Design Schizophrenia: WWPPD?

 

 

My so-called attempt at less clutter – no colorful Masonware in favor of white books and white shells.

 

I wrote about this a few years ago HERE, but it doesn’t seem to get any better.  Design Schizophrenia.  Last time out, I fretted over clutter versus no clutter.  What do you do when you love the cluttered look of an old English manor, but you also love the uncluttered look of a Belgian estate?  Unless you can afford two houses, you’re out of luck.  So, here, several years later, nothing is solved, nothing has changed.  Which look do I prefer – lots of accessories or no accessories?   When I started slowly redecorating my house last year, I really tried to unclutter.  I wanted to get rid of all my accessories and just go bare.  It didn’t happen.  Yes, I got rid of some things – I put away my blue and white, red and white, black and white, and purple and white transferware – but replaced it with a collection of plain creamware.  Not as cluttered looking, but still – a collection.   I put away my colorful Masonware and replaced it with white books and white shells.  Hmm – still anxious over that one. 

 

 

Chinese altar fruit collection came out of storage, despite my attempts at de-cluttering.

 

I put away my beautiful collection of Asian altar fruit, but then pulled it out again and moved it to my bedroom to go with my new Oriental hand painted wallpaper.  Oh, and my blue opaline is there too, hiding in the bedroom.  Shoot me now.   I want to go bare, naked as a jaybird (are jaybirds more naked than bluebirds?)  but I can’t do it.   Why?????    I look to my guru, Pamela Pierce, and she has it down, cold.  No collections.   No little accessories everywhere.  Just one or two antiques or a confit pot filled with white roses.   Of course her French pots are all gloriously rustic white, while mine are yellow – at least I’ve sold most of them.  Whenever I move something around in my house, I hear this little voice, what would Pam Pierce do?   Yes, what WOULD Pam Pierce do if she came to my house?  HORRORS!  A nightmare!  Stay away!!!   Too embarrassing!   Nasty anons who post comments about my house say it’s so boring with just white slipcovers.   I take it as a compliment, boring.   I want it to be quiet and flowing and restful.   It’s not.  I’m working on it, though.   I wish I were Pam Pierce, the queen of editing.   The queen of gorgeous slipcovers.  The queen of fabulous antiques that you never see in a shop.   Yes, what would PP do? 

 

I love a glorious English garden with roses and flox and wildflowers all in a mess.   But….

 

But then I look at Pam Pierce’s garden.  Just box and French jardinières and more box and a few gorgeous antique lanterns.  And a simple French iron table.   Sometimes simple is much, much prettier.  How would you love to walk into this front door each day????

 

 

I adore this entry from Lynn Von Kersting – such a beautiful railing with sensuous lines.   But….

 

But…then I see this entry from Pam Pierce – no railing at all.  A simple outdoor concrete pot filled with flowers.  There are only 2 accessories, plus two pots of flowers.  Heavenly.

 

I did a backflip over this dining room by Michelle Nussbaumer.   We must be alike, she also likes skirted tables, and I have those same pots flanking the fireplace and a clam shell is on my mantel too.   Laughing – we are SO alike!  not!  I wish though.    This dining room is so vibrant and happy.  It makes me smile.  It’s cluttered in an orderly fashion.  It’s soo Michelle.

 

And then I see this dining room by Pierce.  Quiet with touches of pale lavender linen.  Such a subtle hint of color.    Very few accessories.   The trolley is actually used to hold dishes and glasses – which become a decorative statement.  No accessories that aren’t really used.  Lesson to be learned. 

 

 

I liked this dining room recently seen in Elle Décor.  It’s youthful and fun and creative.  Friendly and vivacious. 

 

But would it ever replace this quietly elegant dining room by Jane Moore, another Houston great?  One accessory, well two if you count the ironstone pot’s top.   The clock and chandelier become the decorative elements – they speak so much louder than a mass of transferware.  You appreciate their beauty without having to fight to see it.  Lesson learned.

 

 

 

Such a beautiful, classic dining room by Nicholas Haslam.   All the chinoiserie elements work together instead of fighting each other.   So perfect really – this would be hard to emulate.  I love this look until….

 

Until, I see this breakfast room by Pam Pierce – and drool.  A light –is that lilac or gray linen? colored slipcover becomes the star, along with a set of painted antique doors.   The table is a knockout too.   No one does slips as pretty as Pierce.   I’ve tried to copy them, but it’s hard to copy perfection.   Notice how they just slightly drape the floor and how they are gathered in double pleats – or are those triple pleats?   Notice the sink on the back wall.   And the pots – something utilitarian - becomes a decorative element.

