WEEK ENDNOTES: Tours, Trends, Terrazzo

This week’s findings were a boho hodge-podge, and I’m a day late posting thanks to a WordPress update that shut off my access the last half of the week with a “critical error.”

Killing time elsewhere while the problem resolved itself, I rediscovered this gorgeous photo in my computer files. I don’t know where it came from or why I had it in a file and not on Pinterest, where I typically organize. It was named “LaDatcha sofa,” which indicates it’s a room done in the Russian peasant style, and, from the look of the surrounding walls, it’s from an actual Russian country home.

I love the color and the use of textiles and simply had to show it to you. It’s a definite boho inspiration.

First, the tours…

Zara Home

Here’s a shot from another country home–this one in Tuscany, designed by Zarah Home–and you can take the full tour. I love the table covering–is it a blanket or a throw over a blanket over a table? Regardless, it’s a lovely base for the vignette of vase, branches and books and picks up the restful colors in the painting behind it.

Casa Josephine Studio

Yet another tour of a sublime country house–this one in Rioja, Spain, and operated as a bed and breakfast by the design firm Casa Josephine Studio. What caught my eye was the mustard-painted ceiling, which drops down onto the wall in a sort of architraved effect. Other rooms in this house also have interesting ceiling treatments. Take the tour, then book your reservations!

Beata Heuman design | Simon Brown photo

Check out the chandelier in the living room of this colorful London loft. I ran a photo of the lighting fixture in another dwelling in a previous WEEK ENDNOTES. But THIS home has this trendy chandelier in more than one room. Take the tour and see how many you count; I got three, but I may have been distracted by the beauteous Beata Heuman-designed decor.

Elle Decor | Stephen Kent Johnson photo

Take a look at this adorable family, then take a look at their likenesses as cats in the custom family portrait, which hangs behind them (people after my own heart!!). Take a look, too, at the tour of their just-as-fun New York loft. Mom is Tatyana Miron Ahlers, partner in the design firm Pappas Miron.

Then 2 trends and an inspo tidbit

Cawley Studio

Apparently, shaggy, furry cushions are a big deal right now because, what with the pandemic and all the uncertainty in the world, we all need something soft and comforting to hold onto. I, actually, wasn’t aware such pillows had ever gone out of style. Isn’t that the very nature of pillows? Oh well, if you want to hold onto this checked sheepskin one from Cawley Studio, it will cost you $416. That’s A LOT of comfort, just not for the lambie-pie who made it possible.

Gail Davis design | Mike Van Tassell photo

According to Elle Decor, wall-to-wall carpet is back, and while they’re not over-the-moon about it, what can a design magazine say when its A-list designers are using it? Me? I prefer wood floors and area rugs, but most of us, me included, just live with what we get when we buy a house.

We replaced really ugly old carpet with beautiful new carpet at our condo because what was underneath was a concrete slab. The kitchen and baths got the hard-surface treatment, and that was that. Our current house has carpet in the bedrooms only, and I’m keen to get rid of it as soon as financially possible, trend or no trend. Maybe if it was animal print, like in this photo, I’d reconsider, but I’m betting that carpet is not in my budget.

British designer and color expert Sophie Robinson took a turn being interviewed on someone else’s podcast this week, gushing as only Soph can about color psychology on Ballard Design’s How to Decorate. She’s episode 246, but don’t forget to check out Ballard’s other podcasts for ideas and inspiration.

Never enough terrazzo

HGtV Magazine | Diana Paulson photo

Last WEEK ENDNOTES I shared two terrazzo kitchens, now here is a third, equally as gorgeous. Believe me, you’ll want to take the full tour. The dining booth is to-die-for!

Homefront update

BoHo Home

Sorry, that’s about as exciting as photos got around here this week. The Lawson garage is insulated, drywalled and painted, and about half of the boxes are unpacked and items stowed away. As you can see, Chris hung shelves on the far side of the garage, and we quickly filled them.

BoHo Home

Here’s a better shot of the shelves. This walll still needs a couple tool racks to go over the gardening cart (right).

Our garage is unfortunately small. Though technically a two-car, lengthwise it’s a close fit getting our one car in. So we’re adding storage gradually to see just what we need without over-crowding. We’d like to have room left for a freezer, but the jury’s still out on that.

Today we go to the big-box home-improvement store for more shelving to be hung higher where it won’t interfere with parking the car and getting in and out of it.

Hoses and cords will go on this wall (left). That’s the door into the house, so the wall to the right of it needs to be kept clear for at least six feet from the floor for access.

My home-improvemen shopping list also includes a second hose standard for outside as well as a tall, double-pronged shepherd’s crook for birdfeeders. I found feeders and seed in boxes already unpacked but need a place to hang them. The kitties and I are desperate for some birdwatching!

Chris finished up our daughter’s garage-gym installations yesterday, while I collected sticks in her wooded back yard for that DIY trellis project mentioned a few weeks ago. Look for it in a future post, complete with instructions and a clematis.

It should be warm enough starting today to plant perennials and shrubs this week, FINALLY. Do you know it spit SNOW here yesterday? In APRIL?!! A trip to the nursery is definitely in order this week to celebrate the weather change. I hope all stabilizes soon.

I’m also ALMOST ready to introduce some new, handmade-by-me products in my Etsy store. I hinted at this a few weeks back. There’s something for the bakers and cooks, as well as gardeners young and old. Stay tuned.

Best,

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