Mixing and matching with a red jenny lind bed

Fixed elements: Aqua walls, maskros paper pendant, red jenny lind bed, red felt heart pillow.

Mix up the textiles for a fun 7 year old: go!

Hope you had a lovely long weekend!

Disintegration

For a while now, I have been noticing that the beautiful Indian pulkhari textile on my bed is fading.  The background color has gone from a vibrant coral to a faded orange, and the embroidery has simply disintegrated, one color at a time.  (It still had some blue here, and lots of pink, here.)  At first, I sort of vaguely suspected that it was changing, and then, all of a sudden, it became very clear when I posted an old photograph from my bedroom in the same post as a current picture, but the damage was already done.

This is one of those things about decorating: it is not forever.  Organic materials change.  Use wears away at things.  Buttons pop on upholstery, kids leave stains, pets scratch floors and furniture.  Even if you decorate appropriately for your lifestyle, nothing stays pristine.

I absolutely believe in using what you have.  Our wedding china is very expensive, but I would rather use it and delight in it, even if it means chips or even a broken dish here or there, than leave it on the shelf.  Having that textile on our bed was one of my favorite vignettes in the house.  It made me think of the store where I bought it--now defunct--and the early days of my brother and sister-in-laws relationship (she was with my mom and I shopping, and spotted the textile first.)  It reminded me of Clio's tiny toddler room in Brooklyn.  For a while, I let it fade because using it made me happy.

But then I freaked out and moved it to a chair, still in the room but out of the line of direct sunlight.

And I tell myself that it is good to move things around and keep it loose.

Tell me: Have you loved and lost any precious objects?  My heart broke a little when one of my daughters knocked over a ginger jar at my mom's, left to her by my grandmother.  But of course life goes on.

8 ways with: textiles

There is nothing I love more than a good textile.  They just bring instant character and dimension to a room, and make your space feel collected.  Not sure what to do with them?  Allow me:

Tablecloth, 

Wisteria

bedspread, 

My master bedroom

wall hanging, 

House Beautiful

Amber Interiors

pillows,

Furbish Studio

headboard, 

My guest room

Amber Interiors via Jamie Meares

ottoman, 

Amber Interiors

couch cover or throw, 

Furbish Studio

Design sponge

Framed as art

Furbish Studio

St Frank

Next time you see a cool old textile, snap it up!  There are so many ways to use them.

Found!

Years ago, living in NYC, I splurged on a pair of hand blocked pillowcases from that revered emporium of all things home, ABC.  I made several major investments at the ABC outlet in the Bronx over the years, but this lone pair of pillowcases was my only purchase at the store proper.  I loved the colors, the Indian motif, and the little quilted triangle design at the edge, which made the cases feel both hand-made and high-end.

After years of washing, the beautiful cotton finally gave way, but I couldn't bring myself to toss the cases out.  (Weird?  Maybe.)  They lived in this bedroom in Park Slope over a decade ago

Moved to this bedroom in our South Slope row-house

(yes, we have had some intense bedroom wall colors!)

Skipped our house in Boulder, but found their way into my current house's guest room's very early (very unfinished) schemes

And stayed in the room even when the walls went dark,

At which point they really finally bit the dust.

I love a well-traveled textile or accessory, don't you?  Just goes to show how collected pieces can give us a sense of our own history while changing with their surroundings.

Anyway, when working on this bedroom, I stumbled upon the website of Kerry Cassil design.  I loved the prints and patterns, and the (relatively) reasonable price tag for such individual-feeling pieces.  And then I noticed something.  The little quilted triangle detail at the pillowcase edges.  

Boom: Kerry Cassil is the designer of my favorite-ever pillowcases!  (you can see the quilted edge best on the stripes, just above.)

Now that we've been reunited, this will quickly become one of my favorite bedding sources, putting so many of these (and these) sheets and shams to shame.

Go forth and purchase.  You will be happy for years to come.

When all else fails

throw everything at it.

And when in doubt, post a picture of your guest room.

Seriously though.  (My 5 year old says it the cutest.  I need to catch her on tape.  Yes, tape.  I am approximately one hundred and four and I remember the 8 track.)  As much as an "editing eye" is a wonderful beautiful thing, sometimes more is more.

This room has had many, Many, MANY iterations, but this one, with ALL of my favorite bits and pieces all thrown in there, is my favorite.  It needs a printed bedskirt, doesn't it?  And once I decided on a leopard rug for the living room, the jute can be layered back in here for just a little MORE more.

I know.  I make it look so EASY, don't I?

Boys Room Fabric Options

When I was cleaning up my on-line work life over the weekend, I came across so very many things I never shared with you.  Which, I gotta say, is kind of a nice little bonus as a blogging momma still getting her summer legs!

Like how about some selections for a little boy's room?
(And this is perfect timing, as his sister just entered the world about two weeks ago.)

