The Special Beauty of Blue and White

 I adore blue and white in decorating schemes.  It's fresh, classic, and usually very easy for the non-decorator to pull off!  Blue and white is especially soothing for bedrooms, and probably one of the most classic uses of blue and white is with toile.  The bedroom above is a wonderful oasis of calm in a busy world.
I am a die-hard fan of peach and coral.  Blue and a creamy white with peach or coral is beautiful!  And if you are using blue and white porcelain, it really pops against a peach or coral background.

Another great thing about decorating with blue and white is that apartment dwellers who cannot change the color of those white or cream walls can still have what looks like a planned and cohesive design. All you have to do is paint some furniture a dark grey-blue or white (or mix both!) and buy ready-made curtains and bedspreads.  For the living room, solid white or blue slipcovers will work although printed blue and white ones look really special.
All shades and tones of blue look good with white, cream, off-white or ivory.  Look how crisp the room below is!

I love the curtain treatment below with the inner lining blue and pretty white fringe trim.

Below is another example of what could be done if you are living in an apartment and cannot paint the cream walls.  Use blue and white material to cover chairs, sofa, and window, and no one will know that you didn't plan to have cream walls all along!

I adore blue and white porcelain grouped together. Even the lamps are blue and white.  And blue and white porcelain works so seamlessly with your decor that you can still add a gallery wall.

What a peaceful sitting room!

Decorating with blue and white can be cost effective, too.  Blue and white porcelain jars and plates can be found in Chinatown and sometimes even at dollar stores. Simple muslin curtains in a creamy white or blue can be found for a few dollars a yard.

Above, blue and white porcelain looks wonderful against almost any color.  Here it's lovely against a warm grey.

Blue and white is marvelous for a kitchen!

Above, yellow is amazing as a background for blue and white. Below, note that there is no solid blue in the room; even the curtains are striped. but the overall effect sends a blue message.

Dreaming of French Rooms

 I often sit and think about French rooms, simply because I find them so beautiful, so comforting, so timeless. Some of these I may have posted before, and some are not located in France or totally French, but all these rooms have a certain French sensibility to them.
Above, simple, elegant curtains, a French armoire, a gorgeous chandelier - it's all very French!
Below, a French sensibility with wonderful dining chairs that look comfortable as well as chic and a wonderful sofa for after-dinner chats.

 The mirror over the mantle is so very French.  I love blue and white china in a white room.

  Below, another mantle over the fireplace, and though this room is in England, French touches give it a sophistication it would otherwise lack.

 The wallpaper is divine, the chandelier sparkling and the blue is a wonderful sweet shade that is always in style. Although the room is in England, it gets it glamour from French touches.

 I've shown this before, but this French bedroom shows just how wonderful my favorite peach color can be!

 Very feminine, this French bedroom looks as though it would be perfect for a young lady.

 Another blend of English and French bedroom decor is the bedroom below.  English comfort and French style are a great mix!

 A simple bedroom is so very French.  Look how comfortable the bed looks!

On My Mind: Bed Coronas and Half-Canopies

Traditional Kids by Menlo Park Architects & Designers MC3 Design Studio
I adore coronas or a half-canopy or basically anything drapery-related above a bed.  But there is something that is so regal, so French, about a corona.  Sometimes referred to as a "half-canopy", a corona is often a half-circle, oval, round, or curved shaped apparatus used for bed hangings above the headboard of the bed. One of the simplest coronas is in the picture, above, a simple wreath-like oval garland of metal with rods on the inside to hang the curtains. I love this sort of corona because it is simple and because the emphasis can be on the beautiful material and trims that you have.  I especially favor the look where the inside is a solid color and the outside is a print or floral although the other way around is nice as well.  This corona is very French to me because it is used with a sleigh bed and it's not at the top of the headboard but at the side of the bed which is placed against a wall.

     Below, coronas look great with twin beds, or in this case, with twin cribs.  These ornate coronas use a striped silk material with a solid interior.  This corona has a pleated valance that looks quite ornate and is trimmed with thick fringe trim. Look at that wonderful chandelier! (I don't really know that I care for a dust ruffle that puddles quite that much in a child's room however).

Traditional Kids by Beverly Hills Furniture & Accessories AFK Furniture

Traditional Kids by Garden Grove Photographers V.I.Photography & Design
   Above, a pretty girl's bedroom gets its feminine touch from a balloon shade style corona.

