*under construction*


17 February 2009

From the Inside Out


The deluge continues from dark skies here in what used to be known as my sunny little beach town and being that I tend towards the melancholic side of life sometimes -

I don't mind the grey.



I actually long for it sometimes -- the grey -- on a soul level. It, like everything, requires a precarious balance for the perfect outcome. Too much, and it's gloomy, too little and it's not moody enough for my liking.

Balance.


photo credit Philip Newton

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I love moody rooms. I need them. My aesthetic environment is extremely important to me because it directly and deeply affects my mood. My state of mind. It needs to embrace the grey in me. While I love different elements, the base of my surroundings need to be substantial - earthy, organic, but interesting, and while broody -- not dark. While I like airy, for me, personally, it needs to be in the form of an ethereal mist-- surreal, dreamy - not in the bright and cheery sort of light.

Saladino Estate from the book, Santa Barbara Living


I love simplicity, but not simple.


Elements of perfection for me from Elle Decor --

if those curtains were less weighty, it would be pure perfection.

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Take these walls below for instance - simple tint and sand equals an exquisite, textured wall of perfection. It's broody but far from gloomy and certainly not stagnant. The light moves over, around, in and out of the peaks and valleys created by the coarse sand - making it anything but simple. The substantial size and weight of the mantle, the table, the beautifully carved wall hanging, the furniture, the candlesticks - it is everything that I love. The metal, curvy ethereal chandelier keeps it all from seeming too heavy.

From British H&G via Atlantis Home

Click to enlarge and see how gorgeous the room really is.


The feel of it is lovely to me - and that's always what I'm after, not always the specific elements -- for example - the wall texture is delicious to me, but the color is a little dark for my house. I tried to get something more like the color palette of the floors shown above, and it still needs a little tweaking. Also, as much as I love the look of (off)white sofas, they are me in theory , but not so much in practice -- they aren't practical in my world -- not with my teenager and 2 Siberian huskies...

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I love the feel of this room below, too - while it and the room above are different, it has much the same, in regards to feel, to what I'm always after. To get where I am in my thought, you have to ignore the walls in the photo below - so not me. While beautiful, it's too light and too cool for my taste. I love the weight of that mantle - the aged patina of the oversized and non-fussy armoire. I love the soft washed grey color and velvet of the sofas and the organic and ancient elements of the coffee table. The interesting lamps behind the sofa, made from antique corbels are fantastic. Yum.

Bruxelles Antiques via the blog of Country French Antiques


I am totally a creature of comfort. I'm sorry to say that if it looks good but isn't comfortable - it's out. Well, maybe not for everything, I suppose. I could suffer a few gorgeous and not the most comfortable side chairs ...but at least give me one down-filled, oversized, velvet covered, sun-washed hued place to sink into.


John Saladino website
As much as I keep thinking I need something new - a different look - for my new house - I have lead myself down the wrong path in that thinking. I love what I love -- and there is a difference between what I think is lovely, and what I think is lovely for me, and for what I want to live in - be surrounded by - and hands down - it's what I've known all along.

I don't know why I fight it sometimes --
Being moody can be, and is a potentially very beautiful thing.
Indeed.

19 comments:

Local Girl said...

Beautiful post! I adore your blog, the images you use are lovely.

Amusingly I just got very confused and wondered why Jewel was playing twice on my machine until I realised we both had it on :)

Anonymous said...

Lovely post indeed! I like the elements of different textures juxtaposed.

Helen said...

As I have come to expect - and enjoy - today's post is wonderful! I am sitting here in my loft office right now with a wall of windows facing me. I just happened to gaze up into the open panes and saw the most amazing blue sky with a few fluffy clouds rolling through ... have you ever looked at the sky and had it bring you back to another time or day in your life? It just happened to me as I sit here ... I can plainly see my mother hanging wash on a line hung between two trees on a gentle hill behind our small house ... I am nine or ten and love her so much. The sky looks like it did then at this moment time time.j

Anonymous said...

I know what you mean about those beautiful, haunting grey days! The images you conger up with your words are as pretty as the pics.

The Bliss Journey said...

Beautiful post. I love gray skies and rainy days. I love the moodiness that a gray day evokes. Contemplative thoughts surrounded by the comfort of my home. A perfect day to spend alone with the company of my thoughts and a pot of tea.
Kathleen

Linda@ Lime in the Coconut said...

Oooh...I LOVE a soulful moody grey day. That's when I love texture and softness and coziness the most! And, I'll tell ya...here we have far fewer than I would like. I Love a grey day...a light an extra candle day...a put on an extra soft sweater day.

Beautiful post, Girl!

Ness Lockyer said...

You are so poetic with everything you write.
Ness xx

niartist said...

That's it! We're moving to the Saladino Estate! It's gorgeous!

Country French Antiques said...

Beautiful post, as always :)

Anonymous said...

I'd go visit every single space here. You have a great eye and a great way of expressing yourself. Enjoyed my visit!!

a quiet life said...

a moody post, i say go with what you love, always.

sun is shining today, first time in a week, i was enjoying the dark time, so easy to stay inside and be happy~

Willow Decor said...

What a beautiful post - all the room are so pretty. I love the textures,warmth and true age in each one! Lovely!
xx-Gina

Carla said...

oohh you need to move Paris, you can revel in gray from morning to night, from winter to summer and if you can be guaranteed of one grey thing in Paris it is the sky. Carla x

jerseygirl211 said...

Hi Isa, :)

As I mentioned to Artie once, I love using grey to decorate with. I did that in our other house and also in our MB here. Another great post.

Hugs
'D'

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

I understand these words completely. There is mist within me as well.

Anonymous said...

What's N-O-T to love about every, single photo???? ENCHANTING is the word that FIRST came to my mind... and heart! Thank you! Linda (in AZ)

vicki archer said...

Dear Isa, What a beautiful post.
I have given you an award at French Essence - please feel free to pass it on when and if you have the time, xv.

Anonymous said...

OH, wow, simply beautiful images and so eloquently written.

I also LOVE the Bruxelles Antiques image of the 2 gray velvet sofas. I covet them, I want, I must have.

Not gonna happen.

But, we can dream.

Anonymous said...

Oh, if anyone knows of comparable sofas (see previous post) at a reasonable price point, please let me know- I know, I know, reasonable is a subjective thing.

mesmith11@verizon.net