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I don’t know about you, but one of the small pleasures I look forward to every month is the arrival of Living Etc in the stores. Of course, here it’s usually several weeks after the magazine comes out in the UK, but that’s beside the point. This month, however, I was more than a little surprised to see the cover was based on this extremely familiar image:
Don’t we all have this room embedded on our memories from when it appeared in Domino in 2007? At first I thought it was a stock image from an agency, perhaps being used as part of a shopping or styling story. But no, it’s actually the dining room of Laura Vincent Poole, whose North Carolina home was featured as the magazine’s cover story.
Is it me, or is it rather odd for a major league magazine like Living Etc to run the same cover story as another (albeit folded) magazine did a few years earlier? If you recall, Poole’s house made the cover of Domino too (and, subsequently, the Domino book).
It’s the same photos, originally styled for Domino by Dara Caponigro, including the one that was used on Domino’s cover. (Photos are by the talented Laura Resen, whose impeccable work I’ll post on later…)
Don’t get me wrong. I love Living Etc. In fact, I’ve bought almost every issue since it launched. And I absolutely love this house, from the de Gournay wallpaper and retro sideboard combo in the cover image, to the smaller details such as this red and white plate wall:
The mixture of wood, marble and colored glass in the kitchen:
And the juxtaposition of Asian, Moroccan and French elements in the living room.
I know that magazines rely on stories sold by agencies and I have no problem with the model. But recycled cover stories? I guess I just expect a little more from what is arguably one of the finest magazines for accessible modern interiors today.
What do you think? Am I being unfair or would you like to have seen something else on the cover?
As you know, we’re redecorating our guest bedroom at the moment. Well, to be precise, we’re in the midst of a pre-baby decorating frenzy which involves swapping the functions of three different rooms. It’s proving to be a bit of a nightmare as we have to shuffle pieces of furniture, stepladders and tools from one room to another so we can get tasks done as the required items arrive through the mail (as I have zero time for furniture shopping everything has to be ordered online). Anyway, the guestroom is now where the study once was and, in fact, will serve a dual purpose as both office and bedroom.
It’s not ready to show yet, but I thought I’d share some of the bedroom images that have provided inspiration (or caused design confusion, as the case may be – read on and you’ll see why!)
First, let’s talk about color. If you recall, when I blogged about it here, this room has four windows on three walls so, although it’s lovely and light, can be subject to extremes of temperature, depending on the time of year. I needed to choose a color that wouldn’t exaggerate the heat or cold. So, a while ago we painted it green and I decided to leave it that way since it really is the best shade for such a space.
This is almost the exact same shade (via Decorology) and, like this room, I’m mixing it with a lot of white (except for the roman shades which arrived yesterday and turned out to be more cream than white. Disaster. They’re up and I’m trying not to get upset every time I look at them because they’re really very nice otherwise, honestly. And also because I made my husband paint the ceiling from cream to white so it would work better with the supposedly white blinds…. say no more).
Here’s another green and white bedroom, this time via This is Glamorous. We have bedside tables a bit like this and I really like the contrast of crisp white bedding with more sumptuous wallpaper.
On the other hand, I also like the vibrancy of this room. The greens are much fresher and more modern – perhaps more in keeping with the rest of our house. Photo by Polly Wreford, Sarah Kaye Represents.
I also have a ‘thing’ for white bedrooms so am trying to keep as much of the room color-free as possible. This also helps to unify the two functions of office and bedroom. I still need to find something to anchor the space, like the pearl-inlaid trunk does in this room. Via Decorology.
Ok, now moving on from color, let’s talk about pattern. Although the room is small, I really like the idea of introducing some pattern that echoes the views outside. With so many windows, the room really does feel like it’s up in the treetops, so I want to reflect some of that in the design. I immediately thought of adding some floral or trailing wallpaper to one wall, and then remembered this stunning bedroom by Miles Redd featured in Domino. Via Style Redux.
A chinoiserie-style floral would also work beautifully and I love this turquoise wallpaper because it’s so vibrant and modern, despite its very traditional pattern. Via Automatism.
More traditional chinoiserie, like the example here via Apartment Therapy, would also work well. Unfortunately an original De Gournay is out of budget!
Although I’d like to introduce some pattern, I don’t want the space to be too traditional or girly. I like the way the rooms above and below balance feminine textiles or wallpapers with much more utilitarian and industrial elements such as task lights. Via Fondly Seen.
And this one from stylist Lucyina Moodie‘s portfolio.
Then again, I am attracted to the tailored elegance of a bedroom like this one from Canadian House and Home. A simple, calming color scheme, glammed up with the chandelier and plush bedlinens is so inviting.
So, as you can see, this one little room has a lot to achieve! It’s starting to take shape but has a long way to go before I feel it meets all these criteria. But, we’ll get there eventually!
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