Traditional Bedroom by Miami Interior Designers & Decorators William R. Eubanks Interior Design, Inc.
   Above is one of my all time favorites: this elegant design features a print on the inside of the hangings and a solid that matches the curtains on the outside.  The design is very elegant with an understated edging and the more elaborate fringe trim on the curtains only. 
   Below, the yellow and blue combination is perfect for the bedroom since it is both sunny and soothing.  The wreathed, scalloped corona here has simple hangings with an outer print that matches the curtains.

Eclectic Bedroom by Los Angeles Interior Designers & Decorators Timothy Corrigan, Inc.
   Below, half canopies look great above larger beds where a corona may be too small.  
   The valance part, if there is one, can be tailored to match the room whether the room's decor is modern, transitional, or traditional. The treatment immediately below is certainly not overly fussy!

Traditional Bedroom by Rochester Interior Designers & Decorators Interior Design Source

Traditional Bedroom by Pepperell Window Treatments The Seamstress Shop
    Above, the silk is beautiful and this treatment shows that it is not necessary to have a lining for a pretty corona.
   Below, one of my favorite rooms ever! The half-canopy has an elegant design; the headboard accentuates the curtains with its contrasting print, and the whole effect is lush and comfortable.

Traditional Bedroom by Plano Interior Designers & Decorators Gibson Gimpel Interior Design

Our Apartment in Paris

We just got back from a trip to Paris where we met my son, daughter-in-law, and 3 year old grand-daughter who were on their way home from 2 years living in Mozambique. We decided to rent an apartment there for all of us, and thanks to my wonderful daughter-in-law, found a great one in a great location close to the Bastille and the Paris Opera. While we went to museums, for me (she who could live in an art museum) the great attraction of the trip was getting to be with my family in Paris, and especially with my grand-daughter, whom I had not seen since we were in Mozambique at Christmas. We arrived at the front door of the apartment building at about the same time (they had already been in Paris for a few days)and she greeted me from her stroller with the biggest smile ever saying, "It's not easy to be this glamorous!"

We loved the apartment which had 3 bedrooms and 2 baths and plenty of room for us to roam around in - a full length balcony overlooking a small street below and a large boulevard to the right. Every room was complete with a chandelier and sconces for lighting. The living room had a French marble fireplace with a large mirror over it.

Below is the combination tv room/dining room.  The only reason the tv was ever turned on was because we needed to catch up with the Tour de France. Chris and family would go to see the riders finish on the last day.

Below is the bedroom Jeff and I had.  No closets, of course, just a large armoire. Jeff's stuff filled it almost entirely (he still hasn't learned totally about downsizing and packing light).

Our bathroom was smallish, but the tub/shower area was very large.

Below, the master bedroom.

 

Below, the master bath which also featured a clear shower.

The Musee d'Orsay was a highlight, though far too crowded for my taste. A crowded art museum is awful; museums should carefully monitor the number of people allowed in at one time (and I know that they do for fire codes, but having more than 3 other people in one of the gallery rooms at one time distresses me, especially when they are not true art lovers, but people who know that they are "supposed" to visit the museum). We also went to EuroDisney (I can hardly believe I did it), but it was all totally worthwhile when we saw the large Goofy in the distance getting off the special Disney train and A. started screaming and laughing at the same time. I swooped her up and ran with her to get as close to Goofy as we could as he flapped his ears up and down; A still laughs when I remind her about Goofy. She also got her picture taken with Mickey (wait in line was approximately 45 minutes) and still talks about how his hand touched her! And I would be terribly remiss if I did not mention this: I have dealt with the French (whom I love) and know that they have a terrible reputation for being unfriendly, unhelpful, and even downright rude. I have experienced it myself. But on this trip, EVERYONE was wonderful. I don't know if it was having the 3 year old A. or if something has drastically changed, but every French person we dealt with was absolutely charming, helpful, and lovely to us, even suffering through my terrible French without being the least condescending or patronizing. I ADORE the French!

Bedroom Decorating: The Latest Incarnation

Though I am still not finished with the little master bedroom, here is an update. The headboard is a lighter cream colour (I'm still not sure if I will replace it) and still needs to be higher.  Eventually we will have nightstands that are now in our Arkansas house.

I have had the painting over the bed for almost 30 years; I still like it.   Above, the plaster icon is one that I bought on the Greek island of Patmos several years ago.
Outside the bedroom is a print that features a lot of peach, a cat, goldfish, and my favorite peonies.