That is Just Wrong Made Right

You blog followers may recall this is the light fixture that started it all.  You may recall when the fixture arrived it was a horrible color and not as pictured: 


                     










The white with bright gold accents was not the desired finish to achieve the look I wanted in the breakfast room.  After painting three times, first oil rubbed bronze, next glossy white, and finally a lovely shade and desired shade of chartreuse.  Unfortunately, it was hung as a flush ceiling light instead of a hanging fixture.

This made the fixture appear tiny and old fashion.  "Hollywood" to the rescue.  Hollywood is my go to guy for painting, floors and anything the husband fellow can't do.  He has informed me that he can rewire and hang the fixture properly.  So what was just wrong will be perhaps just right soon.  Stay tuned for photos of the progress as it happens.

One more chance for this fixture.  If it still is not pleasing then it is on to something totally different.

Tango Tangerine: 2012

Those of us in the design industry are very familiar with Pantone.  The company was founded in 1963 by Lawrence Herbert.  It is a company that makes accurate color samples and swatches that are used by fashion designers, graphic designers, paint companies, and interior designers/ architects.

Tango Tangerine is the color of 2012 as selected by Pantone.  You may not find this too interesting but you will see this color everywhere this year.  It may be in a blouse, a dress, a lamp, or an advertisement.  For the adventuresome it will end up on the walls of a room.

It may be interpreted in coral, orangy red, or many other shades.  It will not so quietly begin to appear on items in big box stores such as Target, Pier I, and Walmart.  This is not a new phenomenon.  In 2011 the chosen color was Honeysuckle

Now I don't know about you but as a Southern girl I would have assumed that Honeysuckle was some shade of yellow.  How many of us saw this color "popping up" everywhere last year.  Maybe it was on an invitation.  Perhaps at a wedding.  Touches of it were everywhere as you see even on cookbooks.

Sometimes these chosen colors fade quickly and sometimes they linger.  2010's Turquoise is a good example.  As you can see turquoise is still hanging out with baby sister Tangerine Tango. 

This elegant timeless room designed by Arkansas' own Tobey Fairly is an example of how Pantone colors such as the Turquoise of 2010 can have staying power.

This is another well designed room that illustrates the lasting power of some of the Pantone choices.

This use of Tango Tangerine is shown with timeless antiques.  We will have to wait and see as to whether Tango Tangerine has the staying power of some of the past Pantone colors.  Watch touches of the color appear in fashion, home design and graphic design.  Time will tell.

Repurposing: What Every Southern Girl Has Always Known

I love that my profession and the public in general has caught on to repurposing.  My grandmother did it, my mother did it and my mother in law as well. Most of the southern women I have known in my life have done it.   I have many examples of that new trend in my house today. 

This pewter punch bowl belonged to grandmother and it was brought out for teas and luncheons.  We don't do teas and luncheons much anymore so I have put it to use as an attractive bread basket in my kitchen.  It had been stored in an attic until I found an adapted use.

This secretary served in a my great great grandfather's doctor's office in the 1800's .  He might be appalled to discover a variety of potions, lotions, make- up and hair gizmo that it contains today.  Toilet paper and wash cloths are stored in the drawers.  There is also a silver tray that belonged to my grandmother inside the cabinet that serves to hold my perfumes.  The secretary was unwanted by everyone including me when breaking up my parents household but I just couldn't  let it go.

This silver tray belonged to my aunt.  I don't really think she would mind that it now houses our liquor for the bar.

This silver tray belonged to my maternal grandmother.  She was Southern Baptist to the core and might be appalled that it now holds our liquors and brandies for after dinner.  Elsewise it would be relegated to some corner of the attic sitting lonely in pacific cloth.

This bamboo sofa belonged to my husband's maternal grandmother and has served many well since the 1950's.  It was used by us in the beginning of our marriage as our only sofa.  It was a natural bamboo at the time.  Now painted black it is perfect for our screened porch.

