Café Design

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As much as we love color, there is no denying that neutral rooms can be just as complex and beautiful as those with a more daring palette. There are a few things that help neutral color schemes from falling flat and for me it’s all about contrast and variety. Contrast between darker and lighter hues, and a variety in finishes and textures. When working with a restricted palette, whether by choice or by necessity (the client’s wishes for instance), I think it helps to create tension by mixing in different elements that enhance each other: wood and metal, old and new, linen and velvet, woven finishes and more polished surfaces… When all the senses are engaged, the room becomes sensorial and interesting regardless of color palette, as witnessed by these beautiful rooms we’ve all admired over the years. 

Café Design is a reader-supported blog. When you make a purchase using our links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks so much for your support! 

UPDATE: For those of you disappointed that the Chinese spice jars linked in this post are sold out, I’m including a similar piece down below.

If you’re looking for a timeless color palette that is both soothing and universally appealing, then blue and white is certainly something to consider. It ages well, as witnessed by these wonderful rooms, and can be combined with earthier hues like camels, tans and browns, to create spaces that look both fresh and inviting. Blue looks good on its own but it awakens to new heights next to pinks, reds and greens, and has the ability to combine in ever different and surprising ways. 

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Increasing a home’s architectural charm is something I am often asked about in my decorating consultations and this is a post I’ve been planning to write for quite some time. I love sharing beautiful old houses, chock-full of detail and architectural pizzazz but I am aware that in real life many of us live, or have lived at one point, in homes that are less than perfect architecturally, lacking architectural charm and integrity. (We are living in such a home right now. ) But the good news, and the reason for today’s blog post, is that there are things we can do to add architectural interest to our rooms, things which in turn will make decorating that much easier, and more fun, and over time increase our home’s resale value.

A few weeks ago I shared with you a couple of purchases for our home that I was very excited about. One of them was an antique desk, bought from an elderly New Orleans couple. The other was a small side table with turned legs and beautiful patina that I just couldn’t pass up, even though I have yet to decide its permanent place in our furniture plan. After leaving them in our garage for a while, I got around to giving them a good clean and I am happy to share that they are now in place. As promised, here’s a peek.

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Good morning! I hope your week has been a good one so far. We’ve been really busy at home with work, school, chores, and a ton of housekeeping for me. You see, the strangest thing happens at our house… The minute I arrange one room, another one explodes in an uncontrollable mess, as if a very naughty house elf would get immense pleasure out of making this mama work overtime. It feels like I’m fighting a losing battle most days, but not this morning. Dishes are clean, the house is swept and arranged and I can breath a sigh of relief for another hour or so, before the house elf is done with school for the week 🙂 Overall I’ve been feeling less productive yet more anxious and fatigued than usual, and I blame it on the lack of time outdoors which always grounds me and brings me to a positive place. So this afternoon I’m planning a snow escapade for little elf and me to a small pond near our house to look for ducks.