You can admire nature’s beauty in this Ephraim Pottery piece called Spring’s Herald. We have become a very literal society, expecting natural and hand-made items to look exactly alike, as if they were ipods or fountain pens. When variations occur, we assume a defect. The lovely nuances in wood grain, ceramic glazing or hand-blown glass [ read more… ]
**Due to dye lot variations, the colors in this fabric sample may not match current inventory. If color match is critical, contact your dealer. Fabric mills have found it necessary to include some type of disclaimer on fabric samples sent to their clients. Apparently, this is the same reasoning that slaps a “not for human [ read more… ]
Take this test: Would you reject this rug because it’s not a perfect rectangle? In a world of increasing automation, any object shaped by human hands, or by nature itself, is an endangered species. If they are not to become extinct, there must be room in the marketplace for variation and uniqueness, for these are [ read more… ]
Did you see the five hot color combos mentioned in the Chicago Tribune yesterday? It’s from a House Beautiful article. I just love the idea of navy with pink.
My husband is a techie, which means my decorating challenges started on day one. When we were first married his most precious possessions were his stereo components — the receiver, the reel-to-reel tape player, the speakers the size of small refrigerators. Now we have a small, neat unit that mounts on the wall. These days, [ read more… ]
I have a good friend with an interesting take on entertaining. Tom would always start a project in his house, get bogged down, and then have a party to force himself to finish it. There was, he said, no greater motivator. And his parties were legendary. People couldn’t wait to see the latest addition to [ read more… ]
Ask any little child to draw a picture of a house and the image on the page is the same; a square or a rectangle with a triangle on top. Some may add a door or a chimney or a window, but that iconic outline crosses all age and cultural boundaries. The idea of “house” [ read more… ]
Such a simple picture to convey so much. No turrets or verandas or four-car garages are necessary. Just a cozy little box illustrates all that is needed. Our larger-than-life scale of living may be about to undergo a change, as the cost of maintaining big homes, big cars and big lifestyles comes under scrutiny. The [ read more… ]
I can see this Communications Center from Sligh in a smaller house providing a place for the family to get organized.
Some houses just lend themselves to this holiday. Wheaton and Glen Ellyn are all dressed up in Independence Day colors and summer’s best flora. Bunting, I notice, is big this year — maybe it is every year. I never noticed until I stopped to take these photos of the neighborhood.
