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Recently
some houseguests commented on the charm of our Virginia country
house, prompting us to consider those elements, which artfully combine
to make a space a charming environment in which to live. Right away
the phrase "un beau désordre est un effet de l'art"
(a beautiful disorder creates an artful effect) came to mind.
Interesting
books
stacked on each other in the library, the dog lounging on the family
room sofa, flats of flowers on the terrace waiting to be planted,
little pots of fresh herbs sitting on the window ledge of the kitchen,
the smell of beeswax on 18th century oak, -- can help create to
a charming environment where people are attuned to beauty but not
compulsively driven to achieve some mythical state of perfection.
Our living spaces are not stage sets after all. A little disorder
can create a sense of dynamism or movement in a room, along with
moving pieces of furniture out from their command posts placed against
a wall or at 90 degree angles. Think of the impact one can make
by arranging furniture on the hypotenuse of a triangle as opposed
to the equal two sides, which form 90 degrees.
Floors
are very important when it comes to charm and we always favor wood
or stone over man-made materials, except for terra cotta tiles which
can become well patinated over time and add character. In certain
spaces beautiful hand-made rugs add a lot, and here we prefer an
older rug made from vegetable dyes, even if a little threadbare.
Plenty
of windows spilling lots of light into the room are really important
to the beauty of a space. Our tiny flat in Paris is a mere shoebox,
but we are blessed with five sets of French windows. Antique lighting
fixtures glowing in soft puddles of light in the night give a sense
of well-being and protection.
Personally,
we love vibrant or rich wall colors, although acknowledging that
some spaces do better with white or linen color on the walls. Not
many, however, because fine art always looks better placed on darker
walls. Note the color of walls in museums.
Finally,
ceiling height is so important, though it is possible to have a
charming space with low ceilings. Such a room can never be termed
elegant, but the charm may come from the warm walls painted geranium
red, the imposing French country table with a rich patina and coffee
cans filled with freshly picked wildflowers.
Simplicity
is the key to any beautiful interior, for our taste. A few lovely
antiques, fine rugs and paintings will trump yards and yards of
competing designer fabrics any day.
Jane
Pierce Losson
Interior Design Consulting
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