Saturday, November 21, 2009

Saturday, November 07, 2009

Sweet Peas and Day Beds

I am currently researching canopied daybeds and single beds, and this one I found on Pierre Frey's website. It's my favorite version of the "tree of life" motif and I think the canopy on this bed is really perfect. I was thinking about doing a crown canopy at one point but I have moved away from that, perhaps i will address that in another post...  I also love the repetitive use of the same pattern to do up a room. Most of my friends think this is a tired worn out look and I am often made fun of for loving it. But I don't care because  I don't think anything this over the top could ever be "tired" or "worn out". In fact, and it all depends on the quality of fabric one chooses, I would go so far as to say that this could be a truly avant gaurde look, especially in this time of contemporary, and seemingly disposable design. Its funny because I have been told that this style is oppresive! Hardly the case, in fact I think the sparse cold rooms of a modern or contemporary house are the most oppresive places I have ever spent time.   As I have said before my motivation is not  historical, but one of looks and feelings - I want my rooms to feel like a cozy soft nap in the most beautiful garden in the world. Now don't get me wrong, this look can go horribly wrong and when it does it can be bad. Like an old tranny on a sunday morning, not pretty. Some one who was (I dont know what she is up to these days ) a master at this and one of my my favorite influences is Fernanda Niven Senior or Big Fern. She had a knack for making a room feel just like that.  At her house in South Hampton, the house is long gone now I suspect but I remember she had a guest room - the Sweet Pea Room.  It was all the way at the top of the house which I think was 3 storys on Wyndanch lane, it was certainly not the show piece of the house but the room was like all the other rooms - cozy, comfortable and attended to with loving detail and quality. The room was entirely done up in sweet peas. Drapes, wallpaper, bed spreads and carpet. I remember the sweet pea print was a soft green and lavender color and it gave the room a breezy feeling. Far from oppressive. There might of been a few wicker pieces in there which I have conveniently forgotten as I despise wicker, but regardless, I always slept so well in that room - it was such a plesant room to wake up in and like a great meal - I have never forgotten it.