Back 2 Life, Back 2 Reality

Now that I have implanted a devious musical seed in your collective head that will surely germinate and take over the rest of your day, let me just say that it's good to be back. New Orleans was fantastic! Amazing! Splendiferous! But we're still in the process of home renovations, last minute repairs, and the inevitable move which is scheduled for next week. That's right -- D Day is one week from today and I'm shaking in my boots (because it's 56 windy degrees this morning and I can wear them -- who dat?!). We have NOTHING ready. Nothing. So, while I would love to regale you with tales of my trip, with pictures of my new floors, and with a big reveal of Sander's handipaintwork, I just can't this morning. Because I have to pack up my entire life into tiny boxes, taking care to leave toothbrushes and undergarments accessible at all times. Excuse my tres gauche patois here, but it's going to be a clusterfuck, y'all.

Nevermind all that. Let's look at this beautiful house designed by Tyler Dawson, shall we?

I don't get House Beautiful but I should, because the November issue was pretty swell. Thanks to my decor obsessed hairdresser Lisa for letting me slobber all over her copy.

I'm really trying to work up some nervy color palettes for New House. I think the paint color was a huge step in the right direction, but now what???

A colorful rug would be a chic, family friendly choice since pattern hides dirt (and strawberry jello) so well. I am obsessed with this Chinese deco rug. There are a few on craigslist I've been stalking for a while, but I have yet to find one under a grand. I'm also considering a non neutral couch...

I may even get some patterned curtains for the kid and guest rooms. I know? Who the bleep am I???

Perhaps I am experiencing some residual delirium from all the absinthe and jambalaya, but I don't think so.

What do you think about non neutral large pieces like couches and rugs? Crazy or crazy good?

My Date With Sanders

I went to visit Sanders yesterday so he could pick the perfect paint color for me, and when I told him I had a north facing, shady room with high ceilings, this is what he chose to go with my flooring sample:

It's called Pashmina, and it's a medium gray/brown. Pretty, but not exactly the white I was hoping for.

Here it is in another room I ran on the color analyzer thingamajig doohickeywopper.

It's nice, right? But maybe too dark? Maybe not?

When I told Sanders I wanted white, he shook his head in the wrong direction... he did give me a few lighter samples, but they all looked like dingy shitballs when I held them up to the walls at New House. Here is the best of the light samples he gave me:

It's called Deep in Thought, and I am deeply thinking it looks better in these rooms than it will in mine.

What do you think? Whiteish or medium greige?

I'm going back to visit Sanders again today, but I'll tell you now that he's pretty much always right.

Love Hate Love

I'm feeling the urge to paint again. I swear paint fumes give off some secret crack that compels me, knees and shoulders screaming in resistance, to repaint just one. more. time. I see no problem with the fact that I have repainted some rooms in this house three times in the three years we have lived here, because I blame blogging. Looking at a zillion gorgeous images a day fills my head full of dancing sugarplum dreams, and just when I think I'm a fully recovered paintaholic, something will come along and spark up the old addiction. Ah, I love the smell of fresh paint in the morning.

Well, let me tell you what color I am not going to paint my walls.

Ok, so actually this house is amazing... but that paint color! It looks like my mom's lipstick from 1983.

It's a color that loves naked lady butt cleave.

It's a color that invites Demons to bed.

But then I look around and I think, Damn this house be fine.

I really like the colors that go with that other, weirder color. And what the hell color is it, anyway? Mauve?

I try to keep an open mind about decor. I consider myself to be an eternal student of everything, because people who think they know it all are doomed to turn into boring old fossils incapable of growth and change. Not that I feel strongly about that or anything. (And not that I actually think I know anything.)

Point is, sometimes that open mind can get me into trouble. Sure, I have things I know I always like. But sometimes things I think I hate surprise me into becoming things I love.

Can you tell that paint color is starting to confuse me? I plan to adjourn to my cracky ultra addictive but incredibly delicious (if only it were laced with paint fumes!) coffee to sort this issue out. Feel free to join me if you'd like.

[AD Russia]