Live with what you love
If a certain color makes you happy then go with it! I start with the basics in furniture, then layer a room with textiles, bold accessories and art followed by antique pieces or modern elements, depending on the client’s style. If a piece fits your taste then incorporate it into your home. In my own house I love mixing antiques with new. If I see something I love I buy it and will eventually find a spot for it. Usually those pieces are great starting points for a room. I love color, but a room with layered, textured neutrals can be just as beautiful and interesting.
Oh what a fabulous dining room!
The starting point for my dining room was the blue vine print by Jasper. My wall color is the eggplant accent color in the fabric (Pelt by Farrow and Ball). I knew the room needed other
colors besides cream, blue, and deep purple, so when I found this painting by Millie Gosch, it added the extra punches I was looking for with its muted oranges and chartreuse green. This room is basically three colors, but adding the artwork, a few colorful accessories and a textured rug makes the room come together.
Layers of color.
Painting the walls, ceiling, and trim in the same color may be trendy right now, but painting the trim and sill of a window in another color besides your wall color adds more dimension to the room. Going with a solid bold color on a large piece of furniture and building on that is becoming more popular than simple beige or brown. Colorful lacquered pieces of furniture are catching on. A lacquered coffee table or end tables flanking the sofa are an easy way to incorporate color. I love the shine and reflection they add to a room. For high drama, lacquer your dining room walls in your favorite color. If you don’t want to use such a high sheen, choose a polyurethane gloss over your paint color.
A Starting Point.
I was in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico on assignment with Southern Accents when I picked up this antique pink rug. It sat in a closet for years. I knew I would find a place for it one day. Combined with a gift from my mom, a painting by artist Bill Yeager, and I knew I had the makings of a room. I needed to add a sitting area in my kitchen and immediately both pieces would set the tone. I pulled my pillow color choices from the painting and painted the bench a bright yellow. I love the way it all came together.
RESOURCES
dining room: Stark diamond patterned rug: Hiltz Lauber floating sideboard: Rebecca Hawkins design custom crafted by: Michael Morrow, MDM Design Studio 205.266.3905 • www.mdmdesignstudio.com 18th century mirror: Robert Hill Antiques 205.326.0088 • roberthillantiques.com Ziyi large chandelier: Circa Lighting 877.762.2323 • www.circalighting.com leather on chairs: patent leather: Glant through Jerry Pair (to the trade), 800.367.7247 • jerrypair.com fabric on chairs: Tree of Life, by Jasper through Ainsworth-Noah (to the trade), 800.669.3512 • www.ainsworth-noah.com chairs: Unavailable breakfast room: artwork: Bill Yeager wall color: Space Black Benjamin Moore bench color: Golden Orchards Benjamin Moore black and white fabric: Langtry, F5441/04 by Osborne & Little, to the trade through Grizzel & Mann 404.261.5932 • grizzelandmann.com orange and pink velvets: Kravet Design, Versailles Velvets orange is E29209 and the pink is E29405 chandelier: Canopy Designs breakfast table: Docksta from IKEA ikea.com chairs: West Elm unavailable flowers: Sybil B. Sylvester, Wildflower Designs 205.322.1311