The bergere belonged to my husband's maternal grandmother and had no springs because it was manufactured during WWII.  It has a double and has been reupholstered and used by many in the family.  I love these chairs.  The Chinese chair is one of a pair and is a recent addition.  These chairs were in my paternal aunt's house during her Asian phase in the 1960's.  They were rescued from her tiny apartment upon her passing in horrible condition.  They have been refurbished and are quite comfortable.  I have also incorporated many items ordered from clients that just did not work for them.  That is where the lovely leather topped tea table came from.  I love it and am so happy it did not work for that client.

The oil painting is quite beautiful.  It is not by a listed artist but came from a well known gallery in Chicago.  I recovered it from a man who had bought a bank, found it among the refuse and was going to dispose of it.  It is one of my favorites. 

Of course, we all have our favorite junk store/ flea market stories.  This Italian charcoal is from the 1950's.  It is from a respected St. Louis gallery.  It has had a prominent place in my home since discovering it.














Not every item in my current home is a found item or repurposed item.  I do love the pieces I have kept from the landfill.  What a great example set for me by the Southern women I have known.  Keeping and repurposing these items has made my surroundings and my life richer.  I hope I have passed this passion to my daughter and she will pass it on to her son.

People often ask me about the eclectic decor of my house.  Now that I consider that question it has so much to do with my past and what I found too valuable to dispose of.

That Is Just Wrong

Sometimes the best laid plans........  While working on my kitchen breakfast room project I was excited to replace the lighting.  One light fixture worked out beautifully and the other was a complete failure.  As my sister said when seeing the failed  fixture  "That is just wrong".  My banker husband is fairly handy around the house but I must blame a large part of this error on his lack of electrical training.  I will claim the rest of the responsibility.  If you have been following the project on "Living Life with Lillie",  you might remember that this is the fixture that was purchased and planned on for the breakfast room area.

Crystorama light purchased for breakfast room.

In the first place  it came in a white with seriously gold finish not the promised oil rubbed bronze.  I might have been willing to hang it in a bordello if I had been working on a project like that.  the cost of spray paint was less than shipping the item back.  I first tried spraying it oil rubbed bronze.  The finish looked black.  I then spray painted it white.  The white was attractive but not the look I wanted to live with.  I finally found the perfect color -   A color called Apple that looked much like what I would call chartreuse.   Perfect color.  Fixture painted, check.  Chain painted, check.  All ready to be hung in the freshly painted breakfast room.  I tried to avoid being in the house when my husband hung the fixture.  This always seems to work better for the condition of our marriage.  Much to my disappointment this is what I saw when I returned. 

Yes, it was just wrong.  My perfect fixture was not hanging from the chain because my husband said it just wasn't made properly and that's what happens when you order online.  As he had been gone hunting for a month, this was not the time to question his electrical abilities.  Besides, he had cut the wires to install and so past rewiring the light fixture was a total loss.  I have discovered also that even hanging from a chain that the fixture might just have been too petite.  I now am searching for another light.  And, yes I will be shopping online.  And, yes I will hire an electrician to install the light.  After all I don't want the next one to be "just wrong".

Kitchen Confidential: Part II: The Process

Custom mixed Italian Straw

The first part of the process is always the paint.  Going from Signal Red to any color is a bold endeavor.  The trim and cabinets (referenced in (Kitchen Confidential) will remain a greige color.  This custom mixed Italian Straw will allow almost any color upholstery and accents to be used.  It will lighten up the corners and the work surfaces.  I love warm colors and this is a warm yellow.  The spouse replaced all the outlets and switches to bring the electrical hook ups into this century.  I don't recommend this for those of you who have spouses that are not handy.  Hire an electrician.  This is all in preparation for the painter.  A real mess will be made if this is done after painting.


New lighting will go a long way to freshening up the breakfast room and the kitchen.  I was lucky enough to catch sales on the Internet.  These fixtures were purchased for less than my wholesale cost.

24" x 36" chandelier from Seagull Lighting, will hang over the center island where the pot rack hung.

