Outdoor living space design....part 1

Today in Chicago the temps were near freezing, with a sharp biting wind and cloudy skies. But soon, our attention will be drawn outdoors. Are you ready? How is your outdoor living space? If you are up for a change, a tweak or a total re-do, stay with me as we explore the anatomy of creating your outdoor dream  room

Be it casual

Or formal. The design approach is like an indoor room

We will explore "ceilings"

Walls

The floor

 How about your furniture? The styles and options available to us are near endless

 We'll think about how you entertain and the space and furniture needed

The accessories

A fire feature?

 Water?

 And of course your lighting

The options are endless!

While we go through the series, I will be designing a patio for Keri Doolittle of the blog Ivy Clad. Keri is in the Missouri Ozarks and I have not nor will be visiting her home, so the entire design process will be online. Hope you join us, I think it will be fun!

Cheers!
Debra

Let's go to England!

It's that time again......our annual tour to England!

A small boutique tour with myself and friend, Sylvia Benjamin 

of England, guiding no more than 12 attendee's.

 We venture deep into the rural countryside of Dorset, the enchanted land of thatched cottages and gardens, cream teas and antique shopping, Thomas Hardy and Stonehenge.

We will visit gardens, renown and private

Viewing grand homes, a moated home and private thatched cottages

Antiquing through backroad villages and open air markets

And would you believe me if I told you the food is fabulous?! Every group says the same 'The food is wonderful!' 
 True, really......we know just where to go! 

And of course, the ever-present search..........

With limited space, we are first come, first served, with sign-ups already. Hoping you can join us!

Cheers
Debra

England Itinerary, 2013, click HERE

ONE COOL PILLOW

I have a deep abiding love for this pillow! Let's explore the anatomy of it's construction and then the options with a variety of fabrics.

A boxed bolster constructed of a slubby linen

Over the linen body is a snug sleeve, in this case faux leather

The final layer is a decorative textile scene that ties over the sleeve

The underside of the decorative textile is lined in ticking. It's size did not fully wrap the sleeve so an extra bit of slubby linen was added to extend around the form. Finally tied to secure.

Many many options abound as I was playing, so to speak with my collection of fabric samples. This sort of pillow can pull together all the fabrics in a room in a single unifying piece. Let's examine a few variables........

Same bolster and sleeve, as will be shown repeatedly. Overlaying the top is an imprinted linen from Kravet 

Another overlay from Manuel Canovas

A classic Ralph Lauren plaid

This image has another fabric added to the mix, a ticking which could line the plaid

Let's ignore the brown sleeve for a moment, and focus on the embroidered Cowtan & Tout embroidered linen with a Shagreen piece that would make a great textural contrast for the sleeve

In this jumble the possibility could be, starting from the right;
-a bolster in a charcoal/brown slubby linen, does not have to be slubby, I just love the European fabrics and the depth of texture.
-a shagreen in pale mint green
-a stripped ticking as backing for
-the beautiful Cowtan & Tout embroidered linen overlay which has a kiss of mint green in the embroidery

Same combination excluding the shargeen and exposing the ticking as the sleeve

Imrinted linen by Jane Churchill and ruffled velvet

Jane Churchill imprinted linen, pale green shagreen for the sleeve, charcoal linen for the bolster

Manuel Canovas pale gray and white linen, dark gray linen sleeve and a Classic Cloth overlay of embroidered linen which in this case would need to be lined.

What do you think? Can you see trying out this concept?
Need any help, just ask, we have a great seamstress in our team

And speaking more to an abiding love, this is Cooper, our over indulged Welsh Cardigan Corgi.

Check out the live action shot on the treadmill! This photo is appearing in a local magazine, as the April 'pin-up' boy

Cheers!

Debra