 

A beautiful French living room, seen recently in Veranda.   Makes your heart flutter.  That mass of blue and white vases, the collection of English smalls on every table top.  Elegant – a collection gathered over a lifetime. 

 

 

 

Or this living room by Charles Faudree – the interior designer who invented American French design with his layers of accessories and tables and chairs.  so beautiful!  Who can resist this?  I can’t.

 

Or this living room, with its mixture of contemporary and antique.  Well balanced and interesting, subtle yet cluttered.  Loving the mix of the Barcelona chaise with the French antiques.  I love this look…

 

But then I see this living room from Pierce, with its own version of a mix of contemporary and antique.  The Barcelona chaise looks perfectly at home with the white linen slipped sofas.   There’s even a trendy bricklayer table mixed in with rustic antique tables.   The accessories are so subtle, you don’t even notice them – except for the confits filled with white roses.   The rough, wide planked floor is left uncovered – adding another subtle decorative element. 

 

I adore Alessandra Branca’s style.  She is one of a kind.  Born in Rome she brings a unique European sensibility to her U.S. designs.  She loves the cluttered look – enough is never enough.   Here she mixes fabrics upon fabrics to create interest and texture.   Je’adore!

 

But then, talking of European sensibility.  Whoa.  Gorgeous.  Is this Houston?   Looks like France to me.  Love how Pierce separated the French Duchesse en Brisee into two areas.  Notice how high and deep her down cushions are!  Love the tall Swedish table in the middle of it all and the subtle gray and white rug.   The architecture – the walls, the windows, and the floors add to the perfection.

 

I love this busy family room by Peter Dunham.  Love his fabrics, his mix of patterns, his apple matting – love it all.  Cluttered, yet interesting, comfy and warm.

 

 

But, then I see this sitting room by Pierce – with more beautiful slipcovers – again, double pleated, slightly draping on the floor.  She takes four different pieces and creates a set with the matching slips.   The steel windows are left uncovered, as are the floors – each adding important texture.   Her bakers rack is filled with confits and flowers – that’s all.    I love how Pierce never uses patterned fabrics.  Just linens and sometimes a touch of silk velvet.   Love that. 

 

I mean, I try.   This is my coffee table EDITED.  Too funny!!!  The more I edit, the more things grow and multiply.  I can’t seem to give anything up.  The more I put away, the more I seem to have.   I need Pierce’s touch.  WWPPD?

 

 

Here’s how Pierce does a coffee table, interesting, simple.  This room has a masculine vibe – as if it’s a man’s study perhaps.

 

 

Or a side table, with just one perfect pot and twelve white roses. 

 

 

Or here, with one sconce and a few pots.   I’ve never seen a sconce this beautiful in my neighborhood antique stores.   Where does Pierce find such perfect things?  Such a perfect vignette.

 

 

 

Makes me want to go get the Barcelona chaise in white.  And that mirror too, if I could find it.   All photos of Pierce’s work are by Peter Vitale, author of that great book The Divine Home, HERE.  Vitale also does interior design, very similar in feel to Pierce’s work – uncluttered and peaceful with a mix of beautiful antiques.  Vitale’s web site is HERE.  Pam Pierce’s new web site is HERE where you can see many more pictures of her work.  I could stare at her web site for hours on end and sometimes do, just hoping to soak up some of her talent.

 

Well, I am thoroughly depressed now.   I get that way when I see pictures of a designer whose work I greatly admire!   I want to be that talented!   I guess I should be thankful I’m not competitive by nature or I would have an ulcer by now.   What is your design schizophrenia?  Are there two looks you love that contradict themselves?    Or do you just like one style and stick with it (much better if you are like that.)    Is there a designer you really admire?   Would you be embarrassed to have them to your house?    I have a whole long list of Houston designers that aren’t allowed anywhere near my house!   Not even counting the national ones like Buatta, Easton, Moss, et al.   Forget them!   If they want to come over for tea, we’ll just have to meet at the Four Seasons.  Period.  No exceptions. 

 

 

 

The last blog story featured a barn door in the foyer.  Here I wanted to show you this barn door by Martyn Lawrence Bullard that he put in the family room leading into the kitchen in Ozzy Osbourne’s house.   Isn’t it great?   Love it!!  Featured in Architectural Digest. 

 

And finally…..

