Is It Lavender or Lilac?

Southern Accents magazine.  Designer Amelia Handegan

Is it Lavender or Lilac?  These are two gorgeous colors.  Lavender is a light to pale purple with a bluish hue and Lilac is a light to pale purple with a pinkish hue.  I love to look at both of these colors  and yet, I never use them in my own home.  Often we think of a little girls room when we think of either of these two colors.  If the room has too much of either of these colors it will appear too sweet.  A room done in shades that are too vibrant of either of these colors will seem harsh and jarring to the eye.  I want to show you some " grown-up" rooms done very nicely in Lavender and/or Lilac.   I always pause when I see a room done well in either one of these colors.  Here are some pictures that just made me take pause and say," Aaaaaaah!"

This room has a nice contrast between the dark brown and the lilac.

Very Pretty!

With just a touch of Lilac in the lovely flowers, this room reads as a Lilac room.

What a comfy looking chaise.  I love the softness of the lavender velvet. It looks so inviting to me. Notice the blue-gray in this lavender?

How delightful would it be to sit here and have a wonderful meal with so many pretty things in lavender to look at?

Notice just a hint of lilac on the walls, keeping it soft and gentle to the eye.

This homeowner, reallllly loves lavender!  I have to mention the great beamed ceiling in this picture

What a pretty combination, Spring green and lilac

Aaaaaah! Isn't this a sweet nursery?

Just subtle touches of lavender here.

Whoa!!! Although this room is well decorated, the vibrant Lavender took it to a place that , personally , I do not want to go.

You can see when a color is used in the right value it can be a beautiful  room, however, when done overboard it is very jarring to the eye.

I will leave you with this final picture of Lavender done in the very best possible way.

"Enjoy the Process" Of:  Discovering ways to use Lavender in your Home.

Kathysue

Don't Throw In The TOWEL!!

Of all the rooms in my home I must say I love to design bathrooms the most. They are my favorite rooms  to design, decorate and even clean.  It is a room that when it is clean it sparkles and smells divine.  There is nothing prettier to me than a stack of fluffy white towels in a sparkly, clean bathroom.  In designing my master bath I was horribly disappointed when I did not have enough space to incorporate a tower to stack towels and display pretty apothecary jars filled with bathroom necessities.   I adjusted my plan and now I am very happy with the outcome.   I started thinking of  how pretty towels can be as a decorative part of your bathroom.  I went looking for clever ways to display  towels.

This is actualaly my shower with just a small stack of fluffy white towels sitting on the shower bench.  The above picture is my vanity sink in my master bathroom.  Come with me to look at some  fun and creative ways to display towels in your bathroom.

Hooks! Simple and functional.  I suggest hooks for families with small children.  I have found they will hang a towel but they won't fold one or put one on a towel bar.  These work well for the older male children in our lives also( Husbands).

Each towel on these hooks has someone's name on it. Now we know, which towel belongs to which child and so do they, no more confusion.  I have also suggested that each child gets their own color of a  towel.

This homeowner used colorful tabs to hang the towels on their designated hooks.  This is a good way to bring in just a litlle pop of color

These towels are not hanging but love the idea of marking their use! How fun is that?

In a cottage or vintage style bathroom how about a window box full of towels? This is just darling.

A basketful of  rolled towels is by no means a new idea but still a great one.

Speaking of rolled towels how about a couple of guest towels on your vanity in a pretty clear vase? This would add some interest and sparkle to your vanity area.

More rolled towels, this time in a garden urn! What a nice rough texture this would add to a bathroom.

A simple wine rack can also be used for rolled towels

These metal cylinders are a unique way to have towels on the wall and out of the way.  Baskets in a cylinder shape would also look great hanging on the wall.  Think of several cubes hanging on the wall to place your towels in.

Old and interesting ladders are a fun look!

This is from Martha Stewart showing another ladder,  this time in a worn white finish.

Aaaaaaah!  Fluffy White towels stacked on top of eachother, be still my heart.

I thought this would look darling in a childs bathroom or even in a country cottage.  I think I would hang it low enough to use the cross bar between the legs as a towel bar and the seat to stack towels on.  Can you imagine using three different chairs on the wall?   I think garage sales and tag sales would be a great resource to make this look happen in your home.

As you can see the ideas are limitless. So next time you are shopping start looking at pieces that could possibly hold towels in your bathroom in a fun and decorative manor . I would love to hear about some of the ways you all display your towels.

 Before I finish this post I have to leave you with this image:

" Enjoy the Process" of: Displaying your TOWELS in unusual and fun ways.

Kathysue

BEFORE YOU SIT DOWN!!

 Do you ever think about the back of your chair back?  Well, as funny as it might sound, I do!
When you walk into a room and see  the back of a chair, do you just pass by, because it really doesn't say, "Look at ME!"  I love to walk into a room where the back of the chair has been addressed in an interesting or an unusual manner. I have few pictures of chair backs in my file that inspire me.  On my someday list I would like to have some chairs that have a number monogrammed on the back.  I just find that so whimsical and fun.  For those of you that don't know me I am obsessed with letters and numbers. I look at the back of my dining room chair as another opportunity to use a monogram of numbers or letters. I also find it quite interesting to use a completely different fabric from the one used on the rest of the chair. I think an overscale pattern is perfect for this affect. So do you ever think of doing something unusual to the back of your chairs?  Take a look at the following photos.  I hope it will inspire you to look at your chair backs differently.

I love this chair! It not only has a different fabric but it also has a monogram. What a perfect combination.

Look at the lovely embroidered leaves on these chair backs. Gorgeous!

Here we have a beautiful, elegant oval back chair that could look quite formal but the small check keeps it more casual and friendly.

I love the use of a sette instead of all matching chairs and this designer took it a step further by putting a different fabric on the back.

These chairs are a good example of using a larger scaled pattern on the backs. The pattern is subtle in color but it is a nice large scale, giving the chair impact.

I am not a girl who likes the color orange but this fabric is amazing. I would love this in a green or a blue for my home.

Slipcovers are used here and each back has been addressed in a fun manor. Notice the jeweled buttons on the chair on the right. Very clever.

Even though this pattern has been used on the front and the back I wanted to show it to you.  I think the large single flower is amazing and it makes this chair stand out as unusual and fun.

Now we are talking Unusual! How interesting to use the silhouettes of chairs on the backs of these slipcovers. Love It!!

Now walk into your rooms and which chair backs could you change to be a Stand-Out!

"Enjoy the Process", Of:  Changing the Backs of your Chairs.

Kathysue