printed Glass Coolers
Lemon Cocktail Stirrers
Citron 3-D Lemon Pitcher
Royal Norfolk Lemon-Printed Stoneware Salad Plates

Style at Home

If perhaps the addition of literal lemon influenced home décor doesn’t fit your scheme and style, freshen up a space with splash accents and accessories in bright and fresh shades of traditional lemon yellow.

Jenna Stacked Ball Yellow Table Lamp (Set-of-2)

Decorative Girl Statue Planter Pot

Yellow Scalamandre OUTDOOR Zebra Decorative Pillow Cover

Warhol influenced color at play brilliance serves a color, texture, and pattern modern take with a lemon twist.

Lemon Drop Damask Customizable Fabric

Over the past few years nursery design and décor has made great strides in the big style for little ones game.

Sabbe Interior Design

Lemon influenced home décor takes beautifully to the growing stages of a little ones room.

Citrus Grove Fruit and Leaves Removable Peel & Stick Texture Wallpaper

Lemon Blue Area Rug By Kavka Designs

Desserts rich in lemon flavor treat the taste buds to a cool, refreshing, and light ending as lemon is an ideal flavor balance to complement a meal.

Easy Creamy Lemon Tart Recipe with Almond Crust

Lemon Cookies with Lemon Cream Filling

I find the same thought process applies to a rich décor balanced with complementing lemon influenced home décor accessories.

Red, White And Blue Accents

Red, white and blue accents inspired by stellar color choices, engaging stripes, and timeless patterns star in this showcase featuring the bold and bright patriotic inspired palette- the original grand pop of color.

Cheng Toile from Thibaut Dynasty Collection

Architectural Digest -Photo by Ryan Kurtz

What better way to create a remarkable space than with unique interior design and decorating giving center stage to red, white and blue accents.

Hillary W. Taylor Interiors – Brunschwig & Fils

Red, white and blue paint colors in deep, rich, vibrant, and dramatic tones and shades promote a full-on color blast, burst, and boom of visual fireworks.

There’s nothing kiddie about the look created in these kids’ rooms.

New England Home Magazine – Photography by Michael Partenio

Exceptionally impressive best describes this antique bed with upholstered headboard and grandly ornate swan footboard.

Mallory Mathison Design

Pattern at play.

New England Home Magazine – Photography by Michael Partenio

Bold and beautiful describes the dramatic impact achieved in the 1842 Vermont farmhouse kitchen of Wendy Valliere of Wendy Valliere Interiors.

Red, white and blue beautiful.

Red Velvet Pancakes from Eclectic Recipes

Enticing the eye is mixture accomplished by Eclectic Recipes and this red, white and blue stack of red velvet pancakes topped with coconut syrup and fresh blueberries.

Click on the link below the photo for the recipe.

19th Century French Iron Pastry Table- 1stDibs

Red, white and blue accents bring chic to both the nautical or coastal tablescape.

Traditional Home

Royal complements navy blue, simply white enhances china white.

Benjamin Moore

Elle Decor

Cameron Ruppert Interiors

Befitting a palette choice with a patriotic theme pop of color, red, white and blue accents lend bold drama and traditional form to a space.

Pretty In Pink On The Patio

Looks like we’re a go for summer fun in the sun fetes, celebrations, and gatherings sitting pretty in pink on the patio.

Summer colors radiate a luminous sense and feel of happiness and cheer.

The Frances Collection – One Kings Lane

Inspiration follows, and this is where the fun begins.

Cobbler’s Cove Hotel

A pretty in pink on the patio outdoor space visually draws the eye and stunningly communicates come for the style, stay for the view.

McCann Design Group

Simplicity is the calling card of summer making it a sublime backdrop for mixing and mingling with friends and family in the good old summertime.

Rich.

Deep.

Business & Pleasure Co. The Premium Cabana

Bright.

Fresh.

Fun.

Business & Pleasure Co. The Premium Umbrella

Color your world in shades of pink in style and in the shade for summer.

HGTV – Tria Giovan

Warm summer days into summer evenings spent on the patio rejuvenate mind and body, serving as the optimum sit, sip, dine and dance in the moonlight opportunity to recharge your battery.

Ballard Designs

Cozy is the desired result of the summer experience, and is fetchingly achieved through tactile and visual details.

Metal Adjustable Outdoor Chaise Lounge – White

Lighting is an essential part of setting the mood and the tone of a space, and when nature flips the switch it’s magic.