Houstonian Leslie Sinclair, of Segreto Finishes, has recently completed her first book!     Probably most of the better houses in Houston that I've featured had walls done by Leslie’s company.    Segreto specializes in gorgeous plasters and fauxs on wood.  Their work is all very subtle – adding a layer of texture and a sophistication to the house.   The book is filled with page after page of some of the most beautiful houses.  To preorder, go HERE.   Be sure to look at the schedule of book signings.  Congratulations Leslie!    You’re the best!!!

One House: Version I and II

A house recently went on sale in Houston.  It is owned by an upcoming young, talented and beautiful (the triple threat!) interior decorator.   The designer has not lived in this house very long and as luck would have it, I have the photographs of the house from its previous sale in 2008.    Both times, the house was beautifully furnished in the Houston style – lots of seagrass and linen.     I love seeing how the house changed from 2008 to today under the two different owners and decorators.    This house must really have a special designer vibe – it was also owned by another interior designer in the late 1990s.  

Enjoy!

VERSION #I:

This one story house, built in the 1950s,  has a fabulous location – right off Weslayan between San Felipe and Westheimer.

Located in Oak Estates, in the shadow of River Oaks, the one story, 1950s house is small – with only 1,986 sq. ft - which makes it perfect for a young family or empty nesters.   It’s kitchen has been updated with Carrara marble countertops, slate floor, new stainless appliances, and there is an expanded master suite with an adjoining study.   The house was previously a 3 bedroom, but one of the bedrooms was turned into a master closet, making it now a 2 bedroom 2.5 bathroom.   Listed at $775,000, the HAR information is available HERE.

 

Walking into the foyer, it’s obvious someone with impeccable style lives here.   A collection of antique French pots and books sit atop a painted console.   A glimpse into the living room shows an antique buffet and mirror. 

 

 

YUM!   Custom cut seagrass in the living room, along with beautiful creamy silk curtains.   The curtains are perfect – reaching to the top, they are full and luscious – exactly how they should be.   Notice on the left, there are two antique buffets and mirrors flanking the front window.   I love the tufted ottoman and the French settee.     Two Fortuny pillows sit on the sofa and a mirror and pair of sconces are hanging above.   Note:  Be sure to set your monitor on maximum view to see the entire picture. 

 

The living room, looking back towards the entry hall.  

 

The house has a nice, open flow to  it.   The dining room opens from the living room and the family room opens from the dining room.   The kitchen is next to the dining room.   The dining room has two benches instead of chairs.   The linen slip, with its ruffled flange, is rough – perfectly matched to the table.   There is also an antique trumeau and a painted buffet.   The first time I saw benches used like this was  in Pam Pierce’s house.   See pictures at the end of this story.

 

Connecting through the dining room is the family room – here the owners used Stark’s antelope carpet – a favorite in Houston.   The designer homeowner cozied up a sectional sofa with a custom made slipcovered ottoman in linen.   What a great idea – especially when blending his and hers – the ottoman really makes the typical sectional look atypical.  

 

And looking the other direction – the bookshelves are filled with French pots and books, turned backwards to give a unified look.  I know this is a controversial way to shelve books, but I love the way it looks, especially when the books are a collection of cheap paperbacks!   I think it looks great.   Notice how thick the shelves are – this is a great way to update a bookshelf.   Notice here, you can see that the flange trim on the sofa is darker, giving a contrasting accent to the sectional.   Pillows like this can be found all over the Ebay and Etsy or at Restoration Hardware.  

 

Restoration Hardware’s pillows, similar to the homeowner’s.

 

 

New Orleans antique dealer Karla Katz has a collection of these French pots on 1st dibs HERE.

 

 

 

 

Off the dining room is the kitchen and breakfast room.    

 

 

Vagabond Vintage sells burlap runners like those seen in the breakfast room.  Order VV through Olivine HERE.

 

 

The kitchen has stainless appliances and a new range hood.   There are  Carrara marble countertops and new open shelving.   The backsplash appears to have come from Chateau  Domingue HERE. 

 

 

This collection of tiles from Chateau Domingue are late 19th century.    They are actually colored cement tiles, called encaustic tiles.   Mostly the tiles are used on floors, but in Houston – many have been using them as backsplashes in powder rooms and kitchens.  

 

 

Another view of the kitchen with its simple linen curtains.  It looks like the wooden range hood was built around the steel one – which is a great idea to  copy!    The cabinets are painted a light gray to match the marble and encaustic tile backsplash.  Notice how the shelves are a rough wood, rather than smooth.  Great kitchen.

