Adding patina
Morning, a very good morning after the 4 day break. I had a semi break slash semi working weekend. I slept a quite a bit, on Saturday night I actually went to bed at 8 pm (party girl not) - it was one of the most exhausting yet coolest weeks of my career last week. The amazing press for the new book had the phone ringing non stop, the book launch at Anthropologie was fabulous, thank you again to everyone who came, we have been so overwhelmed with emails and messages, and on top of all that its been manic at the store. Flowers zooming out like no tomorrow, lamps, textiles - bonkers but bonkers in a good way!
We also came up with a solution with the bedroom this weekend. It has been bugging me for yonks half of it works, half of it feels like a car crash and the latest idea is a radical one because if involves chopping a third of the bedroom up but I have a feeling it might work. The plan is to block off the fireplace (shock horror I know its a working fireplace but when I crawl into bed I am way to exhausted to light it, then panel across that whole section of the room and turn it into a closet). Tin tiles I think will cover the mdf fake wall with hidden doors that open up into the closet. That is the plan - it will make the bedroom smaller but it will also make the bedroom cozier. Plus the rustic tin tiles will tie in beautifully with the wooden wall opposite - I just need to soften them with a little table in the middle, bunch of blooms that sort of thing. Its taken like 6 months to come up with this solution, we originally thought of it and I was like no way can we get rid of the fireplace but having a closet on a different floor to the bedroom and bathroom as is the current plan is a pain in the butt! Enough stairs already so this weekend work starts, finishes and ends - that is the plan!
I think that is thing with decorating sometimes it takes a while. For me I want my interiors to feel lived in and loved, to feel easy going, uplifting and comforting. I have to rattle around in them a bit to get them to work (case in point bedroom) but then when they do I never want to leave. One of the easiest tricks fro me is to not make rooms to perfect because then they feel static and a little uptight. Patina is a big deal with my style of decorating - peeling old looking but new tin tile wallpaper as an example, or rugs that are a little worn in, a wooden table that has a fabulous texture through years or wear and tear. To counter balance this I have to have glamour so some cool lighting, art etc but I need a little wear and tear - wear and tear shouts well loved. Biggest tip I can give is that if a home looks loved it will feel loved to everyone who enters. If rooms are neglected or a little to static and uncomfortable that is the exact vibe they will give off to visitors.
Here is a good example of patina, texture and mixing to the max. The rug feels a little worn in, but beautiful - the wicker blind which doesn't exactly go with the interior sort of works, even though its shouts beachy. The sheepskin over such an architectural chair is again a little off plan the room works because its held together by a beautiful colour palette and some pieces that tell a narrative. Its not uptight, its got no ego it just feels like whoever lives here loves it. That is what decorating is all about
Happy Tuesday