For Christmas, Mark got me a consultation with the very talented team of Caroline and Jack at
Perch here in New Orleans. We have lived in our house for more than two years, but we have yet to really make the house a home. Conceptually, I know what my design aesthetic is - mid-century modern with a pop of color - but to execute that vision in our Victorian style house which was erected in 1891 confuses me. My solution to date has been to ignore everything and pretend like drapes would magically appear in our windows.
With the help of Caroline and Jack, we have begun to transform things in a very methodical way. They started by helping us prioritize our needs - drapes in the family room, a new rug in the family room, Jane's 6 month 16x20 photograph matted and framed, some type of decorative pieces to work in these awkward display cases in our kitchen, and wallpaper in our small foyer.
The list of improvements does not end there, but Caroline and Jack have made it possible for me to reel in my focus on those things which we can accomplish now that will have a huge impact on the look and feel of our home.
Our first project was the cubbies (weird space) in our kitchen. The ceilings are about 13 feet high, and near the top of the walls are these very unusual lit cutouts. They would be ideal if you are a collector, but sadly, I am not. In fact, I can't even begin to think about what I would collect to put in there. I tried to imagine glass bottles or white ceramic pieces, but it all just felt disingenuous. I think the best part about people with collections are the stories their collections tell. My story would have been, "Yes, I needed something to fill these spaces...."
That is where the genius of Caroline and Jack came in. Rather than seeing them as display cases, Jack suggested seeing them as part of an art installation. Seriously, there had never been a moment where I felt more in tuned with this space than when he thought of it in this new way! Just last week, they brought over several small and large white ceramic sparrows and positioned them in the spaces so that it appears that they are flying along our walls. It is gorgeous! And it is perfectly fitting for our family since we call Jane our little birdie!
Next up for us is the installation of the wallpaper in our foyer. Jack showed us several choices, but there was no doubt when I saw this one that it was perfect for us. You can see it on a larger scale in the photograph above. I love it's whimsical and natural feel. While the option with the pink is certainly fun, we elected to go with the version below. I loved that the trunks were in this beautiful charcoal color. And what you can't tell from here is that the "leaves" are actually accepted with bits of metallic flecks. I like to imagine how beautiful it will look as the sun shines in through our front door and glistens off of the leaves...
I can't wait to post an update when we have completed this phase of our changes!!
Are you a wallpaper fan?