The walls are a light blue and he has an excellent mid-century bedroom set (his father's from childhood!), but needed, well, everything else.  I put together three choices for rug/bedding/curtains/lamp, with the intention of bringing in strong color and playful elements without getting too far afield from the traditional nature of the house.

Solid rug and simple border curtains let 50s inspired rocketship bedding take center stage

New England coastal rug and traditional buffalo check bedding both get taken up a notch with electric color; woodland curtains bring the whimsy.

Grounded neutrals--brown and white--leave room for a whimsical mix of polka dots, stripes, and polka-dotted stripes.  And who doesn't love an owl lamp?

Might be a while on the "afters" with that new baby around.  congrats to mom, dad, and big brother!

I Heart Embroidered Textiles

I remember the first time I was really aware of a suzani used in home decor.

Ah, yes.  Love at first sight.

I have always loved textural/ embroidered ethic textiles, from the white mirrored coverlet from Morocco that I bought at the 26th street flea market in NYC (and which I regret daily having lost or foolishly given away in one of our moves), to the african textile that has been a wall hanging and a bed cover to the kantha quilts I just keep buying, this is one of my things.

So imagine my delight when I stumbled upon a small vintage suzani at a local antiques store while shopping for accessories for a project!  In just exactly my palette: raspberry, coral, emerald, teal, gold.  And imagine my happiness at the price tag: just $28.  (Cheap to begin with, the vendor was having a 20% off sale.)

And guess where it went?

Oh, guest room.  Whatever will I do when one of my children insists on moving in and I don't get to play any more?

Want to see more suzani's in beautiful interiors?  Check out posts from Pure Style Home (Lauren was also initially inspired by that Elle Decor!), Cote de Texas, Little Green Notebook, and Once Upon a Tea Time.  There are gorgeous examples out there!

At a loss with a big wall?

Big empty walls can be intimidating to fill.

Think TEXTILES.

Simply pin up a finished piece of fabric--a scarf, embroidery, or fanciful tablecloth will work.

Source: aestheticoiseau.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: fengshuidana.com via yonni on Pinterest

Source: houseofturquoise.com via Mary on Pinterest

Throw some fabric on a dowel

Source: us2.campaign-archive1.com via Elizabeth on Pinterest

Or make your own his and hers banners

Source: designmanifest.blogspot.com via Heather on Pinterest

A quilt will do nicely, especially out of the bedroom.

Source: sfgirlbybay.com via Heather on Pinterest

And don't forget rugs.

Source: milkandhoneyhome.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: designspongeonline.com via Huni on Pinterest

How about an old flag?

Source: housebeautiful.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Heather on Pinterest

Sire, why not?

And if you're feeling fancy, you can go ahead and frame a tapestry. Although that might just defeat the purpose of the whole save money, use what you have thing.

Source: designmanifest.blogspot.com via Heather on Pinterest

As a lover of "soft goods," this strategy totally floats my boat.

Sew your saying

I'm loving the textile take on all the "word art" that's out there these days.

I remember first noticing these felt-applique pillows from this etsy shop when they were featured in House Beautiful a while back.



I was liking the idea of creating something similar but more in my colors (or commissioning the seller to do it).

And have you seen Muriel Brandolini's custom words wallpaper?  She created the lyrics to a family's favorite Rolling Stones song and applied it to the walls in all sorts of crazy textures.




Well, I just recently spotted these one-of-a-kind embroidered textiles, many of which use popular song lyrics, from Australian shop Castle and Things.



Some play around with composition and negative space in quite a fetching way.



This one makes me hear John Denver in my mind.  (NOT a bad thing, I promise you.)



There are also non-word compositions that still create a little story.  this one is called Dream a Little Dream.



These are pricey (in the hundreds of dollars), but they use great materials and could be a wonderful gift (even to yourself).

I like the idea of creating your own felt applique of a meaningful lyric, poem line, or saying, and making a throw pillow or framing and hanging it.

So personal.

Kantha Chair

I am loooooving the Kantha trend.  I called it here.  Still seems like the natural next step with other ethnic textiles (ikat, souzani) ever more popular and in danger of playing themselves out.  (have done them both, still love them both, but still.)

After all the little kantha pillows and throws (Pottery Barn, Jayson Home and Garden, West Elm), I love seeing Kantha upholstery on this limited edition chair from West Elm.



I especially love that they chose a sort of mid-century inspired chairs with angular lines and narrow legs to set off the blue stitched quilts.



If I had space, I would totally put this in the guest room- the little bit of masculinity and less-than-serious upholstery would be just what the slightly-formal room needs.

Okay, the kilim sofa, also limited edition, is pretty hot, too.



I've also just been noticing that Pulkhari is fast on Kantha's heels, what with pillows all over One Kings Lane and Serena and Lilly's Bazaar, for all of $500 a pop.

[here]

What do you think about upholstering pieces with exotic textiles?  Any calls on what's next?