SERENDIPITY—IN DECORATING

ONE DAY, I WAS IN ONE OF MY FAVOURITE VENDORS—THE BEAUTIFUL CHELSEA EDITIONS SHOWROOM IN THE FINE ARTS BUILDING IN NEW YORK—AND THERE, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIRST ROOM, WAS A HUGE PILE OF NAVY BLUE EMBROIDERED FABRIC LYING ON THE GROUND.  ALWAYS CURIOUS (I AM SUCH A SNOOP! ) , I ASKED WHY, AND IT TURNED OUT THAT IT WAS A SPECIAL ORDER FOR A JOB IN TEXAS WHERE, APPARENTLY, THE CLIENT CHANGED HER MIND.  THESE THINGS HAPPEN—THEY SHOULDN’T (I BELIEVE THIS IS USUALLY A CASE OF NOT REALLY CLEAR DECORATOR/CLIENT VISION), BUT THEY DO.  SO I JUMPED IN TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A BIT OF SERENDIPITY.

SINCE CHELSEA EDITIONS WAS GOING TO SOMEWHAT EAT THESE CURTAIN PANELS—THAT’S WHAT THEY WERE—I BEGGED FOR A FEW DAYS GRACE PERIOD TO SELL AN IDEA TO A CLIENT.  THAT DID HAPPEN, AND IT WAS SERENDIPITOUS.

NOW, THIS IS IMPORTANT—WHEN YOU COME ACROSS SOME AMAZING BARGAIN—(AND IF YOU ARE HONEST AND TRUE, YOU WILL PASS THESE SAVINGS ON TO YOUR CLIENT—SHARING IS PART OF SERENDIPITY)—YOU NEED TO PLAN.  BIG TIME. 

 I WAS DOING A GUEST HOUSE FOR CLIENTS, AND THESE PANELS WOULD BE PERFECT FOR THEIR BEDROOM/SITTING ROOM, BECAUSE I HAD ALREADY ORDERED ALL THE WALLS TO BE WHITE.  THE NAVY BLUE WOULD LOOK GREAT AGAINST THEM, BUT IN ORDER NOT TO BE TOO POWERFUL, I NEEDED TO MODERATE IT A BIT. 

I DECIDED TO USE RATTAN FURNITURE—PERFECT FOR US HERE IN THE TROPICS—YOU MIGHT NEED TO SUBSTITUTE PAINTED OR “BROWN” FURNITURE WHERE YOU LIVE—BECAUSE THE LIGHT TAN-NY BROWN COLOUR OF RATTAN LOOKS SO GOOD WITH NAVY.  ALSO, A BONUS: IT TENDS TO BE REASONABLY PRICED—EVEN IF YOU NEED TO RE-VARNISH IT, WHICH I DID.  NOTICE THE RATTAN SOFA AND END TABLE IN THE PICTURE BELOW.

THEN TO KEEP THIS NAVY-FADING-TO-LIGHT-BROWN-FADING-TO-NATURAL, I USED MY ALL-TIME FAVOURITE RUG FROM STARK CARPET, “NATURA” IN NATURAL. 

THEN I NEEDED SOME MORE FABRICS AS THERE WERE NOT ENOUGH CURTAIN PANELS TO DO EVERYTHING.  SO KNOWING THAT I WAS GOING TO USE THE CURTAIN PANELS ON SOME OF THE WINDOWS, I ORDERED PLAIN NAVY FROM CHELSEA EDITIONS AND USED IT TO MAKE THE DUST RUFFLE, AND A WONDERFUL FABRIC FROM ROSE CUMMING TO DO THE RATTAN FURNITURE., “BIRD IN CIRCLE” IN NAVY ON CREAM.

WE USED A CREAMY WHITE TRIM FROM SAMUEL AND SONS AND USED SOME OF THE SMALLER PIECES OF EMBROIDERED FABRIC TO MAKE TWO STOOLS.  PLANNING WAS KEY—AND IMAGINATION,  BUT YOU CAN CERTAINLY DO BOTH OF THOSE THINGS. 

GOOD LUCK—FOR THAT’S WHAT SERENDIPITY IS. 

XOXOXOX    

LETA