Three Years

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Today marks three years for Aesthetic Oiseau. Have you been reading for three years? If you have, thank you and I hope I've helped you or made you laugh. I'll take either.

Folks ask me how I do it and I'm actually not sure. I just know that this blog is my heart so it's not hard. I can always find a couple of minutes here and there to document something beautiful. Three years have flown by and I have to admit that I'm a little anxious as to what is to come with the baby. I know posts will definitely be more sporadic come late December but my absolute intention is to keep posting as much as possible to get back on a regular schedule...eventually. I love it too much.

I was thinking if my tastes have changed over these past three years having been knee-deep in the design blog world and adding three years to my age and experience...and I can't say that they have. Perhaps I see myself holding on to the traditional a little more than I used to...realizing that for me, beauty lies in the old and the classic...while also knowing that the spice of design life is pairing the classic with the new and unexpected.

Year four will be marked by my wee design assistant...I'm positive life will make a sharp turn for the better and I'm happy to welcome a change that perhaps makes me see design through new eyes?

I know commenting on blog posts isn't as hip as it used to be (and I can point a finger at myself on that one) but just know that every time you comment or reach out, I love to hear from you. I write this blog for myself but the absolute best byproduct is making a connection with like-minded people. Your interest in my thoughts makes me happy, so thank you very much.

On to year four...

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Vintage Silk Paintings via Etsy

Love the look of de Gournay but looking for a more cost-friendly option? I found this gorgeous vintage silk painting that would look beautiful in a gold bamboo frame. The entire piece is 24"x18.5" so it would work as a nice large panel on a wall:

Love the peachy, mint and golden green tones! Or if you are looking for something with a bit more punch, yet still completely sophisticated, check out this vintage silk painting with parrots:

Aren't the colors just breathtaking??? And the entire piece is 36"x23" so definitely a statement. I love this one so much.  But let's be honest, I want both real bad.

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Herend Royal Garden

I know the Prince William-Kate Middleton wedding hoopla has subsided but over the summer I had a run-in with their wedding china - Herend Royal Garden. Well, it's probably one of many china patterns they were gifted or selected for their nuptials but this pattern in particular is TO DIE FOR. I spotted it on display in a shop in South Carolina and I could not stop staring and coveting.

Lavender + green + gold + butterflies...

Here is what Herend says about the pattern:

"On the eve of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding, Hungary formally
presented for the royal couple a set of Herend handcrafted and hand painted porcelain that was custom designed just for them. Called Royal Garden, the pattern is a modern interpretation of Herend’s classic Queen Victoria pattern that was first purchased in 1851 by its namesake upon seeing it in London at the first Great Exhibition, later to become known as the World’s Fair. In celebration of 2011 as the 160th anniversary of the Queen Victoria pattern, Herend created a new version specifically for the royal couple."

Herend's Queen Victoria was a finalist in my own wedding china selection so I have a soft spot in my heart for it, but Royal Garden takes it to a new level with its color combination. Recall that these are the exact hues of my dining room and my brain explodes thinking about how gorgeous this china would look in my possession.

Perhaps our little nuggetina will select Royal Garden as her own wedding china. Look at me...already projecting MY dreams on her...STOP IT, MOM!

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Details

Photo by William Waldron via Elle Decor

There is so much right with this corner in the New Orleans home of Julia Reed but let me outline my favorite details:

1. That enormous black baseboard. It's gorgeous and I love how it works in this image with the black door and against the brown tones of the wood. I enjoy thick baseboard but I rarely see it painted black, especially against a deep-hued wall color. It's a wonderful, gutsy detail.

2. The color combination of saturated green and golden yellow. I am usually opposed to green + yellow - it reminds me of my middle school gym uniform - but it's stunning in this setting and I find myself being drawn to it more and more. 

3. My favorite window treatment of curtains (subtly trimmed in green) + bamboo blinds is employed to great effect.

4. And I love how the bamboo blinds work with the delicate bamboo sofa/settee giving an airy feeling to an otherwise heavy, elegant space. The combination also adds the perfect dose of Chinoiserie.

5. The butterfly prints are perfect in color and scale and create a beautiful arrangement against the rich green wall.

And extra credit for the beautiful chest that anchors the corner. This room is so perfect that you can overlook the poor Photoshop job someone did at the top of the photo - near the crown molding. Wonder what they were trying to touch up?

