Feeling trad

Yesterday, after an audible sigh, my husband said, "You want all traditional furniture, don't you?

"So you've gone over to the old side?" he continued.

Yes. Yes I have and I want nothing more in my house than chintz slipcovers, old wood, and a few fussy and/or crusty accessories. I want no more slick mid-century pieces. No more eclectic mix ala Domino or Lonny. I want cozy, practical and pretty things.

You? Do tell.

This post is created especially for Raina, who I think has the same longings.

New house dreaming

I have been doing more "new house dreaming" than one person should. "New house dreaming" is when you decorate the rooms of houses that you do not own but actually have plans to move. I have no idea what our new house will involve at this point, so I just fantasize.

I am a big fan of mixing traditional pieces with modern pieces and I hope to take my decor a bit more to the traditional side this time. 

I chose a Chesterfield sofa with a burled walnut chest and some blue and white pieces from the Pink Pagoda for the traditional part of this living room. I threw in a Dana Gibson pillow, lamp from Wisteria and the White cocktail table from Aerin.com to add some zing.

I also used my painting "Smolder" which is being offered by Gregg Irby Fine Art in Atlanta to make the whole thing a bit edgier.

Do you decorate houses that you don't own just for fun?

Sweatin' with the oldies

By "oldies" I mean me and by "sweatin'" I mean me and my crazy idea to rearrange my formal living room several times by myself.

I mentioned in my post on Saturday that the arrangement was just not very inviting.

I took the easy route first.

This "easy" route was just me moving the two chairs, x-bench and Korean chest. Since that was too easy and my living room was not completely clogged with furniture, I pulled the black velevt chair out of my bedroom and tried to kill myself carrying it down the stairs. 

As you can see the two cream chairs blocked the archway to the dining room but full denial kicked in and I declared my husband "stupid" when he said, "I hate it" and walked away.

Hours passed and I came to realize I had to move the sofa to the window wall along with moving everything else in the room.

That pretty glass and bamboo coffee table got a "Mommy, you just said a bad word!!" out of my audience but the real treat was the bombe chest. Marble is freakin' heavy.

I just spent Friday afternoon telling my friend how useful furniture sliders are and how we have used our so much but apparently walking down stairs to get mine would have put me over the edge and I did it the hard way. I am stupid like that.

I spent time in each seat and I think the final result was worth it.

Which layout do you like best?

3 trendy classics that I will never tire of...

How can something be a "trendy classic"? Well, I simply mean that there are classics that happen to be getting a lot of attention right now. I won't tire of them and keep buying them.

The first on my list is Oriental rugs.

Since I was very little I loved them, imaging romantic flying adventures on them and the inside of a genie's bottle filled with layers of the carpets.

I inherited a small Persian and have been slowly collecting my own.

I just bought this one on eBay and I am anxiously awaiting its arrival.

The second thing on my list is blue and white porcelain.

I have much of my great-grandmother's collection and I have been adding to it with antiques and new pieces as I find them.

My latest and yet to be delivered eBay buy

A recent auction find

Trumpet vases from The Pink Pagoda

I am not new to loving this color palette. In my first house everything in my kitchen had to be blue or white or blue and white!

The third on my list will be no surprise. It is abstract art. But not just what I paint.

A small mixed media that I bought for my living room

Linda Monfort

This abstract by Linda Monfort was my very first Etsy purchase and inspired my painting "Into elan" which hangs in my daughter's room and is not for sale.

"Into elan"

She likes to touch it because "The good dreams are in there"

I will not tire of this...ever!

Do you have anything to add to my list?