The Cottage and The Slipcover

I confess. I kept one image from you when I shared the photos from the Bazeley Cottage. In the light filled corner of the master bedroom sits an amazing slipcovered chair ~ quintessential English and the essence of cottage chic.  I am also quite fond of the antique painted gray chest.

When you think about the cottage design aesthetic, slipcovered furniture often comes to mind.

The slipcovered chair above is from a corner of the stylish New York studio apartment of design consultant Ellen O'Neill featured in House Beautiful.

 Even though this is a New York studio apartment, it has a distinctively cottage feel. Proof that a chic environment can still exude cottage charm. Maybe this is just my opinion but it has all the elements of good cottage design even painted white clapboard floors. I would love to take a peek under the slipcover... probably a vintage find brought to life with that crunchy washed linen slipcover.

Worn, Weathered, Wonderful...

Ellen O'Neill comments on the charm of the faded stripes of the red and white slipcovers from the living room of her Bridgehampton, New York home:

""I love that sun-bleached look. It's vintage fabric, and apparently it was once some kind of a cabana. In the underpinnings of the slipcovers, you can still see the little embroidered eyeholes where the ropes would go. So it comes with an interesting story. It's not just yardage. It had another life."

Michelle Fritz is the talented seamstress from the blog Make. Her work was featured in Country Home several years ago. Although this article appeared in February 2006, these linen slipcovers are just as relevant today and might easily change with the season's by adding colorful, graphic pillows.

I adore this versatile slipcovered table from Wisteria.  I love the clever storage it conceals.

I enjoyed this DIY slipcover project from Isabella Max Rooms. You can follow along as she makes slipcovers for her dining room chairs out of painter's drop cloths.

Finally, one of my favorite resources for slipcovers is Bemz. A Swedish based company that offers loose fit Belgian linen slipcovers for Ikea furniture.

 

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The Allure of a Cottage Front Porch

The cherry blossoms are falling from my weeping cherry tree in my backyard as I write this post almost as if it were snowing. It's going to be a blue-bird day here and I CAN'T wait! I am absolutely giddy for Spring and just wish I had a beautiful cottage porch like the one above {via} where I could sip sweet tea and pour over the pages of my new Elle Decor. I swoon for that interesting color on the clapboard floor and am loving those faux bois chairs.

Today, I am off to do the rounds at my favorite local garden shops and gather some new Spring blooms to plant all my planters on my back deck. After my morning gardening, I plan to meet a friend at the Junior League kitchen tour and then head over to an art show and sale for Senior Services. It's a girly kinda' day!

Anyhoo... continuing my series on exploring cottage style, I thought I would share just a few inspiring cottage porches, a little history about the traditional haint blue porch ceiling and a recipe I plan to experiment with tonight when i return from my girly day and enjoy dinner al fresco on the deck.

I know you've probably seen these photos from Southern Living of Haskell Harris' charming Birmingham cottage. The front porch is everything it can be with clematis climbing the front porch posts and that adorable slipcovered porch swing and rocker. The gray and white painted floor is the finishing detail that really takes it over-the-top for me. I just love it ~ so simple yet so charming!

I love also love to have a garden room or mud room like the one above adjoining my cottage porch...and the wish list goes on and on!

I love a cottage porch with a pretty sky blue painted ceiling. I actually just learned recently the true purpose of the Haint blue ceiling from reading a post by Laura Casey Interiors. Here is a quote from her post:

"According to Louisiana legend, a “haint” is a spirit or a ghost. The blue paint represents water through which evil spirits cannot pass. Some say a blue porch ceiling helps extend daylight as dusk begins to fall, and others still believe that it helps keep bugs away. When the tradition began, bugs were deterred by the lye in paint – today many theorize that insects do not nest on blue ceilings because they think the blue paint is the sky."

I have always admired a blue porch ceiling. The blue ceiling gives a little unexpected pop of color and adds authenticity to a porch. I first noticed it on the porch ceilings of the historic houses in Charleson, South Carolina and always thought it was just a tradition that started in Charleston. I should have known there was a good story behind the trend.

I love following Eddie Ross and found these two photos, above and below, from his own porch so charming. You will enjoy both of these posts ~ A Light Lunch for Four and A Vegetarian Lunch for Six and gather great menu and styling secrets for your own spring entertaining. I love how Eddie mixes old linens, vintage china and hotel silver. I also like the small floral arrangements made from cuttings from his garden. This spring  I am making an effort to plant more flowering plants in the garden around my home so I can bring cuttings inside for the table and the other small containers I have all over the house.

