Eclectic Style Using Fresh and Traditional Elements

I met a kindred soul at the gas station on the way to the High Point April Market. Each of us had sister-in-laws as passengers who wanted to see designer driven showrooms, learn from the maestros and find inspiration, not to mention a few very special items. We were introduced on the fly and ran into each other all over HP town. It  turns out Mrs. S. and I are cut from the same piece of cloth. There is the slow food movement and there is the slow design movement. Because we shop all the time, we rarely buy anything for ourselves unless we cannot live without it.

A cheerful entry hall greets us with a subtle Scalamandre print wall covering and an antique bench that was the find of the century, as it exactly fills the space.

A stunning and perfectly narrow reproduction chest is layered with an antique mirror from Caroline Faison of Greensboro, N.C.

The house flows with a consistent eclectic mix of European, Asian, modern and English pieces. It looks like there is a subtle vine pattern on the wall, but its my camera doing funny things. See below to get the actual color.

I have always loved the Scalamandre Shanghai fabric that Mrs. S. uses for her window treatments. The abstract painting keeps the room young and fresh.

I cannot resist adding it makes a terrific wall covering as illustrated below in Meg Braff's dining room.

via Chinoiserie Chic

The paint color is Farrow and Ball Blazer

The best shade of red--ever!

An Italian cupboard, also from Caroline Faison Antiques of Greensboro is guarded by a pair of Chinese military horses. If you scroll back up to the first image you can see that the larger scale of the horses keeps the room from floating away and becoming too feminine--rooms need Yin and Yang. 

Covered in a luminous gray velvet this O.Henry House sofa anchors the space with subtle neutral tones repeated in the rug. The extremely talented Patrick Lewis of Circa in Charlotte, N.C. helped with the big picture, and Mrs. S. did the shopping.

 Layering without cluttering is a fine art. Flowing throughout the house are box pleated shades that are harmonious in style, and vary in color.

Mrs. S. finds lots of her accessories by repeatedly popping into to some very dirty window antique stores. I was impressed.

Juxtaposing contemporary and traditional elements, maintains a consistent fresh theme throughout the house. Mrs. S. replaced the glass top on the coffee table with stone to keep the room grounded and warm. Walking you through the door to the family room...

This room had a dark red cherry finish, which naturally her husband wanted to keep. What is it with men and their dark wood and gigantic televisions, speaking of which I did not spot a television in this house. A gaping fireplace is obscured by an antique hobby horse with great patina.

Pickling the wood made the room visible. Dark rooms with large windows are a terrific blinking strain on the eyes. The window treatments are the same simple style throughout the house. Note the large antique copper pot beneath the sofa side table. If your room is getting leggy, find a wonderful basket or accessory to live beneath it. I collect these monstrous remnants from great house kitchens. I imagine the chef at his massive wood burning stove and all the hustle--it makes me happy. Stepping into the sunroom, we are greeted with streaming light on three sides. 

I like the large scale of the lamps that Mrs. S. found for her sunny room. Dinky lamps look, well...dinky. Grounding the room with a chic animal stark carpet keeps the yin and yang in balance, as do the matchstick blinds. Since we are next to the kitchen, Mrs. S. scotchguarded the daylights out of the upholstery. 

Mrs. S. sincerely regrets being talked out of marble counter tops, as her designer convinced her that they would stain and look terrible over time. A quick web search brought up this article in Apartment Therapy which admits that marble can stain from heat, wine, citrus etc.. However, you can seal marble which will protect it. I am guilty of placing hot pans on my granite counter tops, though so I may not be a candidate. 

We can help you source the antique copper pots in this post

or 

any O.Henry House upholstery

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