Tuesday Tip

You can never have enough seating! So why not make it portable,  flexible and a little thrifty?

One of 2 benches in the client's foyer.

This is exactly what I did for a client and not just because I have a thing for benches, ottomans and stools. But because there was a need for additional seating for evening gatherings. However,  on a daily basis the room needed to be open for traffic flow, so to speak. The room, which I will show you in another post, was the first of it's kind I've ever done!

I recently saw this very similar bench at Home Goods.   I forgot to take "before" pictures of the benches I used,  so I thought this was a good reference since they too had faux leather seats. 

The solution? Add 2 benches to the adjacent foyer from Target! Recover them in a fabulous fabric that coordinates in 2 rooms so they can be put into service anytime. and look as if they belonged in either room here all the time.

Sit On Your Tuffet!

Stool or ottoman! Many or you asked about the little tuffet from this post. So this seemed the perfect time to finally finish a post that's been sitting in a draft format. What is a tuffet? Depending on the source you check it's typically described as a footstool or low seat, as it regards to furniture. The word ottoman has become the universal way in modern decor for describing any type of low or movable seating. Any of you recall the word hassock growing up...what would Miss Muffet make of that?

Lightweight and it works for every room of the house. At just $60, what a find!

This particular little tuffet was purchased from Home Goods and was slated for my closet. It's yet to make it upstairs. While it is not sturdy enough for adult seating, it has become a great place to pile books by a chair or sofa , a tray with a drink and yes, a convenient place to put my feet on!

A very convenient perch for books in the library!

I can not think of a single other piece of furniture that has more attributes than ottomans and stools. They are simply the most versatile (and in my opinion, necessary) piece of furniture for every room. I thought to prove my point, I would list every function they serve:



My hands down favorite ottoman, in leather from WSH.
 It's usually in the bedroom, but makes apearances in the living room
 whenever the occasion calls for lots of extra seating!

A rest for tired feet
A perch to pull on hose and socks
An extra seat for conversations
A fireside perch
A coffee table when a tray is added
A holder of books, magazines, blankets, pillows, purse and even a stack of folded clothes!



I had  a pair of these hourglass shaped Courbe ottomans from Ballard done COM
6 years ago in a beautiful harlequin muted teal & peacock blue chenille. They were an
 inexpensive substitute for the pair I fell in love with, but were more than quadruple the price!
They've held up well considering how much they pushed around.

I have at least oneottoman, stool or tuffet in every room. Some are cover in fabric, some in leather. Some were expensive, some were not. When a room lacks atmosphere, there are two things that are often the culprit. One is lack of lighting, or the right lighting (a topic for another day) and the other is flexible seating. If people are not comfortable, no matter how pretty the room looks, they won't fully enjoy being in the room.


I saved this image for the variety of flexible seating options in this room. The big gray round is truly a tuffet.
I've secretly wanted a hoofed stool with faux fur, and have several examples saved. Mr. A&A is perplexed by my
 recent admission of this desire. He says if I get one, then he will put a 6ft bear he saw at Plow & Hearth in the foyer.
If it comes to that, I'll have no choice but to dress him in a gentleman's black suit, give him a silver tray and call him Carson!

While every room must have a basic furniture plan, it's usually the ability to move pieces for conversation that make the best rooms. Flexible seating includes lightweight occasional chairs and ottomans, especially those on casters are indispensable.  

The hardest working ottoman in our house, still sporting it's trendy houndstooth fabric.
 Two chairs share it, as well as the sofa on occasion and whoever may be trying to sit close to the fireplace.
 At 24" square, it's the perfect size to easily push to any spot in the room.

Whether it's during the holiday season, a cocktail party where multiple groups are mingling, or just for everyday living, it's so nice to be able to pull up an extra seat wherever the conversation or need takes you!

The Chaise, Make It A Double!

So, after watching hours of Downton Abbey re-runs and the 2 hour Season II premiere last night, it got me thinking about being pampered. And my mind turned to the chaise. While the chaise has long been considered the distant relative of the French Récaimier, it's really more similar to the French Méridienne, which translates to rest in the middle of the day.

They tend to be thought of as furniture for women, but when you pair them, they take on a completely different context. Pairs immediately feel gender neutral and conversational. I'd prefer my pair (that I don't yet own) to be used in a library setting. But, they certainly looK appropriate for the study, living room or bedroom. And, while we lounge and look at some of my favorite images that I've saved, could someone ring the bell and ask Carson, the butler, to please bring us some tea or brandy?

Couldn't you just spend all day here with a pile of books?
 I imagine their is a roaring fire opposite the pair of chaise's.
Betty Lou Phillips.

A definite masculine take. Mathew Patrick Smyth.

Suzanne Rheinstein

Bright, cheerful and elegant. Eileen Kathryn Boyd.

