Love & Passion

In May, my husband and I went on a vacation to the Pacific northwest. We started in Seattle and drove the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) all the way south to San Francisco! It was absolutely the best vacation we've ever taken, and mostly because of the beautiful Bed and Breakfasts we stayed in each night.

One, in particular, Abigail's Elegant Victoria Mansion in Eureka, California, stands out most in my mind. It wasn't just about the hospitality of the Innkeepers, it was the home they had created! It was like a "Night at the Museum". The furnishings and the decor was so perfectly done, you'd swear you'd gone back in time.

picture moldings/medallions

They have lived in the home for over twenty years and have spent all of that time restoring and recreating the High Victorian style; true to the period the house was built. They've put so much time, effort and finances into designing this house back to it's roots! Not a single detail has been left to chance nor ignored. The pictures all hang from beautiful cords and medallions from the picture moldings.

Upholstered Walls

 They have original lighting throughout the house  and the effect is stunning. They've even used beautiful imported tapestry fabrics to upholster the bedroom walls!

Original lighting

Tapestry fabric walls

Probably the most impressive thing, if there is just one, would be the use of wallpaper. They have had the most amazing and intricate wallpaper designs done on the walls and ceilings of the main floor. This would be so typical of the period and they are gorgeous.

Just to note, this wallpaper doesn't come in sheets, it is painstakingly cut from rolls, each little design, and applied in layers to create these beautiful patterns.

Peacock in the window

The draperies are also very detailed and layered. They not only dress the windows beautifully, they are used graciously between the rooms. In the Victorian era that would have been to keep smaller spaces warm, and in modern times with central heating, wouldn't be necessary. That's what I like about their design, they did it for the design's sake, not function.

You can see better (professional) photos on their website, but these I took in the wee hours of the morning as we were checking out of the B&B.

'chick'-a-dee in birdcage

One of the other things you might have noticed is that, even though they have taken their design seriously, they haven't taken the decor too seriously... check out the chicken in the bird cage! It's a stuffed chicken, a sort of "tongue-in-cheek" response to the beautiful taxidermy peacock in the front room window. I love it!

 

Drapery in doorway

Now, not everyone could live like this, I'd hate all of the dusting, but I can certainly appreciate the style for what it is and definitely enjoyed looking at the beautiful furnishings (most of which are antiques!) The lessons here, I think, are to design your interior according to the architecture or period of the home, and to be passionate about the things you bring into your space.

Doug and Lily love their home and consider themselves curators, not just innkeepers or homeowners. Their passions for the home and the Victorian period have made their home something so special, not only to them, but to all who are lucky enough to visit.

The Best Compliment:

I had a visit from a client yesterday. I started working with them in February and it was just going to be new floors, paint and a couple of pieces of new furniture. It turned out to be every room in the house got a makeover and almost all of the furnishings were replaced!

They ended up knocking down walls, adding built-ins in two rooms, replacing lighting, recovering furniture, making custom draperies and bedding and even refinishing the kitchen and hallway cabinets. They removed carpet from the stairs and put in wooden treads; I'm talking about a total overhaul!

Things didn't always go smoothly, we went through rounds of fabric selections only to find out that some of the key fabrics were discontinued, then back to the drawing board. We broke the budget on somethings and had to make concessions on others. It was trying on all of us , but they were living in a house where every single room was dismantled in some form or fashion! At one point there was not one room in the house that was fully functional. For weeks they had all of their furniture covered with plastic sheeting and even the kitchen had no cabinet doors or drawer fronts!

One day while I was at the house getting last minute sign-offs on fabrics and finishes, I had everything spread out on the dining room table (which we weren't replacing because it had sentimental value). He perched on the table while we were talking and the pedestal *snapped*! It was heartbreaking because I knew there was no money in the budget to replace it, and besides they WANTED to keep it! He was able to get it repaired, but can you imagine?

Somewhere along the way we became more than designer/client, we became friends. That's exactly why I wanted to do this job in the first place. I love people and I am happiest when they are excited about their homes/spaces!

The job is almost complete, the last of the furniture is going to be delivered soon (custom furniture takes so long to get here... something I never experienced being from NC) and their lives will go back to normal. The walls are all finished, the painters have finally all gone home and the dust has been cleaned out. Their beautiful draperies are all hung and the new floors are gleaming! What started out to be new floors and chairs for the living room took over their lives for over 1/2 a year.

One of the last thing he said to me at the end of our visit yesterday was that he appreciated the fact that when I suggested paint and he felt it was too dark and lightened it, I just designed around the change! Well, of course! Ultimately the client has to live in the space, so it's more important that they love and are comfortable in their home.

The sad fact is, however, that there are designers who put together a plan and expect the client to live with what they say, because they "are the professional and know better". I have to admit that there are times when I have known that something I suggested would look beautiful, and was a bit disappointed when a client has decided not to go with my suggestion. but, I'm  less disappointed when, in the end, they are happy with the outcome.

The best part of the experience for me is building the relationships and hopefully they feel the same way. When at the end of a 6-month long project, of not living in his home, but in a construction zone; and with all of the trials and frustrations that a remodel causes, comes to an end and what stands out is that his designer was flexible with paint color. I'm saying that was a successful remodel, and the best compliment I've ever been paid!

*stay tuned for photos to come!