I have decided to step up my game.  The kitchen is a fun place to use fancy fixtures.

Small 12" diameter chandelier from Crystorama will hang in breakfast room.

This small chandelier is perfect for the breakfast room.  One of the hazards of  ordering  online can be small or large differences in what you see and what you get.  The following photo illustrates this point.

This is the actual finish that was on the chandelier. 

Not only is the finish wrong but it is quite unattractive.  Need I say a little on the bordello side.  It was such a bargain that a can of spray paint and a few minutes of time will achieve the correct color.  I could have sent it back but the spray paint was cheaper than return shipping.

This five by eight rug will be perfect in the breakfast room with the combination of soft yellow and greige.  It is as if this rug was made for this project.

Sitting on that rug will be a settee, an antique pub table, and two chairs.  I love the whole idea of the settee as we can use it for casual seating or use it when we have an intimate meal in the kitchen.  I long for this as sitting at the bar for everyday meals is uncomfortable.

Pier I's Headington love seat .

Pier I love seat is covered in this fabric choice.

The Pier 1 Headington love seat is surprisingly comfortable and has the traditional aesthetic I long for.  The palette of this fabric has warm yellow, soft gold, light blues and soft greens.

I have an addiction to chairs.  I plan to use two I already own.  Chairs are great as they are so adaptable and can be moved throughout the house.

This chair has had many lives in my home.  It currently sits in my home office and is covered in a neutral fabric. 

This is the new fabric I will use to cover the chair seat.  It will liven up this little chair and give it a fresh look.

And for the final addition to this seating area my beloved cowhide chair.  This chair has resided in almost every room of this house.  Twenty years ago I bought this at an antique store.  It was painted black lacquer and had red vinyl upholstery on it.  It looked as if it had resided in a bordello.  I had it professional stripped and oil it to keep the natural wood looking good.  At the time I had to search high and low to find the horse hide.  I think it will make the perfect compliment to my seating arrangement.

Will be posting as progress is made so stay tuned.

Sheep May Graze

Sheep may graze but people should be more like birds than sheep, including me. ( See previous post)

I am guilty of being a sheep sometimes.  As an interior designer I seldom jump on board  with the fad of the times but am as susceptible to them as everyone else.  In November we went through a redo of our main bedroom.  I hesitate to call it a master as we suffer from loving and living in a hundred year old house.  Our bathroom is next to the bedroom as in all old homes.  I having been using the blue and brown theme in interiors for clients for about 10 years.  My bedroom has been a straw color for the last 15 years.  It is a color that has allowed me to change the look of the entire room by changing the bedding and upholstery.  I loved that.  My choices for the "new" bedroom started with a wall covering from Innovations in Design that I fell in love with.

InnovationsUSA.com  #MB8, Dark Copper

This has a metallic background with mulberry bark in a green blue.

This is the wall covering after it was applied to my bedroom wall.  The trim and wall paint is Pratt and Lambert Carolina Gull, which on the deck and the sample I painted on the wall had more of a gray tint.  I am still trying to like the blue undertones I see every day of my life.  Blue is not the color I wanted in my bedroom.  With trim wall and ceiling all painted this color I am seeing a lot of blue.

This is the finished bed area.  Neutral carpet covers my hardwood floors at my husband's request.

This is a Walter Anderson hand retouched watercolor.  All I see is blue, blue, blue.

Wall lamps are Arterior Home. 

The bedside cabinets are ones we have owned for awhile.  They are so handy because they have individual drawers and all and any small personal item fits nicely.

I had the painters apply a copper finish.  I could not find hardware I liked so I applied jewelry to knobs.  Makes me happy every time I open a drawer.

Bedding has been most difficult to find.  This is a combination of a copper bedspread with a brown quilt.  I am still searching for the bedding that will make me happy.

I had no intention of using the blue and brown combination but it is what it is.  Hopefully, the editorial choices I have made with art and accessories will make me feel more like a bird and less like a sheep.  More photos as progress is made.

