Runway to Reality

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I’m a copy cat. I’d love to think I have a bit of creative genius, but what I really am is a style thief. Sometimes as I am tearing (literally) through the magazines I pull something just because it makes me gasp. And then sometimes I think, “I want that.” or “Heck, I can do that.”

And then sometimes I do. Technically I did not copy the wall color, above, but I adored it and knew I’d use it someday. Then I bought the dream house, and the kitchen was already this color.

Kismet. What are the chances? The artist we bought the house from had created the color herself. I know because there are many quarts of a little bit bluer and a little bit greener in my basement. It is the most cheerful, and as I spend 90% of my waking hours here, it should be.


This is from a old Sarah Gayle Carter rug add from the ’90s.

Remember Mr. Blandings is the great outdoors man (opposites attract) so I stitched this pillow for the den in the old house. I loved the graphic nature of the rug, but it was a bit much for the room. The pillow was a bit of a compromise.

House and Garden spotlighted this product a while back. I used it on the coffee table in the kitchen, the front door and the interior kitchen door. I’m a bit chicken; I’d like to do all the interior doors, but…well, I’m chicken.

Kate Spade has black interior doors in her New York apartment. And she’s from Kansas City. So that makes us….different in almost every way.

This little Dessin Fournir number caught my eye a couple of years ago. I have a guideline that I follow before I bring new pieces into the house. If I would totally lose it if the boys ruin it, then it’s not invited. (Don’t bring up the Fornasetti tables; rules were made to be broken.) So, the jazzy Rateau Coffee Table with the iron base/silver leaf finish with Macasser ebony top with gold and silver leaf decoration was not to be.
But there was this quirky little shop in Brookside that carried iron tables that you could tile. Cheap. So I bought the base, gold leafed it and tiled the top with a really great, and indestructible Bisazza tile.

Here is a vintage image of Nina Campbell’s bathroom. I could not get over the tortoise wallpaper. It’s especially lovely here as it makes you feel like you are in a rare box. With a little ivory trim. (Look closely, that might be Girl About Town, Rita Konig in the snap on the wall.)

Before we moved into the dream house, we had the luxury of getting the downstairs walls painted and papered before we moved in. I’m not sure Mr. Blandings felt like paying two mortgages was a luxury, but it worked for me. The house has a lot of color, certainly, and even I could see it needed a bit of a neutral somewhere. The dining room is almost perfectly square and a bit dark. Even though it has a south exposure, we have a very large crab apple right in front of the window.

When the sample was laying out, the elder Mr. Blandings pointed out to me that my choice was, well, brown. I told him it reminded me of David Hicks. You should only copy from the best.
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13 thoughts on “Runway to Reality”

  1. It’s true. Everyone borrows a little from someone else and makes it their own. Your house looks fantastic and it is so fun to see what inspires you.

  2. Brilliant – A compliment from you is something, indeed, so thank you for that. Of course, all I can see is what is not done!

  3. Rarely does someone come up with an idea truly their own. We are all inspired by something or someone else! And as Brilliant said, it is fun to see what inspires others.

    Your house is really beautiful!

  5. There are no new ideas! Just our own interpretations of things we’ve seen somewhere else. I love what you’re doing with your house and the black doors are divine. That takes some guts! I love the contrast.
    Jackie

  6. I know my posts have been a little self absorbed this week – I am working on a fund raiser for school Saturday night. After that, I promise I’ll stop talking about myself!

  8. Thanks for sharing your ispirations. It is interesting how you have interpretated these various things and made them uniquely your own. Now that is what I call creativity.

  10. Thank you for a view into your lovely home. I love this post! You have a wry and self-depricating style.

    I also love your rule about what comes into your home!

  11. Hi, years ago I painted all my interior doors black. My front door was black already and then I painted our front loading garage door black and the mullions in our windows black. Every door, including closets are black. Our doors are the prefab cheap ones with the raised panels. The black makes them look expensive. When we added new hardware that weighed alot, the doors became heavy! I say go for black on every door, add new iron hardware and viola – cheap doors no more.
    Joni

  12. Joni – it sounds so wonderful. I want to do the mullions black as well. On my way to Oz I just need to pick up a little courage.

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