Endearing Details

I never could resist the urge to be clever.  My letterhead says "You've Got Mail" where the company name should be.  My designs are no exception.  Each and every room has a special detail in it.

Just as the homes of the Main Line are like a jewelry box full of gems, I believe each room should have a piece with unique appeal.

My living room, for example, has a carved statue of a melancholy man in a suit.

"He's creepy" is a common response to my sad-looking man.  "I love him!" I reply, providing the following information:

That carving caught my eye in an antique shop.  I found that he was hand-carved during the depression and then exchanged for a half-pound of ground beef.  I think it is good to keep him around, looking over us.  It keeps us in check with reality.

The truth is, I have never told that story without first disclosing that it is completely made up.  By the way, the antique shop I was referencing is in fact Bryn Mawr Thrift Shop.

While my depression-era carving may not sound that charming, it is the humor of the story (albeit dark humor) that I enjoy.

I do not submit my clients to such twisted whimsy, but I do insert a piece of charm into each room.

When a long-standing client of mine came to me in search of a sophisticated nursery, I knew I couldn't let her get away without something in the room that would make you smile.

"I do NOT want any butterfies... and NO MONKEYS!" she said.

She is quite passionate about style, and a Beatrix-Potter themed nursery simply would not do.

The result was a super-lux, black, white and turquoise nursery.  I came up with the concept in early 2009, before this palette was all the rage.  In fact, my client swears I started the trend.

High-contrast damask, baroque style frames and two very lady-like polka-dot pillows made it in to the room. I was quite pleased with the work.



In fact, I was about 98% happy with the job I had done.





But that two percent lingered.  "Am I really going to do a nursery without a single animal?" I thought one day.  Sure, we had included some child-like items (an entire wall with frames displaying the alphabet being one) but their impact was negated by the more adult items (i.e. an ornate finial and Eiffel tower doorstop).




I looked down at my little black poodle and an idea came to me.




"Doggies!  Little black doggies of all different breeds... over the threshold!"

I thought my client would veto the idea, so I decided not to ask her.  I told myself that once she sees it, she will adore it.

I was nervous about revealing my special touch to the client.  She has impeccable taste and is therefore extremely particular.  I had fallen in love with the idea, and the thought of my client rejecting it was painful.

As it turns out, I had nothing to worry about.  My client was thrilled, and the design was complete.

Special details like this make a room look finished and completely unique, just like the Main Line.

MODERN TOILE

If you caught wind of the rumor that toile is passe, fret not.  Ralph Lauren saves the day with a fresh take on toile.  Speaking of fret... this modern toile looks great with another Ralph fabric: Fretwork in aqua.  Check it out at the end of this post.

Le Colonial Toile in ceylon/aqua is a modern Main Liner's dream.  It trades the standard large-scale toile scenes (think horses and pigs) for a smaller, less kitchy print.  This fabric blends the uber-popular two-tone color scheme with classic chinoiserie to create something that is truly special.  It's delicate enough for a bedroom (maybe even a sophisticated nursery?) while still being elegant enough for a dining room.

In this Newtown Square dining room the print is featured on the drapes.  These aren't your average pinch pleats, however.  I chose a box-pleated "waterfall" style drapery to elongate the room.  They break right at the floor, creating the world's smallest "puddle". 

Le Colonial Toile is an intriguing print.  It's the kind that surprises you each time you look at it.  That being said, a small-scale print like this should never be overused.  To balance it out, I chose to dress the other windows in the room with cornice boards covered in a simple basket-weave linen.  The finishing touch?  A two-inch band of Le Colonial Toile inset on the treatment.  The result is charming yet sophisticated.

Le Colonial Toile is available at Calico Home for $72.99/yard. 

Do you remember how I told you not to fret?  This fabric compliments our modern toile perfectly: Fretwork in aqua.

I used it on the seats of the dining chairs in this Main Line home.  It lends the modernity of a geometric print while still looking completely polished.  It is also available at Calico Home ($82.99/yard).

This room shows us that, while toile may not be all over the pages of Elle Decor these days, it can be used in a modern way.

If you still love a classic toile, have no fear.  In my opinion, it will never be completely off the radar-- especially on the Main Line.  It might be wise, however, to keep it in kids' rooms... just for the time being.