Well Dressed Home No. 68 - John and Zada Belle - A Look Into Grandpa Chic

 

Meet John and Zada Belle, my paternal grandpa and grandma.

A few short years ago I acquired a oil painting portrait of an old man with kind eyes. He reminded me of my grandpa. He wasn't out in the open saying look at me, but neither was my grandpa. I found him in a stack of oil paintings of many portraits by one local artist propped up against other treasures on a creaky wooden floor. This portrait sits in a corner of my living room on a vintage, handmade wooden easel that I purchased at the same time that was tucked away in another dusty but delightful corner. 

I glance at him often and smile quietly. My grandpa was a farmer, but when I was old enough to remember him, he had already quit farming and moved into town. I remember his small stature rugged handsomeness, his wood working shop, his quiet manner, and the ticktock of all his clocks that he had carefully set to chime in succession of one another.

Grandpa wasn't stodgy and his wardrobe was suited for two occasions - one set his every day clothing and the other for church on Sunday. The grandmas of the world have had their spotlight in design, think Diane Keaton in Nancy Meyer's Something's Gotta Give set. Now let's give grandpas a seat at the design table.

In 2021, HOLR Magazine defined Grandpa Chic Style as a newer, elevated style of preppy.

I'm just inspired by my grandpa's brown wool sweater, his worn work boots with rawhide laces, his love for handcrafting furniture, his clock collection, the smell of freshly-sawn wood, and his Sunday best - always with a white dress shirt.

Grandpa chic to me is worn, endearing, classic, warm, cozy and a bit moody. It's a design look that is never quite finished. It's not cluttered, but collected, curated.

This isn't a new look, it just has a new name - a look that is understood by many ages. It's individual in that whatever image and memory one draws on to define their grandpa becomes the catalyst through which their design is channeled.

Think rich moody tones, a love for the vintage, even if a reproduction. Think old-school social club. But most of all think welcoming and comfortable because grandpa knew the value of time well spent. 

I personally feel that preppy needs to stay at the forefront when designing a grandpa chic space. It needs to be a mix of vintage and modern. After all, grandpas are hip dudes with a lot of stories to tell.

Resources: Ralph Lauren, The Literary Lifestyle, HOLR Magazine, Better Homes & Garden, This Ivy House, Pinterest, The Rousch Household, Carla Astor, Upward Home, Domino Magazine, Little Blue Deer

Well Dressed Home No. 65 - Tete a Tete

Bonjour! Regardless of the language we speak human nature thrives on communication. The craving for face to face conversation is sometimes not recognized in our world of technical means of communication, but it is there. A cozy chat with a friend just isn't the same via a screen. Welcome back to the art of conversation! Let's carve this art into our homes. 

Say hello to the tete a tete. A delightful furniture piece dating back to the 19th century. Designed specifically for heart to heart conversation. A gift to those who hold the love language of "quality time". 

The word tete a tete also holds the meaning of "a variety of early flowering fragrant daffodil". I love this piece even more! As communication and the act of giving bridge the gap between two people, so can the tete a tete in a room setting. It's a great way to keep two seating groups all inclusive to everyone in the room. Where a sofa can create a barrier between two seating groups the tete a tete offers openness and welcome to all sharing the space.

A great solution between an open floor plan between our great room and kitchen, the tete a tete with a artful drink table keeps the conversation flowing. The visit becomes more intimate and the memories created abundant. 

The tete a tete will be that piece you sneak time alone on too and that's okay - t's a way to rekindle the sweet memories created from the conversations held there. 

Keep in mind this piece should be kept simplistic by choosing understated fabrics. It is to blend into your living space, so solid textures with a smooth hand for comfort will be best. The lines of the tete a tete are graceful - whether a modern or traditional design - they need to be respected. The attention is on the conversation while the tete a tete provides the quiet setting.

There are no restrictions on which room the tete a tete is best. Once you've fallen in love with this glorious piece you will feel the need to find a place in your home for its spot.

No rules to the room your tete a tete sits in and the time of day a cozy chat occurs! Whether it be at the start of the new day with a cup of coffee in the breakfast nook or at end of day enjoying a glass of wine with a grateful heart.

 The well dressed home deserves a tete a tete and all it brings to our lives.



Sources: Dwell, Decor Pad, Houzz, Anthropology, One Kings Lane, Pinterest

Well Dressed Home No. 62 - Revisiting Flange Detail

Welcome back my old friend! How lovely to revisit a detail that has become an afterthought lately. Reminds me it is still all in the details! The flange detail on upholstery and accents is a delight worth remembering. It's a subtle one but one of those fun ones when noticed. Need help with that room image above? Notice the flange on the round bolster on the bench? Okay, I saw you smile.

Something about flange detail in lieu of a welt that gives movement to a cushion or a pillow. Or pairing the flange with a welt. What a partnership! Leather flange, yum!

I'm not a pleat person, however a pleated flange paired with a smaller flat flange gives a drapery panel layers and personality!

And oh my detail-loving heart - the double flange is a good blind date to be sure! It's not just a cushion or a pillow. It's a design element - take the time to add the details!

Whether a contrast flange or not - this detail works in so many ways. But just like any other design detail - don't common it out. Give the flange it's throne.

Enhancing. Thought-provoked. Layered. That is what design detail is all about. This is the flange detail. Respect its place in your room design. 

Welcome home, flange!

Sources: Traditional Home, West Elm, Instagram, Pinterest

Well Dressed Home No. 61 - Traditional Minimal Design is Chic Too!

What does a designer do if they have more than one thing in a client's traditional design that they want to give a place of prominence, center stage? This is where the idea of minimalistic design comes into play. Though this design approach has most often been given to a modern, contemporary design; it is chic in a traditional setting as well.

I believe the stunning interiors born from this approach is the best way to highlight multiple individual pieces in one space. The sophisticated simplicity allows an appreciation for the furniture's curves, twists, and turns when they are allowed to stand alone in their individuality in a non-cluttered environment.

It elevates the less is more concept that delivers a never ending calmness, while at the same time giving the heart of the beholder a little flutter. The pause that happens in a traditional minimal design will have you seeing detail you missed before.

So where do you put your collected treasures in a traditional minimal design? Consider some of these tips: beautiful shelving or display cabinet, tabletops with restraint, the seat of that individual wood frame chair in the space, an easel, under an end table or console. You won't have to point out the details of your special furniture pieces - they will be noticed when one takes a traditional minimal design direction. Enjoy your new found beauty!

Sources: Elle Decor, Daryl Carter, Vicente Wolf, House & Home, Mark Cunningham

Rooms I Love No. 22 - Gobs of Greatness!

I can take a map I love and hang it on the wall, or not!

All these images in this post of Rooms I Love show a rebel side. I am a rebel, I don't follow design rules and I believe greatly that our individual stories belong in our homes, not stories from a magazine! 

I can enjoy the classic nostalgia of a bobbin chair with a sleek cocktail I love.

I can have tradition in my uptown modern loft.

I can create my own "window to my world".

Ordinary built-ins are not for me, but they look lovely in your home.

I like my whisper of color, but you might just miss my subtle dark colors.

A suite I must have, for I use all of my rooms to spread my wings.

Just like my LBD, black is the only color for my trim! And yes, I will hang artwork right over top of them!

Image Sources: Home Bunch, Elle Decor, Alexa Hampton, Architectural Digest, Traditional Home