The John Loecke Post

Pages 40-46 of my March 2008 issue of Cottage Living are well loved. I have turned those pages time and time again...looking...pondering...loving.

As you know from my blog, I love lots of rooms, lots of pictures, lots of designers. I'm equal opportunity.

But, there are a select number of rooms that I actually try to emulate. That I forever tape to my forehead and walk around thinking about. That I have memorized. This is one of those rooms.

 

 

 

All images by Tria Giovan via Cottage Living

Over the top, right? Craaaazy? GREEN? Magic.

Some things I love about this space designed by John Loecke:

1. The wallpaper. Obvi. I love wallpaper, and it's green, and it's trellis-y, which is one of my favorite motifs.
2. The color green.
3. The black furniture.
4. The fact that each dining chair is covered in a different fabric. And that each fabric brings in different colors. And that the chairs don't exactly match.
5. The Chinoiserie elements - the bench, the arm chair, the pagoda chandelier.
6. The chair rail trim - inspiration for my fireplace.
7. The fearless mix of pattern.
8. The window valance.
   

I will be the first to admit that this room is a little "much". But that is what made me fall head over heels in love with it. It was so full of personality, energy, vida. I wanted to stand right in the middle of it and look up at that grosgrain-trimmed chandelier.

This room is definitely inspiration for my own dining room. Key word being "inspiration" - if I actually created this room, Carter would pass out each time he walked into it. And I do have to be sensitive to that.

So my goal in our dining room is to create a similar feeling in my own way. I've painted the walls with a green stripe. We have an old, claw-footed, round dining table (from Carter's great-grandmother) that we've painted black contrasted with dining room chairs (a Craigslist find) that I've painted ivory. You've also seen my chandelier that will be getting a makeover and the beginning of my bar.

I'm taking my time with this room (and probably stressing over it a wee bit too much) but I know how I want it to feel in the end, so I'm having fun getting there. I'll keep you posted...

Now when I constantly refer to John Loecke's dining room, you'll get the picture.


p.s. John Loecke's current portfolio via www.jloeckeinc.com shows what I imagine are current pictures of the space with some lovely updates: