saffron, mustard, gold: feeling warm yellows

It's fall, and every fall the cravings for warm hues comes rushing back. They bring a glow to our homes, and welcome us in the most cordial of ways.

Several years back, the lemon yellows took over as the sunshine hue of choice: they were intense, powerful, and offered a freshness that had been lacking, especially when paired with high contrast black and white as they so often were (we used that palette is my eldest daughters room back when). Cool, saturated yellows are difficult to embrace for a long time, however -  high maintenance, shouting out for attention. So yellow faded from popularity, and has taken a back seat to pinks, oranges and corals the past few years.

Well, darlings, I think it's about time for a revival! I know emerald green has tickled your fancy, and all the taste makers are heralding the return of jewel-toned blues.. but I think that warm, blackened yellows are due for some love, and we will be seeing more and more of these luscious, radiant tones turning up....

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 

What do you think? Want to bask in this glow?

Perhaps a more subtle bit of sunshine, in the form of November's birthstone, Citrine.

It's said to bring success and personal vitality.....

                                                                              1 2 3 4

xo am

polka spots

it all started with this sofa from Furbish last year....

then the chairs....

then it was this fabric

on these chairs...

but now walls? 

polka spots are everywhere......

and I like 'em :)

(you can buy Thibault Tanzania wallpaper here!)
Office no. 1 Office No 2

yea or nay: chintz

for anyone who remembers the eighties, chintz may be a dirty word. I remember wearing a Laura Ashley dress and pearls as my sister's maid of honour, and my mother fretting because my hair was black, and half shaved, and I refused to remove my nose ring :) It was a moment. I despised the sweetness of those oversized florals back then, and never thought there would be a day where I would be embracing them. But lately, in clean hues, when used with restraint, a floral chintz is looking rather fresh. It started a few month's back, with Anna Spiro's pink curtains, (shown below), then  I saw a fabulous post last week over at I Suwannee featuring Carleton Varney, and began wandering around the house, looking for a spot to tuck some in!

If you'd like to bask in this vibe, a room wrapped in large florals is a brave leap into pattern and colour. Love the idea of using this as an alternative to tile for a backsplash in the kitchen - so pretty!

Not quite ready for wallpaper? Curtains require less of a commitment....

and pillows are simpler again.

(these aren't all chintz, exactly, but you get the idea :)

A patterned chair is a perfect exclamation point to a space.

and if a chair isn't quite enough, then perhaps something larger?

Small bits of chintz can be layered in with smaller pieces.....fabric on a frame? Do that all the time!

Although this is a little over-the-top, I do like the idea of an upholstered/wallpapered lack table...hmmm...

I think the key is to to avoid pairing chintz with country/shabby anything, because it is already such a "sweet" look.  It's the juxtaposition of chintz against clean lined-furnishings and hard surfaces such as mirror, metal and glass that make it modern. 

What do you think of chintz? Could you see any of this in your own space?

photo links:  tile  settee blue rug  ZsaZsa Bellagio  YSL living HamptonsShowhouseGreen wallpaper  porcelain dish  retro layers   yellow sofa  House Beautiful  Albert Hadley  gallery wall  canvas  curtains&lantern  white sofa pillows  Blue curtains  white&gold settee blue pillows  retro chair  floral chair  brown floral chair  black floral chair Cush and Nooks  dining  fabric tablecloth 

desert tribal

These days I want pattern. Heaps of pattern. But not dignified, perfect made-by-a-machine pattern. I want dots, but not perfectly formed round polka dots. Yesterdays geometry in a more organic format. Chevron re-thought.  I want mud cloth from Africa and rugs based on southwestern Native American designs. It's about to get tribal, lovelies.

I started a link folder a few months ago titled tribal, and when I opened it today it contained almost a hundred links :) So lets break this into a couple of posts, shall we?


on the menu for today: desert tribal

 

If I'm being honest, it's not just the pattern here that appeals to me - it's the handmade aspect, a merging of natural elements and aesthetics's, a respect for the materials involved, a sense of spirituality. Something more than just a pretty room.

 

I know. Almost too much to take in, isn't it? Are you feeling as connected to this as I am? On friday I will post the rest of it, pop by and share in the beauty. am x





(I know some of the patterns involved in these items are sacred to Native Americans, and I apologize if you are offended by their use here. Please know we are simply appreciating a small part of the beauty of your culture.)

feather arrowheads   room  Pastel Arrows  painted driftwood  Matthew Williamson Rug navajo rug fabric fabric 2 cavern wallpaper nook navajo dhurrie vintage textiles Marcia Smith art Anna Montiel art basket wall fringe pouch  window display freepeople outfit bag stamp set clutch lokahi print toms arrow pebbles arrows art print arrow fabric art flower fringe wall fringe banners

yay or nay: deconstructed seating

Hello lovelies! A huge mwah to all the amazing women who shared their colour crushes the past two weeks - I loved seeing what inspired each of you. Thank you so much for filling10 Rooms with beauty in my absence.



We generally don't take too many photos on vacation, but I did manage a few good ones - will share in a few days. The highlight of the trip was our time in St Thomas - it's our second time there and it may just be my favourite place on earth.

I'm not sure if everyone experiences this, but getting away from our everyday life allows me to come back and look at everything with fresh eyes. We were living in a much smaller space while we were away, with so few "things" around us, and coming home and seeing all this excess makes me realize we need to simplify here. Since the kids have nixed moving again (hunger strikes were threatened at the very mention, lol!), I guess that means doing some serious spring cleaning. Time to clean out the house, again :) Where does it all come from?!!

So thinking about re-purposing and up cycling have produced this post - I am interested in your take on the deconstructed furniture trend that keeps popping up...

first saw this from Dan Marty via House Beautiful in May 2010. He said he felt the backs of his dining chairs were too pretty to cover up - note the armchair in the foreground - it's upholstery is missing a few elements as well.

I'm sure that you've seen Restoration Hardware's take on the look in their spring collection....

I didn't think this look would really catch on as a trend, but I keep bumping into it everywhere....

So what do you think? Ready to undress your furniture?!!








photo links:  chair  striped setees  flag chair  office  linen chair