Red Stripe Chairs

This is just a quick entry to show you these awesome chairs!  I LOVE the red and white stripes against the gilded frames.  
The white painted dresser behind them help set them off.  
A very pared down, Swedish-look upholstery for two classic chairs.

I would be more then happy to have these chairs in my (mostly) blue and white house as red is my accent color.

Country Farmhouse

I know this darling farmhouse has made the rounds before in some blogs but I thought it worth bringing back for another looksie.

(its from the 2008 Cottage Style special edition by Meredith)

I am enamoured of this old Victorian farmhouse - not unlike the ones I grew up around in rural Wisconsin.

The owners have brought in light and life to this beauty and made her fun and livable with the simple primary color scheme.

This will never go out of style, IMHO. :)

I aspire to make my cottage as light and fun, although my colors are a bit different from these
I do have mostly white furniture and use classic red as an accent only, but my blue is a pale Swedish hue.  I also love touches of gold leaf for a more Gustavian feel.  But the rest is casual and comfy.

Living on the "Sunnyside of Life"

When you live in a darker, wetter climate as I do in Seattle (the grey skies, fog and drizzle are nearly a year-round reality, except for a few months in summer), light filled rooms are a must if you want to keep "on the sunnyside of life".

Although I prefer my light-filled rooms to be in pale Swedish blue and white, I also have a soft spot for yellow.

I have the outside of my cottage painted yellow because its a natural- looking color on a 1950's Cape Cod style house.

Here are some fun rooms where yellow is allowed to work its magic.

Pink Stripes and Toile

I am not usually one to post about or get excited about any color scheme other then blue & white but to be fair, pink can be a lovely color to use throughout a home. I found these pink stripes (and a bit of toile too) inspiring and very pretty.  Pink definitely has its appeal and I can see why some people obsess over it as I do over blue & white!

I adore these multi-hued pink stripes on this chair with modern lines. Takes the boredom out of the lines and adds life!  The floral cushion adds more spark too.

This is an all-time favorite dining room for me.  The simpleness of the pink and white stripes is what makes it a restful room, and the touches of gilt add an old world/old money flavor.  Even the curtains are striped - its impossible to tell from this image but they are like a pink and white ticking stripe.

Nothing is so sweet as this Swedish country house sitting room with it's vintage floral wallpaper, bare, scrubbed pine floors and white painted furniture with gilded details.  The simple Swedish sofa with the pink stripes would be a welcome spot to sit and enjoy afternoon tea.

I have to toss in some toile!  This is more of a raspberry hue but can still be in the pink family. It works best when paired with white furniture, I think.  Love that beadboard in the hallway...

A little white paint and wide pink stripes make this otherwise imposing piece of furniture a lovely, inviting place to sit.

Normally I would think wide horizontal stripes on a wall would be way too modern and overbearing but in this case it works, and works well!  It helps to paint them in a lighter hue and keep furnishings in the room to a minimum and all painted a fresh white so there is no competition with the walls. The plaid fabric blind adds just enough interest without stealing the show.

Lilacs in Season

It is the season now to go

About the country high and low,

Among the lilacs hand in hand,

And two by two in fairy land.

In the Season, Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-94)

A Love Affair: Blue & White Stripes

Always fresh, always clean, blue & white stripes can be dressed up or down.

All you need in a sparse room are a few pieces of furniture covered in blue & white stripes to add great style.  Here are some favorites of mine: (the kitty on the settee is my boy Henry. I recovered that 18th C settee in a durable denim and white stripe ticking stripe on the front, with a blueberry blue damask on the backside)

A Romantic English Apartment with a Swedish Soul

In recent years I have found myself buying nearly every copy of Romantic Homes magazine, finding something within each issue I can't live without or find so inspiring!.
The September 2010 issue offered that inspiration when they featured this apartment in Brighton, England.
Home to a cute redheaded Swede and her husband, they strove to bring light and the simplicity of Swedish design into their home.
  I especially love the white furniture with the details picked out in gold leaf, with the gilded chandeliers and sconces adding old world flavor and real beauty.  The pale wall colors keep it clean and open while the Swedish throw rugs add warmth.
The dining table with the Swedish style bench is where I'd spend my time if I lived there....its so fresh and comfortable looking and I'd delight in sitting there every morning eating breakfast and taking tea.