Enjoyment can be found in setting a table in the library, drawing room, dining room, on the terrace, or in the garden! We’ve repurposed a vintage tiger maple cabinet similar in size to a linen press by adding a freestanding interior shelf system for place mats, tablecloths, large candlesticks, and the like.
Years ago we wanted to have slipcovers made for our dining room chairs which were then upholstered in solid black fabric. The tailor referred to a slipcover as a bespoke suit of clothing custom made for our chairs. So it seemed, as the butter yellow cotton duck covers with scalloped edges and tiny self-covered buttons down the back rivaled any dress in my closet.
Though we may associate toile with French decoration, this storied fabric was quite popular in colonial American interiors and has experienced a resurgence in both interior design and fashion.
My last post introduced the idea of a walled garden or in Latin, hortus conclusus. Creating a walled garden or any garden in the limestone beds of the Texas Hill Country requires a steadfast effort, an iron will, and a love and respect for nature.
It is written that the word paradise comes from the Persian word pairideaza which means surrounded by walls. To be in a walled garden, possibly within a larger, wilder garden, is to be in a paradise of sorts. A walled garden or hortus conclusus is a place of contemplation, separate from the world outside the walls.
An engaging and informative article in Veranda magazine titled ‘Are Gallery Walls Still in Style? Here’s What Designers Say’ (Rebecca R. Norris, August 10, 2023) inspires me to a fuller consideration of such. One of the designers quoted in the article notes, “A well-considered gallery wall can read like a book and…narrate a story.” There are innumerable ways to style a wall or walls in our rooms and so, this will be one of several posts on the topic. This post will consider the ways a gallery wall can be a visual memoir representative of a life story.
From my first glimpse of the blue leuder stone grotto near the bottom of our piece of land I imagined sitting in this quiet space and contemplating nature. A dead tree formed half an arch and one day we tied it to a native sumac to form a natural arch at the top of the grotto.
Growing up, my friends had posters of Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix adorning their bedroom walls. I had a poster from a grisaille exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. Grisaille, rooted in the French word for gray is a technique of monochromatic painting in multiple shades of gray or gray based tones.
A highlight of early evening is a walk to the herb garden with a timeworn basket and bonsai scissors ready to clip herbs needed to make our dinner. The scent of fresh cut herbs is delicious!
We tend to surround ourselves with objects of personal significance. Whether it is something beautiful to look at, something to make us happy, something useful, something which evokes poignant memories, our objects tell a story.