Birds Are So Much Wiser Than We; Don't Be Sheep

"Birds are so much wiser than we.  A robin builds a robins nest.  A seagull builds a nest for seagulls.  They don't copy each other - or build themselves nests as described in The Bird's Decorating Magazine."  Dorothy Draper


This quote comes from the doyenne of 20th Century decorating.  She invented the profession in 1923 by establishing her own firm.  When most of the interiors of the time were done in period style she introduced splashes of color.  Furniture she produced or designed was painted in high gloss turquoise, white and black.  She designed wall coverings with large dramatic patterns and used bold black and white stripes.  Bold trellis patterns in citrus green were common in her interiors for hotels and homes.

If all of this sounds new and contemporary it would be because of the revival in recent years of all of her new concepts from the 1920's and 1930's.  Painted furniture in turquoise, white and black have been in vogue for the last five years.  Most of us have been tempted to paint something we own in gloss black, white or turquoise.  There  is even a blog called " Everything Turquoise".

These are photos of Dorothy Draper furniture pieces from her collection.  She started her design firm in 1925.

An original Dorothy Draper interior that holds up today.

This is a Dorothy Draper style that is much copied today.

These are current products that are on the market that copy that Dorothy Draper style.

My interpretation of Dorothy Draper's quote is do your own thing.  Don't be a sheep.  Sheep follow where told to go.  Most interiors that last throughout time are those where the designer and client have followed no one.

Kitchen Confidential

Doing one's own design projects must be a dreadful thought to most interior designers as it is to me. When working on a client's project I select finishes, fixtures, furniture fearlessly.  I am in the process of decorating my kitchen/breakfast room.  I use the term decorating because I have no intention of tearing out walls, replacing appliances or changing the floor plan in any major way.  The couple that owned this home in the 1950's did an excellent job of that and saved me the trouble.  They did however leave behind  three layers of less than desirable wall covering and a set of turquoise cabinets.  Having looked high and low,  attic and basement, I have been unable to find photos of the original walls.  I did leave the manufacturer's label  when I had the cabinets painted in around 1990.

The cabinets were painted a griege along with the trim.  I love the griege and intend to keep that so begins my dilemma.  I am ready to return to my traditional roots.  No matter what new furniture I see or sit on I am always drawn to that aesthetic.  I digress.  When the cabinets were painted I also chose to paint the walls and ceilings signal red. 

This photo "reflects" that choice.  I used a semi gloss enamel as our kitchen/breakfast room is the most used room in the house.  Reflective paint also makes photography difficult.

We have so enjoyed the red but it has presented some difficulties.  It is so dark no natural or artificial light has illuminated the corners where the real cooking action takes place.

This photo is of the working area.  The island which is topped by a wood chopping block, which we love.  Here is one of the dark working corners I referred to.

Built in oven was innovative in 1950's and is still in great working order but you can see the remains of the old land line which we stopped using in 2005.

Although the cabinets have a green tint in this photo, they are a wonderful shade of greige.  The light fixture over the island only provides good down light and we have found that if we hang pots and pans or anything on the pot rack it disturbs the light further.  The cabinet boxes are wonderful.  There is a potato bin, an appliance garage for mixers, etc., a built in spice rack and wire shelves which are easy to clean.  The Frigidaire Flair stove/oven works and we love that.  There is room for our dishwasher, two refrigerators, and tons of dishes and pots and pans.  There is a built in Jenn Air grill that vents outside on the island.  So much packed into this great kitchen.

This built in bar is one of our favorite features.  The red paint with the greige cabinets is well illustrated here.

This is a perfect U working kitchen.  I use fold up bar stools so that I can remove them when entertaining because I want my guest to use the rest of my house.

The new cork floor we installed in November was the right choice for us.  Easy on the legs and durable.

So the stage is set for new wall color, new lighting and new furniture.  Follow this Kitchen Confidential to discover as I do what form this room will take in the following weeks.