When life gives you a cottage front porch, make Vodka Rosemary Lemonade.

1 cup sugar

1 cup fresh lemon juice, preferrably Meyer lemons

2 rosemary sprigs

Club soda

1 cup vodka

In a saucepan, bring lemon juice, sugar and rosemary to a boil over medium-high heat. You should stir pretty regularly in order to make sure the sugar dissolves all the way. Once the mixture boils, reduce heat to low and simmer for two minutes. Off heat and allow syrup to cool in a pan for at least an hour. Discard rosemary.

Mix one cup vodka and 3/4 cup syrup in a pitcher. Taste for desired sweetness and add more syrup if needed. Top off with club soda.

Have a nice weekend!

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The Cottage and the Dhurrie

This simple cottage family room appeared in House Beautiful about this time last year. The interior design is really not that special but still it beacons. I can imagine spending hours in this comfy room with the door open to the ocean breeze or curled up by the fire in the off season.

Why?

I think it has everything to do with the rug. As it turns out, if you read the source guide for this room, this swoon worthy aged Dhurrie is from none other than Guinevere Antiques in London.

The founder of Guinevere, French born Genevieve Weaver, trained as a hat designer in Paris in the 1950's. Having moved to London and started a family, she became drawn to the world of antiques. She opened Guinevere Antiques in 1963, in what was then, the disreputable end of the famous Kings Road, Chelsea. Today, the store is very much at the 'right' end of the Kings Road, and is surrounded by art galleries, smart restaurants and interiors shops. Guinevere is now run by Genevieve's sons, Kevin and Marc Weaver.

I would like to share a passage from Guinevere Weaver from the forward to her book "Antiques for Today's Interiors", one of my cherished old coffee table books.

"From the beginning, I never looked at antiques from a conventional point of view. I was not particularly interested in the significance of a piece; what actually counted for me was its form, colour and texture - in other words, the visual statement it was going to make within a room. It seemed obvious to me that you didn't need many things to make an impact - what you needed was one wonderful piece from which you could build up an entire scheme."

That incredible aged Dhurrie fits that one-wonderful-piece philosophy beautifully!

I live vicariously through the travels and antique adventures of others!

I could not believe my good fortune when I discovered two of my very best friends, who having just returned from London, had visited the infamous "rug room" of the aforementioned Guinevere AND they took a few pictures....for your eyes only! I wish I could see more of that blue rug with the scroll pattern peeking out!

I can't actually blog about The Cottage and the Dhurrie Rug and not mention the movie Something's Gotta Give. I know. I know. Blah, Blah. Blah. Something's Gotta' Give Blue Dhurrie Rug... But, I just can't help myself! I was sitting around last weekend, minding my own business, reading a magazine and guess what should come on TV? I don't know how many times I have seen this movie but I was, again, immediately captivated by the serene interiors of this iconic movie. There's a reason why everyone is still talking about the interiors in this movie. The interiors are simple, yet sophisticated., timeless, yet fresh.

What's not to love about the Southampton beach house from Something's Gotta Give?

I love this shot of Jack Nicholson stretched out on the slipcovered sofa from the movie. I just love it! Everyone should live in their living room!

And truly which came first ~ the need it, gotta' have it, want it creamware antique trend or the movie?

If you really liked the movie, too, you may want to check out Joni's recent post about the real Something's Gotta Give real house and more about the movie set. Here's the link to Cote de Texas.

The interior design from the movie has been inspiring cottage design for almost a decade now. With one motivated designer seeking to have the iconic blue and white striped dhurrie copied for their new home by the Aspen Carpet Designs. You can still buy them today!

Here are some other examples of cottage rooms brought to life with a classic Dhurrie rug:

{via Country Living}

{Madeline Weinrib rug via House Beautiful}

Of course, I think a Madeline Weinrib rug could also give you a modern twist on the traditional, dhurrie rug. A great new source for flat weave, graphic rugs. The room below is from designer Mabley Handler. She uses Madeline Weinrib rugs in her designs often. I love Handler's modern cottage interiors.

{via Cote de Texas}

{via Style Court}

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