Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1534561
Travel inspiration. I'm inspired a lot by travel. My husband is a teacher and is originally from London, where he still has family. We spend at least a month in Europe every summer while he's off. I've become quite inspired by the English countryside and the homes there, with the old stone floors that are different sizes and thicknesses. The English let things age naturally and embrace the textures and patinas that happen to materials over time. It's the imperfections in objects and in the spaces that I'm so drawn to. Living finishes. I have a deVOL faucet in the kitchen because everything they make is so thoughtful and well done. I went with an antique silver finish because it goes well with the stainless, yet it possesses that element I look for, which is a living finish. Again, it's that connection to the object, of watching how it ages over time. You need to know the pros and cons, though. A marble sink is porous, stains, and doesn't drain as easily as stainless. A sealant on wood require less maintenance but will also darken the look of the wood. White walls. I prefer to keep walls in the main spaces neutral, but I'm totally excited to use color in a study, powder room, or bedroom. White is the hardest color to pick; it's such a challenge, because it reflects everything around it. Just when you think you've found the perfect white, the next project is totally different, and I have to start over. Schooled. When we first moved into this house, the walls were covered in a 1990s texture. The process to remove it was almost like putting plaster on the walls. They put joint compound over the texture, then sanded it and repeated the process several times. When it was done, I loved the color so much. I wanted to match it while warming it up a little. I tested a lot of different whites. School House White by Farrow & Ball came the closest. It's my new favorite white. Small-room case study. The living room was very difficult to lay out because it's small and doesn't allow for any type of traditional furniture arrangement. We had a coffee table for a while, but no one used the space. It wasn't comfortable. After I found the tapestry at Carol Piper Rugs, I realized it would be a beautiful ottoman. I didn't want to cut into the tapestry's pattern, so I thought, 'Let's just use the whole tapestry and create one big cozy ottoman that fills the room.' Now, it's part of our family — it's my son's trampoline, it's also the place where we draw, where we play with Lego. 55 (Continued)