Being an Interior Designer has it drawbacks. It seems I am decorating, editing & moving pieces ... a few inches, a few feet, or even a few rooms away.
It is even made more poignant by the fact that I also run my business,
Maison Fleur de Lis, from home,
so Idecorate re-re-decorate both personal & business spaces frequently.
It is even made more poignant by the fact that I also run my business,
Maison Fleur de Lis, from home,
so I
That means that my business work spaces are decorated as well. Some people can work in a behind-the-scenes mess, but I need my organization, my serenity, my beauty; even in those hands-on work areas that no one may ever see.
But I do.
But I do.
The main areas of our home are more polished & formal; more Paris Apartment / European Elegant. "Monsieur" loves a contemporary style, as I do,
having grown up in a home full of authentic mid-century masterpieces.
But I also adore traditional,
so our main rooms are eclectically appointed
in a mix of contemporary & traditional.
Since our circa 1927 cape cod is small, the palette is light & airy :
soft Chantilly White & warm Dove Grey,
with touches of rich French Blue & inky Classic Black...
topped off with burnished Silver Leaf & sparkling Crystal Bling.
Back to my Design Office ...
The palette is the same but softer, feminine & scrolly.
Here the décor is dominated by Country French in a classic cloud-blue toile,
porcelain cherubs, gold-gilt & curvy French furniture.
All of the vintage treasures are guarded by my loyal friends, in white,
who quietly wait in a delicate antique & petite version of a gold-gilt chair.
I am a firm believer in creating a beautiful vignette;
not only to be a visual feast but a functional one.
Every loose item is contained in a pretty vintage vessel of one sort or another,
as long as it fits the color & ambiance of my Country French vision.
Blue vintage French books are corralled in a gold cherub planter,
a vintage saucier holds business cards &
a vintage white ceramic chamber pot becomes a wastebasket.
The toile-backed Country French armoire
is full of personal & vintage treasures from my travels to France.
As in, French porcelain cherubs guarding family photographs in gilt frames
or an adorable candy box from the Laduree Patisserie in Paris.
My desks also have their vintage French touches;
from the cherub wall sculpture over the technology desk
to a vintage rose chair & heart-shaped topiary at the writing desk.
The desks are decorated with vintage treasures
in scrolly white & gold ambiance.
The French postal-box bank , desk accessories that corral pens ,
notepads and to-do lists & a vintage French phone (Paris is calling ...)
No typical office supplies here.
No office is complete without an office file of never-ending business papers, but why have a typical file cabinet when you can do it in vintage style.
A toile-backed hutch & commode dresser corral documents & precious treasures while presenting a pretty French style façade.
Vintage sauciers hold business cards & price tags out of sight.
The most important décor in my office is a place to sit, plan & dream.
Overlooking the south-facing French garden I have arranged my sitting area
to enjoy the sun streaming in between the pin-tuck silk curtains.
My luxurious white chaise lounge is draped in ruffled vintage throws
& a gilt antique swan-armed guest chair from Paris
is reupholstered in white French matelassé .
The seating creates the perfect nook to quietly bask in the sun,
sip my tea & to dream about my next French decorating move.