What's your favorite part of this room? Or was it not to your liking?

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Nursery Block Print Rug

I want to thank the Internet for our nursery rug. I'm not good with rugs. I usually leave them for last and since they are usually so pricey they stress me out when it comes to budgeting for a room. And I love living right on hardwoods so I'm usually not in a rush to get a rug.

All to say that the nursery rug was no different and I kind of gave up before I even started on finding a good rug. And then the Internet helped me out one day when I came across this block print rug from World Market (can't remember where):

I had no idea what I wanted to do with the floor of the nursery. The room is a good size, so I either had to get a sizeable rug or just get a small area rug to accent the one open spot of floor in the center of the room. Either way, it was one of those "I'll know it when I see it" situations.

And I knew it when I saw this cute red/ivory block print option from World Market. It's small at 4x6, but it will just cover the empty spot created between the crib, dresser and bed right in the center of the room. I think the small-scale pattern works great with my huge-scale Le Lac fabric and the reddish brown tones blend into the room really well. And the price of $70 was great (even though it's now $50 - even better).

World Market is not somewhere I often go for my home, but when I rediscover it every once in a while it has some great options. Here are some other rugs I really liked:

4x6 Ivory Block Print - $50

4x6 Green Dotted Serengeti Rug - $50

4x6 Purple and Silver Block Print - $60 (Available in Stores)

And a gorgeous 5x8 Moroccan Shag Rug (ie. the look of the Beni Ourain rugs we're seeing everywhere) - $240 (Available in Stores)

The smaller rugs, including the one for our nursery, would look great layered over a large natural rug...may still consider that but I'm happy to have serendipitously crossed this item off of my list.

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Friday Crush

And the award for Best Idea on the Internet this week goes to fellow DC blogger Lindsay of The Pursuit of Style. She dazzled us by bringing the Architecture bed from Room & Board to our attention in all of its colorful modern glory and then hinting at a pairing of said bed with Griffin & Wong Chinoiserie paper.  Chinoiserie lovers worldwide let out a collective gasp at the genius of this pairing and leave it to the queen of Chinoiserie, Beth of Chinoiserie Chic (also DC-based, I might add), to take that idea and run with it in one of the most visually satisfying blog posts I've ever read.

Can you blame me for wanting to play too? So indulge me while I recycle what these two women have created in an effort to raise public awareness...just doing my part for humanity.

Guess what? I didn't finish my sewing last weekend. You're shocked, I know. Apparently being almost 7 months pregnant makes you a little less limber to jump around measuring and cutting large pieces of fabric on the floor. So, I will charge ahead this weekend and hope to reach my goal of installing the nursery window treatments this weekend.

Hope your own weekend is fantastic...see you Monday!

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An Autumnal Table via Southern Living

I know the October issue of Southern Living is about to hit, but before it does, I have to fawn over this spread featured in September's issue that is full of beautiful color and a gorgeous table setting.

Mint + caramel + pink + gold + aqua...I think it's a perfect entertaining arrangement to take you into fall without going straight to the autumnal hues.

Photos by Laurey Glenn

Just STOP. This table is beyond words:

 

Calder Clark suuuure knows her stuff...oh to be stylish and living in Charleston. I just love how she's mixed these feminine colors but the rustic table and burnished gold accessories keeps them feeling warm enough for this time of year. Oh, and those painted mint julep cups - genius!

I was asked a while ago what my favorite magazine was and I said I didn't have one because I like everything I receive....I'm amending that answer: Southern Living, for sure and for certain. I adore my tried and true shelter mags - House Beautiful, Elle Decor, Traditional Home, Veranda - but Southern Living makes me want to be a better person. When I'm done reading an issue I want to travel, decorate, shop, cook and slow down to enjoy beautiful things. Each issue makes me relish the deliciousness of the South that Carter and I adore so much. I am super guilty of letting shelter mags pile up for months to be devoured in one Saturday afternoon, but Southern Living is the mag I always make time for when the new issue arrives (and I actually prefer viewing it on my iPad).

So what I'm saying is, I like Southern Living. To Lindsay Bierman and his team, keep the goodness coming.

