guest room - green inspiration

As I've been putting together the design for our guest room, which you can read more in detail about in this post here, I thought I would show some of my inspiration behind the colour I've selected.

If you've been reading for a while, you've probably noticed that I tend to gravitate heavily to white. In fact, this is the third home in which everything in it has eventually been painted the same shade of white. I have never painted a room a bold colour. Bold and colourful aren't even two words that would be used to describe me or my design aesthetic. So why this seemingly uncharacteristic choice of colour?

Green really, of all the colours, save maybe blue, is one of the most natural colours. It's also a colour that evokes peacefulness and a sense of calm, two feelings that work well for a guest room when I think of how I want my guests to feel in it. I want it to be a retreat and a soothing space to unwind. This particular shade of sage green also feels very traditional and timeless, and that marries well with the rest of our home. And yet, a guest room, in my opinion, is one of the more special rooms in a home. To me, it's a room that's sort of closed off to the rest of the house and reserved for special occasions - when guests come to stay. It's the room with it's own set of linens and monogrammed towels. It's the wedding china and pearl earrings in room form.

Because it's a very natural green, it works so well with other natural shades - classic blues and warm, golden yellows, both of which I also love. And the three of them together? A dream combination.

 

Before I had settled on this colour, or even green in particular, I was looking through collections of images I loved, and started noticing a lot of these similar shades of green pop up, over and over. Sagey, blue-greens like that on this door, or the greens at Daylesford Farm. I just love that it's a colour that is just that, a colour, but it's also so neutral and natural feeling. And I think that's why I chose it.

This is the colour that I've settled on -

Calke Green by Farrow and Ball

(However, F & B Breakfast Room Green and Green Smoke were contenders.)

Luckily you can order sample pots from Farrow and Ball by mail and I can't wait to try this on our walls. Thankfully I'm covering already dark walls.

The image that completely sealed the deal for me? This beautiful entrance. This green with the shake exterior is just perfection.

Sources

Images 1-4, 7-9 from Farrow and Ball

Image 5 - Norton Cottage

Image 6 - from Daylesford Farm

Image 10 - via @susaneblakey

easter inspiration - martha stewart

If ever there was a time when we could all use a little inspiration for pulling together a holiday, it's now, when we're confined to our homes and are limited to the resources we have on hand. And if there was ever one to inspire us, it's Martha Stewart. So when I found myself a little lost as to how I was going to make our Easter feel as normal as possible, I turned to my collection of old Living magazines. I pulled all of the April issues out and set them on the coffee table. When I found myself feeling a little down, or needing a little pick me up, I'd make a cup of tea and sit down and flip through an old issue (or three). They never fail to bring me joy. Thankfully I had gathered most of their Easter candy and things the week before we needed to isolate, so I had that covered. I was able to work with the food we had for the most part, save the ham, which I had purchased when I had done groceries the week before. And the table? I pulled together what I had and thankfully, had a little extra time on my hand to make it feel special.

I had prepared these photos days before Easter as so many of you responded to the photos of the old issues when I posted them, and this book, when I had shared it weeks ago. Even though Easter is now past, I'm posting it anyway. If anything, they'll still bring inspiration next year.

These photos are from her book Martha's Entertaining - A Year of Celebrations.

I love colours of these eggs. We died a few this year and I was happy with how they turned out, mainly because of the lack of colour! A few years ago I started hiding a large chocolate in golden foil for each boy. I make it extra challenging and they love hunting for it.

She has a beautiful collection of antique chocolate molds.

A leg of lamb - something I've never made before.

A pretty Easter tree (we made our first this year) and a gorgeous citrus tart.

One of my favourite of the Easter photos - I just love a beautiful buffet.

Her property with an abundance of Daffodil bulbs in bloom.

I'm definitely going to be planting bulbs this fall around of yard.

And this brought the inspiration for having tea on Sunday. 

guest room design board

If you've known me for a while, or followed along for a reasonable amount of time, you would likely know that I have a very strong affinity towards white.

Design wise, it's where I feel safe, and yet based on the inevitable response I get from most people (especially when they know we have four sons), you would think it was the most unsafe selection.

For me, the white I'm drawn to is a very natural white, maybe slightly creamy in the right lighting. This white feels timeless (it is after all a historic white) and it's neither stark nor cold, or even bold for that matter. It's a sort of blank canvas to build off of. To me, it feels uncluttered and airy, it fades into the background. It allows what's layered onto it to be drawn more into focus: the delicate print of a pattern and the patina of a well-worn pine cabinet, with it's age spots and honey hues, are noticed more . There's more freedom in allowing the design to evolve through the seasons - more warmth and texture for winter, pared down and light for summer. As my tastes grow, the space can grow without a complete re-commitment to another colour, which maybe doesn't seem like all that much of a commitment until the time comes to actually repaint.

That's where I find both safety and freedom in it. It's a sort of beautiful irony really. 

Over the years, I've learned to trust what I'm naturally drawn to. I've watched very distinct patterns unfold in the things I find myself gravitating towards. One of those patterns is colour. When I sort through images that I've gathered for inspiration, be them landscapes, table settings, shops, floral arrangements, or furnishings, the same colours reveal themselves. I've noticed that my tastes are very natural - lots of green with some blue, and hints of yellow. As I've grown more confident in my own sense of taste and style, I've begun incorporating these colours more into my design - adding some traditional blue china to my table, mustard-yellow velvet pillows to the couch and always green in potted plants and fresh florals.

When we purchased our new home, I didn't sway from my usual selection of Simply White. Still, a part of me has always wanted to fully indulge my intuitions and furnish a room exactly as I envision it. When we made the decision to make the formal living room of our home a guest room, I found the perfect opportunity to do just that. It would be a room of it's own and I would allow myself carte blanche to furnish it however I desired.

So, where all good projects begin, I'm thrilled to finally be able to share my design board for our guest room with you. Later, I'm share more on how I decided on the colour.

Here is my best attempt at the sources for my inspiration.

Pillows (top left) - @cotswoldsinteriors, Cowlfax and Fowler

Pillow - Accent Marks (Etsy)

Stitched Monogram - emsheart.com

Drapes - Southern Living

Blue Plate - @houseandhistory

Paint Colour - Farrow and Ball

Light - Visual Comfort Lights

Armoire - @pearlonmain

Pillows and Blue China - @sb.sarabartholomew

Painting - @missmustardseed

Blue and White Vase - The Enchanted Home

Exterior Door - unknown via @susaneblakey

Fabric Collection and Inspiration - @nineandsixteen