IKEA

Seems the iconic sign of summer lawn and garden kitschy chic may quite possibly be the pink lawn flamingo.

Invented in 1957 by American artist and sculptor Don Featherstone, the pink lawn flamingo continues to be synonymous with summer fun.

Midwest Living

Summer flower gardens grant the extra added bonus of fresh bouquets of color rich summer blooms.

Midwest Living

Mosquitoes can ruin that patio retreat vibe in no time.

Extra force against nature is required in the fight against mosquitoes.

We depend on our Thermacell lantern to light the night and kick mosquito butt, but pretty on the patio is not one of its qualities.

Gardenista – Photo by Justine Hand

I ordered (love curbside pickup!) two of these white flower citronella candles from Walmart at the beginning of pretty in pink on the patio season, and between the two working together our patio days into evening sitting sessions remain mosquito free.

The Cottage Journal – Photography by Mark Lohman
Styling by Sunday Hendrickson

Washington Old Schoolhouse Antique Mall

Wicker is a summer classic, and this vintage wicker chair is calling my name.

Rose Gingham Throw Pillow Cover

Summer entertaining and patio decorating go hand in hand with setting a simple yet elegant summer inspired tablescape.

Southern Lady Magazine

On-trend decoristas have got this hot hostess style fashionista thing down pat.

Vintage Havana Harper

Pink portable waterproof wireless speakers let the sweet summer music play on the patio.

Clip 4 Portable Bluetooth Speaker

I’m not embarrassed to admit I strive to create a big look for little money.

Light Banana Leaves Removable Wallpaper

An inexpensive pair of outdoor curtains embellished with trim, tassels, and tiebacks is a super chic way to zhuzh up your outdoor space.

Celebrating the moments of your outdoor living life with a cool refreshing beverage is always a good idea.

Southern Living

Popsicles and champagne come together to make Summer’s Sweetest Sparkling Sipper.

Rose Lemonade

Domino

Simple touches refresh and impress.

Putting together pretty in pink on the patio place settings is a summer breeze.

Elaine Griffin Sea Island Garden Party – Photography by Julia Lynn

Acrylic and melamine tablewares give good style at a great price point.

Pink Round Placemats Celebrate It™, 4ct.

Hobby Lobby

Roasted Beet & Blueberry Salad

Cherry-Limeade Popsicles

Summer has arrived, and with it comes ample opportunities to kick your sandals off and enjoy a sunny afternoon into moonlit evening sitting pretty in pink on the patio.

Decorating With The Color Green

St. Patrick’s Day inspires decorating with the color green.

“Green is the prime color of the world,
and that from which its loveliness arises.”

– Pedro Calderon de la Barca

Andrew Howard Interior Design

Often described as the color of renewal, the color green evokes a sense of peaceful tranquility.

House & Garden – Photography by Michael Sinclair

Interiors and exteriors bedecked in St. Patrick’s Day green color splendor bloom to life.

House & Garden – Photography by Sarah Cuttle

Making the color connection between the St. Patrick’s Day and the color green dates back to the 17th c to what some perceive as an association to the lush landscape of the Emerald Isle.

Beautiful French Room of green chair by Cecilia Rosslee

Green is a classic color that evokes the splendor of the outdoors, four leaf clovers, St. Patrick’s Day, and the essential recipe for spring.

Bright green represents rebirth, renewal, and spring.

Olive green stands for tranquility, earthiness and elegance.

Dark green is associated to fertility, greed, money and drive.

Yellowish green denotes illness and envy.

Aqua typifies freshness and water.

Pale green exemplifies peace.

Emerald green dates back in popularity to the mid-1800s.

Inexpensive to manufacture and therefore cheap to purchase, emerald green was a popular choice of household paint, and was widely used for patterned wallpaper.

Later is was discovered one of the main components of the paint was arsenic, a chemical element when in an inorganic state proves severe.

Damp spaces promoted the mold living in the wallpaper paste together with the arsenic to turn into a gas, creating a toxic environment.

Some believed Napoleon’s death in exile on St. Helena possibly could have been accelerated by his exposure to the emerald green wallpaper decorating his favorite room.

Veranda

Classic color, texture, and pattern frames a picturesque setting.

Maddie Hughes Design

House & Garden – Styled by Gabby Deeming – Photo by Jake Curtis

Farrow & Ball Breakfast Room Green No. 81

Bowood by Colefax and Fowler

Zoe Feldman Design

Decorating with the color green is a proven in-house formula for amplifying the beauty and patina of the woods and finishes detailed in antique pieces.