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Coleen and Company Lighting

If money grew on trees, this AMAZING red tole sconce by Coleen & Company would make an appearance in our nursery:

It's called the Tole Tent Lantern Sconce and it embodies the look and feel I'm going for in that room. Ugh...it's STUNNING, isn't it?

And since we have a money tree in the backyard in this scenario, I might also get the Scalloped Lantern for the room's hanging fixture:

This fixture comes in SO many gorgeous colors including peacock, pink and tortoise.

I'm absolutely smitten with Coleen & Company's lighting. Just look at this Raj Lantern:

And they have a tortoise finish, which is awesome...seen here in the Scalloped Lantern Sconce:

But alas, these are fantasy pieces...not in any kind of price range I could actually afford. BOO. I am blessed beyond blessed in my life (beyond blessed) but sometimes I wish I had a stack of mad money to spend on beautiful items like this!

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Five Artists on my Radar

I believe that one of the major advancements of humanity is that we now have access to original art via the Internet. I know it has opened up a world of possibility for many and I can say that my appreciation for paintings in particular has grown so much because I am exposed to so many different sources.

Art is definitely one of my favorite things to look for when putting together a room and lately, I've had five abstract artists on my radar...I need to make a piece by one of these talented artists my own soon!

 Kerry Steele

 Keila Marino

Sally Kelly

 Robert Bangbouh

Jessica Snow

I devoted my latest ideabook on Houzz to several works by each of these five artists - definitely worth a look if you're in the market for some fantastic, colorful, modern, abstract art. 

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Nursery Closet Inspiration

I have big plans for the nursery's closet. When we moved into the house, one of the first things Carter did was remove the old accordion-style closet "door" (not really a door, more of a sliding canvas curtain-type situation) with the thought that we would soon replace it. You'll be shocked to know that that never happened. The closet became Carter's and having it open was rather convenient since that room was only used by him.

And now that baby girl is arriving (in 3 months!) Carter is being evicted and I'm thinking that an open concept closet might still work best in the room. Some inspiration:

 From Susanna Salk Room for Children, via projectnursery.com

From domino, via projectnursery.com

 From the lil house that could

Closet by Rate My Space user annehayes, via hgtv.com

Our nursery is a good size but I think that closet doors will still get in the way and I'm becoming enamored with the idea of doing an eye-catching wall treatment inside the closet to give it some definition while making it decorative. And since baby clothes is so wee, I imagine that I will store most of it in our dresser for a while so hanging space can stay relatively organized.

The closet will be the last thing we tackle so I hope I don't run out of decorating and DIY steam by then!

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Friday Crush

Meet Gus and Lula and their divine nursery. I spotted this image on 6th Street Design School last week and I can't stop thinking about it. Gus and Lula's mom Britt did a fantastic job pulling together this combination of aqua + jade + yellow. Isn't that couch a complete showstopper? And that couch will see many days beyond this nursery. And I adore the dual Jenny Lind cribs, which is the style I selected for my own nursery. And of course the tole chandelier is so perfect in cheery green. I love everything about this...including those babies!!!

LOTS of sewing on my to-do list this weekend...bed/crib skirts and curtains for the nursery. The task seems incredibly daunting, but I know I will feel great once it's done as it's a major step in completing the nursery. Hope you have a fantastic weekend and enjoy some Fall weather where you are...see you Monday!

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Cozy Bathroom from Phoebe Howard

I don't post about bathrooms much, likely because they typically don't use a lot of textiles (which are my favorite).  But this bathroom from Phoebe Howard is absolutely delightful!

I love how the wallpaper and wooden vanities give the bathroom a sense of warmth and coziness. And the antique windsor chair is a great addition to the space to make it feel lived-in. The matchstick blinds also help the space come down a notch in elegance. A really nice balance of upscale finishes (hello tile!) and warm, comfortable elements. And the peek into the adjacent bedroom isn't bad either!

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Art Deco Chinese Rugs

FEAST your eyes on this amazing assortment of antique Art Deco Chinese rugs! They are works of art!

Shockingly gorgeous. Like the best de Gournay wallpaper, but for your floor! Oh my, to have one of these rugs grace my home. Can you imagine? I would love to design a dining room with one of these.

They are antique and ridiculously gorgeous and so are crazy expensive but I adore absorbing their beauty. I can't pick a favorite - each one has the most beautiful motif and collection of colors.

Check out the sale on One Kings Lane and drool right along with me...

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