An advertisement for Stark carpet, but I fell in love the the leather tufted chaises!

  I prefer the left/right arm combination so I have something to lean into.
 As well as take a nap without falling off! Veranda.

I love everything about this room! Matthew Patrick Smyth.

This would be a good substitute. Identical chairs and ottomans pushed together.
House & Home-January 2012



Shield Back Chairs: New Version!

With each days delivery of the mail there is excitement and perhaps too much expectation. Like many of you I look forward to receiving favorite catalogues to see what new items they will be showing off to welcome the fall season. But, what I want most is to find that one fantastic thing that gets the wheels churning with ideas and inspiration. Well so far for me, it has been page after page of mostly a sigh...no, make that a yawn. Until last night. This amazing new tole version of the shield back chair from Pierre Deux required 2 Tylenol PM to block it from my thoughts!

Your authentic French details are calling me!

A definite decorative coup for any room!

Enjoy your weekend, perhaps obsessing over your latest find!!!

George Clooney: Foxy Inspiration?

Pier 1 Imports was my go-to store when I had my first apartment. It was close to where I lived and cheap! Fast forward 20+ years and some things haven't changed. Except the go-to part. I will still pop in every once in awhile looking for glasses, storage baskets or some other odd thing and I do like to go in around the holidays and check out their ornament selections. Not long ago I had to hit 3 different locations buying up all the $4/bags of robin's egg soaps for a client. Not kidding. Otherwise I would have had to allocate $20/jar plus shipping for the same thing. Money I needed to spend on other items!

I never look at their catalogue. Yesterday I did. For one simple reason. Foxy George Clooney was on the cover. Okay, it wasn't really him, more like the thought of him. Alright, it was just the sound of his voice. See......

If I lost you, it just means you haven't seen "Fantastic Mr. Fox". Worth renting. George Clooney is the voice of Mr. Fox.  I've seen it 3 times.....don't ask.

Anyway, I  liked the lines of the settee he had his foxy tail on. The fabric, uh...not so much. But this is the sort of piece if I could score a great fabric at a rock bottom price, I would consider recovering it for the right project or room!

I perused the whole catalogue. There were some other decent pieces amongst a whole lot of crap. Each page was an over-accessorized riot of color that required 2 Advil upon completion. Some of the vignettes I swear are from one of their 90's layouts and I am convinced they have stylist's on staff who are on crack.  See for yourself:

Warning: these are not even the worst pages. But, in all fairness, the front of the catalogue does say "Creature Comforts". So if you keep the theme in mind and Advil handy, incorporating a unicorn and a goose into your interiors makes perfect sense. Kind of takes the focus off some of the accessories.  Except for this last image. There are signs of crack use all over it. How do Goldilocks & the 3 bears fit into this???!!!  It seems none of the Pier 1 beds were just right.

Hope everyone has a fantastic long weekend catalogue browsing, renting movies, playing outside or just hanging out!!!  

Chairs: Bobbins & Spools

It seems every magazine I have perused lately is showing a spool chair, also know as a bobbin chair. They originated from 17 c. English design. Early examples were smaller with straight backs similar to a dining chair. Current styles are modeled after 19c. designs. They come in a variety of finishes and certainly are a great way to bring in pattern or interest to a room.  I think they are so attractive and by all indications look good with any design style.  I have never sat in one. They appear quite deep and wide. So I am wondering about scale and comfort for the average  person? I also wonder about the cushions...will they move around or due to their large size, do they stay put?

Here are several different looks for this chair:

I loved the idea of just adding the ottoman to a room:

Antiques:

Martha Stewart's version for Bernhardt:

Mark Hampton for Hickory Chair:

From Wisteria and like the first image has a neckroll pillow and no padded arms:

Nieman Marcus:

Love them or hate them? Either way, hope you have a great weekend.....perhaps sitting in your favorite chair!

Except where noted, images courtesy of Vernada, House Beautiful, Better Homes & Gardens, 1st dibs, ebay.

Combining Classic and Modern

This photo is from the October 2006 issue of Traditional Home. Sadly, I was so enthralled with the image that I ripped it out without so much as a tiny notation.  I go back to it often.  I think it is a beautiful example of what can happen when we combine modern & classic pieces together for everyday living.  The three classic elements: the secretary, the floors and the wall color are balanced by the three modern elements: the artwork, pendant light with it's oversized shade, and the sculptural chair.

I would  have never thought to put this chair(wish I knew more about it...so sexy!) in this space.  I may have considered a Louis Ghost chair, but that's likely as far as I would have dared.  I think I would have prefered to see maybe orange tulips on the desk instead of the roses and far less collectables behind the fretwork of the secretary.  But maybe these elements are part of what makes it all work.  Love it or hate it?