Color Texture Pattern: An Exotic Livingroom

home office/guest room from architectural digest india

This room is a dream, impressive in it's balance of elements which manage to be both eclectic and rich, colorful and serene, rustic and sharp. Everything is grounded on a brown/wooden base found in the architecture and case goods.

Dream Palace: Time Enough at Last

One of the key reasons I decided to move from Flickr to a proper blog is that I got a little tired of seeing the same rooms come around time and again. Don't misunderstand, a lot of those rooms from domino, Livingetc, Better Homes & Gardens, etc are my faves too. But they've been circulating and recycling for several years and a new room is more of a surprise now. 

So I started fishing around for other publications we don't normally see in North America. Bless the internet for closing the divide between hither and yon. Not only can you grab a look at mags from almost every continent, I now subscribe to House & Leisure South Africa! (And uh, they seem to be livin' pretty swell down there.)

So, you will be seeing some gorgeous, familiar rooms, but also you will be seeing some new stuff (depending on where you live) like this room. The homeowner's name is Mario Fortunato and he's a writer of many sorts. This house is his retreat and this room is his...office. Everything I can dream of to be happy writing is in this room (except maybe a jar of homemade sour cream cookies). Daylight, a fantastic view of lush greenery + open sky, books books books, huge work surface, cushy furniture, bright accessories and a stereo system within arm's reach. 

What is not to love? I ask you!

writing retreat of mario fortunato (pictured)

Source: Io Donna magazine  Photo: Barbara Corsica

Decorating With Textiles: Sloped Ceilings

Back in the '90s, when I was sharing a cramped bedroom in my sorority house, the best we could come up with for decorating our sloped ceilings were posters. That's right. I lay in my little corner and looked up at "The Little Mermaid" (the one that was rumored to have a penis hidden amongst the towers). 

What this room does that we never thought to? Define the "head-bump space" in rich detail. Not only do the colors vary from rug to rug, but also the patterns and textures themselves. This is probably delightful even on a rainy day. (Notice the chair is centered under the peak so you don't get knocked out standing up.)

Any clever display ideas for your best textiles? Decorating odd walls? 

source: marie claire maison