A Pinterest Adventure

This afternoon while scanning through my Pinterest boards looking for a sofa table for a client, I randomly stumbled across a connection to this charming board called "Find Me One".  It's a lot of fun and I recommend that you take a look.  It took me on a delightful visual adventure.

From time to time I get clients that love antiques in their mountain homes and we go on the hunt for some special things.  It seems that many of my clients have especially loved old Black Forest pieces and there are quite a number on this board.  In fact, I occasionally even shop in Europe for clients.  So, I know from personal experience that it's not easy to find a collection of this quality.  It takes time and a respectable budget...but it sure is fun!

Click the photo above to travel to pinterest to view this board.

Thanks Linda Davidson for putting together a beautiful grouping of antiques for us to experience with you.

Contemporary can be Joyful

Contemporary mountain has many different personalities.  There's the sleek, clean and serious look, of course.  But there's also contemporary with warmth, whimsey and pizzaz.  That's what this beautiful Sundance house has.  It was designed by Champlinaud Design out of New York City.



There are definitely a lot of sleek, clean design elements here.



However, I see whimsy, charm and warmth in the accessories and artwork.  Like the Suzani styled pillow on the sofa above, the hand-made pottery on the coffee table and in the artwork below.

Above, in a room of serious simplicity, the Christmas-tree shaped sculptures add a little levity.

Little pops of color in the rooms add just enough personality without taking away from the calm Zen atmosphere.  

Below, energetic textiles in the black toss pillow, the ethnic throw and the 70's style geometric upholstery on the ottoman.  

Above and below, the artwork adds energy to quiet rooms.  Themes set up in the artwork are reflected in the selection of color in these rooms and in the textiles.  

A perfect bathroom.

Modern Mountain Style at Sugar Bowl

Clean simplicity characterizes this modern mountain house. Recently featured in Interiors Magazine, the house was built by Bay Area architect, John Maniscalco.

This house is all about the views and windows. 

Although there's a post in the center and a header running crosswise, one does have the impression of an entire wall of windows.  Gorgeous!

 I always love identical sofas facing each other.  And don't you love this spectacular fireplace!

Simple and stunning. 

Above, in the kitchen, a window serves as the backsplash...of course!

The window above the bed let's in a sliver of mountain view.  Better than any artwork!

Another gorgeous use of windows and a beautifully shaped modern tub.

Cushy modern luxury in the bunk room.  Here the windows are designed to match up to the bunks.  Each bed has it's own private view.  The white comforters almost blend into the snow.  It's as if one will be able to crawl into a soft white bed of snow.  

Eastern Accents Mountain and Resort Collection

Eastern Accents has just published a Mountain and Resort Collection brochure and I thought you'd like to see some of the photos from it.

This bedding line is comfortably priced and I think they do a nice job of capturing the look and feel that many people like to live with in their mountain homes.  Some of the beds are more traditionally rustic and others are very clean and contemporary.

The rooms are staged out in creative ways and offer up some fun decorating ideas, too.

I really like this hodge-podge wall of old black and white photos and engravings above the bed and the way it contrasts with the clean modern bedding.   

Pretty...but not too pretty for the mountains.

Handsome bedding and a gorgeous area rug.  Plaids and window pane checks have been a part of mountain interiors for many years now.  This is a fresh modern take on them.  

Above, I love the traditional plaid wallpaper with the Suzani inspired fabrics.  This makes a cozy bedroom, perfect for a winter snow storm.

Modern and understated.  Nothing too out there, here.  Just simple good taste.   

European mountain style-inspired.  I love antiques and I think this room uses them beautifully.

Modern and simple and yet the orange carpet and toss pillow punch up the wow-factor.

This one is my favorite.  I love all the faux fur and the eclectic collection of artwork and accessories.  Chocolate, cream, black and white.  Simple colors but lots of impact.  

Above, a detail of the upholstered bed and toss pillows.  

Here's my opinion...people don't use blues often enough in mountain homes.  It's an overlooked color and it works beautifully with the stone and wood in so much of our construction.  I love it when clients ask for blue!

Simple, clean, beautiful and just a teeny bit of personality with the crazy white furry pillows and pouf.

Some of their pillows.  

If you see something you really must have, feel free to call for a quote (530) 583-6076.  Or, email us at dragonflytahoe@att.net.  We are always happy to help you create a beautiful mountain home!

Gazelle!

Curtains in Stroheim Gazelle

A client called to ask me about this fabric, called Gazelle, and it occurred to me that I'd never included it here before.  It's a real charmer.  So I decided to show it to you today.

I know that many of you love rugged and handsome in the mountains, but I just can't help myself.  I'm a lover of pretty.  And this fabric is just that.  Pretty.  

I'd use this in a heartbeat for curtains in any mountain bedroom.  I love curtains and I always recommend them to clients.  They really soften up all the hard stone and log surfaces we use in mountain architecture.  They help make rustic rooms human, comfortable and cocooning.  Without curtains, some of these rooms can tend to make one feel lost, lonely and vulnerable.

See how pretty this makes up into curtains!

I'd also use Gazelle for bedding, of course.  It's a natural for Euro shams.  And, if you have the budget, it would make a gorgeous quilt or duvet cover.  Given my druthers, I'd mix it up with some nubby heavily textured fabrics.  Yes, that's how I'd go...curtains and Euro shams in Gazelle, and the rest of the room in heavy, nubby linens in solids and subtle woven window-pane checks.  Beautiful!

Gazelle in Cherry Blossom

Gazelle in Harbor Grey

Gazelle in Loganberry

Gazelle in Scarlet

Gazelle in Summer Sky

The room below is a boy's bedroom I worked on a number of years ago for a client.  The curtains and duvet cover were made up in an old Schumacher stag pattern named Woburn Meadows, which was very similar in pattern to Gazelle.  The green colorway has been long ago discontinued, but the red remains a steady favorite.  I can't even tell you how many times I've used this pattern over the years.  So many of my clients have loved it.

Curtains and duvet in Schumacher Woburn Meadow

Woburn meadow is actually very similar in both pattern and scale to Gazelle.

Woburn Meadow in Red

Which do you prefer... the light airy look of Gazelle, or the darker, more masculine look of Woburn Meadow?

By the way, we have a lot of stag inspired fabrics in our online store.  Click here to see them all.