Charles Faudree

As a little girl growing up in Oklahoma, I have always felt comforted in traditional interiors.  I love the mixture of patterns with florals and checks.  Then add in some antiques and I'm in love.  One of my favorite designers happens to also be from Oklahoma and I always visit his store in Tulsa when I'm in town.  I'm referring to the wonderful Charles Faudree.  As Thanksgiving came around I started thinking of him again, he passed away this time last year.  
When I think of Charles Faudree, pictures of his interiors flood my mind.  His love of French design with comfort in mind is something to emulate.  He was honored  by House Beautiful as one of the top designers in the United States.  As you scroll through the photos of his work notice the French influence, the mixture of patterns, the details in his soft goods, and beautiful yet comfortable choice of furnishings.  I could picture sitting in any of his room with friends and family for hours.  Not only was he a very busy and sought out designer but he also moved a lot himself.  He once said, "I feel about my houses the same way Elizabeth Taylor felt about her husbands.  Each one is my best and my last!"  

  

Teaching Tuesday~Egyptian Influence

Interior Design is like any other form of art, there are different kinds of mediums and styles you can use to achieve your masterpiece.  An appreciation and application of good design requires knowledge of the past.  This week I want to focus on ancient Egyptian design.  The beginning of history we are able to see a strong and mature civilization who's work was so grand that we are still able to see the influences in current architecture, design and furniture.

The Pyramids of Gizeh.  They were built about 3700 B.C.  They were the tombs of the kings of the early dynasties.

The Louve Pyramid was completed in 1989 and designed by I. M. Pei

Ancient Etgyptian hieroglyphs

A modern application of hieroglyphs

Egyptian stool and seat

modern version of Egyptian seat

You can see the influence of the Egyptian stool with the cross legs.

Egyptian daybed

Modern influenced daybed.

Look at these interiors with an Egyptian influence.  

Nature Knows Best

I'll tell you one of my design secrets...if you want to find great color combinations to use in your space that are soothing and cohesive, look outside.  A long time ago while traveling I was taking pictures of a beautiful hillside in Utah and noticed how well the colors work together.  Since then I have paid extra attention to nature and have used nature as inspiration for interiors.  Yesterday I was exploring a new beach and of course noticed the great color combinations.  I want to share those with you along with some design photos from Pinterest.  Notice the colors and how naturally they go together, and how calming they are.  Look around when you are driving tomorrow and see what color combinations you notice.