Garden inspiration

This lovely photo of Narborough Hall in Norfolk is the epitome of an English Garden. The colors, shapes and textures are simply perfect. Happy Saturday.

Color Inspiration: Lilac

 Carolyne Roehm

Nature is my color inspiration.  Today in Connecticut the Lilacs are in full bloom.  I cut loads of blossoms from my bushes this morning to brighten up my office and my home.  In past years the deer have feasted on the buds and haven't left much for me to enjoy, but this year my bushes are tall enough so the deer couldn't reach a good deal of the buds.  Below are some great examples of using lilac in the home, either as an accent color, or boldly as the main color.  Who wouldn't want a little lilac in their life.  Happy May.  Enjoy.

Architectural Digest

 Christina Murphy

Catherine Huckerby

 Timothy Whealon

 

Color inspiration: blue and tan

I'm in the process of helping a client choose a color palette for their renovation project. It's a fairly small home with just two major rooms. I have decided on using a combination of pale blue and tan for the color scheme. All of the trim has been painted dove white and looks fantastic. For the kitchen/dining area we are going with a pale gray blue. For the living room we are going with a soft light taupe....like Benjamin Moore pale oak. The group of photos below helped inspire me for this project.

Better than Downton Abbey? Parade's End

More period drama eye candy!  In February HBO aired Parade's End the new BBC period drama based on a fictional work of the same name by Ford Maddox Ford. Parade's End has gotten great critical reviews. The miniseries of 5 episodes was directed by Susanna White and written by Tom Stoppard.    The series is set in Edwardian England, the same time frame as Downton Abbey.  Fans of Downton Abbey will be familiar with the dress and decor of that era. The stills from the series are beautiful...great costumes, architecture and interiors are stunning. The actors aren't too shabby either. The series stars Benedict Cumberbatch. He is the mesmerizing, fabulous lead in the recent British version of Sherlock Holmes. Other stars include Rebecca Hall, Adelaide Clemens, Rupert Everett, and Miranda Richardson. Much of the series was filmed on location at Dorton House in Kent.  I don't get HBO so I haven't seen it yet but am extremely anxious to...netflix?? soon I hope.