House & Garden

Creating cozy yet elegant spaces isn’t as difficult as one may think.

Peter Dunham Design

How to create a warm, rich, and yes, cozy aesthetic is often the design question.

Incorporating antique pieces into the space brilliantly and beautifully answers the question.

Ashley Montgomery Design

I love this “in my own little corner in my own little chair” space within a space in beautiful design and decorating with the color green accents detail by Ashley Montgomery Design.

Minnette Jackson – One Kings Lane

Antiques take very well to spaces enhanced by decorating with the color green.

House Beautiful

Copper was used by Ancient Romans in their quest to create green pigment.

Verdigris, the green of Greece, was born out of soaking copper plates in wine where oxidation occurred forming a pigment of the beautiful blue-green patina of weathered metal.

House & Garden

Interiors incorporating the color green into the palette choice invariably catch the eye.

A Fetching Friday: Sunny and Bright

Today’s Fetching Friday is sun kissed and brightly inspired by sunny and bright summer days and positive dispositions.

Sunny and bright interiors, exteriors, flavors, settings, and destinations radiate a luminous sense and feel of happiness and cheer.

Bruern Abbey Gardens – House & Garden – Photo by Eva Nemeth

“The sun does not shine for a few trees and flowers, but the wide world’s joy.”

-Henry Ward Beecher

House & Garden

Spartina 449

Solitude Art Print by Diane Leonard

“Anything is possible with sunshine and a little pink.”

-Lilly Pulitzer

Southern Living- Photo by Alison Gootee – Styling by Suzonne Stirling

Condé Nast Traveler

Better Homes & Gardens

“Friends are the sunshine of life.”

-John Hay

Style Me Pretty – Allyson Magda Photography

Domino – Photo by Rebecca Reid

Wishing each of you a sunny and bright fetching Friday custom-made for soaking up the sun (don’t forget the screen) and positive summer vibes.

Best Fall Decorating Colors

I began working on this best fall decorating colors blog post several weeks ago in anticipation of the visual loveliness soon to be revealed.

Luxe. Daily

Being a natural born multitasker, I decided to throw a bit of WordPress dashboard housekeeping into the mix and perform a self-migration from Linux hosting to cPanel.

What was I thinking?

By the Sunday night of the Labor Day weekend things went South. By Monday afternoon I had lost my site, my religion, and my patience.

My determination to DIY this particular project was to show myself I can do this.

Note to self: You can not. Call in the pros.

I want to thank each of you for your patience with this process. For those of you who subscribe to Places In The Home, the testing testing 1,2,3 emails delivered to your inbox should be all done.

Thanks again for your understanding and for not unfollowing me.

Country Living Magazine – Photo by Jean Allsopp

Benjamin Moore Hidden Sapphire CSP-690

Benjamin Moore Yellow Oxide 2154-10

Patience also plays a pivotal role in the game of designing, building, remodeling, and decorating.

And waiting for fall to get here.

Fall or autumn.

What say you?

A fall vs. autumn FYI:

The term fall originated in English around the beginning of the 16th century.

Autumn gained its English prominence in the 18th century.

The Fife Arms

Sherwin-Williams Polished Mahogany Sw 2838

Originally short for fall of the leaf or fall of the year, fall is the preferred term in the United States to best describe the season between summer and winter.

The term autumn was originally derived from the Old French word for autumn, automne, in the 15th or 16th century.

Autumn found favor in British English, however, fall has become prevalent in British publications.

Southern Living

Behr Pumpkin Drizzle #HDC-FL15-01

Vibrant, fiery, deep, and vivid- the hues and tones present in the colors of fall lend decorating inspiration to everything from page to project, palette to plate.

Hendricks Churchill – Photo: John Gruen

Sherwin-Williams Chatroom SW 6171

Warm tones pair well with refined neutral shades (a color powerhouse in and of itself).

Feathering the nest in color, pattern, and layers of texture associated with fall finery creates stunning statements.

Tammy Connors Interiors

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

G. P. Schafer Architect

C2 Paint Expedition 662

Across the pages of social media platforms, portfolios, and shelter magazines, the styles and works of talented interior designers and decorators give good inspiration.

A Place to Call Home – by Gil Schafer III

Oftentimes when we see an impressive color palette, furniture placement, or accent piece, we borrow from the look; fashioning the decorative elements towards our own style.