Philosophy of the Tent:

The best decorating and design takes inspiration from what was once done before. Whether it is in architecture, antiques, art, it all stems from a mix of inspiration and knowledge. I believe it is a duty to pass on and share the knowledge, and by no means do I think I have great knowledge, in fact the more I know the less I know.
This blog is a way not to forget what I have learned and what was kindly passed onto to me by a great many fascinating people. I thank you all.


Tuesday, 10 May 2011

Emerald Cut and Mushy Peas

Greens are still going strong, emerald and pea greens in particular.  I believe John Fowler used to say all greens go together. So glad as I am firmly holding on to my citrus green armchair, it will just need an emerald green cushion.

Z stool by Ashley Hicks

The Right of Spring collection by Jim Thompson
Lalique Languedoc Vase




Emerald Green Chinese Cabinet Inset With Antique Gilt Panels, China, Circa 1950, at Assemblage, see it on 1st Dibs
 

For good measure a few more palm trees, Island Palm fabric at Quadrille

Olive Green Jade Gloss tile at Limestone Gallery
Malachite Tile at Limestone Gallery

Monday, 2 May 2011

Interior Quotes


The essence of interior design will always be about people and how they live. It is about the realities of what makes for an attractive, civilized, meaningful environment, not about fashion or what's in or what's out. This is not an easy job. Albert Hadley

Details make perfection, and perfection is not a detail Leonardo DaVinci

Be faithful to your own taste because nothing you really like is ever out of style. Billy Baldwin 

Quality ... distinguishes style from fashion.  Giorgio Armani

Have nothing in your homes that you do not know to be useful and believe to be beautiful.William Morris
 
I owe my color sense to crayons.  Angelo Rafael Donghia, New York Times 

It is usually a mistake to impose an individual's taste on a room that has its own....style. Conversely, to put very fine pieces of furniture in a room that is without architectural distinction is as absurd as wearing a tiara with a bathing suit.  Nancy Lancaster

Nothing is in good taste unless it suits the way you live. What's practical is beautiful...and suitability always overrules fashion.  Billy Baldwin

So many young decorators are trying to reinvent the wheel, and the results are sometimes very dubious. They're striving to do things that have never been done before. Quite often it is done without authority, without knowledge, and without a background in taste. They need to be educated about the past, and they need a richer vocabulary.
Albert Hadley, The Story of America's Preeminent Interior Designer

The greatest mistake in the world is to believe that so-called good taste is any use without a sense of comfort to complete it. Sibyl Colefax

Scale is of prime importance and I think that oversized scale is better than undersized scale.  Nancy Lancaster, English Country House Style

Decor must have sentimental value. A house must tell a story.  Mark Hampton, Harper's Bazaar, June 1989 

It is just as disastrous to have the wrong accessories in your room as it is to wear sport shoes with an evening dress. Dorothy Draper

And finally, always keep some perspective:
Decorate your home.  It gives the illusion that your life is more interesting than it really is. Charles M. Schultz