 

 

 

 

The master bedroom was enlarged and has a small sitting area and expanded bathroom and closet.  

 

 

Beautiful new bathroom – love the cabinet and the antique marble vessel sinks.   Great Rohl hardware.  Really well done.  Walker Zanger tile. 

 

 

The guest room is simple and sweet.  I like the shutters opened like that.   The skirted table is a simple burlap - Wisteria and Ballard Designs sell similar ones. 

 

 

Wisteria sells these, so does Ballard Designs.  HERE.

 

 

The second bathroom is softened with a custom made linen shower curtain and sink skirt.   Another linen is used as a shade. 

 

 

Nice landscaping and patio, along with vintage outdoor furniture.

 

 

Another view of the back yard – the trellis is a great way to soften the garage’s blank wall.

 

 

 

VERSION:  II

Here are the HAR pictures from the house when it was sold to the current owner in 2008.   Which version do you like best, I or II or a combination of the two?

Version II:   In this arrangement, there is a lot more furniture and the room looks totally different than Version I.  I love the Louis Philippe mirror and the French day bed and chairs on the back wall.  But, I am definitely missing the beautiful lush silk curtains from the first house.  

 

The living room from the other view.   I love the French chairs and table.   

 

 

The dining room is set up like Version I with a long rustic styled table and a buffet in the corner with a mirror over it.  The chandelier is crystal here, as opposed to the Italian styled one in the current house.  The same curtains are used here as in the living room.

 

 

 

 

Here, you can see the host chairs are slipped in white linen with a gray trim.  These owners have more contemporary pieces, like this mirror and the art work. 

 

 

The family room – I do really like this a lot.  I love the KWID print and the white slipped furniture.   The art work is perfect here.   This owner chose to use baskets in the shelves instead of books.  The walls are painted a deep taupe and there is wall to wall seagrass here. 

 

Another view – I really love this room!  Very nicely done. 

 

 

This owner chose to use a leather banquette and a Saarinen table.   Different, but very functional.  

 

 

The kitchen is so different now in Version I with the open shelving and new hardware.   Version I is such an improvement over all these upper cabinets.  I also like the new range hood in Version I than here. 

 

 

These owners chose to use the 3rd bedroom as an office.   Great carpet, furniture, and I love the dark chocolate walls. 

 

  The master bedroom with dark taupe walls has linen slipped headboard and chair with two Oriental end tables and a crystal chandelier.   Totally different decor from Version I.   

 

 

 

One of the bathrooms – nice and simple in gray tile.    But I do miss all the linen – the shades, the shower curtain; I think it warmed up this bathroom in Version I.

 

 

  This bedroom is much more decorated than in Version I.  Love the Rogers and Goffigon linen duvet and shams.   Very cute!

 

 

The backyard is set up for kids under this owner.

 

So, which is better, Version I or Version II.   Actually there are elements of both houses that I like.  I like the updated kitchen and bathrooms in Version I better.   And I like the living room and dining room in Version I.   But I prefer the family room and the bedrooms in Version II over I.   Agree???

 

Pam Pierce Slipcover Details :

Remember the dining room in Version I – with the two linen covered benches?    I love this look, and credit is due to Pam Pierce for making it popular.

 

 

In Pierce’s own house photographed for Veranda, her dining room featured two benches slipped in linen.   This was the first time I had seen this look updated for the 2000s.  

 

 

Chateau Domingue’s Ruth Gay has a similar look in her house.   I love this dining room – notice the beautiful jars on the buffet.  Gorgeous.   And notice the tablescape.  Just beautiful.   AND, it was Pam Pierce, of course, who was the designer who helped Gay with her house.

 

 

 

Recently, Southern Living published this picture – with two linen slipcovered benches.  My first thought when seeing these was they were inspired no doubt by Pam Pierce.  

 

 

 Another style that Pam Pierce first did and many others followed was her skirted tables.   Instead of running the fabric with two seams up the side, Pierce gathered the linen on top of the table.   It’s hard to see in this picture, but again, Pierce championed this look. 

 

 

In The Stone House featured here, the homeowner’s skirted dining table is modeled after Pierce’s.   The gathering is pulled onto the tabletop here.

 

In The Bennison House, interior designer Jane Wood HERE used a similar type of skirted table, the seam is just at the edge of the table. 

 

 

 

And in Sally Wheat’s living room, HERE,  she used a skirted table with the seam running on top.  FYI – Sally’s living room looks nothing like this today.  Not one piece in this room is here today except for the curtains.   Her new living room is contemporary!